[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
had fallen head over heels in love with the Princess of Trelandar, and most of
that had been because Gayle Marn was a tall blue eyed blonde too! The little
brunette almost wishing she was a blonde!
"And she's going to be `ours'," Captain Mark Berson breathed in reply,
thinking his own thoughts. He had never met the woman, or really knew that
much about her, but yet he wanted to see her naked, chained, perhaps with her
back yet bleeding from the whip! And with this lovely Princess, Sela Dai of
Page 39
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Talon, standing there beside her, making her cower and tremble in fear of
another whip- ping! So went Mark's fantasy, featuring both Sela Dai and Maris
Jord. Yours truly being totally ignored for the moment as her ship bashed
through the waves towards the distant mastheads of a schooner that had only
the day before flew her own personal flag!
*****************************************************************
"There's no more sail that can be set, your majesty," the captain of
Seawolf explained as he looked into my hot angry eyes. It was growing rather
obvious to me that these big "Squala" class schooners weren't quite as fast as
I had hoped that they would be! I suspected that the original design had been
as good a com- promise between "handling" and "speed" that could be done.
While the Seawolf was doing as well as could be expected, making nearly ten
knots, we were not pulling up on the Squala at all now, much to my own
annoyance! On the other hand I could see that the sails were not set quite as
well as they could be for making the best use of what wind there was. And
trying to explain such de- tails now to captain Hawkins would be just a waste
of breath too!
"Here, you men!" I ordered, stepping down on the tilting deck, the
Seawolf shuddering beneath me as it bashed through the rollers. The growing
line of clouds ahead a warning that Maris Jord might very well escape us if
she could reach them first! I gave swift orders, commands, had the sails reset
just a bit. The Seawolf biting a bit deeper into the waves, perhaps picking up
half a knot or a bit better. The "angle of forces" now correct!!
*****************************************************************
"We have a chance," Maris Jord breathed, glancing behind her ship. The
enemy first rate now hull up on the horizon behind them. The little third rate
had fallen back a bit, although it too was now gamely pursuing her to the best
of its own abilities!
"We'll have to shorten sail soon," the first officer breathed, looking
at the clouds that now filled the sky ahead of them. The darkness beneath them
leaving no doubt of the wind and waves that would be there to greet them. The
growing roughness of the waves through which the North Star was now smashing
ample proof of that! Maris to his horror then shook her head in reply!
"Our only chance is to sail into that with everything set," she
answered, her beautiful emerald eyes glowing into his. Like all those aboard
the ship he had his own secret fantasies about her. What it would be like to
have her naked and warm "in bed". She was a beautiful woman, good with a sword
too, he understood. Nicely "full" in the rear end, he'd noticed a few times
before...
"You'll wreck the ship and leave us helpless before them!" he protested.
Once the North Star was dismasted they would be easy prey for even one of the
little Imperial third rates. And the Empire would see to it that She at least
never ever again saw her own country! That damn Warlady of theirs would see to
that!!
"We have a well founded ship, and the best crew that any ship ever had,"
Maris smiled. She didn't bother adding that her own skills at command were
almost unparalleled among those of her sex. She was, she knew, the equal of
Jon Richards or Jers Bisan. And it would be "seamanship", her seamanship, that
would see them through! Her skill at balancing the forces of wind and wave
against the pressure of canvas that would save them all from death or capture
at the cruel hands of the Imperials now closing the gap behind them! The big
first rate now only a few miles be- hind proof of the fate that awaited them
if she failed her task!
Page 40
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
*****************************************************************
"She's got to shorten sail or she'll be dismasted!" Mark breathed. He
was playing it too close himself as Squala took the first of the sudden gusts
of wind. The odor of rain in the air!
"Perhaps she prefers death to capture," Sela breathed beside him. Her
dark eyes looking up into his. She knew just enough of ships and storms to be
worried what could happen if Mark didn't start shortening sail. The North Star
only a mile or so ahead!!!
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]