My ship "Merriweather" is wallowing in a shallow sea of muck and moss in an unpleasant Shadow. The skies are an abysmal green-grey with sharp lines of lightning cutting downward into the mire. I know where I am. That's the good news.
When travelling gracefully in calm weather on a calm sea with a ship in good order, I had little expectation of trouble, but I had been on deck at that unusual hour just to check the watch. We were approaching Forbis, a trading station in the Mrugga Shadow. Entering the bay, we had dropped to slow maneuver speed, and made ready to await the local Official Portmaster. I had the bribe forming in my safe as the his patrol launch came into sight ... and opened fire.
Generally, it is not the practice of the Fleet to send its ships aground. Nor is it advised that any aspiring officer risk his life, his ship and his crew in such a maneuver. But an unarmed trading vessel has certain limits on offensive firepower. In protecting my ship and crew, it was necessary to make suitable response to this Officious Prick. In a half hour of crazed maneuvering, the "Merriweather" took a few minor scrapes from buoys and fishing boats along with more strafing fire from the patrol craft's guns. When the solution presented itself, I was in the mood to accept it.
The engines of the patrol craft seized, black smoke rolling out of the vents. All I did was call the Helmsman to bring us on course to ram the bugger. In the distraction, I had missed the fact that the bay had shifted its boundaries, narrowing a bit. The land had moved! Shadow shifting ... damn!
By that time I had made a clever decision to reverse engines. We had run down the patrol boat. Its crew, now swimming to safety, must have thought I was a madman as my ship literally made effort to chew them in her props. I made note not too worry too long on their account.
I was looking for a Shadow to get us safely away from this land trap. Who did this? Why just a single simple ship? ... Well, to get at me ... but I am not important ... am I?
When you haven't got much to work with, you use what is presented to you. Someone wanted to move land to capture my ship? Well, I can move land just as well, but to my advantage ... hopefully.
I began the Pattern in my mind, letting the training take the ship with me. I had a trading relationship with a Shadow where the dikes had failed and land was sinking away, building an inland sea.
As the "Merriweather" cleared the Shadow ride ... I collapsed against a rail at the shock of impact ... Others must have faired worse than I. Awakening in my cabin, I sent my cabin boy to get me a report. On his return, I discovered that perhaps the sea had not quite formed as quickly as I had thought. It had been a while since I was here. ... How was I to know that they had fixed the dikes?
| Tuesday, September 30, 1997 |
|
Want more? |