1636: Commander Cantrell in the West Indies by Eric Flint & Charles E. Gannon

Author:Eric Flint & Charles E. Gannon [Flint, Eric & Gannon, Charles E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General, Action & Adventure, Alternative History
ISBN: 9781476780603
Amazon: B00KDGKZEW
Publisher: Baen Books
Published: 2014-06-03T04:00:00+00:00

Jean du Plessis d’Ossonville resisted the urge to produce a handkerchief to dab the sweat from his brown. Weeks of pursuing careful relations with the Caribs of Guadeloupe had not been half so unnerving as walking into this lion’s den of desperate Irishmen. It would have been a great deal easier had he and his fellow-factor for the Compagnie des Îles de l’Amérique, Charles Liénard de l’Olive, not needed to shift some of the silver originally intended for the Wild Geese into their own overtaxed coffers. But that would hardly matter to Richelieu if they were able to report success on both islands without incurring any additional expense. And His Eminence certainly wanted to lay hold of both the islands, but presumably for very different reasons. Du Plessis could well imagine what those different reasons might be, but Richelieu was not, to put it lightly, in the habit of informing minor nobles of his long-range plans. However, it was quite clear from the color building in the earl of Tyrconnell’s face that he would soon make his feelings and opinions on the offer for Trinidad quite clear indeed.

The Irishman did not disappoint du Plessis’ expectations. “Surely this is a joke. And a very bad one.”

“Surely, it is not, Lord O’Donnell.”

“In that event, it is an insult.”

“I regret that you elect to conceive it so, my lord. We consider it a most generous offer: half a year’s pay, in advance, for all those men and their families who leave the Spanish Lowlands and come over the border to serve under French colors.”

“Sir du Plessis, that would not even be a particularly attractive hiring incentive, particularly not to long-service mercenaries such as the Wild Geese. Yet that is all you are willing to offer for the mercenary contract you offer us and for the technical help that built your balloon and the successful completion of this mission to Trinidad? I fail to understand how you can make this offer to us intending it to be anything but an insult.”

“Allow me to share what I understand, my good Earl of Tyrconnell. I understand that you have a great many mouths to feed in and around Brussels. I furthermore understand that Cardinal Richelieu, in consideration of the service you have performed here on Trinidad, has elected to both feed them and to pay your men at their present rate. And he is willing to relay your first half-year’s payroll to you here and now, in this place, as a sign of his goodwill, and as an indication that you will never need to wait upon the prompt satisfaction of his payrolls. Unlike the case with your tercio’s present employer.”

Du Plessis saw that this line of debate was angering the semi-civilized Irishman even more—which meant, in all probability, that his remarks were cutting deep because they were landing upon the tender bruises of unpleasant truths. Perhaps, though, he should have increased the amount of the bribe, or “special service commission,” that he had explicitly set aside for O’Donnell himself in the written offer.

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