Ice Prophet by William R Forstchen

Author:William R Forstchen [Forstchen, William R]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0345307909
Published: 2019-03-04T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

As the fourth hour of day passed, the ice broadened and soon the Broken Tracks fell astern of the fleet. It was good clean ice that ran beneath the fleet, and the men laughed and cheered as more canvas was inched unto the yards and the ships danced across the Frozen Sea. The tension of the last two days melted away, so that even the ram pilots started to smile to themselves.

The wind blew fair and strong out of the south. The crews settled back into the daily routine, with most of the men going below to sleep between watches.

Michael and Daniel found themselves alone upon the stem-castle as the plumes of snow and ice kicked up by the Thunderwind swirled and billowed behind them.

Daniel turned to Michael and watched him closely.

“Aye, Michael, you seem unhappy at our luck. Why, we’ve cheated them off, we have. That Halvin is still a rare good one.”

Michael was silent.

“What is it, Michael?” Daniel asked as he lowered his voice in an anxious tone.

“We haven’t escaped,” Michael said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s over with. Prepare yourself.”

Michael was silent again and would not answer any of Daniel’s questions.

Eastward they ran on a beam reach. The day progressed with the sky clear and the wind full and hard. The sails were taut with the pressure, and as the sun climbed heavenward the men on deckside duty sat behind the barriers and enjoyed the warmth of the Southern Ice.

Michael felt detached as he watched the men mingling on deck. It’s fascinating, Michael thought, how we dream our dreams of immortality and deny death. How good it is that we usually know not the hour of our passing—and what torture it is when we do know. How the unknowing waste and laugh their way through their existence as those men below are doing now. They will be dead before nightfall, yet they skylark and laugh while I am tortured. He looked across the ice, the torment filling him.

He could feel the trap closing in and the lives of all around him ticking away their final brief moments. A burst of laughter from the foredeck drifted back with the wind. He was terrified to the point where he could barely conceal his shaking. He wished the agony was over with, and he cursed his second sight, which had given him the brief glimpse of what this day would bring.

From an eternity away the cry came down from above.

“Deck ho… Deck ho, the St. Almarth, she’s coming about.”

Michael was tom from his thoughts as a shock passed through the crew. The men stood up and raced to the rail, looking to the southeast, where they knew the frigate was running, just visible on the horizon.

The tiny, toylike sails were lined up at a right angle to the Thunderwind, and turned as the ship completed her jibe and made for the flagship of the fleet.

The maneuver of the St. Almarth was warning enough; even before the command was given some of the men went below to put on their armor.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.