In The Courts Of The Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling

Author:S.M. Stirling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A Tom Doherty Associates Book
Published: 2008-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

Teyud allowed Jeremy to support her as they shambled back toward the Intrepid Traveler, even though strength flowed back into her with every pace. His touch seemed to bring strength of another sort, of a kind that defied easy definition. Sally Yamashita snatched up her portable as they left the antechamber; nothing else remained except the bedding—even the portapotty had gone back to the landship.

They were halfway down the sand-choked avenue toward the ship’s hiding place when the alarm wailed from the tower where she had set the lookout. It went on wailing in the lookout’s arms—they did, once you’d twisted their tails sharply—as the scout herself dove off the window and into space. The parachute blossomed out above her, a rectangular thing of boxes of fabric fastened side by side, swooping and circling down toward the street. One of the Paiteng swooped over itself to examine the strange thing that invaded the air, then sheered off at the high-decibel wail that hurt its sensitive ears.

By the time they reached the shattered wall of the gas storage plant, Teyud felt strong—stronger than she ever had in her life, as if her brain was moving like a mechanism of jewels and steel precisely formed. The conviction that the two hostile ships were close was strong; for now, she simply accepted that. With Jeremy at her side, she halted until the parachutist landed; as they did, the cable came taunt and the stern of the Traveler began to emerge.

Activity boiled on deck as the fifteen remaining crewfolk made ready to depart, but the crew took a brief moment to do obeisance—going to one knee and bowing with right hand on the ground. They had heard, and even the most ignorant knew what the Invisible Crown meant.

“Two landships approaching from the northwest, Supremacy, currently approximately eight miles in that direction,” the lookout said, pointing. “Two-masters, large and low-built, apparently fast.”

They must have waited out the storm, Teyud thought. Probably in a hollow, and then had to dig their hulls and outriggers free of accumulated dust. They are between us and Zar-tu-Kan.

“What is your command, Supremacy?” Baid said.

“We run,” she said succinctly.

The engine gasped as the landship came free of the building, then subsided into a shuddering, panting wheeze beneath their feet as they vaulted over the rail.

“Get my harness and weapons,” Teyud said to the scout.

It was not factually of much importance, but she felt more natural as she buckled the straps around herself and settled the sword and pistol. The quarterdeck gun was crewed and charged.

“Set all sail,” she said, and looked up; the sun was a little past noon, and the wind was out of the northeast, about seventeen knots, she estimated.

The hands bent to the winches, sending the long, triangular sail up the mast and the V-fork the upper boom formed with it. The sail thuttered and then snapped taut as the impermeable sheet caught the breeze, wasting nothing. There was a burring sound of sealed bearings turning in their races as the ship leaned against its suspension and began to move.

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