PORTAL by Richard Bowker

Author:Richard Bowker [Bowker, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ePublishing Works!
Published: 2017-03-06T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The carriage raced through the deserted streets towards Coolidge Palace. "What do you mean?" I asked Peter. "Chat about what?"

"Wouldn't know," Peter replied. "The president doesn't tell me what's on his mind."

"Are people mad at me?"

Peter chuckled. "I imagine they've more important things to be worrying about, lad."

We reached the palace in no time. The guards let our carriage through the gates, and we raced up the long drive to the front steps. There was still a lot of activity on the palace grounds, I noticed.

"Hurry, lad," Peter said when the carriage stopped. I got down from the bench and ran up the steps. A green-coated butler wearing a wig opened the door for me.

Lieutenant Carmody was standing in the entrance hall, looking seriously annoyed. "Where did you get to?" he demanded.

"Well, uh, I—"

"Never mind. Let's go." He headed off down a long hallway to the president's office. Another butler bowed and let us in.

President Gardner was seated by the fire, along with General Aldridge, Professor Palmer, Vice President Boatner, and the foreign minister, Lord Percival. The president wasn't wearing his wig; he looked tired. "Ah, you've brought Master Barnes," he said when we entered. "Excellent. Have a seat. General Aldridge was just finishing one of his gloomy reports."

We bowed and sat down. The warmth of the fire felt great after being outside all day.

"The Canadian artillery pieces on the Cambridge side of the Charles are firing almost continuously," General Aldridge said. "Damage is light so far except in the refugee camp by the river. The goal, presumably, is to create confusion and panic prior to the main assault."

"And the Portuguese?"

"A similar strategy south of the city, except the firing is more intermittent. They may be conserving their ammunition."

"And the balloons?" the president asked. "The electricity? All this work taking place on my back lawn—where are we with it?"

General Aldridge turned to Professor Palmer. "Professor?"

"Four balloons are in use at strategic points around the city, Your Excellency," he said. "Two more are being completed tonight. The balloons are tethered, with ropes sufficiently long that soldiers in the balloons will be able to easily view the enemy's troop dispositions by telescope. We have developed a semaphore signaling system that allows them to send the information back to the soldiers on the ground, so that they can adjust our own deployments of artillery and troops."

"Can't the enemy just train their fire on the balloons and shoot them down?" Vice President Boatner asked. He looked as glum as he had the first time I saw him.

"The balloons are out of range of enemy artillery. They'll be safe."

"What about wind, snow, ice?" the president asked.

Professor Palmer nodded. "Weather is a concern, Excellency, particularly wind. But on calm days, the balloons will be effective."

"One might say that the balloons have already served their purpose," Lord Percival pointed out. "The enemy negotiators have seen the balloons floating over the palace. And that has provoked a change in their attitude."

The president raised a hand. "We will get to that," he said.

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