Keyes, Greg - The Age of Unreason 01 by Keyes Greg

Keyes, Greg - The Age of Unreason 01 by Keyes Greg

Author:Keyes, Greg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2006-12-22T22:48:55+00:00


NEWTON’S CANNON

to Philadelphia to see my uncle and then to England.”

“Good lad,” Caldwell said. “I may be able to help you there, too.”

Four days later, there was still no sign of Blackbeard, and the Hornbeam reluctantly put in to Philadelphia. Two days after that, Ben was on a ship bound for England. He did his best to keep thoughts of John Collins, his mother, and his father from his mind.

In Boston the best thing he could do was die. In London he could find out what he and John had done to call up the wrath of hell, and maybe he could solve whatever problems the two of them had created.

And though he no longer believed in a God who answers prayers, he still prayed for God to keep his friends and family safe—and he prayed for James, wherever he might be, to forgive him.

Part Two

THE CANNON

1.

City of Science

“There they are, Ben,” Robert Nairne observed, thrusting his index finger toward the horizon. “The white cliffs! England at last!”

Ben nodded eagerly and drew in a deep breath, certain that he detected the faint scent of land. Their good ship the Berkshire now drew her wake through the straits of Dover, nearing the mouth of the Thames. More ominous was the green line of France in the east, though Ben supposed what he saw was Calais, in British hands at the moment.

file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Greg%20Keyes%20-%20Age...f%20Unreason%201%20-%20%20Newton's%20Cannon.html (174 of 352)22-12-2006 23:49:06

NEWTON’S CANNON

Unless he had inadvertently furnished the French with some new weapon, one which, during his three-month voyage, had allowed them to push Marlborough’s troops into the sea. But since the Berkshire was equipped with an aetherschreiber and the captain had kept them apprised of most news, he imagined he would have learned of a new French offensive.

“I’d be in love with any land I saw right now,” Ben said. “And happy with any sod beneath my feet.”

“Let’s hear you repeat that in a week,” Robert said, shaking back his thick auburn hair.

His changeable eyes were green with the sea, or perhaps with the emerald fields peeping over the chalky cliffs. “Three years I’ve been away this time. I once said I would never miss England, but I repent it all. There’s some wonderful wild places on the Earth, Ben, but there’s no coast in India nor the South Seas nor the Caribbean as can compare.”

Ben shrugged. It was hard not to envy Robert’s travels, but at the moment the thought of another ocean voyage did not provoke any excitement in him. For between the destinations there was only the monotonous, endless sea. Everything on a long voyage wore out—the wonders of porpoises and flying fish, the novelty of travel. People said the same things over and over again. Fortunately, one of those people had been Robert.

The son of a military man, Robert was now, at twenty-one, something of an adventurer, and he had many interesting stories to tell—some probably even true. They had begun swapping pirate stories after Robert had learned of Ben’s encounter with Blackbeard, and they had quickly discovered they had many interests in common.



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