Chase the Morning полностью

We jumped back, hands to ears, as the broadside erupted, and we were so close that we heard the smash of timbers as the shot struck, and saw one of the lanterns dissolve to fragments. But just as quickly we ducked down as an answering thunder shook the mist. Shattered spars and blazing canvas came raining down on our heads, and the foretopmast snapped in half. ‘Chop that wreckage loose! Gun crews, back and load!’ screamed Jyp. ‘Fast! Faster, or they’ll have us! We’ve gotta keep ’em off! Teach ’em it’s not worth their time!’

Again and again, with relentless rhythm, we ran those guns back and loaded, until my weary arms would hardly lift the rammer – how often I don’t know, or how long it took. Only minutes, probably; but I was past telling. Gunsmoke thickened the mists around us, flame and sparks blinded us, the constant jarring explosions left us quivering and numb.

‘Pound’em, lads, pound’em!’ howled Pierce as we sprang to reload, but when he suddenly hesitated, and then bellowed ‘Cease firing!’ we hardly understood. Some crews went on reloading almost automatically, faltered and ran down, peering in bewilderment. The wreathed gunsmoke seemed to gather and rear up, and then a sharp cool gust tore through it, parted the fog to reveal a dazzling dawn, the air clear and fresh and thrilling with light, the sky blue and bright and hard-edged as glass, fringed with flecks of cloud like ermine; beneath it, only ocean.

Real ocean, blue-green sea, rolled gently beneath us, its long, slow swell lifting us almost apologetically, its whitecaps spilling softly along our hull. Then Jyp, on the quarterdeck above, gave a shout, and pointed. Far away, halfway to the horizon, a dark shape rode, and it seemed to my exhausted eyes that some mists still clung about it like a shielding hand. A weary cheer went up from the crew; I couldn’t blame them, for it must seem to them that, even if they hadn’t beaten their unexpectedly strong enemy, they’d sent the Wolves running with their tails between their legs. But I knew better, and so, by their faces, did the others on the quarterdeck as I climbed unsteadily up.

‘Why should they risk a longer fight?’ Jyp was saying. ‘We came too close that time already. They’ve got their prize, and they’re safeguarding it. We’re left dismasted, doubly, and helpless as a baby.’

Pierce snorted. ‘Ach, never despair! We’ll jury-rig some repair, to be sure –’

‘And then?’ I demanded.

It was Mall who answered, heavily. ‘Limp to the nearest port – if we’re thus lucky. I’m sorry, Stephen. There’s no more we can do.’

Unbelieving, I looked from her to the receding wisps of mist that trailed like a wake in the air towards the empty horizon.

‘You don’t – you can’t mean –’ Dry sand clogged my mouth, choked me. I stared wildly around the quarterdeck. On the companionway below Stryge sat hunched, Fynn and the dark girl beside him, gazing up at him, their heads laid doglike upon his unclean knees; his gloved fingers, still spotted with darkening blood, idly stroked their hair. The thought of that cruel magic revolted me, but I fought down my qualms.

‘You! You stopped them just now – can’t you do it again?’

The girl who was not a girl rolled her head back languidly and gazed up at me with opaque, sated dark eyes.

‘I’m weary,’ mumbled the old man, absently continuing his caresses. ‘Spent. And now they’re too far –’

Pierce crossed the deck in three clumping strides. ‘By’re leave, Master Stephen, we don’t want ’em stopped again! Why, why’d you think we were pounding at ’em so, but to make ’em cut and run? To show we’d be too costly to polish off, and best left be! But cross ’em again, maimed as we are, and finish us they surely will! Whatever it may cost – overrun us, or just beat about and hull us with their guns!’

My wrist ached with the weight of the sword. I slid it gingerly into my belt till it hung by the blunt upper edge, and rounded on the others. ‘But Christ, there must be something we can do! We can’t just give up like that – abandon her –’

‘Refitting needn’t take so long,’ said Jyp, chewing at his lip. ‘Then we can go after the Chorazin again. Maybe the Stryge’ll still get a line on her –’

‘Yeah! If it isn’t too late! And what’s the chance of that? God man –’ I choked again, clenched my fists, trying hard not to scream at him.

‘Be easy, Stephen,’ said Mall quietly. ‘We gave of our best – a good dozen at least with their lives, and who may give more? And you played the man past all expectance. No fault of yours or ours they’d so many aboard.’

I stamped on the deck, because there wasn’t a damn thing better I could do. ‘Christ, Jyp. I said we needed a bigger ship!’

Jyp shook his head. ‘Wouldn’t have overhauled the Wolves in anything bigger, Steve. Anyhow, there wasn’t a one to be found, not armed to match them. And sure as hell not able to carry four hundred men or more – if we could’ve found them in time. Because that’s about how many Wolves we ran into!’