Strangely talkative
Excerpts from
the diary of Mr Ravvi Salmalin
27 April 1875, Tuesday
I met a strangely talkative man today.
It was a bit after midday when we first heard the distant sound of
cannon fire. Sir Cosmo and Sir Spencer communicated by semaphore, and
then both ships changeed course, toward the north and the sounds of
battle. Sir Cosmo indicated that if it were pirates we would intervene.
I suggested in that case it would be best to defeat any pirate crew
members before we were close enough to be boarded, and he agreed.
I went to our cabin to change into more appropriate clothing. I changed
as quietly as possible, as my wife was sleeping at the time.
Unfortunately, Octavia came to find out what I was doing. While I was
explaining why Mother needed her rest, she stirred and asked what was
happening. I told her we were investigating a possible sea battle, and
that as we were still some distance away, there was likely no need for
her to trouble herself.
She felt otherwise, and followed us to the deck.
Sir Cosmo was busy getting his new etheric cannon ready for battle,
while Wilhelmina was explaining the workings of her own new weapon to
Mohindar-- that is, Mr MacGyver. Her Ladyship was also preparing her
own gun and ammunition. Mrs Frazer was trying to round up the children
to keep them out of harm's way, but they insisted on helping.
By this point it was clear that a freighter flying an American flag was
under attack from two or possibly three ships.
I consulted with George once more about our plan. He stationed himself
beside Miss Moriarty and Sir Cosmo at the front of the ship. I went to
the furthest reach of the stern, and then began the Mantra of Vital
Energies. Once I felt my strength was properly centered and reinforced,
I switched to the Namaste's Paradox.
I opened my eyes, continuing my mantra.
Three ships surrounded the freighter. The smallest was of the Chinese
style that Mr Frazer said is called "junk." It is a three-sailed ship,
but the rigging is quite different than the European arrangement. The
other two were of a more familiar design. I decided that the largest of
these would be my target.
Sir Spencer and Lt Wooster fired ranging shots at a distance I judged
to be 1500 yard. One of the ships began turning toward us. Sir
Spencer's gunners fired again.
When we had closed to less than 900 yards, I switched to the Mantra of
Imperishable Letters and began running. George positioned himself. When
I reached him, he perfectly executed the catch and throw. I leapt
toward my target. I flew through the air toward the ship, striking the
deck with my feet.
I came to a stop two or three levels below. George was maintaining our
connection with the Namaste's Paradox, so I would be able to fight
longer before needing to withdraw.
I had come to rest in the ship's brig. A man was locked in the cell,
and was expressing great astonishment that I had survived coming
through his ceiling. The bars were easy enough to push aside, since
most of the wood they had been connected to was now splintered. I
suggested to the man that he should leave the ship as soon as possible,
as it was now under attack from a superior force.
I determined that I was below the gun deck. I could hear a great deal
of activity there, and knew the cannon would soon be firing Selene, so
I made my way there as quickly as I could.
The prisoner followed me. He did stop talking long enough for me to
knock out two pirates on the stairway leading to the gun deck, but
otherwise he kept up a running commentary. I knocked aside two men
manning the first cannon, hurling one of them into a group of his
fellows to slow them down, then pulled the cannon back into the ship,
and aimed it along the firing deck.
The pirates who saw what I was doing tried to flee, though their
efforts were hampered by the close quarters and their comrades who
couldn't see me. I touched off the fuse, then ducked down behind my
cannon, as I assumed there would be schrapnel. The prisoner had
meanwhile engaged in combat with another firing team--using a half-full
back of black powder as a club.
He saw what I had done, and dove beneath another cannon on the other
side of the deck.
After the explosion, I jumped up and could see a number of fires having
caught. The survivors were running fleeing. There would be no more
cannon for a while, at least. At most only half the cannon, and all on
the wrong side of the ship, were functional. I advanced to the deck.
Unfortunatetly most of the pirates on deck were well-armed, and most
were at least somewhat skilled at fighting. Boarding parties which had
been on the freighter seemed to be returning to defend their ship, so
danger came to use from several directions.
I saw "us" because the prisoner was still with me. He charged into one
group of pirates with nothing but a metal bar, which I suspect came
from his cell, in his hand. His technique is nothing like anything I
have ever seen before. Emily would be appalled. Yet he came out the
other side of the crowded armed with two swords, and at least half his
foes lay unconcious or dying.
I became rather too busy with my own opponents. At least twice when I
was nearly struck a serious blow, my new colleague intervened -- one
time blocking the blow with one of his swords, the other time shoving
an opponent into the path of a bullet.
I felt an overwhelming urge to get off the deck. George was doing his
best to warn me that Sir Cosmo's etheric weapon was ready to fire. The
prisoner, for whom I felt more than a little responsible, was too far
away to grab, so I shouter a warning and leapt up into the air.
Sir Cosmo fired the cannon. The very air below me blurred--it was not
unlike ripples on a pound, or the fluttering in the air above cobbles
on a hot summer day. Lightning seemed to outline everything on the
deck. The flame-like tongues were brightest on any metal objects.
Several muskats exploded in the hands of the men holding them. I heard
more explosions below decks.
I could see that the fires started below at reached the nearly reached
the gunpowder room. I landed, and was pleased to see that the prisoner
was unhurt. I told him now would be a good time to jump overboard, as
the magazine would be exploding soon.
He yelled back to me something about his effects, and he ran toward the
captain's cabin.
A group of pirates were coming out of another hatch and running toward
me, so I didn't see him for a few moments. Smoke was pouring out of
every hatch and opening of th decks, and men kept coming out with the
smoke.
Then I heard the prisoner's voice calling to me. I thought he might be
in trouble, so I made my way to his location as quickly as I could.
He had two large kites, not unlike Wilhelmina's rocket kites, though
the shapes and colors were decidedly chinese. The prisoner was
strapping one of them to his body, and explaining rather hurriedly that
they could allow a man to fly away. I started to explain that I was
familiar with the concept, but he had ignited the fuse and then was
gone.
I had planned to swim back to the Selene, unless they had come a good
deal closer, then I might have made the leap. However, the rocket kite
would work. The harness was a slightly different than Wilhelmina's, but
not so much that I couldn't secure the kite to myself before igniting
the rockets.
He had obviously never done this before. He couldn't steer it at all,
yet somehow, as it flew in it's strange, looping, corkscrew path, he
managed to land on the deck of the Selene.
Her ladyship nearly shot him out of the air.
He begged sanctuary, and I confirmed that he had been a prisoner of the
pirates and that he had assisted me in the fight. Still, the ladies
insisted on taking him prisoner. Which was not probably wise.
While I had been busy on the one ship, the others had done a great deal
of damage to the other pirate ships. The junk was little more than a
burning husk. Mr O'Flaherty and led a boarding party onto the third
pirate ship. He, Sir Spencer, and Lt Lochsley were moving from that
ship to the freighter, were a number of pirates had sought refuge.
Once assured that our ship was secure, I joined Sir Cosmo and other
members of the household in boarding the freighter. Which had a number
of wounded sailors and passengers aboard. Mrs Cuthbert, Sir Cosmo, and
everyone else in the household who had any knowledge of medical
treatment was busy for a few hours, while the lieutenants and Mr
O'Flaherty finished securing the pirate ships.
By the time we had finished aboard U.S.S. Americus, only one of the
pirate boats was still floating, and it was severely damaged. The
cannons had been removed or destroyed. Sir Cosmo wanted to set the
remaining pirates adrift, with a message for their leader. Several
members of the household, particularly Mr O'Flaherty, thought this was
unwise.
Before a final course of action could be settled upon, an American
warship arrived on the scene, having been drawn our direction by the
sight of all the smoke. The captain of the warship agreed to escort the
freighter to the nearest port, and to take the remaining pirates
prisoner.
Before the prisoners were taken away, Sir Cosmo made several of them
repeat his name. He clearly hopes the news will get back to Wu Chang,
the pirate who is said to rule most of the other pirates and smugglers
in these seas.
Attention of the household next turned to the prisoner, who kept
insisting his name was John Smith of Portsmouth. Though the ladies were
all convinced that he was Captain Will Sparrow, a pirate we have heard
of, and who has been rumoured to have been killed or captured by rivals.
Eventually, he admitted that he was Captain Sparrow, and he agreed to
assist us in locating Lt Pellew and his crew, and in getting back to
friendly waters after. Our two ships have resumed their course. Captain
Sparrow has confirmed that the means of reaching his hidden harbour can
be found at the location that we are sailing toward.
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