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thrill—the sound of other men rushing off to do his bidding. He was down the last ladder and onto the bridge, announced by the boatswain as he arrived.
    “Admiral on the Bridge!”
    “As you were,” he said tersely, looking for his Air Commandant.
    “The ship will be ready for lift in ten minutes,” said Bogrov. “Linesmen are working the land anchors now. May I ask our destination sir?”
    “Up,” said Karpov. “Climb for that weather front on this morning’s report.”
    Bogrov gave him a puzzled look. “Climb for the weather front? I thought you were taking the ship up so we could avoid that storm.”
    “Just the opposite. The crew will stand to battle stations. Rig the ship for bad weather and rough air. Secure all equipment. We’re going to chase lightning.” Karpov smiled. “I want all lightning rods deployed, but take the Topaz radar systems off line. I can’t risk any damage to that equipment. Make sure the antennae are retracted into their bad weather ports.”
    If Bogrov was puzzled before, he was truly perplexed now. “You mean you want me to steer directly into this storm front?”
    “Exactly.”
    “Didn’t we get enough of a ride over the English Channel?”
    “More of a ride than I have had time to explain to you, Bogrov. Just get the ship aloft and headed northeast. Understand?”
    Bogrov did not understand, but he knew an order when he heard one, and he also knew that when Karpov had this mood on him he was a very dangerous man. One question after another piled up in his mind, all unanswered. Tyrenkov had teased him earlier, yet explained nothing. And he could clearly see that something was very different here at Ilanskiy. Where was the Siberian Rifles? That whole division should be here, God only knows why. Karpov left them digging in all around the town when we were last here, but there’s no sign of them now.
    The Admiral has been ashore, down by the rail station, but that looks all wrong too. In fact, the town itself doesn’t seem even half the size it should be. What’s been going on here? Did Karpov have the place demolished? There’s that old railway inn, but it looks as though the work crews have been very busy. That entire west wing of the building is completely restored, good as new. Very strange… What is so damn important about that railway inn? He knew enough not to voice all this, but this other business had him worried. Deploy the lightning rods and head for the storm? What was Karpov thinking?
    With a shrug, he pulled a line to the air horn that would sound the alarm for battle stations. “All hands, all hands, battle stations! Rig the ship for rough air. Deploy all lightning rods and secure all storm ports. Ballast control—prepare to lighten the ship. Up elevator five degrees on my command.”
    “All lines away sir,” said a watch officer. “Tethers secure and land anchor cables are stowed.”
    “Very well. Ahead one third on forward engines, and ease us on up.” He looked to Karpov now. “Admiral,” a question was in his tone, but it would concern ship’s business, and leave all his other speculations aside. “You’ve ordered battle stations, but we’re rigging for storm. Do you still want men on the upper canopy? Those gunners up topside are going to have a very rough ride.”
    “Topside gun crews may take station on deck five,” said Karpov. That was one deck below the top of the ship, where the ladders that extended up between the massive gas bags opened on a small platform just beneath the outer shell. Tunguska had three twin 76mm recoilless rifles there, and numerous 20mm guns and lighter 50 caliber machine guns. There was space on deck five for crews to move laterally along the length of the airship, to repair torn canvas, secure lines or do other maintenance. And there were also hardened storage areas for ready ammo that could be passed up to the gunners on the upper platforms.
    “Very well,” said Bogrov, turning to a watchstander. “Send