Gunpowder Read Online Free PDF

place? What kind of business was her father’s trade
expedition meant to acquire? If the father was stuck in
Smiteverden, why didn’t he just return by the overland route? After
all, for a citizen of the Northern Kaesary, it should not be that
much of a problem. The smartest thing in all of this was that an
orphan looking for her father most probably wouldn’t know the
answers to these questions, so there was no point in asking them.
They stood there measuring each other with their eyes. The smuggler
decided that further questioning was pointless and returned to
steering the ship. The girl also recognized the conversation as
finished, looked around and faced the wind embracing the atmosphere
of sailing into the unknown.
    The
first day at sea was promising to be delightful. The weather was
excellent, the sea was calm, and the ship responded to the
slightest breeze. Truanpago set out to open sea early in the
morning using the remnants of the night breeze. The eastern sky
glowed in the distance ahead around the rising sun throwing its
first rays on the milling squalls’ belt, where the breeze
transformed into a considerably stronger open sea wind.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    T he cruise proceeded peacefully and the
weather was conducive to sailing. According to their plan, they
were to approach the blockade in the late afternoon the following
day. After having sailed far right off the busiest route they
circled around the blockaded city of Smiteverden to try to enter
this heavily defended port from the east. Another hour and a half
remained for manoeuvres before sunset. Then, along with the
advancing darkness, they would try to cross the line of the
blockade and after having avoided being tracked by the ships of the
Eastern Company, hide within the range of the trebuchets, catapults
and artillery of the Trade Guild’s former eastern stronghold to
enter the port under their guard.
    At the last,
fading glow of the setting sun, the sloop was well disguised as a
powerful gaff junk, and on the mainmast hung the flag of the
Eastern Company. Kristoff decided that the safest way across the
blockade would be to pretend to be part of it, as a privateer hired
by the blockading fleet, and junks were the most popular private
vessels on the Inner Ocean. At the stern they were flying matching
colours, and all the positional lamps, although not yet lit, were
carefully replaced with lanterns glowing with pale aquamarine
light. Of course it was impossible to change the western-looking
silhouette of the hull itself, but in the darkness it was
impossible to notice the difference without being right next to the
ship, and Truanpago was not going to sail so close to the patrol
ships.
    The crew of
the “Thunder Led” was intently preparing to run the blockade. Each
of the sailors stuck to his post. Cannons located at the bow and
the stern of the ship were loaded with chains, to damage or wipe
out the largest area of sails from the enemy unit’s deck, if the
need arose. Four cannons on the deck were loaded with incendiary
bombs and were supposed to start a fire on-board the aggressor
ship. In the long run it was impossible to effectively combat
warships bristling with guns, but one salvo could cripple an
opponent for long enough to enable them to escape. Beside the mast
and on the stern, flags of the Haaven Trade Guild and Free Karaham
Islands were placed, ready to be exchanged, when the ship entered
the perimeter of the port’s fort artillery. Kristoff quietly gave
orders to the crew to bring up the rest of the masts and sails in
the event of a closer encounter with the enemy. He did not want to
demonstrate Miss von Blitzen the full capabilities of his ship, but
if the push came to shove he preferred to save his life rather than
the secrets of the “Thunder Led”.
    After dark,
the captain directed the bow of his ship straight towards the
harbour’s entrance to catch the fading window of silence before the
change in the direction of the breeze