Gunpowder Read Online Free PDF Page B

at night. Entering the
harbour at night and against the wind could pose a lot of problems,
even without the additional danger of artillery fire from the ships
of the Eastern Company or even worse, from the harbour’s own
battery.
    Kristoff’s
dark thoughts, estimating their meagre chances to enter the
Smiteverden port without heavy losses, were lit up with a lightning
crossing the sky in the distance astern. Once again, luck was with
him. The storm was approaching as quickly, as it was unexpected.
Only a few more minutes and the wind-borne “Thunder Led” would fly
directly to the port, while being at the same time hidden in the
rain. The captain immediately ordered the change of ship’s flags
ship and lighting. In just a few minutes the sloop became once
again a commercial ship from Port Sud. During the expected
downpour, the smuggler preferred to bet on speed instead of
camouflage.
    Under the
cover of rain, at full sails, the sloop glided into the perimeter
of the port’s fortalice. Miss von Blitzen stood bravely alongside
the captain praying that overzealous guards wouldn’t mistake them
for an enemy vessel and not send them right to the bottom just in
front of the breakwater’s heads. The ship was lit with all
available lamps now, and at the top of the mast a white flag was
fluttering beside the Trade Guild’s one. The port was darkened, and
its guiding lights were extinguished. In spite of that Kristoff
steered the ship confidently and without hesitation. It was at the
breakwater, when it turned out that they sailed away a good few
dozen feet from the main fairway and thus they passed the head of
the port’s entrance at literally an oar’s length.
    The docks were
all quiet and the crew quickly shed the foresail and reefed the
mainsail. Kristoff slowed the momentum of the ship with several
skilful turns. He did not know the port, so he headed for the
central dock, which was lit best. The port of Smiteverden was
understandably overcrowded. All guilds’ ships, which the blockade
did not surprise out on the open sea became trapped at the quays.
Sailors served casually in voluntary defence regiments and in their
free time they were getting sloshed in numerous taverns. The city
lacked nothing because the land food transports were arriving
daily, and although one could complain about the shortage of spices
or especially rare vintages, decent vodka or beer was definitely in
abundance. That of course did not change the fact that finding a
mooring space bordered on a miracle. Finally, the “Thunder Led”
approached a three-masted schooner mooring by the main quay under a
Karahamian banner, and Kristoff talked her sailors, all watching
the unexpected spectacle, into grabbing the tossed mooring ropes
and dragging his ship to stop alongside their vessel. The huge
sloop turned out only a little shorter and only slightly lower than
the mighty schooner.
    Sailors did
not have too much time to comment on the arrival of a new ship, as
a regiment of the city guards was already marching on the pier in a
compact formation and showing little respect for the onlookers and
the protesting sailors, made its way onto the deck of the schooner
and very efficiently scattered forming a single line to occupy
firing positions along the side of the ship. The guard’s officer
called upon the captain of the newly arrived ship and demanded the
identification of the vessel. They had the height advantage, they
outnumbered the sloop’s crew by more than two to one and most
importantly they had in their hands ready to shoot blunderbusses
with hooks to brace against the board, similar to those often used
by the marines. Pacification of the deck of the “Thunder Led” would
take them probably a dozen seconds. This made conversation seem
very appealing indeed.
    Kristoff
nodded to the boatswain and the whole crew moved to visible places
with apparently raised hands. The captain called out to the guards
officer and in colourful words told him a