Janis lowered the telescope from her eye, her face having an expression I'd never seen before on it. One both of concern but yet joy. I wondered what she had seen. The Californian trireme was hardly visible to the naked eye there in the distance, its low blue green hull and sails merging well with the sea. We were out of the sight of land, the Ronda laid well over on the port tack. The former slave girls having learned now how to take in sail and let it back out, at least well enough that we no longer needed to fear our fate if the wind changed direction or force. Shirl had been a good first officer. The Ronda no longer sailed where the wind happened to take her, but where we wished to go. We had all learned much in the week since we had left the little cove there in Trelandar that had given us shelter and a chance to make necessary repairs and take on water and what fresh food we had been able to find there in the twilight-like darkness of the forest. The memory of the dire wolf still vivid in my thoughts. I had also taken the time to do some "work" on my archery, such being "fitting" if I was to become a proper Dularnian Warioress.
The Princess handed the telescope to me, saying with a grim smile, "`Sarnian Lady'." Adding with another, "And my sister is still aboard if I read the flags right." It being the common practice to fly a special flag for royalty. The tall blonde looking out over the blue green waves to the distant speck almost invisible against the meeting of sky and water there on the horizon. I wondered what thoughts went through her mind. I wondered if Darlanis was looking at us, perhaps knowing that her own sister was only half a dozen miles away. I wished I could be the one to bring these two sisters back together and end this stupid warfare between a mother and daughter that neither wanted or really desired. (Ah, such beautiful ideals I had back then!)
We were flying the Californian flag, the "Imperial Tarl", although I think Janis would have preferred to fly her own country's flag, which is a beautiful green and gold banner. Lana moved to my side as I stood there with Sharon, perhaps understanding much without words, as had Janet Rogers six centuries ago. They were in a way alike, but in others utterly different.
From the distant vessel there came a series of bright flashes, Sarnian Lady asking our identification number, Janis told me. The Princess having a rueful expression on her face as she explained that it was doubtful that we could deceive Sarnian Lady into believing that we were another ship. Especially if any of the Ronda's original crew were aboard, sailors having an uncanny ability to "recognize" ships upon which they served. I suggested that she try it anyway, for otherwise we would have to outrun the big Imperial battleship all the way to Dularn, something that I wasn't sure that the Ronda could do, especially if Sarnian Lady could keep us from approaching Dularn once we went far enough north! Then she would only have to wait for the wind to drop and she'd have us helpless sitting right there before her mighty ram!
Janis quickly sent the number of another ship, a vessel similar to ours. The Princess looking again through the telescope at Sarnian Lady. The warship seeming to grow smaller for an instant as she swung her bow out towards us, heading out to investigate this mysterious vessel her lookout had spotted from his swaying masthead perch. I cursed Darlanis under my breath!
From Sarnian Lady quickly came a series of answering flashes. The Princess looking at them as she held the brass telescope to her eye. The wind blowing her hair and ruffling her blouse, the leather of her kilt little concealing the feminine curves beneath it. She was, I thought to myself, a beautiful woman. One that I had learned to respect, not just for her title and rank, but as a person in the conversations that we had had together. She was, I thought to myself, a good competent leader. I did not regret having pledged my sword to Janis Jord, Princess of Dularn.
For an instant she stood there swaying with the motion of the ship, then she lowered the telescope and looked at me. Her iron gray eyes soft and different from what I had seen before. "They want us to heave to for inspection," she said, regret showing in her voice. Adding, "We have no choice now but to try to outrun her." I wondered if "her" referred to the approaching trireme or She who it carried. I suspected "both" in this case!
"That damm Darlanis!" Sharon breathed as she stood at my side, the anger showing on her lovely young features. Muttering "If I had a gun I'd blow a hole through that god-damm bitch!" in tones that I am sure she didn't intend for me to hear! Obviously Sharon didn't think too highly of the beautiful Empress now perhaps walking the quarterdeck of her flagship half a dozen miles off. Perhaps I should have paid a little more attention to what my stepdaughter was thinking just then, but I had other concerns and really didn't give her words all that much thought just then!
"Shirl! Call all hands to quarters to make sail! And hoist our own flag!" Janis barked, women scurrying about the deck as we set a dangerously heavy set of sails on the Ronda, much more than any prudent captain would ever set in a wind like this! The ship heeling far over, the lee deck almost awash as the hull creaked with the strain. The spray flying over the bow in a white sheet as we smashed through the waves. Behind us Sarnian Lady doing the same, doubtlessly at Darlanis' orders, for no prudent captain of a trireme would ever attempt to fly so much canvas in a wind! The spray flying up over our bow in sheets to fall upon the deck!
I saw Lana standing there by the rail, looking out at the pursuing trireme. I wondered what thoughts went through her mind as she saw Sarnian Lady's mad pursuit after us. Galleys weren't built for such abuse, I knew from what Janis had told me. Under such conditions it was quite possible that the trireme could suffer considerable damage or even be destroyed. There was also a big Dularnian galley somewhere about, the "Janis", a 56, which I suspected would be a match or more for Darlanis' flagship in any sort of a fight! Then we could "turn the tables" on Darlanis!
"I have power in the Empire," Lana suddenly said to me as she touched my hand there on the rail, her lovely hazel eyes soft as they looked into mine. "Power enough that I can see to it that justice is served and you have a chance to speak for yourself before the Imperial Senate." I knew that Lana was the wife of one of the most powerful men in California, and I supposed it was possible that even Darlanis would have to allow me to speak. Whether or not it would really do me much good was another question. I was still "guilty" of the crime of piracy, since I had taken the Ronda by force, and there really wasn't any way of getting around that unpleasant fact no matter whatever anyone said! I was much in the same position as a political refugee who had hijacked an airliner to escape political oppression. Although my motives had been justified, the means I had used might be considered in a different light, especially by Darlanis and California!
"If worst comes to worst see that Sharon is taken care of," I answered, placing my other hand over hers, Sharon at the moment having gone below, allowing us to speak without her hearing us. "I can ask no more than that." Lana's eyes holding mine as she nodded. I knew I could trust her to take care of Sharon for me.
"If the wind holds," Janis said to me, touching my arm as I stood with Lana, the brownette stepping back, aware that Janis did not much care for her for reasons that I had not been able to determine, "We will sail `Sarnian Lady' mastheads under in another couple hours." Then it would be an easy matter to change tack and head further out to sea, where we would no longer likely have to worry about any further pursuit from any Imperial warships. I nodded, aware of what would happen to us if the wind didn't hold. Or an overstrained sail or mast gave way. I heard Shirl call out to the Princess that we were doing a full eleven knots! The Ronda was doing her best and then some! Fleeing Sarnian Lady like a terrified doe fleeing a dire wolf! Perhaps we would finally see the last of Darlanis! She seemed like a "bad penny", I mused to myself, always showing up when we didn't really want her about!
We were not totally defenseless, of course. The Ronda mounted four powerful ballistae, a weapon similar to a big crossbow that could shoot yard long bolts over a quarter of a mile. We also had a number of bows and several of the Dularnian crossbows which I had been quite fascinated to see, since they showed a quality of workmanship as good as anything the 20th Century could have produced. They were highly effective weapons, although the cocking of the bow took everything I had even using the belt hook, and only Janis, Shirl, and myself were strong enough to recock them after firing. Or so I thought, Sharon having to my surprise as you will found a means to cock one despite the fact that the two hundred plus pound pull should have been far beyond her ability to handle! I had also considered applying my knowledge of 20th Century weaponry to equip the Ronda with firebombs, since we had a couple small catapults capable of firing such things. Janis however had vetoed the idea, saying that she would not use fire at sea, such being against the "Codes".*
*This did not prevent others from later using such weapons, with the eventual result that naval combat eventually required armored steamships completely covered with metal plating to protect them from such missiles and the flamethrowers that had been introduced in the year 2567 by Bob Simmons, an American ex-Marine transported into the 26th Century by the Priestesses of Lys. (author)
We had sailed Sarnian Lady nearly hull down on the horizon when suddenly the wind gusted and died, leaving us becalmed. Janis laid her hand gently on my shoulder as I held Sharon, saying in a soft voice, "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Lorraine. I think you would have enjoyed Dularn very much." Her iron gray eyes moist as we shared much left unspoken just then. The Princess then muttering to herself as she turned away, "Oh Lys, I ask only that you grant me the boon that I ask ----."
The rest of her words lost to me as Lana embraced us, saying softly, "Don't give up hope yet." Her hazel eyes like Janis' now moist as she understood what laid ahead. I wondered what Darlanis would be like. I suspected I would not have long to wait.
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