Crusade

«Captain, since only Perth and Surabaya appear on the enemy map, we can only assume the next blow will fall on one or both of those places. I’d bank on Surabaya myself. I’m no strategist, but it seems to me, judging by the dispositions on the map, the Grik are pla

«In view of the ‘extenuating circumstances,’ the first charge against Bosun’s Mate Chack-Sab-At is dismissed,» Matt declared. «Mr. Garrett? Have you anything to say on Gu

Garrett looked at the big, gri

«Unacceptable. Mr. Dowden?»

«Uh, the next charge is that both the accused became involved in, well, a brawl, sir, and not only were they at the center of the brawl but they started it by striking one another.»

Matt sighed. «I won’t even ask who started it. I know I won’t get a straight answer. Besides, I have a pretty good idea. If I’m not very much mistaken, I expect Chack threw the first punch»

«He pulled my tail!» Chack interrupted, seething indignantly.

«Did not! I was just holdin’ it. You did all the pullin’!»

«Silence!» Matt bellowed. «Trust me, you both would really rather keep your mouths shut and handle this my way! Silva, your u

«But, Skipper.»

«IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?»

«Aye, aye, sir!»

«Very well. It’s pointless to dock your pay, but you’re both losing a stripe and you’re both restricted to the ship for ten days — after we make port. Silva, you’re losing another stripe for AWOL.»

«But»

«Shut up.» Matt looked at Dowden, who cleared his throat.

«Attention to orders!» he said. Captain Reddy unfolded a piece of paper before him.

«For extreme heroism and gallantry in the face of the enemy, etc., etc.» — he looked up» I’m sorry to you other guys, but I’m still too damn mad to get flowery. Anyway, with my deepest gratitude, I’m t and sighed heavily. «Boatswain’s Mate Chack-Sab-At and Gu

«Mr. Shinya,» Matt greeted him.

«Captain.» Shinya was the sole survivor of a destroyer that took a torpedo meant for Amagi. Somehow, her survivors in the water had been swept through the Squall with the American ships, but before Walker could return to rescue them, they’d been eaten by what was evidently a plesiosaur of some sort, not to mention a ravening swarm of tuna-sized fish that acted like piranhas. They called the fish «flashies» and they were everywhere, at least in the relatively shallow equatorial seas within the Malay Barrier. Shinya alone was saved because he’d been unconscious atop an overturned lifeboat. It had been the first indication to the destroyermen that they were no longer in the world they knew — the first other than the bizarre effects of the Squall itself, of course.

Since then, Shinya, who had studied in the United States, had given his parole and had become a valued member of the crew. He was an excellent swordsman, if not in the traditional Japanese style, and he was a big help to Sergeant Alden, the Marine from the doomed cruiser Houston, whom they’d also carried from Surabaya. Together, they were building an army based on historical principles the captain had suggested. Matt had realized early on that the only way they could counter the overwhelming Grik numbers was with discipline — specifically, the Roman shield wall, backed by spears and archers. At least that’s what they’d need in an open-field fight. Shinya also understood Latin, which was, amazingly, the language of the Ancient Scrolls of the ’Cats. Not because it was taught them by Romans, but because that’s the language the sailing master of the HEIC (Honorable East India Company) ship Hermione chose to teach them and communicate in.

Matt suspected the earlier visitors did it to remain as enigmatic as possible, since there was evidence they’d already encountered the Grik, even before one of their ships was taken by them. The rest of the «Tail-less Ones» of that long ago visit had sailed into the «Eastern Sea» beyond the «edge of the world» and disappeared from Lemurian history. Matt suspected they were still out there, somewhere. British Indiamen often carried passengers and deportees, so there was reason to believe they’d survived. Anyway, that’s how they first communicated with the ’Cats; Bradford and Tamatsu Shinya spoke the «Ancient Tongue» of the Lemurian Sky Priests.

Valuable as Shinya was, many of Matt’s destroyermen still hated his guts simply because he was a «Jap.» Matt respected him and trusted his honor, but even he couldn’t put Pearl Harbor — and everything that had happened since — completely out of his mind. Chief Gray openly loathed him, despite saving his life in the recent battle. Tony Scott told him something he hadn’t even known about the Bosun: his son had been on the Oklahoma when she capsized and sank to Pearl Harbor’s muddy bottom.

«Where’s Pete?» asked the captain, referring to the Marine.

«He’ll be along,» Shinya replied. Even as he spoke, Alden and Chief Gray arrived on the bridgetly just as unimaginative, but Spanky had recently learned there was more to them than met the eye.

Normally, their skins were pasty with a belowdecks pallor they worked very hard to maintain, but now their exposed skin still bore the angry red-brown tans they’d accumulated while operating the first oil rig outside of Baalkpan. A rig they designed based on a type they were intimately, if ruefully, familiar with from their years in the oil fields before they escaped that hated life and joined the Navy. Now they were back at it and not happy at all.

Matt looked back toward Borno. He thought he could just make out the mouth of Baalkpan Bay. «We’re all going to have to do things we hate, I’m afraid, before this is over.» He sighed. «It’s going to be a hell of a homecoming,» he added nervously.