1632 Snippets
1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 01
1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 01 1637: NO PEACE BEYOND THE LINE By Eric Flint and Charles E. Gannon PART I April-May, 1636 Pale ravener of horrible meat Herman Melville, "The Maldive Shark" Chapter 1 East of the island of Dominica Commodore Eddie Cantrell looked past the bowsprit of the USE steam cruiser Intrepid into the nautical twilight brightening the eastern horizon. The stars above it were fading slowly, the predawn glow washing out what had been their laser-sharp brilliance of only a few minutes before. But on those days when...
1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 32
1636 The Atlantic Encounter - Snippet 32 PART III July 1636 The outer voice of sky and cloud Wallace Stevens, "The Idea of Order at Key West" Chapter 21 Fort Orange On the Hudson River New Netherlands Dutch civilization in the New World looked very little more advanced than French civilization. Stephane Hoff arrived alone at Fort Orange; he had no intention of arriving in the company of a band of savages -- particularly those known to be in the service of, or at least in alliance with, the French. He inferred that in this anonymous state he...
The Newton Cipher – Snippet 10
The Newton Cipher - Snippet 10 Trader Vics Trader Vics London Trina waited nervously as Ulrik Stander removed his coat and set it on the bar of Trader Vic's. His eyes looked past her, as if he were thinking about his next question. They were blue -- the light, clear kind, like glacier ice. It was hard to look away. "What happened the night you found Edelstein?" Ulrik said, producing a pen and notebook from his coat just as Jim brought their drinks and set them down. Trina's piña colada was a tropical riot -- a stone mug, filled to the brim...
The Newton Cipher – Snippet 09
The Newton Cipher - Snippet 09 A and B British Library London "Hmmm," Trina peered closely at the corner of the page. "This very well could be Isaac Newton's signature." The signature's lines were thin, the letters uncertain, as if written by a shaky hand; but it certainly looked like his other signatures. Another scrape test confirmed the ink was also iron gall. It was authentic, by all appearances. "What's the provenance?" Trina said finally. "Where were these found?" "They were bundled together in the Tower of London, beneath a flagstone...
1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 31
1636 The Atlantic Encounter - Snippet 31 Gordon paused to let it die down, before continuing. "You need to find allies -- and find them everywhere you can. My nation is no longer at war with France, but we do not think that state of affairs will last for more than a few years. I am not in position to offer you a military pact at this moment, but the possibility exists for the future and I would ask you to take it under consideration. In the meantime…" He took a deep breath. The rest of what he had to say was not likely to be met with much...
1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 30
1636 The Atlantic Encounter - Snippet 30 Chapter 20 On the morning tide, a small ship, perhaps half the size of Challenger, arrived at the dock. Gordon came out on deck, where Pete was watching the proceedings. The most important passenger, whose effects and luggage were being unloaded, was a tall, distinguished-looking man past middle age with the hint of a moustache and a bare chin; his manner was imperious, as if he was accustomed to having his orders followed. From time to time he looked up at Challenger; the two brothers looked back. No...
The Newton Cipher – Snippet 08
The Newton Cipher - Snippet 08 Underground London, England Saturday Morning Trina woke refreshed, the soft light of a cloudy English morning filtering through the curtains. Jet lag did not seem to be a problem -- she'd fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Maybe it was Alice's chamomile. Just before she'd fallen asleep, she checked to make sure the British Library was open on Saturday. It was. She fished two crumpled sticky notes out of her backpack. When Edelstein had asked her to take his place in authenticating the Newton...
1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 29
1636 The Atlantic Encounter - Snippet 29 Chapter 19 "Looks like you passed the test," Pete said as Gordon ascended Challenger's gangplank. The troop of soldiers stood on the dock, watching his steps, then were dismissed other than two men who remained on guard, looking vigilant and suspicious. "Yeah." Gordon sat on a trunk next to the bundled dirigible. He took his ball cap off and wiped his brow; the day had turned warm -- though he felt he was sweating more than just because of the weather. "They know they're on their own -- they've kissed...