1632 Snippets

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 30 Again, O'Rourke nodded. "Aye, you've the right of all that." His voice became dark and regretful. "But those past days of Ireland are not these days. And kings now must tread a different, more careful, path. In those elder days, to lead and to govern was much the same thing. Those ancient kings knew almost every chieftain and person of note in their realm. But now" -- the gruff Irishman shrugged -- "a king cannot know but a handful of the most powerful persons in his kingdom. And if he falls on a...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 29 Chapter 16 Just outside San José de Oruña, Trinidad So far, everything had gone as the three of them had planned. Which many men might have found reassuring, but over the course of his life, Hugh O'Donnell had been orphaned, adopted, knighted, and decreed a traitor and at each step, fate had not merely taken a hand, but had turned his world upside down. Demonstrating that, just when you think events are unfolding according to plan, you may rest assured that you'll be proven wrong in a trice. It also...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 28 Chapter 15 Port-of-Spain, Trinidad Morning started for Hugh O'Donnell with the face of his aide and old friend Aodh O'Rourke scowling down at him. "A fine example to your men, sleeping away half the morning," was how the veteran aide-de-camp said "good morning." before howling for drums and coronets to awaken the Wild Geese mercenaries that were travelling with them. In actuality, the middle watch had not ended long before, but the east was already gray and Port-of-Spain would soon be aware of the...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 27 Chapter 14 Nezpique Bayou, Louisianna After motoring two and a half miles along the winding Nezpique Bayou, Templeton pointed up through a gap in the canopy. "There. Smoke. Up ahead." "Smoke?" Eckdahl echoed. "A camp?" Quinn shook his head. "More like an invitation, I think. Karl, nice and slow now. Winkelman, you keep that lever-gun lower and relax." "Sir," said the big soldier from Jena, "will they even know what this weapon is, since they have not --?" "Winkelman, firstly, they may not know what a...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 26 In hindsight, he might have been able to make it out of Galveston Bay under sail alone, but in the event that the wind became fickle at just the moment she was running a gauntlet between two close sandbars, Haraldsen had wisely decided that it was essential to reserve a measure of coal to ensure reaching open water. Once there, the wind would allow them to make way, even if Courser's bunkers were empty. As it was, yesterday's signal reported that they had indeed used more than half of their remaining...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 25 Larry's definitive reply was two-fold. Firstly, contacting the indigenous people was a crucial part of the mission because Grantville had made its cooperation with oil extraction contingent upon recognizing the innate and inalienable rights of the peoples who were native to those lands. Secondly, Larry was in charge and had the letter -- with Gustav's seal -- to prove it. Captain Haraldsen ceded to that authority with about as much grace as could be expected; in other words, some anger but not...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 24 Chapter 13 Upper Mermentau River, Louisiana Major Larry Quinn rested an index finger on young Karl Klemm's right shoulder as they moved out of the stronger current of the upper Mermentau River. "A little less speed, a little more to starboard." The young Bavarian eased back the throttle of the bright red 180 Sportsman motorboat, turned the steering wheel slightly to the right. He glanced across the river to where a tree had collapsed far out beyond its banks. Judging from the lack of mold on the...

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line - Snippet 23 De Curco y San Joan started as if struck. "P-parole? You are freeing us?" "In a manner of speaking. Forty miles north of here, just south of Guadeloupe, are a pair of small islands known as Petit-Terre. At least that is how they appear on up-time charts. Are you familiar with them?" "Vaguely." It was obvious he had never heard of them. "They are sufficient for a short stay," Tromp assured him. "Certainly long enough to allow you to fashion craft from what remains of those of your ships that will sail...