now. Oh, no, not at all. Just racing through the drill. Shouting their slogan:
“For the Empire! The Empire!”
The smoke cleared enough for John to see the enemy. The three dromons were only fifty yards away, now. He flinched. No way to stop them from ramming.
Except—
Their forward motion had stopped, he realized. None of the ships were sinking, true. Only one of them, judging from appearance, had even suffered significant hull damage. Still, the shock had been enough to throw the rowers off their stroke. The men on those galleys were completely unprepared for the sound and fury of a cannon broadside. Instead of driving forward in the terrifying concentration of a war galley’s ramming maneuver, the dromons were simply drifting.
Again, the screech: “Fire! All cannons—”
Lost in the roar. Cloud of smoke. Enemy invisible.
John leaned over the rail, ready to order—
No need. Eusebius was already doing it.
Screech: “Cannister! Cannister! Load with cannister!”
The smoke cleared. Enough, at least, for John to see.
One dromon was sinking. Another had been battered badly. It was still afloat, but totally out of control. Yawing aside, now, its deadly ram aiming at nothing but the empty Mediterranean.
But the third ship was still coming in. Not driving for a ram, however, so much as clawing forward with broken oars and wounded rowers. Desperately seeking to grapple. Anything to get away from that horrible hail of destruction.
No use. John could see Eusebius at the middle cannon, fussing over the guncrew. The dromon was only ten yards away—close enough for the artificer’s myopic eyes.
John saw Eusebius tap the gunner on his helmet. He saw his lips move, but couldn’t hear the words.
An instant later, the cannon belched
“For the Empire! The Empire!”
The smoke cleared enough for John to see the enemy. The three dromons were only fifty yards away, now. He flinched. No way to stop them from ramming.
Except—
Their forward motion had stopped, he realized. None of the ships were sinking, true. Only one of them, judging from appearance, had even suffered significant hull damage. Still, the shock had been enough to throw the rowers off their stroke. The men on those galleys were completely unprepared for the sound and fury of a cannon broadside. Instead of driving forward in the terrifying concentration of a war galley’s ramming maneuver, the dromons were simply drifting.
Again, the screech: “Fire! All cannons—”
Lost in the roar. Cloud of smoke. Enemy invisible.
John leaned over the rail, ready to order—
No need. Eusebius was already doing it.
Screech: “Cannister! Cannister! Load with cannister!”
The smoke cleared. Enough, at least, for John to see.
One dromon was sinking. Another had been battered badly. It was still afloat, but totally out of control. Yawing aside, now, its deadly ram aiming at nothing but the empty Mediterranean.
But the third ship was still coming in. Not driving for a ram, however, so much as clawing forward with broken oars and wounded rowers. Desperately seeking to grapple. Anything to get away from that horrible hail of destruction.
No use. John could see Eusebius at the middle cannon, fussing over the guncrew. The dromon was only ten yards away—close enough for the artificer’s myopic eyes.
John saw Eusebius tap the gunner on his helmet. He saw his lips move, but couldn’t hear the words.
An instant later, the cannon belched