“We will close range before we reach the battery cover, Sir,” he said as the crew raced to haul in the sheet lines for the best trim.
“We will need to take out their fore mast.” Jake said calmly. “If we can’t avoid them, we survive as best we can make a run for it. Not going to let them chase us off our own country.” Par/Jake eyed the two pulters to leeward with a leery eye he tried to keep short of an eye roll. “On my signal, bring her up wind to a luff and we’ll try for it.”
“Aye, Sir.”
They were woefully out under armed compared to the Imperial ship, and there was no point in a desperate plan of attack if it could not be won without losing his crew and this small ship Wil-kait had given him to command. And, though he trusted “Mind to guide him with the use of these Pulters, it was not the same as years of training.
He looked up as he heard that distant clatter again. Mind informed him. “They have fired with less lead.”
“Steady,” Par ordered calmly. And to Mind he ordered, “Guide me,”
As splashes just of the stern spouted up close enough to cause some crouching among the crew, Par ordered, “Luff up if you please, Mr Kait.” He waved away the men at the foremost of the two Pulters and took the control release mechanism into his own hands and arms, pivoting the vertical huge bow shape to aim as foreword as possible. Reaching out he cranked the winch back causing the pulter to hum with tension on it’s line.
The men watching exclaimed in astonishment as he casually displayed the strength of two men.
“Up inclination two notches.”
The entire Pulter rested on a fulcrum of black bram wood and was perfectly balanced. Par leaned back and bent his knees and the bow tilted marginally upward.
“Mind?”
“On count of one. Three two.. one”
Par’s hand was on the release lever which was geared to respond to a strong pull. He slapped it back the pulter released with a clattering bang and the shot, an eight-pound shell of black Bram wood shaped like a bullet, screamed skyward. Black Bram was every bit as dense and hard as lead and Par had no doubt it could so as much damage.
“Reload.” Par ordered as he sprang to the other pulter, cranking it back. With hardly more than a few seconds between the second shot went screaming out.
“No by Nor East.” Par ordered, without glancing to see what his shots had managed. He trusted Mind.
Wil-kait was gaping in astonishment. “By the Ral! A hit and the first one glanced off! Sir, I have never seen such marksmanship!”
“Let's not celebrate a bit of luck too soon. I’ll need to do that again, if they let us, but if they know what we are about I doubt they will. Let's just hope …” Before he could say more the crew cheered madly, men jumping up and down slapping one another on the back.
“Gods, Sirs! She’s lost her fore!” A sailor cried.
Wil-kait had the glass to his eye, swearing with evident glee, and he soon held it out to Par.
Taking a look, Par / Jake saw the big single decker frigate, its long row of menacing Pulter’s foreshortening as the ship swung into the wind, it’s foremast gone, jib sails collapsing, the foremast and rigging a snaggled mess draping and dragging alongside.
“Bring us about, Mr. Kait, lets tack away and approach the harbor from well to windward of them. No point in a display of bravado at this point. One successful broadside from them at this little ship would be scrap.”
“Ah, er, aye Sir.”
Par / Jake looked away, keeping the glass to his eye so as to ignore the worshipful look Wil-kait was giving him. So tempting to translate such worship into something more erotically pleasing. As his own relief at successfully avoiding loss of life among these men he was becoming attached to rose within him, so did the belated pleasure at the release of adrenaline. He was experiencing something like the little death after climax and a belated arousal.
Dropping the glass to his side, he said, “I need to eat and get some strength. My recovery has a way to go, I fear.” He handed Wil-kait his glass. “Tack to the Sou East until out of range and then make for the battery and the port. I’ll be up before we dock, but you can take her in, Mr. Kait.”
“Of course, My Lord. Again, Sir, that was … nothing short of magnificent.”
“I like to play with pulters.” Par said with a shrug, making his way to the companionway to go below.
“Aye Captain ya can play with my pulter any time!” One wag cried out and the crew cheered with relieved laughter.
Par / Jake reddened, having forgot how well sound carried over water.
