The Lotus Eaters

SdL Megalodon, Shimmering Sea, Terra Nova

'We're still in range. Take out the carrier, Chu,' the exec said. 'That will get those frigates off Quijana's ass, if only to rescue the sailors floundering in the water.'

Chu looked down at the deck, isolated from the hull by shock absorbers, the better not to transmit internal noise. Of course, he's right that it would, but at the cost of blowing our little secret. Then again, does that matter? Carrera only has us, so far as I know anyway, for the purpose of taking out that carrier . . . well, that one and another and a couple or three from the Zhong. The surprise wouldn't last past our first successful attack anyway. What difference if it's now or in a couple of years? They'll still be shy a carrier. And, hell, in a couple of years the secret of how quiet we really are might be blown anyway.

Ah, but then there is the timing issue. A carrier sunk now might be the same as a carrier sunk then . . . as far as the size of the enemy fleet goes . . . but the timing would be all wrong . . . could be anyway. I just don't know. I only know  . . .

'We've got our orders, Ibarra, and you have yours. Now shut up and quit pestering me.'

'Fuck. I trust that you'll be the one delivering the next of kin notices.'

'We don't know there'll be a need for any next of kin notices. Now—'

'I know. I know. Shut up and quit pestering you.'

Building 59, Fort Muddville, Balboa, Terra Nova

Whatever it was Admiral Duguay said to Janier over the phone, it was enough to turn the general's face ashen.

Replacing the phone on its receiver, Janier said simply, 'He refuses to listen. He says if there's an attack here because he kills that submarine that will be my problem. He said other things, too.

'Do we mobilize the troops then?' asked de Villepin.

Still ashen-faced—What did the admiral say to him, wondered de Villepin—Janier shook his head. 'No, no. Let's not let our actions notify the Balboans as to what is going on at sea.

'And now leave me in peace and quiet for the next hour.'

D 466 Portzmoguer, Gallic Navy, Shimmering Sea

The bridge was hushed. Every man present knew Casabianca was guessing, frankly. They also knew his guess had a few things going for it. He knew where the enemy below could go for succor. He had a pretty good idea of its maximum speed while gliding, as it presumably was. He had a point of origin to trace from.

'East or west,' the captain said softly. 'One or the other. I chose east. If I'm right, maybe we get him. If I'm wrong . . .'

'Sir,' Mortain said, taking a telephonic radio receiver away from the side of his head, 'Montcalm, Horizon, and Cotentin are on station. The admiral says it's your command. Oh, and Captain Bertin of Montcalm is bitching about it, too.'

'Bertin always bitches,' answered Casabianca. The captain turned towards his sonar major. 'Major, on Lieutenant Mortain's command. Weapons, stand by. Mortain?'

'Sir?'

'On radio . . . command . . . continuous . . . Ping!'

In seconds the major announced, 'I've got them.'

'Fire!'

BdL Orca, Shimmering Sea, Terra Nova

'Skipper,' said Yermo to Quijana, 'they're boxing us.'

Quijana looked up from the deck to the screen toward the boat's bow. It was true enough, with four surface ships taking up position approximately to the four cardinal direction of where Orca had been perhaps half an hour ago.

'They don't hear us,' Quijana said, uncertainly. 'If they did they wouldn't be so far out. They'd—'

The captain's words were cut off as the submarine was suddenly deluged with the sound of four separate sonar emitters all going to continuous ping.

Yermo tried to ignore the sounds, listening intently for the much more ominous, 'Oh, shit, I've got a surface launch . . . no, two . . . three . . . four. Each ship's fired once.'

'Fired what?' Quijana asked.

'The Gallic frigates usually mount Ulysses anti-submarine rockets,' Quijana's XO said. 'That means they'll be here . . .'

'Plonk,' said Yermo, looking straight up. He squeezed a headphone to his ear. 'Plonk, plonk  . . . plonk.'

Do NOT panic, Quijana ordered himself. Besides, the thing you're most afraid of is being afraid . . . and you don't have much longer for that to happen, now do you, Miguel?