here. The Russian sub Captain claimed they fired on him, and they wanted us to call in our dogs, but we couldn’t get through to stop what was happening. Once those bloody torpedoes go into the water, you have very little time. In our day, they’re quick as lightning.”
“We figure the Russian sub Captain acted on pure reflex,” said Morgan. “It’s nice that we’ve tipped hats here and had our handshakes, but that reflex runs deep.”
“As to that Astute Class sub,” said MacRae, “whether it’s still out there or not is anyone’s guess. The Russians lit one off on them, which doesn’t surprise me, now that I look at it in this light. If our boat survived, that will be a damn good reason for the Russian sub to be running silent. Remember, in our day the Royal Navy is not so cozy with the Russians. That song we heard your ship’s band playin’ still holds true for the North Atlantic. Britannia still rules the waves on that watch—only it will be the Russians we’ll be lookin’ out for, and not the Germans. In fact, Germany is our ally in the future. It’s the Russians and Chinese we worry about in the next war.”
“Indeed,” said Tovey. “The whole thing gets turned on its head! Well I think Admiral Volsky and Captain Fedorov were dead set on changing that. I know in fact that they were working here to try and prevent that war you speak of in your time. Whether their intervention here may do some good, I suppose we may never know. The arrival of Brigadier Kinlan’s troops, welcome as they are, and now these other ships… Well that all leads me to think things don’t turn out as well in the future as Admiral Volsky might have hoped. Perhaps this American fellow can clue us in. This may make for a very interesting conversation. Just how is he set to return here?”
“We aren’t certain. We were told they have some… technology.”
“Very well. Then we head for the Azores to keep that appointment he made with us. I think the Germans have seen enough of the Royal Navy for the moment, and with Holland and Patterson coming on the scene, I don’t think they’ll want to cause any further mischief out here. Unfortunately, we’ve lost a good ship today, two actually, if we count the disappearance of Kirov. But Jerry has taken his lumps as well. The Russians put the fire to that aircraft carrier of theirs, and word is they also lost Gneisenau—torpedo damage—so that Russian sub may have weighed in on that one. They did their part, but who knows when or if we will sail with them again. Unfortunately the war won’t wait for a happy reunion. Now we must do the lifting ourselves, and I’m grateful you are still with me.”
He sighed, catching his breath as his thoughts ran on. “First things first. I’ll have a good number of thirsty battleships on my hands soon, so I intend to make for the Azores at once. I think it best that we move the newcomers to the rear of our convoy, and I’ll post Repulse in their wake. We’ve another destroyer flotilla in the Azores, and I’ll have them form a welcoming committee straight away.”
He turned to Miss Fairchild now. “Terribly sorry we’ve let the King’s business go into the sea like that. His majesty will be none too happy with the report I’ll have to write this evening, and I daresay Mister Churchill will get up a good head of steam about it as well, not to mention the First Sea Lord. I have a great deal to explain here, and I’ll have to be very discrete about it. I don’t have to tell you that hat bands can change rather easily in this war, and it wouldn’t be wise if Admiral Pound got nosey about all this. I’ll have to make an accounting of this action to the Admiralty, and I don’t think I can hide the existence of these seven other ships indefinitely. Any objection to my informing the Prime Minister as to what has happened here?”
“My understanding is that he’s in the club,” said Elena.
“Right,” said Tovey. “And he’s very keen to know what we might be facing soon, which is one reason I pressed you for… information. Any bone I can throw Mister Churchill may keep the wolves at bay, at least insofar as my fate is concerned. I think it