Taylor Anderson - Iron Gray Sea

“Of course, Your Excellency. We’re at your service,” Matt said, then paused. “Sir, you know my other companions, but if I may present our Minister of Medicine, Lieutenant Sandra Tucker? I believe you may remember that I’ve mentioned her before.”

To Sandra’s amazement, Radcliff snatched her hand and knelt over it, brushing it with his lips.

“I am deeply honored to meet you at last, my lady!” he told her earnestly, then his smile returned. “The last time I saw this man of yours, he was prepared to raze the entire Empire to the ground if a hair on your head-or that of our own Princess Rebecca-had been harmed. I naturally assumed that you must be the beauty of the world to inspire such devotion, but now my eyes chastise my imagination for the woeful disservice it did you!”

Beneath her tan, Sandra’s face went dark red.

“You are… flattering and very charming, Your Excellency,” she somehow managed, then gave Matt a knowing glance he’d seen before that always seemed equally proud… and afraid for him. “And it seems you got to know Captain Reddy very well indeed.”

“Quite,” Radcliff replied softly, gently squeezing her hand before releasing it. He turned back to Matt, his enthusiasm reborn. “There is so much I want to tell you, I feel that I may burst!”

They sat in the shade of the vast, wraparound porch encompassing the lower floor of the governor’s residence. Moisture condensed on glasses of cool beer arrayed on a wide wicker table, surrounded by the visitors and the half-dozen advisors and members of the governor’s staff. As when he’d first visited there, Matt was struck by the glorious view beyond the sloping parade ground of the fort. To the northeast, the sky was clear and bright. Due east, a few lazy clouds lingered. South of there, a dense, dark squall lashed the sea, and wispy white tendrils of the thing extended out to either side. The road that brought them to the summit wound around the back of the mountain, giving them a slowly rising view of the lush, scenic valley where the bulk of Respite City lay. Cultivated fields surrounded the population center, and beyond them loomed the dense, dark jungle. The contrasts were so sharp, so extreme, it was as though he’d glimpsed several entirely separate worlds since leaving his ship. The impression was similar wherever he went, he supposed, but only here was it quite so profound.

Matt turned his attention to his more immediate surroundings. He was pleased to see Radcliff’s wife, Emelia, again, particularly when she took her place with the rest of them, right beside her husband. The daughters he’d met on the last occasion weren’t present and he wondered about that, but he knew Chack must be relieved. Imperial ladies couldn’t seem to resist petting his soft, brindled fur, and it mortified him. Chack wasn’t the only Lemurian there, however. They’d been joined by two others, both seemingly in a state of reverential awe toward the men and the ’Cat just returned from the east. Lieutenant Haan-Sor-Plaar commanded another new Fil-pin-built steam frigate, USS Finir-Pel, and Lieutenant Radaa-Nin was in charge of a pair of fast fleet oilers and three munitions and supply ships-all new sailing steamers, and all bound for New Scotland. Matt would get with them later and brief them on what to expect at their destination. In any event, he knew Radcliff had certainly become acquainted with many more Lemurians since they’d first met, and maybe he’d banned his daughters because he’d finally noticed the… discomfort their attentions caused his furry guests.

Interestingly, this time Matt didn’t sense the slightest resentment toward Emelia’s presence from the governor’s other advisors, and she smiled warmly at him when he caught her eye. That was new as well. Matt knew that, despite Imperial custom, Emelia had long been the governor’s most influential advisor, and she’d been as worried about the Alliance as she was about the deterioration of the Empire. He was glad to see that her concerns in that regard seemed to have been put to rest. He looked to Emelia’s right, where Sandra had taken a seat, and was surprised to see the older woman pat her hand occasionally as if to reassure her. He’d never known Sandra to need reassurance, particularly from strangers, but he’d never seen her around such an almost motherly, astute observer as Emelia before… He shook his head.

“Captain Reddy,” Governor Radcliff began, “first let me extend my most sincere condolences for the sad losses your people and your remarkable ship suffered during the recent, glorious campaigns, not to mention the terrible losses sustained on the Grik front… I saw the casualty lists, of course, when they were passed along to you, and I understand some of them constituted direct, personal losses to you and your ship. Friends and former shipmates.” He sighed. “We have never seen such a war and can hardly imagine what it must be like… I am not glad our Empire is beginning to find out, but I recognize and even embrace the necessity.” He met Matt’s gaze. “You will return home with a strong alliance with my country, for what you are doing for us, and we will help you in every way we can as well.” He straightened in his seat. “We have raised a full regiment here on Respite, for service in the west.”

“That’s very generous, Your Excellency,” Matt said softly. It was. Respite was the oldest Imperial territory, established even before the Empire existed, but the population there and on all the islands under its jurisdiction probably amounted to less than two hundred thousand.

“It only makes sense,” Radcliff said. “Wherever our people fight, it will be far from home, and with the Doms pushed back to their continental holdings, the Grik are actually closer.” He took a sip of beer, then forced a smile back on his face. “But enough of that! Congratulations are in order for many things! You have doubtless observed that the Grand Alliance is extremely popular here?”

Matt nodded. They’d ascended the mountain aboard a kind of carriage reminiscent of a San Francisco streetcar drawn by burros, and the road had been lined with enthusiastic well-wishers, quite a few of whom were women. “Indeed, Your Excellency. I’m glad to see it.”

“Take my word, Captain, the greeting is quite sincere. You accomplished everything we could have wished and more. You personally may not have saved the Princess Rebecca-and your lovely bride-to-be-but your people did. And then you avenged their abduction and mistreatment!” He leaned forward with a genuine grin. “The official version of that is colorful enough, I assure you, but I beg a firsthand account!”

“Perhaps this is not the setting or the time to press him on such a personal matter, Mr. Radcliff,” the governor’s wife gently admonished him in a mellow tone. Radcliff spared her an exasperated but indulgent glare.

“Later, then, if you please, Captain. Over dinner? Still, not only did you destroy the beastly Company’s domination of our lives and hasten the end of the inhumane institution of indenture, but you also did no less than save the Empire itself from conquest or at least dissolution. You have my most profound thanks.”

“We didn’t do it alone,” Matt said quietly.

“No, but you struck the spark and fanned the flames of liberty to life! I wish to God I had been with you! As you know, I had begun to despair, but to be there and see my emperor restored and country saved…”

“Please do save your speech for the ball, Mr. Radcliff,” Emelia chastised. “I fear you are embarrassing the good captain!”

“Embarrassing!” Radcliff huffed. “Heroes are always embarrassed. They are supposed to be.”

“Ball?” Sandra suddenly interjected with an expression close to fear on her face.