Day Trip

"The two in the white facings... quite. We arrived in the Crown ourselves by some unknown means, from our own time, so who is to say that it isn't possible for others to come to the Crown from other times? I must confess, I do not understand the mechanics of it all, but such a thing must be possible, as it appears to have happened." He shrugged.

"Can we turn 'em out, sir?" Newbury called out, annoyed by the two chattering Marines in the funny coats.

"No, Newbury, we cannot. They have as much right to be here as we do, after all," Vickery replied.

That was a fair explanation. Blackwood shrugged slightly. "I confess to complete ignorance of this place. If such things are possible here, I am not sure how comfortable I am within it. For... if we are here, what is to say that our enemy is not here as well?"

"Pity," Newbury muttered to himself and scrunched down as much as he could in his seat.

"I don't believe we are at war here. If any Frenchmen were to appear, the Crown - and anything associated with it, such as this excursion - would be regarded as neutral. Being here, we are under a flag of truce, as it were." He shrugged. "I must confess, I do not entirely understand it myself, but that has been my experience of the places thus far."

In his experience, the French were not always to be trusted, even with flags of truce. "Let us hope that is so," Blackwood said. "Ah. That must be our destination now."

Cotton looked out of the window. "Looks like we'm here then, Maggie."

"Already? That was quick!" Maggie leaned over and looked past him to the view beyond the windows.

" 'Bout bleedin' time," Chase said, grinning. He heaved the window open and, as the carriage lurched to a stop, shinned out through it. Mister Evans, after a quick glance at the officers, followed him.

They had arrived. Not before time, Cartwright thought. He peered out the carriage window, somewhat awed by the sight of the Victory's masts against the more unnatural skyline that seemed quite typical of this strange world.

"She seems almost sad," he observed.

"She do, don't she?" Thompson said, then looked down, realising he'd just offered his opinion, unasked, to an officer. "Sorry, sir, din't mean to speak out o' turn, sir."

"Come George, before you hurt yeself with ye talk." De Guarde said playfully as he pulled on Thompson's arm. " N' don't ye worry so much, we's in this time.. so we need ter respect them aye, but they can't right punish us!"

Newbury unfolded himself in his seat and glanced out the window. "Don't look like anythin' different from any other ship," he said.

"It don't matter whether it's this time or ourn, 't'ain't right to speak up like that in front of an officer, is it?" Thompson pointed out. He leaned forward so Newbury could hear him better. "She ain't got no sails on her yards - have another look. Not even in a harbour stow, she ain't."

Cartwright shrugged off Thompson's apology. He was not one to object to such reflexive answering to a harmless observation. The other officers were on their feet now and filing off the carriage, so he fell in line with them.

"What an exceedingly curious place."

"A ship that ain't got sails?" Newbury frowned. "That don't make any sorta sense."

"Hey, we could volunteer ter serve on her, maybe they're at loss o' men. Looks pretty..deserted if ye ask me. So maybe that's why she ain't going nowhere." Mathew grinned at Thompson. "Don' be a rabbit, George."

"Hoi!" Chase cried, halfway across the parking lot. "Any you laggards comin'?"

"Cob Chase! Don't go gettin' lost now, will you?" Thompson called, descending the steps of the carriage and putting a hand to his hat as a sudden gust blew up.

Chase laughed and waved. "Can't get lost on a line ship!" Then he turned and disappeared, following Mister Evans.

"How do they get it in the water?" Maggie asked in wonder. She had never visited a dockyard before, and this was not what she had expected.

"I dunno, lass," he said, looking up at the towering masts. "She'm bigger'n the transport I bin on, to get out to Portugal, though. Think her masts're taller'n the church spire back home, an' all."

Mayden was only too glad to get his feet back on solid earth again. "She ain't movin' like she's afloat," he noted with a frown. "Mebbe she's in drydock?"

Owing to his bulk, Branning had to wait until the others had descended from the carriage before debarking himself. Once on the ground again, he gazed wistfully at the great ship.

"Last time I seen her," he said, "she were tore half to ribbons, an' still blazin' away."