Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (10 page)

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir.
"
Harry
touched
his
hat.
He
wondered
why
he
was
being
given
this
task
when
it
would
normally
have
been
given
to
one
of
the
Master
'
s
Mates.
He
smiled
at
the
frightened
boy
and
said,
"
Come
with
me,
and
tell
me
your
name.
"

             
It
took
three
attempts
before
Harry
caught
the
name,
by
which
time
they
were
already
descending
the
companionway
to
the
lower
gundeck.
"
Well,
Danny,
we
won
'
t
eat
you
here
on
Spartan
,
and
Mister
Billing
the
Boatswain
will
see
you
are
taken
care
of.
"
He
found
Ferghal
making
his
way
to
the
gunroom
in
preparation
for
their
dinner.
"
Ferghal,
this
is
Danny,
take
him
to
Mister
Billing
and
see
he
is
signed
on
properly.
He
is
to
be
given
a
meal
and
some
clothes
from
the
slops
chest.
You
may
wish
to
finish
your
present
task
quickly
and
then
show
Danny
the
way.
"

             
Ferghal
grinned.
"
All
is
now
ready
for
your
dinner,
Master
Harry.
Fear
not,
I
shall
see
to
the
little
'
un.
The
Boatswain
will
doubtless
know
what
'
s
to
be
done
with
him.
"

             
"
I
know
he
is
in
good
hands
now.
"
Harry
grinned.
To
the
still
frightened
youngster
he
said,
"
Mind
you
do
as
Ferghal
here
tells
you,
he
will
take
care
of
you.
"
He
returned
to
his
task
on
the
quarterdeck
wondering
how
this
latest
addition
to
Spartan
'
s
crew
would
survive,
sure
that
between
the
Boatswain
and
Ferghal
young
Danny
would
be
well
looked
after
–
probably
better
now
than
at
any
time
in
his
life
to
date.

-

             
Captain
James
O
'
Niall
Heron
surveyed
his
new
command
from
the
observation
deck
of
the
vast
building
dock
platform
in
orbit
around
Mars.
The
dock
was
now
a
third
'
moon
'
to
the
arid
red
planet
below.
He
'
d
earlier
thought
somewhat
wryly
that,
despite
the
best
efforts
of
mankind,
little
change
could
be
seen
despite
over
a
hundred
years
of
effort
to
bring
the
planet
back
to
life.
His
new
ship,
however,
was
another
matter.
The
most
modern
of
the
new
breed
of
starships
being
built
for
the
North
European
Confederate
Fleet,
Vanguard
was
vast.

             
The
first
of
a
planned
group
of
four
ships
of
the
same
class,
she
incorporated
all
the
knowledge
human
ingenuity
could
devise.
It
would
be
another
two
years
before
she
would
be
ready
to
take
her
place
in
the
fleet,
by
which
time
her
sisters
would
be
nearing
completion
as
well.
Some
still
questioned
the
need
for
starships
at
all
though
there
was
plenty
of
danger
from
human
renegades
already.
Though
the
frigates
and
corvettes
could
deal
with
these,
anything
on
the
further
reaches
of
the
galactic
arm
needed
larger
ships.
In
addition,
as
they
explored
further,
it
brought
ever
nearer
the
possibility
of
encountering
another
species
which
might
not
be
friendly.

             
In
appearance
not
unlike
a
twentieth
century
submarine,
except
she
boasted
four
long
and
substantial
"
fins
"
at
her
cardinal
points
amidships
and
four
smaller
fins
right
aft
each
carrying
the
powerful
projectors
known
as
hyperpods
–
the
hyperdrive
propulsion
units.
It
was
these
units
which
allowed
these
ships
to
slip
between
dimensions,
through
what
was
referred
to
as
"
hyperspace
"
and
what
the
Fleet
and
other
spacefarers
referred
to
as
"
transit
"
.

             
The
Captain
turned
as
he
was
joined
at
the
observation
screen
by
a
heavily
built
man
whose
uniform
showed
the
insignia
of
an
Admiral.

             
"
Good
evening,
sir.
"
He
saluted.
"
She
'
s
growing
rapidly
now.
All
her
hull
plating
is
complete
and
the
entire
ship
is
now
under
atmosphere.
"

             
Returning
the
salute
the
Admiral
smiled.
"
Beautiful
isn
'
t
she?
Still
a
lot
of
work
to
do
though,
but
at
least
it
will
go
faster
now
she
is
able
to
contain
her
own
atmosphere.
"
He
nodded.
"
Completion
is
fixed
for
March
twenty-two-oh-four.
She
will
be
in
commission
and
ready
for
deployment
by
August
–
provided
the
WeapTech
people
don
'
t
miss
any
deadlines.
"