“The Minerva’s carrying four forty-six-kilogram bombs and six rockets with nine-kilogram warheads,” Firebrass said. “If only two of the bombs make a direct hit, they could sink the boat.”
“Even so, that royal thief might get away safe and sound to shore,” Clemens said. “He has all the good luck of the wicked. How would I ever find him then? No, I want to see his body. Or if he’s taken alive, I want to wring his neck myself.”
De Bergerac spoke softly to Jill. “Clemens talks big for a man who’s appalled by violence. It’s easy to do as long as the enemy’s sixty thousand kilometers away.”
Firebrass laughed and said, “Well, if you can’t twist his head off, Sam, Joe’s the man to do the job.”
An unhumanly deep voice rumbled, “No, I’ll tear off hith armth and legth. Then Tham can turn hith head around tho he can thee vhere he’th been. He von’t like where he’th going.”
“Tear off an ear for me,” Firebrass said. “Old John almost hit me when he shot at me.”
Jill presumed that he was referring to the fight aboard the Not For Hire when John had seized it.
Firebrass said, “According to calculations, the Rex should be in the area we’ll be over in about an hour. You should be in the same area but about one hundred forty kilometers to the west of the Rex. Of course, we could be way off. For all we know, the Rex may not be traveling as fast as it could, or King John could’ve decided to dock for repairs or a very long shore leave.”
An hour’s conversation followed. Clemens talked to some of the crew, mostly those he had known before he’d left Paiolando. She noticed that he did not ask to speak to de Bergerac.
Just as Sam was about to sign off, the radar operator reported that the Rex Grandissimus was on the scope.
45
Staying at 452 meters altitude, the Parseval circled the boat. From that height it looked like a toy, but photographs, quickly enlarged, showed that it was indeed King John’s vessel. It was magnificent. Jill thought that it would be a shame to destroy such a beautiful craft, but she did not say so. Firebrass and de Bergerac felt very strongly about the man who had hijacked their fabulous River-boat.
Aukuso transmitted the location to Greystock, who said that the Minerva should reach the Rex the following day. He also checked the location of the Mark Twain.
“I’d like to fly over her so that Sam can get a good look at the ship that’s going to sink the Rex,” Greystock said.
“It won’t take you out of your way to do that,” Firebrass said. “And it’ll give Sam a big thrill.”
After he had quit talking to Clemens, Firebrass said, “I really think Greystock’s on a suicide mission. The Rex is loaded with rockets, and it carries two planes armed with rockets and machine guns. It all depends on whether or not Greystock can catch the Rex by surprise. Not much chance of that if John’s radar detects the Minerva. Of course, it might be off. Why should it be on? The sonar is good enough for daytime navigation.”
“Yes,” Piscator said. “But the people on the Rex must have seen us. They’ll be wondering about us, though they won’t know who we are, and they might start using the radar because they’ll be suspicious.”
“I think so, too,” Jill said. “They can figure out easily enough that only Parolando could build a dirigible.”
“Well, we’ll see. Maybe. By the time the Minerva gets to the Rex, we’ll be behind the polar mountains. I don’t think we can expect good radio reception there. We’ll have to wait until we come back over them.”
Firebrass looked thoughtful, as if he were wondering if the Parseval would return.
The sun sank behind the ground horizon, though at this altitude the sky remained bright for a long time. Finally, night came with its blazing star clouds and gas sheets. Jill talked for a few minutes with Anna Obrenova before going to her cabin. The little Russian seemed warm enough, but there was something in her manner which indicated that she was not at ease. Was she really resentful because she had not been given the first mate’s position?