Eric Flint's Blog, page 19

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 05

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 05 Bjelke nodded back. “I suppose it must be akin to breaking an ingrained habit.” Simonszoon scoffed lightly, stared at the Spanish ships coming toward them. “Harder. Because these habits kept us alive. Since we were boys. It’s more like trying to resist an instinct. Or better […]

Heart Of The World – Snippet 03

Heart Of The World – Snippet 03 Rikart flung his hands up. Daud saw he was angry. Rikart said, “Very well. Give me the sword.” The soldier struck him across the shoulder. “I knew you would stand up.” He went across the room, and Rikart followed him, and Daud got up and went after. Through […]

Marked Territory – Snippet 03

Marked Territory – Snippet 03 “Ringo is what happened to him,” Gloria said. “Way I heard it from Gina was that Chopper lost most of his crew in an animal control raid. He needed to lay low for a bit until there were eyes off his lot. So Ringo agreed to help him out in […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 03

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 03 An enormous spear appeared suddenly, as if it had sprouted in the center of the Algonk’s throat. Blood spurted in all directions, a hot whip of it slashing across Dockery’s cheek. At the same moment, a dark mass crashed from the pines. It knocked Dockery aside and threw the Algonk […]

The Portals Of Hell – Snippet 03

The Portals Of Hell – Snippet 03 Chapter 2: The Hellport As Davin moved along the string of wagons, young men and some of the graybeards who drove the wagons were dismounting. Bows appeared in aged and wrinkled hands, and spears bloomed in the grasp of the young, eager to be tested. Several men tied […]

1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 35

1636 The Atlantic Encounter – Snippet 35 Chapter 23 Despite limited Dutch, the brothers got on all right with the locals. New Amsterdam was a Babel — even more so, given the events in Europe: Danes and Englishmen and Swedes and even a few Poles had made their way to the New World, settling in […]

Days of Burning, Days of Wrath – Snippet 38

Days of Burning, Days of Wrath – Snippet 38 Finca Mixcoatl There was a dirt road from the finca to the main road that ran north and south.  This was the road taken by Pablo and Francsico.  It was also the road they’d met at on the way back.  From there, having seen little but […]

The Newton Cipher – Snippet 13

The Newton Cipher – Snippet 13 Coffee Island London Monday Morning A knock on the door woke Trina. Faint light through the curtains told her it was morning. Alice entered, carrying a tray, which she set down beside Trina on the bed. Tea, toast, and eggs over easy, with brown sauce on the side. And […]

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 04

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 04 Chapter 3 East of Dominica Admiral Maarten Tromp lowered the spyglass, which he still preferred to the binoculars being made in Amsterdam. “The leading galleons are within two nautical miles.” He leaned toward the runner. “Tell the captain that he will want to beat to quart […]

Heart Of The World – Snippet 02

Heart Of The World – Snippet 02 Rikart climbed over the stern, took the scull, and pushed them out into the flow of the canal. Other boats rowed past them, pulling hard. Rikart held his boat in near the bank, where the rip would be less, and nudged them out through the mouth of the […]