Eric Flint's Blog, page 8

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 35

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 35 “Ah, Maarten Tromp, you are delighting in his torment of me,” van Walbeeck lamented histrionically. “Soldiers, particularly jongeren like this Cantrell fellow, have little appreciation of the trials and tribulations that an administrator must endure to produce such a grand spectacle.” He waved a hand at […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 33

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 33 He paid three Texians to help him build it and to help him fire it. They were fascinated, averring at first that it couldn’t possibly work, and then hooting and slapping their broad-brimmed hats against their knees when it did. It was not a perfect solution. He would require courage, […]

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 34

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 34 That still-fresh structure was currently swarmed by those same lighters, but they were now off-loading the last general cargos of the prizes Tromp’s fleet had taken off Dominica. Although still referred to by some as the New World Dunkirk, the seamen who’d been there had, with […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 32

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 32 “Was Hannah reckless, or was she bold?” Chapter Seven Calvin Calhoun was packed to leave in three minutes. It was easy enough — rifle, powder, shot and accouterments; a second set of clothing, rolled up in a bedroll; done. Logan Rupp, on the other hand, took hours. “Come on, Logan!” […]

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 33

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 33 PART II June-July, 1636 From his saw-pit of mouth, from his charnel of maw Herman Melville, “The Maldive Shark” Chapter 18 Oranjestad, St. Eustatia Eddie Cantrell closed the door softly behind him, padded to the stairs, took the first few steps down before sitting and pulling […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 31

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 31 They sent tokens. If it came to another battle, the queen would be assailed on two sides, and defended by an army of tokens. The thought that one of Cahokia’s enemies was Simon Sword, the legendary bugbear of the Mississippi, continued to strike Schmidt as extraordinary. And Cromwell? He and […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 30

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 30 # Temple Franklin rode west atop the foremost of the thirteen wagons that left the Walnut Street Prison. Thirteen wagons, one for each of his grandfather’s virtues, though Temple could remember what the virtues were only with difficulty. His postilion hat turned out to be extremely fitting, as he sat […]

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 32

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 32 Hugh shook his head. “But I cannot stand to gain by that blood, either, Hyarima. How may I invite my people to live in this place, knowing the houses in which they dwell, the fields in which they work, were made ready for them by being […]

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 29

Serpent Daughter – Snippet 29 # In a grove of trees on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Nathaniel settled into a cross-legged sitting position and pulled his drum into his lap. Margaret gripped a low-hanging dead limb of one of the elm trees and yanked it off. With efficient motions, she stripped the limb down to […]

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 31

1637 No Peace Beyond The Line – Snippet 31 Chapter 17 Just outside San José de Oruña, Trinidad  “I am O’Donnell,” replied Hugh, “and I do speak Spanish, as does my second-in-command, Aodh O’Rourke. We thank you for honoring us with an invitation to speak to you in your war-camp.” Hyarima acknowledged the thanks, looked […]