Dewey Lambdin
A King`s Commander
(Lewrie – 07)
For Bill Wiles, Rick Newlon, Terry Fox, Tom Skalsky, and Jon Drake, my old pack of college runnin' buddies back when we were learning how to become a Nelsonian "Band of Brothers."
And, for Bob Enrione at CBS, who gives the best "loan" of obscure research books, and supplies the finest period details for the ambience, ever I did see.
Book I
An soda Iuone et Pallade fretus
armisona speret magis et frйta iussa capessat,
siqua opens tanti domito consurgere ponto
fama queat?
Or shall he trust rather to the aid of Juno and Pallas
of the ringing armor, and launch forth at the king's
command, if haply, the sea subdued, some renown
could arise from so great a task?
– Argonautica
Book I, 73-76
Valerius Flaccus
CHAPTER
1
"Dearest!" Lewrie whispered into her sweet-smelling hair.
"Oh, dearest God, Alan…!" Caroline responded in a like whisper. Though they could have shouted, for all the clamor of a sloop of war readying to set sail. "My only love."
A few more minutes, Lewrie squirmed in rising impatience; just a few minutes more, and I'm safe-I think. Mostly, anyway!
There were limits on how even the fondest captain and his wife could behave in public; quite unlike the open bawling of "wives"-the real helpmates, or the feigned for profit-had made when HMS Jester had at last lowered the "easy" pendant and put herself back into Discipline, and the men of the lower deck had bade farewell to their loved ones, perhaps forever. Squealing, mewling brats, snuffly seamen, and howling harridans, appearing far older and weathered than their years, cursed by Fate they'd wed with sailors.