Chapter 8 The New Era
Oooh!
The wind was howling and the rain was pouring down, and the three-masted sailboat rose and fell from one "mountain" of waves to another, like a toy tossed and caught by a giant.
The crimson in Alger Wilson's eyes faded and he found himself standing on deck, no different from before.
Then he saw the oddly shaped glass bottle in his palm crack and break, and the frost and snow melted the water into the rain.
In just two or three seconds, this ancient curiosity lost all trace of its existence.
A hexagonal crystal snowflake appeared in Alger's palm, then faded rapidly until it was gone, as if it had shrunk into flesh.
Alger nodded quietly, as if thinking about something, and remained silent for five minutes.
He turned and walked toward the entrance to the cabin, and was just about to enter when a man, also dressed in embroidered lightning bolts robes, came out.
The soft-haired man paused, looked at Alger, reached out his right hand, put his fist to his chest and said:
"The storm is with you."
"The storm is with you." Alger's rugged, deep face showed no excess emotion, and he struck his left chest with the same right hand.
After saluting each other, Alger entered the cabin and walked down the passage to the captain's cabin beyond.
He did not meet another sailor or crew member on the journey, and it was as quiet as the interior of a tomb.
The door of the captain's cabin opened and a soft, thick dark brown carpet appeared before him, flanked by bookshelves and wine cabinets. Books with yellowish covers and bottles of dark red wine glinted in the light of the candles.
On the desk where the candles were placed were a bottle of ink, a quill pen, a black metal telescope, and a sextant made of brass.
Behind the desk, a pale middle-aged man in a Captain's Skull cap watched Alger's step by step and grashed his teeth angrily.
"I won't give in!
"I'm sure you can do it." Alger calmly sounded like he was saying it wasn't a nice day.
"You..." The middle-aged man was stunned, as if he had not expected such an answer.
At this moment, Alger's body slightly bow, suddenly rushed forward, and instantly narrowed the distance between the two people to only the desk.
Paaaah!
His shoulders tightened, his right hand popped out and squeezed the middle-aged man's throat.
Did not give the other side a chance to react, the back of his hand appeared pieces of unreal fish scales, five fingers crazy force.
Snap!
In the crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes were stunned, and the body was lifted up.
His feet twitched violently, but he soon regained his calm, his vision was lost, his pupils began to diverge, his crotch was gradually wet, and there was a foul smell.
Alger lifted the middle-aged man, stooped over his back, and pedaled off toward the next wall.
Baaaah! He used the middle-aged man as a shield and slammed into the front, his arms thick as a monster.
The wooden walls crumbled in response, and the violent wind and rain swept in with the smell of the tidal water.
Alger twisted his back and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin into a mountain of waves.
The sky is dark, the wind and rain are howling, and the mighty forces of nature bury everything.
Alger took out a white handkerchief, wiped his right hand with care, and threw it into the sea.
Taking a few steps back, he waited patiently for his companion to enter.
'What's the matter? Within ten seconds, the man with the soft yellow hair rushed in.
"The Captain has escaped." Alger gasped, chagrined. "He still retains some extraordinary powers!"
'Damn it! The yellow-haired man muttered an expletive.
He came to the break and looked into the distance, but could see nothing but wind, rain and waves.
"Well, he's just incidental." The yellow-haired man waved his arm. "We can only take credit for finding this Tutudor ghost ship."
Even the relatives of the sea, in this weather, he did not dare to dive into the water.
"And if the storm continues, Captain won't be able to hold out much longer." Alger nodded and noticed that the break in the wooden wall had begun to creep back with visible speed.
He took a deep look and unconsciously turned his head to the position of the rudder and sails.
Even through the boards, he knew exactly what was going on there.
No first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailor, not even a living man!
There was nothing there and the rudder and sails were eerily adjusting themselves.
Alger sighed as he thought again of the "fool" who was covered in gray mist.
He turned his head to look out at the storm and the waves, and said in a dream-talk of anticipation and fear:
"A new era has begun..."
......
Baekeland, Queens, the capital of the Kingdom of Ruon.
Audrey Hall pinched her cheek in disbelief.
On the dressing table in front of her, the old bronze mirror was broken into pieces.
Looking down, Audrey saw a "crimson" flow on the back of her hand, like a "tattoo" of stars.
The "deep red" gradually fades and eventually disappears into the skin.
Only then did Audrey know for sure that she was not dreaming.
Her eyes flowing, the corners of her mouth a little upturned, could not help but stand up, bend down to lift the skirt.
In a salute to the air, Audrey's footsteps were light, her body turned, and she danced the most popular "ancient fairy dance" in the court.
Her figure was graceful and her face was full of a bright smile.
Knock, knock, knock! Suddenly there was a knock on the bedroom door.
'Who? Audrey stopped brushing and assumed an elegant posture.
'May I come in, Miss? You should get ready." 'asked the lady's maid outside the door.
Audrey glanced sideways into the mirror of her dressing table and quickly curbed her smile, leaving only a faint touch.
She looked left and right to make sure there was nothing wrong with her image before she spoke softly:
"Come in."
The hand twisted, and Anne, her lady's maid, opened the door.
"Oh, it's broken..." Anne saw at a glance what had become of the old bronze mirror.
Audrey blinked her eyes and said slowly:
"Er, yes, well, SUSIE came in before, you know, she always likes to spoil!"
SUSIE is a large golden retriever with a less pure pedigree, a gift from her father, Earl Hall, when he bought a Foxhound, but she is very much loved by Audrey.
"You must teach him a good lesson." Anne skillfully packed up the pieces of the bronze mirror, afraid of hurting the lady.
Having done all this, she looked at Audrey, smiled, and asked:
"Which dress do you want to wear?"
Audrey thought briefly, "I like the one that Mrs. Genia designed for my seventeenth birthday."
"No, people will ask if the Hall family is in financial crisis, and the same dress is worn for a second time on a formal occasion!" Anne shook her head in denial.
"But I really like it." Audrey stressed gently.
"You can wear it at home or on less formal occasions." Anne presented the matter as non-negotiable.
"Then the one Mr Sides sent the day before yesterday, with the ruffled cuff." Audrey took a hidden breath and held on to her elegant, sweet smile.
"You always have such a good eye." Anne smiled and stepped back and called out the door. "Cloakroom six, never mind. I'll get it myself."
The maids began to get busy, one in charge of the long dress, one in charge of the jewelry, one in charge of the shoes, one in charge of the veil, one in charge of Miss Audrey's makeup, one in charge of the hair.
As preparations drew to a close, Earl Hall appeared at the door in a dark brown waistcoat.
He wore a matching hat, had a handsome moustache, and his blue eyes were full of smiles, but his sagging muscles, bulging stomach, and beginning to show signs of law had ruthlessly spoiled his youthful good looks.
"Baekeland's brightest jewel, it's time we got going." Lord Hall stood at the entrance and tapped twice on the open door.
"Dad, don't call me that." Audrey, helped to her feet by the maid, showed a deliberate look of distress.
"Then my beautiful little princess, it's time to go." Earl Hall raised his left arm and motioned for Audrey to take it.
Audrey smiled and shook her head:
"This is the seat of Mrs Hall, Countess, my dear mother."
"That way." Lord Hall smiled and folded his right arm again. "It's a father's pride."
......
Port Pritzker, Oak Island, Royal Naval Base.
As Audrey stepped out of the carriage with her father's arm in her arm, she was suddenly shocked by the enormity before her.
Not far away, in the harbor, there was a towering ship gleaming with metal, it had no sails, only lookout, and more than two tall chimneys, more than two separate open turrets.
It was so majestic, so large, that the sailing battleships parked nearby looked like newborn dwarves surrounding the giant Spirit.
"The storm is on..."
"Oh, my Lord."
"The ironclad!
...
A sound of wonder and low interweaving, Audrey also felt the same shock, it is a miracle created by human beings, unprecedented ocean miracle!
It was an unknown amount of time before the nobles, ministers, and Members of the House of Commons recovered, when a black dot in the middle of the sky grew from small to large, gradually occupying a third of the sky, occupying all eyes, and making the atmosphere suddenly solemn.
It is a huge object floating in the air, with extremely smooth and beautiful lines, the whole painted dark blue, the solid and lightweight alloy skeleton supports the cotton cloth with hydrogen air bags, and the organic muzzle, bombshell and flat gun carriage hangs below it, and the exaggerated hum of the high-phlogistone steam engine and the crazy whirring sound of the tail blades make a striking music.
The flying boat of the king's family arrived, majestically looking down on everything from above.
A vertical Sword of Judgment crest with a ruby crown on its handle reflects the sun on either side of the chamber, a symbol of the Augustus family's long heritage dating back to the last century.
Audrey is not yet 18 years old, has not participated in the "introduction ceremony", officially entered the social occasion of Baekeland under the guidance of the queen, declared adulthood, can only quietly look on in place, can not be close.
She wasn't too bothered, though, and was even relieved not to have to face the princes.
The "miracle" of human conquest of the sky landed steadily, and the first down from the escalator were the handsome young guards, dressed in red military dress, white trousers, with a ribbon, holding a rifle, divided into two rows, waiting for the appearance of King George III and the queen, prince and princess.
Audrey was not uninterested in large figures, but her eyes wandered to the two black-armored knights who looked like statues beside the king.
In this age of steel, steam, and guns, there are men who insist on wearing full body armor!
The cold metallic luster, the deep black helmet, all gave a heavy, dignified, must obey the feeling.
"Is it the 'Knight of Punishment' of a higher order..." Audrey's heart flashed through the gossip of the elders in the family, and she had a heart to understand, but did not dare to approach.
The ceremony finally began with the arrival of the King's family, current Prime Minister Agushid. Lord Negan stepped in front of the crowd.
He was a member of the Conservative Party, the only major figure so far to become Prime Minister as a non-peer, and was made a Lord for his services.
Of course, Audrey knew better, and Agushid's brother, a major supporter of the Conservative Party, was called Pallas. Negan, Duke Negan of this generation!
Agushid, a tall, thin man in his fifties with thinning hair and piercing eyes, looked round the back:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have seen that this is an iron-clad ship, enough to subdue the era of iron-clad ship, 101 meters long, 21 meters wide, high hull design, main armor belt thickness of 457 mm, displacement of 10,060 tons, front and rear four 305 mm main guns, in addition to six rapid-fire guns, 12 six-pounder guns, 18 six-barrel machine guns, Four torpedo tubes, up to 16 knots!"
"It will be a true overlord, and it will conquer the sea!"
There was a commotion among the nobles, ministers, and parliamentarians, for the Prime Minister's description alone was enough to make them imagine the horror of the ironclad ship, especially when it was in sight!
Agushid smiled a little, spoke a few more words, and then saluted King George III:
"Please, Your Majesty, name it."
"From Port Priz, we'll call it the Priz." George III looked rather cheerful.
"The Pritz!
"The Pritz!
...
Beginning with the Lord of the Admiralty, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, the name spread in turn, and finally came to the Ironclad, to a chorus of cheers from the officers and men:
"The Pritz!
In the atmosphere of celebration, salutes were fired, and George III issued the order to set sail for the test.
Oooh!
The sound of the whistle, a plume of smoke from the chimney, the movement of the machinery faintly can be heard.
The monster set sail, and everyone was shocked when it came out of the harbor and bombarded the uninhabited island ahead with its two main guns.
Ba-boom! Ba-boom! Ba-boom!
The earth seemed to shake, dust rushed into the air, and a hurricane swept outward, raising waves.
Prime Minister Agushid turned his head with satisfaction and said to the nobles, ministers and parliamentarians:
"From now on, the seven pirates who call themselves generals, the four pirates who usurp the throne, can only tremble and wait for the end!"
"Their time is over, and even if they have more or less extraordinary powers, ghost or cursed ships, only ironclad ships will cross the seas!"
At this point, Agushid's chief secretary deliberately asked:
"Then can't they build their own ironclad ships?"
Some peers and MPS nod to themselves that this possibility cannot be ruled out.
Agushid smiled and shook his head slowly.