“Easy. I don’t think they’re sending their wives and children out to attack.”
The Russian sailor smiled, then faltered, and then the large American slapped him on the shoulder with a wink.
“Can’t blame the Ruskies for being a little shaky. After all, they’ve all seen those other ones up close,” Jenks said as he turned to Charlie. “They make our pirates from the storybooks look like pussies.”
“By the ‘other ones,’ I suppose you mean what seems to be the dominant species here?”
“Yeah, those jokers. Those fish boys. Bunch of nancies, if you ask me.”
As the fishing fleet and the boats from the village came closer, everyone relaxed. Jack looked over and saw the crewmen of both Peter the Great and Shiloh were also lining the rails, weapons relaxed as they stared in awe at the approaching wave of humanity.
“Ooh,” the young sailor said beside Jack. The boy rubbed his belly as he spied the roasted pigs and birds that filled the boats from the island. The music seemed South Pacific in its natural sounds of whistles, drums, and flutes. Russian sailors started cheering their guests as they came on. Even the Americans on Shiloh cheered.
Ropes were thrown from both landside and seaward as the boats came in. Russian sailors tied off the ropes and then threw over old rope ladders and lowered the gangway as close to the violet sea as they could get. Sailors started assisting women, men, and children aboard the Russian battle cruiser. Food by the boatload was handed up to the happy men of the Simbirsk.
“It seems our hosts have invited themselves to dinner, Colonel.”
Collins and his company turned and saw that Captain Kreshenko had joined them. He was wearing a white shirt with his rank on the collar. His first officer, Dishlakov, was at his side.
“It does seem, Captain,” Jack said as he turned back and watched the joyous, very much smaller men and women step aboard the largest object they had ever seen before. They touched the rough steel of her turrets and the wood of her deck. They were amazed by the portholes and bridge windows. Several of the more agile men climbed up cables, jabbered something in their native tongue, which would elicit laughs from their visitors, and then the brave man suddenly jumped from the cable and dove forty feet into the violet waters accompanied by many a cheer from the Russians, the British, and the Americans.
The fishing fleet tied up, and load upon load of fish was handed up to waiting arms. Fruits, vegetables, and other exotic growth were brought on board.
“Perhaps we can set aside suspicions and our natural animosity for one evening, Colonel. I will inform your Captain Johnson that he and his off-duty crewmen may join us. Unarmed, of course.”
“Of course. And I’m sure Captain Johnson would be happy to accept.”
“Of course, we will see to it that the on-duty personnel on board Shiloh receive their share of this marvelous bounty.”
With that, Captain Kreshenko and Second Captain Dishlakov turned and left.
Jack turned to Carl, and the SEAL and just shrugged. “A breakthrough?”
Collins only raised a brow to the observation.
“Huh. He probably just wants to separate the crew of Shiloh and then murder us all during the freakin’ dessert course,” Jenks mumbled and then went to assist an older woman on board as she struggled with her grip on one of the old rope ladders.
Ryan watched the master chief and then turned to face Jack and Carl.
“He might just have a point about being whacked at dessert. I think I saw that movie.”
The foredeck of Simbirsk was covered in old World War II green blankets that had once been donated by the United States to her Russian allies at the opening of the war against Nazi Germany. Food of varying varieties extended fifty yards and covered an immense section of deck. Kreshenko had allowed another hundred sailors from Peter the Great to join them, and they and Shiloh’s crew eyed each other from opposite sides of the blankets. The villagers and the men from their mining operations and their fishing fleet were interspersed with both crews and seemed not to notice the distrust among them. It was obvious distrust was not something these gentle people understood. The gathering had made Jack wary because he didn’t know what the natives’ play was. It was almost as if they sensed these men were different from those previous thugs that had introduced a form of slavery to their island. Collins knew he felt an obligation to their cause but could not find an avenue that could help them, other than all-out war with their Russian companions. That would ensure that none of them ever saw home again.
Jack’s eyes continually roamed the faces on deck, but thus far, there was no sign that Colonel Salkukoff intended to join them. Also missing was Professor Gervais and most of the Russian commandos. Jack pointed this fact out to Everett, who agreed that he too had noticed.
One point of decent news was the fact that for the past half hour, Captains Kreshenko and Johnson were in deep conversation as they walked the deck, speaking only where they were assured they were alone.
Both crews seemed to be accepting of their guests. Americans and Russians alike were kind and very amused by the antics of the villagers. Food by the pound was being consumed by all. Baked fish and other delicacies were placed on steel plates supplied by the engineers, and acetylene torches were used to the amazement of the fishermen and others to heat the fresh bounty of the strangest fish species any of them had ever seen. They were strange enough that Charlie Ellenshaw cringed every time one of these was thrown hissing onto the hot steel. He was running from man to man, trying to see what it was they had caught before the fish vanished forever before his inspection. Crazy Charlie was so excited that he had men from both nations laughing at the way in which he tried inspecting everything before it was consumed. He even went as far as taking a plate from a Russian sailor and looking it over, much to the shock of the man eating it. Still, the crews seemed at ease enough for the moment to excuse the excesses of the past two days.
Jack was also smiling as he watched the excitement of his friend. That was when he saw Henri standing aloof next to the number-one turret. He was in the dark far beyond the powerful deck lighting. Collins silently stood and placed his hand on Carl’s shoulder to keep him from following.
“It looks like our Frenchman has something on his mind. I’ll be right back.”
Jack walked over and stood next to Farbeaux as the Frenchman watched the festivities.
“A beautiful people,” was all he said.
“Yes, they are. It’s a shame our kind has interfered here,” Jack said as he watched a group of young girls no older than ten dance for the sailors to raucous cheers. The female members of Shiloh wowed the young girls with parcels full of makeup and small mirrors. It seemed the vagaries of female social standards translated well to species rather than the situation.
“Coming from our world, it seems we should be used to the loss of innocence. We have learned acceptance of a certain amount and go on justifying it in that manner,” Henri said as he exhaled deeply. He finally turned and faced Jack. “Professor Gervais is dead.”
Collins forced himself to relax as he stepped closer to the Frenchman. “Not by your hand, I hope,” he said as he felt the anger already start to well up inside.