knots, it would never be enough. The old battleship he hoped to keep from harm was already stricken, hit by an enemy torpedo, and the gaping wound was battered open again by the hard steel of shells from the Tirpitz. He did not know that his charge had already slipped from his grasp, falling inexorably into the depths of the murky sea, the light of the glittering bars of gold bullion slowly fading as they fell.
“Message from Captain Tennant sir.” It was the Flag Lieutenant, Commander James Villers, a dark haired, blue-eyed man, tall and aristocratic in bearing, with a stiff posture and equally stiff manner, particularly with subordinates. He had been the tutor of Tovey’s young protégé, now Captain Christopher Wells, and he eyed the message with some concern.
“Emergency to Admiralty and C-in-C, Home Fleet. From BC2 – Sighted battleship and battlecruiser, bearing 220, distance 21 miles. My position, course, and speed to follow. Requesting permission to engage.”
Tovey looked up, squinting at his Flag Lieutenant, his eyes narrow with thought. Villers walked slowly to the Admiral’s side, handing him the signal. “That’s twelve more 15-inchers on the field,” he said.
“Yes,” said Tovey, still thinking. “Yet with bloody thin skin.”
“They’ve laid on a bit more deck armor for Renown after that bomb damage she took.”
“Quite so,” said Tovey, “but nothing that will stop the steel being flung about by that German battleship. Any more word from Rodney?”
“She’s in bad shape, Admiral, foundering with a hard list to port. Captain Hamilton is of a mind that we may lose her, yet he’s still in the fight.”
“Then order Captain Tennant to engage at once. Tell them we’re coming with all the speed we can muster.”
“Very good, sir.” Villers started away, looking to collar a signalman, but Tovey spoke again.
“What about the German carrier?”
“Apparently the Russians put the fire to them, sir. Hamilton reports he can see a considerable column of smoke to his northwest. Good of them to get one in like that, but where in bloody hell are they now?”
“I wish I knew, Mister Villers. And between you and I, that ship has maneuvered to make good its attack. I want no talk on the ship of magic tricks, miracles, and disappearing acts. I’ll want to see every member of the morning watch in my cabin after this is over.”
“As you wish, sir.”
Tovey wanted to keep a lid on what had happened to the Russian ship. Kirov had been there, right in the vanguard of his small formation, not half a mile on. Then, when he turned his head to look again, there was little more than a cold wisp of fog that quickly dissipated on the light morning breeze.
The Admiral knew at that moment, with a sinking feeling, that something had happened. The ship had a habit of bouncing about. Something deep within him grasped that, an inner recollection that he knew was his, yet one he also realized he had never lived in this world. It was as if he was now being haunted by some unseen duplicate of himself, a strange Doppelganger who had made the acquaintance of this Russian ship and crew long before Tovey ever set eyes on it in this world. Then again… the old memory returned to him, from his days with the China Squadron as a young Lieutenant. He had seen this ship before, and he was certain of that now. In fact, his first order upon taking command of King Albert when its Captain had been felled on the weather bridge, had been to turn every gun he had on the demon, rushing in, just as he was now, to the fire and shock of a battle at sea.
The shouting voices still echoed in his mind from that distant memory…
“Port thirty, and signal all ships to follow!”
“Port Thirty, aye sir!”
“Come round to two-seven-zero and set your range!”
“Sir, coming to two-seven-zero,” the helmsman echoed back.
“Range 9,000 yards, aye sir, and all guns ready.”
“Steady… Steady… Commence firing! All ships to fire in turn!”
He could still feel the vibration on the deck beneath his feet when his own ship trembled again with the impact of yet another enemy shell, this time at the base of the conning tower where it rattled the heavy armor. Yes, he remembered it all now, they had a fire amidships, one funnel sheared off and bleeding smoke, one of his stacked casement guns on the starboard side blasted away, the weather deck gone and the Captain with it, but still