What Price Honor?

In the light of a swinging lantern, Jamie saw a seaman turn the glass.Moments later, he was blinded as his vision flared white and thenwinked out to total blackness. Thunder rolled, impossibly loud, overthe raving wind. The foremast and rigging toppled, along with a sparfrom the mainmast, snarling the entire waist. There was a strangledcry from the darkness followed by a body crashing down into thetangled rigging. With no thought for safety, Jamie reacted to deeplyingrained training to...
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In the light of a swinging lantern, Jamie saw a seaman turn the glass.Moments later, he was blinded as his vision flared white and thenwinked out to total blackness. Thunder rolled, impossibly loud, overthe raving wind. The foremast and rigging toppled, along with a sparfrom the mainmast, snarling the entire waist. There was a strangledcry from the darkness followed by a body crashing down into thetangled rigging. With no thought for safety, Jamie reacted to deeplyingrained training to aid a fallen shipmate. He untied his lifelineand leaped from the quarterdeck to the waist, accompanying a halfdozen of the watch, to rescue the bellowing topman trapped in therigging. He had misjudged the slickness of the deck. His boots skiddedthrough inches-deep water. He missed a handhold on the broken spar,bounced off the lashed-down water cask, and sprawled on his back.He lay stunned. There was an instant in which he saw the mainmastshrouds looming overhead. He heard shouting as from a distance andwatched a white-crested black wave surgeover the railing. He got inhalf a breath before the mountain of water smashed down.It is late summer in the year 1759, acclaimed in British history as thatwonderful year that had already seen great victories over the Frencharmy at Quebec and the French navy at Lagos. Is another victoryor ignominious defeat in store as two mighty navies converge on thecoast of France? Will Jamie Drummonds uncommon luck hold as battleapproaches once more?