The Duke's Admiral: Chapter 8
Date: Thu, January 01, 2004
Topic: Stories & Fiction


What happens when good men do nothing? Some might say the Greyhawk Wars was the result of such: Evil expanded unchecked by the forces of Good until it was almost too late. In the Duchy of Urnst, unmarred by the recent horror that had swept most of the Flanaess, Duke Karll Lorinar-the Ranger Duke of Urnst-has seen the fruits of his own benign neglect and has vowed that past mistakes will be rectified?

The Duke's Admiral: Chapter 8
By: Mario_Greymist
Used with Permission. Do not repost without obtaining prior permission from the author.

Chapter 8
5th of Coldeven, 588 CY
4th Bell, Morningwatch
Leukish, Duchy of Urnst


The drum roll ended with a flourish and silence fell over the manicured green of the Ducal Naval Academy. Officers stood with their crews at attention in orderly rows. Admiral of the Navy, Horatio Kaste, and his staff stood at attention on a raised platform that faced the rows of officers and common sailors. At one end of the assembly, forming the foot on a large ?L?, a makeshift gallows that had been erected by bleary-eyed carpenters in the wee hours of the morning. Captain Victor Teranor, his voice well modulated and controlled, unrolled a scroll and read aloud to the gathered seamen. "As the accused has been found guilty of treating with agents of Iuz; as the accused has been found guilty of treating with slavers and the humanoid rabble of the Pomarj; as the accused has been found guilty of incompetence, corruption and unbecoming an officer in the Ducal Navy; by the hand of Lord Horatio Kaste, Admiral of the Navy, the accused is sentenced to hang by the neck until dead." The former senior Admiral, Carl Montdidier, struggled against his captors, but the two ratings held him tight as a third slipped a black velvet bag over the condemned man?s face; and then slipped the hangman?s noose around his neck. Victor waited until the task was done, and then raised his voice again as he re-rolled the scroll, "Executioner, do your duty." The two ratings stepped back from the struggling admiral as the executioner yanked the trap lever and dumped the wriggling man through the platform floor. Carl Montdidier?s neck snapped on the first drop, and his body swayed at the end of the rope. "Captains and seamen of the Navy." Horatio spoke with a voice that near filled the green, "too long has our Navy been without discipline. That time ends now. No longer will the Navy turn a blind eye to the misconduct of Her officers or seamen" "New regulations have been posted here, and aboard your ships. Read them. Learn them. Live them." Horatio intoned, his voice hard. "You have one sevenday hiatus. In that time if you do not believe you can live with the new regulations, you may speak with myself, or one of my officers, and leave the Navy. Ratings and petty officers will be given a severance of one gold. Officers, the Navy shall buy back your commission." "If, however, " Horatio said, and his voice dropped so as to force the men and women before him to listen carefully lest they miss his words, "you want to stay and help restore the honor of this Navy; to help make this Navy the grandest of eastern Oerth, the past will be forgiven and you will be assigned a place commensurate with your abilities." "Captain Teranor, dismiss the troops." "Mr. Van Ott, dismiss the troops!" Victor ordered, and the chief petty officer bellowed across the green, and drums took up the order. "Seamen, dismiss!"


"I don?t know how wise it was to offer forgiveness of past sins, Admiral." Captain Zanderhae said as he watched the milling crowd of dismissed officers and seamen exit the grounds. He spotted speculative looks, happy looks, and even some angry and spiteful looks. "Captain Zanderhae, I could spend the next several months prosecuting every minor infraction performed by a member of the Ducal Navy. If I did that, I would break the Navy, rather than binding it up, and I have better use for that time." Horatio replied without rebuke, "There will be a number of those that stay that will attempt to flout the new regulations: they will become examples for the rest." Turning to Hansel Bruleigh, "Commandant, as promised here is your draft authority off the Navy accounts in the City Vaults. If you have any problems, let me know." "Thank you, Admiral." Hansel said as he took the packet of documents. "Victor, I have a packet to the Duke that I wish you to deliver in person. It must go only to the Duke, or to Baron Leukish, Markael Antivadran. Do you know them by sight?" "I know the Duke, Admiral, but I haven?t met the Baron." Victor replied with a shake of his head. "Then you must place this only in the hands of the Duke. It?s the papers and log of Montdidier, I?ve taken what notes I need from it." Horatio pulled the small bundle tied with twine from the waist pocket of his coat. "Aye-aye, Admiral." Victor said, accepting the papers. "Very well, gentlemen, I?ll be in my study should you need me." Horatio said as he strode off and his staff dispersed to their tasks.







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