Ring of Fire II(33)

"I'd ask you to forgive the captain," Sparre said quietly. "His brother was on the Vasa."



"Of course," Per said looking along the stupendous hull. "Are those the gun ports?"



"Why, yes." Sparre smiled. "Of course, the guns are added last, usually with a crane after the ship is already in the water."



"Could we see a gun like those on Vasa?" Per asked. "One of those cranes would be interesting, too."



"Certainly." Sparre motioned towards another building. "We'll get there in a moment." He smiled in an odd way. "Maybe I should ask to be assigned as the naval liaison." He shrugged in an eloquent way. "Anything to get away from Stolpeskott."





It was an unusually quiet group of northerners that left the naval dockyard some hours later. Finally the enormity of their task had actually dented the confidence of Delsbo. Dented, but not broken. They were all there the next morning when the barge was towed out to the mast tops sticking out above the water.



It appeared to be getting to the Frenchman, too. He might be a swindler, but Fermin Mazalet was no cold-blooded murderer. "Are you certain about this?" he asked, looking at the bell. "Shouldn't we test her somewhere else first?"



"Where?" Per asked. "All shipping avoids this site. No one wants to run afoul of a sunken spar. That makes it a perfect spot." He grinned. "Also, as you've explained, it pays to advertise. No matter how it goes, people will know we've come this far, at least. The admiralty will see us out here."



"There is that," Mazalet said with a quick nod. "Funding might become less of a problem."



"Are we strapped for cash?" Karl asked.



"Not really," Mazalet said, "but it never hurts to spread the risk. I plan to sell a few shares in the salvage project."



Karl frowned. "Won't that decrease our share?"



"Not really." Mazalet repeated. "To my knowledge, it never has, anyway."



"All anchors are in place," Captain Sigismund reported. "We might drift a foot or two but hardly more."



"Very good." Per nodded. "Start pumping air."



"Is that really necessary?" Mazalet asked. "I mean, they'll be tired long before the bell even hits the water."



"That's why we have replacements." Per lowered his voice. "It's my brothers going down there, and we're taking enough chances as it is already. Pumps start before anyone goes inside the bell and don't stop until the last diver is back on deck. Any man who forgets that will go along for the next dive. Outside the bell.



"Divers to the bell," he shouted. "Check the air and keep your feet up." He waited as Lars and Olof ducked to get through the little port in the weighted edge of the bell and scrambled inside. The port was below the air-bleed holes, and if they wished to exit it once they were down, they would have to swim.



Olof's voice sounded strange, coming from inside the bell. "We're ready to go."



"Good." Per shouted. "Remember, we'll only lower you a few feet at a time so if something happens, you just go outside and swim to the surface." He turned around and signalled to Karl. "All right, remove the planks and go ahead with the crane when you're ready. Remember, just a few feet at a time."



Karl grinned. "Don't worry, big brother. By now I can do this in my sleep." He watched as the last plank was pulled aside, and motioned his men towards the windlass.



"Everyone got a hold? Good." Karl nodded. "Good. Can you feel the weight? My brothers' lives are hanging on your shoulders. Don't make me regret picking you for this job." There were tight grins from the men, but no one looked strained. "On my mark," Karl said, "you will all take one step backwards. Ready, steady, go."





"Here we go," Lars said gleefully as the diving bell rose from the deck. "The first lads since Jonah to walk the bottom of the sea."



"Don't tell our boss," Olof complained. "Thanks to you he really believes we've done this for generations. Don't make him change his mind."



Lars face hardened in the gloom. "Don't you think we can do it?" he challenged. "There is nothing we can't do if we really try."



"We can't fly," Olof said.



"Of course we can." Lars grinned. "You just wait and see. With all the money from Vasa, we can build some other machine."



"One that flies?"



"Why not," Lars said serenely. "We're from Delsbo, and Per is really clever. Nothing is impossible."