Never Sound Retreat by William R. Forstchen Read Free Book Online

see one class at least was in session, Theodore, his copilot's brother, teaching a small group made up primarily of women.
    Another coughing spasm hit, and Olivia motioned for the pilot to leave the room. Standing up, Jack walked out onto the porch of the clapboard building and gazed across the reservoir, which provided power and water for the factories below. The surface of the lake was mirror-smooth, except for the ripples caused by a flock of brightly colored geese drifting lazily along the shore. The geese kicked up, honking, as a blast of fire erupted to the west, beyond the dam, as a fresh batch of iron was poured. Jack looked to the west and the valley of the Vina River, leading down to the old town of Suzdal. Both banks of the dark stream were lined with factories, rail track, and hundreds of new homes for the workers who came from across the Republic to work in the new industries. So much of this had sprung from Chuck's mind, Jack realized. Their very survival dependent on this lonely Leonardo.
    "Jack, please don't take too much of his time, he needs to sleep," Chuck's wife whispered, joining him on the porch.
    "How is he? Truthfully."
    She lowered her head.
    "Not good," she whispered, "not good. Sometimes he's too exhausted even to cough. He has to sleep sitting up now. He needs rest Jack, months, maybe a year away from all this." She motioned back to the office and from there down toward the factories.
    "He slips out of here, goes down to the factories to check on the work, the buildings filled with blast furnaces, steam, dust, and smoke. It's killing him. He has to go away."
    Jack nodded, unable to say what was in his heart, that Chuck was his friend, but the republic was on the edge of a disaster, another war far more brutal than the previous two. Victory was dependent on Chuck's outthinking Ha'ark. He was taking the same risks as Andrew, Hans, right down to the lowest private on the firing line. But Chuck . . . Chuck would never be replaced.
    "Hey, Jack, get back in here."
    Jack looked at her, unable to say anything.
    "It's Dr. Weiss's orders. He's supposed to rest during the afternoon." "The hell with Weiss, there's work to be done," Chuck announced.
    Shaking her head, she walked off the porch and back to the simple whitewashed house next to the office.
    Jack went back into the office and settled down in the chair by Chuck's desk.
    "So how are you really feeling?"
    Chuck sighed and looked over at the grandfather clock ticking in the corner of the room.
    "They say somebody with what I've got can last ten, even twenty years if they take it easy and move to a cool dry climate."
    He chuckled sadly. "Rus is blazing hot in the summer, cold and damp in the winter. Great place for someone with consumption."
    "But you can at least rest some more."
    Chuck shook his head and laughed, then pointed at Gates's illustration.
    "He got the wings on their ships, but I take it that it's all wrong."
    Jack examined the engraving and nodded.
    "The wings were larger and not at the center of gravity but somewhat forward. The small tail wings were farther aft. The ship was sleeker, and the ones that brought me down had a curious arrangement underneath."
    "What was that?"
    "Wheels, one under each wing and one astern."
    Chuck nodded.
    "I was thinking about that myself. From the report that you telegraphed in I was working up some estimates. The gas cells just don't seem to add up to provide enough lift. The wings are lifting surfaces, we know that, they make it more maneuverable as well in turns. I think they've put on engines damn near as good as ours; in fact I'd be willing to bet they stripped an engine off one of our downed machines and copied it. Anyhow, I think they actually have to get the thing moving forward at twenty miles an hour or more on the ground till the wings provide enough lift, then it takes off and flies."
    As he talked Chuck pulled out a sheaf of drafting paper and unrolled it across his desk, using his cup of tea to