Devil's Due (Destroyermen #12)(5)
“In that case, I will happily describe the action,” Kurokawa said, turning to pace behind his desk. “It’s not as if you can make use of the information, after all.” He abruptly stopped and regarded her anxiously. “Would you like refreshment?” When Sandra didn’t reply immediately, his lip curled in a satisfied sneer. “I apologize for not asking you to seat yourselves, but I must preserve the furniture. It’s so difficult to obtain these days. In the future, you’ll take better care to come before me more appropriately attired.” The impossibility of his demand seemed to amuse him and he began to pace once more. “True,” he continued. “We lost two of our carriers and a few insignificant auxiliaries, while your husband lost not only Baalkpan Bay, a heavy fleet carrier, if I’m not mistaken, but also some sort of immense seaplane tender built from one of the Grik dreadnaughts we abandoned at Madras. Those sinkings are confirmed, as are those of at least a dozen support ships—vessels whose loss will leave your forces on Madagascar feeling a distinct pinch, I assure you. Particularly with General Esshk and his Grik hordes preparing to cross the channel from the mainland of Africa and crush your ridiculously overextended force. Esshk’s new swarm is so numerous it makes all his previous armies pale to insignificance! Furthermore, as I said, I have reliable reports of grievous hits made upon both your husband’s ‘modern’ destroyers, Walker and Mahan. At least one couldn’t have survived, given the extent of her damage. You’ll pardon me if I choose to revel in the possibility that it was your husband’s Walker.”
Sandra’s mind whirled. Mahan was still laid up at Madras, the last she heard. And Walker couldn’t have been with TF Alden; Matt wouldn’t have seen the need to meet it with his own damaged ship when the task force was protected by two brand-new destroyers, just delivered and virtually identical to Walker. So, despite all the intelligence the League of Tripoli leaked to Kurokawa, he—and they—hadn’t known about the new DDs. She felt sick to think they might already be lost, in addition to Baalkpan Bay and the rest, but at least she was morally certain Kurokawa was wrong about Walker—and Matt.
“I wouldn’t count on that,” she whispered.
“I won’t,” Kurokawa snapped, his tone deadly serious, no longer gloating. “Despite the fact I must destroy him, your husband has earned my grudging respect for all he has accomplished with so little.” He waved around him. “As have I. And I will never underestimate him again. But the balance of power, in this theater at least, has finally shifted in my favor. Yes,” he added, noting Diania’s surprise, “I know all about your war with the Dominion in the Americas.”
Sandra did snort then. “We still have two carriers to your one, with more on the way, and whether our destroyers were sunk or not, our steam frigates are a match for your so-called cruisers. I didn’t hear all that many planes fly ashore this morning either, so you obviously lost a lot of those, as well as pilots. How do you figure you’re on top?”
“Simple, my dear Lady Sandra,” Kurokawa said, using the title the Imperials had given her, probably as yet another means of showing how much he knew. In fact, Sandra got the distinct impression this entire meeting was little more than an opportunity to boast to her, the next best thing to having Captain Reddy himself. “Your forces on Madagascar will soon have all they can deal with once the Grik attack in earnest. My air force is . . . depleted, but I’ll soon make up my losses in quantity”—he smiled—“and quality. Lastly, I noted you didn’t mention the converted freighter, the Santa Catalina, your people armed and styled a protected cruiser. Do you honestly believe she can match Savoie, after my people have time to familiarize themselves with her? You’re not that stupid.” He bestowed a gleeful smile on Muriname.
“And how long will that take?” Sandra glanced at Muriname as well, gauging his reaction. “How many of Savoie’s people stayed behind? Not many, I guess. And how many Amagi sailors do you have left, not flying planes, supervising factories and shipyards, or commanding ships? They must be spread awful thin. I don’t know much,” she confessed, “but I imagine properly operating Savoie, with her sophisticated equipment and modern weapons, will be a lot harder than your crude ironclads with muzzle-loading guns.”
She could tell her shot hit home with Muriname, at least, when he frowned and blinked rapidly behind his glasses. Kurokawa’s eyes bulged slightly more and his face reddened, but he didn’t respond. “So,” Sandra continued, getting down to it, absently adjusting her shirttail with one hand—near the Colt—while resting the other on the bulge in her belly that was finally beginning to show. “What will you do with us? Diania and I, and the two men and four Lemurians you’re holding?”
“That depends a great deal upon you,” Kurokawa said simply. “I have uses for you all, of course. Not all equally pleasant. For instance, it’s been a great while since I, or the more than three hundred real men it remains my honor to command, have enjoyed the company of a woman.” Sandra took a step back, horrified, but Kurokawa nodded at her belly. “You’re pregnant. And though you carry the child of my greatest enemy, I’m not a monster.” He swiveled his head to regard Diania. “Your servant, on the other hand, is not pregnant, is she?” He glared back at Sandra and she saw the fury in his eyes again. “To preserve her and your friends from any number of unpleasant fates I might imagine, you’ll tell me what I want to know.”