Under van Rijn's direction, the Flock becomes a fleet to fight the Fleet. From "...pack ice and calving glaciers... Stone chisels would shape a vessel as big as any raft in the Fleet, in a few hours' work." (XVI, p. 249)
But Wace must engineer everything:
How deep a hole for a mast?
Ballast?
How to make clean cuts in long irregular ice blocks?
How to smooth bottoms to reduce drag?
What proportions of sawdust and sea water to freeze as armor over the hull?
"Wace stood on the deck of the Rijstaffel and watched his enemy come over the world's rim." (XVII, p. 250) (Scroll down.)
An unbelievable amount of labor has happened between chapters.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
If driven by desperation, I can see thousands of people, assuming as well intelligent leadership, being able to achieve this fantastic amount of labor.
Ad astra! Sean
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