Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (88 page)

             
Commander
Gray
surveyed
the
huge
hangar
deck,
even
larger
in
appearance
with
all
its
interlocked
blast
and
pressure
doors
withdrawn
at
present
as
the
various
squadrons
interceptors,
attack
craft
and
patrol
craft
were
sorted
into
their
storage
and
maintenance
bays.
"
Impressive,
"
he
remarked
to
his
number
two,
Lieutenant
Commander
Karl
Pedersen,
"
Probably
won
'
t
see
it
like
this
too
often
though.
In
transit
we
'
ll
be
keeping
the
doors
closed
and
if
there
is
a
need
to
transfer
anything
it
will
be
on
a
door
open;
door
closed
basis.
"

             
Karl
Pedersen
nodded,
"
Of
course.
But
you
have
to
admit
there
can
'
t
be
many
spaces
as
big
as
this
in
any
other
ship.
"
From
their
vantage
point
in
the
Maintenance
Control,
a
glass
sided
box
located
at
the
midpoint
and
three
quarters
of
the
height
of
the
bulkhead
from
the
deck
on
which
the
various
interceptor
craft
were
being
arrayed,
they
could
look
the
full
width
of
the
ship
and
into
the
launch
ready
holding
areas
in
the
upper
decks
of
the
two
lateral
fins.
With
the
transfer
of
the
interceptor
squadrons
in
progress
the
lower
landing
docks
located
in
the
trailing
edges
of
the
vast
fins
were
separated
from
the
rest
of
the
ship
by
means
of
their
pressure
doors
which
could
not
be
opened
while
the
outer
doors
remained
open
and
the
landing
docks
without
atmosphere.

             
"
Yes,
"
Nick
Gray
agreed.
"
It
actually
makes
me
nervous
to
see
the
doors
all
open
like
this.
One
slip
and
we
'
ve
got
real
problems.
"
He
looked
down
at
the
lower
deck
and
said,
"
This
cross-over
space
is
going
to
be
useful
as
our
major
maintenance
workspace.
But
I
like
having
the
main
workshop
areas
outside
of
it.
After
all,
we
don
'
t
want
to
risk
compromising
the
ship
if
there
is
a
problem
during
repair
of
one
of
ours.
"

             
"
Too
right,
Boss,
"
the
Lieutenant
Commander
replied.
"
I
'
ll
have
a
word
with
the
Master
Warrant
and
see
what
we
can
come
up
with,
though
I
think
Two-two-three
Alpha
Oscar
Charlie
is
going
to
be
our
main
service
area,
like
it
or
not.
"

             
Nick
Gray
nodded,
his
attention
on
a
crew
manhandling
a
large
'
Ship
'
s
Barge
'
into
a
parking
bay.
"
Everything
about
this
ship
seems
to
be
bigger
than
everything
else
we
have.
Look
at
that
barge
–
it
'
s
bigger
than
some
of
the
patrol
craft
we
have
in
commission.
"

             
Karl
Pederesen
laughed.
"
True,
still,
they
'
re
the
Exec
Commander
'
s
headache,
not
ours
thank
the
Lord.
"

             
"
Don
'
t
count
on
it
–
they
'
ll
land
in
our
laps
soon
enough.
Especially
if
there
'
s
any
fancy
stuff
to
be
done.
"

             
Nick
Gray
looked
at
the
rapidly
filling
hangars
and
said,
"
There
isn
'
t
going
to
be
much
room
to
play
with
here.
"
He
checked
his
tablet.
"
It
'
s
looking
pretty
crowded
already
and
there
are
still
another
fifty
to
come.
Still,
it
will
keep
our
Rates
on
their
toes.

-

             
"
Mister
Heron,
Mister
Bowles.
"
Lieutenant
Rae
called
the
two
midshipmen
to
him.
"
Check
your
boats
have
everything
secured
and
all
our
stores
for
this
expedition
are
aboard.
Once
we
set
sail
we
have
at
least
a
day
'
s
sailing
north
to
reach
the
estuary
we
are
to
survey.
We
cannot
afford
to
discover
we
have
left
anything
behind.
"

             
"
Aye,
aye,
sir,
"
Tom
Bowles
responded
for
them
both.
Tom
was
the
second
senior
in
the
Gunroom
and
Harry
the
youngest,
a
fact
not
lost
on
the
several
midshipmen
not
selected
for
this
mission.
Lieutenant
Rae
had
swiftly
quelled
any
debate
simply
pointing
out
that
Harry
had
shown
himself
to
be
the
best
artist
and
map
drawer
among
them
–
and
when
they
could
do
it
as
well
he
would
consider
their
services
for
the
next
expedition.
As
usual
this
had
drawn
the
fire
of
Midshipman
Barclay
and
his
cronies
down
on
Harry
so
it
was
with
some
relief
that
he
went
down
into
the
boat
to
join
the
Master
'
s
Mate
accompanying
him.