Chapter 6

I turned on the engine room fans and let them clear the fumes. It's a habit ... a good habit. Diesel won't explode like gasoline will. It's good to remember the fumes with diesel ... even if you don't run gas. Someday you might have a boat with a gas engine.

Then I fired up the diesel and kept the exhaust fans going. When the gauges were in the GREEN I let in the clutch and picked a gear, and let out the clutch. We were moving.

The Unterseeboote, after insuring by visual contact, that we were actually moving, led the way. We were going to Germany whether we wanted to or not.

Once under way the three Germans relaxed. I mean ... it's a dark and stormy ... okay okay okay ... maybe not stormy ... just wet ... but still a dark and wet night. The three jackbooted thugs ... maybe not, the oldest looked to be about 19. Typical nordic-type German; tall, thin, blond with blue eyes.

Like I mentioned ... boisterous seas. A U-boat is pretty calm below the wave zone. We were bouncing around pretty good. The three of them looked uncomfortable ... and maybe a little seasick and a lot homesick.

Wendy left the cabin, came out on deck and stood horizon watch ... not that she could see the horizon; it's still dark and wet. Mostly we followed the light on the rear of the submarine conning tower.

The German War Machine was gearing up. Germany was sending its maritime might, the Kriegsmarine, out to sea early. The better to be in-place to cause the greatest possible havoc. Waiting until war was declared was a good way to be caught sitting at the dock. Remember Pearl?

The rough seas came from somewhere and I was waiting for the causative wind to hit.

Wendy said, "Since I can't use the watch to get us back..."

"Why not?" I asked.

"You want to take three armed men back to the past?" she said, "Not my idea of fun."

We were speaking in Finn and that pissed the three men off. They didn't speak English and we didn't speak German. How do you know someone isn't trying to kill you if you can't understand them?

I went back to following the sub and Wendy made coffee. She brought the pot and five empty cups. She poured her cup and then mine, we both sipped ... it was hot ... before she offered the cups and pot to them. It was a case of we're not trying to poison you ... Okay?

They sipped, chatted between themselves and finish off the pot. Wendy gathered up the cups and pot, took them to the galley and washed up. She sang in Finn while she was cleaning up.

"Oh, Powers that Be, we need you right now ... but don't show yourselves. I got us in trouble and don't know how I did it. We have armed men onboard and need to get back to where we were in time. Help us."

We don't know what you did, but it's August of 1939 and Germany is going to war. Your watch isn't supposed to work like this. This isn't even your planet.