Chapter 2

Kimi loved the old oak tree. It was a warm day in the little Kent village where he lived with his mum and dad and he loved playing in the old tree.

He liked to gather the acorns and target the cows in the paddock over the hedgerow. He'd hide among the branches with his homemade slingshot until they ventured within range.

He looked across at the stone cottage, where he lived, this fine summer evening because he thought he could hear his mother calling.

"Kimi, come down, now," his mother called.

Little Kimi hid in the tree. He liked to play games with his mother and watch from his hiding place as she scoured the backyard for him.

"Kimi, it's late. Come down."

'She can't find me, ' he told himself.

His mother's voice was getting urgent. Kimi hugged the tree harder. Then he heard his father's voice too, they were both searching for him. Kimi liked the game.

"Kimi, you've been up there long enough, come down."

'Oh no, ' he thought, 'she's found me.'

"Kasemann!" said his father.

They were talking to each other below his perch, now.

"He can't hear us," his father said.

"You've got to get him, someone will have to go up," said his mother.

"No, it is too dangerous," his father replied.

'Dangerous1' Kimi thought, 'it's not dangerous up here. He'd never fallen.'

Kimi felt a sudden chill.

' It's getting cold all of a sudden. It must be time for dinner, ' he decided.

"Get him down, he's blacked out!" said his dad.

"Kimi! Kimi!" his mother's voice was panicky.

Someone was grabbing him by the feet, pulling him down.

'Careful, I'm going to fall, ' he thought, ' don't touch me.'

He tried to kick with his feet but nothing happened, his legs didn't work.

Someone was holding him now, putting something around his waist.

They were talking to him but he didn't understand the words.

The pain in his hands and feet woke him. The first thing he saw was the light, swinging from the ceiling above his head. He was swathed in blankets, they covered half his face, and he was sweating from the heat.

There was an arm around him, whose? It was across his chest, and someone's warm breath fanned his cheek. He tried to speak but the blanket muffled his words.

"Kimi?" his mother said, "you're awake?"

"Mutti?"

Not his mother, another voice, higher pitched.

"What?" the voice said.

His brain was beginning to work now. It took in the view above him, resolving the information.

"Where?" he croaked in a voice which didn't sound like his own.

"Kimi? Mr. Kasemann, are you awake? How do you feel?" the voice said.

"Where am I?" he managed to say.

"In my cabin," the voice said, "I'm so glad you're awake."

Realisation began to dawn on him.

"Eliza!" he said, "what happened?"

Swinging above them, another little drama was taking place. On the Kaiser's 'Luftschiffe' L68 Chief Radioman Schultz was listening intently to his headphones.

"Leutnant?" he called, "I think we have a problem."

As Radiomen, Schultz and his deputy Forster held a privileged position on the airship. Regarded as something of a dark art by the regular Naval Officers, the infant technology of radio communications was either regarded in awe or with suspicion, depending on the mindset. Schultz as the most experienced man at the craft was generally regarded as something of a wizard.

"What is it Chief," the duty watch officer replied.

"I think we have a vessel heading this way, a naval vessel and a big one."

"Shit! I'll call the Captain," the Officer said.

Von Leichtenfels looked haggard as he descended the ladder into the control car. His once immaculate uniform was now open at the collar and was crumpling about him.

"What have you got Chief?" he asked.

"A Naval vessel sir, trying to talk to the Stavanger."

"How do you know it's the Navy?"

"Well sir... I know his hand... I recognise the operator, sir"

"Do you know if Kasemann has disabled their transmitter," the Captain asked the Watch Officer.

"Yes sir, he has the transmitting valve."

"Good, we must speed up the work. Have you got hold of him yet?"

"No sir, The Stavanger's skipper said he was sick." The Officer told him.

"Wake him up. It's an hour before daybreak. In two hours we are going to lift off, no matter what."

"Sir."

Kimi tried to take his first steps. His legs throbbed with pain as he tried to restore command to them. Eliza held him tight around the waist, he leant against the slight woman for support.

"Take it easy," she told him, " it is too soon."

"I must get on my feet," he replied.

As they reached the door, they looked up to find it blocked by the Stavanger's skipper.

"So, you're up finally," he said.

"Yes," said Eliza, "he's much better now, see?"

"Stop mothering him, Eliza. Listen! I suppose you think you're a hero?"

"Um."

"Well let me tell you," the Skipper continued, " I have commanded vessels for 20 years and I have never lost a crewman. You would be a lump of ice on that mast, Kasemann, if it hadn't been for my crew. They put themselves in danger to get you down. I told them to stay on the deck, but no, they wouldn't leave you up there. When I order you down to the deck, YOU WILL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD ON MY SHIP. YOU HEAR ME.

"Sir," Kimi replied stiffly.

After he'd gone, Kimi asked Eliza,

"What was all that about?"

"Don't you remember?" she replied, "you took your turn, cutting, up the mainmast. You were up there too long. It was so cold, there was ice on the deck and the mast. The airship kept shifting slightly and the saw blade was jamming. You were trying to free it and Mr. Sondquist told you to come down but you said you'd free the saw first."

"Oh."

"He was yelling for you to come down but you ignored him. Then you must have passed out from the cold. Lars Hedwigsdotter and Erik Anders volunteered to climb up to get you. Mr. Sondquist told them to stay on deck but they told him to jump overboard, they weren't going to leave you up there. Mr. Sondquist was very cross."

"I bet." Kimi replied.

"So?" he asked Eliza, " you shared your bunk... with me... all night?"

Eliza blushed furiously,

"It wasn't like... I mean, you were suffering from hypothermia... you had to have my... body heat... I'm sorry... you may have died... Everyone had jobs to do... um."

Eliza thought for a moment,

"Would you have preferred Lars?"

Remembering the big bearded Norwegian crewman Kimi hastily answered,

"No, no... you were just fine."

Eliza blushed furiously again.

"Kasemann, get up here!" Stavanger's skipper hollered, " your ship is calling you." Kimi struggled up the companionway to be handed the telephone.

"There's a panic on," the skipper said.

"Kasemann, where the hell have you been?" Unteroffizier Lehman said on the 'phone.

"Sick, hypothermia, sir."

"The English are on us. How are you going with the mast."

"Not sure sir, I'll check."

"Don't worry about it. We are going to lift off in 45 minutes. We are going to wrench it free by letting go our forward ballast. The mast is mostly sawn through up here so it should snap free. Tell those Norwegians and get back up here. We will send the car down for you."

"Yes sir."

Kimi relayed the information to the Stavanger and asked if he could borrow the dinghy. It was then he realised that it was dawning fine and clear and the fog had disappeared. As he was preparing the dinghy there came shouting from the control car, above him,

"Kasemann, forget it... too late... smoke on the horizon... we're going now... no time... throw the telephone over the side... good luck."

"Hey!" Kimi yelled back, "wait for me."

"No time... sorry," came the reply.

Just then a cascade of water descended from the airship, drenching everyone on the schooner. There were cries of,

"Fuck, what are they doing," and, "bloody Huns are trying to drown us."

Straight away there came a loud groaning of straining metal. One of the forward motors, 'Abel' banged and a large cloud of smoke enveloped it. Kimi saw the props on all six motors were beginning to rotate as the motormen cranked them over.