Talking to Michaels

Brenan found Mr. Michaels in the improvised workshop that he had set up under the front hatch ladder. With the hatch open above his head and an open gun port by his side, Michaels had plenty of natural light as he looked over the disassembled weapon.

"I hope you can put that thing back together Michaels." Brenan started his conversation with the gun officer. He could, if need be, just order Mr. Michaels to return the weapon to the Caruthers; but he got the impression Michaels would be most useful if he could avoid just ordering him about. Michaels looked up with a broad grin on his face.

"This is remarkable captain. The weapon loads from the rear." Michaels quickly reattached the barrel of the weapon to the wooden stock with a hinge and showed Brenan how the rear of the barrel was sealed when it was latched with an smooth clicking sound. "The workmanship is outstanding, I understand the principle of the gun, but I don't know any smith on either continent who could produce steel of this quality, and only a few watchmakers who can produce a mechanism with this fine a tolerance."

"So how does it help us?" Asked Brenan relieved to see the pieces scattered over the workbench seemed to fit together easily under Michaels deft fingers.

"This" Michaels said pointing to the weapon "not at all, but these maybe." His attention shifted to a pile of blue tubes capped with brass covers on one end. Brenan immediately recognized them as being much larger versions of his own cartridges.

"What are they?" He asked although he had a pretty good idea.

"James called them 'Shells', they are what makes the whole system work." Michaels picked one up and handed the shell to Brenan.

"I can't tell too much more without opening one up, but imagine the powder, wadding and shot for a cannon all premeasured and sealed together in a waterproof package." Brenan nodded and asked the question that had been nagging him since he started firing his own precious cartridges.

"Can you make more?" His gunner had clearly been considering this exact question. "I think we may be able to use this idea to make shells for our twelve pounders and mabe some swivel guns for the deck." But Michaels shook his head doubtfully as he tossed one of the blue shells in his hand.

"But not replacements for these Captain. At least not yet." Brenan tried to conceal his disapointment as Michaels continued "James tried to describe to me the amount of energy involved when this weapon is shot, even if he exagerated the effect, the accelerant used can't be gunpowder. Also, look at these..." he pointed to the small brass bulge in the center of the shell. "There is some kind of impact-sensitive combustible in here. The weapon is fired by striking this spot with a spring powered firing hammer and it is that ignition in here that fires the rest of the propellant." Michaels looked up at Brenan hopefully.

"Do you suppose you can talk James into letting me take apart a few of these shells? Once I figure out how to duplicate them he could use as many as he needs." Brenan was very tempted. He had examined his spent cartridges and come to similar conclusions himself. The gunpowder lacked the smoke of all the other weapons he had fired, and the tiny brass centers that made the weapon fire were a complete mystery to him. If any man could figure out how to reload his spent brass it was Mr. Michaels, but he hated to give up even one of his remaining supply.

Was he willing to ask James to make a sacrifice that he was unwilling to take himself?