At the expiration of the year of truce, the Sultan’s army and navy,
supported by the immense aerial fleet that would then be in existence,
was to be in complete readiness for any emergencies. Olga was to be
proclaimed Tsarina in Moscow, and the House of Romanoff formally
restored in her person. If any portions of Russia refused to receive
her, they were to be terrorised into submission by the air-ships.
The tribesmen of Western and Central Asia were to be armed as rapidly
as possible, so as to be ready to form a reserve force for compelling
the submission of the Russians if they resisted the new order of
things, and to participate in the invasion of Europe, which was to
take place at several points as soon as the Holy War of Islam was
proclaimed, and Cross and Crescent once more confronted each other on
the battlefield.
Meanwhile, too, the resources of the dockyard at Mount Terror were
to be strained to the utmost, and the conspiracy in Russia for the
restoration of Olga to the throne of the Romanoffs was to be developed
by every means that money could purchase or skill devise.
The scheme of defence arranged by the Council of Aeria had already been
completed, and it was to execute this that the Aerian fleet had left
the Russian squadron during the night. Indeed, the Russians had been
travelling southward alone for more than eight hours before they had
discovered the fact. As soon as it became impossible for them to see
the Aerian vessels these had stopped, in accordance with a prearranged
plan, and had wheeled round and steered for London across the African
continent at a height of about ten thousand feet.
Flying at the full speed of the smaller vessels, a twenty-hour flight
carried the fleet over the eight thousand miles which separated its
starting-point from the capital of the world, and about six o’clock
in the evening of the 21st of May the fifty-two vessels, flying the
Aerian and British flags, appeared in the air over the open space
which is now called Hyde Park, and, to the amazement of the astonished
citizens, dropped quietly to the earth and lay open to the unrestricted
inspection of the thousands who speedily gathered in the park to avail
themselves of the unwonted spectacle, and to learn, if possible, the
reason of the unexpected visit.
No attempt was made by the crews of the ships to prevent the sightseers
from seeing all they could of the exteriors of the vessels, which
were arranged on the sward in two long lines, so that they could walk
down between them and admire their beautiful shape and wonderful
construction at their leisure. A sentry was stationed by each vessel
to warn the sightseers not to approach too close to the wings and
propellers, and that was the only precaution taken.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account