Chapter 667: Mission and Duty
In the Pyroscaphe's VIP room, after repeatedly confirming that Camelia was out of danger, Joseph entrusted her to the more medically skilled Perna, then quietly exited the cabin.
The captain and his crew, waiting by the door, immediately bowed respectfully to him.
Sorel stepped forward and inquired, "Your Royal Highness, how is Mademoiselle Delvaux?"
"Perna confirmed she's out of danger," Joseph replied. "Fortunately, we're hundreds of kilometers from Paris, and the river water is quite clean, so an infection is unlikely."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, that's wonderful! Thank heavens."
"If the 'Seven Birds' hadn't raised the alarm, no one would have noticed someone had fallen overboard."
"Indeed. If we'd discovered it just a few minutes later, it might have been too late..."
Joseph turned to Sorel. "Were you the first to spot Camelia falling into the water?"
"Yes, Your Royal Highness." Sorel nodded, then recounted the general situation.
"I merely did something insignificant, Your Royal Highness," Sorel quickly interjected. "In fact, it was your miraculous 'procedure' that ultimately saved Mademoiselle Delvaux."
Joseph waved a dismissive hand and pressed, "Are you certain that Herriot had no accomplices?"
Sorel confirmed with absolute certainty, "Absolutely not, Your Royal Highness. Although the two boats were about 90 meters apart at the time, my eyesight is excellent, and I could clearly see that only the two of them were there."
A nautical chain measures 185 meters, making half a chain approximately 93 meters.
"To think such a vicious woman exists."
Joseph frowned, shaking his head, then a thought struck him. "The 'Seven Birds' was so far away; how did they manage to relay the news of Camelia falling overboard to the Pyroscaphe in time?"
He guessed it might have been flag signals, but flag signals can only convey general meanings, such as "stop" or "turn left." However, he had just heard the captain mention that the 'Seven Birds' pinpointed Camelia's exact location after she fell overboard.
Captain Bliss hastened to explain, "Your Royal Highness, that's a communication method commonly used by us river transporters; it can convey clear messages."
As he spoke, he raised both arms diagonally. "You see, this gesture means B. And this one means F."
He continuously shifted poses, as if performing a dance. "Your Royal Highness, I just 'said' the words 'Bless you.' As long as the movements are fast enough, a whole sentence can be transmitted to a boat several nautical chains away in about ten seconds."
Upon hearing this, Joseph's eyes lit up.
Communication capabilities were extremely poor in this era. Especially on the battlefield, after armies numbering in the tens of thousands were deployed, the distance between the left and right flanks could be several kilometers. When a commander issued an order, a rider would deliver it to subordinate officers, a process that could take anywhere from a quick ten minutes to well over half an hour.
However, if this communication method used by ship owners could be adapted to the battlefield, with relay points set up at regular intervals, an order could be transmitted several kilometers away in just three to five minutes!
On the battlefield, information was a true force multiplier.
If officers on both sides simultaneously discovered a critical point on the battlefield, and I deployed the nearest soldiers using efficient communication, I could potentially have already secured the location while the enemy's dispatch riders were still en route.
The more Joseph pondered it, the more he felt this technology held limitless potential. He promptly patted Captain Bliss on the arm. "You might soon receive a special bonus from the General Staff Headquarters."
"Oh?"
Joseph made a note of the "river transporter communication method" concept, then turned back to Sorel. "By the way, why were you on the 'Seven Birds'?"
"Because I was a VIP on board."
"Did you purchase a viewing ticket?"
Sorel's pretty face flushed instantly, and she stammered, "I... I wagered 400 francs on that ship to win. The VIP ticket was complimentary."
Joseph let out a sigh. "Your luck with gambling doesn't seem to be the best... That ship won't win.
"Tell you what, I'll give you a 400-franc winning bet on the Pyroscaphe. Oh, I bought this myself, so consider it my thanks for rescuing Camelia."
"This could..." Sorel struggled for a moment, then finally curtsied and said, "Thank you, Your Royal Highness. I truly need this money to help Hatki return to his tribe. Oh, I'll repay you immediately once I receive my salary."
"This is just a small gesture; there's no need to stand on ceremony," Joseph said, smiling and shaking his head. Then, with a hint of curiosity, he asked, "Who is Hatki?"
"He is a Creek tribesman, Your Royal Highness. He and 4 companions fell prey to slave traders in Britain, and I stumbled upon them and rescued them. Now I intend to send them back to North America."
Joseph couldn't help but commend her. "You truly are a kind-hearted soul."
...
The following evening.
The Pyroscaphe was the first to arrive at the Port of Le Havre, dropping anchor to prepare for the night. It had already outpaced the nearest 'Seven Birds' by more than 20 kilometers.
Without navigation equipment in that era, sailing after dark was impossible.
Inside Camelia's cabin, the gentle rocking of the ship roused Perna from her sleep, where she had been dozing by the maid's bed.
She sat upright, glancing around, and realized the ship had anchored, a wave of relief washing over her.
After that brief sleep, and with the ship no longer swaying, her seasickness symptoms, like nausea, had subsided, though she still felt a slight dizziness.
Perna looked at Camelia, still deeply asleep, and stepped closer to gently caress her forehead. Her fever had completely broken.
Then, she placed her fingers on Camelia's wrist and silently counted her pulse for a moment, nodding slightly. "Her recovery is proceeding quite well."
She put Camelia's hand back under the covers, and inadvertently her gaze swept over the latter's lips, which had regained some color. Immediately, the Crown Prince's "kiss" from earlier that day, when he leaned over her, flashed in her mind.
Perna's face instantly flushed crimson, and she nervously, shyly shook her head. 'His Royal Highness was merely performing a rescue,' she thought.
'A sudden pang of bittersweet envy struck her. What if that "kiss" from His Royal Highness had been meant for her...?'
'What am I thinking?' she chastised herself, glancing frantically at the maid again before turning, opening the door, and stepping out with her head bowed, as if fearing the sleeping Camelia might hear her silent thoughts.
Yet, even after Perna gently closed the cabin door, she found that the scene from yesterday relentlessly replayed in her mind, impossible to quell.
'No, no, His Royal Highness was performing "artificial respiration",' she told herself with a serious expression. 'That's advanced medical technology, not a kiss, not a kiss at all!'
'Wait,' she suddenly paused, murmuring softly, 'Such advanced medical technology, if it could be widely adopted, would certainly save countless more lives.
'And as a doctor, if I haven't fully mastered this technique, how can I use it to save patients? Yes, this is my mission and duty as a doctor!'
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