Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Fog bound Encounter2

   By Katzmarek





   Author's note:



   Although the L 68 existed, everything else is my imagination.  Although
implausible as the incident might seem, stranger things have happened and I
have tried to make it as real as possible.  This story of course is mine
alone and may not be re-posted for profit with out my express permission.





   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.

   The crew on the schooner rushed for cover with cries of, "Lookout!  The
mast will come down.  Watch those cables... the spreader's falling... watch
out!"

   More motors were beginning to fire up and clouds of smoke drifted along
the underside of the Zeppelin.  With a loud CRACK the mast snapped just
above the spreader and the schooner lurched in response.  The remaining
mainmast wobbled crazily, threatening to collapse.

   Kimi watched the telephone cable fall from the control car, his last
link with his ship was gone.  As he heaved the telephone over the side he
noticed his ship was already 1000 metres up and climbing rapidly.  The
motors were winding up to a rhythmic droning sound.  As the airship moved
away from the schooner and began to turn to the south, Kimi sat down on the
soaking deck and put his head in his hands.  His friends were gone.



   "Your friends... gone," Kimi heard the big Norwegian crewman's broken
English.  "Lars," he replied, "thank you for pulling me down... from the
mast." "You... block of ice!" he said grinning, "sorry... you lost...
ship... gone away... fly!  You come with us... I fix it." "Thanks Lars,"
Kimi told the big man.  "Ah... here come... wife," he said bellowing with
laughter.

   "Mr.  Kasemann," Eliza called, "they left you behind?" "Yes.  They had
to leave in a hurry.  There is an English warship approaching." "That's not
fair," she said, crouching next to him, " they could have waited long
enough to pick you up." "They can't risk the ship for one man.  I
understand." "What will you do?  "I don't know, Lars said they'd look after
me.  He said he'd talk to the skipper." "Yes, I'm sure Mr.  Sondquist will
look after you."



   "No, Eliza," Mr.  Sondquist told her, "he will have to be turned over to
the Royal Navy.  That is the law." "But you are a neutral vessel." "And we
can't harbour fugitives, Eliza.  Besides, you are English, Germany is at
war with your country and you cannot hide him.  That would be treason." "I
know... but." "But he is a charming boy and you like him," the skipper
interrupted, shaking his head.



   The Stavanger's crew and passengers watched the boat pull out from the
British ship.  Kimi stood beside Eliza dressed in his new oilskin coat.  On
his feet he'd exchanged his felt airship shoes for a pair of shiny boots,
one size too large.  "Don't stand so straight," Eliza whispered to him,
"you look like you're on the parade ground." "We don't have to whisper,
they can't hear us."

   Kimi idly recalled the watchman's course he'd done at the Naval School
at Friedrichshafen.  He ran the recognition charts through his head and
decided the ship was HMS Sussex, a four-stack County class cruiser.  It
stood broadside to them on the glass-like ocean, dirty black smoke drifting
lazily in the still air.

   The boat bumped up against the fenders, put out by the Stavanger's crew
and a British Officer skillfully leapt aboard, followed by two seamen.  Mr.
Sondquist stepped forward, and spoke something in Norwegian.  "Lieutenant
Warburton, sir.  Er have you anyone who speaks English?" The crew gave a
collective sigh of relief.

   Kimi stepped forward alongside the Skipper, "James Cheeseman sir.  We've
glad you've come," Kimi announced, giving the English form of his name.

   "Say, Cheeseman, a Hun Zeppelin bumped you eh?  What a mess!  You won't
be hoisting a mainsail for a while, eh?" "No sir, we have lost the topmast,
and the gaffe has gone.  The Hun made off with it." Eliza put her hand over
her mouth to stifle a giggle.  "The beggar!" Warburton continued, "did you
see any markings on it?" "No sir, sorry." "Blast!  It was a big blighter
alright, one of their latest I'll bet."

   The Stavanger's Skipper looked to each of the speakers with a convincing
puzzled expression.  "Say!  Can we offer you a tow?  We'll take you to
Aberdeen if you like," the Lieutenant enquired.  Kimi looked at the skipper
who gave a slight nod.  "Yes sir, we would be most grateful," Kimi told the
Officer.  "Good then, we'll organise it shall we," he said climbing back
into the boat.  "I'll leave Seamans Blake and Johns with you, they will
help you get ready, good day."



   Later, Eliza and the Skipper were standing in the wheelhouse of the
Stavanger watching the foaming stern of the British Cruiser.  The rope
connected them was snapping and stretching with the movement of the ships.
"What did you say to the Officer?" asked Eliza, "I've heard you greet
people in Norwegian lots of times and..." "I told him we have a German
airshipman on board posing as a member of the crew.  I must do my duty,
Eliza," said Mr.  Sondquist.  Eliza chuckled.  "Is it my fault he couldn't
understand Norwegian?"



   HMS Sussex dropped the tow at the mouth of the Dee River.  Waiting for
them was a small tug that puffed alongside.  A uniformed officer jumped
aboard.  `Smith, sir.  Port of Aberdeen Authority," he introduced himself
to the Skipper.  "We'll tow you in but I'm afraid we'll have to leave you
in the channel for the night.  The port's very busy and you'll have to wait
for berthage.  I presume, sir, you have an agent?" "In London," replied the
Skipper, suddenly finding his English.  "Good sir.  Well I'll leave it to
you to find a slip and shipyard that will repair your mast.  You can make a
claim under the War Damage Compensation Scheme, you know.  Even as a
neutral.  Just state you were carrying British citizens." "Thank you, sir."
"We'll get underway then, shall we?  Tugmaster!" he called, "hook them up."
There was an answering shout from the tug.



   Kimi sat in the bow of the little dinghy, watching the straining back of
big Lars as he steadily rowed against the river current.  The night was
cold and he pulled his oilskin tight about him.  Between his legs was a
seaman's duffel bag containing a change of clothes and a few gifted
belongings.  At the bottom of the bag his Luger 08 pistol lay, wrapped up
in oilcloth.

   "There's a small jetty over there, see!" Eliza said from the stern.  "I
see some other boats tied up." "Ok," Kimi said, " you drop me there and go
back with Lars, alright?" "No!" Eliza replied indignantly, "I'll take you
down to London and..." "No!" Kimi said, "It's too dangerous for you.  You
cannot be seen to be assisting an enemy.  They would put you in prison."
"But where will you go?" "I have relatives, in Kent.  Perhaps I can get
passage to Holland and back home."

   The boat bumped alongside the little jetty.  Eliza helped Kimi up with
his kit.  They stood for a few minutes while Lars waited anxiously below.
"Are you sure I can't... "No Eliza," Kimi interrupted.  "What's `Kimi'
short for?" she asked.  "Joachim," he replied, " it was my father's name."
"Where is your father now?" "Dead, and my mother.  Papa was Chief Engineer
on the `Wiesbaden'.  He went down in the battle of Jutland, lost with all
hands.  Mama died before the war of TB." "You're all alone?" "I have
relatives, Omi, my Grandmother... she lives in Danzig, on the Baltic."
"Will I...see you again... I mean... the war can't last forever... I'll
give you my address in London." "No Eliza... if I'm picked up... they might
find it and it'll get you into trouble." "Well, how will I find you?" Eliza
asked, holding back tears.

   Kimi took out a slip of paper and hastily wrote down an address. 
Handing it to Eliza he said, "My mother's sister lives in Kent... here.  I
will write to her from Holland... Give her your address in London... You
must go now before Sondquist discovers you've gone... quick." Eliza threw
her arms around Kimi's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.  She
lifted her face and kissed him on the mouth.  Kimi held her in an embrace,
fiercely kissing her back, leaving her light headed and unsteady on her
feet.  "Hey!" Lars interrupted, "we go now... big trouble." Kimi pushed her
towards the boat, "Go!" "I love you," Eliza said, choking back tears. 
"Love you too.  I'll be back." Then he sprinted off into the night.

   More to come.