The Iowa Sisters #2 The Red North

Chapter 1

CHERBOURG FRANCE MARCH 1946 "NOMADIC"

The sound of a steamers' whistle told me that a ship in need of a tender was arriving. Cherbourg was still trying to dredge its harbor and lengthen its docks to accommodate the large steamers of Cunard.

As I made my way out to the ship, blowing my whistle to signal my approach I was surprised to find it was not Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth that awaited my arrival but Missouri.

The American leader was on a diplomatic mission around Europe for President Truman. The Turkish Ambassador had died and it was her job to take him back to Turkey. She'd already been to the Mediterranean and was now traveling to England to pay a visit to the war ravaged country.

Reconstruction was a lot easier to do in the US than in Europe. Europe just didn't have the industrial capabilities that the Americans did. I envied a lot of things about America but that ranked number one. "Get to have all the ships they want, all the cars they want, all the houses they want, when they want, wherever they want." I muttered.

"What was that?" Missouri asked curiously. I cursed under my breath. I should've been quieter. "That's not very nice." Missouri scolded me. She had ears like a hawk. "How do you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?" She asked. "How do you reconstruct so quickly?" I said. "America just has great industrial capacity." She replied with a shrug. "But so does England." I said. "They used to, but coal and the old materials they have are not much use in today's world." She explained.

I sighed. "I envy you Missouri, you're free to go where you want, whenever you want." I muttered. "I don't know about that. I'm free, true. America's a free country and I can make my own decisions but if the president orders me not to do something I won't do it. If he says don't go there, I don't go there. If he says travel to England I travel to England it's as simple as that." She replied.

"Still it must be nice to sail the open sea." I said. "Sometimes it is, when it's calm but when it gets rough boy am I glad to make port." She said. I smiled. "Still." I whispered. "Sometimes I wish I could be you, just run into the open sea and sail."

She shrugged. "Believe me Nomadic, the last thing you want to be is me. You have no idea what kind of bureaucratics I have to handle at home and if that wasn't bad enough, I have to handle it abroad now too." She groaned. My eyes widened. I'd never heard Missouri complain before. Curiosity got the better of me.

"Tell me, what's so bad about it?" I asked. "I don't mind playing the diplomat, I never have. It's the goddamn cameras, they won't leave me alone." She hissed.

"Well you are an international celebrity." I said. "I don't need reminding of that, I have it on my decks daily." She grumbled. "Could I?" I asked. She sighed. "You may as well, everybody does." She muttered.

I went around to the starboard side where the Jacob's latter was and as her officers climbed aboard, I raised my bow high enough to peak over Missouri's stern railing. In the center of the deck, just aft of the turret was the golden plaque.

"So this is the spot, the exact spot." I asked. "Yep." Missouri replied. "Wow, what was it like?" I asked. "What was the war like or what was the surrender like?" She asked. "Both." I replied.

She sighed. "Ever seen a Triathlon?" She asked. I shook my head. "No, but I know what it is. It's a race consisting of three sports, usually swimming, biking, and running. They hold one in Hawaii, the Ironman I believe it is." I replied. "Well the war was a lot like that. Long, grueling, and in some cases deadly. The surrender was like after outrunning a fire with the flames still on your coat and you splash into a cold river. Ah, heaven." She murmured.