The Suez Canal, one of the busiest waterways in the world, had ground to a halt. No ship could pass, not even the smallest civilian vessel, as a tense confrontation unfolded.
"You're insane! Do you realize the consequences? This will start a war!"
"Good. Let it come. I'm done playing games," said Admiral Zinovy Rozhestvensky, the infamous "Mad Dog" of the Russian Baltic Fleet.
The British officer bristled. "We told you the canal is under maintenance! It will be ready soon—just wait a little longer!"
Rozhestvensky sneered. "Maintenance? Spare me your lies. I've seen your ships pass through without issue. Strange how this so-called maintenance only seems to block Russian and French ships."
Despite his coarse language, the admiral's accusations rang true. Over the past month, he had watched British ships sail through unimpeded. But Rozhestvensky's patience had run thin. His fleet had waited four weeks, and now, every gun aboard his ships was trained on the canal's defenses.
