The Flag Captain - Richard Bolitho audio | Part 1

the flag captain by alexander kent read by michael jason for the captain's lady with love the spirits of your fathers shall start from every wave for the deck it was their field of fame and ocean was their grave campbell chapter one landfall as six bells of the morning watch chimed out from the folks of belfry captain richard bolitho walked from beneath the poop and paused momentarily beside the compass a master's mate who was standing close to the great double wheel said quickly nor west by north sir and then dropped his eyes as bolitho glanced at him it was as if they could all sense his tension he thought briefly and although they might not understand its cause wanted to break him from it he strode out onto the broad quarter deck and crossed to the weather side around him without looking he could see his officers watching him gauging his mood waiting to begin this new day but the ship had been in continuous commission for 18 months and most of her company excluding those killed by combat or injury at sea with the same men who had sailed with him from plymouth on an october morning in 1795 it was more than enough time for them to realize that he needed to be left alone for these first precious moments of each successive day the wet sea mist which had dogged them for most of the night while they had edged slowly up the channel was still with them thicker than ever it swirled around the black crisscross of shrouds and rigging and seemed to cling to the hull like dew beyond the nettings with their neatly stowed hammocks the sea was heaving in a deep offshore swell but was quite unbroken in the low breeze it was dull the color of lead bolitho shivered slightly and clasped his hands behind him beneath his coattails and looked up beyond the great braced yards to where a rear admiral's flag flapped wetly from the mizzen masthead it was hard to believe that up there somewhere the sky would be bright blue warm and comforting and on this may morning the sun should already be touching the approaching land his land cornwall he turned and saw cavern the first lieutenant watching him waiting for the right moment politho forced to smile good morning mr cavern not much of a welcome it appears cavern relaxed slightly good morning sir the wind remains southwest but there is little of it he fidgeted with his coat buttons and added the master thinks we might anchor a while the mist should clear shortly politho glanced towards the short rotund shape of the ship's sailing master his worn heavy coat was buttoned up to his several chins so that in the strange light he looked like a round blue ball he was prematurely gray even white-haired and had it tied at the nape of his neck in an old-fashioned queue giving it the appearance of a quaint powdered wig of a country squire well mister partridge politho tried again to put some warmth into his tone it is not like you to show his admiral servant going to attend his master in the great cabin it was strange how after all that had gone before they were coming here to falmouth polithos home it was as if fate had overrun everything which both duty and the admiralty could muster and a quarter last seven the leadsman's call was like a chant bolitho began to pace slowly up and down the weather side his chin lowered into his neck cloth rear admiral sir charles fellwall whose flag flapped so limply from the masthead had been aboard for over a year even when he had first hoisted his flag he had been a sick man old for his rank and weighed down with the responsibility of an overworked squadron his health had deteriorated rapidly in the fog and piercing cold of the last winter months made even the smallest item of news valuable to the men who kept constant sea watch in all weathers and against any odds even the briggs approach had been cautious but bolitho had grown used such treatment for the urialis was a prior ship and as french in appearance as would be expected from a vessel only four years old all the same it was one more thing to put a finer edge on his sense of uncertainty by the mark six he turned and said sharply bring that lead aft mr cavern and set the other to work at once a barefooted seaman padded onto the quarter deck and knuckled his forehead then he held out the great dripping lead and watched as bolitho dug his fingers into the bottom of it where the inserted plug of tallow gleamed a dully with what looked like pink coral belly though rubbed the small fragments on his palm and said absently the six hogs behind him he heard partridge murmur admiringly if i'd not seen it i'd never have believed it but litho said alter course appoints larbid if you please and pipe the hands to the braces cavern coughed and then asked quietly what are the six hogs sir sand bars mr cavern we are now about two miles due south of saint anthony head he smiled suddenly ashamed for allowing the apparent miracle to continue they call the sandbars by that name although i do not know why but they are covered with these small stones and have been so since i can remember he swung round and watched as a sliver of sunlight pierced the swirling mist and touched the quarter deck with pale gold partridge in the others would have been less in awe of his navigation had he been wrong in his calculations or perhaps it was more instinct than calculations even before he'd been bundled off to sea as a gawky twelve-year-old midshipman he had learned every coven inlet around falmouth and several miles in either direction as well even so memory could play tricks and it would have been small comfort to the admiral or his own prospects if the coming day had found uriles aground and dismasted inside of his hometown the big topsails flapped loudly and the deck tilted to a sudden pressure of wind and like an army of departing ghosts the mist seeped through the shrouds and moved clear of the ship bolitho paused in his pacing and stared fixedly at the widening panorama of green coastline which reached away on either bow growing and coming alive in the sunlight there almost balanced on the jib boom or so it appeared wasn't anthony's beacon usually the first site of home to a returning sailor slightly to labored hunched on the headland its grey bulk defying the sun and its warmth was pendenas castle guarding the harbor entrance and carrick road as it had down the centuries politho licked his lips they were dry and not merely from salt air layer course to the anchorage mr partridge i'm going to pay my respects to the admiral partridge stared at him and then touched his battered hat aye aye sir below the poop it was cool and dark after the quarter deck and as he strode off towards the companion which led to the admiral's day cabin politho was still pondering over what might lie in store for him and his command as he ran lightly down the companion to the middle deck and passed two small ships boys who were busily polishing brass hinges on some of the cabin doors he recalled with sudden clarity how mixed his feelings had once been about assuming command of the urilys it was common enough to take price ships and put them to work against their old masters it was more common still to let them keep their original names sailors often said it was bad luck to change a ship's title but then seafaring people said a lot of things more from habit than known with the urialis his new figurehead was english it had been carved with great care by jethro miller as an australian cornwall as a gift from the people of falmouth to one of their most popular sons miller had been hyperion's carpenter and had lost a leg in that last terrible battle but he still retained his skill and the figurehead which stared with cold blue eyes from the bows with shield and upraised sword had somehow given the orioles a small change of personality it bore little resemblance perhaps to the hero of the siege of troy but it was enough to strike fear into the heart of any enemy who might see it and know what was about to follow for the great three decker was a force to be reckoned with built at breast by one of the best french yards she had all the modern refinements and improvements to hull design and sail plan that any captain could wish from figurehead to taffrail she measured 225 feet and within her 2000 ton bulk she carried not only a hundred guns including a lower battery of massive 32 pounders but a company of some 800 officers seamen and marines she could when handled properly act and speak with authority and devastating effect when she had commissioned politico had been made to take every man he could get to crew her constant demands and requirements pale skinned debtors and petty thieves from the jails a few trained men from other ships laid up for repairs as well as the usual mixture of characters brought in by the dreaded press gangs for they had been hard times and an ever demanding fleet had already sifted and poached through every port and village in search of men and with growing fears of a french invasion no captain could allow himself the luxury of choice when it came to gathering hands to fight his ship there had been volunteers too mostly cornish men who knew bolitho's name and reputation even although many of them had never laid eyes on him in their lives it should have been a great step forward for bolitho as he had told himself often enough the urialis was a fine ship and a new one not only that she represented an open acknowledgement of his past record as well as the obvious stepping stone to advancement it was something dreamed about by every ambitious sea officer and in a service where promotion often depended on the death of an officer's superior the urialis must have been watched with both admiration and envy by those less fortunate but to belitho she meant something more something very personal while he had been searching the caribbean and then driving back again to the last embrace in the bay of biscay he had been tortured by the memory of his wife cheney who had died in cornwall without him when she most needed him in his heart he knew he could have done nothing the coach had overturned and she had been killed and their unborn child also his being there would have made no difference and yet it still haunted him had made him withdraw from his offices and semen to a point when he had been tormented by loneliness and loss and now he was back again in falmouth the big grey stone house would be there waiting for him as always as it had for all the others before him and yet it would now seem even more empty than ever a marine sentry stamped to attention outside the cabin door his eyes fixed on some point above bolitho's shoulder like a toy soldier with his blank expression and scarlet coat sunlight lanced through the great stern windows throwing countless reflections across the deckhead and dark furniture and he saw the admiral's greyhead secretary checking papers and documents before stowing them in a long metal box he made to rise from his seat but lytho shook his head and walked slowly to the opposite side of the cabin he could hear the admiral moving about his sleeping cabin and imagined him contemplating these last hours of his presence aboard his own flagship a mirror hung on the bulkhead and belitho paused to study himself tucking his coat into position as if under the critical stare of a senior officer at an inspection he could still not get used to the new style uniform the additional encumbrance of gold epaulettes to denote his rank of post-captain it seemed wrong that in a country struggling in the worst war of her history men could create and design new forms of personal adornment when their minds would have been better used in thinking up ideas for fighting and winning battles he reached up and touched the rebellious lock of hair which hung down above his right eye beneath it and running up into his hairline was the familiar cruel scar the constant reminder of his closest meeting with death but the hair was still black without even a strand of gray to mark his 40 years 28 of which had been spent at sea he smiled slightly his mouth softening and giving his tanned features a youthful recklessness once again as he turned away dismissing what he saw as he would a satisfactory subordinate the door of the sleeping cabin opened and the little admiral walked unsteadily into a swaying patch of sunlight politho said we will be anchoring within the hours of charles i've made arrangements for you to go ashore whenever is convenient he thought suddenly of the many miles of rutted roads the pain and discomfort before the admiral could reach his home in norfolk my own house is of course at your disposal for as long as you wish thank you the admiral eased his shoulders inside the heavy dress code your mind and your integrity i would have been discarded within weeks of hoisting my flag he held up one hand no hear what i have to say many flag captains would have used my weakness to enhance their own reputations to show their indispensability before their commanders in chief in higher places if you had spent less time in fighting your country's enemies and giving your utmost to your subordinates you would almost certainly have been given the promotion you so richly deserve it is no shame that you have turned your back on personal advancement but it is england's lot perhaps your new admiral will appreciate as i do what sort of a man you are top men already strung out along the yards dark against the clear sky with all but her topsails and jib clued up the urialis was barely making headway her broad hull tipping easily as if to test the depth of water beneath her keel those not immediately employed were watching the shore the neat houses and green hills the latter were dotted with minute cows and there were sheep moving aimlessly beneath the castle walls a great silence seemed to hang over the ship broken only by the snap of water against the weather side the regular creek of rigging and murmur of canvas aloft most of the men would not be allowed ashore and they knew it nevertheless it was a homecoming something which every sailor knew even if he could not explain it belither took a glass from her midshipman and studied the shoreline feeling the familiar drag to his heart he wondered if his housekeeper and his steward ferguson knew of his coming if they were now watching the three decker's slow approach very well mr cavern you may wear ship the first lieutenant who had been watching him intently lifted his speaking trumpet and the moment of peace was passed lee brace is there hands where ship feets carried across the planking and the air became alive with squealing blocks and the rattle of halyards it was difficult to remember these well-drilled men as the motley and ragged collection he had first taken aboard even the petty officers seem to find little to grumble about as the men dashed to their stations yet when the ship had first commissioned there had been more blows and curses than any sort of order it was a good ship's company as good as any captain could wish for polito thought vaguely topsail sheets men left like monkeys along the yards and he watched them with something like envy working out there sometimes as much as 200 feet above the deck had never failed to sicken him to his embarrassment and anger topsail clue lines cavern's voice was hoarse as if he too felt the tension under the eyes of the distant town very slowly the urilys glided purposefully to her anchorage her shadow preceding her on the calm water helmet as the spokes squeaked over and the ship swung reluctantly into the wind bull appeared beneath the poop carrying his hat and blinking his pale eyes in the sunlight he stood for several moments watching as the barge was hoisted up and outboard the tackles squeaking while tibbett the thick armed boson barked his orders from the starboard gangway polither watched him narrowly the admiral was making every last moment count hoarding these small shipboard pictures in his mind he heard a familiar voice at his elbow and turned to see all day his coxswain studying him impassively all day showed his teeth good cotton he glanced at the admiral will i take sir charles across now politho did not reply at once how often he had taken all day for granted familiar loyal and what could be wrong some sort of terrible fever abroad in the port it was certainly not the site of urialis this time otherwise the guns in the castle would have announced their own displeasure he took a glass from its rack and trained it on the cutter the tan sails and intent faces of several seamen swam across the lens and then he saw a naval captain an empty sleeve pinned across his coat sitting squarely in the stern sheets his eyes fixed on the urialis the sight of the uniform and empty sleeve brought a fresh pang to bolitho's thoughts it could have been his dead father returned to the living the admiral asked testily what is the trouble just some formality sir charles politho looked at cavern man the side if you please captain gifford of the marines drew his sword and marched importantly to the entry port and watched as his men mustered in a tight scarlet squad to receive the ship's first visitor boson's mates and side boys completed the party and politha walked down the quarter deck ladder to join cavern and the officer of the watch the cutter's sails vanished and as the bowmen hooked onto the chains and the calls trilled in salute the one armed captain clambered awkwardly through the port and doffed his cocked hat to the quarter deck where the admiral watched the scene with neither emotion nor visible interest perhaps he already felt excluded politho thought captain james rook sir the newcomer replaced his hat and glanced rapidly around him he was well past middle age and must have been brought back to the service to replace a younger man i am in charge of harbor patrols and impressment sir he faltered some of the sureness leaving him under ballisto's impassive grey eyes do i have the honor of addressing sir charles felwell's flag captain you do politho glanced past him and down into the cutter there was a mounted swivel gun aboard and several armed men beside the normal crew he added calmly are you expecting an attack the man did not reply directly i've brought a dispatch for your admiral he cleared his throat as if very aware of the watching faces all around him perhaps if we might go aft sir of course bolitho was getting unreasonably irritated by the man's ponderous and evasive manner they had their orders and nothing this captain could tell him would not keep until later he stopped at the top of the ladder and turned sharply sir charles has been unwell can this matter not wait captain rook took a deep breath and bolitho caught the heavy smell of brandy before he replied softly then you do not know you have not been in contact with the fleet belly though snapped for god's sake stop beating around the bush man i have a ship to provision sick men to be got ashore and 200 other things to do today surely you cannot have forgotten what it is like to command a ship he reached out and touched his arm forgive me that was unfair he had seen the sudden hurt in the man's eyes and was ashamed of his own impatience his nerves must be more damaged than he had imagined he thought bitterly captain rook dropped his eyes mutiny sir his single hand moved up his coat and unbuttoned it carefully to reveal a heavy red sealed envelope polithos stared at the busy hand his mind still ringing with that one terrible word mutiny he had said but where the castle looked as usual the flag shining like colored metal at the top of its lofty staff the garrison would have had little cause to mutiny anyway they were mostly local volunteers or militia and knew they were far better off defending their own homes than plodding through mud or desert in some far-off campaign rook said slowly the fleet had spit head it broke out last month and the ships were seized by their people until certain demands were met he shrugged awkwardly it is finished now lord howe confronted the ringleaders and the channel fleet is at sea again he looked hard at boleytho it is well your squadron was in ignorance it might have gone badly with you otherwise politho looked past him and saw cavern and several of his officers watching from the opposite side of the deck they would sense something was wrong but when they really knew he deliberately turned away from them i have often expected some isolated outbreak he could not hide the anger in his voice some politicians and sea officers imagine that common sailors a little better than vermin and have treated them accordingly he stared hard at rook but for the fleet to mutiny as one man that is a terrible thing rook seemed vaguely relieved that he had at last unburdened himself or maybe he had been half expecting to find the urialis in the hands of mutineers demanding heaven knew what he said many fear that the worst is yet to come there has been trouble at the nor too though we do not hear the full truth down here i have patrols everywhere in case other troublemakers come this way some of the ringleaders are said to be irish and the admiralty may expect this to be a diversion for another attempt to invade there he sighed worriedly to live and see this thing is beyond me and that's a fact mutiny politho looked over to where the admiral was in close conversation with his secretary this was a bad ending to his career baleitho had known the full meaning the hot unreasoning fury which mutiny could bring in its wake but that was in isolated ships where conditions or climate privation or downright brutality of an individual captain were normally the root causes for a whole fleet to explode against the discipline and authority of its officers and therefore king and parliament as well was another matter entirely it took organization and extreme skill as well joined him again in the great cabin the admiral was sitting at the desk as if he had never left it this dispatches from celusius broughton he waved to a chair uralus will remain at falmouth to receive his flag but at present he is in london it seems that a new squadron is to be formed here although to what purpose is not explained he sounded very tired you are to ensure that our people have no contact with the shore and those sent there because of illness or injury will not be returned his mouth twisted angrily afraid of spreading the disease on board no doubt polither was still standing his mind grappling with all the words entire imagine his main requirement will be that it does not happen again he groped for his handkerchief and gripped the edge of the desk i must rest a while and think of what has to be done it would be better if you went ashore in my place you may find that things are less dangerous than we imagined he met polithos eyes but i would inform captain gifford first so that his marines may be in readiness for trouble he looked away and added i have seen the way our people look up to you balaitha sailors are simple folk who ask little more than justice in exchange for their lot afloat but the word hung in the air they are only human and our first duty is to retain control no matter at what cost politho picked up his hat i know sir he thought suddenly of the crowded world beyond the paneled bulkhead at sea or in battle they would fight and die without question the constant demands of harsh discipline and danger left little room for outside ideals and hopes but once the spark touched off the latent power of these same men anything might happen and it would be no use pleading ignorance or isolation then on the quarter deck again he was conscious of the change around him how could you expect something like this to remain a secret news travelled like wildfire in an overcrowded ship though none could explain how it happened he beckoned to cavern and said flatly you will please go aft and report to captain rook he saw caverns dark features settle into a mask of anticipation you will then inform the ship's lieutenants and senior warrant officers of the general position i will hold you responsible until my return you will arrange to have the sick and injured taken ashore but not in our boats understood catherine opened his mouth and then closed it again he nodded firmly but litho said i will tell you now there has been rumor of mutiny of the law if any stranger attempts to approach or board this ship he will be deterred at once if that cannot be done then he will be arrested and put in isolation immediately cavern rested one hand on his sword if i catch a damn awnings and assisting the sick men through the hatchways as was his custom he had seen that every man aboard was issued with new clothing from the slop chest unlike some miserly captains who allowed their men to stay in the rags worn when they were pressed in town or village alike but right now he could find no comfort at the sight of the wide trousers and checked shirts the healthy faces and busy preparations clothing and proper food when it was at all possible to obtain it should be their right not the privilege handed out by some godlike commander he was little enough for what these same men gave in return he shot the thought from his mind and touched his hat the quarter deck and side party before lowering himself down into the barge which all day had steered purposefully between the cutter he had avoided the road through the town and had used instead the narrow twisting lane with his green hedgerows and sweet smells of the countryside as he stood in the bright sunlight he was conscious of stillness the hard pressure of the land through his shoes it was also different from the constant movement and sounds of shipboard life and the realization was one which never failed to surprise and please him except that this time it was not the same he half listened to the gentle murmur of bees the distant bark of some farm dog as it scurried around the sheep while his eyes rested on the house square and uncompromising against the sky and the sloping hill which led towards the headland with a sigh he strode forward again his shoes disturbing the dust his eyes squinting against the glare once through the broad gates in the grey stone wall he paused unsure of himself and wishing that he had not come then as the double doors at the top of the steps opened he saw ferguson his one-armed steward backed by two servant girls waiting to greet him their smile so genuine that he was momentarily drawn from his own thoughts and not a little moved ferguson took his hand and murmured god bless you sir it is a fine thing to have you back home again but i though smiled not for long this time but thank you he saw ferguson's wife plump and rosy cheeked in her white cap and spotless apron scurrying to greet him her face torn between pleasure and tears as she cursed and said never a warning sir but for jack the excise man we grandfather the only member of the family to reach the rank of rear admiral waited to greet him like a friend bolitho could still remember him or thought he could from the days when he had sat on his knee as a small child but maybe it was his father's stories about him and the familiar picture which he really recalled he paused and looked directly at the last portrait his father had been younger when the portrait had been finished straight-backed level-eyed with the empty sleeve pinned across his coat an afterthought of the painter after he lost an arm in india captain james balatho it was difficult to remember him as he had looked on their last meeting so many years back when he had told bolitho of his other son's disgrace hugh the apple of his eye who had killed a brother officer in a duel before fleeing to america to fight against his own country in the revolution the litho sighed deeply they were all dead even hugh whose deceptions have finally ended in death before his own eyes a death which was still a secret he could share with no one hugh's record of failure and deception would stay a secret and his memory rest in peace if he had anything to do with it ferguson called from the foot of the stairs i put the glass by the window sir some claret he paused uncertainly before adding in your bedroom sir he sounded ill at ease they were to have been a surprise but had not been finished at the time of your last visit his voice trailed away as boletha walked quickly to the door at the end of the landing and pushed it open for a moment longer he could see no change the foreposter bed held in a shaft of dappled sunlight from the windows the tall mirror where she must have sat to comb her hair when he had been away he felt his throat go dry as he turned to see the two new pictures on the far wall it was just as if she was alive again here in this room where she had waited in vain for his return he wanted to move closer he was afraid i afraid the spell might break the artist had even caught the sea green in her eyes the rich chestnut of her long hair and the smile he took a slow step towards it the smile was perfect gentle amused the way she had looked at him whenever she had been near a step sounded in the doorway and ferguson said quietly she wanted them together sir politho looked at the other portrait for the first time he was depicted wearing his old dress coat the one with the broad white lapels which cheney had liked so much he said huskily thank you it was good of you to remember her wishes then he walked quickly to the window and leaned over the warm sill there just round the hill he could see the glittering horizon line what she would have seen from this same window once he might have been saddened even angry that ferguson had put the pictures here to remind him of her and his luck who is he i have never laid eyes on him before a seafaring fellow there's no doubt of that but no officer or gentleman i'm equally sure politho smiled it was hard to recall ferguson as the man who had once been brought aboard his ship phalarope by the press gang he and all day together poles apart it had appeared at the time yet they had become firm friends and even when ferguson had lost an arm at the salt he had continued to serve polito here as his steward like all day he seemed to have that same protective attitude when anything uncertain or unusual was about to occur he said show him in he'll not be too dangerous i think ferguson ushered the visitor through the doors and closed them with obvious reluctance he would be waiting within a foot of the entrance politho guest just in case what can i do for you the man was thick set and muscular well tanned and with hair fashioned into a pigtail he was wearing a coat which was far too small for him and bolatho imagined it had been borrowed to cover up his true identity for there was no mistaking his broad white trousers and buckled shoes even if he had been start naked he would have known him to be a sailor a brexit pardon for the liberty sir he knuckled his forehead while his eyes moved quickly around the room my name's taylor masters mate of the auriga sir bolitho watched him calmly he had a faint north country bur and was obviously nervous a deserter hoping for mercy or a place to hide in another ship it was not unknown for such men to run back to the one and only world where they might be safe with any sort of luck yet there was something vaguely familiar about him taylor added quickly i was with you in the sparrow sir back in 79 in the west indies he watched bolitho anxiously i was main top man then sir politho nodded slowly of course i remember you now in the little sloop sparrow his first ever command when he had been just 23 and the world had seemed a place for reckless enjoyment and unbounded ambition we heard you was back sir taylor was speaking rapidly and because of me knowing you like i was chosen to come he smiled bitterly i thought as i'd have to borrow a boat or swim to your ship you coming ashore so soon make things easier like he dropped his eyes under polithos gays are you in trouble taylor he looked up his eyes suddenly defensive that will depend on you sir i was chosen to speak with you and i'm knowing you as a fair and just captain sir i thought maybe you'd listen to him belatha stood up and studied him calmly your ship where is she lying taylor jerked his thumb over his shoulder along the coast to the east of sir something like pride crossed his tan face frigate 36 sir i see the light that walked slowly to the empty fireplace and back again and you and men like you have seized control is that it a mutineer he saw the man flinch and added harshly if you knew me really knew me you'd realize i'd not partly with those who betray their trust taylor said thickly if you'd hear me out sir that's all i ask after that you can have me seized and hanged if you so wish it and well i knows that fact politho bit his lip it had taken courage to come here like this courage and something more this taylor was no freshly pressed man no lower deck c lawyer he was a professional seaman it could not have been easy for him at any moment during his journey to falmouth he might have been seen anyway by someone wishing to ingratiate himself with the authorities and the patrol might even now be marching to the gates he said very well i cannot promise to agree with your views but i will listen that is all i can say taylor relaxed slightly we have been attached to the channel fleet sir and in regular commission for two years we've had little rest for the fleet is always short of frigates as you well knows we was at spit head when the trouble started last month but our captain put to see before we could show our support with the others he bunched his hands tightly and continued bitterly i must say it sir so you'll understand our captain's a hard man and the first lieutenant so taken with abusing the people there's hardly one aboard whose back has not been ripped open by the cat polither gripped his hands behind some trader for their freedom he hardened his jaw but those like me say otherwise sir we just want our rights like the boys that spit head got politho eyed him narrowly how much did taylor know of the other unrest of the law he might be genuine or could be the tool of someone more experienced in revolt there was little doubt that what he had said of his ship was true he said have you harmed anyone aboard none sir you're my word taylor spread his hands pleadingly if you could tell him that you'd put our case to the admiral sir it did make a world of difference something like a sad smile showed on his rough features i think some of the lieutenants and the master are a might glad it's happened sir french got to hear of it they would act without delay to put an invasion into force the thought of a confused demoralized fleet being destroyed because he alone had failed to act was unthinkable no matter what the consequences might be later he asked shortly what else were you told to explain the aurigas anchored in varian bay some eight miles from here do you know of it sir the lighthouse smiled grimly i am a cornish man taylor yes i know it well taylor licked his lips maybe he had been expecting instant arrest now that politha was listening to him he seemed unable to get the words out fast enough if i'm not back before sunset they'll make sale sir we've been approached by an armed cutter more than once and we've told them to stand off that we're anchored to carry out some repairs politho nodded it was not unusual for smaller ships to take refuge in that particular bay it was quiet and fairly well sheltered in anything but severe weather whoever had steered this mutiny to its present state certainly knew what he was doing taylor continued there's a little in on the west side of the baser polito said the drake's head a smuggler's haunt to all accounts maybe sir taylor watched him uncertainly but if you'll come there tonight and meet our delegates we can settle matters there and then like but i thought turned away how easy it all sounded and what was the auriga's captain supposed to think about it merely pack his chest and leave the simple reasoning probably seemed sound enough between decks but he would cut little cloth when it reached higher authority but the most important and urgent thing was to stop the ship being taken and given to the enemy belaith had no doubt that her captain was all and more than taylor had described there were enough of such petty tyrants throughout the service and he had even assumed an earlier command himself because of the previous captain's callousness anyway he could not hide his head and ignore it he said very well thank you sir taylor nodded vehemently you must come alone but for a servant that says they'll kill the captain if there's any sort of treachery he hung his head i'm sorry sir it was none of my wanting i can't bring the matter to a rightful conclusion the relief on taylor's face faded as belly though added flatly if on the other hand this is some delaying tactic to give your people more time to dispose of the ship be in no doubt the consequences it has been done before and the culprits have always been run to ground he paused eventually the man knuckled his forehead and hurried out into the passage ferguson watched him go with obvious distaste is it all well sir at present thank you he pulled his watch from his pocket send someone to signal for my barge he saw the disappointment on ferguson's face and added and there was blood on his shirt front as well as the handkerchief politho glanced at the surgeon a thin wiry man with unusually large and hairy hands well mr spargo he shrugged i cannot be sure sir he ought to be on shore i am only a ship surgeon he shrugged again but the effort of moving him now might be fatal the litho nodded his mind made up then leave him here and watch him well to govern he said come up to my cabin cavern followed him in silence until they had reached the wide cabin which ran the whole breadth of the poop through the open stern windows was a perfect view of saint anthony head moving slightly as the ship swung ponderously on the current i have to go ashore again mr cavern he must be careful not to involve his first lieutenant yet at the same time he had to be primed enough to know what to do if the scheme is fired cavern's face was a mask sir politho unclipped his sword and laid it on the table there is no news of vice admiral broughton yet nor is there any hint of unrest ashore captain rook's boats will be alongside after our people have had their meal and you can carry on with loading stores all afternoon and into the dog watches of the sea remains calm cavern waited knowing there was more to come so charles is very sick as you have seen elite wished cavern would show some curiosity like herrick would have done when he had been his first lieutenant so you will be in command until my return when will that be sir i'm not sure later tonight perhaps he had caverns interest roused at last is that something i can do to help sir he paused will there be trouble not if i can prevent it i will leave written orders for you to act upon if i am delayed for more than the night you will open them and take whatever he held up his hand no every necessary step to see that they are carried out without delay his mind grappled with the picture of the chart within his brain it would take urilus more than two hours to up anchor and reach varian bay where the sight of her terrible armament would soon quell even the stoutest heart in submission but by then it might be far too late why not put to see now without further delay no one would blame him probably quite the reverse he frowned and dismissed the idea immediately this was to be a new squadron and with the war entering its most dangerous stage so far it would be a bad beginning for the flagship to pound an anchored consort into a bloody shambles because he had not the nerve or the will to do otherwise surprisingly cavern smiled showing his even teeth i have not been with you for 18 months and learned nothing of your method sir the smile vanished and i hope i have your confidence politho smiled a captain can only go so far to share his thoughts mr cavern his responsibility he must hold to himself as you will one day discover if it goes badly tonight you may be promoted earlier than you imagine he thought bleakly troot the cabin servant stepped gingerly through the door and asked permission to lay their table for your lunch sir cavern said i will go and attend to the hand sir he watched distantly as truth busied himself with plates and cutlery at the long table i'll not be sorry to get to see again he left the cabin without another word as bolitho sat moodily at his lonely table toying with a cold rabbit pie which must have been sent directly from the shore by rook he thought back over what taylor had told him the fact that he had been able to reach falmouth and find the house so quickly spoke volumes and suggested there were other watchful eyes already close by ready to pass the word back to the auriga any sort of deception marines landed at the jetty or some such precaution other than normal port practice would soon allow suspicion and the auriga's captain would be in grave danger the consequence is terrible he stood up angrily how long would it take before such men were pruned from the navy once and for all a new breed of officer was growing up and finding the scope to attack the enemy as well as better the living conditions of their own semen but here and there was the bully and tyrant often men with influence in high places who could not be broken or removed until moments like these when it was too late truth returned and eyed him worriedly do you not like the pie sir he was a devon man and viewed belitho like all cornishmen with both apprehension and a little awe later perhaps the litho glanced to the sword old and so worn the one which appeared in many of those family portraits i will leave this in your care he tried to keep his voice normal i shall take a hanger he paused and pistols troot gaped to the sword leave i saw her politho ignored him now pass the word for my coxswain all day was equally surprised won't seem the same without the sword a duel captain call away the barge then give my compliments to mr cavern and tell him i am ready to leave as soon as i have written his orders politho made a further visit to see the admiral but there was little change he appeared to be resting quietly his wizard face more relaxed in sleep on deck he found cavern waiting for him barge alongside sir cavern looked aloft of the listless flag the windows died for some while i think the litho grunted it was just as if cavern was trying to warn him that once he left the ship he was alone and without much hope of assistance he cursed his own uncertainty cavern did not know and anyway what else could be done to wait until the new admiral arrived was merely hiding from the responsibility he had accepted as his own he said abruptly look after her then he lowered himself down to the waiting boat when they reached the jetty he climbed the steps and paused to look back framed against the blue water and clear sky the ship seemed indestructible permanent an illusion he thought grimly no vessel was stronger than those who served her all day watched critically as the acting and maneuvered the barge clear of the stones for the return journey then he asked what now captain to the house i have things to do and we will require two horses he reached up and felt the locket beneath his shirt to him enough to make him provoke his own anger would go hard with someone before another dawn he thought suddenly of bolitho's words and grimaced a topsail yard or a rough backstay he could manage either even a reluctant woman was not too much trouble but a horse he rubbed his buttocks by the time they reached the drake's head he would have need for more than a tankard he thought gloomily end of disc one disc two they left the house before dusk but by the time they had crossed the river at a small forward well clear of falmouth he was getting dark rapidly but bolito knew the countryside like the back of his hand and with all day trotting uncomfortably behind him kept up a good pace until he had found the narrow twisting lane which led to varian in places it was very steep with the trees almost touching overhead the thick brush alive with squeaks and startled rustlings as they passed by then a sharp curve and for a few more minutes he saw the edge of the headland itself with a writhing pattern of surf far below where the rocks lay like black teeth at the foot of the high cliffs all day gasped my god captain this horse has no respect for my romp hold your noise damn you belittle rained his horse at the top of yet another steep slope and strained his eyes towards a darker line of tangled bushes the cliff edge had moved inwards again and probably came to within yards of the bushes beyond he could see the sea shining dully in the gloom flat and unruffled like pewter but the bay was in deeper shadow there might not be a ship there at all equally there could be half a dozen he shivered slightly and was glad he had allowed mrs ferguson to have her way over the boat cloak it was cold up here and the air felt damp there would be another sea mist in before dawn he heard all day breathing heavily beside him and said not much farther now the inn is about half a mile from here all day grunted i don't like it captain you do not have to like it but litho looked at him he had told all day the bones of what was happening and nothing more just enough to clear himself if anything went wrong surely you've not forgotten he broke off and gripped his arm what was that all day stood up in his stirrups a hair maybe the shout when it came was with the suddenness of a shot keep still and raise your hands in the air where we can see him all day grope for his cutlass boy god is a bloody ambush belay that all day politho wheeled his horse against him and knocked his hand away from the weapon it is what i expected man the voice said easy captain we don't want to cut you down but another voice more insistent and hard with tension snapped we can do without wasting time just you go and disarm them and lively with it there seemed to be about three men politho thought he watched as a shadowy figure reached up to relieve all day of his cutlass and heard the clatter of steel as it fell in the lane another man materialized out of the darkness right beside him and said and you sir you'll have pistols with you eliza handed them down with a hanger and said coldly i was told that some sort of trust was needed i did not know it was to be one-sided the man faltered we're taking a great risk captain you might have brought the militia with you he sounded frightened the man who had not shown himself shouted take the horses and lead them a pause and then i'll be a stern one wrong tack and i will fire no matter the rights and wrongs of the argument all day said between his teeth i'll spit him the bugger for talking like that balato remained silent allowing the horse to jog along with a man walking at its head it was no more than he had anticipated nobody but a fool would arrange a meeting without taking these elementary precautions they had probably been followed for the last few miles the horse's hoof beats would have drowned most of the noise a single light appeared round bend in the lane and he saw the pale outline of the inn a small untidy building added to and altered over the year here the man obviously the leader said coldly he's with the boat the litho looked at the others there were four of them and probably two more outside all semen they were ill at ease and watching their spokesman with a mixture of anxiety and resignation you will be seated captain i've sent for some ail he lifted his lip in a smear but perhaps someone of your standing would prefer brandy hey the litho eyed him calmly the man was trying to provoke him the ale will be very welcome he opened his cloak and dropped it on a chair you must be the chosen delegate i am he watched with mounting irritation as the innkeeper shuffled to the table with some tankards and a brimming earthenware jug of ale you wait in your kitchen in a more level tone he continued now captain have you decided to accept our terms i was not aware that any had been agreed upon politho lifted a tanker and noticed with relief that his hand was still steady you have taken a king ship that is an act of mutiny as well as one of treason if you persist with the rest of your plan strangely the man seemed more satisfied than angry he looked at the others and said you see lads there's no bargaining with the likes of him you should have listened to me in the first place instead of wasting time a grizzled petty officer replied quickly easy maybe if you was to tell him the other things like we agreed you're a fool he turned back to politho i knew this would happen the lads that spit had won their cause because they stood together next time there'll be no damn promises strong enough to break us the petty officer said gruffly would you look at this book sir he pushed it over the table his eyes on bolitho's face i've been at sea man and boy for 30 years i've never been in anything like this before and that's god's true sir you all and just the same you fool the spokesman eyed him with contempt but show him if it makes you feel better belitho opened the canvas covered book and leafed past the first few pages it was the frigate's punishment book and as he ran his eyes down the neatly written records he felt the revulsion twisted lashes two men had been flogged twice in the same period one of whom had died under the lash he shut the book and looked up there were so many questions he wanted to ask why the first lieutenant had done nothing to prevent such brutality he checked the thought instantly what would cavern have done in the past if his own captain had ordered such punishment the realization made him suddenly angry he had seen often enough the way men looked at him when things went wrong as they often did in the complex matters of working a ship of the line sometimes it amounted to real terror and it never failed to sicken him a captain any captain was second only to god as far as his men were concerned a superior being who could encourage advancement with one hand and order the most vicious punishment with the other to think that some captains the aurigas amongst them could abuse such power was nothing but abhorrent to him he said slowly i would like to come aboard and speak with your captain as several of them started to speak at once he added otherwise i can do nothing the chief delegate said you may have fooled the others but i can see through your deception well enough he gestured angrily first a show of sympathy and the next thing we'll know is the gibbet on some sea wall where every passing sailor can see what value there is in trusting the word of an officer all day gave a savage oath and half rose to his feet but looked helplessly at belitho as he said rest easy all day when a man thinks that righting a wrong is a waste of time there is little point in argument one of the seamen said thickly oy what's wrong in a captain coming aboard if he breaks his faith with us we can take him along as hostage there was a murmur of agreement and for an instant polithus saw the leader caught off guard he decided to make another move if on the other hand you had no intention of seeking justice and merely wanted an excuse to hand your ship to the enemy he let his voice drag over the word then i should warn you that i've already made certain arrangements to forestall you he's bluffing but the man's voice was less assured now there's no ship within miles of us here there will be another mist at dawn he thrust his hands under the table knowing they were quivering with excitement or worse you will be unable to make sale before the four noon i know this bay well and it is too dangerous he hardened his tone especially without the help of your officers the petty officer muttered he's right tom he craned forward why not do like he says we got now to lose by listening eliza studied the leader thoughtfully his name was tom it was a beginning damn your eyes a lot of you the man was flushed with sudden anger a batch of delegates are you more like a pack of old women the anger calmed as suddenly as before and belitha was reminded of cavern he said harshly right then so be it he gestured to the old petty officer you will remain here with one lookout he glanced at all day his eyes hostile and you can keep this lackey as hostage if we make the signal i want him dead if there's some sort of attack we will kill a pair of them and hang them beside our own precious lord and bloody master right the petty officer flinched but nodded in agreement politho looked at all day's grim features and forced a smile you wanted a rest and a tankard you have both then he rested his hand briefly on his shoulder he could almost feel the man's tension and anger beneath it it will be all right he tried to give value to his words we are not fighting the enemy we shall see the man named tom opened the door and made a mock bow now walk in front of me and mind your manners i'll not pipe my eye if i have to cut you down here and now the litho strode into the darkness without answering the night was still before them but there was a lot to do before dawn if there was to be any hope of success as he hurried down the steep track his mind returned to the punishment book it was surprising that men driven and provoked by such inhumanity had bothered to try to seek justice by channels they only barely understood it was more surprising still that the mutiny had not broken out months earlier the realization helped to encourage him although he knew it was little enough to sustain anything chapter three salute the flag vote ahoy the challenge seemed to come from nowhere the man in the bowels cupped his hands and replied the delegates the litho tensed on the thwart as the anchored frigate suddenly grew out of the darkness the crossed yards and gently spiraling masts black against the stars while the jolly boat maneuvered alongside he noted the carefully spread boarding nets above the ship's gangway the dark clusters of figures crowding around the entry port he could feel his heart racing and wondered if his own apprehension was matched by the waiting mutineers a hand thrusted his shoulder up you go as he swung himself up through the port a lantern was unshuttered the yellow beam playing across his epaulettes while the press of seaman pushed closer to see him a man said he came then then taylor's voice brittle and urgent stand aside mates there's work to be done polithos stood in silence as the head delegate whispered further instructions to the watch on deck the ship seemed under control with no sign of argument or drunkenness as might be expected two of the guns were run out and he guessed they were loaded with grape just in case some suspicious patrol boat came too close for safety a petty officer stood watch on the quarter deck but there was no officer in view nor were there any marines the man named tom said sharply we'll go aft and you can meet the captain it was impossible to see his expression but no tricks polither walked aft and ducked beneath the poop in spite of his serving in two ships of the line in succession he had never got used to their spacious head room perhaps even after all this time he still yearned for the independence and dash of a frigate two armed seamen watched his approach and after a further hesitation shuffled their feet to attention that's right lads show some respect eh the delegate was enjoying himself he threw open the cabin door and followed boleytho inside it was well lit by three swaying lanterns but the stern windows were shuttered and the air was moist even humid a seaman armed with a musket was leaning against the bulkhead and seated on the bench seat beneath the stern windows was the auriga's captain he was fairly young about 26 politho imagined with a single epilet on his right shoulder to indicate he held less than three years seniority as captain he had sharp finely defined features but his eyes were set close together so that his nose seemed out of proportion he stared at belitho for several seconds and then jumped to his feet the delegate said quickly this is captain balatho he waited as the emotions changed on the other man's face he is alone no grand force of bullocks to save you i'm afraid politho removed his hat and placed it on the table you are captain bryce then i shall tell you at once that i am here without authority other than my own briefly he saw something like shock in the other man's eyes before a shutter fell and he became composed again composed yet watchful like a weary animal bryce replied my officers are under guard the marines have not yet joined the ship they were due to be sent direct from plymouth he darted a look at the delegate otherwise mr gates here would be singing a different tune damn his eyes the delegate said quietly now sir none of that please i'd have you dancing at the greetings right now if i had my way but there'd be time enough for that later hey elito said i should like to talk with captain bryce alone he waited expecting an argument but the delegate replied calmly suit yourself it'll do no good and you know it he left the cabin with the armed semen slamming the door and whistling indifferently as he went bryce opened his mouth to speak but belithos said shortly there is little time so i will be as brief as i can this is a very serious matter and if your ship is handed to the enemy there is no saying what repercussions may result i have nothing to bargain with and little to offer to ensure these men are brought back under command the other man stared at him but sir are you not the flag captain one show a force a full-scale attack and these scum would soon lose the heart for mutiny bolitho shook his head the new squadron has not been formed as yet every ship is elsewhere or too far to be any use my own is at falmouth she could be on the moon for all the help she can be to you he hardened his voice i have heard some of the grievances and i can find little if any sympathy for your personal position if he had struck bryce the effect could not have been more startling he jumped to his feet his thin mouth working with anger that is a damnable thing to say i have worked this ship to the best of my ability and i have a record of prizes to prove it i've been plagued with a scum of the gutters and officers either too young or too lazy to enforce anything like the standard i expect alitho kept his face impassive except for your senior i understand before bryce could reply he wrapped and kindly sit down when you address me you will keep a civil tongue in your head he was shouting and the fact surprised him it must be infectious he thought but his sudden display of anger seemed to have had the right effect bryce sank onto the seat and said heavily my first lieutenant is a good officer sir a firm man but that eliza finished it for him that is what you expect eh beyond the bulkhead some voices were raised in argument and then died away just as quickly he added your behavior where you now import would make you eligible for court martial he saw the shot go home the sudden clenching of bryce's fingers surely after the affair at split head you should have taken some heed of their requirements got got man they deserve justice if nothing else bryce regarded him angrily they got what they deserved alithea recalled taylor's words an unhappy ship it was not difficult to imagine the hell this man must have made her then i cannot help you bryce's eyes gleamed with sudden malice they'll never allow you to leave the ship now perhaps not the litho stood up and walked the opposite side but there will be a mist in the bay at dawn when it clears your ship will be facing something more than words and threats i have no doubt that your people will fight no matter what the odds for by then it will be too late for second thoughts too late for compromise bryce said i hope i see them die i doubt that captain in afterlife may be for you and i will be dangling high enough for the best view of all they wouldn't dare but bryce sounded less sure now would they not the litho leaned across the table until they were only two feet apart you have tormented them beyond all reason have acted more like a demented fiend than a king's officer he reached out and tore the epaulette from bryce's shoulder and threw it on the table his face stepped with anger how dare you talk of what they can or cannot do under such handling were you one of my officers i would have had you broken long before you could bring disgrace to the commission entrusted to you he stood back his heart pumping against his ribs make no mistake captain bryce if your ship does escape to be given to the enemy you are better dead anyway the shame will otherwise grip you tighter than any damned halter believe me bryce stared round the cabin and then let his eyes rest on the discarded epaulette he seemed shocked even stunned by the lytho's attack you cannot kill a man's need to be free don't you understand that freedom is hard to win harder still to hold but these men of yours confused and ignorant perhaps they all understand what liberty means he had no idea if his words were having any effect the voices on deck were getting louder again and he felt a growing sense of despair he continued all seamen realize that once in the king's service their lot is as good or as bad as their commanders will allow but you cannot ask or expect them to fight or give of their best when their own treatment is unnecessarily wretched bryce looked at his hands they were trembling badly he said thickly they mutanted against me and my authority your authority is nearly done but i have watched him gravely because of you i have put my coxswain in jeopardy but you have sacrificed far more than our lives and i'm only sad that you will not live long enough to see what you have done the door banged open and the man gates stepped into the cabin his hands on his hips all done gentlemen he was smiling politho faced him aware of the dryness in his throat the sudden silence in the airless cabin thank you yes he did not look at rice as he continued evenly your captain has agreed to place himself under open arrest and await my orders if you release the ship's offices immediately gates stared at him what did you say politho tensed expecting bryce to shout abuse or demand the immediate withdrawal of his promise but he said nothing and when he turned his head he saw that bryce was staring at the deck as if in a state of collapse the masters mate taylor pushed through the other men and shouted wildly do you see lads what did i tell you he stared at balatho his eyes misty with relief god captain you'll never regret this gates interrupted hoarsely you fools you blind ignorant madman then he looked at bolitho tell him the rest bolitho met his stare the rest there has been an unlawful disobedience of orders under the given circumstances i believe that justice will be reasonable however he looked at the watching semen by the door it will not be entirely overlooked gates said the rope never overlooks anyone does it taylor was the first to break the sudden stillness what chance do we have captain he squared his shoulders we're not as blind as some think we know what we've done was wrong but if there's some hope for us then his voice trailed away into silence again politho replied quietly i will speak with sir charles felwall he is a humane and generous officer that i will vouch for he will no doubt think as i do that what has happened is bad but what might have occurred far worse he shrugged i can say no more than that gates glared around him well lads you still with me taylor looked at the others we'll have a parley but i'm for taking captain bollito's word as it stands he rubbed his mouth i've worked all my life to get as far as i have and no doubt i'll lose what i've gained i'll most likely taste the cat but it won't be the first time rather all that and live in misery and i don't fancy spending the rest of my days in some frog town or hiding whenever i sees a uniform he turned to the door a parley lance gates watched them file out and then said quietly if they agree to your empty promises captain the light though then i'll first take his confession down in writing bolitho shook his head you can give your evidence of the court martial me gates laughed i'll not be aboard when these fools are taken he twisted round to listen to the babbler voices i will be back and he left the cabin bryce breathed out slowly that was a terrible risk they might still not believe you we can only hope politho sat down and i trust that you believe it also there was no mere threat to deceive either them or you he glanced at the door trying not to show his uncertainty that man gates seems to know a great deal he was my clerk bryce sounded lost in thought i caught him stealing spirits and had him flogged by god if ever i get my hands on him he did not continue the cabin lanterns swayed in unison and settled at a steeper angle but either cocked his head to listen it was more breeze so the mist might not come after all perverse as ever the cornish weather was always ready to make a man a liar the door banged open and taylor entered the cabin we've decided sir he ignored bryce we agree polithos stood up and tried to hide his relief thank you a boat flooded against the hull and he heard orders being shouted to the oarsmen taylor added they've gone for the other sir andrew coxen he dropped his eyes gates has run more voices and three lieutenants disheveled and apprehensive stepped into the cabin two were very young the third tall and tight-lipped was obviously the first lieutenant the one taylor had described as taken with abusing the people having them flogged at the slightest pretext he thought of cavern was suddenly grateful the lieutenant said harshly i am massey sir the senior he glanced inquiringly at bryce but stiffened as bolitho said you will place yourself under open arrest he added sharply for your own good at present he looked at the other officers how is the wind freshening sir from the southwest the young lieutenant sounded dazed very well informed the master that we will be raising the anchor as soon as the boat returns if we are to reach falmouth before morning we must beat well clear of the bay he forced a smile i'd not wish to have the auriga piled on gull rock for all to see on deck it seemed cleaner the air less threatening an illusion again but with good reason the litho thought he found the frigate sailing master listening to the lieutenant with silent disbelief polithos said calmly i will take the responsibility in a quieter tone he added far better to take a small risk than to leave your people with too much time on their hands inwardly he thought also it is better to make sale in darkness than to confront the urialis broadsides at first light when the boat came alongside again he saw all day scrambling through the entry port his head turning in all directions as if to take on the whole ship single-handed he found bolitho and said thickly by the lord captain i never expected this the admiration was only overshadowed by his obvious concern polither looked at him and grinned i'm sorry to have placed you in danger the big cockson waited until some scurrying seamen had run past i was just about to leave the end captain and try my luck again on that damned horse i might have been able to reach falmouth in time to raise the alarm politho frowned what of your guards all day shrugged and then pulled up the leg of his trousers even in the gloom it was possible to see the small double-barreled pistol protruding from his stocking i reckon i could have laid those why could he never find the words when he needed them and why was all day grinning almost enough to split his face into all day said strike me blind captain you are a cool one and there's no mistake we might both be dead and instead here we are as safe as the tower of london he rubbed his buttocks also we returned to falmouth as sailors should are not on some bony misbegotten animal elite gripped his thick forearm i'm glad you were satisfied a lieutenant crossed the deck and touched his hat capstan manned and boat hoisted sir very good he suddenly felt light-headed perhaps he had not after all realized just how close he had been to disaster all day had understood and had been prepared in his own way but suppose bryce had refused to submit or gates had held his grip on the other man he dismissed it from his thoughts that part was over and he could thank god no one had been injured let alone killed in the uprising tell the master to lay a course to clear the foreland if you please we will run to the south east until we have the sea room to go about the young officer stood quite still his eyes filling his face in the darkness the lighthou added gently your name is laker am i right he saw him nod well mr laker just imagine that both of your seniors had been killed in action another not it is your quarter deck for the moment and it will be well for your people to see you taking control right away trust is like gold it must be earned to be of any true value the youngster said quietly thank you sir then he walked away and seconds later the capstan began to clank round to the accompaniment of a half-hearted shanty politha walked slowly aft and stood near the wheel he would be ready in case the frigate drove too close in shore but if the auriga had any hope of regaining her place in affairs she had to begin here and now with her own hands in command it was as if all day was reading his mind he said softly reminds me of when we were in the old phalarope he glanced up as the sails cracked and stirred in readiness for the next order it took us then like bryce he would deserve it he thought firmly steady as you go north west by west sir the big wheel squeaked as the auriga glided slowly towards the land polithos stayed by the weather rail watching the town in the brittle morning sunlight the urilys was swinging almost bows on towards the approaching frigate her top gallant yards gold in the pale glare the fierce eyed figurehead bright against the spray-dappled hull he looked around the busy activity on the frigate's main deck the first time he had seen her in daylight bryce must have been mean as well as a tyrant the paint work was faded and flaking and the seamen were dressed mostly in ragged scraps of clothing and appeared for the most part half starved several of them without shirts as they worked about the deck had back so scarred that they looked as if they'd been mauled by some crazed beast foreign the anchor party stood watching the outspreading arms of the bay the town of falmouth beyond still in the morning shadow a guard boat idled above her own reflection a blue flag at the masthead to indicate where the incoming frigate was to drop anchor both the young lieutenants and the ship's master were concentrating on the last two cables and the lighthouse said quietly you would better pass the word to your gunner to prepare a salute mr laker but all else on your mind it would be a shame to forget that a rear admiral demands a salute of 13 guns the lieutenant looked startled and then gave a shy grin i not forgotten sir although i was not expecting you to test me sir all day muttered bloody fool but bolitho did not hear he looked down at rook's red face and replied of course he hoped the seamen nearby would hear him they would need all their trust in the next few moments rook clambered up to the deck and touched his hat we were worried sir very worried indeed he saw the two lieutenants watching him and shouted and your sword to the lieutenant of marines immediately polithos snapped by whose order i beg pardon sir rook looked uncomfortable by order of vice admiral celusius broughton he turned as more boats grappled alongside the gangway suddenly came alive with grim-faced marines their muskets and fixed bennets trained on the crowded main deck politho crossed over to the lieutenants rest assured i will see that you are not abused he looked a rook i am making you responsible the one armed officer wiped his forehead worriedly as you say sir but litha walked back to the quarter deck rail and looked along the crowded mass of silent semen i gave you my word keep your peace and obey orders i shall go across and meet the admiral without delay he saw taylor make as if to come aft and then stop when a marine jerked to bend it in his direction politho called i have not forgotten taylor then he turned and made his way to the port a boat was coming from the urialis no doubt for him and an explanation did he he came overland by way of truro he shrugged helplessly his face worried i had to tell him of your sealed orders and he required me to open them but i though paused by the poop and looked down at the labored battery of 12 pounders still run out and pointing at the auriga most of their crews however were looking after him their expressions torn between surprise and anxiety as well they might he thought bitterly but it was not caverns fault and that was something for a while he had been tortured with the idea that cavern might have given his secret orders willingly to ingratiate himself with a new admiral he asked how is sir charles cavern shook his head no better sir the second lieutenant crossed the deck and touched his hat the vice admiral is waiting to see you sir he fidgeted with his sword hilt with respect sir he seemed somewhat impatient but forced a slow smile very well mr mayhew it is a day for urgency but he did not feel like smiling he could not blame the admiral for demanding to know of his whereabouts after all flag officers were not accustomed to making excuses for their own lateness or explaining their reasons to subordinates but to have the frigate put under the guns of his own flagship was unthinkable he made himself walk the last few steps to the admiral's quarters at a slower pace to give his mind time to clear for the confrontation a marine corporal opened the door his eyes blank even he seemed like a stranger vice admiral seleucius broughton was standing right aft by the tall windows a telescope trained towards the shore he was wearing his undress blue coat and gold epaulettes and appeared thoroughly engrossed when he turned polithal saw that he was much younger than he had anticipated about 40 the same age as himself he was not tall but his body was slim and upright giving an impression of height that again was fairly unusual once they had attained the coveted flag rank admirals often tended to run to portlanders spared the constant demands of watchkeeping or appearing on deck at all times of day and night they reaped rewards other than those of high command broughton's face was neither angry nor impatient in fact it was relaxed to a point of complete calm he had light brown hair quite short and tied in a small cue above his collar are belay though so we meet at last he was not being sarcastic merely matter of fact as if polytheist returned from some vague journey his voice was easy and aristocratic and when he walked across a patch of sunlight from the stern windows the lighthouse saw that his clothes were of the finest materials his sword hilt hand worked in gold facings he replied i'm sorry i was not here to greet you sir there was some doubt as to your time of arrival quiet broughton sat down at the desk and regarded him calmly i expect to be receiving news of my other ships very shortly after that the sooner we are at sea and working in company the better politho cleared his throat the auriga sir with respect i would like to explain what's happened broughton pressed his fingertips together and smiled gently for a few moments he looked almost boyish his eyes shining with something like amusement by all means belay though although i would have thought that explanations are hardly needed your action to prevent the ship falling in french hands was to say the least unorthodox and of no little personal risk your loss to me would have been a hard one although some might say the loss of the frigate would have been even more serious he shifted in the chair the smile gone but the frigate is here in falmouth and all such vessels are too short in numbers for us to be over particular about their past records i believe her captain should be removed at once also her first lieutenant polito tried to relax but for once he felt uneasy even out of his depth with the new admiral he added it took some courage for the ship's company to act as they did but for the spit head trouble and the promises made to our people there it might never have happened broughton looked at him thoughtfully you obviously do not believe that you think that this bryce caused it himself and possibly a ride he shrugged sir charles felwall told me of his great trust in your reasoning i will of course be guided by that belatho said i gave my word to them sir that their complaints would be properly investigated did you well of course that would be expected no blame when attached to you now that you have retrieved the ship intact again the brief smile to lie skillfully and in a good cause is always forgivable it was no sir belatha could feel his apprehension giving way to anger they were brutally used worse they were driven beyond reason he waited watching for some sign but braun's face was empty of expression he continued slowly i am sure sir charles would have acted with humanity sir especially in view of the circumstances elsewhere so charles has gone ashore he could have been speaking of an unwanted piece of baggage i will decide what is to be done when i have examined all the facts he paused facts belief though not supposition then i will tell you what i desire to be done in the meantime captain bryce and his officers will be quartered ashore with garrison you will supply a guard watch aboard auriga in company with the marines he stood up and walked around the desk his movements easy almost graceful i hate any sort of unnecessary recriminations belittle his mouth tightened but i've already had my fill of deputations and degradation of spit head i'll suffer none of it under my flag here polither watched him despairingly if i could be given permission to deal with the matasa it would be a bad beginning to take severe action the admiral side you are persistent i hope that characteristic is not confined merely to domestic matters but if you will write a full report i will see what must be done he looked belatho steadily in the eyes you must know that being efficient is not the easiest way to popularity he seemed to become impatient but enough of that for the present i will be giving dinner in my cabin tonight i find it the best way of meeting my officers the smile reappeared no objections to that i trust bolitho tried to hide his anger he was more disturbed with his own inability to convince broughton than he was with the admiral's wishes over dinner he had managed the interview badly and blamed himself accordingly the admiral only knew what he was told could only act on facts as he had just explained he replied i'm sorry sir i did not mean to brought and raised one hand do not apologize i like a man with fire in his belly if i had wanted a flag captain who merely said yes all the time i could have got one of a hundred he nodded and you have been up all night that cannot have helped now be so good as to send for the person i will tell him what i require from the town i've just been looking at it small but not too rustic i hope the lighthouse smiled for the first time i was born here sir the admiral eyed him calmly now there is an admission polither made to leave the cabin but paused and said may i order the guns to be secured sir you are her captain balatho as well as mine he lifted an eyebrow you do not approve of my action it is not that exactly sir he was starting again but he could not halt the words i have been with this ship for 18 months this matter of the frigate is bad enough without their having to fire on their own kind into the bargain very well brought yawned you really do care do you not politho nodded firmly about trust sir i i do i really must take you to london with me belatha broughton walked back to the windows his face in shadow you would be something of a novelty there unique in fact bolitho reached the sunlit quarter deck without seeing a foot of the journey cavern touched his hat and asked anxiously any order sir yes mr cavern pass the word for the purser and then he paused still thinking of the auriga and broughton's quiet amusement then sir then keep out of my way mr cavern until i say otherwise the master watched him strike to the side and begin to pace back and forth his brows set in a frown of concentration to the baffled cavern he said quietly more squalls i am thinking are not for the better cavern glared at him when i need your opinion mr partridge i'll damn well ask for it then he too hurried aways with a red handkerchief a flagship could often make life hard on a sailing master then he looked across of the anchored frigate and shook his head sadly still he thought others were worse off a whole lot worse chapter 4 an example to all the smart maroon painted berlin rattled busily over a humpback bridge and swung left onto the main coast road for falmouth richard bolatho put out one hand to steady himself against the swaying motion as the wheels bounced into the steep rods and watch the dust pouring back from the horse's hooves and from beneath the carriage itself he was only half aware of the passing countryside the different shades of green and occasional clumps of sheep in the fields are joining the narrow twisting road in his best dress uniform and cocked hat he was hot and uncomfortable and the berlin's violent motion was worse than any small boat in the choppy harbor yet he hardly noticed any of these things the previous day rear admiral fell wall had died in his sleep at bolitho's house at peace for the first time in many months when captain rook had conveyed the news to the anchored uralus vice admiral broughton had said i understand it was his wish to return to norfolk he would better make the necessary arrangements belatter he had given one of his relaxed smiles anyway i think sir charles would have wished to know you were with him on the last journey and so with unseemly haste a small procession of carriages is set out for truro where the little admiral's body would await collection for the long ride to the other side of england it was difficult to know if broughton was being sincere about his regrets it was true he had much to do in his new command and yet polither got the distinct impression that broughton was a man who had little time for anything which did not work at full efficiency or anyone who was beyond help or further use the berlin swerved and he heard the coachman yelling curses at a small carrier's cart drawn by one sleepy looking pony the cart was laden with chickens and farm produce and the red-faced driver returned to barrage with equal vigor and vulgarity bolitho smiled it was probably one of his brother-in-law's farm workers and he realized with the start that in the four busy days since his bringing the auriga into falmouth he had not laid an eye either on him or any of his relatives the coach settled down on a firmer piece of road for the last three mile run to the sea and he found himself thinking back over the hectic and demanding days following on his arrival and that of his new admiral he could not recall anyone quite like broughton he usually seemed so relaxed yet he had a mind like quicksilver and never seemed to tire but litha could remember how at his dinner party in the great cabin the way he kept the conversation moving amongst the assembled ships officers never monopolizing it yet making everyone present very aware of his overall control he was still not sure he really understood the man behind the charm and the easy refinement which broughton displayed on most occasions broughton seemed to be unreachable yet politho knew he was only excusing his own dislike and mistrust for many of the things which the admiral represented privilege and an undisputed pattern of power another world which bolitha would have little part of and wanted still less when brought and spoke of his house in london the constant comings and goings of names and personalities it was no mere boasting it was his natural way of life something he took as his right listening to him as the wine was passed and the three decker rolled easily at her anchor it was excusable to think that all important decisions in the war against france and her growing allies were made not in admiralty but around the coffee tables of london or at receptions in houses such as his own in spite of this however politho had no doubt as to broughton's understanding of wider affairs and the internal politics of the navy brought in at fought at the battle of capes and vincent some three months earlier and his grasp of the tactics his ability to paint a visual picture for bolitho's benefit were impressive politho could recall his own envy and bitterness when news of jarvis's great victory had reached him as he had carried out the wretched routine of blockade off southern ireland had the enemy made a real attempt to invade ireland and the uralus and her few consorts had managed to call them to battle he might have felt differently as he had eagerly scanned the reports of jarvis's victory he had been aware yet again how much luck there seemed to be in drawing two forces together for a convulsive action old admiral jarvis had been made olson vincent because of it and another name that of commodore nelson had brought a ring of new hope for the future polither could recall seeing the young nelson briefly during ill-fated venture at too long he was two years younger than himself yet already a commodore and provided he could stay alive would soon reach further heights in the chain of command polito did not grudge such a sea officer his just rewards but at the same time was fully aware of his own backwater all that was how it appeared urialis had been joined by three more ships of the line all seventy fours two frigates including auriga and a small sloop anchored in fine array in falmouth bay they made an impressive site but he knew from bitter experience so that once at sea and spread out in an empty tossing desert they would appear not so vast or invincible it was unlikely that brought and small squadron was to be entrusted with anything but the fringe of more important affairs the one bright light in the busy four days of broughton's command had been his final acceptance of politho suggestions and pleas on behalf of the auriga ship's company the masters mate taylor was in custody and would no doubt be disrated captain bryce and his first lieutenant were still ashore with the garrison and the frigate's daily life had shown an amazing improvement apart from our own newly arrived marines there were no additional guards aboard and politho had sent lieutenant cavern to take temporary command until a new captain was appointed the fact that broughton had agreed to all this and cavern was seen to be the chosen officer aboard may the lieutenant's chance of promotion and permanent command very likely politha would be sorry to lose him but glad to see him get such an unexpected chance the horses slowed and topped the last rise so that he could see the harbor and the sea beyond spread like colorful map below him the anchor squadron the busy comings and goings of captain rook's shore boats showed both purpose and readiness once at sea it should not take too long to get each captain used to the other's ways for the ships to work as one through the mind of their admiral but where they would eventually sail or what their final role entailed was still a mystery broughton you a lot more than he confided and had said several times you prepare my ships politho i will settle the rest once i hear from london broughton certainly appeared confident that everything was working out to his satisfaction as the ships labored from sunrise to sunset restoring and watering replenishing cordage and sharing out whatever human harvest collected by rook's press gangs he spent most of his time in his cabin or dining ashore with the local officials who might help speed the refitting of his command all the gloom and most of the apprehension which the auriga's arrival had brought to falmouth had disappeared and belitha was grateful that broughton had shown humanity and such leniency over the matter what had occurred at spit head must never occur again and he would have to watch not only the auriga but each ship of the squadron to make doubly certain of it he picked up his sword from the seat and watched while the berlin rolled across the worn cobbles and squeaked to a halt outside the familiar coaching inn by the jetty the horses steaming and tossing their heads impatient for their rest and feed a few townspeople moved around the square but he was instantly aware of the red-coated soldiers and an air of tension which had been lacking when he had left with felwell's body for truro he saw rook hurrying towards him his face working with relief and concern what is it boletha took his arm and led him into the inn's long shadow rook glanced around him the gnaw the mutiny has not only spread but the whole of the fleet there is in the hands of mutineers and underarms he dropped his voice a brick from plymouth brought the news today your admiral is in a savage mood because of it polithur fell in step beside him keeping his face calm although his mind was racing at this latest news but how can it be that we have only just heard rook tugged at his neck cloth as if it was choking him a patrol found the london courier dead in a hedgerow his throat cut and his pouch empty someone knew he was riding here and made sure admiral broughton would stay in ignorance for as long as possible he signaled towards a seaman by the jetty call a boat alongside man molita walked to the edge of the warm stone work and looked towards the ships urialis shimmered in a heat haze and there seemed to be plenty of work going on both aloft and around her decks was it possible that things could change so quickly that order closer he saw that the boarding nets had been rigged and there were marines pacing the gangways and standing at both poop and foxel he climbed quickly out the side and through the end report removing his hat as the salutes shrilled once more and the guard presented arms weigel the third lieutenant said quickly the admiral is expecting you sir he looked uneasy i'm sorry your barge was not waiting at the jetty but all boats are recalled sir but either nodded thank you he masked his sudden apprehension and walked aft into the poop shadow he had to appear calm and normal even though he felt very much the reverse at the cabin bulkhead he saw there were three armed marines instead of the usual solitary guard and that their bayonets were fixed he tightened his jaw and opened the door conscious of rook's heavy breathing behind him of his own dry throat as he saw the other officers already assembled there a table had been arranged to thwart ships backed by chairs so that the cabin had taken on the appearance of a court of inquiry he saw too that the officers who were standing watching him in silence were the other captains from the squadron even the young commander from the sloop restless a lieutenant quite unknown to belay though hurried towards him his face set in a tight smile which could be either welcome or sheer relief at his arrival welcome back sir he gestured towards the closed door of broughton's small chart cabin celusius is expecting you sir he seemed to realize that belitha was still unmoving and added apologetically i'm calvitza the admiral's new flag lieutenant her patches of sweat he was very calm his face quite devoid of expression as he nodded to bolatho and then snapped the lieutenant wait outside calvert the lieutenant fidgeted with his coat and muttered the letter sir i thought god man are you deaf as well as stupid he leaned on the table and shouted i said get out as the door bang shot behind the wretched calvert polither waited for broughton's rage to expand it was just as if he had kept it contained to the last possible second until his return on board to receive the full brunt of it surprisingly his voice was almost normal as he continued by god i'm glad you got back aboard punctually he gestured to an open envelope on the table sailing orders at last that donkey calvert brought them from london polither waited allowing broughton time to calm down he said quietly had you wished it sir i could have obtained a flag lieutenant from the squadron broughton eyed him coldly oh to damnation with him some favor i received years ago has to be repaid i promise to take that fool off his father's hands and away from london he broke off and peered up at the skylight his head on one side as if listening then he said you've heard the news no doubt his chest was moving with sudden anger again these miserable treacherous scum have the impedance to mutiny a the whole fleet at the more a flame with with he groped for the word and then added harshly so much for your damned humanity conceit is what i call it if you believe for one single moment of their sought respect leniency molito said with all different sir i think there is no connection between the auriga and the trouble of the law do you not his voice was steady again too steady i can assure you captain bolatho i have already had my fill of treachery at spit head to have my own flagship taken over by a lot of crawling sanctimonious lying bastards the humiliation the very shame of it clings to me like the stench of a sewer there was a discreet tap at the door and captain gifford of the ship's marines peered in and reported already sir he withdrew hurriedly under broughton's stare polithos said may i ask what is happening sir you may brought and dragged his coat from the chair his face shining damply with sweat because of you i went against my better judgment because of you i allowed the auriga's mutineers to stay free and untried he swung round his eyes blazing because of you and your damned promises promises which you had neither the authority nor the right to offer i must leave them untouched if only to uphold your authority as flag captain he was shouting now and politha could picture the other captains beyond the closed door sympathizing with him or grateful that the superior was being cut down to their level politho did not know any of them enough to decide which he only knew he was both angry and bitter at the admiral sudden attack it was my decision sir there was no one else here at the time brought and yelled do not interrupt me belittle by god it might have been better if you would attack the auriga and blown her to pieces if they have officers like you or the nor then heaven help england he snatched his sword and clipped it into his belt adding well we shall see about mutiny in this squadron belitho controlled his voice with an effort i am sorry you cannot accept my judgment sir judgment broughton looked at him i call it surrender he shrugged and reached for his hat i cannot right or wrong but by heaven i'll show them i'll have no insubordination in my ships he threw open the door and stood into the great cabin be seated gentlemen he took his place in the center chair and gestured to polither to sit beside him now gentlemen i have called this summary caught by the authority invested in me which has been given special powers until such time as the present emergency has been curtailed polito looked quickly at the others their faces were like masks they were probably dazed by the swift change of events i'm wondering how it would affect them personally broughton seemed to be speaking to the opposite bulkhead his voice even and under control once more the ringleader of the auriga's insurrection was one thomas gates captain's clock he was uh allowed to escape and will no doubt be responsible with others for the death of the courier and seizure of my sealed dispatches the air in the cabin was stiff with tension so that shipboard noises seemed suddenly loud and unreal broughton continued calmly the masters made he glanced at the paper before him one john taylor at present under guard for conspiracy is thereby the senior culprit available to this court may i speak sir velato's voice made every head turn towards him for just those few seconds he saw the others as individuals the differing x-praise lock with bolithos from anyone then he wrapped the table with his knuckles bring in the prisoner bolatho sat quite still as taylor entered between two marines with captain gifford marching stiffly at his back he looked pale but composed and as he saw bolitho his face lit up with sudden recognition broughton eyed him coolly john taylor you are charged with mutinous conspiracy and seizure of his britannic majesty ship auriga you are accused with one other not yet in custody of this same act and are called here to receive sentence he tapped his fingertips together and added quietly your treachery at a time when england is fighting for her very life singles you out as a man without either pride or conscience you a master's mate trained and trusted by your superiors have betrayed the very service which has given you your means to live taylor seemed stunned he replied in a small voice not true sir he shook his head not true however broughton leaned back in his chair and looked at the deckhead beams in view of your past record and all that my flag captain has done and said on your behalf he broke off as taylor took half a step forward his eyes shining with sudden hope as a marine pulled him back again broughton added i have decided not to impose the maximum penalty as your case in mazing in on him as if he and not taylor had received the sentence end of disc two disc three return to your ships gentlemen and read my new standing orders which mr calvert will make available punishment will be carried out at eight bells tomorrow for noon normal procedure as they filed out past calvert politho said quietly why sir in the name of god why broughton looked past him his eyes bleak because i say so politho picked up his hat his mind dulled by the sudden savagery of broughton's justice any more orders for the present sir he did not know how he was managing to keep his tone formal and devoid of feeling he adds pass the word to captain bryce to resume command of auriga he regarded bolitho for several seconds mine is the responsibility too is the privilege bolatho met his gaze and replied if taylor had been given a court martial sir he stopped realizing how he had stepped into the trap broughton smiled gently a proper court martial would have hanged him and well you know it the sentence would have been carried out too late to make an example and time and indulgence would have been wasted as it is now taylor's punishment will act as a warning if not a deterrent to this squadron where we need it most and he may live to make capital from his one moment of personal insurrection and will have you to thank for it as bolitho turned to leave he added there will be a conference here immediately the punishment is completed make a signal for all captains to repair on board he took out his watch but i can leave that for you to arrange i think i've been invited to join a local magistrate for dinner a man called roxby know him my brother-in-law sir his voice was like stone really broughton walked towards his sleeping cabin you people seem to be everywhere the door slammed behind him velytho reached the quarter deck without seeing a foot of the journey the shadows were more angled and the sun already dipping towards the headland a few seamen lounged on the gangways and from foreign came the plaintiff notes of a violin the officer of the watch crossed to the opposite side to allow bolitho his usual seclusion and beside the boat tear two midshipmen were shrilling with laughter as they chased each other towards the main shrouds politho leaned his hands on the bulwark and stared unblinkingly of the orange sun he did not feel like pacing this evening and wherever he turned he seemed to see taylor's face the pathetic gratitude at receiving two dozen lashes changing to horror of the final sentence he would be down below now hearing the mitchelman laughing in the fiddler's sad lament maybe it was for him if so broughton's cruel example had already misfired he thought bitterly he shifted his gaze to the auriga as she swung gently at her cable some would say that taylor's punishment was a worthwhile sacrifice of one man against so many but for boletho's action every man aboard might have been flogged or worse or the ship could indeed have been lost to the enemy but there were others who would say that whatever the outcome the course of naval justice would never be found by flogging scapegoats and belittle knew taylor was one of these and was ashamed because of it but lytha was staring emptily through the great stern windows of his cabin when all day entered and said already captain without waiting for a reply he took down the old sword from its rack on the paneled bulkhead and turned it over in his hands pausing to rub the tarnished hilt across the sleeve of his jacket then he said quietly you did your best captain there's no value in blaming yourself politho held up his arms to allow the big coxswain to buckle the sword around his waist and then let them fall to his sides to the thick glass windows he could see the distant town swinging gently as wind and tide took the urilys under control he was again aware of the silence which had fallen over the whole ship since cavern had come down to report that the lower decks were cleared and it was close on eight bells he picked up his hat and glanced briefly around the cabin it should have been a good day for quitting the land a fair breeze had sprung up from the southwest overnight and the air was clean and crisp he sighed and walked from the cabin past the table and it's untouched breakfast through the door with a rigid sentry and towards the bright rectangle of sunlight and the open quarter deck beyond cavern was waiting his dark features inscrutable as he touched his hat and said formally two minutes sir bolitho studied the lieutenant gravely if cavern was brooding about his sudden removal from possible command he did not show it if he was thinking about his captain's feelings he concealed that too bolitho nodded and walked slowly to the weather side of the deck where the ship's lieutenants were already mustered slightly to leeward the senior warrant officers and midshipmen stood in neat lines their bodies swaying easily to the ship's motion a glance aft told him that gifford's marine boomed out and then came the doleful sound of drumming he saw the surgeon below the break in the poop whispering to tibbett the boson and his two mates one of whom carried the familiar red bay's bag the latter dropped his eyes as he realized his captain was looking at him broughton's fingers were tapping the hilt of his beautiful sword seemingly in time with a distant drum he appeared relaxed and as fresh as ever belitho tensed as one of the young midshipmen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand a quick nervous gesture which brought back a sudden memory like the feel of an old wound he had been only fourteen himself when he had witnessed his first flogging through the fleet he had seen most of it in a mist of tears and nausea and the nightmare had never completely left him in a service where flogging was commonplace and an accepted punishment and in many cases more than justified this final spectacle was still the worst where onlookers felt degraded almost as much as the victim broughton remarked we will be weighing this afternoon boleto our destination is gibraltar where i will receive further orders and news of developments he looked up at his flag at the fore and added a fine day for it bolito looked away trying to shut the persistent drumming from his ears all the ships are fully provisioned sir he stopped broughton knew that as well as he did it was just something to say why should this one event mar everything he should have realized by now that the days when he had been a young frigate captain were gone for good then faces and people were real individuals when one suffered it was felt throughout the cramped confines of the ship now he had to realize that men were no longer individuals they were necessities like the artillery and the rigging the fresh water supply and the very planking upon which he now stood he felt broughton watching and deliberately turned away but it did matter and he did care and he knew he could not change not for broughton or to further his own chances of promotion in the service he loved and now needed more than ever before he heard cavern clear his throat and then something like a sigh from the watching semen on the gangways around the boughs of the zeus the nearest 74 came a slow procession of long boats one from each ship in the squadron the oars rising and falling with the rogues march of the drum he could see uralus boat second in the line dark green like those now lashed in their tear and crowded with silent men each one in the procession carried marines the lethal glitter of their bayonets and gleam of scarlet bringing color to the grim spectacle as the boats turned slightly and headed for the flagship broughton said softly this should not take too long i think way enough the auriga's long boat glided alongside and hooked onto the main chains while the others swayed above their reflections to witness punishment politho took the articles of war from cavern and walked quickly to the entry port spargo the surgeon was already down in the boat accompanied by the bosun's mates and he glanced up as bolitho's shadow fell across the rigid oarsmen he said fit for punishment sir elito made himself look at the figure in the four part of the frigate's longboat bent almost double his arms lashed out on a capstan bar as if crucified it was hard to believe it was taylor the man who had come to ask for help for forgiveness and he removed his hat open the book and began to read the articles the sentence and punishment below in the boat taylor stirred slightly and belitha paused to look once again the thwarts and planking of the boat were covered with blood not the blood of battle but black like the remnants of torn skin which hung from his mangled back black and ripped so that the exposed bones shone in the sunlight like polished marble the bosun's mate glanced up and asked thickly two dozen sir do your duty politha replaced his hat and kept his eyes on the nearest two decker as the man drew back his arm and then brought the lash down with terrible force a step sounded beside him and brought and said quietly he seems to be taking it well enough no concern or real interest just a casual comment just a suddenly it was over and as the boat cast off again to continue its way to the next ship the litho saw taylor trying to turn his head to look up at him but he did not have the strength bolito turned away sickened by the sight of the contorted face the broken lips the thing which had once been john taylor he said harshly dismiss the hands mr cover he glanced involuntarily back again at the reformed procession two more ships to go he would never live through it a younger man possibly but not taylor he heard broughton's voice again very near if he had not been one of your old ship's company uh left sparrow was it he sighed you would not have felt so involved so vulnerable when molito did not reply he added curtly an example had to be made they'll not forget it i think the life has straightened his back and faced him his voice steady as he replied neither will i sir for just a few more seconds their eyes held and then the shutter seemed to fall as braun said i'm going below make the signal for all captains as soon as possible then he was gone bolitho took a grip of his thoughts his anger and disgust mr cavern you will instruct the midshipmen of the watch to bend the signal for all captains to repair on board cavern watched him curiously when shall it be hoisted sir a voice called signal from valorous sir prisoner has died under punishment eliza kept his eyes on cavern you may hoist it now then he turned on his heel and strode a bad beginning sharp at two bells of the four noon watch vice admiral seleucius broughton strode onto the uralysis quarter deck after nodding briskly to balaytho he took a glass from a midshipman and proceeded to study each ship of his squadron in turn politho ran his eye quickly along the upper deck where gun crews were going through their drill watched with extra attention now that the admiral had arrived by mayhew his round-faced second lieutenant it had been three days since they had sailed from falmouth a long slow three days during which they had logged a mere 400 miles politho gripped the quarter deck rail his body angled against the steep tilt as with her consorts urilys plunged ponderously on a slow starboard attack her great yards braced round the straining topsails hard bellied like metal in the wind not that it had been bad sailing weather quite the reverse skirting the bay of biscay for instance partridge the master had remarked that he had rarely seen it so favorable now with the freshening north westerly ruffling the sea into an endless panorama of crisp white caps it seemed likely the opportunity was going it would soon be time to reef rather than make more sale once clear of the land broughton had decided to start putting his ships through their paces to check the floors and draw out the varied qualities or otherwise of his new command belitho darted another glance towards him wondering what new complaints or suggestions would come out of his inspection in any flagship the captain was constantly aware of his admiral's presence must allow for every mood or whim and somehow work it into his own scheme for running a routine without confusion and yet he was surprised to find that he still knew broughton hardly at all he seemed to run his daily life by the clock with very little deviation breakfast at eight dinner at half past two and supper at nine exactly at nine o'clock each four noon he would come on deck and behave just as he was doing now if anything he appeared too rigid and not merely in his habits the first day at sea for instance he had put his battle tactics into immediate operation but unlike usual practice he had retained the urialis at third place in the line with only the one remaining 74 the valorous stationed a stern while the ships attacked and floundered in a quarter sea to obey his cursed signals broughton had remarked one must study the captains just as much as the ships they command balitho grasped immediately what he meant and had appreciated the sense of it it was pointless in some actions to have the most powerful ship the one flying the admiral's flag in particular crashing headlong into the enemy's line she could be disabled and rendered useless when she was most needed when the admiral had the time and information to know of the enemy's intentions without using a glass he could see the leading ships quite easily keeping the same positions that broughton had ordered from the outset leading the line and almost hidden by the straining topsails and four course of the next stern was the two decker's zeus she was an elderly 74 a veteran of the glorious first of june saint vincent and several smaller actions her captain robert rattray had been in command for three years and was known for his aggressive behavior in battle a bulldog tenacity which showed clearly on his square weathered face exactly the kind of captain to take the first searing crash of a broadside when testing the enemy's line a seasoned professional seaman but with little else in his head but a strong sense of duty and a desire to do battle captain falcon of the tane the second 74 was quite the opposite a mournful untidy looking man with hooded thoughtful eyes he would be the one to follow without question but would use his imagination as well as his training to explore rattray's first approach about a milestone of the urilys was the last in the line the valorous commanded by captain rodney ferno a tight-lipped and haughty autocrat she had proved to be a fast and maneuverable vessel under nearly all circumstances and provided she could maintain her station would be well placed to protect the flagship or run down to assist any of her consorts if they got into difficulties polito heard the glass close with its customary snap and turned to touch his hat as broughton walked towards him he said formally wind still from the northwest sir but freshening he saw broughton's eyes move slowly along the sweating lines of seamen at the guns the new course is south west by west broughton gave a grunt good your gun crews appear to be adequate that was one thing belitha had learned broughton usually opened the day with some such comment like a spur or a calculated insult he replied calmly clear for action in 10 minutes or lesser and then three broadsides every two minutes brought and studied him thoughtfully that is your standard is it yes sir i have heard of some of your standards broughton placed his hands on his hips and peered up at the main top where some marines were exercising with a swivel gun i hope our people will remember when the time comes politho waited there would be more the admiral said absently when i dined with your brother-in-law at falmouth he was telling me something of your broughton shoulder to the broad orderly quarter deck the great double wheel with its attentive helmsman and masters mate it was hard to see it as the bloody shambles on that day hugh had died using his own body as a shield to save his son adam who was still completely ignorant of his father's presence as men had screamed and died in the dinner battle broughton said and all over a duel i believe could never understand the stupid attitude of people who made dueling a crime do you pride yourself as a swordsman by any chance politho forced a smile my sword has often been a comfort in battle sir he could not see where this line of torque was leading the admiral showed his teeth they were very small and even a duel is for gentleman he shook his head but as there seemed to be so many in parliament today who are neither swordsmen nor gentlemen i suppose we must expect this sort of obstruction he glanced towards the poop i will take a walk for half an hour polithur watched him go up the poop ladder the admiral's daily walk it never varied either he let his mind return to broughton's plan of battle perhaps the answer lay with him rather than the plan too much rigidity but surely he would have learned from experience that in many cases ships were called to give battle when scattered and without any set order at all at sin vincent where broughton had actually fought commodore nelson had once again confronted the critics by dashing into the attack without regard for any set stratagem belief who had mentioned it to broughton and had gained one further clue to his unwavering attitude he had snapped nelson nelson that's all i hear i saw him in his damned captain although i was busy myself at the time more luck on his side than any sense of timing he had become very cool with equal suddenness give your people a plan something to learn and learn until they can act as one in total darkness or the middle of a typhoon keep at them without rest until they can think of nothing else you can keep your damned heroics for my part give me a plan one that is well tried and i'll give you a victory but either thought back over that one brief insight broughton was actually jealous senior to nelson an officer he did not even know except by reputation with influence and breeding to support his every move and yet he was jealous for all that it did not add much to bolitho's knowledge of his superior but it did make him seem more human broughton had never mentioned taylor's death or the savage flogging since weighing anchor even at the hasty conference after the punishment he had made little comment but for one about maintaining discipline at all times in fact as the wine had been passed around the assembled captains in the same cabin where taylor had heard his terrible fate broughton had been completely at ease even jocular as he told the others of the sailing orders for gibraltar politho could recall seeing the auriga's longboat grounding on a sandbar the marines digging a hasty grave for taylor's corpse working fast in the sunlight to beat a rising tide taylor would rot in an unmarked grave a martyr or a victim of circumstances it was hard to know which once at sea again politho had watched his own ship's company for any sign of unrest but the daily routine had kept them too busy perhaps for recriminations or argument the squadron had sailed without further incident and with no fresh news of the troubles of the law he shaded his eyes to peer at the glittering horizon line somewhere out there far to windward and visible only to the masthead lookouts with the ship in question the auriga once again under the command of her original captain bryce belleither had made it his business to summon him aboard just prior to sailing and had given him a warning as to his behavior he had known it to be useless even as he was speaking to him bryce had stood quite still in his cabin his hat beneath his arm his pale eyes avoiding bolithos until he had finished then he had said softly vice admiral broughton does not accept that there was a mutiny neither sir did you when you came aboard my ship the fact that i am being returned to my rightful command surely proves that whatever wrongs were committed were by others he had smiled slightly one who escaped and the other who was treated with more leniency that might be expected in these dangerous times bolitho had walked around the table feeling the other man's hate behind the mask of quiet amusement knowing his own feelings were lit had minds of their own would your eyelash be remembering it too he wondered it was here that she had fought under the french flag against bolitho's old hyperion where her decks ran scarlet and the battle raged without let up until its grisly conclusion but maybe ships did not care after all men died crying for half-remembered wives and children for mothers or for their comrades in hell others lived on in a maimed existence ashore forgotten by the sea and avoided by many of those who could have helped them but the ships sailed on impatient perhaps with the fools who manned them sir zeus is signaling the midshipmen of the watch was suddenly galvanized into action he jumped into the shrouds his big telescope already to his eye she used to flag strange sail bearing northwest he looked down at belitho his face shining with excitement politho nodded excellent mr tartle that was quickly done he glanced around and saw cavern hurrying towards him the signal probably meant nothing but after drills and dragging uncertainty any sort of change was welcome it had swept his other thoughts away like cobwebs sir cavern eyed him intently dismiss the hands from drills and prepare to set the gallants on her he looked aloft his eyes watering in the crisp breeze the royals too if the wind gets no worse as he hurried away broughton reappeared on the quarter deck his face very calm polithos said sail to the northwest sir he saw the brightness in the admiral's eyes and guessed how hard it was for him to appear so controlled broughton pursed his lips signaled the auriga to intercept i sir politho beckoned to the signal midshipman and could almost feel broughton's impatience at his back only the previous day he had sent the other frigate coquette on a head at full speed to reach gibraltar with his dispatches and to make sure there was no change in plans for his squadron with auriga to windward and the little sloop restless sweeping downwind in the hopes of snatching a french or spanish fisherman for information it had left his resources very strained the boy reported auriga has acknowledged sir politho could picture the scene on the frigate's deck as the distant flags had been studied probably from some swaying yard far above the sea by another midshipman like tottenhill he could well imagine bryce's feelings at this moment too a chance to further his position with the admiral and before the whole squadron would not be taken lightly and haven't helped any poor wretch who displeased him at such a time he took the big glass and climbed up beside the midshipmen in the weather shrouds and trained it towards the horizon the frigate leapt into view her topsails already filling as she went about and dashed towards the newcomer he could imagine the sounds of spray cascading over her bow sprit the screamer blocks and rigging as more and more canvas thundered out from her yards to contain and hold the wind for our own power it was easy to forget men like bryce at such times he thought vaguely auriga was a beautiful little ship a living vital thing as she healed to the wind and buried her league gunports in foam he returned to the deck and said permission to give chase sir for another small moment he shared a common understanding and excitement with broughton saw his jaw tighten the gleam in his eyes he airs he stood aside as bolitho raised his hand to cavern then he added all ships will however retain their stations see to it as the signal soared up the yards and broke to the wind polither saw the other ships hoist their acknowledgements as one every captain must have been waiting for this praying for something to break the monotony and the uncertain watchfulness which had dogged them since falmouth overhead the growing spread of canvas cracked and boomed the great yards bending like bows until they looked as if they would tear free from the masts the hull tilted still further so that men hastening about the upper deck seemed to be leaning at strange and unreal angles while more and still more canvas bellied out to the wind on the lower gun deck the porch would be completely submerged and bolitho could hear the pumps already clanking as the hull took the strain and accepted it but they were overhauling the nearest 74 and through the straining crisscross of rigging and shrouds he could see the officers on the tane's quarter deck peering a stern of the flagship as she began to creep up on them broughton said testily signal 10a to make more sale damn it as he walked away to the opposite side belitho heard partridge mutter he'll have the sticks out of her if she does boy god polithos snapped mr tuthill get to the masthead and double quick i need some good eyes up there today he made himself walk slowly back and forth on the weather side hating the slow pace of the squadron as he tried to picture what the other ship was doing dick there seems his signaling sir enemy in sight his voice was shrill with excitement a frigate steering due east cavern rubbed his hands running for vigo i shouldn't wonder he looked unusually tense and bolitho guessed he was probably picturing what might have been with himself commanding auriga instead of bryce he replied there's a good chance we can head her off mr cavern bryce had the wind almost under his coattails and was fairly flying across the path of his slow and ponderous consorts the french could either try to outpace him or go about and lose valuable time trying to beat out to sea again if he chose the latter course one of the ships in line might even get an opportunity he jerked round as broughton wrapped god damn the valorous he threw his telescope to a seaman now she's falling back the signal soared aloft immediately to urilys yards make more sail but even as the acknowledgement broke from the two decker the litho saw her four top gallant sail disintegrate like ashes as it tore itself to fragments in the wind politho said shall i signals used to chase independently sir she's got a good lead he knew the answer already saw broughton's mouth tightening as he added the frenchman might still slip away from the auriga now one word with nothing to show disappointment or anger polito looked away the frenchman would be surprised that there was no change in the squadron's line of advance he was somewhere right ahead of the column hidden by zeus's tall pyramid of sales and moving very fast but auriga had crossed over now and he could see her speeding down wind every sail set and drawing its full as she tore towards the enemy as she lifted and smashed down across the city lines of white caps he could see the sunlight playing on her bad copper and a sleek hull which shone in the glare-like glass zeus edged slightly out of line and politho held his breath as he watched the french frigates sway momentarily into view about five miles away it did not seem possible that they had converged on her so quickly auriga would be about three miles distant and she had already overreached the other frigate politho tried to clear his mind to think what he would do in the enemy's place go about or tried to continue towards the land hidden below that mocking horizon there was certainly no chance of beating the auriga on her present course yet if he made a dash for it he was almost sure to run into the arms of a british patrol along the portuguese coast vigo was the last safe refuge unless he was prepared to turn and fight broughton said make a general signal shorten sail and reform correct stations he eyed belitho bleakly auriga can handle the frog now as the signal was passed and repeated up and down the line polither could almost sense the frustration around him four powerful ships yet because of broughton's inflexible rules as impotent as merchantmen a dull bang echoed across the water and the lytha saw a puff of brown smoke drifting towards the french ship bryce had fired a ranging shot although it was not possible to see where it fell every glass came up as cavern said hoarsely the frog's wearing ship my god look at him the french captain had mistimed it badly alive though could almost pity him as he put his ship round in an effort to cross the auriga's bows he could see her bare bilge the sun dancing on her straining sails as the yard swung still further until she was healing right over in her own spray a solid thunder of gunfire echoed and re-echoed across the tossing water and bolitho imagined bryce's first broadside smashing into the exposed bilge as he used his advantage of wind and position to follow her round somebody in the urilys fortop raised a cheer but otherwise there was complete silence as seamen and marines watched the frigates overlapping clawing closer and closer to each other the smoke already whipped free in the wind another ripple of flashes this time from the frenchman but the auriga's masts and yards remained intact whereas the enemy's canvas was pitted with holes a main topsail tearing itself to ribbons after the first barrage cavern whispered a good prize i'm thinking we can do with another frigate anyway it was hard to distinguish what was happening now the two ships could only be half a cable apart and getting nearer each minute more cannon fire and then the enemy's missing top gallant pitched down into the rolling smoke the ripped canvas and rigging following it into the bedroom below braun said she'll strike soon the winds drop in sir partridge kept his voice hushed as if fearful of breaking the concentration broughton replied it does not matter now he was smiling a new silence had fallen and across the last three miles which separated the zeus from the two frigates they could see that the gunfire had ceased and both ships lay locked together it was over broughton said softly well well bolatho what do you have to say about that submarines on the folks will remove their shackles and began to cheer the cry taken up aboard the tane directly ahead polito brushed past the admiral and snatched a telescope from its rack as the cheering began to falter and die almost as soon as it was begun he felt his skin chill as he watched the flag fluttering down from the auriga's peak like a wounded bird to be replaced instantly by another the same flag which still lifted gently above the tattered sails of her adversary the tricolor of france cavern gasped by god those bastards have struck the frogs they never even tried to fight him he sounded stunned with disbelief the auriga was already drifting clear of the frenchman and there was fresh activity on her deck and yards as she swung slowly downwind and away from the helpless squadron through the glass belitha could see her marines their red coats making a patch of color as they were disarmed and herded below by a french boarding party not that the boarding party was necessary he thought bitterly the whole of the ship's company which seconds before had been fighting so well had surrendered gone over to the enemy he replaced the glass unable to hold it because his hand was shaking with both anger and despair without effort he could see the delegates gathered in the little inn at varian bay all day in his hidden pistol the man called gates and john taylor crucified and maimed because he had tried to help partridge said in a small voice no chance of catching him now they'll be in viggo of fort dusk he looked away his shoulders slumped to see it happen like that broughton was still staring at the two frigates which were already pulling away and spreading more sale you may signal restless to take station to windwood he sounded remote like a stranger then make a general signal to resume original course he looked to belitha so there's an end to your talk of loyalty his tone was like a whip but lytho shook his head you told me you must understand a captain as much as the ship he commands i believe you sir he moved his gaze towards the distant auriga she seemed to have grown smaller under the alien flag just as i believe that while men like bryce are permitted their authority such things as we have witnessed today may continue broughton stepped back as if polither had uttered some terrible obscenity then he said captain bryce may have fallen in battle he walked aft for his sake i trust that is the case then he vanished into the gloom below the poop lieutenant mayhew said loudly well there was nothing we could do to stop it now if i could have got my battery to bear we could have given them a lesson in manners several unemployed officers joined in the discussion and all day who had been standing below the poop in case he was needed glared at them with disgust he saw bolitho pacing slowly back and forth on the weather side his head lowered in thought all the rest of them were pretending to console him and themselves but really they wanted to be reassured and had no idea what the captain was thinking but all they knew had seen the pain in his gray eyes at the first sight of that hated trickler he would be recalling the time when he had been made to fight another british ship under an enemy flag with his own brother in command he was feeling auriga shame like his own and all these empty-headed puppies could talk about was their own blameless part in it all day strode towards bolito hardly realizing that his feet had started to move he saw belitho halt the swift anger in his eyes at being disturbed what is it the voice was cold but all day was undeterred or he was just thinking captain he paused gauging the moment the frogs have just got a british frigate but not by force of arms well he sounded dangerously calm all day grinned or he was just looking around while all that was going on the grin got wider now this three decker for instance i seem to remember we took her together without too much difficulty in the face of some very angry frogs politho glared at him that is a damn stupid comparison to make if you can think of nothing more useful to say then be good enough to get out of my sight his voice was loud enough to make several heads turn in their direction all day walked slowly away hopeful and at the same time afraid that he had for once mistimed his attempt to help polito's voice halted him now that you mention it all day bolatho dropped his eyes as the other man turned towards him it was a fine prize and still is thank you for reminding me it was wrong i should forget what british semen can do all day glance to the silent lieutenants and smile gently before sauntering back to his place by the poop ladder bolatho's voice broke the silence again very well mr cavern you may pipe the lower battery to quarters and exercise the cruise now that the ports are no longer awash he paused though of the valares took a glass of wine from the cabin servant and i did critically don't look much of diplomat if you ask me he turned his hearty face towards politho in war we seemed to attract the oddest sort of advisors what bolitho smiled and nodded to the others and then walked to the open stern windows on the far side of the bay quivering and misty in hayes was al jacerus where already many telescopes would be trained on the british squadron and messengers riding to carry the news inland the garrisons the visitor aboard the flagship the man whose sudden an unheralded appearance was causing such speculation was certainly unusual he had come offshore in the governor's launch and swarmed up through the entry port almost before the side party had got into position to receive him dressed in well-cut and expensive coat and britches he had snapped no need for all this sort of thing now damn time to waste his name was sir hugo drafen and in spite of his dress and title he looked like a man who was more accustomed to hard activity and physical effort rather than one of more leisurely pursuits thick said even squat his face was very tanned his eyes surrounded with tiny wrinkles as if well used to the sun and more severe climates than whitehall broughton called hastily from his quarters where he had spent most of the remainder of the voyage had been strangely quiet even subservient towards his guest and bolitho imagined there was far more to draften than any of them yet realized captain gilmore of the frigate coquette sent on a head of the squadron in search of fresh information said gloomily he came aboard my ship when i anchored he was a lanky even ungainly young man and his long face was frowning as he relived the meeting with graffon when i suggested i should return and contact the squadron he told me not to bother he shuddered and when i asked him why he told me to mind my own damn business falcon of the tane put down his glass and said grimly at least you were spared seeing auriga's disgrace the others looked at him and at each other it was the first time it had been mentioned polithos said i doubt that we will be in suspense much longer he wondered briefly if the others had noticed his exclusion from the talk now going on in brawn's cabin beneath his feet it was unusual but then so it appeared was draften gilmore said sharply had i been there i'd have sunk both of them rather than let such a thing occur furno drawled but you were not there young fella so you are conveniently spared any of the blame eh that will do gentlemen belittle step between them aware of the sudden tension what happened happened recriminations will help no one unless they are used to act as a guard and a warning he looked at each of them in turn we will have plenty of work to do before long so save your energy for that the doors opened and broughton followed by draften and the flag lieutenant entered the cabin brought nodded curtly be seated gentlemen he shook his head as the servant offered him a glass wait outside until i have finished belitha noticed that draften had gone to the stern windows either disinterested in what was happening or placing himself where he could see their faces without being observed himself broughton cleared his throat and glanced at graffon's squat figure almost black against the sunlit windows as you are well aware our fleet has been excluded from the mediterranean since the close of last year bonaparte's advances in conquests in italy and genoa closed all harbors against us and it was found necessary to withdraw graffon crossed from the window it was a quick agile movement and his words matched his obvious impatience if i may interrupt solutions he turned his back on broughton without awaiting a reply we will cut this short a little use for the navy's indulgence in his own affairs he smiled the wrinkles around his eyes pulling together like crow's feet england is alone in a war against a dedicated and if you will pardon the expression a professional adversary with the fleets of france and spain combining at brest for one great attack and then invasion of england the withdrawal of ships to reinforce the channel and atlantic fleets seemed not only prudent but greatly urgent politho i'd brought narrowly expecting some sign of anger or resentment but his face was like stone draften continued briskly jarvis his victory over that combined fleet of saint vincent has postponed may be smashed altogether any chance of a military invasion across the english channel and has also proved the poorness of cooperation between the franco spanish alliance at sea so it would seem sensible to assume that bonaparte will spread his influence elsewhere and soon broughton said suddenly shall i continue if you wish graphene took out a watch but please be quick broughton swallowed hard this squadron will be the first force of any size to re-enter the mediterranean he got no further look at this chart gentleman draften snatched it from lieutenant calvert's hand and opened it on the table as the others crowded closer politho darted another glance at broughton he looked pale and for a few seconds he saw his eyes gleaming with anger across graphene's broad back here 250 miles along the spanish coast is cartagena where many of their ships were based prior to sailing for breast politho followed the man's spatulate finger as it crossed southward over the mediterranean to the craggy outline of the algerian coast south east from spain a mere 150 miles lies jaffu polito realized with a start that draften was looking up at him his eyes very still and intent do you know it captain by reputation sir once the lair of barbary pirates i believe a good natural harbor and little elves graffon smiled but his eyes were still unblinking the dons seized it some years ago to protect their own coast trade now that they are allied to the french its harbor may be seen in another light entirely rattray asked gruffly as a baser maybe graphene straightened his back that my agents have reported some comings and goings from cartagena it would be well if our re-entry to the mediterranean was given a purpose something positive he tapped the chart again your admiral knows what is expected of him but i will tell you now that i intend to see our flag over jaffu and without too much delay in the sudden silence broughton said stiffly my squadron is under strength sir he glanced away and added however if you think graphene nodded firmly indeed i do think solutions i made arrangements for bomb vessels from lisbon they will be here within a day or so his tone hardened if the fleeted spit head and the law had been less concerned with their own domestic affairs i dare say your squadron would be 15 or even 20 sale of the line instead of four he shrugged and having only one frigate now he shrugged again dismissing it about that remains your own concern he snapped his fingers now i suggest a toast so get that servant in here he grinned at their mixed expressions after that there will be plenty to do he looked again at politho you say very little captain broughton snapped i will instruct my flag captain in my own way if you please sir hugo as it should be draften remains smiling however i will be joining the squadron for some of the time he took the glass from the servant adding just to ensure that your way is also mine a politho turned away his mind already busy with graphene's brisk but extremely sparse information it was good news indeed to know that british ships would be attacking the southern approaches of bonaparte's growing empire once again to take and hold a new and strategically placed base for the fleet was a plan of both skill and imagination but if on the other hand broughton's squadron was being used merely as a cat's poor a means to make the enemy withdraw forces back to the mediterranean on a large scale things might go badly for all of them there was no doubting drafen's authority although what his exact status was remained a mystery maybe the news had already reached him of a worsening situation at the law the sacrifice of this small squadron to ease enemy pressure around the channel ports would seem no worse than taylor's death had measured with broughton himself whatever had been already decided politho knew that he would be directly involved in each part of it the outlook should have cheered him but the thought of having broughton and draften in overall control was another prospect entirely broughton had moved away to talk with ferno and raffan crossed to belitho's side obviously about to take his leave he said glad to have met you captain i think we are going to get on very well together he signaled to calvert and then added calmly as a matter of fact i used to know your brother then he swung on his heel and made his way to broughton and the others chapter six ships in company politho did not see sir hugo drafen again for three days but he was kept too busy with affairs aboard the uriles and the other ships of the squadron to find much time for speculation over his parting remarks the fact that he had known hugh implied that draften had lived or worked in the west indies or even america during the revolution there otherwise there seemed little point in being so secretive about the meeting graffen had the mark of a trader one of the sort who helped create colonies merely by finding a personal reason for making money he was shrewd and bolatho imagined not a little ruthless when it suited him polithur knew there might be nothing more in draften's remarks than a first move in making contact between them if they were going to work in harmony over the next weeks or months it was a natural thing to expect of him but the caution built up in bolitho over the years since his brother's change of allegiance and made him sensitive to a point of being over cautious whenever hugh's name was mentioned there was much to do taking on extra stocks of food and water for the coming voyage and gathering any additional equipment which could be begged borrowed or bribed from the rock once abroad in the mediterranean they would be without base or supplies other than that which they might seize for themselves and there was now an additional more pressing need for self-dependence two days after anchoring bolitho had seen a sloop of war tack busily into the bay carrying it was said dispatches and news from england eventually broughton had sent for him his features grim as he had said the mutiny of the nor is worse nearly every ship is in the hands of the delegates he had spat out the word like poison they're blockading the river and holding the government ransom until their demands are met broughton had jumped to his feet and moved restlessly about his cabin like a caged animal admiral duncan was blockading the dutch coast what can he do with most of his ships at anchor and under the flag of revolution i will inform the other captain sir yes at once that sloop is returning to england at once with dispatches so there is little fear of our people being inflamed he added slowly i have included in my report the details of the auriga's loss it might suit the french to use her for spying so the sooner our ships are aware of her new identity the better we do not know yet that she did strike her colours in mutiny he had not looked at belatha all her officers may have been killed or disabled as she closed for boarding in the confusion she could have been overwhelmed he had obviously not believed it any more than balatho nevertheless there was sufficient doubt to allow broughton to make the evasive comments in his report the news of a british ship changing sides for any reason at a moment like this might spark off even worse troubles in the fleet if that were possible broughton had been content to give more and more work to belitho while the squadron completed its preparations for sailing the news from the law coupled with the auriga's loss had made a deep and noticeable impression on him he seemed withdrawn and when alone with bolatho less composed than ever before his experiences at spit head aboard his own flagship had obviously scarred him deeply as rook had once suggested he spent a good deal of his time ashore conferring with braffen or the governor but always went alone keeping his thoughts to himself lieutenant calvert seemed unable to do anything right for his admiral and his life was fast becoming a nightmare high bred he might be but he seemed completely incapable of grasping the daily affairs of signals and directives which passed through his hands for the captains of the squadron the litho suspected that broughton used his flag lieutenant to work off some of his own nagging uncertainties if it was his idea to make calvert's existence a misery he was certainly succeeding it was pitiful to hear midshipman total explaining respectfully but firmly the rights and wrongs of signal procedure to him and almost worse calvert's obvious gratitude not that it helped him very much any sudden burst of anger from broughton and calvert's latest horde of knowledge seemed to dissipate to the wind forever on the afternoon of the third day as bolitho was discussing the preparations with cavern the officer of the watch reported that the two bomb vessels were arriving and already dropping anchor close in shore shortly afterwards a launch grappled alongside and her coxswain passed a sealed letter aboard for balato's attention it was from graffon and typically brief politha was to meet him aboard the heckler one of the bombs immediately he would come by way of the launch which had brought the letter broughton was ashore so after giving cavern his instructions politho clambered into the boat to be road to the heckler for the meeting all day watched him leave with ill-disguised annoyance for belitha to use anything but his own barge was unthinkable and as the launch pulled away from the uriah as his side he felt a sudden pang of anxiety if anything ever happened to bolitho and he was suddenly like this alone what would he do he was still staring after the boat as it vanished around the zeus's stern his eyes unusually troubled in all his service polither had never before laid eyes on a bomb vessel although he'd heard of them often watching him with a kind of fascination drafen called come up here balitho you'll get a better view belitho took drafen's proffered hand like the man it was tough and hard he said that lieutenant is he the captain now i sent him below just before you came aboard he shrugged sorry if i disturbed your traditional ceremonial but i wanted my chart from his cabin he grinned cabin indeed my watchdog has better quarters he gestured forward no wonder they build these bombs the way they do every timber is twice as thick as that in any other vessel the recoil and downward shock of those beauties would tear the guts out of a lesser howl politho followed his hand and saw the two massive mortars mounted in the center of the four deck short black and incredibly ugly they nevertheless had a muzzle diameter of over a foot each he could imagine without effort the great strain they would put on the timbers to say nothing of those at the receiving end of their bombardment the other vessel anchored closer beam was very similar and aptly named devastation draften added half to himself the bombs will sail at night no sense in letting those jackals at al jacerus know too much too early eh the litho nodded it made good sense he looked sideways at the other man as drafen turned to watch some semen flaking down a rope with the ease of spiders constructing a web graphene was older than he had imagined near a sixty than fifty his gray hair contrasting sharply with his tanned features and brisk muscular figure he said the news from england was bad sir i heard it from solutions draften sounded indifferent some people never learn he did not explain what he meant but instead turned and said about your brother i met him when he commanded that privateer i understand you destroyed his ship eventually his eyes softened slightly i have been learning quite a lot about you lately and that piece of information makes me especially envious i hope i could do what you did if called the mood changed again as he added of course i cannot possibly believe all i've heard about you no man can be that good he grinned at bolitho's uncertainty and pointed over his shoulder now take what the hecklers commander has told me for instance never heard the like ballista swung round and then stared with astonishment the man facing him his long horse face changing from confusion to something like wild delight was france's inch no longer a mere lieutenant but wearing the single epilet on his left shoulder commander inch hyperion's first lieutenant at that final bloody embrace with the kia's ships in the bay of biscay inch step forward bobbing awkwardly it's mesa inch politho took his hands in his not realizing until now just how much he had missed him and the past he represented i always told you that i should see you get a command of your own he did not know what to say and was very conscious of draffen's grinning face an inch peering at him in that familiar eager way which had once nearly driven him mad with exasperation inch beamed it was either a bomb or first lieutenant of a 74 against her he looked suddenly sad after the old hyperion i didn't want another he allowed his grin to break through now i have this he looked around his small command and this he touched the epaulette and you have a wife now but i thought guess that inch would have refrained from mentioning her he would not wish to remind him of his own loss inch nodded i sir with some of the prize money you got for us i've purchased a modest house at weymouth i hope you will do us the honor he became his old self again unsure and bumbling but then i'm sure you will be too busy for that sir bolatho gripped his arm i will be delighted inch it is good to see you again drafen remarked dryly so there is warm blood in a sea officer after all inch shuffled his feet i shall write to hannah tonight she will be pleased to hear about our meeting the light though i drafted thoughtfully you certainly kept this as a surprise sir the navy has its ways of doing things he looked at the towering rock and i have mine he turned to inch now commander if you will leave us alone i have some matters to discuss politico said dine with me tonight inch aboard the flagship he grinned to cover the sudden emotion brought on by inch's appearance your next promotion may be speeded that way he saw inches pleasure as he scurried over to his lieutenant and guest he would soon be retelling some of the old stories for his benefit draften remarked not much of an officer i suspect till you got your hands on him the litho replied quietly he had to learn the hard way i never met a man more loyal nor one so lucky in many ways if we meet the enemy i suggest you stay close by commander inch sir he has the knack of remaining alive when all about him are falling and the ship herself is in pieces drafter nodded i will bear it in mind he changed to a brisket tone all being well your squadron is sailing tomorrow evening the bombs will follow later but your admiral can give you fuller details than i he seemed to come to a decision i've made it my business to study your record politho this venture we are undertaking will call for much resource and initiative you may have to twist the admiralty rules to suit the occasion i happen to know that such methods are not unknown to you he smiled dryly in my experience i found that war needs special men with their own ideas hard and fast rules are not for this game pleither had a sudden mental picture of broughton's face when he had requested him to give zeus permission to chase the frenchman of his plan of battle his apparent mistrust of anything untried or smelling of unorthodox methods he said i only hope we are not too late and that the french have not enlarged the defenses at jaffu draften looked round quickly and then said i have certain influence connections if you like and i do not intend you should have to rely entirely on luck and personal bravery i know the algerian coast well and its people oh for the most part are both murderous and completely untrustworthy the smile returned but we will use what we can and make the best of it as john paul jones said under very similar circumstances if we cannot have what we like we must learn to like what we have he thrust out his hand i must go and see some people ashore now no doubt we will be meeting again very shortly the latter watched him climb down into his boat and then joined inch by the bulwark inch said a strange man sir very deep i believe so he wields a good deal of power nevertheless inch side he was telling me earlier about the place where we're going he seems well versed in details he shook his head yet i can find hardly anything about it but i thought nodded thoughtfully trade but what sort of trade would anyone find in a place like jaffu and where was the connection with the caribbean and his meeting with hugh he said i must return to my ship we will talk more at dinner although there are no familiar faces for you to see i'm afraid inch grind except all day sir i cannot imagine you without him bolitho clapped his bony shoulder and neither can i later as he stood alone in his cabin the litho opened his shirt and toyed with a small locket his eyes unseeing as he stared through the stern windows inch would never guess how much his arrival had meant to him like the locket something to hold on to something familiar one of his old hyperions there was a tap at the door and calvert entered nervously holding some papers before him as if for protection polithos smiled be seated i will sign them and you may distribute them to the squadron before dusk calvert did not hide his relief as bolitho sat at the desk and reached for a pen the litho's action saved him from having to face brawn when he came off shore his eyes fell on bolitho's sword lying on the bench seat where he had put it when he returned from seeing the heckler in spite of all his caution he said how i say so may i look at it bolitho stared at him it was unlike calvar to say much other than mutter excuses for his mistakes his eyes were positively shining with sudden interest certainly mr calvert he sat back to watch as the lieutenant drew the old blade from the scabbard and held it in line with his chin are you a swordsman like solution calvert did not reply directly he ran his fingers around the old and tarnished hilt and then said a beautiful balancer beautiful he looked to belitho guardedly i have an eye for it sir then see that you restrain your eye mr calvert it can cause you much trouble calvert replaced the blade and became his old self again thank you sir for allowing me to hold it but litha pushed the papers towards him and added slowly and tried to be more definite in your affairs many officers would give their arms for your appointment so make good use of it calvert withdrew stammering and smiling bolitho sighed and stood up as all day entered the cabin his eyes immediately falling on the sword which he replaced on its rack against the bulkhead he said mr calvert was here then cotton polito smiled at all day's curiosity he was he seemed very interested in the sword all day i did thoughtfully and so he might yesterday i saw him showing off to some of the midshipmen they lit a candle and drury the youngest of them held it in the air for mr calvert to strike at polithus swung round that was a damn stupid thing to do all day shrugged he'd have no worry captain the flag left on blade parted the wick and flame without even touching the candle he cleared his throat noisily you'll have to watch that one captain politho looked at him as you say all day i will jed partridge the master tugged at his battered hat as bolitho strode from beneath the poop and reported steady sir southeast by east very well polither nodded to the officer of the watch and then crossed to the weather side of the quarter deck filling his lungs with a cool evening air the squadron had weighed in the remorseless heat of a noon sun but with an encouraging northwesterly breeze had soon formed into a tight column each ship taking her prescribed station and keeping their interchange of signals to a minimum many telescopes must have followed them from the spanish coast and there would be plenty of speculation as to their destination it was unlikely that the enemy would give much weight to so smaller force but there was no sense in taking chances once clear of the land each captain would know that almost any ship he might meet would be an enemy even neutrals and there were precious few of those must be treated with suspicion and as possible informers of the squadron's course and whereabouts but now it was evening and in the mediterranean it was a time which bolitho always found full of fresh fascination while the four ships of the lion rolled and plunged easily in a deep swell with a steady and unwavering wind sweeping down across the larbid quarter he could see the shadows lengthening on the gangways the sea beyond the bows already vague in deeper purple yet a stern the sky was salmon pink the dying sunlight trailing down from the horizon and making the valorous topsails shine like giant seashells if this wind and sea held it would be possible for all of them to keep good station during the night which would please broughton he thought cavern crossed the deck and said the visibility will not enjoy much longer sir the litho glance towards the masters returned shape by the helmsman we will alter course two points directly mr partridge he sought out midshipman tottel by the lee shrouds and added you'll bend on the signal for the squadron attack in succession steer east by south he did not have to bother further with the midshipmen tot hill and his signal party had already proved themselves more than capable he would make a good officer bolitho thought vaguely he said to cavern each ship will show a stern light in case we get scattered it may help the coquette if she comes searching for us the frigate in question was sweeping some 15 miles a stern of the column a wise precaution to ensure that they were not already being shadowed by some curious enemy patrol the little sloop restless was only just visible to windward of the zeus and bolitho imagined that her young and newly appointed commander would be considering the sudden importance of his role the sloop was the only vessel present and fast enough should a suspicious sale need investigating it was always the same never enough frigates and now that the auriga was denied them they must be even more sparing in long range operations tot hill called signal bent answer good melitho nodded to cavern carry on i must inform the admiral he found broughton and graphene sitting at opposite ends of the long table in the admiral's dining cabin and sensed the complete silence stretching between them well broughton leaned back in his chair his fingers tapping slowly against an untouched glass of claret ready to alter course solutions he saw draften watching him his eyes gleaming in the light from the overhead lanterns and the pink glow through the windows very good broughton tugged out his watch no sign of pursuit nancer brought and grunted carry on then if you please i may come up later graffon rose to his feet and steadied himself against the table as you rile us tilted her massive bilge into another lazy trough i would like to join you if i may captain he nodded equally to broughton never get wary of watching ships under command you know brought and snapped at just a moment but when politho turned back from the door he shook his head nothing attend to your duties end of disc three disc four on the quarter deck draft remarked calmly sharing the admiral's quarters is not the easiest way of traveling pilato smiled you can have my own quarters with pleasure sir i spend more time in my chart room than i do in a cot the other man shook his head his eyes already seeking out the various parties of semen mustered their stations in readiness for the next order from aft celusius and i come from different poles bellatho but it would be well to forget social differences for the present at least politho forgot drafen and the tensions in the great cabin and turn towards cavern make the signal and as the flags darted up the halyards and broken patiently to the wind he added sharply be ready mr partridge zeus has acknowledged sir the leading ship was in fact already swinging importantly on her new course her topsails and driver flapping for a few more moments until brought under control tane followed one curved side glowing in the dying sunlight as she labored too readily in response to canvas and rudder cavern raised his speaking trumpet his lithe figure poised against the rail as if to test the agility of the great ship beneath him brace is there he pointed into the purple shadows below the main mast trunk mr collins take that man's name he's stumbling about like a at a wedding unknown voices mumbled out of the gloom while from aft the wheel creaked obediently partridge's white hair changing to yellow as he squinted at the lighted compass bowl heave lively with it the men leaned back angling their bodies to take the strain of the ship's massive yards while the marines clumped noisily and in perfect time on the mizzen brace the hull tilted still further the sails shivering and booming to the change of pressure polither leaned over the rail searching along the length of his command his ears interpreting the varying groans from shrouds and rigging the action automatic yet ever watchful leia on the lobby tag mr partridge he looked aloft watching as broughton's flag and the masthead pendant leaked out laserly and then pointed almost directly across the starboard bow east by south serb partridge rolled to the other side of the compass as bolitho came aft to stare down at the swaying card steady as you go he felt the ship responding saw the huge dark rectangles of canvas stiffening to the wind as she settled obediently on her new tack the light was going fast now as it always did hear about one minute a bright and seemingly everlasting sunset and then nothing but the cream of spray beneath the counter an occasional white cap as the wind explored the edge of a deep trough in the sea's face he heard cavern bark the weather fall brace in god's name take in that slack man mr weigel your people must do better than this voices echoed above the thrumming and he imagined the third lieutenant cursing caverns uncanny eyesight or shrewd guesswork as the case may be draften had been watching in silence and as the hands mustered once again at their various divisions he murmured i hope i will be aboard when you get a chance to show her real pace is under sale he sounded as if he was enjoying himself polito smiled there'll be no such opportunity at night sir we may well have to reef topsails as it is there's always a risk of collision when moving in close company cavern came aft again and touched his hat permission to dismiss the watch below sir yes that was well done mr cavern a voice called the valorous is on station sir very well the lytho moved to the weather side as the parties of seamen and marines hurried across the planking and vanished to their mess decks below a cramped teeming world where they lived between the guns they would serve in battle with little more than a shoulders breath to swing a hammock he wondered what some of them were thinking of their new destination as he appeared at the compass then he moved back to polithos side and fell in step with him as he began to pace slowly up and down below the empty nettings it must be a strange feeling for you bolitho had almost forgotten that he was not alone in his usual restless pacing to command a ship like this one which you yourself took in battle he hurried on exploring a theme which had obviously given him some thought in your shoes i would be wondering if i could defend a vessel when i had in fact seized her in the face of great odds politho frowned circumstances must always play a great part sir but tell me as i'm greatly interested what do you think of her as a ship politho paused by the quarter deck rail resting his palms on it feeling the wood shaking under his touch as if the whole complex mass of timber and rigging was a living being she is fast for her sisa and only four years old she handles well and the hull has some fine factors too he gestured forward unlike our own ships of the line her planking is continued right around the bow so there is no weak bulkhead to receive an enemy's fire drafen showed his teeth i like your enthusiasm it is some comfort but i imagined you would say otherwise a born c officer a man from a long line of sailing men i'd have laid odds on your despising the work of an enemy shipyard he laughed softly i was wrong it appears eli thou eyed him calmly the french are fine builders line for line their hulls are faster and better than our own draften spread his hands in mock alarm then how can we win how have we been victorious against greater numbers of the enemy polito shook his head the enemy's weakness does not lie in his ships or in his courage either it is leadership two-thirds of their trained and experienced officers were butchered in the terror and they'll not regain their confidence while they're bottled up in harbor by our blockade he knew draffin was deliberately drawing him out but continued each time they break out and engage our squadrons they learn a little more grow steadily more confident even if a sea victory is denied them blockade is no longer the answer in my opinion it hurts the innocent as much as those for whom it is intended clear-cut decisive action is the solution hit the enemy whenever and wherever you can the size of the actions is almost immaterial the officer of the watch was admonishing a defaulter who had been brought aft by a bosun's mate his voice grating in a fierce whisper politho moved away with graphene falling in step beside him graffon asked but there will be a final confrontation between the two major fleets eventually i have no doubt sir but i still believe the more attacks we can make on the enemy's communications his bases and trade the more likely we are of a lasting victory on land he smiled awkwardly as a sailor it hurts me to say it but no victory can be complete until your own soldiers have hoisted a flag on the enemy's battlements draften smiled gravely maybe you will have a chance to put your theory into action very shortly it will largely depend on our meeting with one of my agents i arrange for him to make a regular rendezvous it is to be hoped he has found it possible elijah pricked up his ears that was the first he had heard of anything about a rendezvous broughton had given him the briefest of details so far the squadron was to patrol off jaffu out of sight of land while the coquette explored inshore for further information normal tactics normal and frustratingly dull he had thought now with the prospect of gaining other more secret news of the enemy's deployment the whole face of the operation had changed graphene said i find it slightly unnerving when i think of tomorrow we might meet with an entire enemy fleet does that not upset you politho looked at him but his face was in deep shadow it was hard to tell if he was testing him again or merely making light of what was a very real possibility i have lived with that prospect in fear excitement or mere bewilderment on and off since i was 12 sir politho kept his voice equally grave then he grinned but so far i've never had any of my reactions taken into consideration least of all by the enemy draft and chuckled i will go below and sleep easily now i've taxed you too much as it is but please keep me informed if anything unusual occurs the lighthouse stood aside i will sir you and my admiral drafton walked away laughing to himself and we will talk further then he was gone the michigan of the watch hurried across the deck and reported to his lieutenant that the stern light had been lit through the massive rigging belatha could see the tanner his own lantern shining like a firefly and playing across the ruffled water of her wake he heard the lieutenant say sharply took you long enough mr drury and then the boys mumbled reply it was not difficult to see adam pasco's shape standing there in the shadows instead of the luckless drawery bolitho had tried not to worry about his young nephew but meeting with inch had again made the boy's absence seem suddenly real and beyond his reach there had been letters of course both from him and his captain the litho's best friend eric but like the urilys his ship the old 64 impulsive had little concern for the warmth and hope brought by the mailboats or hoarded in some harbor office on the off chance the ships might one day drop anchor polithur began to walk again trying to picture adam as he had last seen him but he would be different now perhaps a stranger he quickened his pace suddenly aware of his concern it was two years since they had parted the boy to join herrick's ship and he to take command and tend to the refitting of his prize the urious he would be seventeen perhaps already awaiting his chance to try for promotion to lieutenant would two more years have changed him much he wondered would he still be forming his own mold or taking after hue he realized with the start that the midshipman was blocking his path his eyes gleaming white in the shadows but but the officer of the watch sends his respects and and he faltered under his captain's gaze and could we take in a reef the wind appears to be getting up sir polithos studied him impassively he had not even noticed the change in the wind sound through the shrouds he had been more worried by his own thoughts than he had realized he asked sharply how old are you mr drury the boy gulped 13 sir i see well mr drury you have a long and very stormy passage ahead of you before you attain your own command yes sir he sounded fearful of what was coming next and a young officer without fingers can find the handicap a real problem so in future i do not wish to learn of your agility with a candle as a target for swordplay do you understand no sir i i mean yes sir he almost fell as he ran back to the officer of the watch his mind no doubt buzzing with the captain's unfaltering source of private information cavern appeared on deck dabbing his mouth with his handkerchief and already peering aloft at the booming canvas trouble sir we will reef topsails directly mr cavern he kept his tone formal whatever he felt or feared it was right that he should display none of it share none of it with those who depended on his judgment he watched cavern hurrying away buttoning his coat [Music] but sometimes like tonight it was harder than he would have imagined chapter 7 broadside noon the following day found the ships clawing slowly on a larp attack with the wind almost a beam the yards braced round to take maximum advantage of it shortly after first light they had altered course again and were now heading east northeast pinned down on their broken reflections by a sun which made any physical effort a torture it was like a furnace and even the wind steady as ever from the northwest seemed without any kind of freshness or relief and stung the faces and bodies of the semen like hot sand politho plucked his shirt away from his chest and moved into the shadow of the hammock nettings as cavern and partridge lowered their sextants and began to compare notes this usual procedure was watched and copied by several of the midshipmen although unlike their superiors they were not involved in the importance of the situation up on the poop shaded by a small awning he could see drafen's stocky figure pacing back and forth up and down his shoes clumping noisily on the sun-dried planking cavern crossed to bolitho and said wearily it matches your own calculation sir like the other officers he had discarded coat and hat and his shirt was clinging to his body like another skin he sounded too tired for either admiration or surprised his findings it had been an uneventful night with the squadron sailing well and keeping their allotted stations at dawn broughton had come on deck something so unusual as to give baleytho a warning of the day's importance as the signals had soared aloft for the new course and preparations for cleaning ship and preparing breakfast have begun broughton had remarked sourly we are supposed to be contacted by one of sir hugo's friends this for noon thy god i hate to have to rely on some damned amateur he did not say if he was describing drafen or his agent and the look on his face decided belatho against even tactful questioning graphene's earlier confidence had visibly faded as the searing morning had dragged on any sudden shout from one of the ship's company made him pause in his walk and stand stock still until he had found the cry to be meaningless elito said well mr cavern there is nothing we can do at present two hours earlier the masthead lookout had hailed the deck and as every eye had been raised to his tiny swaying perch two hundred feet above their heads he had reported sighting land in spite of his hatred for any sort of height who had made himself climb up the dizzy vibrating rattlins past the main top on and up until he had joined the pigtail seamen who had made the report with his legs wrapped tightly around the cross trees he had forced himself to ignore the deck far below him and had concentrated on opening his telescope aware the whole time that the lookout was whistling between his teeth and not even bothering to hold on the sight was almost worth the anguish and embarrassment of the climb there far to the south was a long uneven ridge of mountains ice blue in the harsh sunlight disconnected from the land by sea mist and strangely beautiful the african coast the mountains he had estimated were nearly 30 miles distant but seemed unreachable and without reality now once again there was no sight of land and away on either beam the sea danced and glittered in millions of blinding reflections so that semen working aloft and along the braced yards fumbled and groped with each precarious movement their eyes too dulled by glare to be trusted the other ships had become more separated so that the line was well stretched the tenet being some two miles ahead of urialis broughton had conceded that if they were to be cited by some small sailing vessel carrying graphene's agent it was prudent to extend the formation and if seen by less friendly eyes it would be well to make the squadron appear as large as possible far away to leeward the swoops topsail shine like burnished steel as she pushed busily downwind like a terrier sniffing out a rabbit there was still no sign of the cockette nor might that be for some time yet she could be investigating some strange sail well the stern of the squadron equally she might be in serious trouble with an enemy calvert appeared on the quarter deck his face screwed up with both worry and strain in the sun's brightness he said solution sends his compliment sir will you join him in his day cabin politho glanced at cavern who turned his mouth down and said perhaps there is a change of plan sir bolitho strode after calvert's hurrying shape wondering if cavern was implying resentment at knowing so little like himself when he entered the cabin it took his eyes several seconds to get accustomed to the gloom the comparative coolness after the unprotected quarter deck graffon was seated beside the desk although baleitha had not even seen him leave the poop sir he saw broughton standing by an open stern window his light brown hair glossy in the reflected glare farah stern the valorous held rigidly to her tack so that she appeared like some elaborate model balanced on the admiral's epilet brought and snapped i have asked you down here to explain further to sir hugo the necessity of keeping the restless in company and within signaling distance he breathed out hard well the litho thrust his hands behind him in the presence of the admiral and raffan both of whom were impeccably dressed as before he felt suddenly unkempt and dirty he could feel the tension between the two men and guess they had been arguing before his arrival graphene interrupted evenly i must find my agent captain the sloop is fast and small enough for the purpose he shrugged i can say no fairer than that now can i politho tensed they were both drawing on him each using his opinion to make him an ally never before had broughton asked for his opinion on matters of strategy and although drafting had displayed an easy confidence after their first meeting he had given away little of his intentions politico said may i ask sir hugo what manner of ship we're expecting to meet draften shifted in his chair uh something small probably an arab trader or such like he sounded vague or evasive politha persisted and if we miss meeting her what then the admiral swung away from the window his tone sharp i am expected to keep this squadron beating back and forth for another week he glared at draften a week of avoiding open battle of countless alterations of course i know all that solutions graphene remained unmoved but this business demands great tact and caution his tone hardened as well as the efficient running of your ships step forward i can understand your concern hugo he was very conscious of being in between these two powerful and unyielding men outside of the navy he had had little contact with such people and blamed himself for failing to understand them to appreciate their worlds each so different from his own in this small squadron we have some three thousand officers and men to provision every day we are at sea and that does not include the two bombs fresh water will become a real problem in this climate and unless we can foresee some contact with a new source of supply it will be necessary to withdraw to gibraltar before we have completed our mission graphene nodded i am sorry captain you make good sense a landsman tends to see ships as ships and not as people mouthed to be fed like luckier souls ashore brought and stared at him but that is exactly what i've just been telling you it was not what you told me celestia's but the way you told it he stood up and hide each of them in turn however i must ask you to signal the restless to close with the flagship your master assures me this wind will hold for a while he looked at bolitho that is also your opinion i believe politho nodded it seems likely sir but you cannot be certain it will have to suffice i will transfer to the sloop and go wither to sweep closer in shore if i cannot make contact with my agent before dusk i will rejoin the squadron broughton rubbed the back of his neck with his hand in which case we will carry on to jaffu as arranged draft hesitated and then said it would seem so the admiral gave a thin smile so be it he snapped his fingers at calvert who had been hovering on the far side of the cabin make a signal to restless to close the flagship immediately he moved briskly up and down across the black and white square deck covering you will then make a further signal to valorous the litho darted a glance at the flag lieutenant as he wrote hurriedly in his book it was to be hoped he was getting it all down correctly uh valorous will take over command of the squadron and continue on present course uriless will head down and make contact with restless he shot draften a brief smile that will save time and allow you some extra hours for your uh search he swung around towards calvert again well what in hell's name are you gaping at go and attend to those signals at once as the door closed behind calvert's back he added young fool he may be a fine jack of dandy in saint james's but he is as much use as a blind sempstress to me draften stood up and walked towards the adjoining cabin which stood opposite the larger one used by the admiral i will change out of these clothes before i leave he i'd brought and calmly i would not wish to be placed in calvert's category by the sloops commander brought and waited until he had gone and then said vehemently my god my patience is wearing thin i will go and attend to the new courser yes broughton watched him distantly i shall be glad when we were at jaffu i'm hustly sick of interference politho hurried back to the quarter deck feeling the heat striking his shoulders like embers from a fire as he glanced quickly aloft at the masthead pendant and then at the compass he said sharply call all hands mr cavern we will wear ship directly then you may get the de gallons on her he heard the squeal of pipes the immediate rush of feet as the seamen poured up into the sunlight pausing only to peer aft to see the cause for the sudden excitement a stern the valorous was already making more sale her acknowledgement brought signal vanishing from her yard as her four course billowed free and then filled to the wind the signal would please her captain bolitho thought ferno had never really appreciated his station a stern of the line this sudden order would show the others exactly where he stood in broughton's eyes he forgot them as midshipman totteil called restless has acknowledged sir he glanced despairingly at calvert's back who was peering at the signal book as if it was in arabic belaith smiled very well mr partridge we will see how she likes the feel of the wind again he looked at the men below the gangways and mustered at the foot of each mast carry on mr cavern hands aloft lose to gallants cavern waited until the rush of barebacked seamen had reached the upper yards their bodies black against the sky like monkeys man the braces he glanced around as partridge dropped his hand and the helmsman threw themselves on their spokes and began to heave the wheel over let go and haul kavern's voice was metallic and unreal through his trumpet heave you idle a lot of old women creaking and groaning the great yards began to swing round the hull plunging deeply in the swell as it swayed ponderously out of the line overhead the sails flapped about in momentary confusion whilst above the noise polither could hear the captains of the tops urging their men on with threats and curses the top gallant sails were already whipping out from their yards hardening into firm tanned rectangles as the canvas took the strain tugging at blocks and rigging alike and trying always to pluck an unwary topman from his perch and hurl him to the deck far below steer south east by south balitho braced his legs feeling the deck vibrate through his shoes as the sails pushed the ship forward and down across the lip of another deep trough spray burst jubilantly above the figurehead and patted across the men working busily at the headset sheets he watched the topman racing each other to the deck their bare feet thudding on the planking as once more they awaited orders standing almost before the wind the ship was already gathering away the deck swaying easily from side to side instead of fixed at one set angle when close hauled polither looked aloft thinking of how she would appear to the restless the sloop was being made to beat into the teeth of the wind and broughton's change of heart would save her and everyone else a good deal of time but i though knew that broughton's reasons were probably different that he really wished to get rid of graphene if only for a short while but for a few moments he could feel content the urialis was behaving magnificently and he toyed with the idea of having caverns set the royals as well but that one extra layer of canvas might just be visible to some hostile craft as yet unseen below the horizon he turned as draft and came on deck and said you wish to see her sale sir he watched draften's eyes hurrying about the taught drumming shrouds the hard-bellied sails appreciating everything he saw if not understanding all of it he said she's a lady belay though it makes all this trouble worthwhile belittle noticed he was wearing a plain green coat and loose britches under his coat he also saw the glint of metal graffen was obviously used to carrying a pistol and seemed the sort of man who would be well able to take care of himself he was shading his eyes as he tried to understand what the restless was trying to do as she reeled once again across the wind her sails flapping in almost a back before she swung away on her new attack but i though crossed to the starboard side and looked for the squadron uralus is sudden increase of speed had left them bunched together and seemingly entangled their silhouettes overlapping so that they looked like a single ill-designed monster he called mr cavern will shorten sail in 30 minutes restless can lie under our lee until hugo is aboard later while the urilys lay hove too her hull rolling sickeningly in a beam swell and her sails banging and useless in noisy torment broughton came on deck to watch as draften was rode across in the sloops jolly boat he said well that is that he sounded satisfied polither saw draft paws in his climb up the sloop side and turned to wave his hand he said i would like to talk to the norse sir it will save time later when we run down and rejoin the squadron broughton turned his back on the sloop as her topsails filled to the wind and she started to pay off away from her massive consort very well brought in eyed him searchingly i suppose you cannot bear the thought of resuming your place in the line so soon after this brief freedom he smiled well it will do furno no harm to exercise his power a little longer politho walked over to cavern who is still watching the sloop we will steer northeast mr cavern and layer on the lab attack so call all hands again and then they can have their meal i imagine the activity might have given them a new appetite he saw the villainous looking chief cook a bearded giant with one eye peering up from the main hatchway although i hate to think what he puts into it sometimes he crossed to the weather side as once again the seamen swarmed up the rattlins and out along the yards broughton understood him better than he realized independence and initiative his father had once told him were the two most precious things to every captain now commanding a flagship and tied to the squadron's apron strings he knew well enough what he had meant he thought suddenly of the house at falmouth the two portraits opposite the window he was strangely moved to find he could think of them without grief or bitterness it was almost like having someone there waiting for his return home cavern was back again his face expressionless this afternoon there will be two hands for punishment sir what the latter stared at him and then nodded very well the moment of peace had passed but as he walked to the quarter deck rail he found himself praying that it might return at six o'clock that same day but litho sat behind his desk looking through the stern windows his mind busy with the affairs of his command troot the cabin servant placed a pot of fresh coffee by his elbow and padded away without a word he had grown to accept the captain's strange moods his apparent need to be alone even to pour his own coffee like his desire to have the desk facing aft and whenever possible to dine off it instead of his beautiful table in the adjoining cabin troop had served three captains and never met his sword before the others had all expected to be weighted on hand and foot and at all times of day or night equally they had been swift and harsh when showing their displeasure he had decided that although he liked bolito as a considerate and fair master he had felt more comfortable with his previous captains at least it had been possible to know exactly what they were thinking for most of the time polithos sipped the scalding black coffee and wondered when it like many other items would become a luxury it was never possible to feel confident to know that a ship was not overreaching her margin of safety when it came to food and water he heard four bells chime out the clatter of feet somewhere below as a warrant officer probably caught dozing dash to perform his duties for the last dog watch it had been a busy afternoon for balatho mainly because he had been trying to catch up with matters concerning his own ship rather than attending to those of the whole squadron there had seemed an endless procession waiting to catch his ear grub the carpenter grey-haired and always pessimistic about the enemy of all ships rot not that he had found any in his daily mole-like excursions in the bowels of the hull places which had never seen would never see any light but that of a lantern it was as if he wanted bolitho to know of his tireless efforts on his behalf and it all took time he had given several minutes to close the cooper concerning the person's earlier complaint about the state of some of the water casks but then nathan buddle the purser quite often voiced complaints provided they did not directly concern his own department he was a thin furtive looking man with skin-like parchment who wore an almost permanent hunted expression which politho suspected hid things which did not concern rotten casks in fairness he had found nothing wrong with buddles daily accounts but like all his trade the purser had to be constantly watched and as cavern had reported earlier two men were brought aft for punishment watched as usual on such occasions by all unemployed members of the ship's company bolitho hated such spectacles just as he knew them to be inevitable it always seemed to take such a long time the greetings to be rigged the culprits to be stripped and seized up and his own voice reading the articles of war above the din of wind and canvas the actual punishment excited little interest amongst the spectators the first man awarded twelve lashes had been caught stealing from one of his messmates the opinion was probably that he was getting off lightly compared with what his fellow seaman had intended and would certainly have carried out but for the timely intervention of the ship's corporal bolitho had heard of cases where men who stole from their messmates had been thrown overboard at night while one had actually been found minus the hand used for his crime in the teeming defenseless world of shipboard life few had much sympathy for a thief the second seaman had received 24 lashes for neglect of duty and insolence both latter charges had been laid by saul the ship's junior lieutenant bolitho blamed himself for this particular case he had promoted saul to lieutenant some six months earlier but had he not been so involved with the squadron's affairs under the ailing admiral fell wall he knew now he would have thought twice about it saul had shown the makings of a good officer but he'd been mostly on the surface he was a sulky looking youth of eighteen and bolitho had told cavern to ensure his tendency to bully subordinates did not get out of hand maybe cavern had done his best or perhaps he considered saul's attitudes unimportant provided he carried out his other duties to his satisfaction either way the siemens blooded back was a grim reminder to belitho of the constant need to supervise saul in the future he was one of his officers and therefore his authority had to be upheld nevertheless if mayhew the cheerful round-faced second lieutenant or weigel of the third had been in saul's place the incident would have got no further mayhew was popular because of his raw north country humor his well-founded boast that he could refore splice as efficiently as any seaman would have prevented anything worse than a contest man to man weigel who had the build and unfortunately the intelligence also of a prize fighter would have laid the culprit low with one of his massive fists and forgotten the incident completely weigel was not unpopular with the men of his division but for the most part they avoided him he was in charge of the middle gun deck and had unfortunately been rendered very deaf during an engagement with a blockade runner sometimes he imagined his men were talking about him behind his back and would have them doing extra drills in the twinkling of an eye alitho leaned back in his chair and watched the urilys wake bubbling a stern as the wind pushed her over holding her steady while she thrust onward to the northeast he poured some more coffee and grimaced it would soon be time to wear ship and spread more sale for the uncomplicated run before the wind to find the squadron again this one afternoon and evening of comparative freedom had given him time to think and reconsider to examine those closest to him yet as ever separated by rank and station broughton had left him entirely alone and calvert had implied that he was for the most part going over his charts and re-reading his sealed orders as if to find something previously missed there was a tap at the door and the marine sentry bald midshipman on the watch sup it was drury doing an extra watch because of his earlier troubles with his lieutenant over the lantern mr bickford's respect sir and would you come up please belithos smiled as he saw the boy's eyes exploring the cabin noting everything for future description in the more meager quarters of the gun room and why mr drury you seem to have forgotten the best part drury looked confused uh a sales sir to the northwest polither jumped up thank you he hurried for the door i might arrange for troop to show you over my cabin later mr drury but for now we have work to do drury blushed and dashed after him so that they arrived on the tilting quarter deck together bigfoot was the fourth lieutenant one who took his duties very seriously but appeared totally lacking in humor he said masthead has just reported a sale sir to the northwest polither walked up the deck to the weather side and peered towards the horizon it was hard and silver bright like the edge of a sword but the wind was steady and that was something but it might rise to a squall before another dawn it would then take time to rejoin the squadron to contact draffen and the restless bickford took his silence for uncertainty it is my belief sir that she is the coquette he raises his voice slightly to impress drury and another midshipman nearby it would be the most likely explanation politho lifted his head and stared up at the bulging topsails the cracking vehemence of the masthead pendant like a giant whip he thought of the dizzy climb the dreadful shaking in those shrouds i see mr bigfoot thank you the lieutenant nodded firmly that is why she comes alone and with such confidence sir cavern climbed the companion ladder to the quarter deck and hurried towards him politha was still looking up at the straining yards mr cavern get a loft with a glass as fast as you can climb there is a ship to labard maybe alone he glanced at bigfoot maybe not he saw bigfoot and the others stiffen and draw back and knew that broughton had arrived on deck ah belitho what is all this scampering and excitement a sale sir he gestured above the nettings towards the horizon hmm broughton turned to watch as cavern swarmed easily up the weather shrouds what is she i wonder bigfoot said quickly i think her to be the koketsa broughton's eyes did not blink as he said to bolitho would you remind that officer that if i am in such dire distress as to require an opinion of no value he will be the first to be told politho smiled as bigfoot melted into the others by the rail i believe he understands her it was strange how they could stay outwardly calm he thought in spite of broughton's mild show of interest he knew his mind was alive with questions and calculations it would be interesting to see if he would ask for an opinion of his flag captain this time cavern arrived thudding to the deck by means of a backstay and hurried across his dark features working with excitement merchantman sir but well armed fifty guns i'd say standing right before the wind but carrying no royal yards he realized broughton was glaring at him and added spaniards sir no doubt of it broughton bit his lip damn his eyes even without royals she could still give us a merry chaser politha was thinking aloud but if we can take her we might get information he paused studying the set of broughton's tense shoulders information which would be yours to share as you thought fit he had not misjudged the moment brought and swung round his eyes shining by god i can see sir hugo's face when he arrives back empty-handed and we tell him of our news he sighed but what is the use by the time you put this great elephant about that donald be flying for home i cannot afford a long chase one to take me away from the squadron bolitho said i think we've all missed the one important detail sir he slapped one fist into his palm in a way mr bickford made some sense he looked at the others his mouth lifting in a grin bigfoot was hanging back as if afraid of receiving another rebuff politho continued that don thinks the urilys is french he looked at broughton of the doubts and disappointment giving way to cautious hope and why not sir after all this time they'll not be expecting one solitary british ship in the mediterranean and there's been no time for news to reach them about leaving the rock broughton walked to the nettings and climbed lightly onto a bollard he stared fixedly at the horizon as if willing the ship to show herself to him the masthead lookout called ships still running for the wind sir broughton returned to the deck rubbing his chin she must have seen us even the dons are not that blind but litho replied but the moment we shorten sail or begin to attack you'll know well enough what we are about help eliza you raise my hopes and then dash him again i can see her sir two points before the beam drury was clinging to the quivering shrouds a telescope jammed to one eye polither took a glass from the rack and steadied it against the deck's plunging movements then he saw it a pale wedge on the horizon running free with all sail set her master was making the most of the fresh wind she's coming up fast sir again he considered the idea of climbing to the masthead instead he asked 50 guns you think mr cavern isa i've seen her sort before well armed to fight off pirates and the like mile for mile we could outpace her but i doubt match her agility broughton snapped i can see this getting us nowhere we must draw her to close quarters sir the litho walked quickly to the wheel and back without even being aware of it but keep the advantage without holding the wind gauge will soon be left a stern partridge suggested oyster frog flag sir the admiral banged his hips with impatience too bloody obvious he saw captain gifford and his marine lieutenant of the poop rail training telescopes on the newcomer get those officers out of my sight red coats in a french manor war what are you doing gifford the two marines vanished like magic politho said slowly man overboard sir what was that broughton stared at him as if he had taken leave of his sanity man overboard the one thing at sea to make a ship heaved to without warning broughton opened his mouth and shut it again he could hardly contain his sudden flood of uncertainty and doubts bolitho persisted gently we'll need a good swimmer a crew standing by for the quarterback we can pick him up later he nodded it's worth it sir broughton considered in silence it might just work give us the time to he stamped one foot on the deck by god yes we will try it the lather took a deep breath mr cavern take in the four course we will remain under topsails and jib it is common enough on this attack and should excite little attention he watched cavern dashing away and sought out partridge taking in the four course will cut her speed a little we do not want to cross her bows too much patrick smiled and bobbed his head his chins wobbling against his neck cloth he had been wounded at broughton's scathing attack on his earlier suggestion but seemed in good spirits again the great four course was already flapping and curling inwards a semen scamper to sheets and halyards urged on by caverns speaking trumpet when the first lieutenant came to report it had been brailled up and secured against its yard politho said send an experienced petty officer aloft to watch the spaniard and report any sign of alarm then you may pipe the hands to quarters we will not be able to clear for action on the upper deck so this will have to be done quickly and well we do not want our people injured by boat splinters and falling sparse to no good purpose as kevin dashed away again broughton asked sharply how long an hour at the most sir i'll bring her up a point the wind that should help it will be too dark to see in three hours broughton nodded grimly soviet then the admiral was about to walk to the poop and then stopped to add softly but you disable my flagship polither and i cannot promise any hope for you politho looked at the master bring around a point of wind then he made himself walk slowly along the weather side his hands clasped behind him if the uralus was disabled there would be little hope for any of them he decided politho trained his glass on the other ship since she had first appeared above the horizon and the urialis had cleared for action he had expected some sign of alarm or recognition but the oncoming vessel maintained her set course and now lay less than two miles distant if urilys continued on her present attack the spaniard would cross her stern with about a mile between them she was exactly as governor described two decked and carrying every available sale she was making a fair display of speed the spray bursting above her scarlet and blue figurehead as high as the bellying four course he could just distinguish the old-fashioned triangular missing sail above her ornately carved poop the flash of sunlight on train telescopes as her officers examined the urialis no doubt wandering at her purpose and destination cavern said grimly getting closer politha walked to the quarter deck rail and saw a burly seaman standing amongst a chattering group of onlookers ready williams the man squinted up at him and grinned awkwardly icer the litho nodded the man had no doubt been well primed with rum by well-wishers not too much he hoped or the rules might develop into a sudden sea burial he said pass the word to the middle and lower gun decks mr cavern he walked back to the weather side again and trained his glass on the other ship starboard side to load with double shot make sure they do not run out until the order one sight of a gun muzzle sniffing the wind and our friends will be off and away as cavern beckoned to a midshipman belitha called to lieutenant mayhew who commanded the upper gun deck he was staring at his own batteries his round face unusually glum never fear mr mayhew your crews will have work enough soon but a view of them loading and casting off the lashings and our trick will misfire mayhew touched his hat and then resumed his stance of gloomy disappointment all day hurried across the quarter deck and held out by lytho's sword as bolitho raised his hands and he swiftly buckled it round his waist he said i've told the coxswain of the quarterback what you want cotton he grinned and what he'll get if he makes a mess of it politho frowned the spaniard was going to pass further a stern than he had gauged he would have to act now or never right williams over you go the big seamen clambered onto the lab at gangway and with his face set in a mask of determination began to lean over the rail cavern muttered harshly god he's making the most of his performance there he goes partridge hurried back to his place near the wheel as with a violent thrashing of arms williams pitched over the rail and vanished politho ran to the nettings as the cry man overboard brought the crew of the quarterboat dashing from their various attitudes of unlikely concentration he breathed out more easily as the seamen's head appeared bobbing and spluttering close to the side and snapped back the mizzen topsail mr cavern get that boat away he had feared that william's enthusiasm would make him mis-time his fall the steep tumble home of the three-decker side could easily have broken an arm or skull had he been careless he tore his eyes from the orderly confusion as the boat's crew swarmed down into the tethered craft below the quarter while overhead the mizzen topsail banged and flapped against the mast and yard acting like a break on some runaway juggernaut just long enough to peer towards the spanish ship she was about two cables from the point where she would cross you riley's wake and he could see figures scampering along her foxel as if to get a better view of the drama politho raised his hand now stand by to go about already the mizzenyard was squeaking back to its original position while from their hiding places beneath the gangways the seamen ran to their stations encouraged by derisive cheers from the unemployed gun crews partridge called ready sir put the helm down bolitho trained his glass on the spaniard there was still no sign of alarm as far as he could see hell melisa up forward the head soul sheets had already been let go and as the wheel went over and the great hull began to swing very slowly into the wind cavern urged the men at the braces to even greater efforts as they strained back panting and cursing their eyes on the yards above them sails boomed and swelled and as the ship continued to swing the litho saw sudden activity on the other vessel's poop an officer waving wildly and pointing to his men who were still grouped around the bows off tacks and sheets politho shaded his eyes to peer aloft through the tangle of flapping sails and jerking shrouds to where the topman were already fighting their way to the top gallant yards in readiness for the next part of the attack for a moment longer he hardly dared to draw breath the wind was still quite strong and at worst might bring down the top masts or leave the heavy ship thrashing helplessly and all the back but the pendant was swinging the ship was still responding wheeling across the eye of the wind like a well-disciplined mammoth let go and hall cavern had not raised his eyes from the men on deck heave there slowly but steadily the great yards began to respond to the braces until with the sound of hill thunder the sails billowed out full and bulging to the wind while the deck healed over to the opposite tank polither watched fixedly as the other ship appeared to swim backwards through the massive rigging around the foremast until she lay not safely across the la but quarter but there fine on the starboard bow there was no sign of the boat or the swimmer and he found time to hope someone was watching out for them past the word mr cavern lower batteries run out as the port lids lifted and he heard the familiar squeak and groan of gun trucks he could imagine the cursing man far below his feet as they hauled their massive charges up the tilting decks towards the sunlight run up the colours mr tottel broughton's voice made him turn that was a fierce term belitha i thought you would have the sticks out of her he had appeared on deck in his gold-laced coat wearing the beautiful sword as if for another of his inspections there was a dull bang and a puff of smoke drifted across the spaniard's poop a gun must have been kept loaded and ready bolitho thought although he did not see where the ball went get the tagalongs on her mr cavern this one intends to run for it the two ships were on parallel courses with the urialis now some two cables length a stern there was another bang and someone gasped with alarm as a ball smacked through the four topsail and splashed down far to windward the spanish ship had a very curved stern and the litho guessed she had some powerful guns mounted there to protect herself from a pursuer brought and snapped no sense in delaying things but litho nodded any minute now and a ball might bring down a vital spa middle battery mr cavern fire in succession to partridge he snapped bring her up a point to windham while the uralus swung slightly away from her intended victim the middle gun deck erupted in a cloud of brown smoke from foreign to aft cannon after cannon crashed out at regular two second intervals each massive 24 pounder hurling itself inboard as the savage orange tongue left its muzzle politho watched the leaping waterspouts bursting near and beyond the spaniard's quarter saw splintered woodwork fly from her bulwark as some of the balls smashed home from below he could hear the gunners cheering the squeak of trucks as they raced each other up the canting deck towards the ports cavern was watching him his eyes dark with tension they'd not struck sir politho bit his lip the red and orange flag of spain still floated above the poop and even as he watched another gun banged across the water and a ball screamed close overhead like a tortured spirit in hell he had expected the spaniard to strike at the first sight of the flag there was about a cable between them and with her top gallant sails drawing well the urilys was beginning to pair the range away with each minute something caught his eye and he saw the quarter boat black against the glittering water while its crew and presumably williams stood to cheer the one-sided battle the spaniard's quarter battery belched orange tongues again this time three perhaps four had fired and before the smoke had blown clear belitha felt the deck jump as a ball slammed into the urialis hull like a hammer bring her up a point again mr partridge what was that fool of a spaniard doing it was sheer madness to risk any more fighting if he continued to run before the wind uralus would overhaul him if he stood away she would rake his stern and dismast him in seconds more flashes and this time a ball plowed into the starboard gangway and two seamen rolled screaming and kicking on the deck below cut down by the flying splinters bolitho said lower batteries mr cavern he held on watching the defiant flag hoping then he snapped broadside the two lower gun decks had been given plenty of time it had been almost a leisurely business as gun captains had checked their crews and the lieutenants had paced up and down ducking beneath the massive deck beams to peer through the open ports as with tired dignity the uralis turned slightly away from her enemy showing the double line of guns like black teeth the next instant as lieutenants blew on their whistles and captains jerk their lanyards every gun roared out as one the whole ship quaking as if grinding across a submerged reef on the quarter deck bolitho watched the smoke billowing down towards the spaniard while above it he saw her missing tilt forward before plunging down over her poop the crash audible even above the broadsides echo which still reverberated across the sea like thunder as the smoke drifted beyond the other ship he saw the gaping holes in her exposed bilge and along her quarter the trail of rigging and broken spas alongside as she swung drunkenly downwind exposing her tall stern as if for the final devastating blow but a voice yelled he struck and the cheer was taken up below where the crews were already sponging out and reloading for the next broadside polito said a brave captain but stupid broughton was peering towards the spaniard as she continued to drift helplessly with her smoke so pitiful after her original appearance of vitality and life we will shorten sail at once mr cavern and keep her under our lee he waited until cavern passed his orders before adding now we might discover what was important to him that needed defending so desperately chapter eight the prize vice admiral braun snatched a telescope from the midshipmen of the watch and strode briskly to bolito's side what in hell's name are they doing over there he trained the glass on the other ship which still drifted about half a cable under the urillus lee but litho did not answer he too was studying her as she yawed and plunged the newly hoisted white ensign flapping gently from her main mast to prove that lieutenant mayhew and his boarding party had at least achieved something he glanced up at the flapping sails and rattling shrouds it was nearly an hour since the boats had been lowered to take mayhew and his men across to the prize and in that time there had been a distinct and worrying change in the weather the sky was clouding over very rapidly so that the sea had lost its color and warmth and the fast-moving crests of the steep waves were dirty gray and menacing only the horizon appeared clear cold and steel bright as if being lit by power other than the setting sun without consulting the masthead pendant he knew the wind had backed still further and now blue almost from the west its strength mounting with each frustrating minute they were in for a blow and hampered by the disabled ship and very little information from mayhew it could not have been at a worse time brought and snapped the jolly boats returning and about damn time watching the small boat under oars as it dipped and curtsied over crest and trough alike was visible evidence of the worsening weather the other boats had already been recalled and hoisted inboard this one being mayhew's only link with a flagship in the stern sheets polither saw the intent figure of midshipman ashton who with a masters mate and reliable petty officer had been sent with mayhew to take charge of the prize while the little boat wallowed sickeningly below the uralus quarter ashton cupped his hands and yelled she's badly hold sir and the rudder lines have been shot away politho craned over the rail conscious of the men nearby listening to him as he shouted what is she what is taking so long ashton replied the navara sir outward bound from malaga he almost pitched overboard as an angry wave hurled the boat into a trough general cargo and he seemed aware of the admiral's presence for the first time and a lot of passenger sir for god's sake belitho ask the young idiot about her captain's explanation but in reply ashton called he was killed in the broadside sir and most of his officers he peered up at bellitho adding miserably the ship is in a terrible state sir the lighthou beckoned to cavern i think you would better go across the sea is getting up and seems more to our prize than we thought but broughton halted cavern in his stride belay that order he looked at bolitho his eyes cold in the strange light and if cavern cannot cope with the problem what then more delay with us getting caught in a squall in the middle of it you go he flinched as overhead the shrouds and rigging began to hum and whine like badly tuned instruments decide what must be done and be sharp about it i do not want to lose her but rather than waste hours or even days struggling back to the squadron with a lame duck for company i'll scuttle her here and now he sensed polithos unspoken question and added we can take the crew and passengers aboard if need be the litho nodded very well sir he saw cavern watching him his face trying hard to hide his disappointment denied the chance to hold command of the auriga he was now losing yet one more opportunity to better his position if the navara could be saved but was unfit to accompany the flagship the prize officer who sailed her back to gibraltar might well find himself appointed as captain bolitho had obtained his own first real chance of command by the same method and could feel for caverns distress and possible resentment he thrust it from his mind as he signaled to the jolly boat if the wind mounted any further there might be no prize at all within the hour all day had appeared at his side and helped him into his coat as he murmured you'll be wanting me of course captain politho glanced at him saw the sudden anxiety like the time he had gone to the bomb vessel without him he smiled as you say all day of course getting into the boat was as dangerous as it was uncomfortable one moment it was driving hard against the ship's side the next plummeting into a trough the oarsmen fighting and cursing to stop its timbers from being stove in bolitho jumped outwards and down knowing that if he misjudged it he was likely to be sucked bodily beneath his ship's great bilge or be ground into the side by the careering jolly boat breathlessly he crouched in the stern sheets blinded by spray and knocked almost senseless by his jump which had been more like a fall all day grinned into the flying spray as the oarsmen turned the boat away from the ship and started to fight back downwind nasty blow captain the litho said these squalls can go in minutes or they can drive a ship to despair it was amazing how all day had regained his usual good spirits now he was with him again he thought when he appeared a stern he saw the urilys plunging heavily her close reefed topsails just giving steerage way as she edged carefully clear of the other vessel in the steel grey light she looked huge and formidable and he was thankful to see cavern had already ordered the lower gun ports to be closed the ship was rolling badly and open ports would invite unnecessary work for the pumps as well as adding to the discomfort of the men who had to live there even in the poor light it was easy to see the spanish ships savage scars the poop and lower hull beneath it had been smashed into gaping holes in several places the blackened timbers protruding like broken teeth as testimony of that one reduced broadside mitchum and ashton shouted mr mayhew was rigged some swivel gun sir but the crew appeared two days to try and retake the ship all day growled there'll be nothing to retake in a moment after three attempts the boat managed to get under the navara's lead and eventually hooked onto her main chains but litho took his dignity in his hands and jumped wildly for the entry port ladder feeling his hat whisked from his head and his body soaked to the waist as a lazy breaker swirled up and along the hull as if to drag him away hands reached down to haul him unceremoniously to the deck where mayhew and the masters mate were waiting to meet him their faces showing their surprise at his sudden and undignified arrival all day clambered after him and belitha saw that somehow he had managed to retrieve his hat from the sea although it was unlikely it would ever be the same again he took it from the coxswain's hands examining it critically as he gave his breathing time to return to normal his eyes giving the swaying deck a brief glance as the extent of the damage became more apparent the severed missile mast the tangle of fallen rigging and charred canvas while on the deck nearby lay several gaping corpses their blood paling in the blown spray and seeping away like life itself he said well mr mayhew i would be obliged if you will give me your observations and conclusions he turned as a block fell from somewhere overhead and crashed amongst a pile of shattered planks which had once been some of the ship's boats but be brief the uralus second lieutenant glanced around the disordered deck and said she is badly hold sir there are several rents close to the waterline also if this gets any worse she will take in more than the pumps can manage he paused as if to allow bolitho to hear the measured clank of pumps the real problem is the great mass of people below sir quite apart from her ship's company this ship is carrying about 100 passengers women even children are jammed down there if they get out of hand there will be too great a panic to control he gestured to the shattered boat tear and there's no hope for them there either sir politho rubbed his chin all those passengers so why did her captain risk their lives by trying to fight a three-decker it did not make sense nor did it match a spaniard's normal attitude when it came to self-preservation you have thirty seamen in your party mr mayhew he tried not to think of those terrified people batten down below send some to put extra members of the navara's crew on the pumps by working in relays we can keep it in check then the rudder have you done anything there my petty officer mcewen is attending to the line sir mayhew shook his head obviously thinking at all a waste of time but the tiller head is damaged too and will come adrift in anything like a heavy sea mitchum and ashton had climbed into the entry port and was shaking himself like a half drowned terrier polither took a hasty glance at the sky the fading light made the scudding clouds appear faster and lower either way they were in for a bad night he thought grimly he saw mayhew watching him worriedly no doubt wondering how he was going to cope with an impossible task he slapped the lieutenant on the shoulder and said with the confidence he certainly did not feel come mr mayhew your face is like a thunderstorm to a bowl of fresh milk now get our people to work and i will let mr ashton show me the passengers he followed ashton beneath the poop where a man he had hardly noticed before amidst the uralus 800 souls yet one who at this moment seemed like an old friend in an alien and despairing place he smiled i think we might prefer even this to a raft as he ducked beneath the deck timbers the seamen winked at his mate what did i tell you or he knew our dick could not leave us for long the petty officer his hands and arms glistening with thick black grease from the rudder appeared behind them and snarled probably he don't trust you any more than what i does but even he was surprised to learn his captain had arrived on board and was content to leave it at that one deck down politho followed ashton along a madly lurching passageway very aware of the groaning timbers the creek and clatter of loose gear and discarded belongings which seemed to mark each foot of the journey he could hear the seas loosing against the hull the long shuddering protest as the ship lifted herself through another trough before healing heavily away from the wind his feet skidded and in the swaying lantern light he saw a man's body spread eagled across a hatch combing his trunk was almost cut in half by a ball which must have come through an open port catching him as he carried a message or ran for his life before the merciless bombardment two seamen was standing by another companion way the top of which was sealed with a heavy hatch cover they were both armed and stared at ballista with surprise and something like guilt they had probably been rifling some of the cabins he thought that could be sorted out later just so long as they had not yet broached a spirit store or found some wine in an officer's sea chest thirty men inflamed by drink would be little used for saving the ship or anything else he asked sharply are they all down there i sir one of them thumped his musket on the hatch most of them had been put there for the attack sir i see it was a wise precaution in spite of the terror and the thunder of cannon fire otherwise many more would have died with the captain on his officers all day hissed you're not going down there captain politho ignored him open it he cocked his head to listen to mayhew shouting orders the answering patter of bare feet on the deck above another crisis that mayhew would have to manage on his own right now he had to see the passengers but down there below the water line he was sure he might find the answer to one of his questions and there was no time left for delay end of disc four disc five at first politha could see nothing but when the seamen flung back the hatch cover and ashton held his lantern directly above the ladder he felt the sudden tension and fear rising to greet him like something physical he climbed down two of the steps and as the lantern light fell across his body he was almost deafened by a violent chorus of cries and shouts and saw what appeared to be hundreds of eyes shining in the yellow beam swaying about in the pitching hull as if detached from anything human but the voices were real enough rising together in shock and terror the shriller cries of women or children making him halt on the ladder suddenly aware that many of these people were probably quite ignorant of what had happened in the world above them he shouted be silent all of you i will see that no harm comes it was hopeless hands were already reaching from the gloom clawing at the ladder and his legs while the massive glittering eyes swayed forward pushed on by the presser figures at the rear ashton said breathlessly let me sir i speak a little spanish balaitha pulled him down to the ladder and shouted just tell them to keep quiet as ashton tried to make himself heard above the clamor the litho call to the two seamen get some more hands down here lively or you'll be trampled to pulp ashton was tugging at his sleeve and pointing below him sir there's someone trying to say something it was in fact a plump frightened looking man whose bald head shone in the lantern like a piece of smooth marble as he cried i speak the english captive i will tell them to obey you if you will only get me out of this terrible place he was almost weeping with fear and exhaustion but was managing to keep a grip on something which bolitho now recognized as a wig i'll have you all out of here in a moment stay on the ladder and tell them he felt suddenly sorry for the unknown man who was neither young nor very firm on his feet but right now he was his most valuable asset one he could not afford to lose from view the bald man had a surprisingly carrying voice although he had to break off several times to regain his breath some of the noises had died and the crush of figures beneath the ladder eased back in response to his pleas the masters mate and three seamen came panting along the passageway and bolitho shouted ah mr grindel you were quick now get ready to pass the children aft though god knows how many there are down there then the women he broke off as a terrified figure tried to push past ashton on the ladder he seized him by the coat and said harshly tell this one that i will have him thrown overboard if he disobeys my orders in a karma tone he continued you may put all the fit men to work on deck under mr mayhew grindel looked at him dubiously they bait simon sir i don't care give him axes and have that wreckage hacked away cut loose any top hamper you can find you may cast the poop guns over the side if you can manage it without letting them run wild he paused to listen to the wind whipping against the hull the growing chorus of groans and bangs which seem to come from every side above and below grindel nodded i i sir but will not savor i'm thinking just do as i say he halted the man before he could move away look mr grindel there is something you must face these people cannot abandon ship for there are no boats nor could we build a raft in this sea their officers are dead and they are near giving in to their terror grindel was an experienced man he deserved an explanation even at this late stage the masters mate nodded i sir i'll do what i can he raised his voice you lads there watch the arch while we goes down to get the barons out another seaman came staggering down the passageway captain sir mr mayhew sends his respects and the uralus is signaling he gaped as grindel reeled through the hatch carrying two screaming babies as he would a bundle of canvas the litho snapped give mr grindle a hand to ashton he called on there can see what is happening the boy faltered and then ran as bolitho shouted well move yourself my lad i may have need of your spanish presently the tide of scrambling gasping figures was growing every minute with the seamen occasionally reaching into it to haul out some man who was trying to remain hidden with the women politho had vague impressions of dark hair and frightened eyes of tear-stained faces an atmosphere of despair and near panic ashton was back again pushing through the throng his hat awry as he reported the admiral wishes to know when you were returning sir bolitho tried to shut out the din the clawing uncertainty of other people's fear which hemmed him in on every side then he snapped signal the ship at once i need more time it will be pitch dark soon ashton stared at him it is all but dark now sir and the wind he must think detach his mind from this throng of terrified unreal figures strong sir mr mayhew says it is still rising politho looked away it was settled perhaps there had never been any doubt go and make your signal but inform the admiral that i will endeavor to get sail on this ship within the hour ashton looked stunned maybe he had expected bolitho to order them from the ship the jolly boat could still make the crossing at least with some of them grindel panted past his gray hair standing on end like dead grass polither called how many so far he scratched his head about 20 kids 50 or so women he grinned showing a line of uneven teeth sailors dream initia grindel's humor seemed to steady politho he knew he had been about to call back the midshipmen before he could signal his ship to make a last-minute compromise one which broughton might overrule with every justification and so recall him to the u rielus he dismissed it instantly imagining mayhew trying to manage all on his own while he hid behind his proper role was unthinkable ashton returned almost immediately he was white-faced and visibly alarmed signal from urila sir if you are sure you can save the prize will you confirm it now he swallowed hard as something crashed across the upper deck followed by shouts and wild curses from the semen then confirm it mr ashton the midshipman added in which case you are ordered to proceed independently to the squadron rendezvous the flagship is making sale politho tried to hide his feelings no doubt broughton was more afraid of losing control of his squadron than anything it was after all his first responsibility if he allowed himself to be caught in a bad storm it might take him days to find his ships to learn if drafen had discovered anything useful he weighed his own reactions against their true value cavern could manage well enough he had already proved that whereas here he broke out of his thoughts and clapped ashton on the shoulder now be off with you as ashton ran back along the passageway he called after him walk it does no harm to appear calm no matter what your feelings may be the michigan glanced back at him and then forced to smile before continuing on his way walking all day called above the noise can you come on deck captain he peered at some male passengers who were being herded in the opposite direction by two armed seamen blow me captain just like the gates of hell opening grindel asked what'll i do sir keep the passengers quiet until i can send the petty officer to relieve you then try and find some charts and together we'll decide what to do next he followed all day out the ladder and then said get that corpse cleared away it is no sight for children at first light all day watched him and gave a grim smile earlier it seemed they must abandon now he was speaking of first light things might get better after all on deck the wind and sea greeted bolitho like forces gone mad the light had almost disappeared except for slivers of grey sky left darting between the clouds just enough for him to see the men reeling about the scarred decks the bare space where the broken mizen had lain trapped in its attendant rigging he wrapped out his orders and then said to mayhew you've made a fine start he turned to watch as mayhew raised one arm to point across the rail the urialis was a mere shadow already with the paler patches growing above her as her topsails filled to the wind and she began to go about for a moment longer he saw her side glistening in spray the checkered lines of her sealed ports and pictured cavern at his place on the quarter deck perhaps already imagining this to be yet another chance for him we will have to stand before the wind mr mayhew any attempt attack and we would lose the rudder and worse the master's mate came stumbling out of the darkness a chart clutched against his chest she was heading for port mohan sir most of the passengers are traders in their families as far as i can make out polithofrand the navara was much further south than need be when they had intercepted her another mystery yet still no answers he said we will try and set the topsoils mr mayhew put two good men on the wheel mr ashton can translate your requirements to the spanish hands the litho look round for the urialis but she had completely vanished he said i would rather have the navara's men aloft for the present where we can keep our eyes on them mayhew grimaced they'll be unhappy to go up in this wind sir if they refuse tell them there's only one other place they can go he gestured between his straddled feet about a thousand fathoms straight down hereabouts another seaman sought him out and shouted there's some 50 wounded in the folk saucer blood all over the place to the fearful sight politho watched the shadowy figures climbing gingerly up the rattlins urged on by mayhew with angry gestures and his own idea of spanish go below and tell mcewen to discover if we have a doctor amongst the passengers if so have him brought on deck mayhew was calling again there's a good few severed lines on the main top mast sir he could carry away as soon as we get sail on her but lighthouse shivered away for the first time that he was soaked to the skin man the braces mr mayhew put some of the passengers on them too i want every damned ounce of muscle you can find to grindel he yelled ready on the helm there his voice was almost drowned by the wailing wind the leaping curtains of spray against the weather side like spirits trying to drag her over and down he looked for a speaking trumpet but could see nothing but the faces of the helmsman glowing in the compass light like wax masks was he doing the correct thing the squall might blow itself out in minutes in which case he would be better to lie to under a close reefed main topsail but if it did not pass as quickly as it had come upon them he must drive ahead of it it was their only chance even then the rudder might carry away all the pumps might be unable to contain the steady intake of water and until daylight it was impossible to learn the extent of the damage or their true plight mayhew bellowed ready sir the litho recalled broughton's comment so be it how long ago that seemed now but he knew it could be little more than three hours since their flag had shown itself above the navara's deck from foreign he heard the jib cracking wildly the impatient rattle of blocks and imagine the men on the yards strung out like limp bits on driftwood and ju hard over mr grindel the litho ran back to the rail to watch as the main topsail showed faintly in the darkness holding the ship over the wheel continued to turn while bolitho shouted to the invisible men below him at the braces until his throat felt like raw flesh but she was coming round slowly and painfully her sails thundering and booming like live things the solitary jib a pale crescent through the black lines of shrouds and stays he dashed the spray from his eyes and ran to the weather side already the angle of the waves had altered and the angry broken crests were now coming straight for the labored quarter all about him he could hear the protesting groan of wood and hemp the clatter of broken gear and waited for something to come tearing down from aloft to signal his failure but nothing fell nor did the helmsman lose control of their wheel whoever had designed the navara had known a thing or two he thought he had to repeat it to make himself heard or perhaps like him the others were too stunned too battered by noise and weather to make sense of anything anymore there without light it was like yelling at an empty deck a ghost ship in which he was alone and without hope let go and hall the strain and gloom were playing tricks with his vision and he had to count the seconds gauging the swing of the yards rather than trusting his streaming eyes mayhew came reeling aft his figure rising and falling like a seaport drunk as he slipped cursing obscenely against the spanish captain's corpse at the foot of the ladder she'll need to take a second reef sir he paused seemingly amazed he was still alive better get the dons to do it now you'll not get him aloft again in this no matter what you threaten them with bolitho cracked his lips into a grin the uncertainty and the fears were giving way to a kind of wild excitement like going into a battle a madness all of its own and no less gripping than real insanity later it would pass and leave a man empty spent like a fox before the hounds he shouted see to it then make fast and belay the grin was still there fixed on his mouth and pray that it holds in one piece mayhew sounded equally wild his northern accent unusually broad i've been praying since the minute i came aboard this wreck sir he laughed into the dashing droplets of spray it's been a might helpful to my way of thinking the light has swayed after the wheel we will reef mr grindel for the moment you feel she may broach too then let me know i dare not tack so we will have to spread more sale rather than less of it the petty officer appeared at his side no doctor sir and there are some fierce looking rents starboard side aft tell mr mayhew to get his dons down there as soon as he has cleared the yards i want every bucket anything which will hold water put into a chain of men it will save the pumps from being swamped and will keep the spaniards busy for a while the man hesitated some of the women are willing to go forward and tend the wounded sir good see they are escorted mcewen he raised his voice and make sure they come to no other hurt understood he grinned i sir grindel muttered it to take a powerful flame jack to manage a woman in this lot by the lord jesus it would ashton had appeared again can you come sir i think we need some shoring up to be done in the carpenters walk by the aft hold i i've tried but i cannot his voice trailed away and that was how the night was to continue until bolitho's mind found it hard to distinguish the passing hours as he applied it to one of the first hint of dawn almost guiltily like an unsuccessful attacker the wind eased the wave crests smoothing and settling while the battered ship became more steady beneath her new masters baleitho never left the quarter deck and as the first warmth of a new day gingerly explored the horizon he saw that they had the sea to themselves he wrapped his sore eyes noting the lolling shapes of his men beneath the bulwarks mayhew asleep on his feet his back against the four mast trunk as if tied there in one more second he would give way would fall asleep himself totally spent he could not even find the sense of satisfaction the feeling of pride in what he had achieved there was nothing but an all-consuming desire to sleep he shook himself and called send for mcewan he faltered his voice sounded like the croak of some disgruntled seabird turn the hands too mr grendel and we will see what we have at our disposal two women appeared at the break of the foxhole and stood staring around them one had blood on her apron but saw him watching her and lifted her hand in greeting the litho tried to smile but nothing came instead he waved back to her his arm feeling like lead there was so much to do in a few more moments the questions and the demands would start all over again he breathed in deeply and rested his hands on the rail a ball had cut out a piece from it like a knife pairing soft cheese he was still staring at it when all day said firmly i have placed a cot for you below the poop captain he paused anticipating a protest but knowing bolitho had little strength left to make it he added i will call mr mayhew to take over the watch the next thing politho knew was that he was stretched out on a small hanging cart and someone was removing his sudden shoes and torn coat and the same realization brought sleep like a black curtain instant and complete chapter nine a new enemy belitho sat at a makeshift table in the navara small stern cabin and stared moodily at a chart he had slept for three hours oblivious of everything until some latent instinct had brought him out of the cot his eyes and ears groping for an explanation in the space of those three hours the wind had completely died leaving not a hint of its past fury and as he had hurried on deck he had seen the sails hanging lifeless the sea breathing gently in a flat calm while mayhew had got on with business of burying the dead and grindel had tried to produce some sort of routine for counting and then feeding the passengers and spanish crew he had made a slow and methodical search of the dead captain's quarters he raised his eyes and looked around the cabin where a man like himself had once planned rested and hoped through a great rent in the side he could see the dazzling blue water lapping against the hull as if to mock him from the stern windows he could feel the mounting heat for the uralus broadside has smashed every piece of glass just as it had turned the cabin into a shattered blackened ruin a fire had probably started and when he had searched for the ship's papers and log he had found only black sudden ashes nothing to give him information nor even a sextant to help fix their approximate position the night storm could have driven them many miles to the east land might be 30 or 50 miles distant spain or north africa he could not be sure mayhew entered the cabin his shoes crunching on broken glass he looked tired and strained like the rest of the boarding party we seem to have got some sort of midday meal cooking at last sir he gestured to the chart any hope of fixing our position yet no there was little point in deluding the lieutenant if anything happened to himself it would be mayhew's job to get the ship to safety to be be calmed like this is no help at all he studied mayhew gravely how are you managing with the passengers he shrugged they are chattering like a lot of goals i don't suppose they realize yet what is happening to them nor i believe i thought he said after our people have eaten we will put them to work again on the hull the water intake is still very bad so make sure the pumps are inspected too all day appeared in the sagging doorway his face set in a frown pardon captain but one of the dons wishes to speak with you but if you wish i'll send him packing so you can have your meal in peace mayhew nodded and said i am sorry i forgot to mention it the little fat spaniard who has been helping ashton with the interpreting asked me earlier with so much on my mind bolatho smiled i doubt that it is of much importance but have him sent in all day to make you he added i'm so desperate for information i have little choice in the matter the spaniard entered nervously his head bowed beneath the deck beams although he had a good two feet clearance he was wearing his wig but belitha realized with surprise that it made him look older rather than more youthful pelito had already discovered his name was luis parecha on passage to paul mahon where he apparently intended to end his years well senor what can i do for you parekh appeared round of the shot holes and charred woodwork before saying timidly your ship did terrible damage captain mayhew muttered harshly had we given you a full broadside you would be down on the seabed with those others so mind your manners parachute flinched i did not mean to imply that you he shifted his feet and tried again many of the others are worried they do not know what is to happen or if we will reach our homes again the litho eyed him thoughtfully this ship is now a british prize you must understand it is not possible in war to know exactly how such matters will proceed but there is ample food aboard and i expect to meet with our ship soon he imagined he saw a flash of doubt in the man's eyes and added firmly very soon now i shall tell them sounded less sure than ever if i can help in any way then please tell me captain you saved our lives by staying with the ship that i do know we would certainly have perished otherwise tell me senior parekha politho dropped his eyes to show extra confidence might be taken by bereja as uncertainty in his own ability he continued do you know of any reason why the captain came so far to the south parika pouted there was some talk but in the haste of departure i did not take so much notice my wife needed to leave spain since the alliance with france things have become very bad at home i hope to take her to my estate in minorca it is not vast but make you asked tell us about the talk easy mr mayhew but i thought shot him a warning glance he has his troubles too eh he turned and asked easily you were saying something senor pereika spread his plump hands i heard one of the officers alas now dead saying that they were to meet with some vessel to allow a passenger to be transferred something of that nature the litho tried to hide his sudden interest you speak good english a great help pereira smiled modestly my wife speaks it well and i have done much business with the london he faltered in happier days elito made himself sit very still conscious of mayhew's impatience of the ship's sluggish movement beneath him he asked calmly do you remember where this meeting was to take place i think not he screwed up his face so that he looked like a plump child playing make-believe in an old wig polither pushed the chart gently towards him look at this the names along that coastline he watched intently as pereka's eyes moved empty over the well-worn chart no mayhew moved away biting his lip blast him alithea turned in his chair to mask his disappointment if you remember anything senor baraja be so good as to tell one of my men bowed gravely and made as if to leave then he halted one hand raised as if demanding silence he said excitedly but the officer did say something more again the quaint frown that that it felt strange to do business with the french again he peered at bolitho's grim features and added but that is all i am sorry mr mayhew are there any frenchmen aboard he held his breath before the lieutenant could reply pereira said quickly but yes there is such a man he is called withdrawal and came aboard so late at malaga that he had no cabin he looked startled yet he was allowed to share these quarters with the captain very strange litho stood up slowly his mind hardly daring to hold any hope and yet it was just possible someone important enough to share with the captain might well be able to arrange an unorthodox transfer at sea it would only mean a few days more aboard for the rest of the passengers and power like wealth was very insistent this man withdrawal could be a smuggler or a high-born criminal on the run a traitor or a merchant trying to outwit his competitors but he might have information anything which could throw some light on events in these waters there was a sudden commotion in the passageway and he heard all day say angrily it is no use you cannot go in there and then in a strange heavy accent it is no bloody good senora but the door rocked back on its broken hinges and a woman stormed into the cabin her eyes blazing as she said ah there you are luis everyone is waiting to hear what is happening and you stand here making gossip like some fish wife but litho looked at her with surprise she was tall and had long hair as dark as his own and was wearing what must be a very costly blue gown but it was smeared with salt stains and there were darker patches near her waist which he guessed were blood parekha was embarrassed and said this is my wife a captain like yourself she is english politho moved the remaining chair towards her please be seated senora she was nearly a head taller than her husband and had a guest some 20 or so years younger striking rather than beautiful her features were dominated by very dark eyes and a mouth which was now set in a line of stubborn determination and anger i will not be staying she looked at him for the first time all the others have been talking of my husband's new importance in your eyes i merely came to see that he did not make a fool of himself now my dove parekha stepped back as she swung to face him she said do not dove me you promised to take me away from the war and from fear of war and as soon as we are at sea what happens she gestured with something like contempt towards politho this one seizes our ship and nearly kills us all in doing it mayhew snapped hold your tongue madam captain bolitho is a king's officer and you'll do well to remember it captain is he she gave a mock curtsy we are honored indeed all day made as if to caesar from behind but bolitho shook his head i am sorry you've been inconvenienced senora parekha i will do what i can to ensure you are all returned to malaga just as soon as i can arrange it she had her hands on her hips and he could see her supple body trembling with her anger you know that is unlikely captain we will more likely be pushed from ship to ship suffering indignities at the hands of your sailors until we are left stranded in some port i've heard of such things before believe me she had a strong voice like her limbs and she appeared to be well able to take care of herself yet as she stood in the scarred cabin her dress still showing the marks left from the storm and from tending the wounded bolither could hear her voice giving away something more desperation but not fear disappointment rather than any horror at her predicament he said i will see that you and your husband are moved to an officer's cabin i understand your own was destroyed yes and all my trunks she glared at her husband but his were safe of course but my dove parekha was almost kneeling to her i will take care of you politho looked away embarrassed and sickened to make you he said have them taken to the cabin now i must find out he broke off as a startled shout was followed instantly by a shot he snatched up his sword and pushed her aside as he ran through the door mayhew and all day pounding behind him the sun was so bright and blinding that for a few seconds he could see nothing unusual several passengers were still standing by the main hatch where they had been told to wait for the issue of food others were caught in various attitudes of surprise or fright as they peered up at the foxel where two men stood behind a mounted swivel gun training it aft towards the quarter deck beside it one of mayhew's seamen lay moaning quietly with blood seeping from a pistol ball in his shoulder parekha called nervously that is the man the lighthouse stood very still one jerk of the lanyard and a blast of canister would sweep the deck from forward to aft it would not only cut him down but most of the people in between as well he called stand clear of the gun you can do nothing do not speak so foolishly capita the man's voice was smooth but surprisingly loud some of your men had the uh misfortune he smiled the misfortune to discover some very fine brandy below i fear they will be of little help to your cause the muzzle moved slightly throw down your weapons the spanish seamen will be resuming their duties i have no doubt that even they can sail the ship when required he was smiling broadly his teeth very white in his tanned face your own ship has gone away there is no point in sacrificing yourself his tone hardened or others for your own pride but litho's mind grappled with the problem which he was now facing even if he and the others still sober controlled the poop they could not work the ship whereas wittron's swivel gun would ensure that he remained master of the upper deck as well as all the food and water there might be no spanish officers left alive but witron was right the crew could manage to set sail and it would not be long before some enemy ship appeared to investigate their behavior all day whispered if we cut back to the cabin we can hold him off with muskets captain the voice called i am waiting capita throw down your weapons now mayhew asked would he fire he could kill half of those women and children down there alithea began to unbuckle his sword we are no good to anyone dead do as he says something like a great sigh came from the motionless passengers as politho and his companions placed their weapons on the deck two armed spaniards ran along the starboard gangway pistols trained until they had climbed the poop ladder behind politho at a distance they could not possibly miss whitron handed over the swivel guns lanyard to the other man and then walked slowly along the same gangway reaching the quarter deck he gave a short bow paul captain at your service he was of medium height square jawed with the look of a soldier about him there was recklessness too something bolitho recognized and which he might have discovered in time but for the arrival of pereika's wife maybe she had come aft deliberately he said coldly i have submitted to save life but in due course we will meet with my ship again even keeping me as hostage will not help you then just one ship capita interesting what could her mission be in waters dominated by france i wonder he shook his head you are a brave officer and i respect you for that but you must accept this fate as i accepted your sudden arrival aboard here it would have been better for both of us had we never met he gave an expressive shrug but war is war he studied balitho for several seconds his eyes almost yellow in the glare i do not doubt you would refuse to sail this ship for me he smiled gently but you will give me your word as a king's officer not to try and retake her he picked up a lot of sword then you may keep this as a token of my trust in that honor eh polito shook his head i can give no such assurance mayhew said thickly nor i loyalty too he seemed quite composed then you will be taken below and put in irons i am sorry of course but i have much to do apart from myself there are just three french companions the rest he shrugged with obvious contempt spanish rubbish i will be hard put to keep him away from the passengers i think he beckoned to the armed seaman and then asked your ship she is french built yes she was the tornad politho kept his voice level but his mind was almost bursting as he tried to think of a scheme no matter how weak which might give him back control but there was nothing withdrawals yellow eyes widened tornad admiral the kia's flagship he banged his forehead with the palm of his hand i was foolish not to realize it you with your unpronounceable name the man who took the tornad in a mere 74. he nodded suddenly serious you will be quite a prize yourself if and when we ever see france again the seamen jabbed them with their pistols and whitron said sharply go with them he looked at all day standing with his fists clenching and unclenching his face still shocked at what was happening is he one of your officers politho looked at him this was a moment when life might end also he might never see all day again if they became separated he replied quietly he is a friend with wrong side and that is something rare he smiled sadly he may stay with you but any trick and you will be killed he shot parekha a scathing glance like traitors there is only one true solution but lighter turned towards the companion ladder seeing the faces of the nearby passengers and pereira's wife by the poop she was standing very still only the quick movement of her breast displaying any sort of emotion something squeaked and when he turned his head he saw the white ensign was already fluttering down from the main mast like the loss of his sword it seemed to symbolize the completeness of his defeat politho rested his back against a massive cast of salt beef listening to the muffled sounds beyond the door unconscious of his companion silence but for a tiny circular port in the door through which he could see the feeble light of a lantern the place where he and the others were imprisoned was in total darkness he was thankful for that he did not want them to see his face or his despair he heard the chain move felt the irons about his ankles jerk slightly as mayhew or one of the others changed his position all day was sitting next to him sharing the same cask to rest his back and grindel was on the opposite side of the tiny storeroom shackled to ashton each wrapped in his own thoughts brooding perhaps on the twist of fate which had brought them here it was impossible to tell what was happening elsewhere in the ship the pumps had not stopped but occasionally they had heard other sounds shouts and curses and a woman sobbing and screaming once there had been another pistol shot and bolitho imagined that wittron was having difficulty in controlling the spanish crew after the urialis deadly cannon fire the storm and the humiliation of being seized as a prize it was easy to picture the scene between decks without their own familiar offices and sense of purpose any discipline might soon give way to a drunken disorganized chaos the wind had not returned just feeling the ship's slow uneasy motion the useless clatter of loose gear told him that much mayhew said savagely if ever i live to get my hands on those drunkards i'll have them flogged to ribbons the useless buggers bolither replied the brandy was a clever ruse on whitron's part he added with sudden bitterness i should have made a thorough search grindel said worriedly you was too busy saving their lives for that sir no use blaming yourself or you'll agree with that all day stirred restlessly should have left them to rot politho called are you feeling better mr ashton he was worried about the midshipmen when he had been dragged into the storeroom he had seen the bloody bandage around his head and how paley had appeared it seemed that ashton had tried to hold off the attackers on his own calling for his men who unknown to him were already too drunk to help even themselves someone had clubbed him brutally with a musket and he had not spoken more than a few words since but he answered readily i'm all right sir it will soon pass you acted well but i though guess that ashton was probably thinking too of his future he was only 17 and had already shown promise and no little ability now his prospects might seem dark and empty prison or even death by fever in some forgotten enemy garrison he was too junior and unimportant to be considered for exchange even if the proper authorities ever gave it a thought elitho tried to picture his own ship where she now lay and what broughton might be doing the admiral had probably dismissed them all from his thoughts the storm the likelihood of the navara's founding would soon make him look on them as memories and little more he stirred against the cask hating the iron around his ankles he had been a prisoner before but could find no solace in the memory then there had been a chance although very slight of escape and turning the tables on his captors and all was the real possibility of other british ships arriving to assist him a slight chance could always offer hope but now there was nothing like that you rileis would not return to look for him how could she when the very mission they had come to do still lay untouched his stomach contracted and he realized he had not eaten since yesterday it seemed like a week ago the ordered world of his own ship a sense of being and belonging he pictured his wife probably retelling whitron how easy it had been to delay him from seeking him out from amongst the other passengers or maybe she was up there weeping watching her elderly husband kicking out his breath at the main yard at the end of a rope where had she come from and what would bring a woman like her to this part of the world another puzzle and one which now would stay unanswered scraped beyond the door and all day said hotly come to gloat no doubt the bastards the boat was withdrawn and polithos saw witch wrong squinting into the storeroom two armed men at his back the frenchman said i would like you to come on deck capita he sounded calm enough yeah there was something about him which made bolatho stiffen with interest maybe a wind was returning at last and witron had less confidence in the crew than he pretended but the deck felt as sluggish as before the mournful clank of pumps just as regular he asked coldly why must i come i'm content to stay here which whitron gestured to one of his men who stepped cautiously inside with a key for the leg irons he snapped prisoners have no choice you will do as i order politha watched the seaman unlocking the irons his mind grappling with withdrawal sudden change of manner he was worried mayhew helped him to his feet and said take care sir he sounded just that much too bright the litho reflected and was probably imagining his captain was about to be interrogated or worse he followed withdrawal along the passageway aware of the silence all about him apart from the pumps and the gentle creek of timbers he could hear no voices at all and that in a ship crowded with apprehensive passengers it was late afternoon and on deck the sun was blinding hot the seams sticking to politho's shoes as he followed withdrawal up a ladder and onto the poop the glare from the glittering blue water was so intense that he almost fell across some of the splintered planking so that whitron put out his hand to steady him well what is it politho shaded his eyes and looked at the other man i have not changed my mind about anything whitrong did not seem to hear he took the lytho by the arm and pulled him round towards the rail his voice suddenly urgent look yonder what do you understand about them politha was suddenly aware that the ship's main deck and folks were crammed with silent watching figures some men had climbed into the shrouds their intent figures dark against the limp sails as they appeared towards the horizon witron held out a telescope please capita tell me but lighthouse steadied the glass on his forearm and trained it across the rail most of the people on deck had turned to watch him and even whitron was studying his profile with something like anxiety politho moved the glass very slowly catching his breath as the small brightly colored latin sails swam hesitantly into the lens three four maybe five of them each making its own gay reflection on the sea's face like the wings of gordy moths he thought he lowered the glass and looked at whitron they are chebeks he watched the uncertainty on whitron's face perhaps five of them witrong stared at him and then waved at the navara's lifeless sails but they are moving and approaching fast how can that be like galley's monsieur they can travel speedily under oars as well as sail he added very quietly it is my belief that they are barbary pirates whitron stepped back moldy corsair he snatched the glass from bolitho and trained it towards the tiny sails for several seconds then he said in a more controlled tone this is bad what do you know of such people politho looked away they are savage barbarous fighters if they get aboard this ship they will kill every man before they carry off the cargo he paused and the women whitron sounded short of breath but our guns are good yes my god they answered your ship well enough surely we can smash those puny craft before they draw close the lighthou eyed him gravely you do not begin to understand these chebeks can maneuver quickly while we lie be calmed that is why they have survived so long and so successfully once within range they will use their sweeps to get under our stern then they will pound us to submission each one will no doubt carry a heavy cannon in her bows that is their way he let it sink in it has proved very effective i've heard of ships of war lying be calmed and helpless unable to do anything but watch as these galleys cut out one merchantman after another from the very heart of a convoy he looked again towards the horizon the sails were already much closer and he could see the shining banks of long oars rising and falling in perfect rhythm above them the bright latine sails gave a new menace to their appearance and he could picture their crew's excitement of the prospect of so easier capture whitron asked what must we do he spread his hands they will kill you two capita so we must work together politho shrugged normally i would get the ship's boats into the water and try to warp her around we could then present a broadside but we have no boats apart from a small one which brought me here he rubbed his chin but in any case it would be asking a lot in the name of god man are you going to stand there and do nothing he waved towards the silent onlookers who were beginning to realize the new threat as the little hulls glided nearer and nearer and what of them a you will let them die suffer torture and rape surely you can do something politho smiled grimly your concern for their lives is touching you've changed in several ways since our first meeting before the frenchman could reply he snapped have my officers released at once and give them their weapons he saw the flicker of a challenge in wittron's eyes fade as he added harshly you have no choice monsieur and if we are to die today i would rather do it with my sword in my hand withdrawal nodded and gave a brief smile that is so i agree then have senior pareha brought aft he can interpret my orders for me wittron was already beckoning to a messenger as he asked the wind will it come in the cool of late evening perhaps he eyed him steadily by then it will not concern us if we fail minutes later mayhew and the others joined him on the poop ashton staggering painfully and supported on the lieutenant's arm on the main deck bolitho saw the released petty officer mcewen and six seamen also being allowed to walk aft the remainder of them presumably still too drunk to be roused the latter might die in complete ignorance bolitho thought absently and be better for it you need me capitaine it was luis pereira looking fearful and timid at the same time polito smiled at him pereira had been under guard which showed that he had no private arrangements with the frenchman he said i want you to tell everyone what i need to be done he saw him darting a frightened glance over the rail a lot will depend on you senor how you sound and the way you look he smiled again so let us go down to the quarter deck together eh parekha blinked up at him together captain then he nodded the sudden determination pathetic on his round face mayhew whispered fiercely how can we fight them off sir get our own men and form a single gun crew i want the best cannon taken to the stern cabin you will have to work fast to rig tackles for it but it must be done these craft will be within range in an hour maybe less he touched the lieutenant's torn coat and added and run up the colors again mr mayhew he saw wittron open his mouth as if to protest and then turn away to the rail he added if we must fight then it will be under our flag all day watch the flag jerking up the halyards and observe cheerfully i'll lay a fine wager that those bloody pirates have never seen a king ship like this lady of all bolitho looked at pereika and now senor come with me together we will try and make some naval history today eh but as he looked down at all the upturned faces the women pulling their children against their dresses the air of despondency and growing fear it was all he could do to conceal his true feelings from them chapter 10 survival not long no sir grindel tucked his thumbs into his belt and watch the oncoming craft without emotion in the last 30 minutes they had formed into line the maneuver completed without hurry or effort as if they had all the time in the world now curving steadily towards the navara's labored quarter they looked like some historic procession or ored galleys an impression increased by the dull booming of drums the latter essential if the men toiling at the long oars were to keep perfect timing the leading sherbeck was about a mile away but already bolitho could see the cluster of dark skinned figures gathered above her long beak head and guess they were preparing the bow gun for the first attack the sails as on the other craft had been filled and he could see a blue forked burgee flapping from her foremast displaying the emblem of the crescent moon he tore his eyes from the slow purposeful approach and said to grindel i am going below for a moment keep an eye open here until i return as he hurried beneath the poop he tried to concentrate his thoughts on what he had done so far to find any loophole in his flimsy plan of defense when pereika had interpreted his orders he had watched the faces of crew and passengers alike to them any plan would seem better than standing like dumb beasts for the slaughter but now as they crouch throughout the hull and listen to those steady confident drum beats that first hope might soon disperse in panic if only they had had more time but uralus broadside had left the ship in two saddest state for quick repairs she was down by the bows and even if a wind got up she would sail badly without her missing it had been necessary to rid the poop of its guns in order to lighten her aft where the damage had been worst but the thought of the guns lying on the seabed at a time when they were really needed did nothing to help ease his mind in the stern cabin he found mayhew and his seamen working feverishly to complete their part of the plan the navara had mounted two powerful stern chasers one of which had been smashed by a ball from the urialis but the remaining one had been hauled and raised from its restricted port on the starboard side of the transom and now stood in the center of the cabin its muzzle pointing towards the windows not that there were any windows left now mayhew would cut them all away leaving the gun with a wide arc of fire from quarter to quarter hastily rigged tackles were being checked by mcewen while the other seamen were busily stacking powder and shot against the cabin bulkhead mayhew wiped his streaming face and forced a grin she should do well sir he patted the fat breech she's an english 32-pounder i wonder where these thieving buggers got her from bolitho nodded and strode to the gaping windows by craning over the sill he could see the leading boat her oars like gold in the sunlight most of the navara's cannon were old and little use they were carried more to deter any would-be pirate than for firing in deadly earnest she had depended more on her agility than her prowess in combat i did most merchant vessels the world over this cannon was certainly the one true discovery of any worth similar to those which made up uralus lower gun deck it was recognized as a powerful and devastating weapon when in the right hands nicknamed a long nine by the seaman being nine feet in length it could throw a ball with fair accuracy over one and a half miles and still be able to penetrate three feet of oak and accuracy was more important than anything else at this moment polito turned his back on the sea and said we will fire as soon as the leading shabbat is end on to us mcewen who was a gun captain aboard his own ship asked double shot it sir he shook his head no that is well enough for a ship to ship engagement when there is nothing opposite you but another broadside but today we cannot afford to be erratic he smiled at their shining grimy faces so watch your charges and make sure each ball is a good one he took mayhew aside and dropped his voice i believe they will try an attack from a head and a stern simultaneously he will divide our resources and give the enemy some idea of our ability the lieutenant nodded i am wishing we had not seen this damn chip sir he grinned ruefully all that we had sunk her with a full broadside the lighthouse smiled remembering wittron's own words better for both of us had we never met well it was too late for regrets now he paused in the doorway his eyes passing over the busy semen the cabin's air of dejection at being so badly used if i fall today mr mayhew he saw the sudden alarm in the left-hander's eyes and added quietly you will carry on with the fight this enemy will offer no quarter so bear that well in mind he forced a smile you were the one who was pleading for battle yesterday you should be well satisfied he walked swiftly towards the sunlight again past the unattended wheel to where grindel stood watching the approaching craft as if he had never moved along both bulwarks of the upper deck the spanish sailors stood or crouched beside their guns the largest of which were 12 pounders here and there wherever they could find some sort of cover he could see some of the passengers hastily provided with muskets from the arms chest while others had appeared carrying elaborate sporting guns from their own baggage to add their weight to the defenses he shut his ears to the distant drums and tried to visualize the ship's firepower as it would display itself within the next few minutes several of the lambert guns were useless upended and smashed by the urilys brief onslaught much depended on what the enemy would do first the pumps were still working steadily enough and he wondered whether pereika's translation had brought home to those trying to control the intake of water the true value of their work or whether the first crash of gunfire they would run from the pumps and give the sea its own victory there had been a good few peasant women amongst the passengers tough sun-dried creatures who had not shown either resentment or fear when he had suggested they might help by assisting on the pumps for as he had wanted to explain there were no longer any passengers in the navara it was a ship's company upon whose determination and strength depended survival and life itself grindel called them splitting up sir the two rear most vessels were already swinging steeply from the line and pulling parallel with the drifting navara their long stems cutting the water apart like scythes as they glided purposefully towards the bows bolitho looked along the upper deck and saw wittron standing by the foremast a pistol in his belt and another laid nearby on a hatch cover ashton was with him his pale face screwed up with determination and pain as he waited for his orders from the poop politho called you may run out mr ashton he bit his lip as the guns squeaked protestingly towards the open ports now the gaps in the defenses were all the more apparent especially on the larbit side and quarter where the damage was most severe he beckoned who had been standing as if mesmerized below the poop ladder tell them to fire on the order no random shots nor do i want them to waste time and energy by aiming at empty sea he narrowed his eyes against the glare and watched the two graceful craft turning slowly as if to cross the navara's bows they were about two cables clear biding their time astern it was much the same with the three boats moving in perfect unison towards the labored quarter and at a similar distance he could hear mayhew wrapping out orders and wondered if he had any faith in his ability to hold off the attackers he stiffened realizing that one bank of oars on the leading boat had halted poised above the sea so that even as he watched the hull seemed to shorten until he was pointing directly towards him only then did the motionless bank of oars begin to move again but at a slower pace the water creaming back from her stem in a fine white arrowhead there was a sudden puff of dark smoke from her bows followed instantly by a loud bang he saw the water quiver as the invisible ball hurled itself just a few feet above the surface to smash hard into the navara side directly below where he was standing he heard sharp cries of alarm from below a momentary pause in the pumping and saw several figures leaping up and down on the enemy's focusal as if in a frenzy of excitement another bang from a head this time and he saw a tall waterspout leap skyward some three cables a beam the other sherbeck had fired and missed but the plume of spray gave a good hint of the size of her gun helplessly the spanish seamen waited by their ports staring at the mocking squares of empty water and tensing their bodies for the next ball they did not have to wait long the boat closest to the labored quarter fired and the ball smashed hard into the poop hurling wood splinters across the sea alongside and making the deck quiver violently polithos snapped i'm going aft mr grindel he trusted mayhew to obey his orders more than he did his own ability to remain inactive under this searching merciless bombardment yet that was how it must be if they were to have even a shred of hope he found mayhew leaning against the gun his eyes weary as he watched the ored hull gliding easily towards the quarter now a cable away the litho tense to the sherbeck's bow gun belt smoke and fire and felt the ball crash into the transom below him probably close to the damage already made worse by the storm mayhew said between his teeth by god she'll come apart with much more of this sir politho looked along the gun barrel noting the stiffness in the naked backs and shoulders of the seamen who like mayhew were expecting the next shot to be amongst them bang the muffled explosion was followed by the telltale shiver as a heavy ball struck the navara's hull right forward but he could not be up there as well as here and this was the ship's vital and most sensitive part the next shot from a stern cleaved through the empty gunport on the transom and bolivar gritted his teeth as he listened to it smashing deep into the hull the attendant cries and screams which told him it had found more than mere timber this time mayhew smiled what is he waiting for damn him but i though realized that the enemy had not fired again although his previous timing between shots had been regular and extremely quick he watched hardly daring to hope as with sudden determination the cherbeck began to edge across the navara stern for a moment longer he tortured himself that it was just an illusion that the navara was really moving slightly in some additional undertow mayhew said breathlessly he's coming in for the kill sir he darted politho a quick glance his eyes wild with admiration by god he thinks we are undefended here the litho nodded grimly the sherbeck's commander had tested their ability to hold him off and was certainly moving closer for a direct shot into the navara stern seeing the damage the two ports left empty in the transom he might well believe her to be helpless mayhew said sharply right my boys the men seem to come alive around the gun now we shall see he stooped behind the breach his eyes glittering above it in the sunlight like two matched stones as he watched the enemy's slender masts edging into a direct line a stern right traverse he stamped with impatience as the men threw themselves on their hand spikes well he was sweating badly and had to dash it from his eyes with his torn sleeve point mcewen stepped clear pulling his trigger lanyard until he was bar taught ready mayhew swore obscenely as the chair back swung momentarily out of line before the drum brought the oars back under control in the sudden stillness polithos voice was like a pistol shot now mr mayhew aye sir the seconds felt like ours as mayhew stayed crouched behind the gun like a carved figure then with the suddenness that caught bolitho unprepared even though he had been expecting it mayhew left aside and yelled fire in the close confines of the cabin the noise was like a thunderclap and as the men reeled about coughing and choking in the dense smoke bolitho saw the gun hurl itself inboard on its tackles felt the planking shaking wildly beneath him and wondered basically if it would tear itself free and smash him to pulp against the bulkhead but the tackles held and as the billowing smoke funneled clear of the windows he heard mayhew yelling like a maniac look at the bastard just see him now lads blythe pushed towards the windows and stared with amazement of the leading boat which seconds before it made such a picture of grace and purpose the massive 32-pound ball must have plowed right amongst one bank of oars for many appeared missing and beneath the pool of smoke he could see the slim hull broaching too the remaining bank of oars hacking and slashing at the water in a wild attempt to hold it steady mayhew roared stop your vent sponge out to bolitho he shouted double shut it this time sir if you can be quick mr mayhew polithos ears were still cringing from the explosion but he could feel his sudden desperate excitement rising to match the lieutenants as he added and great for good measure if you have any to the seamen who worked so eagerly in the shattered cabin the gun was as familiar as those which shared their daily lives the strain intention of waiting helplessly and watching the enemy shoot into the battered hull without being able to hit back was passed in an instant yelling and whooping they rammed home the charges watched closely by mcewen who was too experienced a gun captain to allow anything to alter his sense of vigilance he even fondled each ball before allowing it to be rammed into the muzzle making quite sure it was as perfect as could be hoped for in a spanish ship the lighthouse saw the damaged cherbeck begin to edge painfully towards the starboard quarter and managed not to watch the seamen frantically trying to reload before she was gone from view but a long nine normally had a crew of fifteen men to attend to its needs mayhew had half that number run out he had done it in two minutes the other two shebecks were reversing their swoops and backing away from the navara's sudden challenge one of them fired but the shot must have passed well clear for none of them saw where it fell mayhew yelled hoarsely left traverse he dashed to the side of the cabin squinting his eyes as he tried to gauge the enemy's speed politho heard more crashes and shouts from the upper deck and said i must leave you mayhew did not even hear him left left left he snatched up a hand spike and threw his own weight to the gun he was still peering and squinting over the breach as belitha tore himself away and ran back to the poop he had just reached the sunlight again when mayhew fired as he ran to the starboard side he saw the double shot smash into the cherbeck's hull watched with fixed fascination as the narrow deck began to tilt over the packed mass of figures surging towards the shattered side like sheep stampeding down a steep hill the two massive balls must have smashed the hull close on the water line the strain and impetus of the oars would have done the rest even now the hull was settling down the milling figures of her crew spilling over the gunnel or running in confusion towards the bows neither of the other chebeks was making any attempt to draw near to save life or pursue the attack and he wondered momentarily whether the stricken boat contained their leader he felt grindel tugging his arm one of them's turning sir she's coming straight for the bows polithos stared along the deck and saw a cherbeck's slim masts bearing down at full speed her full sails appearing to be within feet of the navara's jib boom at the last possible moment it changed course and swept purposefully towards the ship's lava bow the oars swinging back against her hull like some great seabird folding its wings as it glided in for a closer embrace politho yelled labored battery fire as ashton staggered along the line of guns each one lurched inboard the smoke billowing across the enemy craft the balls doing little damage but cut her foremast in two like a young sapling under an axe politho felt the grinding shudder saw grapples flooding over the gangway and dragged out his sword repelled borders he saw the frenchman snatch up his pistols and push some of the dazed semen towards the side mr ashton the swivel gun he saw all day charging along the deck towards him his cutlass already drawn and shining dully in the smoky sunlight he snapped i told you to stay with mr ashton but knew it was useless all day would never leave his side in a fight no matter what he said heads were already coming up and over the bulwark which having no boarding nets was protected only by its gangway but i though watch the seamen hacking and slashing with pikes and cutlasses alike heard the yells and cries rising to a deafening crescendo as more and more dark-skinned attackers fought their way up the ship's side some were already on the foxel only to vanish like blown paper as the swivel gun belched fire and swept them away in a hail of canister jesus watch your back captain all day swung his cutlass and hacked a turbaned figure across the face cutting the jaw away before even a scream could escape the lytho saw a bearded giant wielding an axe cut down two spanish semen and then run crazily towards one of the hatchways he thought of the women and children the terrified wounded and what could change any spark of hope into a raging defeat if this giant got amongst them before all they could intervene he was across the hatch one foot on the combing as the unrushing man skidded to a halt the axe poised above his head still bloody from its earlier victims the axe started to descend and belitha left one side he saw darting under the man's massive forearm swinging him round above the hatch his teeth bared in agony as the razor-edged blade grated against and between his ribs bellowing and roaring like a wounded beast he still came on the axe making a silver ark as he slashed at belitho forcing him back and back towards the poop a seaman charged forward with a boarding pike but the giant knocked it to one side and brought the axe across the man's neck without even losing its precision sending the man flailing across the deck his head almost severed from his body polito knew that if he was pinned against the poop the other man would cut him down just as easily he braced himself and as the man raised his axe above his head seemingly oblivious to the terrible wound left by the sword he darted forward the blade pointed straight for his bearded throat but his shoe slipped on a patch of blood and before he could recover he felt himself falling hard against one of the guns the sword clattering from his hand and beyond his reach in those split seconds he saw everything like one great painting the face is an expression standing out as if fixed in the mind of an artist all day too far away to help parrying with a red turban pirate grindel and some semen grappling wildly below the lab at gangway sword blades flashing and ringing eyes wide with ferocity and terror he saw too the man with the axe pausing balancing on his great bare toes as if to measure this final blow he was actually grinning savoring the moment but litho did not hear the shot through all the other awful sounds but saw his attacker tilt forward his expression changing to one of complete astonishment and then a mask of agony before he pitched forward at his feet wittron's pistol was still smoking as he lowered it from his forearm and yelled are you hurt capita bolitho groped for his sword and stood up shaking his head no but thank you he grinned i think that we are winning this fight it was true already the borders were retreating along the gangway leaving their dead and wounded to be trampled underfoot as the battle swayed back and forth above the deck bolitho pushed past several yelling spaniards and stood beside all day his sword parrying a scimitar and opening the shoulder of its owner in a long scarlet gash all day watched the man reel towards the side and slashed him down with his heavy cutlass gasping that'll speed him on his way by god the litho wiped his streaming face and peered down into the boat alongside already it was being pulled clear and he could see some of the borders leaping back onto its narrow side deck beneath which the hidden oarsmen were trying to free their blades from the navara side several muskets were banging from below and he felt a ball rasp against the rail by his fingers and saw a red-robed figure pointing him out to some marksmen on the cherbeck slender poop but the oars were gaining control and as the drum beat rose above the yelling spanish seamen the screaming wounded and those of our own crew who were floundering in the water the chebek began to move down the ship's side polito noticed that her consort was some mile distant and must have stayed out of range for the whole fight he thought of mayhew in the cabin and shouted hoarsely i must tell them to use the gun he turned to run aft and almost fell across a sprawled corpse its face glaring fixedly at the lifeless sails and one hand still grasping a blooded sword it was grindel the master's mate his gray wisps of hair giving the impression that it was somehow managing to stay alive without him the litho said take him all day all day sheathed his cutlass and watched bolitho hurrying away to the dead masters mate he said wearily you were too old for this kind to sing my friend then he dragged him carefully into the shade of the bulwark leaving a smeared trail of blood behind him end of disc five

Channel: zhe liu

Views: 195

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: A_Y9i79-Ozo

Length: 326min 13sec (19573 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 07 2021