Command a King`s Ship

Bolitho smiled at Herrick. 'Better than I had expected. We'll have a man in the chains and begin soundings as we pass this islet of the master's. The chart describes some nineteen fathoms hereabouts, but I'd prefer to be certain.'

Twenty minutes later Penn returned to the deck, his brown features sprinkled with sweat. He held out his grubby pad and stood back to watch Mudge's reactions.

Over his shoulder Davy said, 'Looks like a whale to me.'

Mudge eyed him coldly. 'So it does.' To Penn he said, 'Fair work. It is 'ow I recalls it.' His small eyes returned to Davy. 'Exactly like a great rocky whale.' The merest pause. 'Sir.'

'Anything there?'

Bolitho took a glass and trained it above the gun deck. As yet he could see nothing but the same, painful glare. He wondered momentarily where the storm had gone, how it could vanish after showing so much fury.

'Bless you, no, sir.' Mudge beamed at Davy's discomfort. 'Just a fistful o' rocks, like the tip of some undersea ridge, as no doubt it was one time. But I suppose it could be used as shelter in a full gale.'

Bolitho watched some seamen hauling a new length of hemp along the larboard gangway. Tired and unshaven perhaps, but there was something else, too. The way they worked together. Confidently.

He said, 'We will alter course a point, Mr. Davy, and take a look at your whale.'

Davy hurried to the rail. 'Mr. Penn! Pipe the hands to the braces!'

Herrick watched him, smiling easily. 'Any reason, sir?'

Bolitho shrugged. 'More of a feeling.'

He watched the men thronging along the decks, where the steamy vapour continued to drift amongst them. From forward he saw real smoke, as Bogle, the cook, got busy with the first hot meal they would have eaten since the storm had come and gone.

He saw the yards swinging to the pull of the braces, heard the helmsman cry, 'Nor'-cast by north, sir!'

Davy hurried past to consult the binnacle and the set of the sails. 'Another pull on the weather mainbrace, Mr. Shellabeer!' He dabbed his streaming face. 'Now belay!'

Bolitho smiled. When Davy was irritated he always performed his duties better, for some reason.

He said, 'Put another good lookout aloft, if you please. I want that islet watched until we are up to it.'

He glanced at the sun's blinding patterns beyond the gently pitching bowsprit.

'I am going below to shave and to bribe Noddall into finding a clean shirt.'

Later, as he lay back in a chair while Allday busied himself with his razor, he found time to wonder what he would do if or when he met with Argus's captain.

The hastily heated water, the skilful movement of the blade against his skin was making him relax, muscle by muscle, and he could feel the air from the open stern windows across his bare shoulders like a soothing embrace.

All around the world the King's captains were going about their affairs. Fighting scurvy and disease, carrying despatches for an admiral or some lonely outpost not marked on any schoolboy's map. Or pondering behind a cabin bulkhead in dread of mutiny, or planning some diversion to prevent one. Fighting maybe, with some dissident ruler who had attacked the King's subjects, defiled the flag, butchered men and women. He smiled. And some would be like himself. A tiny extension to a half-formed plan.

Through the open skylight he heard the lookout's cry, 'Deck there! Ship at anchor close inshore!'

He jumped to his feet, seizing the clean shirt and using it to dab away the soap from his chin.

Allday stood aside and grinned admiringly. 'By God, Captain, you must have more wiles than a farmyard cat! How did you know there was a ship?'

Bolitho was tucking the crumpled shirt inside his breeches. 'Magic, Allday!'

He hurried for the door, and then forced himself to wait until Midshipman Penn appeared in the entrance.

'A ship, sir! Mr. Davy's respects, and he believes it may be a schooner.'

'Thank you, Mr. Penn.' It was all he could do to appear calm. 'I will come up when I have completed dressing. My complimmts to the first lieutenant, and please ask him to meet me on the quarterdeck.'

He turned and saw Allday hiding a smile. 'Is something amusing you?'

'Why, no, Captain.' Allday watched him gravely. 'But I am always ready to see my betters at their affairs.'

Bolitho smiled. 'Then I hope you learn from it.'

He walked into the passageway and made for the ladder.

Herrick greeted him excitedly. 'A schooner, sir! The man in the foremast crosstrees is my best lookout, and I had a glass sent aloft to him.' He stared at Bolitho with open astonishment. 'It is uncanny!'

Bolitho smiled shortly. 'A fair guess, if the truth be told. But it was a bad storm, and when the master suggested this small isle as a place for shelter I began a'thinking.'

He took Penn's telescope and trained it towards the bows. There was the islet now, an uneven blob of grey/blue. The masthead would be able to see much more.

'Where is the wind?'

Davy said, 'From the south-west, sir.'

Bolitho let his mind move accordingly. 'Alter course and lay her on the larboard tack.' He crossed to the binnacle, seeing the helmsmen watching him curiously. 'We will steer nor' nor'-west.'

He waited as a bosun's mate dashed to pipe the hands to the braces again.

Then to Herrick and Davy he added slowly, 'This way we will keep the isle between us and the other vessel and hold our advantage to wind'rd. Get the courses on her, but keep the t'gallants furled for the present.'

Herrick understood at once. 'Aye, sir. The less canvas we display, the less likely they are to sight us.'

Bolitho glanced at Mudge, who had appeared with Fowlar beside the helm.

'You put the thought in my mind. I have always wondered why Muljadi has good warning of our movements. I think we shall soon know his methods.' He looked at the washed-out blue sky above the tapering masts. 'But for the storm we would have approached directly from the east'rd. Thanks to the weather's rough mood we have gained something for once.'

Herrick asked softly, 'What of the admiral's instructions, sir?' Then he grinned. 'I can see from your expression that you intend to choose your own moment, sir.'

Bolitho smiled. 'One cannot bargain if one is a beggar. I have learned that long since.'

He looked up as with sails cracking and shivering to the new tack Undine turned purposefully to larboard, the small, humped islet moving away from the weather bow as if released from an anchor.

'Nor' nor'-west, sir! Full an' bye!'

Bolitho beckoned to Davy. 'Get the courses on her now.' To Mudge he called, 'How long, by your consideration?'

Mudge pouted. 'Two hours, sir.'

'Good. Then once the sails are drawing well we can send both watches for their meal.'

He watched the scurrying figures clawing along the yards, others standing below on deck ready to sheet home the great fore and main courses.

Herrick nodded approvingly. 'Bit different from when they came aboard, sir.'

Bolitho found he was desperately hungry. 'I think that applies to most of us.'

He strode to the cabin hatch, knowing that the unknown vessel might be harmless, or an old wreck long abandoned. Or one more trick to delay or deceive him.

Noddall watched him warily. 'It's salt beef again, sir.'

'That will be excellent.' He ignored the amazement on Noddall's rodent features. 'And I'll take some claret to wash it down.'

He leaned over the sill and stared at the frothing wake below the counter.

Chance, luck, call it what you will, he thought. It was all they had, and he intended to make good use of it.

'By th' mark seventeen!' The leadsman's cry rose easily above the sounds of flapping canvas as Undine, her courses again brailed up to the yards, glided steadily towards the islet.