'Viola! I was wondering
She shook her head. 'Later. But listen.' She reached up and touched his cheek very gently, her eyes suddenly sad. 'It has been so long. Eleven days, but they were years. When the storm came I worried about you.' -
He tried to speak, to break the pain in her voice, but she hurried on, 'I think James suspects. He has been very strange lately. Probably my maid let slip something. A good girl, but easily flattered into words.' She studied him searchingly. 'But no matter. He will do nothing. It is you I am concerned for.' She dropped her head. 'And it is all my fault. I wanted him to be something in this world, mostly, I suspect, for my own gain. I drove him too hard, too fast, wanting him to be the man he could never be.' She squeezed his hand. 'But you know all this.'
Voices echoed below the parapet and Bolitho thought he heard footsteps.
She said huskily, 'James will have sent his own report to Sir Montagu. He knows now that Conway is not the man for this appointment, and will use this knowledge to his own advantage. But you, my darling Richard, will be included in his report. I know him so well, you see. To get at you, to use his petty revenge, he will also blame.you for the inability to destroy an ignorant pirate, French aid or no!'
He replied quietly, 'It is worse than that. Muljadi has many men at his back. When once he has overthrown this settlement the whole area will rise to support him. They have little choice. The pirates will become saviours, the protectors the invaders. It is not uncommon.'
She turned her head quickly and he saw a pulse jumping in her throat.
'Listen to me, Richard. Do not become further involved. You are valuable to your country and to all who look up to you. Do not, I implore you, continue to look up to those who are unfit even to lick your boots!' She cupped his face in her hands. 'Save. your ship and yourself, and damn their eyes, I say!'
He held her wrists very gently. 'It is no longer so simple.' He thought of Le Chaumareys, encouraging him to quit, to get away and still retain his honour. 'And I wish to God you had sailed in the brig. Muljadi has more strength now, and when he comes…'
He let his gaze move outward and down towards the anchored frigate. How small she appeared in the harsh glare.
'There is only Undine between him and these walls.'
She stared at him, her eyes wide and suddenly understanding. 'And you intend to fight all of them?' Bolitho prised her hands away as a sepoy corporal rounded the tower and said, 'Captain Bolitho, sahib, the governor will meet you, please.'
Bolitho looked at her and said, 'Now we will see, Viola.' He tried to. smile. 'The battle's not done yet.'
He found Conway seated behind the table, his stained shirt covered by his heavy dress coat. Puigserver had not moved, and Raymond was standing with his back to a window, his face hidden in black shadow. Major Jardine and his second-incommand made up the conference.
Conway said sharply, 'I have told them, Bolitho. Word for word as you described it to me.'
'Thank you, sir.'
Bolitho looked at Raymond, knowing it would come from him. 'You took a great deal upon yourself, Captain. More, I suspect, than the governor intended?'
'Yes, Sir. But I was taught to use initiative, especially when beyond the fleet's apron strings.' He saw Puigserver examining one shoe with sudden interest. 'The fact is, Muljadi intends to attack this settlement. It is all he can do now that he has lost his hostage, and understands that we are informed of his additional frigate. It has changed everything.'
Jardine said harshly, 'If he comes, my men can hold him off until help arrives. When the brig reaches Madras they'll soon send a force to finish this ruffian! Even when the Navy is apparently incapable of so doing, what?'
Bolitho waited, watching. Raymond's hands on the window sill.
Well, Mr. Raymond? Is the gallant major right?' He saw the hands take a firmer grip and added, 'Or did you suggest is your report to Sir Montagu Strang that Pendang Bay is, i' your opinion, no longer an asset?'
Jardine bared his teeth. 'Rubbish!' He hesitated and askectt 'Well, Sir?'
Raymond sounded very calm. 'I told the truth. No ship' will be sent, other than transports to remove the Company'' soldiers and their dependents.'
Jardine exploded, 'But I can manage, sir! You should have told me first!'
Bolitho said, 'You cannot manage, Major. Muljadi will have more than a thousand men when he comes. His stronghold is crammed to capacity, that I did see. You may have been able t' hold the walls until help was forthcoming from Madras Without it, your only chance is a forced march through dens' jungle to the east'rd to contact the Dutch East India Company' base and find safety.' His tone hardened. 'But through dense jungle, and at this time of the year, I doubt if many would survive, even without attack from those who will want to impress Muljadi with their loyalty.'
Raymond said thickly, 'No blame can fall on my shoulders! I reported what I knew! I had no knowledge of this othei frigate!' He tried to recover his original calm. 'Any more that, you did!'
Conway stood up very deliberately, each movement aii effort of will.
'But you could not wait, Mr. Raymond. You used your authority to seek your own ends and despatched the brig even after I requested she be held here until Undine's return.'
He walked to the opposite side of the room and stared un• seeingly at the close-knit jungle.
'So what can we do? How best can we prepare ourselves for slaughter?'
He turned with the speed of light and yelled, 'Well, Ms Raymond? Will you explain, for indeed it is beyond me!'
Major Jardine stammered, 'Surelyit cannot be that hopeless?
Puigserver was watching Bolitho. 'Well, Capiaan? You have been inside the lion's den, not us.'
Bolitho looked at Conway. 'May I suggest something, sir? '
The admiral nodded, his wispy hair in disorder. 'If there is anything left to say.'
Bolitho walked to the table and moved the heavy silver inkwells into a pattern.
'The Benuas are much as they appear on our charts, sir, although I suspect some of the smaller channels between the islets are silted and shallow. The fortress stands high on a central islet, a rock-pile, if you like.' His fingers made a sweeping gesture down the front of one inkwell. 'The seaward face of the islet is sheer, and what I first took to be reefs at its foot I now believe are fragments of cliff which have fallen away over many years of wear.'
He heard Captain Strype say gloomily, 'That rules out any hope of a scaling attempt. It is hopeless.'
Conway glared at him and then snapped, 'Continue. What about this cliff?'
Bolitho looked at him calmly. 'If we attack at once, sir.' He ignored the gasps. 'Before Muljadi is ready. We might nip his whole plan in the bud.'
Conway exclaimed, 'Attack? When you have just finished destroying our hopes even of staying alive!'
'The main gun battery is on the seaward rampart, sir. Bring it down and the ships at anchor will be without immediate protection.'
Conway was rubbing his chin in quick, nervous movements. 'Yes, I can see that. But how?'
Jardine sneered, 'An act of God maybe?'
'The schooner, sir.' Bolitho kept his gaze fixed on Conway's lined forehead, seeing all the doubts and apprehension gathering like a storm. 'We could use the prevailing wind, sail her straight on to the fallen rocks at the foot of the cliff, filled to the deck beams with powder and a goodly fuse. The explosion would, I believe, bring down more of the cliff.' He hesitated, feeling the sudden tension around him. 'And the battery.'
Captain Strype was staring at the inkwell as if seeing the actual explosion. 'It might well work, sir! A damn fine idea!'
Jardine growled, 'Hold your tongue! What sort of fool would do such a thing anyway?'
He fell back as Conway snapped, 'Be still!' To Bolitho he added, 'And you think this is a reasonable risk?'
'I do. The schooner would be lightly manned, and her crew could get clear in their boat once the final course was laid. A long fuse would allow them time enough.' He kept his eyes steady. 'The moment the charge explodes I will force the channel in Undine and take the anchored frigates before they can recover. After an explosion like that, they will not be expecting a further intrusion.'