Hearing the door open and close, Gabe turned and spoke, "Lieutenant Anthony, sir, in command of SeaWolf." Taking the offered dispatches, the new commodore sat in his chair behind the great desk.
"I ask for convoy protection and what do I get, a wormy brig, a privateer's ship with a junior officer and a schooner that's not got enough firepower to scare a gnat.
Frigates, that's what I need."
Unsure of what to say, Gabe said nothing. "When were you commissioned?" the commodore asked.
"January '76," Gabe replied but then added, "from this office."
"What was your last ship?"
"HMS Drakkar 44, Commodore Anthony."
"Any kin?"
"My brother."
"Huh! Your father was?"
"Vice Admiral James Anthony."
"I knew him," the commodore replied. "I also know Gardner and he has spoken highly of you, so we'll see if you rate his praise. I've cal ed a meeting of the captains of the ships you are to escort. It will be here in this building at four o'clock. By then your documents will be ready. You are the senior by one month so you will be in command.
Lieutenant Bruce commands the brig Lancaster. Why I don't know. He wouldn't know what to do with her if someone stuck her up his arse and fired a broadside."
"I'll do my duty, sir."
"No doubt," the commodore replied. The interview was over.
Still feeling the commodore's heat, Gabe felt that the Caribbean sun felt hotter than when he entered the building if that was possible. Dagan was leaning against one of the piles smoking his pipe when Gabe made it to the ship's boat.
"Al ready?" Gabe asked.
Taking his pipe from his mouth and exhaling a puff of smoke, Dagan commented, "That bad was it?"
"It was."
"Know who the commodore is?"
"Merriam, Commodore Webster Merriam."
"He's Witzenfeld's uncle on Witz's mother's side."
"How do you know?"
"I went to get a wet and the tavern keeper told me." No wonder he acted so Gabe thought.
Returning to the landing, Gabe and Dagan were surprised to find one of their boats still there. On the chance of seeing Commodore Gardner, they had gone up to Lady Deborah's main house. The commodore and his wife were living there since he'd retired.
"There's no sense in the main house sitting empty," Lady Deborah had said when the commodore retired.
The merchant owner had found he needed the property
the Gardners had been living in. It probably had more to do with the loss of Navy contracts Gardner had been funneling to him than any need of property.
However, with Lady Deborah in England and Lord Anthony at sea, she had both the main house and the cottage vacant. The cottage would be kept vacant should it be needed by the family if the opportunity to spend time on the island arose. Unfortunately, Gabe and Dagan arrived at the main house only to find the Commodore and Greta had gone to St. Johns. The trip had taken over an hour and Gabe had expected to hire a boat or catch a ride back to SeaWolf.
"Mr. Davy, why ain't you back at the ship?"
"We've been waiting on the purser, sir. Him and the surgeon."
"The surgeon."
"Aye," Davy replied. "He said he wanted to replenish some of his medicines he was low on, sir, but I didn't believe him."
"You didn't, and why pray tell is that, Mr. Davy?"
"Cause sir, he took that damn ape along and he don't usual y do that if its business."
This response brought guffaws from the crew. Caleb's ape, Mr. Jewell s, had become something of a celebrity throughout Lord Anthony's command but without his Lordship's endorsement.
Gabe and Dagan looked at each other. Mr. Davy was very astute and had a keen sense of observation but neither spoke about it.
"Excuse me, sir," one of the boatmen said. "Me thinks dats the "purse-or" huffing and puffing his way down ’de jetty now."
Al turned to see the purser hurrying his way along.
His cheeks were red and puffing, his breathing labored and his clothes drenched in sweat. Taking off his hat and wiping his face with a rag he tried to catch his breath so he could talk, then rubbed the same rag through his sparse hair, plastering the few sprigs to his head.
"Damme, Mr. Petrie, why such an al fire hurry?
You'll likely fry your brain rushing about in this heat with such a burden."
"Sir," Petrie was gasping his breath as he tried to address Gabe. His pot bel y and chest were heaving.
"It's…the…surgeon…sir. I thought I ought to hurry…he's about to fight a duel…"
"A duel," Gabe exclaimed.
"Aye, sir," Petrie's breathing was coming a bit easier now. "I thought you outta know quick like."
"Where?" Gabe asked.
"The Sugarcane, sir."
Gabe knew it well. Not a tavern for the common sailor; but neither was it an elite establishment. An out-of-the-way place where deals were made, both financial and sexual.
"Dagan, you come with me. Mr. Davy, let Lieutenant Hazard know where we are."
Gabe knew Davy knew the location of the place from experience. His first experience in becoming a man.
"Should we send for Lieutenant Baugean or maybe his sergeant," Petrie asked.
"No," Gabe replied. "Dagan and I will handle this," already headed for the tavern.
Caleb McKean was the nephew of Lady Anthony's first husband. He was Gabe's best friend and a physician.
He had saved Gabe's life as well as the lives of many during their battle with pirates just before the war with the colonials. He had been the one who removed the huge splinter from Mr. Davy's side. Lord Anthony had said,
"Caleb is an Excellentt physician, he's rich on manners, but damn poor on morals."
Lord Anthony had tried to lure him into the Navy but as a physician he would not take a step down for a surgeon's warrant. His being on board SeaWolf had caused his Lordship to raise his brow. Gabe had stated the surgeon who had been assigned to SeaWolf had somehow been delayed and the ship had had to sail without him.
And wasn't it convenient Caleb just happened to be present to fill the vacancy Lord Anthony had queried.
He knew Gabe's explanation of events wouldn't hold water, but if Caleb was of a mind to serve as a physician for Gabe without pay he wouldn't forbid it as long as he conformed to regulations and didn't interfere with Gabe doing his duty. Lord Anthony also remembered it was
Caleb who had saved his brother's life after a fierce and bloody battle.
When Gabe and Dagan entered the tavern Caleb and the ape were drinking ale. Things didn't appear to be as serious as the purser had stated but on a closer look Gabe noted Caleb's brace of pistols lying close at hand, loosely pointed at a man and woman sitting at the closest table.
Both were hovered close together. The woman had more "wares" showing than covered. They both looked like and smell ed like they hadn't had a bath in some time.
"How goes things, Caleb?"
Looking up, Caleb smiled. "Just finishing my ale.
Would you and Dagan care to join me for another round?" Mr. Jewell s, the ape, had turned his tankard upside down and was swiping the inside with a finger then licking his finger. He'd made a face not unlike a smile to show al his teeth. Then he rol ed his lips over, straightened his face and grunted. He tried to steal Caleb's tankard. Caleb popped the ape's hand, but not hard, and said, "No, you've already had two rounds." This caused more grunting that increased in intensity into a screech. Caleb said, "Hush…" The ape would of course pick up his tankard again only to begin the cycle anew.
"The purser thought you might be in a bit of difficulty," Gabe said by way of explaining his and Dagan's presence.
"No difficulty now that yonder lout and his wench and I have come to an understanding."
Looking once more at the two, Dagan whispered to Gabe, "Man's holding a bloody rag to his ear." To this Caleb said, "That good fellow tried to pimp his wench of on me. I refused. Then he gave a list of particular services she could perform, some of which a gentleman wouldn't repeat. Just for a bottle of rum. I once again declined the foul-breath fool and this time I laid my pistols on the table to emphasize we had no interest." By "we", Gabe was not sure if Caleb had another with him during the conversation or he meant Mr. Jewell s and himself.