Croucher's remark was so insulting that Probus stiffened, but Ramage said quietly:
'You'll forgive me for saying the Twenty-second Article prevents me from replying, sir.'
Croucher flushed: the Twenty-second Article, among other things, forbade anyone from drawing, or offering to draw, a weapon against a superior officer: one that prevented a disgruntled junior officer from challenging a senior officer to a duel.
'You're too glib, young man; much too glib. Now, are you not the senior surviving officer of the Sibella?’
‘Yes, sir.'
'Then the day after tomorrow, Thursday, you will be brought to trial in the normal way so we can inquire into the cause and circumstances of her loss.'
'Aye aye, sir.'
As the boat took Ramage back to the Lively, he was surprised to find he felt reasonably cheerful. Now the trial was imminent, now he'd seen the enemy himself, the prospect seemed less frightening. Obviously Admiral Goddard had received a report from the Sibella’s Bosun when the three boats arrived in Bastia, and had left instructions with Croucher telling him what to do when Ramage arrived. Little did Goddard dream that Croucher would have such an easy task...
Next morning, Wednesday, as a prisoner at large, Ramage had no duties in the ship, which seemed curiously empty now the girl and her cousin had been taken on shore to lodge at the Viceroy's house. No doubt, Ramage thought bitterly, Sir Gilbert and Lady Elliot were hearing for the tenth time Pisano's wretched story. Well, Sir Gilbert was a hard-headed Scot who'd known the Ramage family for years. Would he be shocked?
Late that afternoon a boat from the Trumpeter arrived alongside the Lively and a lieutenant delivered several sealed documents, and after the receipts had been signed went on to visit each of the other ships in the harbour. A few minutes later Lord Probus's clerk brought Ramage a bulky letter addressed to him.
Written on board the Trumpeter, dated a day earlier, and signed by someone calling himself 'Deputy Judge Advocate upon the occasion' (presumably her purser) the letter said:
'Captain Aloysius Croucher, commanding officer of His Majesty's ship Trumpeter and senior officer of His Majesty's ships and vessels present at Bastia, having directed the assembly of a court martial to inquire into the cause and circumstances of the loss of His Majesty's late frigate Sibella, lately under your command, and try yourself as the sole surviving officer for your conduct so far as it may relate to the loss of the said ship; and it being intended that I shall act as deputy judge advocate at the said court martial, which is to be held on board the Trumpeter, Thursday, the 15th instant, at eight o'clock in the morning; I send you herewith a copy of the order. ... also copies of the papers referred to in the order, and am to desire you will be pleased to transmit me a list of such persons as you may think proper to call to give evidence in your favour, that they may be summoned to attend accordingly.'
The letter was signed "Horace Barrow". Ramage glanced at the enclosed documents. One was a copy of Croucher's order appointing Barrow the Deputy Judge Advocate; the second was the order for the trial; the third a copy of Pisano's letter to Lord Probus; the fourth a copy of Ramage's own report, and the last told him that the Sibella's Boatswain and Carpenter's Mate would be called as witnesses in support of the charge.
Ramage sensed that something strange was going on: why was Pisano's letter, which had nothing to do with the loss of the Sibella, enclosed among the 'papers referred to' in Croucher's order? Ramage guessed Croucher wanted to get the letter written into the minutes of the trial so that the Admiralty would read it, and this was the only way of doing it. The legality was doubtful; but Ramage guessed the letter was bound to come out in the open some time, so it might as well be now.
He pulled out his watch: he had just eighteen hours to find witnesses and draw up his defence....
He'd need the Bosun, who was next in seniority and the best man to give evidence about the Sibella's casualties; the Carpenter's Mate for her condition at the time he abandoned her; and Jackson, since he was with Ramage for most of the brief period of his command. And the boy who brought the message telling him that he was in command. And the two seamen who helped him up to the quarter-deck: he couldn't remember their names, but Jackson would.
Ramage walked over to the master's mate, who was acting as officer of the watch now that the Lively was at anchor -Probus was not one of the fussy captains who insisted lieutenants stood watches while in harbour - and asked him to pass the word for Jackson, but before the master's mate had time to open his mouth Ramage heard Lord Probus's cox'n yelling down the forehatch for him. What did Probus want with Jackson?
'Belay that,' Ramage said. 'I'll wait till the Captain's seen him.'
He did not have to wait long: within three or four minutes of Jackson going down to the Captain's cabin, he came up again, looking for Ramage. He hurried over, saluted and said in an aggrieved voice, 'I've just received orders from the Captain, sir.'
'Well, he's every right to give you orders.'
'I know, sir; but I'm to take our lads over to the Topaze, sir: we're all being transferred to her at once, on Captain Croucher's orders.'
Ramage glanced over at the little black-hulled Topaze. As a sloop she was small enough to be commanded by a lieutenant or a commander - an officer too junior to sit at his court martial. He saw that the boat from the Trumpeter had just left her, having presumably delivered orders from Croucher to her commanding officer.
Jackson, who had followed his gaze, suddenly exclaimed: 'Look - she's getting ready to sail, sir.'
Certainly there was a scurry of men bending on headsails. Ramage felt his stomach knot into a spasm of fear as he realized what Croucher was doing....
The Trumpeter's lieutenant had brought over the order for the trial and the request for Ramage's list of witnesses - but at the same time had delivered to Probus an order to send all the Sibellas to the Topaze at once. And the Topaze's commanding officer had obviously just received orders to sail as soon as the Sibellas were on board....
So by the time Ramage's list of witnesses arrived in the Trumpeter, the Topaze would have gone and the Deputy Judge Advocate would be able to reply, quite truthfully, that many of the witnesses he requested were not in port.
Jackson must have sensed Ramage's sudden tension.
'Anything wrong, sir?' he asked anxiously.
‘Everything,' Ramage said bitterly. 'Tomorrow I stand my trial on a charge of cowardice and, apart from the Bosun and Carpenter's Mate, I won't have a single witness in my defence.'
'Cowardice?' Jackson ejaculated. 'How's that, sir? Isn't it just the normal loss-of-ship inquiry?'
Ramage realized that for discipline's sake he had no business discussing the matter with Jackson; but since Jackson would be at sea tomorrow, it didn't matter much.
'Yes, cowardice: at least, I think they'll bring it in.'
'But it's not in the actual charge, is it, sir?'
‘No - it's the usual wording.'
'But... but how the devil can they bring in cowardice, sir, if you'll pardon me for asking?'
'Easy enough,' Ramage said sourly. 'I've been accused in writing by Count Pisano.'