Ramage

'Signal from the Commodore,' said. Jackson, and, after glancing at the signal book, reported: 'Our number and the Belette's: captains to report on board.'

Laidman walked over and said: 'Well, m' boy, we'd better go over - 'tisn't very often one reports the loss of one's ship.'

'Oh, I don't know, sir,' Ramage said in a flat voice, 'I did it only three or four days ago.'

'Oh? What ship?'

'The Sibella.'

'But she's a frigate!'

'I know, sir: I was the senior surviving officer.'

‘What happened to you?'

'Captain Croucher brought me to trial.'

'Croucher? Oh yes, in Admiral Goddard's squadron. What was the verdict?'

'I don't know, sir: the trial was interrupted by the Commodore's arrival. I was then given theKathleen and sent up to you.'

 'Well, it doesn't sound too bad. But - of course!' he exclaimed, 'you're old "Blaze-away’s” son, so Admiral Goddard...

'Exactly, sir.'

 'Exactly what?' snapped Laidman. 'Don't put words into my mouth.'

 Southwick was waiting near by and Ramage, realizing that as far as Laidman was concerned he had suddenly become potentially more dangerous to Laidman's future than a ship full of the plague, took the opportunity of turning away.

'Boat's ready, sir,' Southwick reported.

 Ramage turned back to Laidman and repeated the Master's words.

 Once he had climbed down into the boat to go to the Diadem, Ramage found that the exhilaration which, without him fully realizing it, had been keeping him alert and active for the last twenty-four hours, with very little food or sleep, had gone, leaving him desperately tired and very depressed.

 Up to then, although the Belette rescue had happened only that morning, it already had an air of unreality about it; almost as though it had never happened: perhaps a well-told tale he'd heard a few months ago. The Sibella affair too, was just a half-remembered dream.

 Now, as Jackson steered the boat for the Diadem and Captain Laidman sat opposite, silent and morose, the whole business came back into sharp focus, as if he'd made a fractional adjustment to a telescope in his memory.

 There was a thump, and Laidman lumbered to his feet: they had arrived alongside the Diadem and Laidman, as senior, climbed up first.

At the gangway Captain Towry greeted Laidman and told him the Commodore was waiting.

 To Ramage, he said: 'The Commodore will see you in five minutes.'

 The young lieutenant standing anchor watch looked at Ramage, obviously wondering whether or not to say something, but Ramage was in no mood for small talk and began pacing the other side of the gangway. He barely noticed Captain Laidman leave the ship.

Eventually a lieutenant came up and asked: 'Ramage?'

'Yes.'

'The Commodore will see you now.'

The lieutenant led the way. Outside the door to the Commodore's quarters a Marine sentry snapped to attention, and the lieutenant knocked on the door, opened it when someone answered, and stepped inside. Evidently the Commodore was in his sleeping cabin, because without walking through to the great cabin the lieutenant said quietly:

'Mr Ramage, sir.'

He turned and signalled Ramage to go in.

'Ah, Mr Ramage!'

 The voice was high-pitched and nasal, and Ramage was surprised how small the Commodore was: shorter than Gianna, narrow shouldered, face thin - and, he realized with a shock, one eye had a slightly glazed look. Of course, Commodore Nelson had lost the sight of an eye at Calvi only a year or so ago, but the remaining one was sharp enough.

 Nelson might be physically very small, but already Ramage could feel the strength of the little man's personality: he was taut as a violin string, yet perfectly controlled: his face seemed to betray excitement, yet a moment later Ramage realized the features were in fact quite calm. The man was like a coiled spring.

 The Commodore pointed to a chair at the foot of the small cot.

'Please sit down.'

 Was he conscious of his size? Ramage wondered. It seemed an obvious move to put Ramage at a disadvantage. Why, incidentally, was the interview taking place in the sleeping cabin?

'Now, Mr Ramage, why have I sent for you?'

 The question was so unexpected that Ramage looked up quickly, thinking the Commodore was joking; but the single blue eye was frosty and unwavering.

 'Any one of half a dozen reasons, sir,' Ramage said without thinking.

'List them.'

 'Well - abandoning the Sibella ... Trying to carry out the orders to Captain Letts to rescue the refugees.'

'That makes two.'

'And - well, Count Pisano's complaint against me; and the trial, sir.'

'Four.'

 Ye gods, thought Ramage, I've jumped out of the Goddard into the fire.

'Oh yes, the Belette operation, sir.'

'And the sixth?'

'I can only think of five, sir.'

 'Well, now what do you suppose my judgement will be on each of these escapades?'

 His voice now had an icy edge to it and Ramage was tired and utterly defeated. Not because he was frightened, but because of all the captains and junior flag officers in the Mediterranean - in the whole Service in fact - he had been most impressed by what he had heard of Commodore Nelson. He suddenly realized he'd secretly hoped, after the trial was interrupted, that if the Commodore only knew all the facts he would clear him of any blame.

 But that cold, almost off-hand tone: Commodore Nelson's manner showed that, at best, he had an unpleasant task ahead  of him and did not relish doing it and, at worst, he was taking over where Goddard and Croucher had left off.

 'I don't know what it will be, sir, but I know what it ought to be.' Ramage's voice was bitter and, unintentionally, almost insolent.

'Go on, then, out with it,' Nelson said impatiently, 'and be brief.'

 'The Sibella - we couldn't fight on, sir, and we couldn't treat the wounded because the surgeon and his mate were killed. She was sinking so fast the French'd never keep her afloat long enough to patch her up. What I did meant medical attention for the wounded, as well as giving the unwounded time to escape in the boats.'

 'The idea of being a prisoner of the French frightened you into escaping after you had surrendered?'

 There was a sneer in the Commodore's voice which made Ramage flush with an anger that he could only just control.

 'No, sir! I didn't surrender myself: I deliberately left the ship before the wounded surrendered her. An officer who allows himself and his men to be taken prisoner when he can escape and serve again ought to be tried as a traitor - well, almost a traitor. It's that kind of a man the - the Articles of War are aimed at.'

 'Well spoken!' said Nelson with an unexpected laugh. 'That occurred to me when I read your report. An excellent report, incidentally, which is already on its way to Sir John Jervis with my covering letter. Now then, what about rescuing the refugees?'                                               _

‘We did our best, sir.'

'What made you risk it with just a gig?'

The voice was cold again, and Ramage's heart sank.

 'It seemed the lesser of two evils, sir. First, if there was any delay in the rescue, there was the danger the French would capture them. Second, if I tried getting them away, there was the danger we'd run into a gale with an overloaded boat.'

 'So you considered a rescue attempt using the boat offered the refugees the best chance of survival?'

'Yes, sir.'