Within a day of. his return aboard an official had come alongside and ordered them to remain at anchor until all risk of fever had gone. Veitch had been worried at Bolitho's desperate condition, but had not missed the fact that two of his seamen had deserted. A coincidence? He could not be sure. But from that moment he had made plans for leaving harbour before some unbreakable restriction was placed upon them. For several days the Segura had remained apparently unheeded, a warning yellow flag at her masthead, while the morale of her small company had crumbled and stores had run lower and lower.
As he listened to their story, Bolitho wondered if the French agent, Yves Gorse, had received some word that Segura's crew were imposters. By having them held at anchor he may have done his best to delay them while he sent word elsewhere that the enemies of France were no longer at Gibraltar or off Toulon, but inside Malta. He could, after all, do little else without revealing his own role as a foreign spy.
. Allday took up the story. "Two sentries came aboard next.
Mr. Plowman suggested that it was the best time to leave. Others on shore would drop their guard once responsibility was shifted."
Bolitho managed to smile. Plowman, if he was an ex-slaver, would certainly know about such matters.
"There was a squall one night. Sharp and fierce, an" not too much in our favour. But it was then or not at all, Mr. Plowman said, so we cuts the cable and makes sail."
"The sentries?"
Allday grinned. "We met with a Genoese trader two days later and we put "em aboard her." He became serious again. "It was a good thing. By speaking with the trader we heard that a French man 0" war was nearby. A corvette, by the description. Looking for us, waiting to contact the agent in Malta, we don’tknow." He patted the crumpled bunk and added quietly, "We had more important things to attend to."
Bolitho ran his fingers through his hair. "Bring more light.
I must get up. But why three weeks?"
"We’ve been lying up in a little bay to the south"rd of Sicily. The squall, which damn near flung us back into Valletta, was a hard one, but it was gone again in no time." Veitch could not suppress a great yawn. 'so we anchored and did -what we could. I think you nearly died, sir."
Breen entered the cabin with another lantern. Unlike the others, he was able to walk upright.
Bolitho swung his legs to the deck and allowed Allday to help him to a broken mirror on the bulkhead. He studied the hollows in his cheeks, the feverish stare, the filthy stains on his shirt.
He said, "I’ll not tell you what you should have done." Veitch shrugged. "We did not know what had passed between you and the Frenchman, sir." He added grimly, "But in any case, I’d have made the same decision. Your life would have come first."
Bolitho studied Veitch in the mirror. "Thank you for that. " Allday said, "We sighted the corvette a couple of times, but she didn"t come near our little anchorage." He watched Bolitho's worn features and explained, "As it is, sir, we"re now under way and steering north for Syracuse. Mr. Veitch said that with all the calms we’ve been having, it was best to sail at night This old barrico is no match for a Frog corvette!"
"I see."
He rubbed his chin and despised himself for his sudden thought. A shave and a bath seemed more precious than anything.
Allday continued, "Yesterday morning it was. I was forcing some brandy into your mouth and you spoke to me. I think we knew then that we must quit the bay. A proper surgeon is what you need now. "
Bolitho grimaced. "The squadron will have sailed long since. Even without my new information, Farquhar will have weighed."
Veitch asked, "You were right then, sir?"
"I think we all knew, Mr. Veitch." He recalled the cool wine store, the sweat on his back changing from fire to ice. "Gorse hinted that the French will seize Malta on their way to Egypt. "
"I’m not surprised, sir." Veitch sounded weary. "From what I saw in Malta, most of the defences have been allowed to fall into ruin."
With Malta taken, and a goodly supply of weapons and stores for a full scale invasion building up in Corfu, the French have nothing to stop them. "He gave a tired smile. 'so we must send word to the admiral. In this wretched vessel, if necessary. "
Veitch walked to the door. "It will be dawn in an hour, sir.
With luck, and provided that this whisper of a wind does not desert us, we will reach Syracuse during the afternoon watch. "
He paused by the door. "I must relieve Mr. Plowman, sir." Allday waited until the door was closed and then said, "He has the makings of a good officer, sir."
"You think that?"
"Aye." Allday helped him to a chair. "He is better tempered than some."
Bolitho watched him, content to remain where he was, despite all the urgency at the back of his mind. He could tell merely by watching Allday what the days and the weeks had cost him. He could not have slept for more than minutes at a time. "
Allday said brightly, "I washed a Don shirt that I found in a locker, and Larssen cleaned up your breeches." He turned into the lantern light, a razor in his hand. 'so now, sir, we’ll make you a bit more presentable, shall we?"
Later, as a pink glow showed itself through the filthy cabin skylight, Bolitho stood up in his Spanish shirt and examined himself in the mirror.
Allday was wiping his razor on part of a flag. "You know, sir, and I know, but the lads will think you"re just as you were."
The razor froze in mid-air as a voice called, "Deck thar! Sail on th" weather bow!"
Allday reached out and gripped his arm. "Easy now, sir!
Mr. Veitch is able to manage!"
Bolitho looked at him gravely. "Mr. Veitch has been made to manage for too long. And so have you. " He fought against/ the ringing in his ears. "Help me on deck."
For such a small vessel it seemed a vast distance to the poop.
The sea looked very calm, and the hint of sunrise gave the water a strange pink hue, beyond which the vague humps of land seemed ugly. Bolitho seized the rail and sucked in great gulps of air. After the cabin it was like wine. He looked up at the loosely flapping sails. Barely enough wind to hold them on course. He nodded to Veitch and Plowman, not daring to trust his voice or his breath. When the sun showed itself in earnest he would see the Sicilian coastline across the larboard bulwark more clearly, be able to fix their position.
He stiffened as the pink light touched a small square of sail, far away across the larboard bow. The uncertain light made it seem a great distance off, but soon she would cut the range down as if by magic.
He turned and looked at Veitch. "One of ours perhaps?" Veitch closed his class with a snap. "No, sir. It's that same damned corvette again!"
Bolitho sensed the bitter despair in his voice. After all he and the others had done, the corvette was still with them. Standing like a pike between a helpless duckling and the nearest reeds.
He thought of Segura's armament and dismissed it. Two or three swivels and the men's own muskets. It only made the comparison more cruel.
He snapped, "How far from the land are we?" He was surprised by the strength in his voice.
"Two leagues, sir. No more by my reckonin". Plowman regarded him doubtfully. "The water's very deep hereabouts, and I’d hoped to run closer inshore, but for the bloody wind, beggin" your pardon, sir!"