In truth, he did not much care what was the reason. Indeed, there was almost an air of truculence about Captain Hervey as he opened the general's door.
‘You make a lot of sense, Hervey,' said Campbell, briskly. 'A lot of sense. I have decided to attack the Burmans when they reach the forest edge. But I shall not sit idly until then. We must have very active outpost work - patrols and the like - day and night. Put the Burmans on edge, deny 'em sleep. And I've decided to lead an attack myself on one of these stockades. Tomorrow. Can't abide sitting here another minute!'
Hervey was cheered; also gratified by the general's confidences, if uncertain as to their cause. 'Shall you want me to accompany you, sir?'
Campbell looked rather surprised. 'If you would like to, yes. But don't trouble yourself if there are other duties to be about.'
Hervey took his leave, formally this time. He returned to his quarters and resumed his letter-writing mystified in no small degree by the affair.
At long length he finished the deposition, with its postscript on the general's new intentions, and signed it wearily. He laid down his pencil, then he picked it up again, adding after his signature, 'We must, however, allow that the general is a gallant man.'
In the afternoon, there being no duties to detain him, Hervey went aboard Liffey to dine.
Peto's mood had changed; he was no longer merely exasperated. Flowerdew had to give him wide berth as he circled with the decanter, the commodore's gesticulations becoming more and more extravagant. 'Half my ships ply to Calcutta like packets, now, and the rest all but careened here. And the crews sicken: Marryat hasn't an officer or warrant officer fit for duty, and he's had ten men die already. I'm sending Larne to sea for better air. In a month I'll have no ships in fighting trim at this rate.' He waved the decanter away, and then waved it back again. 'Dammee, this is no longer just a business of the Company's sovereignty. The honour of the Service is at stake!'
Hervey sipped at his glass of hock, chilled very tolerably by its immersion for several days in the river. He could understand his friend's dismay, for this was His Majesty's navy's first trial since— cBut the two are in consonance, surely? Ava is the object, is it not?'
Peto subsided but frowned severely. ‘Only up to a point, Hervey. The Company will have safeguarded its position by defeating the Burmans' design. All they have to do is stop his offensives in Arakan and force a treaty. You know full well it was the commander-in-chief's opinion that we should have stood solely on the defensive. Whereas the Royal Navy shot its way into Rangoon and cannot .now move but out the way it came!'
'Ay, but unless Bagyidaw is deposed there'll be no end of alarms,' countered Hervey, shaking his head and reflecting the commodore's frown. 'Someone shall have to go to Ava. Of that there's no doubt.'
Peto beckoned his steward to serve their dinner. 'And what if he should delay so long as to be then unable to clear the Irawadi? It would be my ships that are seen to turn.'
Hervey blanched. 'Are you suggesting we abandon it? How will that serve the honour of the navy?'
'I am suggesting no such thing. I am suggesting that the commander-in-chief will break off the campaign here when the attacks on the borders of the Company's territory have been repulsed. And we shall have to steal away from this place without a shot - like thieves in the night.'
Hervey looked doubtful. 'That is if the Governor-General is of the same mind as the commander-in-chief.'
Peto huffed. 'Amherst has the mind of a nincompoop, as we have ample evidence.'
'What would be your design?'
'To reduce the garrison here to what is required only to repulse an attack. What would that be? A brigade? No more, surely? And then to take off the remainder at once to force the Irawadi. Rangoon will draw in the Burmans from far and wide, and that we should take advantage of. But there's no profit in sitting here the while with so many, and all my ships tied up supporting them. And for that matter, every day our numbers dwindling.'
'I grant you we might force the Irawadi. But without the strength to garrison it, the lines of communication would be at the Burmans' mercy. This general, Maha Bundula - he would see it at once.'
Peto looked put out. T thought you might have allowed that I would see the same!'
Hervey frowned. 'I don't comprehend, Peto.'
'All these transports and escorts now plying back and forth across the Bay of Bengaclass="underline" all they're doing is feeding the garrison here. Cut the garrison by two-thirds and there'd be no need of external supply. I could land half my own stores. It would see them through any siege. And the ships released thereby could keep open the Irawadi.'
Hervey pondered the notion as Flowerdew laid a plate of fish on the table. 'Have you shared this opinion with the general?’
'I have sent him a memorandum, just before you came.’
Hervey wondered how it would be received. The fall of Ava was not essential to the general's reputation. All that was necessary was for him to hold Rangoon. It was not his fault that the Burmans hadn't flocked to his support. If the commander-in-chief wished him to take Ava against such opposition, then he would have to supply him with the means to do so. And yet, the taking of Ava in such very trying circumstances -against the odds - would surely be his making? 'He intends awaiting a general attack for a week or so. He will certainly want the support of your guns. And tomorrow he is going to lead an assault on one of the stockades.'
'And do you go with him?'
'Yes. He intends that I should write the despatch.’
‘I’ve a mind to come with you, but I’ve called my captains aboard.’
Hervey smiled. 'There'll be more opportunities, I assure you. The general is determined to have the garrison as active as possible while he waits.'
Peto helped his guest to a fair portion of fish.
'Bekti. The best you'll ever taste. Caught this morning and brought upriver by Diana. What a boon she is.'
Hervey had seen steam on water before, first in a boat no bigger than Liffey's cutter on the Blackwater river in Ireland, and then the barge that had towed their transports steadily upstream on the St Lawrence, six winters ago. But nothing like Diana. Diana was a gunship, her ports painted Nelson-style, and her smokestack half as high as Liffey's mainmast. 'The baby figure of things to come, do you think?'
'Of some things, perhaps. But Diana could never stand off in a fight. A twelve-pounder would smash her paddles to pieces. I can't risk her in the van too long if the river narrows and the forts get her range.'
Hervey tried his fish. 'I don't know whether it's because I've not had a spoonful of anything half-decent in a week, but this I agree is uncommonly good.'
Peto looked pleased. He drained his glass and let Flowerdew refill it. Then he leaned back in his chair. 'Let us speak of agreeable things for a time. I never told you my news, did I? It is signed and sealed and I had a note of it only yesterday.'
Hervey indulged his friend by laying down his fork and sitting back to receive the evidently happy intelligence.
'I have bought an estate near my father's living.'
cAn estate, indeed,’ said Hervey, as impressed as he was surprised.
'Nothing on any grand scale. And the house shall need attention. But it has a good park, and is but a short drive from the sea.’
Hervey wondered why a man who so much disdained being ashore should take such a course. cDo you plan going on half pay?’