Bolitho looked at him. 'Drunk, I suppose?'
'It would seem so. But there is little to occupy him, sir, and our people have been remarkably free of illness.'
'That is just as well.' Bolitho felt unreasonably angry. 'What in hell's name am I to do with him?' 'He has a lot on his mind, sir.'
'So have many others.'
Herrick kept his voice even. 'He saw his young brother hanged for a crime of which he was later proved innocent. Even if he had been guilty it would still have been a terrible thing to watch.'
Bolitho swung round from the rail. 'How did you discover this?'
'At Madras. He came aboard drunk. I was a mite harsh with him and he started to rave about it. It is destroying him.'
'Thank you for telling me, even if it is somewhat late.'
Herrick did not flinch. 'You have been rather buoi, sir. I did not wish to trouble you.'
Bolitho sighed. 'I take your point. But in future I would like to hear everything. Most ship's surgeons are no more than butchers. Whitmarsh has been something more, but as a drunken sot he is a menace to everyone aboard. I am sorry for his brother, I for one can appreciate his feelings.' He looked steadily at Herrick. 'We will have to see what we can do to put things right for him, whether he likes it or not.'
Herrick nodded gravely. 'I agree, sir. The one afflicted is not always the best judge of his own malady.' He tried not to grin. 'If you see what I mean, sir.'
Bolitho slapped his shoulder. 'By God, Thomas, you go too far! I am not surprised your father sentyou to sea!'
Then he walked up the tilting deck to the weather side and left Herrick to supervise his watch.
So they knew all about it, did they? He touched the bulge in his breeches pocket. What would Herrick say if he saw the inscription inside the watch-guard, he wondered?
'We will wear ship directly, Mr. Herrick.' Bolitho strode to the compass and peered over Mudge's untidy shoulder. 'Steer nor'nor'-east.'
Herrick touched his hat. 'Aye, aye, sir.' He was equally formal.
It was five days since they had discussed Viola Raymond and the doctor's personal problem, and in that time Bolitho had never felt better. The ship had settled down to a regular, unhurried routine, and even the drills had passed off without complaint. At gunnery Undine's company still had a lot to learn, but at least they moved as a team and not a stumbling, confused rabble.
He raised his glass and studied the new shapes and patterns which parted sea from sky. Mudge had assured him that Pendang Bay lay some five miles distant, but it was difficult to accept that they had all but arrived at their destination. Over fifteen thousand miles. Another world. A different life.
'Hands wear ship! Man the braces there!'
Shoes scraped on the planking, and Bolitho turned to study Conway's reaction as he came on deck. It was early morning, and for a few seconds he thought he was imagining what he saw.
Conway was wearing his rear admiral's uniform, complete with laced cocked hat and sword. The latter he held like a pointer, as if unsure of his reception.
Bolitho said, 'Good morning, sir.'
He saw Herrick staring at them, his speaking trumpet in mid-air.
Conway joined him by the rail and raised his head to watch as the great yards creaked round in unison, while the straining seamen hauled and panted at the braces.
'Well?' His tone was wary. 'What do you think?'
'I think you look right for the occasion, sir.'
He saw the quick tightening of Conway's mouth, the lines on either side deepening still further. It was moving, if pathetic, to see Conway's gratitude, for that is what it was.
'It is a bit creased of course. I was merely trying it on to see if it required alteration.' He added sharply, 'If I am to be governor, I'll land as I intend to continue, damn their eyes!'
Midshipman Armitage was watching the brig as she trimmed her yards to take station off Undine's lee.
He remarked nervously, 'Thunderstorm, sir.'
But Bolitho was already snatching a telescope.
'Not this time, Mr. Armitage.' He looked at Herrick. 'Shorten sail, if you please, and then beat to quarters.'
He saw them all gaping at him. Like total strangers.
'That thunderstorm is of a kind I have come to respect!'
10. Another Flag
'Ship cleared for action, sir.' Herrick watched Bolitho's face anxiously.
Bolitho moved the telescope slowly from bow to bow, trying to avoid the overlapping mesh of shrouds and stays as he stared fixedly at the shore. Because of the glare which filtered through then morning haze it was impossible to fix any proper mark or to take an accurate'bearing.
He replied, 'Too long, Mr. Herrick. I want the time cut to twelve minutes.' He was speaking merely to give himself another moment to gather his thoughts.
The distant gunfire had stopped, but there had been at least a dozen shots. Sharp and loud, despite the range. Probably small pieces.
He swung the glass further to starboard, seeing the lowlying wedge of land reaching out to lie parallel with their slow approach. The eastern headland of Pendang Bay. There was no room for further doubt.
Something dark intruded into the lens, and he saw the brig tilting to the low breeze, her yards alive with tiny figures as she finished reefing. A huge Spanish flag had been hoisted to her peak, blinding white in the glare, and he found time to wonder how Rosalind's master was reacting to Puigserver's show of national pride.
Almost without intending to speak aloud he said, 'I wish the Don was here with us. I think combined thought and action may be called for.'
He heard Conway grunt. 'Unnecessary. Ours is the ship of war, Bolitho. I want no damned Spaniard under my feet today.'
Herrick asked quietly, 'What d'you make of it, sir?' Bolitho shook his head. 'An attack on the settlement maybe.
But I understand the place is well defended and-' Conway interrupted harshly, 'All this fuss over a few bloody savages!'
Herrick was standing beside Mudge and whispered, 'I expect that is what poor Captain Cook said!'
Bolitho turned sharply. 'If you've all nothing better to do than make stupid remarks…' He swung away and added, 'Two good leadsmen in the chains immediately. Begin sounding.' To Mudge he snapped, 'Let her fall off a point.'
The edge in his tone was having the right effect. Men who seconds earlier had been chatting and gossiping about what might be happening ashore were now silent and alert, standing to their guns, or grouped at halliards and braces for the next command.
The wheel creaked, the sound very loud in the sudden stillness, and the helmsman called, 'Nor'-east by north, sir!'
'Very well.'
Bolitho glanced at Conway's profile, the glassy intentness in his eye.
From forward came the leadsman's cry, 'No bottom, sir!'
Bolitho looked at Mudge, but the master's heavy face was expressionless. He probably thought it was a waste of time to take soundings. The chart, and all available information, told them the water was deep until the last cable or so. Or maybe he thought his captain was so nervous that he was afraid to leave anything to chance.
Another, single crack echoed out from the mist-shrouded coast and died away very gradually.
Bolitho tugged out his new watch and stared at it. At this speed it would take near on an hour to close the land. But it could not be helped.
