left with her maid and no friends in this remote outpost of trade and empire.
There was a small schooner moored to a frail-looking pier and several longboats tied up nearby. She would be used for visiting the other islands, no doubt. Against her, Eurotas and Tempest would appear like giants.
Keen strode aft, looking worried. He touched his hat. “What do I do about the natives, sir? They want to come aboard. They’ll overrun us!”
Herrick glanced at Bolitho for confirmation and said unfeelingly, “Let ’em come in manageable groups, Mr Keen. Keep them from sneaking below, and watch out for local drink being smuggled inboard.” He grinned then at Keen’s confusion. “And a weather-eye for some of our own Jacks, too. Remember, they’ve not seen girls like these for a long time!”
The first natives came eagerly, and within minutes the deck was strewn with gaily coloured garments, piles of fruit and coconuts, and to Keen’s astonishment, a young, squealing pig.
It was like watching children, Bolitho thought, as some of his seamen struggled to break the language barrier, and the giggling girls with their long black hair and barely concealed bodies pointed at their knives or their tattoos, touching each other and shrieking with uninhibited laughter.
Lakey said glumly, “How long before they ruin this place too, I wonder?” But nobody took any notice.
It was not so easy to get the visitors to leave and make way for the next group, and some of the seamen aided Keen in his efforts by picking up the girls and dropping them overboard, where they dived and surfaced like Neptune’s handmaidens.
Bolitho said at length, “I will have to go ashore, Thomas. Set a good anchor watch and put out a guard boat. It all looks peaceful. But…”
Herrick nodded. “Aye, sir, but always seems to mar things.”
He followed him down the companion and aft to the cabin where Noddall and Allday were peering through the stern windows and waving to some hidden swimmers below the transom.
Bolitho added, “Mr Bynoe will be going ashore to obtain fruit and other fresh supplies, I have no doubt.”
Herrick understood. “I’ll have the purser guarded too, don’t you fret, sir.” Inwardly he was wondering how it was Bolitho never seemed to forget anything. Even when his heart was elsewhere.
“And Mr Toby. I’m fairly certain the carpenter will be off as soon as he can to seek useful timber for his store.”
Herrick said quietly, “I’ll remember, sir.” He waited for Bolitho to look at him. “You go ashore and do what you must. I’ll have a safe ship for your return.” He hesitated, hoping he had not used his friendship to go too far. “And I mean that both ways, sir.”
Bolitho picked up his hat and replied simply, “I never doubted it, Thomas.” Then more sharply, “Allday, if you can drag yourself away from the contemplation and selection of your lust, I’d be obliged to be taken ashore!”
Allday sprang towards the screen door, his face under control.
“Never faster, Captain!”
Left alone with Herrick, Bolitho added quietly, “The Narval.”
“Aye, sir.”
Herrick waited, knowing the Frenchman had been on Bolitho’s mind. They had sighted her several times, just a tiny sliver below the horizon. Following. Waiting like the hunter.
Bolitho said, “He’ll not anchor here. But as soon as I am sure what we are required to do I would like to discover his whereabouts.”
Herrick shrugged. “Some would say it was a sort of justice if this de Barras got his grappling irons into Tuke before we did, sir. I think we’re too soft with bloody pirates of his kind.”
Bolitho looked at him gravely. Hanging would certainly be too soft in de Barras’s book.
“Have you considered the reverse side of the coin, Thomas?” The grey eyes watched Herrick’s uncertain frown. “That Tuke may have the same plan in mind for the Narval? ” He walked towards the square of bright sunlight below the companion, adding, “He nearly took Eurotas into his brotherhood, and he certainly captured enough heavy guns to make him a power to reckon with.”
Herrick hurried after him, his mind hanging on to Bolitho’s words. Mutiny in a King’s ship was bad enough, but to contemplate that a mere pirate could attack and seize a man-of-war was impossible to accept.
He said grudgingly, “Of course, Narval is a Frenchie.”
Bolitho smiled at him. “And that makes a difference to your conscience?”
“Aye.” Herrick grinned awkwardly. “Some.”
There was even more fruit on the gundeck now, and the shrouds and gangways were festooned with plaited mats, strangelooking garments and long, delicate streamers daubed in bright colours.
Herrick said, “What would the admiral say to all this?”
Bolitho walked to the entry port, noticing the instant attention and interest his appearance was causing. Several girls crowded around him, trying to hang garlands over his neck, while others touched his gold-laced coat and beamed with pleasure.
One old man kept bobbing his head and repeating “Cap-itain Cook” like a sailor’s parrot.
It was probable that Cook had once visited the islands, or maybe the old man had carried the story of his ships and his sailors with their pigtails and oaths, rough humour and rum, from another part of this great ocean entirely.
Bolitho heard Allday call to his gig’s crew, “There’ll be a few little maids here who’d suit me, lads, an’ that’s no error!”
Bolitho lowered himself into the boat, while the calls shrilled and brought more cheers and laughter from the onlookers.
It was like that all the way to the little pier, with girls and young men swimming on either beam, touching the oars, and turning Allday’s stroke into confusion. Even his threats made no difference and Bolitho was glad for his sake when they were safely ashore.
He paused with the sun beating down on him, tasting the different aromas, of thick undergrowth and palms, of wood-smoke and drying fish.
Allday said, “It looks a bit rough, Captain.” He was looking at the wooden wall around the main settlement.
“Yes.”
Bolitho straightened his sword and started to walk along the pier towards a group of uniformed militia who were obviously waiting to escort him. Close to, their red uniforms with yellow facings were shabby and badly patched. The men were well browned by the sun and, he thought, as hard as nails. Like the Corps in New South Wales, they were adventurers. Of a sort. Unwilling to risk the discipline and regulated life in the army or aboard ship, but without the training or intelligence to stand completely on their own.
One, with shaggy hair protruding beneath his battered shako, brought up his sabre in a salute which would have made Sergeant Quare faint.
“Welcome, Captain.” He showed his teeth, which only made him appear more wild. “I’m to take you to see the resident, Mr Hardacre. We’ve been watching your ships coming in all day. A fair sight they made too, I can tell you, sir.” He fell in step beside Bolitho, while the rest of his party slouched along behind.
On the short walk to the settlement Bolitho discovered that Hardacre had built the place with very little help from anyone, and had somehow managed to win the respect of most of the islanders for several miles around. It was unlikely he would take very kindly to Raymond, Bolitho thought.
The militia had been collected mostly in Sydney, and their numbers had dwindled over the past two years to a mere thirty men and two officers. The rest had either deserted, leaving the islands by native craft or the occasional trading schooner, or had gone to make their lives with one of the local tribes, enjoying an existence of women, plentiful food and no work at all. And a few had disappeared without any trace.
The talkative lieutenant, whose name was Finney, confided, “I came to make my fortune.” He grinned. “But no sign of it yet, I’m thinking.”
Below the gates of the settlement, protected by little blockhouses above and on either side of them, Bolitho paused and looked back at his ship. Herrick had been right about it. It was well sited, and a handful of men with muskets, even these ruffians, could hold off twenty times their number. He frowned. Provided they were armed with nothing heavier.
Inside the gates Bolitho stopped and stared up at a crude gibbet. The halter was still attached but had been
