Herrick groaned. 'That's bad!'

Inch shook his head. 'Well, in some ways, sir.' Bolitho said, 'Come, man, spit it out!'

Inch grinned apologetically. 'Nelson's repairs delayed his plans, but allowed his other reinforcements to join him. He. now commands fourteen sail of the line, but-' He saw Herrick's face and added hurriedly, 'The truth is, sir, the same gale which dismasted Vanguard allowed the French to slip past.' He looked from one to the other. 'The French are out, sir.'

Herrick said bitterly, 'And they escaped much as our Frenchmen did. God damn the weather!'

'Is that all, Commander Inch?' Bolitho kept his tone level, but could feel the disappointment rising inside him.

Inch shrugged. 'The French have taken Malta without a fight, sir. Nelson's ships have been searching for de Brueys's fleet without success. He has followed their passage through the LigurianSea, and even looked into some ports where other French ships might have been sheltering until they were ready to move out. '

'You have done well, Inch.' Bolitho gestured to Ozzard for some more wine. 'And you have brought despatches?' Inch nodded. 'I was ordered to Naples by the admiral, sir.

There I met with the fleet at last.' He grinned awkwardly. 'And with Nelson.'

'The devil you have!' Herrick stared at him. 'That I should like to have seen!'

Bolitho said quietly, 'so you did not meet with Perle.' He looked away as Herrick started to explain about the battle and the new prizes. But Bolitho's mind was elsewhere. By the time Fitz-Clarence had reached Gibraltar it would be too late for him to return and find Nelson. He blamed himself for not thinking that a fleet would be sent so quickly to act upon his own sketchy information and the captured siege guns.

Inch was asking excitedly, 'so where are the French?

Nelson has been off Elba and Civita Vecchia and into Naples without sighting a one. And you have come west'rd without meeting them. I do not understand it. '

Bolitho faced them again. 'Did Nelson receive you well?' 'Indeed yes, sir.' Inch frowned. 'He was not quite as I expected, but I found him most compelling, in spite of his anxieties.'

Bolitho tried to imagine what might lie behind those simple words. Was Nelson blaming him for losing the French, too? For leading a British fleet which was sorely needed elsewhere to an empty trap?

Inch added, 'If and when I was able to find you, sir, I was to tell you to join the fleet with all speed off Alexandria.' He saw Bolitho's surprise and said, 'Oh yes, sir, Nelson has every faith in your conclusions. He still believes that the French are heading for, if not already in Egypt.' He seemed to expect a show of excitement.

Bolitho said, 'Captain Herrick took it upon himself to visit Alexandria. But for a few decrepit Turkish men o' war and 'the usual coastal craft, it was empty. As 'It will be when Nelson gets there.' He looked at Herrick. 'Are you agreed, Thomas?'

Herrick nodded. 'I fear so. From what we discovered and heard at Corfu, it seemed as if those supply ships were expecting to leave for another destination before they joined their main fleet.' He looked at the chart on Bolitho's table, his face grim. 'so when Nelson sails east he will miss de Brueys by a hundred miles or more. The French will rendezvous up here.' He tapped the chart with one finger. 'Most likely off Crete.' He looked at Bolitho. 'While we sheltered amongst those islands, the greatest force since the Spanish Armada probably steered just a few miles to the south'rd of us, and we knew nothing of it!'

Inch asked dubiously, 'What will de Brueys do, sir?' Bolitho stared at the chart. 'In his shoes I’d gather up all the surviving transports, then wait for any others which may have been scattered amongst smaller islands and bays. Then I’d sail south-east. For Egypt. '

Inch stared at him. 'No, sir, I beg to differ. There was a great storm, and Nelson's ships were scattered, his own completely dismasted and almost run ashore. He had to make for shelter to effect repairs. To St. Peter's at Sardinia.'

Herrick groaned. 'That's bad!'

Inch shook his head. 'Well, in some ways, sir.' Bolitho said, 'Come, man, spit it out!'

Inch grinned apologetically. 'Nelson's repairs delayed his plans, but allowed his other reinforcements to join him. He now commands fourteen sail of the line, but-' He saw Herrick's face and added hurriedly, 'The truth is, sir, the same gale which dismasted Vanguard allowed the French to slip past.' He looked from one to the other. 'The French are out, sir.'

Herrick said bitterly, 'And they escaped much as our Frenchmen did. God damn the weather!'

'Is that all, Commander Inch?' Bolitho kept his tone level, but could feel the disappointment rising inside him.

Inch shrugged. 'The French have taken Malta without a fight, sir. Nelson's ships have been searching for de Brueys's fleet without success. He has followed their passage through the LigurianSea, and even looked into some ports where other French ships might have been sheltering until they were ready to move out. '

'You have done well, Inch.' Bolitho gestured to Ozzard for some more wine. 'And you have brought despatches?' Inch nodded. 'I was ordered to Naples by the admiral, sir.

There I met with the fleet at last.' He grinned awkwardly. 'And with Nelson.'

'The devil you have!' Herrick stared at him. 'That I should like to have seen!'

Bolitho said quietly, 'so you did not meet with Perle.'

He looked away as Herrick started to explain about the battle and the new prizes. But Bolitho's mind was elsewhere. By the time Fitz-Clarence had reached Gibraltar it would be too late for him to return and find Nelson. He blamed himself for not thinking that a fleet would be sent so quickly to act upon his own sketchy information and the captured siege guns.

Inch was asking excitedly, 'so where are the French?

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