I might never have known otherwise.'
'Sir?' Keen was astounded by Bolitho's demeanour.
'Hoist the signal, and call our gallant captains.' He waited until Keen was almost at the door. 'And, Val, when you next hold her in your arms you will know that Fate left you no choice.'
Bolitho walked to the windows and out onto the gallery with its two smiling mermaids.
He heard a shout and guessed that the signal had broken aloft. He would speak with his captains. Repair the damage.
Restore their confidence. He saw Helicon drift slowly into view. But not you, dear old friend, you have done your share.
During the day the wind rose only slightly, but there were more clouds and perhaps a hint of rain.
Bolitho stood aft by the windows again and watched his captains as they sat in their various attitudes in the great cabin. Not the wardroom this time. He wanted no retreat. There was none. He had gone through the details of Jobert's squadron, its strength, and its possible purpose.
'There is nothing to gain from remaining in the gulf, gentlemen. I intend to sweep to the south-east'rd. If Jobert has headed west to pass through the Strait then we have already lost him. If not-' He looked at their intent faces, 'then we must find him and call him to action.'
There were muffled shouts from the main deck and the cabin quivered as two of Helicon's thirty-two-pounders were lowered on board.
Bolitho said, 'Those guns will be conveyed to Rapid tomorrow.' He saw her young commander start up in his chair as if he had been only half listening.
Quarrell stammered, 'Too heavy, sir, I mean-'
Bolitho eyed him bleakly. 'You have shipwrights and a carpenter, I believe? I want you to mount two guns forward as bow-chasers. By shifting ballast and stores and shoring up the deck you should manage it easily enough. I once commanded a sloop-of-war-she was not much bigger and had a very heavy bow armament. So do it.'
Captain Montresor said, 'My steering is repaired, sir. I had no way of knowing.' He looked bitterly at Houston. 'I wanted to fight. I didn't expect Helicon to stand alone.'
Captain Houston sat with his arms folded, unrepentant.
He said, 'My ship had fallen too far astern because of the wind and that damned mist. I saw Despatch was in trouble.' His thin mouth opened and shut, each word rationed. 'I would have been a target and nothing more had I gone to assist Helicon. Anyway, I knew the Frogs would do for the lot of us piecemeal, so I decided to take Montresor in tow.'
Bolitho nodded. So typical of the man, he thought. Hard, uncompromising, but in this case right. His choice had been straightforward, in his view at least. Save a ship or lose the squadron.
He said, 'Jobert has a purpose for everything he does. So far he has been one step ahead of us.' He saw Keen watching him grimly. He knew that by quitting their station he was taking a huge responsibility, a greater risk to himself. It was odd, but it no longer mattered. After the court of inquiry at Malta he was a marked man anyway. He felt lightheaded. It was beyond personal risk and reputation now.
Houston said in his harsh voice, 'We shall have to consider where and when we will replenish water supplies, sir.'
Bolitho looked at him, suddenly aware of the shadow across his left eye. It taunted him but for once he was able to ignore it.
'There will be no watering, Captain Houston.' He glanced at the others. 'For any of us. Cut the ration, halve it if need be, but we stay together until this is finished.' He did not add one way or the other but the thought was obvious on their faces.
'I need all the information we can gather. Coastal craft must be stopped and searched thoroughly. If they are neutral, do it just the same. If not, sink them.' He felt the hardness creep into his tone, like that other time. It made him think of Herrick, the pain in his blue eyes when he had left Benbow. In his heart Bolitho knew Herrick had acted only as he saw fit. Bolitho hated any sort of favouritism and despised those who used it for advancement or personal gain in the Navy. Yet he had done exactly that for Keen, and because Herrick was his friend. What would he have done had he been in Herrick's position and another had asked a favour of him? But the thought of what it had cost in lives made him shy away from an answer. Inch was a broken man. If he lived it was unlikely he would ever tread his own deck again. He saw some of them glance at him as he unwittingly touched his left eye. That thought was always there. Suppose I lost the sight of my right eye? Blind, as he had been in Supreme, but forever.
Captain Lapish asked, 'Will Jobert have any more ships at his command, sir?' He even sounded more confident than before.
Bolitho gave a grave smile. 'Are there not enough already?'
Houston muttered, 'Two frigates, y'say? And we've but one.'
Commander Quarrell exclaimed, 'My brig is worthy enough!'
Bolitho said, 'Save your steel for the enemy, all of you. Drill your people until they can point and fire in their sleep. Make each one aware that the enemy is human, not a god. We can and will beat him, for I believe we are the only bulwark 'twixt Jobert and his objective.'
The deck tilted heavily and a book slithered from the table.
Bolitho said, 'Return to your ships. If there is rain, gather it as part of the rations. Whenever you need to search or seek out small craft, use your boats to full advantage. I want our people to be ready to fight and to expect trouble in advance.'
Houston commented, 'Leopard is a second-rate, I believe, sir?'
Bolitho saw the blunt reminder move round the others like a chill wind through corn.
He glanced at Keen. 'My flag-captain took on this ship and two frigates at once, Captain Houston. Battered we may be, but you will see that we are both still here!'
Quarrell laughed outright and grinned at his friend Lapish. They had both learned a lot in a short while. And they were still too young to nurse fear for long.
After the captains had been seen over the side Keen returned to the cabin and asked, 'Do you already know what Jobert is about, sir?'
'When I am certain I shall tell you, Val. Until then we must make sure that our ships do not grow slack or careless. A lack of vigilance now can mean only defeat.'
The sentry called, 'Surgeon, sir!'
Tuson entered and eyed them curiously. 'You sent for me, sir?'
Bolitho said, 'Make arrangements to ferry Captain Inch aboard. I fear the weather may change.'
Tuson nodded. 'He was speaking with me when I was aboard Helicon earlier, sir. He is in great pain, but I would prefer him here in my care.'
Bolitho said, 'I know that.' He watched the surgeon leave and said, 'If Helicon gets into difficulties en route for Malta, it were better that Inch be with us. He'd be on deck, taking charge, otherwise.'
Keen smiled, 'Like you, sir.' He moved to the chart. 'A needle in a haystack. Damn Jobert! He might be anywhere.'
Bolitho walked to the table and caught his foot in a ringbolt and almost lost his balance. He felt the touch of fear once more. He thought of Inch returning home. What would his pretty Hannah think? What might Belinda think, for that matter? Even if Adam had not told her of the full extent of his injury, his handwriting in that last letter would make her realize something was wrong. The letter. He thought of the way his words had poured out; it had been as if he had been listening to his own voice. It was so unlike him; he was almost sorry he had written to her of his innermost hopes and fears, of the love which had burned with such passion and which he had imagined was gone forever.
Keen said suddenly, 'It breaks a confidence, sir, but, like you, I cannot bear to see Allday in the doldrums.'
'You know something, Val?'
Keen sat on a chair. Half of him needed to be on deck, but Paget could deal with most things now. The other half wanted to be here, with this one man who had risked so much for his happiness and had shown no regrets for it.
