The King

the boats. We have to defend our ship!'

'Flag, sir,' Cony said instead. 'T'ain't Frogs, sir.' 'What are they?' Chiswick asked.

'Well, Goddamn, I do believe it's a Spanish ship of war!' Alan blurted as the white-and-gold flag curled out lazily.

'Bet they're going to be mightily displeased with us,' Chiswick prophesied. 'Poaching in their private preserve and all.'

'Back to the ship, anyway. Burge, I trust I'll see you later. After Captain Ayscough and Mister Twigg talk their way out of this.'

'Think you they can, Alan?'

'Burgess, Twigg is half a politician,' Lewrie replied, smiling. 'He can talk his way out of anything!'

V

'lam valete, formosi!

Nos ad beatos vela mittimus portus,

magni petentes docta dicta Sironis,

vitamque ab omni vindicabimus cura.'

'Now fare ye well, ye goodly youths!

We are spreading our sails for blissful havens

in quest of great Sim's wise words,

and from all care will redeem our life.'

Catalepton, V 7-10

– Virgil

Chapter 1

The Board Room at the Admiralty was blessed with a huge fireplace trimmed in wooden carvings of navigational instruments. Tall candles lit the chilly chamber against the gloom of a late February afternoon. As they huddled in front of the fireplace, lifting the tail skirts of their uniform coats to warm their frozen backsides, Lt. Alan Lewrie studied the white-and-gilt ceiling, the light-toned wood paneling and the parquet floors.

He'd only been inside the Admiralty once in his life, back when Shrike had paid off in '83, and then only to the first floor, to cool his heels for hours in the infamous Waiting Room before going to the basement to wrangle for even more hours with a clerk in a tiny monk's cell of an office, perched on tall stools to stay out of the two inches of water that had seeped in from a recent Thames flood. All to balance the ship's books and military inventory.

'Ahem,' Captain Ayscough grumbled as the double doors opened and two elderly officers entered. First was Admiral Lord Howe, First Lord of the Admiralty, followed by Admiral Sir Samuel Hood. In their retinue were several civilians. Lewrie was amazed to learn during the introductions that they were Secretary of State Lord Sydney, and the first Secretary to Admiralty, Phillip Stephens. They took their seats behind a long table, and Ayscough, Percival and Lewrie were seated on the opposite side.

'We have read your report with great interest, Captain Ayscough,' Lord Howe stated. 'The lieutenants' journals as well. With not only great interest, but, may I be the first to say so, great admiration for your energetic prosecution of this matter in the King's name.'

'There is also, milords, gentlemen,' Lord Sydney added, 'the report from Mister Zachariah Twigg, as regards the… uhm… political matters beyond the purely nautical and military scope of your recent expedition. The gentleman commends you and your officers in the most forthright manner, captain. For your zeal and enterprise, sagacity and competence. In fact, his only regrets or recriminations are the unfortunate demise of his fellow Crown… uhm… emissary, Mister Wythy, in Canton. And the untimely arrival of that Spanish frigate at Balabac Island. Had that not occurred, we might have been out and gone before any civilized nation could ever learn of our presence in those waters, assuring us total secrecy, start to finish, and then the book could have been closed shut on this affair forever.'

'Well, the French know of it, milord,' Admiral Hood scoffed. 'To their detriment, even if the Dons did free Choundas and his men.'

'There are some niggling… uhm…' Lord Sydney posed, 'ramifications anent our relations with the Spanish crown regarding this expedition. Violation of their territorial waters, for one. Violation of their sovereign sanctity ashore. Some remuneration paid, sub rosa I need hardly inform you, to their Viceroy- General in Manila, to help restore that native village, one would assume.'

'Should the moneys ever find a way of trickling down through their Viceroy's fingers,' Lord Howe smirked, cracking his bleak and patrician visage for a brief moment.

'Fortunately, there was hardly any mention of the incident in the… uhm… American public notice from the crew of that whaler we freed,' Lord Sydney continued. 'That… nation… has more on its rebellious little mind than taking time to be in any way grateful for the lives and freedom of some of its… uhm… citizens. Gratitude to their mother country is in rather short supply on that side of the Atlantic, and most likely shall be, for a generation to come.'

'Whilst gratitude here at home, for the heroes of this venture, shall have to be rather thin as well, sirs,' Lord Howe intoned, turning in his chair to see if Lord Sydney had anything further to add. Lord Sydney inclined slightly towards the older admiral, allowing him to proceed. 'By God, sirs, had we leave to print your reports in the Marine Chronicle or the Gazette, it would be an eight-day wonder! The populace would chair you through the streets! However'-here he sobered once more, and settled back into a strong resemblance of the rebel General George Washington suffering an acute attack of gas-'for diplomatic reasons, none of this may ever see the light of day. I fear, Captain Ayscough, that the inestimable credit due you, Lieutenants Percival and Lewrie, shall never be adequately expressed by a grateful Crown, or an equally grateful Admiralty. Until such time as another war occurs with France, any word of this glorious expedition of yours must never pass your lips, not even to your dear ones.'

'I… that is, we, completely understand, milords,' Ayscough nodded sternly. 'And obey your strictures without question, it goes without saying.'

'There shall be no public commendation,' Lord Sydney smirked, 'but that does not mean there shall be no expression of pleasure for your valiant deeds. Name the reward dearest to you, my good sir, in reason, and we shall endeavor to please.'

'An adjudgment by Droits of Admiralty in the matter of prize money, milords,' Ayscough said quickly. 'Not for my own gain, let me assure you. But for the ship's people. Most especially for those widows left without succor. I believe the reckoning of what we took at Spratly, and at Balabac, was in excess of five hundred thousand pounds, assigned as Droits of the Crown. Even an eighth of that for warrants, petty officers, able and ordinary hands would reward them for all their magnificent courage and loyalty, even when they didn't know what we were doing out there.'

'Nothing for your officers or yourself?' Lord Howe queried.

'Active employment, naturally, milord.' Ayscough reddened, feeling ashamed to even dare ask for anything for himself. 'The heartfelt cry one would hear from any Sea Officer.'

'And do, daily, belowstairs,' Admiral Hood stuck in with a short bark of amusement. 'By God, Captain, your concern for your people is perhaps even more commendable than any deed you've wrought the past two years! Well said, sir. Damn well said!'

'I believe it would be impossible to deny such an aspiring and courageous officer the opportunity to ply his