A King`s Commander

informed combination.'

'Latins,' Nelson chuckled with a world-weary sigh and a raising of his good brow. 'Gossip, and informing, is in their temperaments, I do declare-bred into their very bones and blood.'

'Something larger than turning a quick profit, or any charitable motive, if you will allow me to color it so, sirs,' Lewrie continued. 'Both, of these ships feared the presence of the Royal Navy… not since we just did intend to stop up all coastal trade… but because they were engaged in trade with the French, sirs. Someone, perhaps a great many someones, are eager to aid their cause, beyond turning a profit. Those two agents aboard II Briosco, the similarity of the subterfuge… then, too, there is the possibility that influential or simply corrupt people actually believe in the exportation of French Republicanism and revolution. And would do anything possible, long as they may make a fortune from it, to aid the Frogs. Undermine their own governments.'

'A very large supposition, Commander Lewrie,' Cockburn drawled, pulling a face. 'Nor one spun from whole cloth, but only a few raveled strands, as of yet.'

'Well, perhaps the French may pay more than we can offer, sir,' Lewrie rejoined. 'All the wealth seized from Royalists, from guillotined aristocrats, the Catholic Church in France. And what they looted from their recent conquests.'

'We'll leave it to the proper authorities,' Nelson decided for them, raising a brow slightly as he detected the slightest hints of animus be-tween them. 'We don't have all the facts, and cannot discover more from Leghorn or Tuscany. Commander Lewrie, you did recover commercial documents from Il Briosco, which lead you to suspect, at least, a financial combination?' he urged.

'Il Briosco is owned by a Leghorn joint-stock company, much like the East India Company,' Lewrie said, sitting back in his chair. 'Men invest as ship's husbands, or as risk-coverers such as Lloyd's, sharing the risk, and the possible profits. It's called the Compagnia di Commercia Mare di Liguria. Rather confusing, though. Neither my clerk nor I can make heads or tails of it, so far, sirs. Captain Menzi is shown as a shareholder in some papers, just a hired captain in others. The super-cargo aboard, a Signore Gallacio, admitted he's a shipowner, not a shareholder. Yet, there's an inscrutable little ledger book Mister Mountjoy turned up that shows several people, or organizations, and their share of the profits of the ship's voyage. There's a 'G-G,' which I take to stand for Guilio Gallacio. The rest are just initials, and no telling what they really mean, sir. I find it odd, though, for a Tuscan company to call itself a Ligurian sea-trading firm.'

'We are in the Ligurian Sea, sir!' Cockburn snorted.

'Liguria is also the ancient Roman name for the entire coastal region, sir. North of Leghorn or Porto Especia. Were they really a Tuscan concern, sir, why did they not use their own sea, the Tyrrhennian, or the entire Mediterranean, to describe their intended trading area?'

'Another matter for Mister Drake's associates, Commander Lewrie,' Nelson suggested. 'After inquiries may be made in Tuscany. Should it be registered proper, the names of the major stockholders will be revealed to us. And if some of those majority owners turn out to be Genoese, or agents representing Genoese investors, then we may be able to say that it is, without a doubt, an illegal combination.'

'And, most likely, such an inquiry may also reveal the names of ships to be on the lookout for,' Cockburn said with a sly chuckle, a tap of his finger against his temple. 'With such information, we may concentrate on the largest, best-organized, smugglers. Their capture or elimination from the trade would daunt the smaller players. Were their ships to be seized often enough, they'd throw in their hands as a poor wager.'

'If it is merely financial, and not political, sir,' Alan said, unwilling to concede the point, on principal certainly, because he still suspected the presence of French agents hinted at something dangerous. And hating to give the smug bastard the last word, in anything!

'I daresay, Lewrie,' Cockburn allowed with a bemused expression, 'that there is the possibility of the French being involved, taking full advantage of the greed, or the humane efforts of the Genoese to aid their occupied compatriots. Anything to undermine resistance in Italy. But, as I also said before… we simply do not know enough to take a leap of logic, into the speculative.'

'I see, sir,' Lewrie relented. A bit truculently, it must be said; resenting being lectured to by a man ten years his junior. 'But I will lay a wager with you, this very moment, sir,' he added with a sly grin. 'That when we do come to discover all, there will be French collusion, and French gold, at the root of it. Name your sum, sir.'

'Five hundred pounds.' Cockburn grinned back, just as slyly.

Sufferin' Jesus, Alan thought, his mind awhirl; now I'm for it! Even if the Prize Court came through with what I'm due, I'd still be bankrupt, if I'm wrong! Borrow it from Phoebe… No!

'Gentlemen, really…' Nelson chided them, with the affable, and amazed, tone of a father interceding between two headstrong brothers. 'Make it a shore supper, or a case of wine. And the terms are vague. Of course, the French are involved. Whether they are the instigators, or the recipients of a fortuitous accident, which they hope to exploit. Hardly a proper wager at all, really. It lacks the 'either, or.' '

'A shore supper, then, sir,' Lewrie amended. 'That it is the full cabal, set up by the Frogs.'

'And I say they are exploiting the greed of misguided, short-sighted… tradesmen,' Cockburn countered. 'Aye, a shore supper.'

'Done!' Lewrie cried, offering his hand to seal the bargain.

'Done, and done, then.' Nelson laughed. 'Well, I think that's about it. We must suspect a formal, organized attempt to trade with, and succor, the French. The valuables suggest that. Il Briosco had a full cargo of flour, salt, boots, and shoes, what else…?'

'About a ton of tanned leather, sir, suitable for harnesses or belts and pouches,' Lewrie was happy to supply. 'Cast-off military accoutrements, sail cloth suitable for tents, blankets… and quite a lot of naval stores. Salt meats, sausages and salami, cheese, and all the rough wine in the world.'

'Which will fetch a pretty penny at Mister Drake's sales.' Nelson beamed, rising to dismiss them. 'And deny the French any joy of it. I think that will be all, until we know more. Gentlemen, thank you both for coming aboard, and sharing your information with me. And with each other, hmm? So you may cooperate in future, more attuned?'

That wasn't a hope; that was an order, Lewrie almost winced.

'Stay a moment, Commander Lewrie, there is one other matter,' Nelson directed before they said their good- byes.

'Aye, sir?' he prompted, once Cockburn had gone.

'The matter of your tender, sir,' Nelson said, squinting over his report, impatiently turning for the best light in the great-cabins for his one good eye. 'This little Bombуlo. Quite a good idea. Most ingenious of you. Though you were damned fortunate, against such odds.'

'Thank you, sir.' Lewrie smiled, glad it wasn't to be a tongue-lashing for being at odds with Cockburn.

'I fear you'll have to keep her,' Nelson said soberly. 'This La Follette. Better-armed, I grant you, and a valuable seizure. But she is a French ship of war, little or no, and must be properly condemned, then bought into the Royal Navy before I could possibly condone her addition to our squadron.'

'I see, sir.' Lewrie sighed.

'There are certain customs and usages of the fleet that even I cannot ignore, no matter the situation, do you see, Lewrie.' Captain Nelson laughed softly. 'Only so many orders I may flaunt, or act contrary to. No, I am sorry, but she must go to San Fiorenzo. Our admiral may wish to inspect her unique carronade armament. That she is armed with carrуnades, at all, in the first instance. And the novel training platform beneath them, in the second. And, after all… I doubt if you would wish to give up your First Officer, Mister Knolles.'

'Sir?'

'You would, you know, were she taken in or sent off. She's a lieutenant's command, not merely a tender to another ship,' Nelson told him. 'Could I condemn her myself, and buy her in, well… I fear there are other lieutenants senior to Mister Knolles more deserving of command. And, were she a part of this squadron this instant, I would assign her to work inshore with Meleager, Inconstant, or Southampton, allowing one of the deep-draught frigates a shallow-draught companion. I fear you must recover your swivels and two-pounders from La Follette,