A King`s Commander

'One witness purports to be a French midshipman, Jules Hainaut,' Nelson informed him. 'The prisoner you took, just exchanged?'

'How convenient, sir,' Alan griped. 'A toady to Choundas, he is. Consider the source, sir. Do you ask Mister Silberberg…'

'I have, Lewrie. I know of your past association with this man, and the reasons Choundas might have to wish to see you ruined,' Nelson agreed, albeit reluctantly. 'And the good use he made of returning this Hainaut to him. The problem, though…'

'Well, there you are, then, sir,' Alan grinned, relaxing.

'You will not interrupt, sir!' Nelson burst forth, mottling with sudden rage. 'Clap your goddamned mouth shut and listen, sir!'

'Aye, sir!' Lewrie mumbled in astonishment to hear the minnikin, ammiraglio piccolo Nelson shouting-cursing!

'Of course it's a lie, Lewrie!' Nelson fumed, lowering his voice from a quarterdeck bellow. 'A damnable lie, but one the Genoese, and everyone else, will believe! The city mob takes it as bloody gospel… and it doesn't help that their own government's letter in question has given it an official stamp! Whatever your reasons for firing that shot, you did it, and I can't deny it. Can't refute the whole damned thing, just quibble 'bout the particulars, and do you know how lame that makes us sound? God Almighty, Lewrie! This might undermine the embargo, tie my hands… result in correspondence back and forth with Admiral Hotham… perhaps even London! It might result in our sudden withdrawal, under a cloud! And make this squadron, the Royal Navy, and His Majesty's Government a foul and clumsy jape… a laughingstock!'

Alan opened his mouth to make a contradiction, just what he didn't know right off… but Nelson's steely glare shusshed him anew.

'Making matters worse, sir,' Nelson hammered onward relentlessly, 'there are flyers making the rounds in several Italian cities adverting this incident, as well as Captain Cockburn's seizure of Il Furioso, as a continuing compendium of British… atrocities!'

'But those were successfully answered, and settled, sir.'

'All a packet of lies, start to finish, I grant you. But what recognition Genoa made of their own breach of neutrality, and their acquiescence 'pon the matter, is not recorded. So it becomes another nail in our coffin. Another victory in a war of words and opinions, which we are losing!' Nelson almost snarled; half at Lewrie, half at a form of war conducted by cowardly, faceless innuendo and lying. 'Also cited in these flyers, Lewrie… though of yet not mentioned anywhere official, is a further, even more serious charge 'gainst you and your ship, sir.'

Dear Christ, what else? Lewrie quavered.

'You told me last year 'bout being off Ushant, at the Glorious First of June battle, Lewrie.' Nelson posed, solemn again. 'As another example of England's supposed perfidy… the flyers allege you and your ship… mentioned both by name… entered combat flying false colors, that you engaged a French frigate under their flag. May we, at least, be able to successfully refute that, sir? And in so doing, cast doubt 'pon the whole?'

'Uhm…' Lewrie squirmed, innards icing up in fear. 'Well… not exactly, sir.'

'What?' Nelson bellowed. 'Goddamn you for a cod's-head, sir!'

Oh, Christ, I'm in the quag for certain, now, Alan thought!

'To my best recollection, sir,' he began to explain, again most carefully, 'we hoisted French colors as we neared the lee side of the French line of battle, so their seventy-four's at the hind-end, which we had to tack around, wouldn't riddle us, sir. I hoped it might fool the frigate that had been pursuing us since daybreak, but he wasn't taken in. He opened 'pon us, sir, first. We put the ship about to shave the end of their line, and had to return fire if we wished to escape. We opened fire under their tricolor, sir, which fact my first pointed out to me, at which time their flag was lowered, and the Red Ensign hoisted. We began under French colors, but concluded several broadsides properly declared. Just after tacking, sir, but not yet flaked down or belayed. And that quickly done, sir.'

And that's the truth… isn't it? he asked himself. Where had that come from, of a sudden? And, does he believe me?

Nelson glared at him, silent, his fine sense of honor outraged beyond all temperance, breathing high and shallow off the tops of his lungs, his lip beginning to curl in disdain.

'I wrote a report of it, sir.' Lewrie explained further. 'Gave it to Admiral Howe's captain of the fleet to be sent to the Admiralty. I've received no reference to the event, since.'

That, he was certain was a true statement. But then, after such a glorious victory, who'd mar its odor with even a hint of a sanction, or sully the Navy's worldwide good opinion by even mentioning it?

Christ, one tiny slip, a quarter-minute's inattention, out of a fifteen-year career, and I'm to be ruined? he gasped to himself. Court-martialed and cashiered as dishonorable, in shame? A lucky ship, hey, a lucky captain, mine arse! And where's bloody Lir when you need that bastard? Mine arse on a bandbox!

'I promised all my captains I'd uphold them, Lewrie,' Captain Nelson muttered more softly, though aflame with righteous anger. 'As long as they did their duty, as best they saw it. You, however, make that vow rather more than difficult to fulfill. Damn you, sir! Whether you were half sunk, on your beam- ends, in the middle of a hurricane or pissed as a newt, honor was breached, sir! No matter how briefly, no matter how momentary your hair-splitting explanation may excuse it. Of all the blockheaded, slipshod things you ever thought of doing! Accident or design, it doesn't signify. It casts the foulest asperions on Navy, King, and Country. And, at a time when I, indeed England and what is left of the Coalition can least afford it. Made our task here even harder. And at the worst possible time. Do you see that, Lewrie?'

'Aye, sir,' Alan groaned, sure he was a goner.

'Perhaps it's of no matter.' Nelson sighed heavily. 'I cannot print flyers of mine own to counter any of these charges, without giving them greater circulation. To deign to notice them is to show fear, which gives them even further veracity. And, sir… I cannot stoop to rebut this compounded slur in good conscience. That would be creating lies, to counter lies. To then be caught lying, later…'

'That's what Mister Silberberg is paid to do, sir,' Alan said with a miserable shrug, but a touch of gallows humor in spite of all.

'The Admiralty took no notice of it?' Nelson inquired, with a very small sound of hopefulness.

'No, sir. Not a word.'

'Nor have the French complained,' Nelson glowered, sitting at his desk, at last. 'Now it's public knowledge here, though, there is a chance Paris might find it useful against us, throughout Europe. As soon as this Choundas person, or his superiors, gloat over what they've gained by local exposure. Good God Almighty,' he brooded, lowering his head and massaging his injured brow. 'Admiral Hotham must be told, do you see, Lewrie. Loath as I am to communicate it to him, this is a matter we cannot sweep under the rug. He may assemble a court at San Fiorenzo.'

'I see that, sir.' Lewrie sighed, just as morosely.

'Thought better of you, I did, sir,' Nelson declared softly. 'Turk's Island, the way you spoke so movingly in your captain's behalf when he was wounded… way he spoke so well of you. Toulon. Taking Jester just after, saving all those refugees. Knew you were reputed to be a trifle rakehellish, one who'd tiptoe right to the edge. The Hamiltons in Naples spoke well of you, too. Lady Emma, especially. I have found her to be a shrewd judge of character, in the main.'

Lewrie bit on a knuckle, diplomatically, wondering what Nelson'd think, if he knew he'd got the leg over Lady Emma back in '93?

'Trouble is, though, Lewrie, you're slipshod, slapdash. More so than a proper captain ought be,' Nelson accused. 'Given your previous good repute, though, I am given to believe your explanation. Your actions at Bordighera were honorable. Give me copies of all officers' journals, log entries, and such, concerning Ushant, so I may satisfy myself, one way or the other, before I communicate it to Admiral Hotham. There is always the possibility that he will deem it unworthy of note. Or, given the circumstances that obtain of late… he may consider it inexpedient to notice, do you