The shadow of the eagle

'He had posted himself on the beach as one of the sentinels, sir.'

'So he was not party to any of the discussion in the boat.'

Paine shook his head. 'No, sir, though it wasn't really a discussion.'

'Did you think there was any ulterior motive in the men's request, Mr Paine?'

'You mean ... ?'

'I mean, did it, or did it not occur to you that the men might have come ashore with ready money in order to buy liquor?' Marlowe asked.

Paine flushed. 'Well, sir, yes, it did occur to me, but the smell of the bread persuaded me that...' The midshipman's voice tailed off into silence.

'How many men contributed money towards this bread?' Marlowe enquired.

'I can't be absolutely certain, sir, but about a dozen.'

There was a brief pause while Hyde made his notes and then he looked up and asked, 'Did you make a contribution towards the bread, Mr Paine?'

Paine coughed with embarrassment and his Adam's apple bobbed uncomfortably. 'Yes,' he murmured.

'Speak up, damn it,' prompted Hyde, dipping his pen.

Paine coughed again and answered in a clearer voice, 'Yes sir.'

And it was bread you were investing in, I take it?'

'Oh yes, sir.'

'Why?'

'I was hungry, sir.' A thought appeared to occur to the midshipman and he added, 'I was jolly hungry, and I thought the men must be, too, since they had had a long hard pull from the ship, sir.'

'So you thought that justified disobeying Mr Ashton's order?'

Paine's mouth twisted with unhappiness. 'No, not exactly, sir ...'

'Then do enlighten us, Mr Paine,' pressed Marlowe, 'what exactly you did think.'

Paine relinquished the role of martyr and confessed: 'I thought if only two men went, they would soon be back.'

'Soon be back... ?' prompted Marlowe, his face expectant.

'You know ... before Mr Ashton returned.'

Both officers sat back and exchanged glances. 'So you deliberately disobeyed Mr Ashton's order?'

'In a manner of speaking, yes, sir.'

'Why?'

Having placed himself at the mercy of his interrogators, Paine's attitude hardened and he fought his corner. 'I thought no harm would come of it.'

'But harm has come of it, Mr Paine,' argued Marlowe.

'Yes, sir, and I regret that and I take full responsibility for it. As a matter of fact, sir, I thought Mr Ashton's order unreasonable. The men could not desert, for the place is an island and for two men out of sixteen to run ashore for some bread, seemed, in my opinion, reasonable enough.'

Marlowe pressed his finger tips together before his face, sat back and regarded the midshipman in silence. Hyde pursed his lips and made a soft blowing sound.

'I had no idea Mr Ashton would make an issue of the matter with McCann, sir. I cannot allow the sergeant of marines to be involved. The truth is that having let Shaw and Ticknell go, I confess I made myself comfortable in the stern-sheets and was roused by the kerfuffle when Mr Ashton returned with the passenger.' Paine finally fell silent and looked down at his threadbare knees.

'Well,' began Marlowe, 'it seems Mr Ashton's wrath was misdirected. You realize what this means, Mr Paine?'

'The gunner's daughter, sir?' Paine's face twisted with apprehension.

'At the very least, my lad.'

Paine drew himself up in his seat. 'Very well, sir.'

'You may carry on. The matter will be refered to the Captain with our recommendations.'

Paine got to his feet. 'Aye, aye, sir.'

When he had retired, Marlowe turned to Hyde and said, 'That would seem to wrap the matter up then.'

'No, Mr Marlowe,' said Hyde, stirring himself, 'it won't do at all. Of course Paine must be punished, but Ashton's treatment of McCann remains reprehensible.'

'That's as may be, Hyde, but the crime was disobedience to Ashton's order and it was Paine, not McCann who was culpable. Ashton's intemperate conduct was unfortunate, but McCann is only a non-commissioned officer of marines.'

Hyde drew in his breath sharply. 'Mr Marlowe, that non-commissioned officer of marines once held a commission in a Provincial regiment and fought for King and Country as, I suspect, Lieutenant Ashton has only dreamed of. He was insulted, called a Yankee bugger, neither of which accusations can be substantiated and for which, had they been used to me, I would have demanded satisfaction!'

'I daresay you would,' observed Marlowe drily, 'but they weren't addressed to you. Anyway, what do you suppose we can do about it?'

'Get Ashton to apologize,' said Hyde in a voice loud enough to be heard on the far side of the flimsy bulkhead dividing the dining area of the officers' accommodation from their personal sleeping quarters. It proved too much for the eavesdropping Ashton, who wrenched the door open and made his appearance at this moment.

'Damn you, Hyde!' he snarled, 'You heard my orders and you've found your culprit. What more d'you want?'

'Well, old fellow,' said Hyde leaning back in his chair, 'since you ask, an apology to McCann.'

'I'll be damned first!'

'Very likely, but Ashton am I correct in thinking you flung the bread, not to mention four miserable bottles of wine — four, mark you, about the number you would drink in a good evening at Spithead, to be shared between at least a dozen men — that you flung this bread into the harbour?'

'Of course.'

'Why 'of course'?' persisted Hyde.

'Because they had no business buying it.'

'Ashton, have you never drunk French brandy?'

'Why yes, but...'

'Which you had no business buying, I daresay ...' Hyde sneered and Ashton coloured, realizing he had taken the bait. Beside Hyde, Marlowe smiled.

'And which you would have defended as your own, no doubt,' Marlowe added, whereupon Ashton shot the first lieutenant a look of such pure venom that Hyde was certain Marlowe had hit upon some incident in their mutual past.

'So you will not apologize to McCann?' Hyde pressed.

'The devil I will!'

Hyde completed his note. Marlowe sat forward and closed the proceedings. 'I believe we asked Sergeant McCann to hold himself ready for questioning. I do not think that will be necessary at this juncture.'

'I shall go and tell him so,' said Hyde, rising and fixing his eyes on Ashton. 'You are a lesser man than I had hitherto thought, Josiah. McCann would have forgiven you a momentary loss of temper. By refusing to withdraw you remark, you not only affirm it, you make him an inferior, and I am not persuaded he is. Certainly not now.'

Hyde swept from the wardroom without a backward glance, leaving Marlowe with a fuming and humiliated Ashton. For a moment the two officers sat in silence, then Ashton rose and leaned over Marlowe.

'I wish', he said menacingly, 'I had words adequate to describe what I feel for you, Frederic, and I wish I could express the pity I feel for Sarah!'

But if Ashton thought the contempt in his voice could intimidate Marlowe, mention of his sister was a sad miscalculation. Marlowe's spirit was no longer cowed, and he stood slowly and with a new-found dignity to confront his future brother-in-law. 'I pity her too, Josiah, but I have at least the consolation Sarah chose me.'

And with this Parthian shot Marlowe left the wardroom to report to Drinkwater. As for Ashton, he turned to find Frey standing in the open doorway to his cabin regarding him with a cold stare.