“Captain! Very good to see you, sir! Was a bit worried, I was. Stories’re floating ’round the harbor this mornin’ like a wee turd in a chamber pot, they are, sir. An’ nary a one of ’em would make the admiral a happy man!”
“Rork, I am more than pleased to be aboard St. James myself. Now, tell me what you’ve heard.”
Both men went below to Wake’s cabin and settled down in chairs by the chart table. Rork’s smile had changed to a grimace as he began.
“Captain, the guard boat rowed round the anchorage at dawn as usual, but this morn they came here straight away and asked for you. Said you was in a bad row at the Rum an’ Randy last night that spread to the Poxy Pub an’ the ol’ Anchor Inn, even to the black gang mechanics over at the Steam Room! ’Course the lads of the Anchor Inn was the most ferocious they say, as you’d expect from the bosuns o’ the fleet! Said that some twit of a commander from that steamer gunboat that came in yesterday an’ insulted the honor o’ us men of the squadron, and St. James most particular, an’ that you, sir, had made him eat his words quite forceful like. The coxswain said that word went round about it, an’ the lads in the other pubs from the yard an’ the squadron rose up and defended their honor too from those arrogant steamer bluejackets what just arrived here. That’s the word the coxswain had, sir.”
“Any word of the commander’s condition, Rork?”
“He’ll walk an’ talk, they say, sir. No bad harm done to ’im ’cept to his pride an’ his scupper hole, but that’ll heal soon enough, Captain. Seen it enough in me own self, I have, sir. Reminds me o’ a time in Waterford town. Now that was a proper row!”
“What of our men ashore? Are they all right?”
“Now that is a bit o’ humor, sir. The drinkers of ’em was ashore in the afternoon but came aboard in the evenin’ at the end o’ their liberty, just after yourself departed. They were getting’ liberty today again, but it was tonight, sir. The only ones ashore in the evenin’ hours last night was the teetotaler temperance boys, sir, an’ they came back on the guard boat afore the big row. See, they wasn’t at a pub, but at a dinner room at the ol’ church on Duval, sir. Singin’ the praises, they was, sir. No, the only lad ashore in a pub last night from this ship was you, sir! Made up in spirit for what lacked in numbers, from what we hear, Captain!”
Wake had forgotten that the main liberty party was going to be today and this evening. Now his crew would miss that, and surely would not be pleased.
“I’m afraid the liberty today will not come about, Rork. The men will no doubt blame me.”
“Now the men o’ this ship, an’ the whole lovin’ squadron, thinks it’s just fine what you did, sir, accordin’ to what ol’ McDougall heard ashore at the repair dock this morn. But the coxswain of the guard boat says the admiral ain’t too pleased. Said the yeomen from the offices said ol’ Bluefield was ragin’ with fury, sir. Shoutin’ and swearin’ this mornin’, he was, they say. That’s why we was so glad to see ya, sir. Thought ya just might be imprisoned for rebellion or such, the way the gossip is flowin’ round here.”
Wake was stunned. All of this must have happened after he and Annie had crawled into her bed. He had heard nothing of the sort all night. This was serious trouble. Rork had more, and continued.
“Captain, last evenin’ orders from the squadron office came aboard for us. Addressed to you, sir, so they’re not opened. On the table.”
Rork pointed to the familiar blue official envelope that orders were sent in, which lay on the table atop a pile of charts of the Cuban and Mexican coasts. Was that only yesterday that we brought in the Wendy from Mexico? Wake suddenly felt incredibly tired as he reached for the weighted envelope and tore it open. A small shot weight rolled out and two pages unfolded that proved to be the formal orders to Wake and his command. The naval schooner St. James was to proceed as soon as possible to the western coast of Florida with mail, dispatches, sundries, and small arms ammunition, to resupply several named ships from Sanibel Island to Tampa Bay. And to receive from those ships intelligence of the enemy, mail, dispatches, and sundry items for return to the squadron, no later than two weeks hence. Wake, his mind working rapidly, looked up at Rork.
“Anything else come yesterday?”
“Aye, sir. The yard victuallers provisioned us, the squadron yeoman’s office delivered some mail an’ such, an’ several crates came aboard for ships up the west coast. I deducted that we’d be sailin’ that way soon.”
This was excellent news. The admiral in his wrath to prevent Wake and his crew from enjoying the pleasures of Key West for too long had provided for an excellent reason not to be here any longer. Duty, that burden that frequently ruined pleasure, now called to offer an escape from the ire of an enraged admiral. A crucial factor now crossed Wake’s mind.
“Did the coxswain say anything about an arrest or orders for me?”
“Nary any such thing, Captain. Just wanted to know if
