Invasion

'Sit, if you please, Mr. Carthew—there,' Saumarez said, indicating the place opposite Kydd.

'Mr. Prosser, sir.' The flag-lieutenant ushered in a haggard-looking officer who stared doggedly downwards. Carthew was clearly disconcerted to see him.

'Now, this should not take long, gentlemen,' Saumarez began.

'Mr. Kydd has laid before me evidence of a conspiracy that resulted in the loss of his ship and his good name. We are here to—'

'Sir!' Carthew flung a murderous glance at Kydd. 'Surely you're not to be swayed by anything this proven blackguard has said! He's—'

'Mr. Prosser,' Saumarez said flatly, ignoring Carthew, 'do you recognise this?' He handed across a paper.

'I do, sir,' the man said miserably, in barely a whisper.

'Did you or did you not give Mr. Kydd to understand that it was part of his orders from this office?'

'I did.'

Carthew turned pale.

'Under whose instructions?' Saumarez continued.

'Mr. Carthew's, sir,' Prosser muttered.

'This you will swear in court?'

After a tense silence he replied, 'I—I will.'

Saumarez took a sharp breath. 'You shall have your chance to rebut in due course, Mr. Carthew. I find that this matter shall go forward in law.

'You, Mr. Prosser, may consider yourself under open arrest. Mr. Carthew, your case is more serious and I can see no alternative but—'

Carthew's chair crashed to the ground as he leaped up, chest heaving, crazed eyes fixed on Kydd. 'You—I'll see you in hell—' With a panicked glance at Saumarez, he pushed wildly away.

'Commander! Return at once, sir!'

At the door Carthew knocked aside the flag-lieutenant and ran down the stairs.

'Stop that officer!' Saumarez roared.

Kydd leaped to his feet and followed. Shocked faces peered out of offices at the commotion. The sound of footsteps stopped, and when Kydd reached the main entrance Carthew was nowhere in sight.

'Where did the officer go?' he demanded, of a bewildered sentry.

'Well, an' I was salutin', like,' the man said. Even a hurrying officer still required the stamp and flourish of a musket salute, with eyes held rigid to the front in respect.

Two marines with ported muskets appeared. 'Too late. He's gone,' Kydd snapped, and returned to Saumarez. 'Nowhere to be found, sir.'

'Then I take it he's absconded. Flags, do alert the provost. He's to be returned here without delay.' He turned to Prosser. 'You, sir, will hold yourself in readiness to make deposition concerning this lamentable business. Now leave us.

'Mr. Kydd,' Saumarez began gravely, 'I'm faced with a dilemma. By his actions Commander Carthew stands condemned, and will answer for it at his court-martial, as will Lieutenant Prosser. I am concerned that you, Mr. Kydd, do see justice. In fine, a public disgrace—losing your ship—should at the least deserve a public restoring. Yes, that must be the right and proper thing to do.'

Kydd's pulse beat faster. Could it be? Was he to step aboard Teazer as her captain once again? He tried to appear calm.

'Yet at the same time there is something of a moral difficulty.'

Kydd's heart felt about to burst.

'I believe you will have already considered the grave consequences of your assuming command of Teazer at this time, and it does you the utmost credit, sir,' Saumarez went on.

Fearful of betraying his feelings Kydd dropped his eyes.

'Therefore I shall relieve you of any responsibility. In my opinion the claims of natural justice outweigh those of position and advancement.'

Kydd was struggling to make sense of what was being said.

Saumarez pondered then continued, 'Conceivably the circumstances should properly be construed as the unfortunate relinquishing of command, which, in the nature of the sea service, must from time to time occur.'

So he was not going to be allowed to take back Teazer!

Saumarez saw Kydd's stricken face and hastened to console him. 'Pray do not allow your natural human feeling for a brother officer to affect you so, sir. Consider, in leaving command Mr. Standish must in any event revert to lieutenant. He is an acting commander only and therefore the mercy is that, by this happenstance, he is spared being sent ashore as unemployed.'

Kydd's mind whirled. He certainly did not want the arrogant prig back as his lieutenant after the contempt he had shown for him when he had become a privateer captain. 'I—I do see that, sir,' he managed, 'but I have concern that the hands might not show proper respect, he being reduced back to lieutenant an' all.'