Invasion

'I see, sir,' Kydd said. 'Yet it has to be admitted that such a weapon would give complete mastery of the sea to whoever is able to employ it.'

Popham eased into a smile. 'Which, at present, we already enjoy. No, sir, the remit of the committee was the destruction of the Boulogne invasion flotilla and none else. This Nautilus cannot achieve this. Therefore I cannot, in all conscience, recommend to the government that there be an expenditure on a device without specific utility to His Majesty's arms. That was and is my duty to say, sir.'

'Then . . .'

'I'm afraid so.'

'But in the future—'

'The future may take care of itself.'

Kydd stood. 'Then I can only thank you for your time, sir, and—'

'My dear fellow, I might appear to you unsympathetic, but this would be far from the case. I am a friend to any who can carry the war to the enemy, and if Mr. Francis had come to us with anything but a submarine boat he might have been more fortunate. Perhaps we shall look at it with interest, but later.

'If you see him again, do extend to him my every expression of admiration for his achievement, will you, old fellow?'

'So, as you can see it, Toot, there's little can be done. Without it does for the invasion flotilla, Nautilus is not to be set a-swim by us—and that's the last word, I fear.'

Fulton slumped in dejection. 'All these years . . .'

'Are not t' be wasted,' Kydd said forcefully. 'There's still a chance.' 'No! I'm not spending what remains of my days wheedling dullards who—'

'So you're to have done with submarines? Cast all the work aside?'

'I'm going back to America.'

'Where there's a great need of such,' Kydd said tartly. 'Listen to me, Toot. You can have your Nautilus if first you can show 'em something as will stir their interest, give 'em confidence in your inventions. That will set 'em talking.'

'What,' said Fulton bitterly, 'can be more amazing than a submarine boat?'

'Your torpedo machines? Did you not impress Napoleon himself with 'em?'

'At Brest, with his admirals looking on,' Fulton conceded.

'Then I can't conceive of anything more prime to launch against their invasion craft.'

'But without a submarine . . .'

'Toot, you contemplate your torpedoes and I'll see what we can do to deliver 'em for you. But might I know why you call them 'torpedo'?'

'After the electric fish that strikes invisibly. That's your Atlantic torpedo of the Torpedo nobiliana family.'

'Well, putting the name aside, let's clap on all sail. The Admiralty will smile on any who can show a way to deal with the menace at Boulogne. Your course is set. Work up plans for a superior species o' torpedo and I'll see it gets attention. No time t' be lost, Toot.'

The promise of a means to deal with the crouching menace at Boulogne was vital to securing the attention and interest Fulton needed—but the original arrangement had run out and the committee had disbanded. How were they to get a fair hearing on another invention?

Popham would be the key, Kydd thought. If he could capture the man's imagination, persuade him to take an interest, lead him on, perhaps, to a personal involvement, then he most surely could take it to the higher levels. Fulton had sketches of the device he had used at Brest. With a few modifications it would bring attention.

'Against Boulogne?' Popham said, with growing animation. 'If these 'torpedoes' can be relied on to sink a ship in a single blow, we have an entirely new method of assaulting an enemy. No more hours of battering away with broadsides at the hazard of life and limb.'

'That's as it seems, sir.'

'He will find much of the Service arrayed against him, of course. There are not a few inclined to oppose anything that is ingenious or not hallowed by the centuries, including those who have a moral objection to the employment of such weapons. Well, Mr. Kydd, if you ask my advice, I would suggest you should batten down for a long and stormy voyage.'

'It does seem worthy of further trial but in this we have a perplexity, sir. Mr. Francis is without means if he works on, and feels he must on that account return to America.'

'I see.'

'It does occur to me, sir, that were his inventions to be put forward by one of unassailable standing in the Navy it would not be Mr. Francis alone to be resisted.'

'You're very persuasive, Mr. Kydd, but I myself am much taken up with business. In the last election I'm made the Member of Parliament for Yarmouth, but at the least I shall spy out the lie of the land for you.'

True to his word, a message of encouragement arrived not long afterwards, followed by another requiring Fulton and Kydd to take coach to Deal to meet Popham at an unfashionably early hour in the King's Naval Yard with as many illustrations of the projected weapons as were available.

Mystified, they waited at the appointed place as morning blossomed into day. Popham arrived punctually. 'Thank you, gentlemen,' he said, with a mysterious air. 'Do join my carriage. We are expected.'

It was only a few minutes along the foreshore before they drew up at the quaint rounded edifice of Walmer Castle. They were saluted by soldiers at the gatehouse, then hustled inside to the comfortable residence