The Admiral reflected, carefully put more hot water to the teapot, and went on, ‘In the first place there is the difficulty about the French Navy, their attitude varies from port to port, ship to ship. They are of course extremely susceptible and any untoward incident - so easily brought about - might have disastrous results. But far worse is this building of French men-of-war in the obscure Adriatic ports: obscure, but filled with prime timber and capital shipwrights - country you know very well. This continued building, more or less disguised, is a great evil; and all the greater as Bonapartist officers and men are said to be standing by to take them over.’
‘But payment, sir? Even a corvette costs a very great deal of money, and there is talk of frigates, even of two or three heavy frigates.’
‘Aye. There is something very odd about it all. Our intelligence people see a Muslim influence, possibly Turkish, possibly the Barbary states, or even of all of them combined. At this very moment there is much greater activity in Algiers, Tunis and down the Moroccan coast, fomented by Napoleonic renegadoes with native craft and vessels up to
the size of a sloop of war: it is almost impossible to deal with it, our naval strength being so reduced and so tied up. Already it is most harmful to Allied trade, particularly to ours, and it is likely to grow worse.’
The Admiral stirred his tea, contemplated, and said, ‘If Napoleon Bonaparte with his three hundred thousand very well trained men and his usual brilliant cavalry and artillery, can knock out say the Russians or part of the Austrians, the French navy may sweep us out of the Mediterranean again, above all as the Maltese and the Moroccans are so ungrateful as to hate us and as there is a real possibility of a French alliance with Tunis, Algeria and the other piratical states, to say nothing of the Emperor of Morocco and even the Sultan himself. For you know, Aubrey, do you not, that Bonaparte turned Turk? During the Egyptian campaign I think it was; but Turk in any case.’
‘I heard of it, sir, of course; but no one has ever asserted that he recoiled from swine’s flesh or a bottle of wine. I put it down to one of those foolish things a man says when he wishes to be elected to Parliament, such as “give me your votes, and I undertake to do away with the National Debt in eighteen months.” I do not believe he is any more a Mussulman than I am. You have to be circumcised to be a Turk.’
‘For my own part I have no knowledge of the gentleman’s soul, or heart, or private parts: all I am sure of is that the statement was made, and that at this juncture it may be of capital importance. But we are prating away like a couple of old women...’ He was interrupted by his secretary, who said, ‘I beg pardon, my Lord, but the courier is just come aboard with his budget.’
Jack had started to his feet, and now he said, ‘May I wait upon you later, sir, when you are less engaged?’
‘Is there anything urgent, Mr Campbell?’ asked Lord Keith, with a temporizing wave.
‘Tedious and toilsome, rather than immediate, apart from one enclosure that I have already sent on.’
‘Very good, very good. Thank you, Mr Campbell. Sit down, Aubrey. I will just run through the heads of these, then attend to your statements of the squadron’s condition, and give you some notion of what I should like you to do.’ A pause, during which the Admiral’s long-practised hand ran through the dockets, already marked with Campbell’s secret mark of importance: none rated above c3, and putting them down he said, ‘Well, Aubrey, in the first place you must allot a force adequate for the protection of the Constantinople trade. Convoys have been re-introduced, you know one is due within the week - and the Algerians in particular have grown very bold, though some vessels are also to be expected from Tripoli, Tunis and the rest, while other corsairs push up from Sallee and pass the Straits in the dark of the moon. Then you must prevent any unauthorized outward or inward movement to the best of your ability. But your most important task by far is to look into those Adriatic ports you know so well. Even the small places are capable of building a frigate, and we have reports of actual ships of the line on the stocks in four places whose names Campbell will give you. If any of the two-deckers have openly declared for Napoleon you must not venture upon an action but send to me without the loss of a moment. Where frigates, corvettes or sloops are concerned, particularly if they are unfinished, you must endeavour to stop the building and obtain their disarmament, all of which requires the utmost degree of tact: I am so glad you have Maturin with you. An incident would, as I have said, be disastrous: though of course if there is a clearly-expressed intent of joining Bonaparte, you must burn, sink or destroy as usual.’
‘Aye-aye, sir,’ said Jack, and then, ‘My Lord, I believe you spoke of a courier. If he is not already gone, may I beg for my tender Ringle to be sent out immediately? William Reade, master’s mate, handles her very well indeed - an uncommon fast and weatherly Chesapeake clipper - and I shall have the utmost need for such a craft.’
‘William Reade, the young gentleman that lost an arm with you in the East Indies?’ asked the Admiral, scribbling a note. ‘Certainly. Should you like to send him a message - things to be brought out? Or Maturin? Well, I think that is the essential: you will of course receive detailed orders and some estimate of what you can expect from Malta when you are in Mahon.’ The Admiral stood up. ‘I hope you will dine with us tomorrow?’
