Patrick O'Brian - The Hundred Days

Out and along the Strait, the familiar skyline memorized even more firmly, and back in the late afternoon: and speaking privately to Stephen in the cabin, Jack said, ‘Now that it belongs to the past, Jacob’s piece of intelligence, so whole and perfect, seems to me to be too good to be true.’

‘Whole and perfect, to be sure. But I believe it to be true. Jacob and Arden are the only two men in this matter of intelligence for whom I would lay my head on the block.’

‘In that case, dear Stephen, I shall shift my clothes, pull across to the flag and either ask for an interview or leave this note.’ He passed it and Stephen read Captain Aubrey presents his respectful compliments to Lord Barmouth and on account of very recent intelligence most urgently begs leave to sail this evening: he takes the liberty of adding that his political adviser is wholly of the same mind.

‘Very well put, Jack,’ he said.

Jack smiled and called, ‘Killick. Killick, there. Plain coat, decent breeches; and tell Bonden I shall need the barge directly.’

The barge received him and took him across the smooth water to the flag, where, in reply to the hail, Bonden called ‘Surprise’. After the formalities of the reception of a postcaptain Jack said, ‘I am sorry to trouble you again, Holden, but I must either see the Admiral or have this note conveyed to him.’

Moments later the flag-lieutenant returned, begged Captain Aubrey to come this way, and brought him to the great cabin, where Lord Barmouth, looking ten years younger, received him with a cordiality he had never known before, though the Admiral had always been known as a temperamental man, moving from one extreme to another. ‘As for this note,’ said the Commander-in-Chief, ‘how happy do you feel about your source of intelligence?’

‘Happy enough to stake my life upon it, my Lord,’ said Jack. ‘And Dr Maturin is of the same opinion.’

‘Then you shall certainly go. But Aubrey, I had no idea that you were a childhood friend of my wife’s - indeed some sort of a cousin. Acasta came in this afternoon, bringing her at last, in blooming health in spite of the weather - she is a splendid sailor - and as she had a package for Lady Keith we went straight over to their place. They very kindly kept us to dinner - just an impromptu scratch dinner, the four of us - and I do not know how your name arose but it very soon became apparent that both the women had known you ever since you were breeched and even before: they had followed you from ship to ship in the Gazette and the Navy List, and when they put a foot wrong, as in the date of your appointment to Sophie, Lord Keith put them right. In the end it was decided that we should ask the Keiths and you and Dr Maturin - Lord Keith has the highest opinion of him - to dine with us aboard the flag tomorrow. But I fear this request of yours may put it out of your power.’

‘I am afraid it does, my Lord; but I am very sensible of your goodness, and I am sure Maturin will say the same.’

The Admiral bent his head, and went on, ‘Now as to the request, do you feel entirely confident of your agent’s intelligence?’

‘Entirely so, my Lord: should commit my ship and myself to the hilt; and Maturin agrees.’

‘And the occasion is urgent?’

‘It could not be more so, my Lord.’

‘You must go, then. But Lady Barmouth and I will be very happy to see you both and the Keiths on your return.’ He rang the bell and told his steward to bring the old, old, very old brandy. When it came he filled their glasses and drank ‘to Surprise and her success’.

‘This is famous brandy, upon my word,’ said Jack; and after a pause he went on with a certain embarrassment, ‘I never had the honour of serving under Admiral Horton and being very often out of England I never heard either of his marriage or his death.’

‘He married Isobel Carrington just after he was given his flag.’

‘Isobel Carrington!’ cried Jack. ‘Of course I should have thought of her when you spoke of Queenie and her. Isobel and Queenie! Lord, those names bring back such delightfully happy memories! I shall very much look forward to paying my respects to Lady Barmouth. And I thank you most heartily for your permission to sail, my Lord.’

The Commander-in-Chief gave him his hand and they parted on better terms than Jack would have believed possible.

Aboard Surprise again, and in ordinary working clothes, he called for the carpenter and said, ‘All things considered, Chips, which do you think our fastest, most weatherly boat?’

‘Oh, the blue cutter, sir, without a doubt: the blue cutter, with Mr Daniel at the helm. He can coax her an extra halfpoint nearer the wind, and an extra half knot.’

‘Very good: pray run an eye over her, and if anything is wanting let Mr Harding know: the gunner will give you some blue and red lights and some star-bursts.’ Then directing his voice over the still water he called, ‘Ringle: Mr. Reade, we shall be moving out into the Strait very soon, so if you have any women aboard they had better go ashore directly. And when we are well clear of the mole, I should like to have a word with you.’

How easy it seemed, the quiet departure of the two vessels a little after the evening gun: scarcely an order was needed, and scarcely any were uttered: long-practised hands coiled down the familiar ropes, hauled the bowlines as the ship left the mole and made all fast with scarcely a conscious reflection. But Jack did check the customary hoisting of the toplight; and he called for only one single stern-lantern. The Surprises winked at one another and jerked their heads in a very knowing fashion: they were perfectly aware that something was up, and presently they knew just what that something was.

Jack called William Reade to join him and his officers on the quarterdeck. ‘Gentlemen,’ he said, ‘you are all perfectly aware that this voyage was undertaken in order to discourage Bonaparte at sea: but it also had another side. From the landward point of view Napoleon’s supporters in Bosnia, Serbia and those parts believed that if they could prevent the Russian and Austrian armies from joining the British and Prussians, he would be able to defeat each of the Allies separately, piecemeal. For this intervention they had to hire a large number of Balkan Muslim mercenaries: we stopped the Dey of Algiers letting the money pass through his country, but now it is on its way by sea from Morocco in a large galley that means to run through the Straits tonight. According to our intelligence the galley intends to lie under Tarifa until the turn of the tide, and then, the wind being favourable, to run through the Straits. And if the breeze fails him, then to row: they can make seven or even eight knots for a burst. And then again there is the advantage of the eastward current. The captain of the galley, a wellknown, active corsair, has hired two others to act as decoys, one on the African side and one in mid-channel. We shall take no notice of them, but make steadily for Tarifa, Ringle to larboard and Mr Daniel in the blue cutter to starboard, each three cable’s lengths abeam of Surprise. The first to sight the galley will send up a blue light if the enemy is to starboard, red if to port, and a star-burst if the galley is right ahead.’

‘Blue to starboard, red to larboard, white if right ahead,’ they murmured, and Reade went back to his command, while the blue cutter was lowered down.

No moon, but a most splendid wealth of stars - Orion in his glory, great Vega blazing on the larboard quarter and Deneb beyond; a little forward of the beam, both bears and the Pole Star; Arcturus and Spica on the starboard bow: and had the foresail not been in the way, Stephen would have seen Sirius, but he was shown Procyon. Then on the larboard bow Capella, low down but still brilliant, and both Castor and Pollux - ‘Castor is a glorious double,’ said Jack, pointing them out to Stephen. ‘I must show him to you in my telescope when we are at home.’ Then raising his voice a little, ‘Mr Harding, I believe we may shorten sail a little,’ for the faint wafts of vapour - they could scarcely be called cloud - beneath the stars were now some five or even six degrees more southerly than they had been when first he had started pointing them out to Stephen. The breeze was certainly backing, and if it went on at this rate the Surprise would certainly be well to windward of the galley by the time they reached Tarifa. Furthermore, if Jack waited for the turn of the Atlantic tide there was a strong likelihood that the galley would begin her run; and although she could sail half a point nearer the wind than a square-rigged ship, once the corsair was a little way into the Strait, Surprise would even more certainly have the weather-gage and an encounter could not be avoided.