Patrick O'Brian - The Hundred Days

‘Very true,’ said Mr Dee. ‘But I must insist that the Adriatic harbours and dockyards come first: a great show of force, the elimination of potential enemies and the presence of the Royal Navy will necessarily have a great effect upon the fraternities - so great an effect that their conspiracy may well prove abortive. All our efforts should be directed towards that end. I am too old and infirm to take an active part: but my cousins have a banking-house in Ancona, just across the water, and from there I can correspond with my Turkish friends in the Ottoman provinces and co-ordinate our operations. I can also communicate with London by the bankers’ couriers.’

During the time of this conference, Jack had been very much occupied with the rest of his squadron: on the way down from Madeira he had had all the captains to dinner, he had been aboard them repeatedly, and he had a fair notion of their abilities; but it was still not clear how he should divide the ships for their separate duties. As far as the Adriatic was concerned, he would certainly shift his pennant into the Surprise, with her wonderful sailing qualities, her old, trained, thoroughly reliable ship’s company, capable of such a deadly rate of fire: but for his consort he could not decide between Pomone and Dover. The difference in broadside weight of metal was very great: no less than a hundred and forty-four pounds. But the thirty-gun Pomone was the unhappy ship whose captain was laid up in Funchal with a badly broken leg, unlikely to recover, and whose second lieutenant was confined to his cabin to await trial for an offence under the twenty-ninth Article of War, which dealt with ‘unnatural and detestable sin’ - a ship to which Lord Keith had appointed a young man, very recently made post, the only qualified officer at hand. Whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s ugly trial, the Pomone’s people would be very upset - new officers, new ways ... mockery.

‘Larboard, sir?’ asked Bonden in an undertone.

Jack nodded. The gig hooked on and he ran up the frigate’s side, still lost in thought. He had seen the flagship’s barge carrying the civilians away long before and he expected to find Stephen in the cabin. ‘Where is the Doctor?’ he cried.

‘Which he is in the other doctor’s cabin,’ said Killick, appearing as if by magic, ‘discoursing of physical matters and drinking rare old East India sherry. Dr Glover called for another bottle a quarter of an hour ago.’

In fact at this moment they were discoursing of impotence. Their conversation had begun when, having dismissed the Sick and Hurt Board as a parcel of incompetent Ascitans, fit only to dance round an inflated wineskin, Dr Glover asked Stephen whether he had heard of the death of Governor Wood of Sierra Leone.

‘I have, alas,’ said Stephen. ‘A most hospitable man: he and his wife entertained us nobly when we were there in Bellona. I am about to write... the most difficult kind of letter in the world, however highly you esteem the person to whom it is addressed, and however much you sympathize. I grieve for her extremely.’

Dr Glover did not reply for some time: then, having finished his glass, he looked sideways at his old friend and said, ‘I was in Freetown the best part of a year, and they were both my patients. I can tell you as one medico to another that in this case formal expressions of regret would be perfectly adequate: more indeed might be offensive. It was not anything much of a marriage, you know. Indeed legally I believe it was no marriage at all. The Governor was impotent. I took the ordinary measures, and some out of the ordinary: but nothing answered. How the connexion came about in the first place or what they made of it I do not know: but they slept in separate rooms and I had the strong impression that it was but a sad cohabitation - guilt and resentment just under the surface. He of course was a busy man, and very fortunately she had her anatomical studies - a most uncommonly gifted lady. No. Condolence by all means; but tempered, tempered .

Besides, one very usual and genuine source of grief is wholly lacking: she is well-off in her own right. I know the family in Lancashire.’

‘So much the better. Now reverting to this question of impotence: was it physical?’

‘Not evidently so.’

‘Was the patient an opium-eater?’

‘Certainly not. I once had occasion to administer a very moderate dose, and he was astonished by the effects. No, no: it was all in the head - and what innumerable strange surprising fancies the head of a physically normal, active, intelligent man can hold, quite apart from anxiety, that most- what is it?’

‘Commodore’s compliments, sir,’ said a midshipman, ‘and when Dr Maturin is at liberty, should be happy to see him. But I am to add that there is no hurry at all.’

‘Another glass before you go... or rather let me call for another bottle, since there is no hurry.’

‘You are too kind,’ said Stephen, shaking his head; and to the boy, ‘Pray tell the Commodore that I shall wait upon him directly.’

‘Why, Stephen, there you are,’ cried Jack. ‘I do beg pardon for interrupting you. But since I am sure you have heard of poor Governor Wood’s death, I thought you would like to know that there is a Guineaman sailing this evening, in case you chose to send... Then again, the Admiral has a courier setting off for England within the hour: I have asked for William Reade to bring Ringle, and since she will need a day or two’s readying, he could ride over to Woolhampton, taking messages and bringing things back.’

‘I had indeed heard of Captain Wood’s death, God rest his soul, and I have been composing a letter to his widow in my mind - perhaps I may be able to dash something off by this evening, though I am a slow, dry and barren creature with a pen. As for William Reade, if he will buy a fine bold hoop in Portsmouth and give it to Brigid with my love, together with this crown piece, I should be infinitely obliged to him. And if he would bring back my narwhal horn, or rather tusk - the tusk you so very kindly gave me a great while since - I should be most uncommon grateful. I was contemplating on it in the night, for I am told that in Mahon we are likely to meet that eminent engineer, metallurgist and natural philosopher James Wright, and I hope that he will be able to tell me - do you see the horn in your eye, at all clearly?’

‘Fairly well.’

‘To tell me whether those whorls, or perhaps I should say those torsades or undulations, and those spirals running from the base almost to the very tip add strength or possibly elasticity to the whole improbable structure.’

‘Beg pardon, sir,’ said Killick, ‘but your number one scraper ain’t fit to be seen aboard the flag.’ He held up a gold-laced hat, very fine, but strangely dented. ‘Which you trod on it last Thursday and put it back in its case without a word: but there is still just time to have it reblocked at Broad’s.’

‘Make it so, Killick,’ said Jack. ‘Ask Mr Willis for a boat.’ And to Stephen, ‘I shall add your requests in my letter to Reade: hoop and a crown for Brigid, with your love, and the narwhal horn.’

‘Love to dear Sophie too, of course, and the kindest of wishes to Clarissa Oakes. The horn is in a bow-case, hanging in one of the cupboards in the gunroom. Brother, I am afraid you are low in your spirits.’

‘I do so hate a court-martial, above all one of this kind. Will you attend?’

‘I will not. In any case I have an appointment ashore.’ They gazed out of the great broad sweep of stern-lights at the tawny Rock itself, soaring away as unlikely and as impressive as ever. ‘Jack,’ he went on, with a significant expression familiar to them both, ‘it is not impossible that I may bring an assistant surgeon back with me. If I am not mistaken entirely, it would not be fit that the gentleman should mess with the midshipmen and mates, so if he cannot be admitted to the gunroom, perhaps I might be indulged in his company as a guest?’