Dewey Lambdin - The King`s Coat

There were gaping absences in her crew. Thmer had been killed on the riddled starboard gangway. The master gunner, Mr. Tencher, had been killed up by the bow chasers. Harm and Roth, of course, were gone from the officer's mess. Two young midshipmen had died, as well as little Striplin, and his friend Beckett had lost a foot on that last broadside. Shirke was ashore with a broken arm, but looked likely to mend Chapman, on the other hand, had lost a chunk out of his right thigh from a grape-shot ball, and his future held in a precarious balance, for they thought the leg might have to come off near the groin.

Finnegan and another of his mates had been made acting lieutenants, as had Keith Ashburn, since no officers could be spared from the other ships in port. Indeed, no captain would willingly give up a competent commission officer into such a ship, and no lieutenant would consider such an appointment, since if she were condemned he would be left high and dry without employment.

Captain Bales, once he had made his dire report to the admiral, had kept his own silent counsel aft in his quarters. Lieutenant Church was nowhere to be found, and no one would admit knowledge of his whereabouts. Rolston also had gone, in custody of Marines, from the flagship.

The remaining midshipmen had been run ragged in the days that followed, standing watches, ferrying groaning and crying wounded ashore and bringing back fresh supplies to feed the survivors, lumber to plug shot holes, emptying the magazines and hoisting out the great guns and their trucks, and the tons of round-shot to lighten the ship. They were also involved ferrying the dockyard officials, flag officers, the idle curious and the morbid who wished to come and gawk and marvel, praise or damn, inspect and condemn.

Lewrie clambered up the ship's side and through the battered entry port, chafing in his uniform. The day was hot, and there was no wind in the harbor. He let Bascombe take his place and went to the scuttlebutt for a measure of fresh water, grateful for the shade of the old scrap canvas that was rigged over the quarterdeck as an awning. By God, I know it's unhealthy to bathe too often but I'd admire a dunk in a creek or something, he thought. With so much fresh water coming aboard, no one would miss a gallon in which he could take a quick, cooling scrub and put on some clean linen. ’Mister Lewrie?" the captain's cleri«said to him. ’Aye, Mister Brail?" Alan noted that even Brail wore his arm in a sling; fortunately not his writing arm. ’The captain would like to see you.’

’Me? What have I done?" Alan cringed, by rote. ’I have no indication that Captain Bales is displeased with you, Mister Lewrie. He would be, however, should you keep him waiting.’

Lewrie straightened his sweaty clothing and went aft. "Midshipman Lewrie reporting, sir.’

The captain stared at him, scowling with those huge eyebrows, and Alan was sure he had committed some grievous and punishable offense without knowing what, or how. "Mister Ashburn has informed me of your mess's request that I release some of your money for the purchase of fresh cabin stores. I have summoned you to take charge of it, since the others are away at their duties at present.’

’Whew…" was forced from him, barely audible. ’I will allow each of you no more than five pounds, as the prices here in the islands are higher than normal. That will have to be sufficient. And I'll not have it all spent on spirits, mind you.’

Lewrie was mystified that Captain Bales sat there, in a ship that could still sink right out from under him, and took care of a small chore that his clerk or coxswain could have handled easily. Had he lost his senses, or could he no longer bear to face the larger issues? "With the artillery removed, you may consider livestock. Sheep or pigs are your best bet. Island bullocks are too lean and stringy, and usually overpriced. Hard-skinned fruits are plentiful, as are the onions hereabouts. You'll find cheese dear, as well as tea, but coffee is fairly cheap.’

’We shall try to spend it wisely, sir," Lewrie lied, knowing that Ashburn was ashore trying to get rooms and a private dining area for a long overdue shore leave, as well as some women. ’As I said in my report, and I shall say it to your face, Lewrie, you did extremely well when put to the test," Bales said, fingering a stack of guineas on his desk. "Eight months ago I despaired that you would ever amount to anything, and now here you are, the one bright bit in a dismal report. Had you not reorganised the lower deck guns and gotten them firing again there is a very good possibility that every man-jack in this ship would now be dead or a prisoner of war, and Ariadne sunk or a prize.’

’Thank you for your good opinion, sir…" Darnme, did I really do all that? And did you really put it that way in your report? If you did, I'm a bloody hero! "Of such good beginnings are great careers and reputations made in the Heet. And, you have worked diligently at your studies as well. I predict that you may do very well in the Navy, Mister Lewrie. But watch the course you steer well. There're a hundred pitfalls for the ambitious officer. No one can rush about blind to hazard, or forget to cover his back. I'd advise you to make caution your watchword and not let this fleeting fame be the high-water mark for you.’

’Aye aye, sir," Lewrie said, not knowing what the hell Bales was talking about, and a little unsettled at seeing such a stem man muttering to himself between phrases.

Once dismissed, Lewrie went back on deck, just in time to see Keith Ashburn coming through the entry port, and went to join him. His friend was now half a commission officer at least, clad in breeches and stockings, and had replaced his round hat with a cocked one. He wore a new smallsword on his hip instead of a dirk, but his tailor must have been a slow worker since he still had to move about in a midshipman's short coat. "Twenty pounds, Keith," Lewrie said. "Excuse me, Mister Ashburn. Ours, Bascombe's and Shirlee's, though I don't see what a parson's son and a man with one arm in boards are going to do with a bareback rider.’

’He forgot Chapman," Ashburn said. ’Who wouldn't?" Lewrie shrugged. "What have you gotten for us?’

‘A good dinner for a start, and a suite of rooms, a dozen of wine. That's fifteen shillings apiece. Only two girls so far, but they have friends. A guinea apiece for them. ’

‘What are they, blood royal? There must be a whole island full of mutton that'd do it for half a crown, and that's a whole night of it. ’

‘These are gentlemen's doxies, not common trolls. Won't go for anyone less than a lieutenant, usually. The two I met are quite fetching," Ashburn promised. Since his promotion to acting lieutenant, he had been acting, all right, acting much more superior, reclaiming those languid airs he had grown up with in rich society. Lewrie was getting a bit peeved with his attitude. It was not a week ago that Ashburn was not above borrowing money from him until his packet arrived. ’There's a boat comin' offshore, sir," a bosun's mate told Ashburn, pointing over the starboard rail. "Headed fer us, I thinks.’

’Very well. Hail him, Mister Lewrie.’

’Boat ahoy!" Alan shouted. ’Aye aye!" came the answering hail, meaning the boat was for them, and from the fingers stuck in the air by the bowman, there was a full captain aboard. ’Bosun's Mate, muster the sideparty," Lewrie ordered. "Another ghoul come to marvel, I expect. I feel like the gatekeeper at Bedlam. Poking sticks, sir? Stir 'em up? Water squirts? Only a penny more." He wheezed, rubbing his hands.

A youngish post captain came in through the entry port and did a long survey of the splintered and stained decks, the lack of guns, and the many repairs still being done to the bulwarks. He carried a large canvas bundle of papers tied up with many fluttering ribbons. ’Welcome aboard, sir," Ashburn said. ’Stuyckes, flag captain to Rear Admiral Sir Onsley Matthews. I am here to see your captain.’