Man Of War

‘Ay-ay, sir!’ they chorused, with a will; there was nothing like an increase in grog to signal fighting intent.

‘Carry on, Mr Lambe.’

The lieutenant replaced his hat and touched the point as the captain took his leave accompanied by the signal midshipman.

Back in his cabin, Peto sat in the Madeira chair, and began rubbing his chin. ‘What say you, Mr Pelham?’

‘Sir?’

‘What say you the Turks might do to confound this manoeuvre?’

‘Sir, I . . .’

‘Come, Mr Pelham. You are entitled to your own thoughts on the business, and I would know how you think.’

The midshipman stood rigid.

‘Easy, man!’

‘Well, sir, it seems to me that in a place of such little sea room, a fireship could do horrible destruction. Is there not a danger the Turk might make a pretence of parleying all day, making ready their fireships the while; then they could set loose a deal of confusion when night came?’

Peto nodded. ‘Your thinking does you credit, Mr Pelham. They are precisely my thoughts. The admiral gave no indication of how long he would allow the Turks to quit the bay. He will be aware of the destruction that might follow if the fireships are loosed. But, as you intimate, if the Turks appear to want to parley, it will be devilish hard to call them out.’

‘Sir.’

Peto rose, and turned to look out of the stern lights. ‘My compliments to Mr Lambe, and have him inform me the instant there is sight of the Firefly.’

‘Ay-ay, sir.’

‘As soon as she comes alongside I wish you to escort Miss Codrington aboard.’

‘Ay-ay, sir.’

Peto cleared his throat. ‘That is all, Mr Pelham. You may dismiss.’

When he was gone, Peto poured himself a glass of Marsala, and took his copy of Thucydides from the rack. He leafed through it to Book Four, to the events at Pylus – Navarino as now was. The Athenians had been tempted to bring to battle the Lacedaemonians – the Spartans – by landing and erecting defensive works. The historian of the war described the bay in some detail; Peto did not suppose it had changed much in its essentials in the intervening centuries.