Castle of Fire

by Peter Greene

  “It is,” said Walker. “And Barbara seems surprisingly happy, Nathaniel.”

  “Indeed, and why not?” said Nathaniel, somewhat put out. “Who wouldn’t be happy in her condition? A wonderful life and fantastic prospects. She’s a cultured, enjoyable woman—”

  “Who has a fancy for you, Father,” added Jonathan, causing Walker to laugh.

  “Yes, yes, and I her, Jonathan,” admitted his father. “Are you agreeable to that? She is not your mother and never can be; however, we are all here and she loves us all so, even Sean Flagon.”

  “Hard to believe that,” said Steward who happened by to fill a few glasses.

  “I would be most happy if you continued on a straight and true course, including Miss Thompson in your plans, Father,” answered Jonathan. He of course missed his mother. And as it had been over six years now since he had seen her last and watched her slip from this life, he was now ready to move on. He wanted his father to be happy.

  Steward re-entered the room and announced the Ladies Dowdeswell and Mr. Harrison, along with Captain Langley. All joined Walker in his study for a few moments, then were called to dinner. The entire tale, now including details from Delain, was told and retold for some. All were amazed and at times frightened, but that made Harrison, who somehow seemed to add details even to the parts of the story where he was not present, laugh and tease all the harder.

  Nathaniel was alarmed but not surprised at the news of Spears. He knew all along that the young man was disturbed and believed that it was best he was far away. His father would be beside himself, and that would mean Nathaniel had to be extra careful in dealing with him as he roamed the Admiralty. He had rightly suspected that Spears Senior was behind his delay at being awarded admiral rank, but it mattered not to Nathaniel. He was feeling stronger each day and at times envied his friend, William Walker, who would take to the sea within a few months at most.

  As the evening happily went on and dinner was finished, all retired to the study for drinks and further tales. As they settled in, a messenger arrived in the form of Marine Captain Gorman. He accepted a warm drink of brandy and helped himself unabashedly to a bowl of sugared cherries that he swore went quite well with the drink.

  “I have some news for you all and a delivery of a packet for one Thomas Harrison, Lieutenant of the British Royal Navy, as it says so right here on this letter.”

  Harrison hurriedly opened the envelope and read it to himself. His faced seemed to change from his usually rosy complexion to a sudden lighter shade of white.

  “It is an invitation from His Majesty!”

  “The King?” blurted Jonathan.

  “None other!” said Harrison, almost drunk with happiness. “It must be my assignment as a commander.”

  “The King remembered, Thomas!” said Jonathan. “He promised he would look into it for you and I’ll bet he has. Has he, Gorman?”

  “Why ask me?” Gorman said with a smirk on his face. “Do you think the King tells me all of his naval appointments and secret dealings? Just because I am a covert military operative?”

  “Yes!” said the boys, and that sent the Ladies Dowdeswell into a fit of giggles.

  “Well, even if he did, I would not tell you!” said Gorman, laughing as he downed a handful of the cherries. “These really are quite good,” he added.

  Finally, a few moments before midnight, Sean arrived, escorted by Holtz. They both seemed exhausted and defeated and were immediately placed on the soft couch and handed a drink and a sandwich from the leftover meat the rest had enjoyed for dinner.

  “It is finished!” exclaimed Sean. “And good riddance!”

  “Was it difficult? Have you just completed the exam?” asked Jonathan.

  “We have been done for quite some time!” said Holtz. “However we were not dismissed. For some reason we were told to wait in an anteroom and after a few hours, a Captain Allan arrived and asked us to leave. He said the announcement of Sean’s exams would be made tomorrow.”

  “It was the hardest thing I have ever done,” said Sean. “And I have done some difficult things!”

  “How well do you feel about your score?” asked Delain.

  “Ah, I couldn’t tell. By the end of the fifteenth hour, it was all a blur! Writing, speaking—well, I said so many ‘yes sir’s’ and ‘no sir’s’, I think I have forgotten the difference!”

  “It is all for naught, Sean,” said Gorman matter-of-factly.

  “How is that, Captain?” asked Walker.

  “It is all political. Dolts like Hudson and Hicks, who can barely read and walk in the same hour, passed easily. I am sure you will make it, Sean,” said Gorman, patting the boy on the shoulder.

  “You know something, Captain Gorman,” said Harrison.

  “Indeed!” said Jonathan. “Just look at his face! All-knowing and calm!”

  The boys now rose from their chairs and surrounded Gorman quickly.

  “Is there no escape?” Gorman called out, jokingly.

  “Well? Do you know something, you old spy?” asked Harrison.

  “As I just stated, I prefer the term covert military operative,” Gorman responded in an official tone as Harrison grabbed the marine by the arm.

  “It will all be announced tomorrow,” Gorman said, laughing, as Jonathan and Sean also attached themselves to him. “I gave my word to the King and the Admiralty that I would not speak of any of it until then!”

  “To the King?” said Nathaniel, pointing out Gorman’s slip of tongue.

  “So he does know about Harrison as well!” exclaimed Delain.

  “And Sean!” added Jonathan.

  “I am a clam, shut up tight until tomorrow. I gave my word!” offered Gorman in his defense.

  “It will be tomorrow in less than three minutes!” announced Harrison. “Look at the clock!”

  All eyes turned to the clock on Captain Walker’s mantel. As the flames flickered, it was apparent that the time showed eleven fifty-seven.

  Gorman tried to rise, but it was difficult with the boys holding him—and soon impossible as Delain and her sisters joined in.

  “I must be going!” he laughed, as his captors brought him none too gently to the carpet. And held him down. “I beg assistance, Captain! Admiral? This is undignified!”

  But Nathaniel Moore and William Walker were held tight by their ladies and could not, or would not, move to engage.

  “I am sorry, dear man!” said Nathaniel. “You are alone at sea on this one!”

  “Langley!” pleaded the marine. “Surely you can render some aid to an old friend!”

  “Fight on, my young brothers!” Langley answered as he attacked the bowl, ignoring Gorman’s request. “These cherries are quite good!”

  “And quite expensive!” added Walker, somewhat annoyed.

  “Then that explains their exquisite taste!” Langley said, stuffing his mouth with a handful. “I will attend to these directly as you fight on, Captain Gorman!”

  The youngsters playfully wrestled the marine, holding him to the floor until the clock chimed midnight, then finally allowing him to stand.

  “Well, Mr. Harrison first, then!” said Gorman as he dusted his jacket and re-adjusted his clothing. He stood straight and proper and took a deep breath. “The King remembered that he owed a favor to one Lieutenant Thomas Harrison. Therefore and herewith, he has assigned you a ship to command as a lieutenant. Only two suitable vessles were available: one being the thirty-two gun Alarm, certainly too much to handle for a first-time commander. Now, the other ship is small and under-gunned mostly, in my opinion, however, it does have a teak deck and sails faster than the strongest wind.”

  “The Echo?” Harrison said, hoping that possibly it was not the case, as he desired another. Yet even the Echo was a fine command and a famous and important ship. It had seen battle and sailed around the globe. Any lieutenant would be proud to command her.

  “Guess again, Mr. Harrison,” said Gorman, smiling.

  “The Periwin
kle!” screamed Jonathan.

  “None other. However, the orders call her by her proper name: the eighteen-gun, brig-rigged fighting sloop HMS Paladin,” answered Gorman.

  Harrison was now overjoyed, and as the others stood and applauded, commencing backslapping and congratulations, the newly minted commander was near tears.

  “Heaven save us!” exclaimed Steward. “He will never live it down.”

  “And I believe,” said Gorman, “that tradition demands you choose your officers and crew, Thomas.”

  “Does the Paladin require a midshipman?” asked Jonathan hopefully.

  “Aye,” said Steward.

  “I volunteer!” Jonathan said quickly as all laughed.

  “In addition, there is to be another lieutenant and also a few marines. Three, I believe.”

  “Hudson and Hicks, I will demand it,” said Harrison, proudly and confidently, as if he were standing upon the deck of the Paladin, giving orders and sailing away to adventure.

  “And as you will need one more,” said Gorman, “I could suggest a name?”

  “By all means, Captain Gorman,” Harrison said.

  Gorman waited for a moment, then continued as he looked about the room at all present.

  “I know of a newly appointed marine, wet behind the ears as we say, but he promises to be quite the soldier someday. I have sailed with him and spied as well. He is brave and cunning, and his test scores are just in—passed with flying colors: a certain Marine Private Sean Flagon!”

  The room erupted in cheers and applause as Sean realized he had made his dream come true. Jonathan hugged him and Rebecca actually planted a kiss on his cheek.

  “Bless us and save us!” Steward said jokingly, with a smile that showed his beaming pride at the success of the boys. “The mere idea o’ these three scallywags sailing ‘bout the world in such a swift craft—well, I can say that I’m glad I ‘ad seen the Paladin previously in ‘er best state. Sure we will never see ‘er looking as smart again! Make all aware of o’ my words!”

  All laughed and cheered as Captain Walker brought out small glasses and poured everyone, even the boys and the ladies Dowdeswell, a taste of brandy.

  It was Nathaniel who demanded to make the first toast, assured that there would be many more on this night and the precious evenings that followed before the next missions would take his son and friends away once again.

  “Raise your glasses, my friends!” he said, and all followed orders to the letter. “To Mr. Thomas Harrison, the new Commander of HMS Paladin, hero of many battles, and I should point out, successful midshipman of mine if for only a short time, but enough to make him presentable!”

  The room laughed and toasted Thomas heartily. Then Admiral Moore continued.

  “To Marine Private Sean Flagon, my other son, as I like to say, a shining example of self-improvement and industry, but most of all, the power of friendship. A true hero by any standard.”

  “Hear! Hear!” all said in unison.

  “And to the most daring and resourceful explorer to ever sail the oceans of this small world, Miss Delain Dowdeswell! Though usually missing a good amount of her, ahem, wardrobe, on a few occasions as she creates havoc for our enemies, she never seems to miss an adventure—whether invited to them or not!”

  Much laughter and cheering was heard as Delain completed a graceful and elaborate bow.

  “Twas nothing!” she beamed.

  Then Nathaniel turned to his son, Jonathan, and spoke more slowly and a bit more solemnly.

  “And to Midshipman Jonathan Moore, the hero of the Castle of Fire, who always accomplishes astonishing and downright amazing feats as if they were everyday occurrences. I could not have invented a more perfect son. I am blessed and proud. William, thank you for returning to me my son, my very heart. To the victors and the newly promoted!”

  “And to all my dear friends!” added Jonathan.

  All raised their glasses high and drank in salute of a job well done, and to those who accomplished the great mission.

  With that, the lucky crew of HMS Danielle were sadly separated; however, the newest crew of His Majesty’s Ship Paladin, also known as the Periwinkle, complete with purple stripe down her graceful sides, was now manned for adventure.

  The End

  of

  Book Two

  Now available: Book Three

  The Adventures of Jonathan Moore

  Paladin’s War

  1802. Midshipman Jonathan Moore, Marine Private Sean Flagon and adventurer Delain Dowdeswell enjoy the company of family and friends during a delicate peace between France and England. However, mysterious spy networks now freely roam Europe's great cities, and the ships and armies of all nations remain on the edge of war.

  An elaborate scheme involves manipulating Jonathan, now aboard the eighteen-gun HMS Paladin, the Royal Navy’s fastest ship. Commanded by his friend and mentor, Lieutenant Thomas Harrison, their mission is to deliver an important treaty to a clandestine location.

  Remaining in London, and bored with endless tea parties and tedious school lessons, Delain encounters a shadowy black rider sneaking about the mansions of London’s elite. Suspecting foul play, she investigates and enters a web of secret meetings, spies, coded messages and kidnapping. At first merely interesting, Delain’s investigation soon turns deadly as she finds that all clues lead to the Paladin’s mission, and to her friends, now thousands of miles away—and in grave danger.

  At sea, the boys are pursued by their sister ship HMS Echo, though she avoids all contact. A sabotaged gun, a mistrusted crew, and a vicious assault on their ship by a band of assailants has the men and officers of the Paladin anxious. Led to waters far from home, the boys now fight for their ship and their lives against a rogue naval commodore with a war plan of his own. The answers to these mysteries will eventually be discovered by Jonathan Moore, if he can defeat his powerful enemies in the Black Sea - and survive the final conflict of the Paladin’s War.

  Acknowledgements

  During the creation of Jonathan Moore and his confidant, Sean Flagon, I thought of their friendship and how they conducted themselves, and wished that the book could continue so I could enjoy them further. Maybe a second volume? In a phone call with my sister, Barbara, shortly before Warship Poseidon (originally titled Skull Eye Island) was self-published, she gave me her review of the book and her idea that the Ladies Dowdeswell were an interesting bunch, and that wouldn’t it be fun if they became major characters in the second book? I had planned on book two being Jonathan and Sean joining Harrison on his first command, but why go so fast? Certainly Captain Walker, Steward, and the others had another mission or two left in them. So off I went.

  Then I realized in an effort to be at least mostly historical, it would be tough to get three young ladies aboard HMS Danielle, a man’s world if there ever was one. But since I loved the idea so much, and since Jonathan was now technically a teenager, a female friend would certainly be in order.

  This second book seemed to be easier to write in one sense, (because I knew that a few people besides me would possibly enjoy it) however, the absence of a few locations exactly where I needed them made things difficult, so I adjusted a small land mass from a point to an island and invented a castle as well.

  Also, I tried to avoid extremely detailed descriptions of naval terminology, activities, ships and duties as well as ignoring the historically common yet unsavory elements of living on a ship in His Majesty’s Navy with a bunch of grown men. It is a book for all ages. Even so, a few questioned my improper use of certain terms and situations. I now gratefully thank Captain Richard Bailey, Sailing School Ship Oliver Hazard Perry, for his guidance and kind corrections of this text and that of Warship Poseidon. Captain Bailey was long-time captain of ‘HMS’ Rose, America’s only Class A-size, ocean-going Sailing School Vessel, and has commanded over six tall ships since 1972. I am more than fortunate to have had access to his experience and precious time. Check out his work restoring the Oliver Haz
ard Perry: www.ohpri.org/

  During the writing of Castle of Fire, there was a welcomed diversion: my great fortune at having Warship Poseidon selected as the winner of the 2012 Adventure Writer’s Grandmaster Award sponsored by the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society. It is a great honor and I must thank the panel members, especially Kerry Frey author of Buried Lie and Jeff Edwards author of Seventh Angel and Sword of Shiva (to name a few); and the other finalists for their hard work and fast friendship: Tim Fairchild, author of Zero Point, Scott Slater, author of Blood of my Blood (2014 winner) and Patrick Parr, author of English as a Second Life. Meeting Clive and Dirk Cussler was mind-blowing, and having them say nice things about the book made for a great distraction.

  Of course to my brilliant artist and illustrator, Michelle Graham, a thousand thanks and even more as I marvel at each illustration. They are all enchanting as inspiring. How many times can I open a file, look at your work and say out loud: Oh my! Look at that! About twenty-six times, I think!

  Also, thanks to Rita Eder, star of the Hungarian National Fencing Team and most importantly and recently Lieutenant Brendan’s fencing instructor, for the suggestions and terminology on everything ‘swordish’.

  Again I must thank my lovely wife, Pammy, and kids Brendan and Danielle, for giving me the time to write and re-write, and for holding down the fort. It is a hard life with two working parents and two kids, let alone with one who spends his weekends in front of a computer, writing. The Viking Woman, as I call her, never missed a beat. She does it all and all well.

  -Peter Greene, April 2014