"Hoist ensigns, as per orders, Mr Kent."
Two poles had been erected at the seaward end of the harbour wall. One carried a Union flag over a Tricolour, signifying the defeat of the French by British forces; the other, bright green with a crescent moon, hopefully announced that the island owed allegiance to the Ottomans.
"Maria!"
"I heard, Captain."
"Pass the word to all of your people, if you please. They are to board our vessels before the Turk enters harbour - they must not be seen to join us after their lords have returned."
She ran, urged a group of children, kept outside each day for the purpose, to pass the message.
"It is done, Captain."
"What of you, Maria? What will you do?"
"If I go back to my grandfather's house, the dogs may not hear that I worked for you. I may be safe. I do not think I would be welcome on the other ships with the village people - they do not like that I have been close to a foreigner."
As he had thought.
"The women that stay - will they make sure that the Turk hears your name?"
She nodded.
"Go aboard Active now, Maria. Tell the officer of the watch that I have sent you and you are to be kept out of sight below. You may come to Malta in safety."
"What there, Captain? What could I do alone on a strange place with no money or friends?"
Backham was almost sure that was an invitation, it could be that she was asking him to make a declaration - he took the risk.
"If you wished, and I am not trying to force you to do anything you do not want to - but if you would like to, then you could become my wife, Maria. You would always have a home, and I would be very pleased if you would..."
"You want to? Is not feeling sorry for a lonely girl?"
"I want to very much, Maria. I would be very happy!"
She did not dislike him, had indeed a mild affection for the awkward but gentle man that he was - and his seamen all said he was a fine captain, one who would be a great man one day. He was trustworthy as well, a true man. She would like to live away from the ignorant, violent peasants of the island, in a country where people might sometimes be civilised.
"I would be happy, too, my Captain. I have my bag with me, will go to the ship now."
"Wait a few minutes."
Backham called his messenger, sent to Active for an escort of a boatswain's mate and six men.
"Just in case, Maria. I would not like to think that any of the local men might try to stop you boarding the ship."
He watched from the window of his office as she was taken down the steep slope to the quayside and helped into the boat and taken to safety - assuming the sloop did not meet the French, that was.
Further messages from the harbour over the next hour told him of a frigate and a pair of smaller craft in company, all under Turkish colours. The Ottoman ships came in very slowly, nervously, not trusting the flags they could see - the kafirs were much given to treachery, they believed. A mile offshore they heaved to and sent a boat in.
Backham made his way down to the quayside, pulling his few Marines into an honour guard. He sent Kent to the battery, instructing them to load, just in case.
"Uniformed officer in the boat, sir."
The runner from the lookout post, using a telescope under cover, waited for any response, trotted back on Backham's nod.
"Mr Lucas!"
Active answered his hail.
"Anchor to short stay, Mr Lucas. Boat ready to pick us up at a minute's notice. Prizes to be instructed to conform. Passengers to be kept below decks until we have cleared harbour. Gunner's party from the battery have been instructed to put off when they see us sail - we shall pick them up offshore."
The officer in the boat seemed to be of some seniority - middle-aged and dressed expensively - silk and diamonds both visible. Usefully, he spoke English, fluently.
"Full honours!"
The guard presented arms and the pipes twittered and the seamen did their best to stand at attention while Backham lifted his hat.
The Turk knew exactly what the ceremony meant, expressed both pleasure and relief - they would not take him hostage, let alone kill him, after that.
"Thank you, Captain. Please to tell me why ships of the Royal Navy are present in a Turkish port, together with French prizes."
"My senior officer, sir, Captain Harris of His Britannic Majesty's Ship Trident, was made aware that the French had taken this island and acted to recapture it so that it might be restored to its legal masters. I have remained here to make necessary repairs to the prizes and to maintain proper order amongst the islanders - Captain Harris could not think it right to leave the island ungoverned. There is still a large squadron of French in the vicinity, sir, and we have used their own guns to place the harbour under defence. I am under orders, sir, to vacate this port at the earliest possible juncture, being aware that we may have breached some of the rules of neutrality, but only in response to greater French illegality."
The Turk was obviously under orders to accept the insult of British occupation of their sovereign territory, as long as it was to end quickly.
"What of these guns, Captain? It will require some days to dismantle their battery and take them aboard your ships."
"My orders are to leave the battery, sir, the guns unharmed and the magazine full - or as full as the French left it. Might I have the temerity to suggest, sir, that a party of your men should land at an early stage and should walk in as my men leave? I am not convinced that the powder, particularly, should be left unguarded."
This was agreed, and was accepted as a gesture of goodwill - the British might have chosen to spike the guns instead.
"My admiral will wish to search the prizes before they leave, sir. We would not wish to discover that, unbeknownst to you, Greeks had stowed away in an attempt to desert their masters."
Backham could not permit that, he regretted, the honour of the flag could not allow foreigners under arms to board British ships.
"I will, however, ask each master to confirm that no stowaway has entered his vessel without permission."
The two-decker could sink all of Backham's flotilla in ten minutes, taking almost no damage in response from their little guns.
The question remained of whether such an action would be the cause of war.
It was too great a risk - the admiral might well find his masters to be very unhappy with him. He could die as a public scapegoat.
"We have heard of your Admiral Byng, sir. Please to vacate the berths in the harbour at your earliest convenience, sir."
Backham bowed.
"I shall order my boat immediately, sir, and we shall sail within the hour."
"I shall have a party to the battery in that time, sir."
The Turk turned back to his own boat, Backham at his side in courtesy.
"I am afraid you shame me, sir - your mastery of the English language is profound, sir, whilst I have barely two words of your tongue."
"I speak French equally well, Captain - a recognition of the reality of power, sir. The master does not need to learn the language of the underlings!"
Even Backham could note the bitterness of that response and realise that one day the Turks would look to pay back their present humiliations.
'But not in my lifetime, Johnny!'
Book Five: The Duty and Destiny Series
Chapter Four
"Rendezvous is four miles due west of the cape on the little island immediately to the south of Morogos, sir. Chart gives no name, so probably no people; it seems to be no more than a big and probably dry rock. Shallow waters with another pair of tiny islets, no more than reefs in effect, easy holding ground, sir - no difficulty in coming to anchor there for a day or two, and partly sheltered as well. If Mr Backham has had to sail then he should have been able to wait there."
"Remind me. What if he has a Turk as escort, David?"
"Then he is to make for the westernmost point of Crete, sir
, as if on course for Malta."
"Which he will be if we do not join him. Unfortunately, if I was a Frog, that is exactly what I would expect of us."
"Water, sir. No other practical alternative. His small ships may be expected to be full of civilians, will have no flexibility as a result."
It had not been possible to set a date, let alone a time, for the flotilla to meet up, but it could be assumed that the Bey on Rhodes would have sent a force to Morogos, which would have instantly displaced Backham.
"Mr Nias, make course for the first rendezvous, if you please."
Trident pointed her head slowly north, crawled off from the scene of her victory, her rigging so much cut up that she was even slower than normal.
"Mr Cheek! How soon may we make sail on the main?"
Cheek lifted his weary head, debated for a second whether to tell his captain that he was working himself and his best men to the point of exhaustion and that shouting at him was a waste of time, chose to keep his warrant instead. Even the best of captains could not tolerate being called a bloody fool in public.
"Course in two hours, sir. Topsail, maybe by evening quarters. T'gallants ... more like to be a job for the yard, sir, I doubt Chips can bodge 'em, sir. Royals ain't got not a 'ope, sir."
Tacking would be hard with so limited a suit of sails and they would never keep the wind gage against a professional Frenchman, and the Frogs in these waters seemed quite competent.
"Too slow to run, and too unhandy to play games, Mr Nias. Seamanship will not win our next battle."
"Then gunnery must, sir."
Against four of forty gun frigates.
Rather annoyingly, Backham was present at the rendezvous. Had he been elsewhere then Trident could have taken herself off to less predictable parts of the Mediterranean and might well have made Malta undiscovered. As it stood, there was no choice but to escort the convoy.
Backham came aboard and made his report, not displeased with all he had achieved. He neglected to mention the presence of Maria aboard Active, but he did not give the names of the other Greek refugees either, so he consoled himself that he was in no way concealing her.
"Mr Davidson could return to his berth, sir - your need is greater than mine, I suspect."
"He will be very welcome, Mr Backham, as would even a dozen of seamen."
Frederick did not know what success Backham had had in making up his crews - he had given him the numbers but that did not tell him whether they had any skills at all.
"I can send you a score of Tridents from those first loaned to me, sir, all able-bodied. As well I could find as many again of landsmen, not very handy but well-muscled and capable of pulling their weight on a gun or at the sheets, sir."
"That might well be to save our lives, Mr Backham!"
"Course for Malta, Mr Backham. Active and her prizes to shepherd the merchant ships and fishermen. It is possible that the French, if they catch us, will have a sloop or two in consort, and they may well choose to send them to gather up the convoy. They will be your task, sir."
Backham believed he could do that.
"It is less likely that the French will release one of their larger ships to snap up the convoy - I think they will wish to concentrate on Trident. If they send a forty gun frigate then I am not sure what you will be able to do."
"Active to make a show, sir, while the two largest of the merchantmen close the frigate, as if anxious to surrender, being prizes with their French crews still aboard, Union flag over Tricolour to make it plain, and keep it lawful. If two hundred or so of armed Greeks can get aboard her, sir, then I think we will have ourselves a frigate!"
"But we may not still have Active, sir!"
Backham shrugged - he had taken worse risks, or so he implied. There was no choice in any case.
"So be it, sir. If you will delay but fifteen minutes then Mr LeGrys will write out your orders for you - you may wish to show them to Admiral Fortescue in Malta."
Backham could not quite understand why that might be.
"As an absolute order, Mr Backham, to be disobeyed at your extreme peril, you will not come to the assistance of Trident unless and until the convoy is delivered to Malta. Trident will seek to delay the French squadron, and may be able to hold them off the convoy entirely. With even a modicum of good fortune you will be able to lose the French pursuit in the first night - make a southing, I would recommend. We have not rescued a thousand women and children from the Turk to drown them at sea, sir, and you must protect them."
Backham did not like the command, but he was not a man who even comprehended the concept of disobedience.
"Aye aye, sir."
"God speed, Mr Backham."
Backham stood to attention and lifted his hat in formal salute.
"Farewell, sir!"
David returned with the written order and then accompanied Backham to the side, Archbold running from overseeing a party in the mizzen to give proper honours to a departing captain.
It was a nuisance, interrupted work for at least ten minutes, but the men would have been much upset by a failure to complete a necessary formality. They would have thought that their case was desperate indeed if courtesy could go by the board.
"If we do not meet again, Mr LeGrys, please accept that I have been honoured to make your acquaintance, sir. Your courage is an inspiration to all who see you, sir!"
David bowed - there was nothing to be said, and he as well knew what the chances were.
The wind held in the south-east, as favourable as might be for a slow convoy sailing almost due west. Backham sent the prize brig to lead the gaggle of small vessels, brought up the rear with Active and the taken sloop, having less faith in her new made lieutenant-in-command. He had found and given employment to seven Greek, Italian and Dutch seamen who claimed to have held officer status in their navies or aboard privateers. Four of them met his definition of what an officer should be; three he had dismissed as bloody-handed pirates who could nonetheless navigate a ship.
He gave thought to a proper organisation of his charges, decided, very wisely, that he had better ways to spend the rest of the day.
Fourteen small fishing boats, each laden almost to the gunwales with crewmen and their families to the last and most obscure cousin; three island traders, feluccas of fifty or so tons, weighed down with everything of value that the fisherfolk possessed, including several score of goats; two French storeships, bulging at the seams with two thirds of the population of the small town, and their clothing and bedding and 'a few keepsakes' as well. Besides the agreed and listed craft there was every small boat in the harbour that could carry a sail, some no more than ten feet on the keel but all proposing to traverse the Mediterranean as far as Malta. Trying to set that mob into two orderly columns, each at half a cable from the next, was obviously pointless - he would have needed marine sheepdogs for such a task.
"Mr Lucas, if the wind increases or the sea gets up then bring the crews of the small boats aboard, setting the craft themselves to tow."
"Aye aye, sir. With respect, sir, that may not be an easy task."
"Mr Lucas - to a good first lieutenant, every task is easy! But I will confess that I am truly happy that I am captain now!"
Backham was very pleased when Lucas chuckled. It was the first time he had ever tried to break the ice, to lessen the formality between them, and he had not rehearsed his joke at all. He must do it again, when he saw an opportunity.
"Night orders, sir?"
Backham had spent hours agonising over the question. Ideally, he wanted complete concealment; practically, he wanted to keep the convoy together without any collisions.
"A single lantern displayed by each vessel, as low as possible at the counter. Beg the masters to keep awake, to watch the stern of the nearest man, to call out if they see trouble. Tell them it is just for two nights - we will have full masthead lights after that, being in safer seas, I trust."
"What of Trident, sir?"
"She will c
arry lights, Mr Lucas, mastheads and great stern lantern, and spend the night almost heaved-to, barest steerage way, clapping on all that she can carry at dawn and hopefully rejoining before midday."
"And if she does not rejoin, sir?"
"Then we may well hear the action in the distance, Mr Lucas - and will signal the convoy to make more sail if we do."
Trident hovered as far distant from the convoy as was possible, Active's topgallants just visible from the masthead, hoping that any French who discovered them might not actually become aware of the prize below the horizon.
They made eighty miles before evening quarters, much to the pleasure of the master.
"Frogs will be likely to form a patrol line now, sir, well spread out in the hope that one of them can pick us up and signal the others to concentrate on us. That will cost them two or even three hours, sir, and will offer us the opportunity to lead them away from Active, or to tack and perhaps take a bite at the ship furthest to windward of them. It all depends, of course, sir, on their small craft. If so be they have four or five of sloops and gunbrigs, or if they have prized an island schooner or two as well, then they might be able to use them as scouts while keeping the powerful ships together."
Frederick was not greatly heartened by Nias' speculations.
"Assuming they have sought out the Levanters and have been driven off, Mr Nias, most likely never actually going into action, then they will have made to return to Morogos. There they will have discovered the Turks and their own battery turned against them. The Turks may not be renowned as seamen, but their artillery practice is generally held to be very good. Six brass guns, very heavy and true-bored, one may expect, should be capable of holding the French off."
"Four of thirty-six pounds, sir, and two of almost fifty, monstrous great pieces, and well-kept, sir. I inspected the battery with Mr Plumb, just in case there was the possibility of taking them aboard. We agreed, sir, that they would never have been bought into service, so would have fetched only the scrap value of the brass - not worth the effort, sir. Very effective pieces nonetheless, sir, even more so when the Turk has set his masons to work and produced a store of stone shot in addition to the iron - the stone will often shatter, sir, on impact."
Fortune And Glory (The Duty and Destiny Series, Book 5) Page 10
