Cross of St George by Alexander Kent

Author:Alexander Kent [Kent, Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: C429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9780099497738
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 2006-12-04T13:30:00+00:00

Urquhart looked at him gravely. “Almost.” His handshake was firm, thankful. “I’m afraid I lost Mr Lovie. I liked him. Very much.”

Adam thought of one of his own midshipmen, who had died on that other day. It was pointless, destructive to have friends, to encourage others to form friendships which would only end in death.

When he looked again, Success and the American were gone.

There was only a great haze of smoke, like steam from a volcano, as if the ocean itself were burning in the deep, and wreckage, men and pieces of men.

He walked to the opposite side and wondered why he had not known. To hate was not enough.

14 V erdict

REAR-ADMIRAL Thomas Herrick stood squarely by the quarterdeck rail, his chin sunk in his neckcloth, and only his eyes moving while Indomitable, under reduced sail, glided slowly toward her anchorage.

“So this is Halifax.” His eyes followed the running figures of the extra hands who were answering the boatswain’s hoarse shout.

Only then did he turn his head and glance at the captain on the opposite side of the deck. Tyacke was studying the landmarks, the nearest ships, anchored or otherwise, his hands behind him as if he were unconcerned.

Herrick said, “A good ship’s company, Sir Richard. Better than most. Your Captain Tyacke would be hard to replace, I’m thinking.”

246

CROSS OF S T GEORGE

Bolitho said, “Yes,” sorry that they were soon to be parted, and also saddened on behalf of the man he had once known so well.

He had offered Herrick the full use of the ship while she was in Halifax, and typically, Herrick had refused. He would take the accommodation he had been offered. It was as if it was painful for him simply to see and feel a ship working around him again.

York, the sailing-master, called, “Ready when you are, sir!”

Tyacke nodded, without turning. “Wear ship, if you please!”

“Man the lee braces there! Hands wear ship!” The calls shrilled and more men scampered to add their weight to haul the yards around. “Tops’l sheets!”

Two fishermen stood in their heavy dory to wave as they passed through Indomitable’s shadow.

Bolitho saw one of the midshipmen waving back, then freeze as he found the captain’s eyes on him.

“Tops’l clew-lines! Roundly there—take that man’s name, Mr Craigie!”

Bolitho had already noticed that Valkyrie was not at her usual anchorage, nor was the American ship Success. He was not surprised that the latter had been moved. The harbour, large though it was, seemed to be bursting with ships, men-of-war, merchantmen and transport vessels of every type and size.

“Helm a’ lee!”

Slowly, as though recalling her earlier life as a ship of the line, Indomitable turned into the light wind, the panorama of houses and rough hillside gliding past her jib-boom, as if the land and not the ship was moving.

“Let go!”

The great anchor dropped into the water, spray dashing as high as the beak-head and its crouching lion while the ship came obediently to rest.

“I’ll have the gig take you ashore, Thomas. I can send my flag lieutenant with you until you are ready .

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