Ship of Spies by David Healey

Author:David Healey [Healey, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Intracoastal Media
Published: 2014-11-26T05:00:00+00:00

• • •

The first person Alexander planned to interview was Colonel Beauchamp. He took Professor Hobhouse's advice and brought Roger along.

"I'm a bit concerned about the colonel," Roger admitted. "He might hit you with that cane he carries."

"Hit me? What about you?"

"I'm not the one who almost got his daughter stuck in the rigging."

The colonel met them in his cabin. He was standing, and being a large man, it made the cramped space that much smaller. He was elegantly dressed as usual, this time wearing a white suit. Because the colonel was only occupying the cabin for this voyage, the shelves were relatively bare, except for a couple of books. Alexander strained to read the titles: Foundations of Rhetoric for the English Language and The Code Duello for Young Gentlemen ... the professor was more than a man of words, after all; he was also a man of action. The bunk was neatly made, covered in a standard-issue wool blanket. A broad-brimmed white hat sat upon the bed—the sort of hat that was better suited for a Louisiana plantation than for an Atlantic voyage. In one corner was a large traveling trunk, which presumably held the colonel's other clothes and personal possessions. The air in the cabin smelled heavily of cigar smoke, boot polish and bay rum, which presumably the colonel splashed upon his face after shaving.

He also happened to be carrying the cane Roger was so worried about. The polished black stick had an elegant silver handle shaped like a boar's head. The colonel gripped it tightly, as if trying to control some passion within himself caused by the arrival of the two ensigns. The ring had not reappeared on his finger.

"You," he said, glaring down at Alexander. He was quite a tall man.

"Yes, sir, it's me. I'm afraid I've been appointed by Captain Bellingham to determine who took your ring."

"You're afraid of what, boy? Afraid of me or afraid of what you'll find out?"

"It was a figure of speech, sir, but now that you mention it I believe I'm afraid of a little of both."

"Then maybe you're not as stupid as you look, boy."

Alexander felt insulted, but he took a deep breath. "Mr. Higson and I would like to ask you a few questions, to help us get to the bottom of this matter."

"You English are a peculiar bunch," the colonel said. "Where I come from, you earn what you get called. I'm called Colonel Beauchamp because I've been a militia officer for twenty years, fighting Indians and pirates who make the mistake of coming ashore, looking for easy pickings. You boys get called mister when you are clearly boys. You've even got a lordship aboard this ship who ain't even old enough to shave, but you go about calling him ‘my lord’ or some such nonsense. And another thing, I thought the captain himself would investigate. Instead, he sent two boys."

"Mr. Higson and I are officers. Well, junior officers." Alexander stood a bit straighter. "Ensigns."

"Is that right? Well, the only thing I’ve seen you lead so far as an officer, boy, is a game up in the rigging.

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