Bolitho said, "What is your appointment?"

"Sixth lieutenant, sir." One step up from the gunroom.

Hogg swore under his breath and snarled, "Oars! Easy there!"

The oar blades hovered, dripping and motionless, as Hogg put his weight on the tiller bar. A longboat was cutting directly across their path, so full of people it looked almost awash.

Hogg glared at the youthful lieutenant and when he remained silent cupped his hands and bellowed, "Stand away there! Make way for a King's officer!"

Somebody waved and the longboat veered towards some nearby transports.

Bolitho saw that one of the passengers was a young girl, her head and shoulders unprotected against the spray and wet breeze. She twisted round between two companions to see who was shouting and Bolitho's eyes met hers across fifty feet of tossing whitecaps. He stared at one of her hands as she gripped the gunwale. She wore manacles on her wrists, but she turned away before he could see more.

He asked quietly, "Who are those people?"

Hogg eased the tiller carefully, still outraged that such a thing could happen under the eyes of his admiral.

He said gruffly, "Convicts, sir."

Bolitho looked away. Going to Botany Bay probably. What had she done, he wondered? Who was she?

"Ready, bowman!" Hogg was gauging the last cable or so with great care.

Bolitho saw the tapered masts of Argonaute as the barge swept around another two-decker. She was a fine-looking ship, he conceded, shining in her new livery with a huge Red Ensign streaming out from her poop to welcome him aboard. She had fine graceful lines and Bolitho knew from hard experience she was an excellent sailer. Her poop deck was rather longer than her English counterparts but otherwise she was little different from any seventy-four, the backbone of the fleet.