Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Author’s Note

Glossary

Dramatis Personae

Thomas Kydd, captain of L’Aurore

Nicholas Renzi, his friend and confidential secretary

L’Aurore, ship’s company

Gilbey, first lieutenant

Curzon, second lieutenant

Bowden, third lieutenant

Clinton, lieutenant of marines

Dodd, marine sergeant

Cullis, marine corporal

Dr Peyton, surgeon

Calloway, midshipman

Kendall, sailing master

Saxton, master’s mate

Oakley, boatswain

Owen, purser

Tysoe, Kydd’s valet

Stirk, boatswain’s mate

Poulden, coxswain

Greer, sailmaker

Olafsen, sailmaker’s mate

Pinto, seaman

Ah Wong, seaman

Harmer, ‘Buttons’, seaman

Officers, other ships

Commodore Home Popham

Captain Honyman, Leda

Army officers

Major General Sir David Baird

Lieutenant Colonel the Lord Geoffrey MacDonald

General Lord Beresford

Brigadier General Ferguson

General Yorke

Colonel Pack

Lieutenant Grant

Dr Munro

Tupley, quartermaster general

Cape Town

General Janssens, former governor of Cape Colony

Willem van Ryneveld, fiscal

Barbetjie van Ryneveld, his wife

Oudsthoorn, chief clerk

Höhne, Renzi’s sworn translator

Stoll, personal aide to Renzi

Knudsen, Danish shipwreck survivor



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