"Ease her, ease her, there! Helm down half a point loo'rd!"

Thermopylae shook herself like a wet dog, heeled hard onto her larboard side for a moment, then came back more upright, steadying with the deck canted about twenty degrees from plumb according to the inclinometer on the binnacle cabinet-on starboard tack!

"Steerin' West by North, half North, sir!" Quartermaster Hook cried with relief as he and Slater steadied her up.

"Another cast of the log, Mister Plumb!" Lewrie ordered.

About two minutes later, Midshipman Plumb could report the good news that Thermopylae was now making three knots!

"I think she'll bear the main topmast stays'l and the middle stays'l, Mister Fox," Lewrie opined aloud. "And I'd admire did ye add the fore tops'l and mizen tops'l at three reefs." Aye, sir.

"A perfect tack, Mister Fox," Lewrie congratulated him. "Timed to a tee."

"Uhm, thankee for saying so, sir," Lt. Fox said, tucking in his chin and ducking his head in modesty… false or otherwise.

"Permission to mount the quarterdeck, sirs?" Lt. Eades, their Marine officer, enquired. "Now all the excitement's done?"

"You did not wish to get in the way during the manoeuvre, sir?" Lewrie asked him, now in much better, relieved takings.

"I leave all that to proper seamen, Captain sir," Lt. Eades said with a grin as he came to amidships forward of the helm. "Besides, we had some scraps of yesterday's breaded and toasted cheese, and I admit all the tossing about made me feel peckish."