He said, 'I am the senior in this ship.' Even his tone was clipped, with all the compassion honed out of it. 'Whilst on board you will attend to your various duties at all times. You will become so involved with your training and preparation for examination as lieutenants that you will eventually put it before all else, and any sort of leisure will be seen even by you as both selfish and pointless.' He nodded to the other officer. 'Mr Hope is the fifth lieutenant and will be keeping an eye on you until you are settled in your allocated watches. Mr Turnbull, the master, will of course expect a high standard in navigational studies and the general working of the ship at sea.' His gimlet eyes fastened on the smallest figure at the end of the line, the one who had been violently sick in the longboat, and who looked as if he was about to repeat it. 'And what is jour name?" ' Eden, s-sir.' 'Age?' The word was like a knife cut. 'T-twelve, s-sir.' Hope said, 'He has a stutter, sir.' Even his earlier belligerence had faded in the presence of his superior. 'Has he indeed. I am certain the boatswain will take care of that before he reaches thirteen years, if he lasts that long! ' Verling seemed to tire of the encounter. 'Dismiss them, Mr Hope. We will weigh tomorrow if the wind stays with us. There is much to do.' He strode away without another glance. Hope said wearily, 'Mr Grenfell will take you below.' Grenfell, it turned out, was the senior midshipman. A thickset, unsmiling young man of about seventeen, he relaxed as soon as Hope had disappeared. He said, 'Follow me. Mr Hope is a fair man, but he is worried about his promotion.' Bolitho smiled. In a ship of the line promotion was always difficult, especially without a war to thin the ranks. As fifth lieutenant Hope had only one officer junior to himself in the wardroom, and unless the lieutenants above him were promoted, sent into other ships or killed he was hard put to find advancement. Dancer whispered, 'In the flagship we had a sixth lieutenant who was so desperate that he learned to play the flute merely because the admiral's wife liked it! ' They fell silent as they followed the senior midshipman down the first companion ladder to the deck below, and the deck below that.