Allday read his thoughts and grinned ruefully. 'sorry about that, sir." He glared at the two seamen who were watching them curiously, the case balanced between them. "But I can wait. It’ll be Sir Richard afore long, and that's no error!"

Allday waited until the seamen had gone and said quietly, "I reckon you"d like to be left alone now sir. I’ll see that your servant is warned about your customs. "

Bolitho nodded. "You know me too well."

Allday closed the door behind him and glanced coldly at the ramrod-stiff marine sentry outside the cabin. To himself he murmured, "Better"n you’ll ever know."

On the quarterdeck once more, Herrick walked slowly to the nettings and Stared at the other ships. It had been a bad beginning. For both of them. Perhaps it was all in his own mind, like his dislike for Farquhar. The latter obviously did not give a damn for him, so why should he get so easily ruffled?

Bolitho had looked exactly as he had known he would. The same gravity which could alter in an instant to a youthful exuberance. His hair was as black as ever, his slim figure no different, apart from the obvious stiffness in his right shoulder. He counted the months. Nearly seven it must be now, when Bolitho had been marked down by a musket ball. The lines at the comers of his mouth were a little deeper. Pain, responsibility? Parts of each, he decided.

He saw the officer of the watch eyeing him cautiously and called, "We will signal the squadron, Mr. Kipling. All captains repair on board when I so order."

He pictured them putting on their best uniforms. Inch in his tiny cabin, Farquhar in his lavish quarters. But each and all would be wondering, as he was. Where bound? What to expect? The price for both.

Alone in his cabin Bolitho heard feet thudding along the deck overhead, and after a momentary hesitation threw off his dress coat with its solitary gold stripe and seated himself at his desk. He slit open the large canvas envelope but still hesitated over reading the neatly written despatches.