"Two-deckers, d'ye think, sir?" Lewrie frowned, stepping to the starboard side of his quarterdeck, leaning on the bulwarks, and raising his telescope for a look-see. The smoke from all the gunfire was thick, a sulphurous, reeking mist which hazed the day even worse. More than a few British line-of-battle ships stood between him and the ones Knolles had sighted too, their gun-smoke and towering masts and sails obscuring what little he could see. But he could barely make out three-masters yonder, well up to weather and almost hull-down from the Spanish line.

Least an hour or more off, he thought, sailin' large, to come down to join?

He couldn't tell.

As if we need more, he sneered to himself; already got a bloody Armada here anyway! On its way North to join the French Fleet waitin' at Brest, the Dutch Fleet too. Transports, most-like. Carrying troops for an invasion of Ireland. Or England!

And if Admiral Jervis threw away his ships in this action, then what hope did Lord Bridport and the Channel Fleet at Portsmouth have to stop them? Or even get word of their coming in time to…?

Takin' this lot on's like a horsefly deliberately landin' on a game-table; sure t'get swatted! Lewrie speculated. Has t'be done, no error. Growl ye may, but go ye must, and all that…

"Cah-rrisstt!" was Lewrie's sudden, un-captainly comment. And a rather loud comment it was too.

In his telescope's ocular, he'd just discovered the fore-end of a ship of the line which wasn't crossing right-to-left, sailing obediently in the battle-line. He was looking at the beak-head and figurehead, the cutwater and frothing bow-wave below an out-thrust bowsprit and jib-boom of a warship-pointing right at him!

"Hands wear ship!" Lewrie yelped, eyes wide in disbelief, as he lowered his glass in shock. "Helm hard a'weather!" Seen with normal vision, un-enlarged, wasn't much better as she bored direct for his Jester. HMS Captain, third but last from the tail end of the line, was swinging out of line alee and loomed close enough to trample them, if Jester didn't get out of her way!