this is Horatio Hornblower fanfiction, not canon, not AU, M'man Roberts is my creation
Midshipman Roberts 2/3
Roberts flicked the excess water off his hat, momentarily frowning at it. The tricorn really did very little to keep the rain off (or the sun if it ever came back from its three day sojourn behind the clouds). He wanted to pitch the useless thing overboard but thought better of it. It may look funny and be completely impractical but a uniform is a uniform. Besides the Captain prowled the Quarter deck at this moment despite the persistent rain. He slapped the hat back on his head.
He scanned the ocean again, noting how the fleet had dispersed widely under the inclement weather. The seas were not overly rough but the winds were changeable and fluky. He could only make out around half of the ships of the fleet, particularly identifying the flag, far on the horizon but with no signals. It had been over a month since he had become signalman and he had yet to falter and he didn't plan to now. Not in the same way he had done six weeks ago and definitely not with his Captain looking over his shoulder.
Lt Hornblower arrived on deck then, caught a glimpse of the Captain and headed straight for Lt Kennedy to relieve him of the watch. They exchanged formalities quite properly then dropped into a lower conversation that Roberts couldn't quite pick up. He was distracted from his attempted eaves dropping anyway when the flag ship put out some signals. Copying them as neatly as he could manage in the rain he reported to Lt Hornblower.
"Report it to the Captain, Mr Roberts," the Lt ordered once he had completed his report. Roberts was quite used to such an order when the Captain was below but assumed the Lt of the watch would report himself when the Captain was above decks. He didn't want to think that Hornblower was giving him the duty just because the Captain was brooding and would only do so himself if the Captain was in a good mood. Hell, if the Captain were in a good mood he would have been standing here talking to the two Lts not pacing the starboard rail like caged tiger. Besides the Captain was barely ten feet away and if he knew anything about his Captain, he knew that he would have heard the whole report anyway.
"Only one thing for it."
x
"Aye, Sir," Roberts said touching his hat and nodding his head to Kennedy. All very correct except he looked and probably felt like a drowned rat.
Pellew turned his back on them again as he continued his relentless pacing. Hornblower and Kennedy returned to their conversation and the saturated Midshipman approached.
"Captain Pellew, Sir. Flagship signaling. Sir," Roberts called as he turned again. Pellew had heard his report to Hornblower and didn't want to hear it again. He was glad Roberts had thought to wait for acknowledgment before again reciting the signals. Signals that Pellew had previously guessed the gist of anyway.
"Acknowledge," he replied without breaking his stride.
x
Roberts gladly did so, noting the other ships similar replies. Purely out of curiosity and boredom (the signals themselves welcome respite from the dull, nothing was being done above decks in the rain) he pulled out the glass and scanned the ships in turn wondering who would be last to respond and pitying the poor soul on the flagship that had to ensure all ships replied. His wandering gaze stopped on Triumph, a formerly French Sloop-o-War, as she signaled unlike the others.
Intrigued and a little shocked by the signal, Roberts immediately trained the glass on the flag ship again wanting to see how she, and her Captain, would react. Unfortunately the flag ship had moved further from them and he could barely see her let alone the signals. He suddenly wished for the freedom to climb the ratlines and take a look from the maintop.
Playing over in his mind the pros and cons of asking Lt Hornblower for permission to do just that Roberts was caught off guard when the Captain spoke, "You too, Mr Roberts. There won't be any more today. You are relieved."
He saluted the Captain and went to return the glass before heading below when it dawned on him that off duty he could climb the ratlines all he liked. Replacing the glass he grabbed one with a shoulder strap knowing he would need both hands to climb in this weather, left his hat (such as it was) with the other glasses, jumped down to the waist and started the climb up to the maintop.
x
Hornblower noticed Captain Pellew stopped his pacing at the sight of the sure footed Midshipman swinging up into the riggings and easily scaling them even in the trying conditions. He hardly had time to be impressed at the skill before the Captain came to stand beside him, his expression a mixture of anger and confusion.
"When was the last time anyone disobeyed the Captain?" Hornblower questioned himself and was unable to recall such as event.
"It wasn't on purpose," he found himself saying to his still silent Captain. He was fairly certain it wasn't on purpose as he doubted Roberts had heard the Captain orders to Archie though how anyone blocked out the Captains voice he wasn't at all sure.
"It damn well better not have been on purpose, Mr Hornblower," Pellew steamed then stalked below with a final glance at Hornblower and stern "Deal with it!"
Roberts didn't spend long in the main top, returning to the deck with the most earnest look of confusion Hornblower had ever seen. He blindly returned the glass and grabbed his hat and made to go below. Hornblower momentarily wondered if distracting him might be as dangerous as waking a sleep walker but put the thought aside remembering the Captains glare.
"Mr Roberts, a moment."
x
Roused from his reverie, Roberts jumped up to the Quarter deck and saluted the Lt with a polite, "Sir."
"Just before, what did the Captain say to you?"
Roberts blinked. Hornblower had heard full well what the Captain had said but the look of utter seriousness on his face demanded a perfect answer from him.
"I believe he said 'There will be no more today', meaning signals, and relieved me of my duties, Sir."
"And do you know what he said to Mr Kennedy before that?"
Roberts shifted uncomfortably and it had nothing to do with the water that had found its way under his coat tickling and was his neck. He had missed something important. He could feel it. "No, Sir. I heard nothing said to Lt Kennedy."
He saw Hornblower release his breath, apparently he had answered correctly – or not as the Lt continued, "Go below and find Mr Kennedy. Tell him I require you to stay with him until I am off watch. And you best find out what you missed. Go."
Trouble. In lots of trouble. Saluting again with a mumbled, "Aye, Sir," Roberts went below to find out exactly how much trouble.
He found Kennedy sitting at the table in the ward room, cradling a hot mug of something. "Begging your pardon, Sir?"
"What do you need, Roberts?" Kennedy said warmly, "Want some coffee?"
Disarmed by the Lt (the same Lt that had just spent six hours in the pouring rain) and his unbreakable good humour, he almost said yes. "No, Sir. Actually I was sent by Lt Hornblower. I am to wait with you until the end of his watch."
The Lt eyed him curiously, though not menacingly, "What did you do?"
"I was hoping you would tell me, Sir."
"Look, sit down. I can't leave you standing in the door way for the next hour."
Roberts removed his coat, hanging it by the door and walked into sacred officer territory, unconsciously scanning the room for Lt Bracegirdle. It had been a month since the 'incident' (as Andrews's final impression of the Captain was now referred to) but so far as he knew Bracegirdle's imaginative orders that were to serve as their punishment still stood. No midshipman was to speak the word 'but' in his presence. This firstly as a result of the barrage of 'But Sir's' he encountered when he had initially stopped their spirit rations for the week, but more importantly to make them think about what they were saying and who was around when they said it.
"He's not here. Don't fret. How am I to be of any help?"
"Sir, I need to know what Captain Pellew said to you before you came below just now." Roberts asked hesitantly.
"I believe his exact words were 'Get below, Kennedy. You will catch your death standing there gossiping like an old woman'. Why?"
'You too, Mr Roberts'. The Captains words came instantly back to him. He put his head in his hands and let out a sorrowful, "Oh dear."
"What? What did I say?" Kennedy asked confused.
Speaking into his hands Roberts replied, "I believe the Captain may have ordered me to do the same."
"What did you do?"
"Climbed to the maintop, Sir. I thought I had just been relieved of my duties, I didn't realise…" he let it trail off. "Yep, lots and lots of trouble," he thought, the relevant Articles of War that they had been required to memorize coming to mind.
"The maintop? What on earth did you climb up there for?"
It took Roberts a moment to remember, "I… the flagship was…and then Orion… it's nothing, Sir."
"You may want to come up with a better excuse than that before Mr Hornblower returns," Kennedy advised, a warm smile belying the seriousness his words.
"If you refuse coffee than perhaps a game of chess while we wait," Kennedy offered, and at Roberts look of confusion, "Interlocking pieces, they won't slide away."
"Yes, Sir," Roberts said reflexively, though his confusion was to do with the memory of what he had seen and not the mechanics of chess on a pitching ship.
The game was well under way when Roberts spoke again to ask, "Sir, if I may, who commands the Triumph?"
"Looking for a transfer already?"
Roberts remained stubbornly silent waiting for the answer.
x
"I don't know, okay. Do you know who it is, Mr Bracegirdle?"
Bracegirdle watched as Roberts jumped to his feet and laughed from his place at the other end of the table, "Bit late for that, son, I've been here twenty minutes. Got other things on your mind, have you? Sit down. I believe his name is Jacobson, made commander two months ago."
"And Orion's Captain, Sir?"
"Lord Fitzgerald," he answered glancing to Kennedy to see if he knew the reasons for the questions. His expression indicated he did not (and that he had no idea what his next move should be).
When he had arrived Kennedy was concentrating very hard on the chess board but Roberts clearly wasn't. He had been concentrating on something but if it had been the chess game Kennedy would surely already have lost.
"Oh, for heavens sake, Kennedy. The best move you can make is bishop takes rook and he still has you beat in three moves at the most. I'm off to relieve Hornblower."
Kennedy knocked over his king and Bracegirdle closed the door.
xx
Roberts reset the pieces and pushed the board away and tried to focus on the impending interview with his Lt but could not stop his train of thought which had been doing circles in his head since he had seen the flagships reply. And Orion… The ships involved seemed to understand the signals, so why didn't he?
Unfortunately, again in deep thought, he again did not hear the door open but instead felt the swift kick under the table from Kennedy when Hornblower arrived.
x
Hornblower was really starting to get annoyed at Roberts. He seemed to be in a daydream world and somehow he had to get him out of it. He had taken a liking to Roberts in his early days as an officer, his thirst for knowledge most admirable. What he didn't yet understand was why he now seemed to be focusing inward when he had previously been so curious and open.
He watched the boy now standing to attention and looking straight ahead, Hornblower using one of the Captains tricks of standing outside of his field of vision while speaking, "Have you spoken to Mr Kennedy, Roberts?"
"Yes, Sir"
"And can you please quote the relevant part of Article Twenty-One."
"And if any officer shall disobey any lawful command of any of his superior officers, every such person being convicted of any such offence shall suffer death, or such other punishment, as shall, according to the nature and degree of his offence, be inflicted upon him by the sentence of a court martial, Sir."
"Unless, of course, it was negligent and not malicious, Mr Hornblower," Kennedy helpfully supplied in cue.
"Yes, well, it would seem that Roberts was just not listening, though ignoring the Captain is not much less of a serious offence. What does the last of Article Eighteen say, Mr Roberts?"
"And if any officer, mariner, or soldier on or belonging to the fleet, shall behave himself with contempt to his superior officer, being in the execution of his office, he shall be punished according to the nature of his offence by the judgment of a court martial, Sir," Roberts replied stiffly, but evenly.
The recitation seemed to have focused Roberts mind and enforced the seriousness of his misdeed but if Hornblower wanted to stop it from ever happening again he needed to strike now.
"I say offence and that is what it is, Roberts. Offensive to me, offensive to the Captain. What ever has gotten in to you, I want it out - right now. It's like you screwed your head on backwards this morning. Or dropped your wits overboard. This ship, any ship, needs all her men to be alert – especially her officers. You cannot be daydreaming on duty. You cannot ignore the Captain. The dreaming ends," moving around to face the Midshipman he concluded, "It ends right now. Do you understand me?"
x
But Roberts hadn't heard a word after 'backwards'. That was it. That was why the signals had not made sense to him. They were backwards. He was trying to remember them number by number to decipher the entire message. Little did he know Lt Hornblower was waiting for a fairly crucial response to the conversation.
x
Hornblower snapped as few had seen before but for god sakes this kid was doing it right now. Completely zoning everything out and concentrating only on his daydream.
"YOU!" he bellowed, "You will march straight to the Captains Cabin, NOW, daydream boy!"
Roberts shook his head once as if clearing his thoughts and looked penitent but it was too late for that to save him. He snapped his heels and left forgetting to grab his coat on the way out. Hornblower just growled - his anger far from spent.
"Daydream boy?" Archie mocked.
"Shut up," Hornblower snapped, and started to follow the Midshipman, "In fact, come with," and as Kennedy opened his mouth to protest, added, "But for heavens sake shut up."
x
The distance from the Captains cabin to the ward room was significantly less than to the midshipman's berth and before he could think it out he was approaching the Captains door. Hanging back from it despite the patronising glare from the marine on duty he wanted to wait until Lieutenant Hornblower joined him.
The Captain, clearly having heard him arrive and the subsequent shuffling of nervous feet as he waited suddenly appeared in the doorway. He was evidently not pleased at the disturbance and even less so that it was Roberts doing the disturbing. Before he could speak, however, Hornblower and a reluctantly trailing Kennedy rounded the corner.
Hornblower's anger had subsided somewhat but the Captain divined from his scowl that this was not an issue to be solved in the hall and they all entered his day cabin.
"Mr Hornblower?" the Captain intoned, clearly restraining himself from saying more.
"Apologies, Captain, but Mr Roberts needs to tell you something."
Roberts paled at his announcement, Archie threw him a questioning glance and the Captain removed his penetrating gaze from his person and replaced it onto the hapless midshipman.
Hornblower knew it was a risk but he was sure he was right. Archie had filled him in on Roberts' behaviour whilst he had been on watch and the questions Roberts had asked. The only explanation was that Roberts was solving some kind of puzzle. A puzzle that involved signals from other ships and a puzzle so important that Roberts felt it worth neglecting his duty to his superiors in order to solve.
He knew the Captain would be disappointed that he was unable to deal with it, as ordered, but he knew also that nothing would be said about it while their subordinates were present. And if he was right he hoped nothing would be said later either.
x
Roberts couldn't meet the Captain's eyes. He turned his mind to the task of a quick, deflective answer and in the short time available the best he could come up with was, "Captain Pellew, sir, I want to offer my unreserved apologies for my earlier disrespect. And in your presence offer the same to Lieutenants Hornblower and Kennedy for any offence I have caused to them also."
The Captain showed no emotion but kept his silence, possibly in anger or shock or both. Hornblower paled slightly and Kennedy was looking at his shoes. Knowing Kennedy as he did he guessed he was probably hiding his face and the huge grin likely to be plastered on it.
He doubted he could make matters much worse and he hoped that a check of the log books could clarify (and with luck confirm) his suspicions. He definitely wasn't about to explain his theories to his Captain without being very sure and was confused as to why Lt Hornblower had thought he would. In the momentary silence he took a chance.
"Sirs, if you will excuse me," and with permission neither granted nor denied he left quickly, closing the door behind him.
xx
Hornblower stared at the door after it closed in disbelief and heard the Captain take a sharp breath as if about to speak but held his tongue. Hornblower saw Archie hanging his head and hoped it was in disappointment but knew it probably something less appropriate.
"Sir, do you want me to… I'll fetch him," Hornblower offered.
"No, no. I'll do it," the Captain said seriously and stalked out of the room.
"Damn," Hornblower cursed not quite under his breath. Archie sniggered.
"I don't see what's funny, Archie."
"You wouldn't," he replied grinning, "It's just refreshing to see that you can be wrong once in a while, too."
Hornblower tried to pin him with a scathing glare, "But I'm not wrong. I'm sure he's working on something."
"Then maybe he won't tell us until he's finished working."
"Probably," Hornblower conceded, taking an air swing at the captains desk with his foot, "Should have realised that before."
"Should've, could've, would've – but didn't. You need to calm down a bit. And let me enjoy you being wrong for a little bit longer."
x
Roberts had all but ran up on deck. He saw Lt Bracegirdle forward just beginning the return leg of his routine inspection of the deck. Roberts had had enough time to grab the log book and head below without notice.
He took a circuitous route, i.e. one that didn't pass the Captains cabin, back to the ward room. Initially he thought to simply rescue his coat but upon arriving thought it the best place to study the log. When he was found, and he knew someone would come looking for him, he certainly didn't want it to look like he had been hiding but he did need just a little time to reread the log.
He pulled the signal code book from his coat pocket and began reexamining the signals logged and also other signals that he had noted but had not logged. He allowed himself a small smile when he could prove he was right. He wrote out the crucial coding as neatly as he knew how. Then laid the books neatly at one end of the desk then sat at the other and waited.
x
Pellew arrived at the ward room to find Roberts sitting like a chastised school boy at the far end of the table. The ward room was the fourth place he looked - the deck, the mast heads and the midshipman's berth were first. Word flew quickly around the ship, he had thought, looking in to see the midshipmen all quietly reading various text books. Certainly word that the Captain was on the prowl flew quickly enough to the midshipman's end of the ship.
"Midshipman Roberts," Pellew said calmly.
Roberts jumped to his feet, finally taking his eyes off the books, and stood to attention, "Captain Pellew, sir."
"Will what's in those books," he pointed at the pile, "in any way excuse your behaviour today?"
Roberts hesitated but wisely said, "No, sir."
"Then get yourself back in my cabin!" Pellew roared and as Roberts moved hastily past him, pulled him up, "And Roberts, tell Lieutenant Hornblower his orders still stand."
"Aye, sir," Roberts replied thoroughly shaken, leaving in a hurry. For a moment Pellew wished he had found him in the midshipman's berth as Robert's would have had a lot longer distance to stew over it.
Pellew sat down and read the boy's scrawl. If nothing else he was impressed with what he read if not with the neatness and opened up the books to check through the working.
x
Kennedy sobered at a knock on the door. When the door did not open he forlornly realised that the captain would not knock at his own door and whoever was out there was waiting for permission. He poked Horatio, who was half leaning, half sitting on the captain's desk, the touch breaking his reverie.
"Time to stop beating yourself up, Horatio," Kennedy said under another knock at the door.
"Come," Horatio called, standing up, immediately hiding any emotion from both his expression and voice. Kennedy still had no idea how he did that.
The door opened and admitted Roberts, who looked more tentative than he did before. He stood at attention in the centre of the room, looking at neither of his lieutenants. Horatio eyed him and Kennedy said, "Captain found you, did he?"
"Yes, sir," Roberts said embarrassed now.
"And?" Horatio asked.
"He said that 'Lieutenant Hornblower's orders still stand', sir."
"I'll get straight to the point then. Mr Roberts, in addition to your usual watches, for the rest of the week you will attend me during all of mine. During this time I will be testing you verbally on your lessons as well as your duties." Kennedy got a sneaking suspicion that this would serve as Horatio's penance as well.
"Also you are to ask for express permission from the watch officer before climbing the ratlines." Something Kennedy couldn't help but recognise would not be a punishment for someone uncomfortable with heights like Horatio but would force avid climber Roberts to choose between staying grounded or the embarressment of asking.
"And, until further notice, you are to repeat your orders back to the person that gave them so we can be sure you are paying full attention to your duties from now on. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir," Roberts answered disenchanted but with no hint of complaint.
"Then please repeat and you may go."
Roberts stuttered but eventually recited his list of punishments and when Horatio nodded, exited.
"How long are you going to make him do that?" Kennedy asked Horatio who had again slumped back against the captain's desk.
"I don't know. It's pretty annoying, I'll grant, but he will learn from it, I'm sure."
"And it is nigh on impossible for Horatio Hornblower to be wrong twice in one day, so I shall take your word for it. Come, it is time for dinner." And opened the door before Horatio had time to react. Or retaliate.
x
As usual Archie's good cheer, all be it at his expense, lightened Hornblower's mood. He trailed his friend back to the ward room.
"What is for dinner?" Hornblower asked, letting his mind relax to more mundane curiousities, including the cook's usual Wednesday surprise.
Archie turned back, and proving in a most daring manner that he knew the ship backwards, continued walking backwards and faced Hornblower as he spoke. "I'll give you a hint. It's mysterious, nameless and no one knows yet. Go on guess."
"Is it a 'surprise', Archie?" Hornblower replied playing along.
"Well done, Mr Hornblower. It is, indeed, a surprise - as it is every week. And yet every week you ask me what it will be. I get the impression that you don't like surprises very much."
Archie spoke easily even while, still walking backward, he turned and entered the ward room. He finally turned around to enter his own cabin but did not see the captain who was still sitting at the table perusing the log book.
Archie's voice carried back into the ward room, "Do you reckon the captain gets a surprise meal every Wednesday?"
Hornblower sat himself down opposite said captain who obligingly answered the question silently with a shake of his head. "No, Archie, I don't think he does."
"No, I suppose not," Archie went on oblivious, "Powers would be a braver man than me to even suggest such a thing. Captain would be just like you. Probably enjoy a surprise about as much as…"
Archie came to an abrupt halt at a fortunate junction as he exited his cabin and saw the captain apparently giving his whole attention to the log.
"You should read this over before returning it," the captain spoke easily to Hornblower then nodding to both left. "Gentlemen."
Archie opened his mouth several time to speak but could not form words eventually just sputtering, "Horatio," accusingly. It was Hornblower's turn to laugh this time, wishing he could capture Archie's face at that moment. "You're the one that likes surprises," he replied deadpan and Archie glared. "Truce."
"Truce," Archie submitted and opened the log to read the reason behind the day's events.
xxx