Pellew never cared for Rear Admiral Jameson. He was pompous, irritating, and generally larger than life. Everything about him was a caricature, from his overly long nose to his ever-shifting eyes. His large mouth housed vulgar phrases when put off; his teeth were too white. His body was thick, yet pliant, and he moved with the energy of a nest of wasps.

Pellew stood at attention, watching the Rear Admiral pace about Pellew's small office in agitated circles. Even those circles buzzed with his energy, carved into the deck floor. His presence would remain long after he left. "Am I to understand," he said in a high tone, "that you have dismissed two of your men to this crew of limeheads?"

The Rear Admiral had been present at the dinner on land whist the Indie was under repairs. Pellew had managed to tolerate him then. It was not so easy now, especially since the news of the transfer of his lieutenants. "Captain Rapier requested assistance. Our ship was nearby, and I saw no harm in the offering."

Rear Admiral Jameson spun, his head cocked so to the side that his large hat teetered. "No harm? No HARM? Do you realize what this man has done, what he has said?"

"I only know what the Navy sees fit to tell me, and we both know how limited that knowledge can be, sir!" Pellew said, with as much respect as his bulleted response would allow. He drew his shoulders back, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, and tried not to allow worry to seep into his bones. What had Rapier done?

Jameson regarded him closely. "Yes," he said slowly, "yes, well, I suppose you can't know everything. I am certain they had just cause in keeping the information from you."

"What information, sir?" The forcefulness of Pellew's tone made the question a demand.

But the Rear Admiral waved it away. "Never mind. We are here, and we have to find this ship. You do have the co-ordinates that you reported earlier, when you erroneously allowed your men passage?"

Pellew bristled. "Provided he is still on the same course, he should actually dock England within two days time."

"Good, good. We will follow this course, and make certain he docks." Rear Admiral Jameson peered into a glass door covering Pellew's stash of spirits. He turned. "Do you mind? No, no, of course not." He opened the door and pulled out the carafe.

Pellew gritted his teeth and said nothing.

Jameson poured himself a rather hefty amount without offering any to Pellew. He raised the glass. "Your health, sir," and downed it in two gulps. "Aaaagh-yes sir. That's what it takes to get men going." He poured another, then turned. "You do not partake?"

"No, sir. . .I do not."

"Oh. Very well." Jameson muttered something more underneath his breath and replaced the spirit. "Tell me about these two you sent aboard. Good men?"

"You know one of them, by name at least. Lt. Horatio Hornblower."

"Hornblower? You sent Hornblower?" Jameson nearly dropped his drink. "Are you daft, man? He's your best, you bastard! Granted he has the habit of speaking candidly, which should do him no harm, but still!" It was apparent to Pellew that not much was required in the way of drink to loose the man's tongue.

"He is one of my best, which is why I sent him aboard."

"He can keep his head in battle, that much can be said." He looked up as Murphy walked in. "Well man? What news?"

"Sir, we just got reports from the Rouseau and the Barringer. The Rouseau is at the co ordinates where the Clementine should be."

"Should be?"the Rear Admiral emphasized, and cast a look at Pellew that could only be described as smug.

"Aye. The Barringer has caught sight of her five degrees south of the last reported location."

"South?" Jameson rounded on Pellew. "I thought you said she was returning to England!"

"I assure you sir, I was led to believe so." Pellew was trying to hide his shock, and his sudden misgivings.

"You were obviously wrongly led, sir!" Jameson turned to Murphy. "Get the last known co ordinates. Bloody boat could be headed to Cape Town for all we know."

"Aye sir!" Murphy hurried out, leaving Jameson to fume at Pellew.

"I suppose it was a good decision then, putting Hornblower on board, do you not agree?" Jameson asked sarcastically. He set his glass down with a heavy thump. "I must inform the Admiralty, they are not going to like this a bit. Expect to hear from me." The Rear Admiral raised his chin.

"Aye, sir." Pellew gave the appropriate salute. Jameson grunted and took his leave.

Pellew looked at his now empty bottle of spirits and smashed it against the wall.

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Goddwyn leaned over the rail of the quarterdeck, his dark brown hair flapping into his eyes. He brushed it back in agitation, his eyes fixed firmly on the sight below him. Try as he might, he could not make out the Captain's words, even the gestures were subdued and made little sense to his mind. He could have been describing the best way to baste a foul, or caress a woman, or coil a rope. It was all the same from his vantage. The Captain held himself proudly, which wasn't unusual. But he was out without his coat. His white shirt caught the light like a sun onto self, and his state of casualness alarmed Goddwyn. Either the man sought little care since recent events as to his physical state, or something untoward had happened. He had noticed the change in direction, and knew the Captain had been talking to Bushnell quite a bit over the last hour. But he was never in a convenient place to hear what was going on, and for once the Captain was being uncharacteristically tight-lipped.

He heard steps behind him, and pulled back. It was Hornblower. Goddwyn's shoulders relaxed slightly. Here was a man of his own years, a fair man to be sure, and with any luck, a sound ear. He had a reasonable sense about him. Those dark, sharp eyes met his own, and it occurred to Goddwyn that Hornblower was not a man he would like to meet in battle. He had a serious face, tight expression, and especially dangerous eyes. . .he would make a name for himself, that was a certainty. Goddwyn could see recognition flutter across Hornblower's face, and the tense features eased into familiarity. This pleased Goddwyn, for it was a softer expression that he had seen turned only toward his friend Kennedy, the whole time they had been on the ship. So this Hornblower trusted him, then. "Good day to you, sir." Goddwyn's greeting was heartfelt in gesture. Hornblower, however, noticed the lie within.

"What brings you here, that you peer over the railing like a cat eying a mouse?" Horatio walked forward, his hands clasped tightly behind him, and ventured a look. The Captain remained below, his voice muted.

"I merely noticed that our good Captain has neglected his coat, and I wondered if I should fetch it for him."

"Quite a decision, apparently, as you've stood here pondering it for some time." Goddwyn stiffened, but Hornblower's expression was more of curiosity than anything.

"I am. . .also wondering why we've changed course. No one seems to have news."

"I am certain we will hear all in the Captain's own good time. Something strikes me about him, that he likes to keep a person guessing."

"Aye, that he does. Plenty of occasions have arisen when our good Captain has chosen to keep strategy to himself, in order to promote a sense of suspense amongst the men."

"But how does he command like this? How does he battle?" Horatio's brows drew in a tight line. He turned to his companion and rested his elbow comfortably on the rail.

"I don't know." A small laughed escaped him. "But I've seen enough miracles to know that, whatever he does, it invariably works."

"He must have a wealth of knowledge." Hornblower shook his head, his gaze overlooking the far reaches of the deck and the sea beyond. "Why does he command such a small craft? I've always pictured him on a larger vessel."

"He prefers the smaller ships. Says it promotes a sense of family." Goddwyn mirrored Horatio's position. "What about your ship, sir? Is it too large to promote a sense of family?"

Horatio laughed outright at this. "Lord no, man. We practically sleep underneath each other. Only recently did Mr. Kennedy and I manage to secure a cabin to ourselves, but even then there are just too many men aboard for any real privacy. It's nothing but knees and elbows."

"But you get along?"

Horatio considered this with a characteristic pursing of the lips that Goddwyn would come to recognize. "Mostly. Some of the sailors have it out from time to time, but that's mostly being stuck idle on the ship. Give them something to do and they are happy men."

"You and Mr. Kennedy then, you've served together for a while?" He wished his voice hadn't sounded so wistful.

Horatio sent a puzzled smile in his direction. "Well, yes, several years." He shifted. "Do you have any friends on board, Goddwyn?"

"Not as such. I mean, there was Rumbles, but he was lost overboard. We played cards, but didn't talk. Boldshore. Maypin. All gone."

"I am sorry."

"In so far as it was a loss of good men, so am I. Personal loss," he shrugged, "not as much."

"You have no one here to confide in?"

"I fear I rely on my own resources. In case you had not noticed, Captain Rapier keeps older sailors, most of which have been with him longer than I've held breath within me. It was a fluke I arrived, and I've never left."

"Then there must be something here you enjoy."

"I enjoy the looks on the ladies' faces when they find which ship I sail." Goddwyn grinned. "I enjoy the reputation, and the hope that after she docks I'll be commissioned on any ship I please. Maybe even the Indefatigable." He cast a glance towards Horatio.

"Speaking for myself, I would be pleased to have you, you seem a likable enough fellow." Horatio glanced down again. He could see Kennedy below, talking to one of the Lieutenants before disappearing below the hold. "You said this ship was due to dock. Do you mean to be decommissioned?"

"Aye. She has taken her last journey and was headed inland when set upon by that storm."

Horatio's face was troubled. He straightened and took his new friend by the arm, leading him from the rail. "Goddwyn, I assume you trust me with what information you have lain out in the open. Might I trust you in the same manner?"

"Of course."

"Was there a battle before the storm hit? Did you lose most of your men?"

Goddwyn looked confused. "We had a run-in with a ship, aye, but there was no battle. Some of our men went aboard. The Captain never explained why, he just called it 'strategic tactics.' The storm did rid us of plenty of men, sir, but there was no battle." He sought to catch Horatio's eye, which suddenly strayed to the deck. "May I ask why?"

"I will tell you, in time. First I must find Mr. Kennedy." He hesitated, considering their conversation. He knew what it was like to be friendless, and Goddwyn, with his amiable attitude, was as worthy of companionship as any man he'd seen. "Would you meet with us tonight? I think you and Mr. Kennedy would get on fine. We'll find a time between watches, I have a feeling there will be a lot to discuss."

Goddwyn practically glowed. "Of course, Mr. Hornblower! It would be my honor." He bowed deep, in a manner befitting Kennedy's impish moods.

Horatio shook his head, hiding his grin. Lord help me, two of them, and on one ship. I must fear for my sanity!

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"Horatio, surely you misheard."

"Archie, how can one misinterpret that statement? There was no battle."

Archie lay back in his hammock, one arm crossing his face, hiding his expression. He heaved a sigh, and his body sagged with defeat. "What now, then?" he asked plainly. "We are obviously here under false pretenses."

"We were guided here by false pretenses," Horatio corrected, "we are here of our own free will."

"Free will won't get us out of this, I'm afraid. At the moment that is a meaningless phrase set to send hope to the minds of the feeble."

Horatio stared. "Such a mood, Archie! What on earth is the matter?"

Archie flung his arm to the side, his gaze pinned to the boards above him. "I do not know."

"You mean you will not say."

Vivid eyes met his, the expression heightened by a sense of urgency. "I wish to god I could." He turned away, and Horatio was suddenly reminded of the time in the cell in Spain, when Archie turned his back to him at that time when his friend was needed the most. The action made him stand and grab his friend by his good shoulder, forcing Archie to face him. "Archie, please. I will not think any less of you. Let me hear what you have to say." His own eyes were as intense, and Archie steadied himself, then rose to a sitting position. Horatio released his grip, but did not move away.

"I - I feel like we currently serve a madman, Horatio. And yet he has done nothing to merit that remark, but. . .it's his face. His eyes. Have you ever seen such an expression? It's as if the angels themselves have fallen on his graces, and he believes he is to take their charge."

"You think him invincible?"

"I believe he does, yes. I-I was talking to one of the Lieutenants." He took a breath, then looked squarely at Horatio. "I was asking about the change in direction, since no one saw fit to inform us. He vaguely mentioned our destination, and I looked it up discretely on the map in the ready room. Do you realize how far from England we are traveling?"

"This isn't a side trip, then."

"This is an agenda. And I think we should ask him, once and for all, what his intentions are."

Horatio nodded and looked down at his hands. "There is something else, Archie. I was talking with Acting Lt. Goddwyn. We know the Captain asked for us, meaning that for some reason, we specifically are wanted on board. But Goddwyn also said this ship was to be decommissioned. She was returning to England for that purpose."

"Oh, god." Archie swung his legs over, leaning towards his friend. "He's stolen the ship. He's stolen the ship with us on it."

"He's reversed his course," Horatio rephrased, "for some unknown port far from England. He has also unloaded half his men onto another frigate."

"So. . .no war, so obviously no casualties, but the storm? I assume it did not take as many lives as we thought?"

"This ship is as deserted as it is because the Captain wished it so. Probably to provide evidence for his tall tales used to get us on board."

Archie shook his head. "Horatio, what the devil is going on?"

Horatio opened his mouth to speak, and turned at the knock on his door. He and Kennedy exchanged a quick glance before Horatio stood. "Yes?"

"Might I enter, sir?" The voice was rough and not familiar.

"Yes, please."

The door opened to reveal a burly man. "The Cap'n wishes to see you in his quarters, gentlemen." His scowl did not match the eloquence of his words.

"Yes, thank you." Horatio sought the man's face for familiarity, and found it. He had spoken to him before, and with his friend, about the repairs. "And you are?"

"Of no consequence."

Horatio scoffed mildly. "But surely everyone is of some consequence."

"If you say so, sir." The man said no more and stepped aside, waiting for Horatio to pass. Horatio did so, keeping a level eye on the new arrival. Archie stood and picked up his jacket, ready to pass when the burly man stopped him by gripping his elbow. "Your arm, sir," he asked, eyeing the sling and lacking in all sincerity, "has it mended?"

"Nearly, yes, thank you." Archie's wary gaze landed on the hand that was now on his good arm. Horatio had paused just outside, watchful eyes taking in the scene.

"At's good, sir." The formality dropped, and the burly man edged closer. "Would hate to see it worried. Many's a man that lost his rig due to a bum arm."

"Yes, thank you for your concern. I assure you, it's fine." He started out, but wasn't released.

"My friend's a good doc. Fix you right up, all spiffy." Yellowed teeth accentuated his menacing grin.

Archie was starting to look angry, and Horatio decided now was a good time to intervene. "You did say the Captain was expecting us."

"Aye, I did."

"Then shouldn't we take our leave?" He gently insinuated himself between Archie and the man, forcing a release on his hold. "We would hate to have to explain why we were detained." His eyes flashed.

"Was merely offering assistance, no harm in that." The man backed away. "I'll be watching you, Mr. Kennedy sir, make certain that arm of yours don't do you in or nothing." He grinned once more and walked off.

"He speaks as though his act were rehearsed," Kennedy muttered. "You noticed how his manner changed after his message was delivered?"

Horatio released his breath and turned to his friend. Archie was staring after the man, his face expressionless. "Let's be off then. The sooner we can get an explanation, the sooner we can get the hell off this damn ship."

"Gentlemen, please be seated. I'll have some refreshment shortly, perhaps a light snack?" Captain Rapier's manner was extraordinarily courteous. Horatio and Archie were both taken aback, and sat without a sound.

The Captain poured brandy into small crystal goblets. "I have brought you here, because I suffer a slight dilemma. I have received word of an attack on one of our ships in port at Layburn, on the South African coast. This is not to go unrecognized. It is the second of our vessels to have been attacked, and yet our good King sees fit to do nothing. Not only that, but there is word of attacks on our colonies by those damned heathen tribes who claim to own the land. By god, to spear one myself! I'd show them who their true god is, and that he rides a chariot of lumber on the open seas. No one crosses the British, lads, we are the strongest and most superior fighting force in the world, and specialists on water. Now, we must bring that tactic to land, and drive these heathens back before they burn our British settlements and our cargo."

Horatio studied his goblet, while deciding what best to say. "We have already altered course then, sir?"

"We have, and I am certain you noticed. I did not inform you of our orders. . ."

"Orders, sir?"

". . .because I was uncertain as to whether you should accompany us. I had thought to send you back to the Indie. But truth is, Lt. Hornblower," he leaned forwards over Horatio's shoulder, "I need you." Steeled eyes studied the young man for a moment, and he sat heavily in his chair; it creaked in response. "I am an old man, as you can see. My mind. . . It is nothing severe, I assure you, I can command a ship as well as any other, but I need to command. I can not be bothered with these computations and figures as you can. I need you, Hornblower. I've lost many men, I need for you to be my strategist." He eyed Kennedy. "To be truthful, lad, you aren't even supposed to be here. I only wanted Hornblower. However, I have heard that your aim and technique with weaponry is not to be matched this side of the seas. You will deliver the plans that our Lt. Hornblower here conceives, and you will put it into action. We will reach the coast in five days, weather permitting." He hadn't moved, only to dart his keen gaze from one young man to the other. His immobile stature showed the matter to be settled. "Now, what questions have you?"

Hornblower swallowed in order to find his voice. "The other ships, sir, when will they arrive?"

"There are no other ships. We attack alone."

"What about reinforcements on land?"

"Ruins the element of surprise. I did offload half of my crew onto another ship, which shall remain unnamed, in case we should need them." He noticed Kennedy's bewilderment. "You have a question, Mr. Kennedy?"

"You mean as to the sanity of this mission, sir?" Kennedy asked lightly. He deliberately avoided Hornblower's stern glance.

"I understand your reservations, Acting Lieutenant."

"Reservations? With respect, sir, do you intend to take on the entire coast with this one ship? And, again with respect, even the least of our current line out-guns us. From what I can see we have neither the weaponry nor men for such a grandiose task."

"Such negativity will have you killed, man!"

"I doubt very much that negativity will have anything to do with it!"

Rapier leaned forward. "You must trust me. I have been through battles that your good Captain Pellew hasn't had the fortune to dream of. And each time I have emerged victorious. Why?" He leaned in further, and punctuated his remark with a jab of his finger on the table, "Because I am unconventional. I perform the unexpected. As we pull to port, who will believe we will attack? No one. Because we are not an armada, we are not even the most powerful ship. The element of surprise, gentlemen. They will not even have time to prepare, and by then, we will have the advantage."

"Aye, sir," Kennedy retorted, "by being dead, thereby missing the havoc we cause!"

Rapier's eyes drew tight in displeasure. "I don't care much for your tone, young sir. Perhaps it is because your arm pains you, should I send you below for the appropriate remedy?"

"That won't be necessary, Captain Rapier, sir." Horatio shot Archie a look that plainly said, 'for god sake's shut up!'. "He merely expresses his misgivings in a rather. . .emotional. . .way."

"Indeed," Kennedy muttered, then offered a smile. "I apologize for any unwarranted comments. My father always said my tongue was hinged in the middle."

This made the Captain laugh, but then, little could be done when Archie put on the charm. And he was at the moment; his eyes glittered, his cheeks were flushed. It was a cherubic expression, but Horatio knew that the eyes were glittering with checked anger, and his flush confirmed it.

"That is enough talk for now. I am eager to hear of your exploits, Mr. Hornblower, so let us down our drinks whilst I prepare another, and you can tell me more about yourself."

And inwardly, Horatio groaned.

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The conversation pressed on, mostly Rapier's exploits over shadowing the young men's, exploits which were logical only as vague possibilities, not events. Archie commented that night as they returned to their cabin, "There is no possible way the man has achieved that much, and remained alive at sea. Lord Nelson would pale in his presence!"

"For all we know, he has, but I doubt it was from the degree of his adventures." Horatio sighed and removed his shirt, while noticing Archie removing his sling and struggling slightly with his own. He paused, then walked over and carefully eased his friend's arm from the sleeve and pulled the cloth over his head. "Why don't you try tomorrow without the sling? I saw you trying to use your arm a little earlier today, that has to be a good sign."

Archie nodded. "I shall sleep without it, and see how it feels. Perhaps I can be rid of this vile thing." He lifted the sling with two fingers and tossed it into the corner. His arm was held stiffly, and he winced as he tried to move it.

Horatio studied the bruising. "It's looking better, for what that's worth." He placed his hand on the shoulder joint and squeezed every so slightly, testing the depth of the pain, carefully increasing the pressure until Archie pulled away. He nodded. "You should be fine, but no lifting anything."

"No worries." Archie smiled and turned to lay back on his hammock. He pulled a small book from underneath him and held it to his face.

Horatio smiled and lay back, his hands tucked behind his head. "Archie."

"Hmm?"

"How far away do you think this other ship is? The one Captain Rapier offloaded half his crew onto?"

"I don't know," Archie half muttered, already taken in by the words before him, "it would depend on how long ago he put them on board. I assume it was before the storms hit, and in that case there's no telling where she'd be."

"Except that she'd have to be going the same route as we, if she is to provide a possible attack in our defense. I'd be willing to bet she's even ahead of us."

Archie set his red volume down. "What's this about?"

"We have to see them at some point." Horatio sat up and swung his legs over. "The trade winds on the chart run a very narrow path along the coast. To stray too far would put the other ship beyond our means. We are picking up speed. Therefore we should catch her long before Layburn, if I am reading the map correctly."

"And what do you plan to do if we should catch them?"

Horatio gestured half-heartedly. "Talk some sense into them, I hope. Send them back with news of the Captain's intentions. They must know. This could be seen as an intended attack, and could further our complications in the war."

"Could be seen as an intended attack? Horatio, this is a deliberate assault!"

"And therefore we should inform the Admiralty. By way of Captain Pellew, if possible. His is still the closest ship, by my reckoning."

"Or we could just send someone in a jolly boat."

Horatio shot a stern look at Archie, then relented at the sincerity on his friend's face. "It does sound a bit far fetched, I suppose."

"Horatio, you're asking a loyal crew to rise up against a Captain that they hold in the highest regard, just because we've come aboard and said so. And we've been here how long now? This is a seasoned ship, with a seasoned crew, and all much older than we, save for Goddwyn. Even if we did rendevous, you'd be hard pressed to make them believe you. One last glorious battle with Captain Rapier is one last glorious battle to be remembered by all. You'll never detract them from that."

Archie hated hearing Horatio sigh, and this one sounded heavier than most. "You are right, Archie. It was folly."

"It's a shame to dismiss a good idea, and only because it won't work." The ever-present humor lightened the mood. Horatio reached for his jacket and threw it at Archie as their door opened slightly.

"Mr. Hornblower? It's Goddwyn, sir."

"Goddwyn!" Archie was laughing as he threw off the offending coat, and swung his good arm wide. "Please enter our humble abode! And humble is not an exaggeration!"

Goddwyn smiled nervously and entered, then stood at the door uncomfortably.

"For god sake's man, loosen up." Horatio ignored the indolent snort from Archie, and pulled a sea chest to the center of the room. "You have the cards?"

"I have." Goddwyn eagerly reached into his coat. "Gave up part of my rations to get these for the night."

"Perfect, Mr. Goddwyn. Fortunately, Mr. Kennedy and I have a light snack available for just such an occasion." Horatio pulled out two large loaves of bread, courtesy of the dinner table.

Goddwyn grinned. "And I can match that, and more. I wasn't sure before, but I do believe I can trust you gents." Again he reached deep into the large coat he wore, and pulled out a bottle with three small bone cups.

Horatio swallowed. "Goddwyn, I'm not sure. . ."

"Oh come on, then. Captain's already through a bottle, we've open seas, a clear sky, and no scheduled watches for us until dawn. It is time to eat, drink, and be merry while we are alive to do so!"

"Not shy at all, is he Horatio? That was a ploy he pulled at our door, just to test our mettle. Well, good sir, I shall compensate by testing your own at this game?"

"He really can't play, you know." Horatio said straight-faced. This was rewarded by a smack on the head from Archie. And the cards were dealt.