El burro sabe mas que tu, I don't own, so please don't sue.
Captain Sir Edward Pellew realized with a barely stifled groan that he was almost five minutes late for his summons to the Admiralty. He took pride in being a punctual man, which made his frustration all the greater. And he was sure Admiral Hood would make some comment calculated to shame him in front of the other captains. This, he could not bear. He leaned forward and rapped on the wall of the carriage.
'yessir?' came the rather impudent sounding voice of his driver, a skinny lad of no more than fifteen
'Hurry up, there! It'll cost you if I'm late, boy!' snapped Pellew, his anxiety making him cross. Then he immediately regretted it. A wealthy sea captain shouldn't begrudge a few pennies from a poor boy just because he hated Admiralty summons. With a sigh, he sank back into his seat.
In lieu of anything to do, he reached inside his coat pocket and brought out the orders that had summoned him to the Admiralty. They were singularly odd. He was inclined to think that some incompetent clerk had confused his name with someone else's. Who ever heard of six senior captains serving in a fleet under a commodore? That was usually reserved for the most junior captains, who couldn't be trusted to command a ship on their own.
With a jolt which almost sent Pellew flying, the carriage stopped in front of the Admiralty. Tossing some coins at the driver without looking at them, he sprinted away up the steps. If the boy's face was anything to go by, he had over tipped him to the point of absurdity. Stifling the oath when he almost tripped over his own sword in an effort not to be late, he all but fell into the room where the other captains were waiting to be briefed.
'Woke up too late, did we, Mr. Pelloo?' inquired Captain Foster's drawling voice. 'Or perhaps you wanted to make a dramatic entrance for the commodore?' With a non-committal grunt, Pellew took his seat, and hoped to god he was not blushing with shame. That Foster! It was the most horrible luck imaginable that they had to sail together. With caution, he examined the other faces around the table. Besides Foster, he did not recognize any of them. The square jawed captain across from him smiled, held out his hand and said
'Captain Winter, at your service. Are you the Pellew who was in The Chronicle just the other day?'
'Was I?' stammered Pellew, caught off guard. 'I'm sorry, I didn't read it.'
'Oh you were, your frigate, um....'
'Indefatigable'
'Yes! That's the one! She's famous for picking up prizes twice her force in guns. You are a very well known man, sir.'
Pellew smiled. 'thank you.' He looked around slyly for what Foster thought of all this, and was viciously pleased when he saw the jealousy in Foster's eyes. Foster lived for publicity, something which Pellew abhorred.
'So, does anyone know why in heaven's name we are all brought together in a fleet?' asked the captain at Foster's right.
All five captains looked at him. A little embarrassed at all this attention, the man blinked a little, but continued
'I mean, every one of us has several years' seniority! Why are we here?'
There was murmured agreement from all the captains. They had probably wondered this also.
'Well, we'll know when the commodore comes to brief us on this mission' said Pellew, 'and until then, I don't see the point in discussing it.'
There was nodded agreement from everyone except The admiral would not look kindly on captains whose tongues wagged too freely. Pellew did not want to be caught discussing top secret Admiralty plans, even though there were few safer places than the Admiralty House.
Captain Sir Edward Pellew realized with a barely stifled groan that he was almost five minutes late for his summons to the Admiralty. He took pride in being a punctual man, which made his frustration all the greater. And he was sure Admiral Hood would make some comment calculated to shame him in front of the other captains. This, he could not bear. He leaned forward and rapped on the wall of the carriage.
'yessir?' came the rather impudent sounding voice of his driver, a skinny lad of no more than fifteen
'Hurry up, there! It'll cost you if I'm late, boy!' snapped Pellew, his anxiety making him cross. Then he immediately regretted it. A wealthy sea captain shouldn't begrudge a few pennies from a poor boy just because he hated Admiralty summons. With a sigh, he sank back into his seat.
In lieu of anything to do, he reached inside his coat pocket and brought out the orders that had summoned him to the Admiralty. They were singularly odd. He was inclined to think that some incompetent clerk had confused his name with someone else's. Who ever heard of six senior captains serving in a fleet under a commodore? That was usually reserved for the most junior captains, who couldn't be trusted to command a ship on their own.
With a jolt which almost sent Pellew flying, the carriage stopped in front of the Admiralty. Tossing some coins at the driver without looking at them, he sprinted away up the steps. If the boy's face was anything to go by, he had over tipped him to the point of absurdity. Stifling the oath when he almost tripped over his own sword in an effort not to be late, he all but fell into the room where the other captains were waiting to be briefed.
'Woke up too late, did we, Mr. Pelloo?' inquired Captain Foster's drawling voice. 'Or perhaps you wanted to make a dramatic entrance for the commodore?' With a non-committal grunt, Pellew took his seat, and hoped to god he was not blushing with shame. That Foster! It was the most horrible luck imaginable that they had to sail together. With caution, he examined the other faces around the table. Besides Foster, he did not recognize any of them. The square jawed captain across from him smiled, held out his hand and said
'Captain Winter, at your service. Are you the Pellew who was in The Chronicle just the other day?'
'Was I?' stammered Pellew, caught off guard. 'I'm sorry, I didn't read it.'
'Oh you were, your frigate, um....'
'Indefatigable'
'Yes! That's the one! She's famous for picking up prizes twice her force in guns. You are a very well known man, sir.'
Pellew smiled. 'thank you.' He looked around slyly for what Foster thought of all this, and was viciously pleased when he saw the jealousy in Foster's eyes. Foster lived for publicity, something which Pellew abhorred.
'So, does anyone know why in heaven's name we are all brought together in a fleet?' asked the captain at Foster's right.
All five captains looked at him. A little embarrassed at all this attention, the man blinked a little, but continued
'I mean, every one of us has several years' seniority! Why are we here?'
There was murmured agreement from all the captains. They had probably wondered this also.
'Well, we'll know when the commodore comes to brief us on this mission' said Pellew, 'and until then, I don't see the point in discussing it.'
There was nodded agreement from everyone except The admiral would not look kindly on captains whose tongues wagged too freely. Pellew did not want to be caught discussing top secret Admiralty plans, even though there were few safer places than the Admiralty House.