Note: *sigh* I wish I owned Pellew..those brown eyes..
Other Note: If you pause Duty a split second after the shell explodes the boat, Hornblower's eyes are glowing red, and he looks Satanic! Oooh, fun!
Sir Edward Pellew massaged his temples and wished his headache would go away. After hours of sorting through papers, informing every relation of his that he was soon to leave, finding able seamen for his crew, and dealing with certain presumptuous officials, Pellew was ready to get dead drunk and forget the world for a while. The temptation was strong, but he reminded himself sternly that that was not how a gentleman behaves. Sighing deeply, he flopped down on a chair.
No sooner did he do so, when there was a knock on his door. "Enter!" Pellew snapped, fatigue and worry getting the better of him. A dark eyed gangly lieutenant with wild curly hair flying in every direction nervously opened the door. Pellew smiled. Hornblower reminded him so strongly of himself when he was younger. The boy, (-no, young man, he corrected himself) was going to be wonderful officer, Pellew could just see it. Snapping himself out of his reverie, he said "Yes, what is it?" Hornblower stood to attention.
"I've heard a rumor sir," he said
"Yes?" prompted Pellew
"Well, someone told me that we were going to be serving under a commodore" Hornblower blushed at using the word 'we' in referring to his superior officer. Pellew didn't even notice. He was horrified at what Hornblower was telling him.
"What! You mean you've already heard of the plan?" He struggled to keep his voice at a normal tone. It would not do for a captain to show panic.
"Um, y-yes sir" stuttered Hornblower. Pellew put his face in his hands and groaned.
"Do you know what this means, Mr. Hornblower? It means there is a leak at the Admiralty! It means there is a big leak at the Admiralty! It means that to prevent the French from knowing our every move, there will be a huge witch hunt to find the spy!" Pellew was practically yelling by the end of this speech. At Hornblower's stricken face, he stopped. "It's not your fault man. Thank you for telling me. That will be all." Hornblower saluted and left the cabin. Pellew mentally cursed. Hornblower probably thought he was mad at him now. When would he learn not to reflect his stress in his voice?
Pellew sighed, and swung on his coat. Grabbing his hat from the back of his chair, he stomped out of his cabin, nearly slamming into a marine in the process. With a mumbled apology, he climbed up the hatch to the deck. Seeing their captain dressed for going ashore, they bustled to get his boat crew organized, and a boat in the water. Pellew paced back and forth impatiently. He could only imagine what the French might figure out from the information leak. He winced, contemplating the damage that could be done. He urged the men to hurry.
* * *
With trepidation in his heart, Pellew ran up the steps, and for the second time, almost fell into the Admiralty. Admiral Hood and a captain Pellew remembered seeing at the briefing looked up. Hood looked disapproving. "What is it? Are you aware that you're disrupting a conversation?" He said, in his usual insolent tone. Pellew had to mentally remind himself that this was his superior officer, and yelling at him to hold his tongue would definitely not serve any useful purpose.
"Sir, one of my officers has already heard of the plan." Pellew said quickly. Hood's squinty black eyes widened in shock
"What! How could he." asked Hood, as pale as parchment.
"I think there is an information leak somewhere in the Admiralty" said Pellew. He sighed. "I suppose we should make inquiries."
"That wont be necessary," said the captain that had been talking to Hood. "I think I know how the leak happened." Both Pellew and Hood turned to look at him in surprise. He was a well put-together man; very tall and thin, but with a broad chest and a muscular build. He had long brownish blond hair, and green eyes the color of a snake's back.
"Oh, pardon my manners," said Admiral Hood "Captain Pellew, this is Captain Fowler. The tall man politely bowed, which Pellew returned. "He's one of the Captains who will be serving with you," the admiral continued. Pellew idly wondered if the admiral realized that this was painfully obvious. This Captain Fowler fellow certainly seemed to. He had an annoyed look on his face.
"May I continue, sir?" Fowler asked. Hood waved his assent with one hand, while taking a sip of port with the other. Fowler cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid Captain Hill is friends with Captain Lynley, whose tongue isn't at all guarded, if you catch my meaning," he paused, and seemed to consider his next words. "I fear that they tend to um.discuss their latest assignments."
"This must stop!" bellowed Hood, his pale face flushing red with anger. Pellew silently nodded agreement.
"I'll tell him, sir," volunteered Fowler
"Very well, do so" returned Hood, in a tone that dismissed them both. Pellew and Fowler both turned around, and together walked out of the admiralty.
Other Note: If you pause Duty a split second after the shell explodes the boat, Hornblower's eyes are glowing red, and he looks Satanic! Oooh, fun!
Sir Edward Pellew massaged his temples and wished his headache would go away. After hours of sorting through papers, informing every relation of his that he was soon to leave, finding able seamen for his crew, and dealing with certain presumptuous officials, Pellew was ready to get dead drunk and forget the world for a while. The temptation was strong, but he reminded himself sternly that that was not how a gentleman behaves. Sighing deeply, he flopped down on a chair.
No sooner did he do so, when there was a knock on his door. "Enter!" Pellew snapped, fatigue and worry getting the better of him. A dark eyed gangly lieutenant with wild curly hair flying in every direction nervously opened the door. Pellew smiled. Hornblower reminded him so strongly of himself when he was younger. The boy, (-no, young man, he corrected himself) was going to be wonderful officer, Pellew could just see it. Snapping himself out of his reverie, he said "Yes, what is it?" Hornblower stood to attention.
"I've heard a rumor sir," he said
"Yes?" prompted Pellew
"Well, someone told me that we were going to be serving under a commodore" Hornblower blushed at using the word 'we' in referring to his superior officer. Pellew didn't even notice. He was horrified at what Hornblower was telling him.
"What! You mean you've already heard of the plan?" He struggled to keep his voice at a normal tone. It would not do for a captain to show panic.
"Um, y-yes sir" stuttered Hornblower. Pellew put his face in his hands and groaned.
"Do you know what this means, Mr. Hornblower? It means there is a leak at the Admiralty! It means there is a big leak at the Admiralty! It means that to prevent the French from knowing our every move, there will be a huge witch hunt to find the spy!" Pellew was practically yelling by the end of this speech. At Hornblower's stricken face, he stopped. "It's not your fault man. Thank you for telling me. That will be all." Hornblower saluted and left the cabin. Pellew mentally cursed. Hornblower probably thought he was mad at him now. When would he learn not to reflect his stress in his voice?
Pellew sighed, and swung on his coat. Grabbing his hat from the back of his chair, he stomped out of his cabin, nearly slamming into a marine in the process. With a mumbled apology, he climbed up the hatch to the deck. Seeing their captain dressed for going ashore, they bustled to get his boat crew organized, and a boat in the water. Pellew paced back and forth impatiently. He could only imagine what the French might figure out from the information leak. He winced, contemplating the damage that could be done. He urged the men to hurry.
* * *
With trepidation in his heart, Pellew ran up the steps, and for the second time, almost fell into the Admiralty. Admiral Hood and a captain Pellew remembered seeing at the briefing looked up. Hood looked disapproving. "What is it? Are you aware that you're disrupting a conversation?" He said, in his usual insolent tone. Pellew had to mentally remind himself that this was his superior officer, and yelling at him to hold his tongue would definitely not serve any useful purpose.
"Sir, one of my officers has already heard of the plan." Pellew said quickly. Hood's squinty black eyes widened in shock
"What! How could he." asked Hood, as pale as parchment.
"I think there is an information leak somewhere in the Admiralty" said Pellew. He sighed. "I suppose we should make inquiries."
"That wont be necessary," said the captain that had been talking to Hood. "I think I know how the leak happened." Both Pellew and Hood turned to look at him in surprise. He was a well put-together man; very tall and thin, but with a broad chest and a muscular build. He had long brownish blond hair, and green eyes the color of a snake's back.
"Oh, pardon my manners," said Admiral Hood "Captain Pellew, this is Captain Fowler. The tall man politely bowed, which Pellew returned. "He's one of the Captains who will be serving with you," the admiral continued. Pellew idly wondered if the admiral realized that this was painfully obvious. This Captain Fowler fellow certainly seemed to. He had an annoyed look on his face.
"May I continue, sir?" Fowler asked. Hood waved his assent with one hand, while taking a sip of port with the other. Fowler cleared his throat.
"I'm afraid Captain Hill is friends with Captain Lynley, whose tongue isn't at all guarded, if you catch my meaning," he paused, and seemed to consider his next words. "I fear that they tend to um.discuss their latest assignments."
"This must stop!" bellowed Hood, his pale face flushing red with anger. Pellew silently nodded agreement.
"I'll tell him, sir," volunteered Fowler
"Very well, do so" returned Hood, in a tone that dismissed them both. Pellew and Fowler both turned around, and together walked out of the admiralty.