Chapter Two – The Warning
"Hello. Who are you?"
Horatio turned quickly. It had been a boy's voice, and it was a boy behind him, a boy a little smaller than Horatio himself, but wearing the midshipman's uniform that said he had passed his twelfth birthday. He had blond hair and seemed friendly, but Horatio's schooldays had not made him inclined to trust friendliness in other boys.
"My name is Hornblower," he said, attempting to imitate the formality he had seen in the ship's officers, "I'm a ship's boy at the moment."
"Well, I could tell that," the other boy said cheerfully. "Don't you have a first name?"
"Horatio," he admitted reluctantly.
"Horatio Hornblower, there a tongue twister!" the other boy laughed, and Horatio's eyes dropped sullenly, but instead of rubbing it in, as Horatio expected he continued without a pause, "I'm Archie Kennedy. Have you been here long?"
"Three weeks," Horatio said. Curiosity compelled him to add, "I haven't seen you before."
"That's because I've been in the sick-berth with measles," the other boy informed him. "Have you had measles? I didn't like it much, I can tell you." Horatio being tongue tied, he swept on without seeming to be worried by the lack of response. "I've been a midshipman for nearly a year now. How long before you get to be one? You are going to be a midshipman aren't you?"
"I hope so," Horatio stumbled, "About three months now, until I turn twelve."
"Well, that's good. It's much better being a midshipman than being a ship's boy. And I'm a long way the youngest at the moment, so I'll be pretty glad when you join. I'll be able to show you the ropes. Do you know any good games? It can be dull, with all the waiting in harbour."
"Surely there's a lot to learn?" Hornblower said hesitantly.
"Oh, yes, but it's not so easy getting anyone to show you. I wish we could get to sea again, that's really glorious, you'll like it. I'd like to be in a storm best, that would be exciting, don't you think?"
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by this outpouring, Horatio muttered something about having work to do and almost fled the scene.
#
But he was not to get away so easily, for it seemed that Archie Kennedy was not about to let go of the company of a boy his own age. Whenever Horatio had some free time, he was likely to show up, eager to play, or explore the ship, or just to talk. And Horatio was not the kind of boy to meet such approaches with open rudeness. Nor was Archie one to be put off by a little thing like marked lack of enthusiasm. As the time passed Horatio found himself starting to look forward to their meetings. Archie brought with him a sense of fun that the young Horatio had never experienced before. Although he was barely aware of it, he was discovering for the first time, what it was like to share easy companionship with a boy his own age. What it was to have a friend.
Edward, observing the new friendship, was less than enthusiastic. It seemed to him that the young Kennedy was more than likely to lead Horatio astray and destroy the seriousness of purpose that set him apart from other boys. Kennedy struck him as a boy that was likely to be trouble: heedless, light-headed and probably insensitive. Horatio was more vulnerable than he appeared on the surface, this friendship could cause him hurt. His fears seemed to be confirmed when both boys were reprimanded for rowdiness above decks and given punishment duties by the First Lieutenant. The not-too- serious results of their good fun seemed to leave Kennedy quite untouched, but Horatio was visibly subdued. Nonetheless Edward felt it better not to try and interfere. For one thing, the boy would probably react sharply against any such attempt. For another, it was not his business.
To his pleasure, within a very short time the friendship seemed to be tailing off. The young Kennedy was less often seen above-decks, and when he did appear, no longer sought Horatio's company. Insofar as he thought about it at all, Edward assumed he had found his place amongst the older midshipmen, and could no longer be bothered with the company of a mere ship's boy. It did occur to him that Horatio might be pained, and he went out of his way to be especially nice to him for the next couple of weeks.
In fact Horatio was indeed hurt, although he did not acknowledge the fact to himself. His one or two tentative attempts to seek Archie out met with rebuffs, not harsh or rude, but nonetheless hurtful to his sensitive nature. He was far too diffident to attempt to press the issue, and simply withdrew back to the isolation he had previously lived in. If Archie did not wish for his company any longer, then that was simply a fact to be accepted, not in any way wondered over or speculated upon. Having never been accustomed to be thought much of by other boys, he was not even surprised. But beneath his even manner there was a stab of pain.
One day, however, Archie did seek him out. If Horatio had been a more perceptive observer of others he might have noticed that his friend looked pale and there were shadows beneath his eyes. He did not notice it, though, and intended to give a cold response to whatever Archie might have to say. Yet the first words, blurted out, took him enough aback that he forgot the intention.
"Do you still mean to become a midshipman?"
"Of course I do!" Horatio said indignantly.
"Well, don't," Archie told him.
"What do you mean, don't?" Horatio objected angrily. "I want to be a midshipman. Anyway, I'm going to be one as soon as I turn twelve."
"But you don't have to be, do you?" Archie insisted, "Tell the captain that you don't want to be, that you've changed your mind."
"But I do want to be!" Horatio insisted, getting angry now.
"No," Archie insisted, shaking his head, "No, you don't. Please, Horatio, you don't want to be a midshipman."
"Why are you trying to stop me?" Horatio demanded. "Don't you want me to be a midshipman with you?"
"I'm trying to help you," Archie insisted, almost feverishly. "Stay as you are, or go home, or anything, just don't come into our berth."
"I'm going to be a midshipman! And I want to be an officer. And you can't stop me!"
"Then tell the captain you want to go to another ship. Any ship. Just not this one, Horatio, don't be a midshipman here."
"You don't want me in your berth, do you?" Horatio's voice was furious with hurt. "Well, you can't stop me. The captain took me on this ship, it's nothing to do with you."
"No," Archie told him wretchedly, "No. I'm just telling you –" But Horatio had already swung away.
#
Horatio was awash with pride on the first day he donned his midshipman's uniform. After his time on board he knew at least the rudiments of his new duties pretty well, and the confidence this gave helped override some of his natural diffidence. Lt Pellew's congratulations were all that was needed to put the seal on his satisfaction.
He was not, however, quite so enthusiastic about moving to the midshipman's berth. Against his will, the shadow of the estrangement from the first real friend he had ever known took a little of the edge from his pleasure.
A shy boy, he approached the berth on his first evening with considerable nervousness. In fact he was hoping to simply slip inside without attracting attention, but no such good fortune awaited.
"Well," the man at the head of the table drawled, "another little lamb. What's your name then?"
Stammering under the cold gaze, Horatio gave his name.
"Now who saddled you with a burden like that, I wonder?" The man was smiling as he spoke, but it was not a reassuring look. "Never mind. Old Jack will have it out of you – when he chooses."
"Hello. Who are you?"
Horatio turned quickly. It had been a boy's voice, and it was a boy behind him, a boy a little smaller than Horatio himself, but wearing the midshipman's uniform that said he had passed his twelfth birthday. He had blond hair and seemed friendly, but Horatio's schooldays had not made him inclined to trust friendliness in other boys.
"My name is Hornblower," he said, attempting to imitate the formality he had seen in the ship's officers, "I'm a ship's boy at the moment."
"Well, I could tell that," the other boy said cheerfully. "Don't you have a first name?"
"Horatio," he admitted reluctantly.
"Horatio Hornblower, there a tongue twister!" the other boy laughed, and Horatio's eyes dropped sullenly, but instead of rubbing it in, as Horatio expected he continued without a pause, "I'm Archie Kennedy. Have you been here long?"
"Three weeks," Horatio said. Curiosity compelled him to add, "I haven't seen you before."
"That's because I've been in the sick-berth with measles," the other boy informed him. "Have you had measles? I didn't like it much, I can tell you." Horatio being tongue tied, he swept on without seeming to be worried by the lack of response. "I've been a midshipman for nearly a year now. How long before you get to be one? You are going to be a midshipman aren't you?"
"I hope so," Horatio stumbled, "About three months now, until I turn twelve."
"Well, that's good. It's much better being a midshipman than being a ship's boy. And I'm a long way the youngest at the moment, so I'll be pretty glad when you join. I'll be able to show you the ropes. Do you know any good games? It can be dull, with all the waiting in harbour."
"Surely there's a lot to learn?" Hornblower said hesitantly.
"Oh, yes, but it's not so easy getting anyone to show you. I wish we could get to sea again, that's really glorious, you'll like it. I'd like to be in a storm best, that would be exciting, don't you think?"
Feeling a bit overwhelmed by this outpouring, Horatio muttered something about having work to do and almost fled the scene.
#
But he was not to get away so easily, for it seemed that Archie Kennedy was not about to let go of the company of a boy his own age. Whenever Horatio had some free time, he was likely to show up, eager to play, or explore the ship, or just to talk. And Horatio was not the kind of boy to meet such approaches with open rudeness. Nor was Archie one to be put off by a little thing like marked lack of enthusiasm. As the time passed Horatio found himself starting to look forward to their meetings. Archie brought with him a sense of fun that the young Horatio had never experienced before. Although he was barely aware of it, he was discovering for the first time, what it was like to share easy companionship with a boy his own age. What it was to have a friend.
Edward, observing the new friendship, was less than enthusiastic. It seemed to him that the young Kennedy was more than likely to lead Horatio astray and destroy the seriousness of purpose that set him apart from other boys. Kennedy struck him as a boy that was likely to be trouble: heedless, light-headed and probably insensitive. Horatio was more vulnerable than he appeared on the surface, this friendship could cause him hurt. His fears seemed to be confirmed when both boys were reprimanded for rowdiness above decks and given punishment duties by the First Lieutenant. The not-too- serious results of their good fun seemed to leave Kennedy quite untouched, but Horatio was visibly subdued. Nonetheless Edward felt it better not to try and interfere. For one thing, the boy would probably react sharply against any such attempt. For another, it was not his business.
To his pleasure, within a very short time the friendship seemed to be tailing off. The young Kennedy was less often seen above-decks, and when he did appear, no longer sought Horatio's company. Insofar as he thought about it at all, Edward assumed he had found his place amongst the older midshipmen, and could no longer be bothered with the company of a mere ship's boy. It did occur to him that Horatio might be pained, and he went out of his way to be especially nice to him for the next couple of weeks.
In fact Horatio was indeed hurt, although he did not acknowledge the fact to himself. His one or two tentative attempts to seek Archie out met with rebuffs, not harsh or rude, but nonetheless hurtful to his sensitive nature. He was far too diffident to attempt to press the issue, and simply withdrew back to the isolation he had previously lived in. If Archie did not wish for his company any longer, then that was simply a fact to be accepted, not in any way wondered over or speculated upon. Having never been accustomed to be thought much of by other boys, he was not even surprised. But beneath his even manner there was a stab of pain.
One day, however, Archie did seek him out. If Horatio had been a more perceptive observer of others he might have noticed that his friend looked pale and there were shadows beneath his eyes. He did not notice it, though, and intended to give a cold response to whatever Archie might have to say. Yet the first words, blurted out, took him enough aback that he forgot the intention.
"Do you still mean to become a midshipman?"
"Of course I do!" Horatio said indignantly.
"Well, don't," Archie told him.
"What do you mean, don't?" Horatio objected angrily. "I want to be a midshipman. Anyway, I'm going to be one as soon as I turn twelve."
"But you don't have to be, do you?" Archie insisted, "Tell the captain that you don't want to be, that you've changed your mind."
"But I do want to be!" Horatio insisted, getting angry now.
"No," Archie insisted, shaking his head, "No, you don't. Please, Horatio, you don't want to be a midshipman."
"Why are you trying to stop me?" Horatio demanded. "Don't you want me to be a midshipman with you?"
"I'm trying to help you," Archie insisted, almost feverishly. "Stay as you are, or go home, or anything, just don't come into our berth."
"I'm going to be a midshipman! And I want to be an officer. And you can't stop me!"
"Then tell the captain you want to go to another ship. Any ship. Just not this one, Horatio, don't be a midshipman here."
"You don't want me in your berth, do you?" Horatio's voice was furious with hurt. "Well, you can't stop me. The captain took me on this ship, it's nothing to do with you."
"No," Archie told him wretchedly, "No. I'm just telling you –" But Horatio had already swung away.
#
Horatio was awash with pride on the first day he donned his midshipman's uniform. After his time on board he knew at least the rudiments of his new duties pretty well, and the confidence this gave helped override some of his natural diffidence. Lt Pellew's congratulations were all that was needed to put the seal on his satisfaction.
He was not, however, quite so enthusiastic about moving to the midshipman's berth. Against his will, the shadow of the estrangement from the first real friend he had ever known took a little of the edge from his pleasure.
A shy boy, he approached the berth on his first evening with considerable nervousness. In fact he was hoping to simply slip inside without attracting attention, but no such good fortune awaited.
"Well," the man at the head of the table drawled, "another little lamb. What's your name then?"
Stammering under the cold gaze, Horatio gave his name.
"Now who saddled you with a burden like that, I wonder?" The man was smiling as he spoke, but it was not a reassuring look. "Never mind. Old Jack will have it out of you – when he chooses."