Hood eyed him gravely. 'He's a good flag officer. He knows what to do.'
Bolitho stood up, knowing the interview was over. He turned as Hood said suddenly, 'I sent for you personally because I want you to realise the importance of this mission. Whatever happens, and I mean just that, I want that island taken without delay. If the French have time to garrison it properly they will be in a position to harry my supply ships and spy on everything I do. My fleet is stretched to the limit already. I cannot afford to send more ships to watch Cozar for the rest of time. Do I make myself clear?'
The door opened a few inches and the flag-lieutenant said desperately. 'I beg your pardon, my lord, but the captain of gamemnon has come aboard and wishes to have an audience with you.'
Instead of flying into a rage Hood gave a rare smile. 'That's young Captain Nelson, a contemporary of yours, Bolitho. Well, he's going to be disappointed this time.' His hooded eyes glinted with amusement. 'He'll have heard about the Cozar business, and like you he is a man who prefers to act on his own sometimes!'
Bolitho toyed with the idea of suggesting a change of orders when Hood added briefly, 'But his Agamemnon is a fast ship. I'll need her here if things go against us.'
'Yes, sir.' He thought of Rooke's contemptuous words, 'She's as slow as an old cow!' and added, 'Hyperion will show her ability when the time comes.'
The admiral stared at him. 'I never doubted it, my boy.' He chuckled as Bolitho walked towards the door. 'I doubt that the war will end tomorrow. There will be plenty of opportunities yet!'
Bolitho walked out of the door and almost cannoned into a harassed flag-lieutenant who immediately thrust a large sealed envelope into his hand and muttered, 'Your orders, sir. Vice-Admiral Sir William Moresby will be shifting his flag to Hyperion from the Cadmus within the hour. May I suggest you make haste back to your ship, sir? Sir William is, er, rather rigid in his requirements about being properly greeted.'
Bolitho grunted and hurried towards the entry port, his mind buzzing with the swift turn of events. Cadmus was a big three-decker. No doubt Lord Hood needed her too, he decided bitterly.
The flagship's captain was waiting with the side party and gave Bolitho a worried smile. It could not be easy to serve in the same ship as Lord Hood.
' But as Bolitho clambered down into his waiting barge he forgot him and turned his mind to the problems of turning Hyperion into a flagship. She was no three-decker, and Sir William might find it somewhat crowded.
The barge pulled clear, and Bolitho saw Allday watching him anxiously from the tiller. Then he looked back at the towering side of the Victory and guessed that already his short visit had also been forgotten.
Then as he glanced up at the flagship's great quarterdeck he saw a slight, even frail, figure leaning on the nettings and watching him. His uniform was more faded than Bolitho's, and his hair tied back in a stiff, unfashionable queue. As the barge crew pulled lustily around the Victory's quarter Bolitho saw the other man raise his hand in what might be a salute or a gesture of resignation.
Bolitho lifted his hand to his hat in reply. It must be Nelson of the Agamemnon, he thought. Such a fragile figure for a captain of a ship of the line, and on the Victory's quarterdeck he.looked dejected and lost.
Bolitho settled himself grimly in the sternsheets and stared across at his own command. Well, this Nelson had nothing to be jealous about, he thought angrily. He could have the Cozar operation and welcome!
Allday lowered his head and asked softly, 'Good news, Captain? Are we staying with the fleet?'
Bolitho glared at him. 'Attend to your steering! This barge is swaying like a Portsmouth whore!'
Allday watched the back of Bolitho's shoulders and smiled to himself. For months he had worried about Bolitho's health. Opposition from above was better than any medicine, he thought cheerfully. But heaven help the French!
3. DECISION FOR SIR WILLIAM
Bolitho waited beneath the poop just long enough to accustom his eyes to the gloom and then strode out on to the quarterdeck. At first glance there was little to show that the dawn hovered just below the invisible horizon, but as he looked up through the dark tracery of rigging and beyond the ghostlike outlines of the sails he noticed that the stars were paler and the sky, instead of being like black velvet, now held that strange purple hue which never failed to. fill him with pleasure.
A shadow loomed from the quarterdeck rail and Quarme said, The dawn'll be up within thirty minutes, sir. I had the hands called an hour early as you ordered, and they have all been fed.'
Bolitho nodded. 'Very good.' His vision was improving, or was the light already strengthening? He heard the splash and sizzle of embers alongside and knew that the cooks were throwing the remains of the galley fire overboard, also in accordance with his instructions. He suddenly felt stiff and cramped, and wished he had taken the time for another mug of coffee.
With Vice-Admiral Moresby occupying his quarters Bolitho had been sleeping in a makeshift cot in the chartroom. Most captains would have taken over their first lieutenants' cabins under such circumstances, but Bolitho found the cramped privacy of the tiny chartroom more suitable for his present mood of uncertainty and doubt.
For nearly three days the Hyperion with two Spanish ships in company had headed for the island of Cozar. Days of irritations and maddening conferences between Moresby and the Spanish admiral, which had uncovered little but the intention of each man to have his own way. Now the two other ships were miles astern, having hove to for the night with the usual Spanish indifference for urgency and timing.
Bolitho said suddenly, 'Hands aloft, Mr. Quarme. Get the topgallants and courses in, if you please. Tops'ls and jib will suffice for our purposes.' He heard Quarme passing his orders and saw the immediate air of activity across the maindeck.
According to his careful calculations the island now lay some four miles off the starboard bow, and with the sun soon to rise astern of her, Hyperion would be less visible to a drowsy sentry if stripped down to minimum canvas. In the light airs the slower speed would be an additional advantage.
All- his inbuilt caution might be proved as empty as the Spanish admiral,had outspokenly declared on the previous afternoon when he and his two captains had been rowed across to the Hyperion for another long conference. Cozar might indeed- still be in Spanish hands, and his preparations, his stealthy approach under cover of night, might show as a waste of time. But Bolitho respected the French as much as he disliked them. They would be foolish to overlook the possibilities presented by such a formidable fortress.
The Spanish admiral, Don Francisco Anduaga, was a tall, disdainful autocrat who had made no bones right from the start about what he thought of serving under Moresby's overall command. Moresby was a thickset, aggressive little man who showed little interest in Anduaga's more sensitive feelings, and ploughed through the planned arrangements with the stubbornness of a bull terrier. And the arrangements about which they could agree were few indeed. An acceptance of British signals, a rough plan of approach, but little more beside.
But Anduaga had brought one useful addition on his last visit. A swarthy lieutenant who had actually served at Cozar Island when it was used as a penal settlement. His facts were impressive, but only to those who actually controlled the island from within.
Barely five miles from end to end, it sounded the most inhospitable place on earth. Surrounded by steep, dangerous cliffs and scattered rocks it was only accessible by way of the great natural harbour on its southern side, and then by one landing place below the battery of a strong hill fortress. There was a 'smaller hill at the other end of the island with an ancient Moorish castle and a lesser battery to forestall anyone foolhardy enough to attempt to storm the cliffs by day or night. And between the two hills was one central one which rose to over a thousand feet, and from which even a halfblind lookout could see an approaching ship before it topped the horizon.