The corporal looked at Ramage.
"You don't remember me, do you, sir?"
"I thought your face was familiar."
"The Belette, sir. 'Afore I got promoted. When you was wounded. My proudest day, sir. You was wonderful, sir; I'll never forget 'ow you took command. Cor, yer looked dreffel wiv that cut on yer 'ead!"
The corporal's eyes widened. "Why, sir, yer got two scars there nar!"
"St Vincent," Ramage said briefly. "The French seem to like my head!"
Satisfying though it was to know the corporal was friendly, and grateful as he was for the information about Captain Croucher's troubles with the Admiral, he wanted his letter delivered to La Perla.
The corporal took it. "Mr Hobson passed the word, sir. I'll send my best man out wiv it. Oh - it ain't sealed, sir."
"I've no wax. Can you get any?"
"Aye, sir, no trouble at all."
"Just seal it and give it to your man."
"Leave it ter me, sir," the corporal said, flattered at Ramage's trust in him. He returned in a few minutes to report the letter sealed and on its way to La Perla, and apologizing for having to shut and lock the door.
An hour later there was a peremptory rap on the door which flew open to admit a shrivelled little man who strutted like a bantam cock and wore tiny, steel-rimmed spectacles that stuck on his nose like a price label.
"The deputy judge advocate!" he announced in a high-pitched voice that fitted the body like a squeak would a rusty hinge.
Ramage remained seated, eyed the man and said: "What about him?"
"I am the deputy judge advocate."
"Your manners are certainly familiar; what's your name?"
"Harold Syme," he said, oblivious of Ramage's snub. "I have come to serve you with the charges."
Ramage held out his hand for the papers. Puzzled at Ramage's silence, he began fumbling in the leather bag which had been tucked under his arm.
"The charges are exhibited by Rear-Admiral Goddard. They are capital charges."
Ramage gestured impatiently with his hand.
"Deliver any documents necessary, please. I am busy."
"Busy? Why-"
"I will let you have the names of my witnesses in due course," Ramage said. "The documents?"
The man burrowed into his case, took out several papers and handed them to Ramage as if they were delicate, breakable objects. Ramage tossed them carelessly on the table.
"I have to read the 'Letter to the prisoner' to you."
"I can read," Ramage said. "Please have some wax sent in."
"What do you want wax for?"
Ramage gestured to the writing materials on the table. "To seal my letters from prying eyes."
"Really! Do you suppose I would-"
"The thought occurred to you, not me. Good day to you, sir," Ramage said, and began unscrewing the inkwell.
"Mr Ramage, how-"
"I'm preparing my defence. Do you want it said you deliberately hindered me?"
After a pause the man strutted from the room, calling loudly to the corporal that he was leaving.
As the door slammed, Ramage opened one of the letters. It was Rear-Admiral Goddard's report to Sir Pilcher, dated two weeks earlier, soon after the Lion arrived. He began reading, underlining with his pen the words which were taken directly from the various Articles of War.
"I beg leave to inform you that Lieutenant Nicholas Ramage, commanding officer of His Majesty's brig Triton while escorting ships of a convoy under my command, on the occasion of one of the ships being attacked on the night of the 18th of July last, by a French privateer, did not make the necessary preparations for fight, and did not in his own person, and according to his place, encourage the inferior officers and men to fight courageously; and furthermore the said Lt Ramage upon the same occasion did withdraw or keep back and did not do his utmost to take or destroythe enemy ship which it was his duty to engage; and furthermore the said Lt Ramage upon the same occasion, being the commanding officer of the ship appointed for convoy and guard of merchant ships, did not diligently attend upon that charge according to his instructions to defend the ships in the convoy, and did neglect to fight in their defence: in consequence of which I am to request you will apply for a court martial on the said Lt Ramage for the said crimes,
I am,&c,"
By the time he finished reading Ramage felt coldly angry. The moment Admiral Goddard had mentioned the numbers of the Articles of War he'd guessed the charges would revolve round the Peacock attack. It hadn't been clear - since the Articles ranged widely - that he was in fact accused of one thing only: cowardice in the face of the enemy. Charges arising from the loss of the Triton were presumably being kept in reserve.
Ramage gave a bitter laugh. At least once a month, on a Sunday, during the whole of the time he had been at sea, he had heard the Articles of War read to the ship's company. For the past year or two, as commanding officer, he had read them out himself, noting the fact in the log to show that the regulations had been carried out. In his imagination he could hear himself reading loudly, trying to make his voice heard above the noise of wind and sea...
"Article ten ... shall not encourage ... officers and men to fight courageously ... shall suffer death ... Article twelve ... Every person in the Fleet who through cowardice, negligence or disaffection, shall in time of action ... not do his utmost to take or destroy every ship ... shall suffer death ... Article seventeen ... running away cowardly, and submitting the ships in their convoy to peril ... be punished ... by pains of death, or other punishment, according as shall be adjudged by the court martial..."
There was a devilish skill about it all. As far as Admiral Goddard knew, the Topaz, and presumably the Greyhound frigate, had been sunk in the hurricane, so the only surviving witnesses to the Peacock's attack were the Lion's officers and Ramage's own men. It wouldn't be hard to guess which a court would believe.
It was difficult to guess precisely what Goddard was going to accuse him of doing to constitute the actual act of cowardice. Yet the limits were solely the limits of Goddard's imagination and ingenuity, since as far as he knew Ramage was the only person who could challenge him. Few courts would believe a young lieutenant's pleas of innocence against the charges of a Rear-Admiral who was also second in-command on the station, especially when the charges were ones of cowardice.
Well if the heat of Jamaica made him feel drowsy, or he began to get bored with the trial, he had something to make him concentrate. All he need remember was that if the court did find him guilty under either of the first two Articles, it had no alternative but to sentence him to death. Articles ten and twelve were among the few which presented a court with a nice, simple equation: guilt equals a sentence of death. The third one, Article seventeen, gave a "death or" choice.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door and the cheerful voice of the Marine corporal.
"Mr Southwick to see you, sir, with your lawyer."
"Bring them in."
Thoughtful of Southwick to find a lawyer, but at a court martial one was better off without one. The "five or more" captains forming the court usually knew little or nothing of the law, and were often antagonized by lawyers.