It was Yorke who came in with Southwick. He was dressed in a drab black suit, had his shoulders hunched and was carrying a stove-pipe hat and a large leather briefcase. His hair was combed diagonally across his brow and the whole effect was to age him ten years and make him look convincingly like an attorney.
Southwick grinned and said, "I've brought you a lawyer, sir; he says he'll be happy to conduct your defence for one hundred guineas!"
"Too much!" Ramage said, "offer him fifty!" By then the door was shut and locked again.
Ramage waved the two men to the chairs round the tiny table, and Southwick said: "What are they trying to prove against you, sir?"
"I don't know the details, but cowardice is the main charge."
"Cowardice..." Yorke repeated quietly. "It's a wicked charge. Cowardice is one of those words that - well, you can be found not guilty of murder and that's the end of it; but if you're found not guilty of cowardice there's always a - well, a stigma. Cowardice over what?"
"The Peacock business."
"The Peacock?" Yorke was genuinely dumbfounded. "But how can they?"
Ramage shrugged his shoulders. "Probably blaming me for the attack on the Topaz."
"But you prevented it! No harm was done to the St Brieucs! Everyone knows what happened. You gave the Admiral a written report, didn't you?"
Ramage decided that the time had come to tell Yorke the facts of life where people like Goddard were concerned. He tapped the table with the quill pen.
"The court reminds you, sir, that your claim that no harm was done to the St Brieucs can't be substantiated. As far as this court is aware, they were drowned in a hurricane. The Topaz was lost in the hurricane, with no survivors. The three frigates and the Lark lugger were lost too. The Admiral has given evidence on oath that he received no written report from the accused. The Admiral has produced evidence from among his own officers that the Triton held back because the accused was safeguarding his own skin."
"It's wicked!" Yorke said.
"It's almost as ruthless as business," Southwick said unexpectedly. "All this gammon goes on because men are struggling to get power, which means struggling for promotion and interest. To a serving officer, promotion means profit, more pay and more opportunity. It's the same for a businessman," he continued as patiently as a vicar talking to his flock. "A businessman's profit isn't promotion and interest, it's money. But he's often just as ruthless in trying to get it."
"I suppose you're right," Yorke finally admitted. "It's just that business seems more subtle and less cruel - less blatant!"
"It might seem like that to a businessman," Ramage said, "but not to a naval officer! Southwick was just comparing the two so that you'd understand. He's crediting you with sharp business instincts and thinks that if you can see how getting promotion in the Service and making a profit in business are alike, you'll be better able to look into the Admiral's mind. It's the same - perhaps worse - in politics."
Yorke nodded "I do understand. But Goddard can't really hope to prove any of this."
"Why not?" Ramage asked.
"My evidence alone would ..."
Ramage shook his head, knowing it was absolutely vital that Yorke fully understood the significance of what he was about to say. "Your evidence might never be given! That's why Goddard is in an almost perfect position. He has the rope all ready to drop round my neck!"
The harshness in Ramage's voice left Yorke looking dumbfounded. "But surely he can't stop me giving evidence?"
"If he discovers you and St Brieuc are still alive, he'll immediately drop these charges."
"But how could he discover that in time to make any difference?"
"You have to get on board the Arrogant to give your evidence. From the moment he spots you in court, he needs only a couple of minutes to announce that the prosecution is withdrawing the charges."
"What if he does?" Yorke demanded. "Surely that means you're safe!"
"No, it doesn't," Ramage said impatiently. "It means that he withdraws the charges on which your evidence has any bearing, then substitutes something else."
"Oh, come now," Yorke protested. "You're getting overwrought. What can he substitute?"
"Losing, the ship," Southwick growled. "That could put a rope round Mr Ramage's neck!"
When Yorke glanced at him for confirmation, Ramage said : "He'd forget all about the Peacock attacking the Topaz - that means dropping the charges under Articles ten and twelve. He might well chance leaving the 'running away cowardly' to show I deserted the convoy - you couldn't disprove that. He'd then concentrate on my losing the Triton - Article twenty-six,'... no ships be stranded, or run upon any rocks or sands, or split or hazarded ... upon pain that such as shall be found guilty therein be punished by death, or such other punishment as the offence... shall be judged to deserve.'"
"But they can hardly hang you for losing the ship in the circumstances."
"Possibly not," Ramage said, "but if you add that to a charge of 'running away cowardly' I think you'll see the noose tightening round my neck."
Yorke sat deep in thought, rubbing his knuckles against his forehead. Finally he looked up and said carefully: "I want to make sure I understand the situation correctly. First, at the moment you are charged with cowardice over the Peacock and Topaz, and Goddard thinks he can prove it - and get you hanged - because he doesn't know St Brieuc and I survived. But you know you can prove you're innocent because you have our evidence."
When Ramage nodded, Yorke continued, still speaking slowly: "Proving yourself innocent - with our evidence - means you prove Goddard to be a liar who has perjured himself to try to get you hanged. That would be enough to ruin his career - and end his vendetta against you once and for all, I imagine?"
Again Ramage nodded.
"But we're agreed that Goddard would drop the cowardice charges - the main ones, anyway - if he knew St Brieuc and I were alive and going to give evidence. You've said it would take him only a couple of minutes to do that, once he sighted us. Is that an exaggeration?"
"I doubt it. Depends how quick-witted he is."
"Can he withdraw the charges just like that? I mean, would the court allow it?"
Ramage shrugged his shoulders. "He can certainly withdraw the charges, but I can't say for certain that the court would agree. After all, the court is simply a group of captains."
"You're taking a devilish risk, Ramage. After all, our evidence will come after the prosecution's case. Suppose he has time to withdraw the charges, and the court agrees? You still face another trial on the charge of losing the Triton. Why take such a chance on the Peacock affair? Why let Goddard bring up the main cowardice charges? Why not let him know we're alive, so that he drops the Peacock affair and goes for you on the loss of the Triton - and perhaps 'running away cowardly’? After all, you can fight him on both those charges without taking any risk on Goddard or what the court might decide?"
Southwick was nodding his head in agreement with Yorke.
"I have to take the chance," Ramage said flatly. "It's the only way of ending this vendetta. If I don't, it'll drag on for years. Anyway, he'd get me on losing the Triton. Maybe I'd dodge the noose, but I'd be finished in the Service."
"You'd be finished even if the court found you not guilty," Southwick said as if thinking aloud.