"On board La Perla, a Spanish schooner."
"I assumed you had removed it from Snake Island," Napier said.
"Lieutenant Ramage did."
"But you said it was on board La Perla."
"La Perla is at anchor half a mile from here: Lieutenant Ramage captured her and sailed her here as a prize."
"Clear the court," Napier snapped. "The court stands adjourned. The prisoner will remain behind."
When everyone but Ramage, Syme and the seven captains had left the cabin, Napier said harshly: "See here, Ramage, the court doesn't take kindly to you turning the proceedings into a circus."
"I'm on trial for my life, sir."
"I know that, dammit; but this treasure business. Is it as much as this fellow makes out?"
"More, sir. About five tons. With gold at three pounds, seventeen and sixpence a fine ounce, I estimate it as worth well over a million pounds."
Napier held his hands palm upwards. "You don't help your own case, doing this sort of thing. Good God!" he exclaimed, "We must get a Marine guard on it!"
"There are a hundred seamen and Marines guarding it now, sir."
"But - who's in command of La Perla? Your master is on board here as a witness."
"The Master's mate, sir."
"Tons of gold and silver, and a master's mate in charge! You're mad, Ramage! The whole damn ship's company could rise on him and sail out of the anchorage!"
"With respect, sir, these men helped find the treasure, dug it up, crated it, captured La Perla, loaded the treasure on board, and sailed the ship several hundred miles to here. They could have killed myself, the master, master's mate, Yorke and the Duke and his entourage at any point along the route and got away with it more easily than they could now."
"All right, don't be so blasted touchy. Why didn't you report this before now?"
"I have my reports here, sir." He waved the papers he was holding.
"Why didn't you deliver them when you first arrived?"
"I went at once to Admiral Goddard. I gave him the report on the loss of the Triton, sir, and was put under close arrest, before I had the chance to deliver the others, and was marched off with a Marine escort."
"You could have still delivered the report on the treasure."
"I could have done, sir," Ramage said flatly.
"But you were going to use the treasure to bargain with, eh?"
"Indeed not!" Ramage said angrily. "How could I bargain with it, sir, even if I'd wanted to?"
"Why didn't you put in the report, then?"
"Because without even reading my first report and without asking me one question, the Admiral told me he was bringing me to a trial under Articles ten, twelve and seventeen. That could only mean charges of cowardice, sir."
"Damnation!" Napier exclaimed. "Why am I appointed president of such a court! What have these gentlemen done" - he waved towards the other captains - "that they should be mixed up in all this?"
"With respect, sir," Ramage said, blinking rapidly, "what have I done to be accused of cowardice?"
Captain Robinson said: "Boy's got a point, Napier; nasty business, the whole thing. Wash our hands of it, I say; special report to Sir Pilcher. You prepare it; all the court sign it. Minutes of the trial so far can go with it. Ought to vote on it; damn silly of us to do anything else. That's my view."
"Mine, too," said Innes, and the others nodded in agreement.
"See here, young Ramage," Napier said suddenly, "you're not supposed to be hearing any of this. Go and give your escort a hail and take a turn on deck. Keep away from everyone else."
As Ramage walked to the door he heard an exasperated Napier growclass="underline" "Syme, you are the most bloody useless deputy judge advocate I've ever seen!"
Half an hour later the court was thrown open and Ramage and Goddard were called in. Syme was flushed and jumpy; Ramage guessed he had had an unpleasant time trying to provide precedents, laws, rules and regulations for the morning's events. The small pile of legal volumes that had been stacked in front of him were now an untidy heap, with many slips of paper marking various pages.
Napier looked up at Goddard.
"The court has decided that all the previous witness's evidence concerning finding the treasure shall be removed from the record."
Removed? Ramage felt the word had been spoken deliberately: "struck" or "deleted" would have been more usual. Removed in toto, to be sent to the Commander-in-Chief? It was all evidence given on oath...
"However, in view of the gravity of the charges," Napier went on, "the court has decided that the trial shall continue. Has the prosecution any more questions to put to the last witness?"
"No," Goddard said in a half whisper. The man seemed to be shrivelling; the usual haughty stance had given way to hunched shoulders; the broad chest and jutting belly had merged into a sagging paunch. His eyes were bloodshot and sunken. He looked like a guilty man on trial for his life, and maybe he was. Perhaps Goddard knew he had gambled with high stakes, and lost the gamble.
"Please call your next witness, then."
"I ... the prosecution has no more witnesses to call."
"Very well, the defence will present its case."
Normally Ramage should have read out his defence against the charges, while Syme copied it down, then called his witnesses to prove the points of his defence. Instead he stood up.
"If it pleases the court, I wish to waive my right to state a defence ... I'm prepared to rest my case on the evidence the court has already heard and what it will hear from the remaining witnesses."
"Very well," Napier said. "Note that in your minutes, Syme."
After Syme finished writing, Napier told Ramage: "You may call your first witness." Officially he was still on trial for his life and the minutes of the trial would be read in the Admiralty by men who knew none of the background.
"Call Edward Southwick."
The Master was sworn and Ramage questioned him so that the Peacock's curious behaviour the night before the attack on the Topaz was described in detail and he was able to show why the written report on the episode was made to the Admiral and delivered on board the Lion.
Then, answering questions, Southwick described, simply but graphically, how the Peacock had been sighted in the darkness coming up the line of merchantmen, and how the Triton had been manoeuvred to save the Topaz.
Southwick's description of Ramage's handling of the Triton during and after the attack left no doubt in anyone's mind of his admiration for his captain.
Ramage's questions had touched only lightly on their stay on Snake Island, but the capture of La Perla and the voyage to Jamaica rounded off the evidence, except for a few last questions which Ramage could not resist, since it would make Southwick's name famous in the Navy.
"When La Perla left Snake Island, did she have a defect in her sailing qualities?"
"Yes, she was down by the head and griped a lot."
"Tell the court what orders you received concerning this."
"I was told to shift some cargo aft."
"How much did you shift, and what was it?"
"About two tons of gold and silver coins."
"I have no more questions to ask of this witness," Ramage said.
Napier turned to Goddard.
"Your witness."/
"I have no questions."/
Syme read the evidence aloud, and after Southwick signed it he was told to stand down.
"Your next witness?" Syme asked, as if at last deciding to take a more active part in the proceedings.
"Call the Duke of Brittany."