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.
"Would you?" Yorke asked sharply.
"Yes. Don't forget there are never enough ships to go round. That means no one gets a command if there's the slightest doubt about him."
"And favouritism," Southwick murmured.
"True enough. If you're out of favour with the local admiral - or the Admiralty - you'll be left to rot on half pay for the rest of your life."
"I still think you're mad," Yorke said doggedly. "You're staking everything - including your life - on slipping me and St Brieuc into court and getting one or both of us giving evidence before Goddard has time to withdraw the charges. What's to stop him withdrawing the charges after we've started giving evidence? Or even after we've both told everything we know? Have you thought of that?"
Ramage nodded wearily. "Yes, I've thought about it until my head spins." Yorke was trying to be helpful, and he deserved an explanation; but Ramage already knew he was taking an enormous risk, and having decided to take it he didn't want to discuss it because further talk only mirrored and enlarged his fears.
"I'm counting on several things. The main one is the natural curiosity of the court. By the time you and St Brieuc arrive, all the prosecution evidence will have been given on the assumption that you are both dead. I'm hoping that whatever Goddard tries, the court will want to hear what you have to say. It may lead to them deciding against allowing Goddard to withdraw the charges, and that means the court is bound to find me not guilty.
"Almost as important," Ramage continued, "are the minutes of the trial. Don't forget that as far as the Admiralty is concerned, all that happens in a trial is what is recorded in the minutes. Even if the charges are withdrawn, the minutes have to go to the Admiralty. With a little luck, those minutes might say enough."
"If only we knew who St Brieuc really is," Yorke mused. "I wonder if there's any need for secrecy now ... The point is, if he's really influential, would Goddard be forced to carry on? Be too frightened - or too flustered - to withdraw the charges?"
"I've thought of that, too. All I know is that Goddard is scared of him."
Southwick coughed politely. "Supposing the gentleman is important, sir. Suppose the Admiral does withdraw the charges. Would the French gentleman be sufficiently important to write to the Admiralty - or the Commander-in-Chief - and tell them what he knows?"
Both Yorke and Ramage stared at the Master.
"He might be!" Yorke exclaimed.
"What matters," Ramage said, "is whether or not Goddard - and the court - thinks he is! Well, you've earned your tot for today, Mr Southwick!"
But a moment later Yorke was again looking gloomy.
"It's still a fantastic risk, Ramage. Listen, why don't you take advantage of what Southwick's just suggested, only modify it. First, let it be known that St Brieuc and I are still alive, so that the Peacock cowardice charges are dropped. Let Goddard bring up a charge over the loss of the Triton. And ask St Brieuc to write a report for the Admiralty?"
Ramage shook his head. "For a start, anything St Brieuc wrote would then seem vindictive: in effect he'd be denying charges which Goddard hasn't made -"
"But he has - dammit, you have the wording in front of you!"
"- which Goddard hasn't made in court. Until they're made in court they don't exist, at least, not in this sense. All St Brieuc could write is that Lieutenant Ramage didn't behave in a cowardly fashion over the Peacock attack, and My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty would reply, 'Who the devil said he did?'"