"What happened then?" Goddard asked.
"I understand we hoisted the challenge and also our pendant numbers."
While Jenkins's pen scratched away, Ramage pencilled in some single-word queries on a pad he now had in his lap and, realizing that both Shirley and Goddard were watching him, made sure that he wrote a minute or two after Ridley had spoken the phrase he wanted to question him about later.
"Carry on, then," Goddard said.
"Well, the two ships approached but - well, I understand that because the Calypso had not answered the challenge and was French-built, Captain Shirley was about to give the order to beat to quarters when the Calypso suddenly wore round and came alongside us, throwing out boarding grapnels and securing herself alongside. Boarding parties came over and Captain Ramage took command of the ship."
"Did anyone on board the Jason try to repel the boarders or open fire?" Goddard asked.
"We had no reason to expect an attack, sir," Ridley said in a monotone. "We expected the usual visit from the captain of the Calypso, or his first lieutenant."
"So the officers and men of the Jason offered no resistance to the Calypso's attack?"
Ramage thought for a moment whether to protest at the word "attack" but decided not to start an argument with Goddard over words which would probably end up simply antagonizing the other members of the court.
"No resistance at all, that I know of, sir."
"Where was Captain Ramage?"
"He was leading the first boarding party, I believe: then Captain Shirley spoke to him on the quarterdeck and they went down to the cabin."
"Where was the officer waiting that Captain Ramage put in command?"
Ramage stared at Goddard. The whole object of the trial was to decide whether or not Captain Ramage had superseded Shirley and put one of his own officers "in command": it was up to the court to decide whether or not he did after hearing the evidence for the prosecution and the defence. But here was Goddard, the president of the court (supposed not only to be neutral but the guardian of the court's neutrality), asking the whereabouts of the officer the prisoner "put in command".
Goddard glanced at him, obviously expecting an objection, but Ramage kept silent: he guessed Goddard was trying to provoke him, but he knew a full broadside was always more effective than the same number of guns fired singly.
"I don't know," Ridley said. "I wasn't on deck at the time."
Ramage made another note.
"You have some questions?" Goddard asked Shirley.
"I have, sir, and the deputy judge advocate already has the first, so if you will give permission . . ."
Goddard nodded and Jenkins read from the slip of paper.
"When was the first time you knew that Captain Ramage had removed Captain Shirley from command of the ship?"
"He came down to my cabin with some of his officers and so informed me."
Shirley handed across another sheet of paper, and Jenkins read: "What reason did he give for such an action?"
"He claimed that the Jason had fired on his ship."
"Had she?" Goddard asked, obviously not wanting to lose the drama of the moment, which had provoked the captains round the table into sudden movement: some turned to look at Ramage, others were now watching Shirley.
"No, sir," Ridley said in a voice hardly above a whisper.
The captain on Goddard's right leaned over and whispered something. The admiral nodded and said: "Captain Swinford has a question to ask."
"What can possibly have led Captain Ramage to say such a thing to you?"
"I do not know, sir," Ridley said woodenly, and then looked back at Jenkins as he read from another of Shirley's slips of paper.
"Did the prisoner make any other allegations against Captain Shirley?"
"Yes, sir," Ridley took out a handkerchief and mopped his face, and Ramage noted he was the only man in the room who was perspiring at all. "Yes, sir: he asked me if I thought that Captain Shirley was mad."
"What was your answer?"
"Well, first I protested that it was a very improper question for someone of Captain Ramage's position to ask, and gave it as my opinion that Captain Shirley was not mad."
That answer clearly did not satisfy Goddard. "In your view, as a naval officer and first lieutenant of the Jason frigate, was there any circumstance which could lead Captain Ramage suddenly to ask you such an extraordinary question?"
Ridley shook his head. "No, none sir."
Ridley's whole attitude, Ramage felt, was that he wanted to run away: not because he was frightened of the court or overawed by being called as a witness. Rather - and that was it, he realized with a shock but was unable to think of the explanation - that Ridley was being blackmailed, and the questions Goddard was asking were coming close to the subject about which he was being blackmailed and about which he dare not talk.
Jenkins was holding another piece of paper and, when Goddard nodded, began reading: "Lieutenant Wagstaffe, the officer whom Captain Ramage left in command -" Jenkins paused for a moment, as if anticipating a protest from Ramage, who decided to continue his policy of making none at this stage, "- gave certain orders after Captain Ramage returned on board his own ship. What were they?"
"I understand they were to do with the Jason's course and her future position in relation to the Calypso."
"Can't you be more specific?" grumbled Goddard.
"No, sir, I wasn't present at the conversations."
Jenkins received another slip of paper from Shirley. "What did the Jason do from then on until she arrived in the Channel?"
"She helped escort the West India convoy."
Obviously Goddard expected more. " 'Helped escort'? What did the ship do? Did Captain Ramage make signals, send messages over?"
"I understand the Jason's orders - which meant, I suppose, the orders given to Lieutenant Wagstaffe - were to keep a cable to leeward of the Calypso and this was generally astern of the convoy."
"Captain Ramage did not send you off investigating strange sail, or anything like that?" Goddard inquired.
"Not to my knowledge, sir."
"He made no signals to the Jason and gave no orders?" Goddard asked incredulously.
"I believe that on several occasions we were sent to chase merchant ships back into position, although by and large they kept pretty much in position."
"Did this Lieutenant Wagstaffe have much to do with the running of the ship?" Goddard asked.
"To the best of my knowledge he took no part in the day-to-day running of the ship, sir: he was almost entirely concerned with keeping the ship in position."
Captain Swinford, after whispering to Goddard and apparently getting his approval, asked: "Did this lieutenant give any orders to Captain Shirley, or attempt to - er, usurp, Captain Shirley's position?"
Ramage leaned forward slightly. This could be one of the key questions in the trial, but Ridley still had that blackmailed look. Blackmailed? He could also be a timid husband nagged by an overbearing wife - or even a lieutenant, serving a port admiral, who was terrified of the admiral's wife. In fact, much of the time Ridley's face was a happy hunting ground for most of the timid expressions available to man.
"Not to my knowledge, sir. As far as I know," he said with a rush verging on garrulity, "he did not stand a watch, but he was on deck much of the time, and the only orders he gave were those that an officer of the deck would normally give to keep the ship in position."
Without asking Goddard's approval, Captain Swinford then asked: "During all this time, from the Jason meeting the Calypso until the convoy arrived in the Channel, was Captain Shirley prevented in any way from doing whatever he wanted?"
"I did not see any restraint being applied, sir," Ridley said cautiously. "He was on deck whenever he wanted to be."
The captain sitting next to Swinford - Ramage thought he had given his name as Royce - suddenly asked without reference to Admiral Goddard: "What in your opinion would have happened if Captain Shirley had ordered a couple of his officers to seize this Lieutenant Wagstaffe, and then sailed the ship away from the convoy?"