‘I agree,’ said Thomas. ‘It is a classic ambush, Don Garcia. I have seen it many times before.’
‘From the point of view of the hunter, no doubt.’
‘That is true. When the galleys of the Order operated together, this is how we would hunt. I suspect that our enemy has learned the technique from us. Indeed, in -many ways the corsairs and the men of the Order are alike.’
‘Except that the Order is blessed by the Church of Rome.’
‘Just as the Muslim pirates are blessed by the imams of their faith, sir. In the end we are all holy warriors, or we are all pirates.’
Don Garcia frowned. ‘That is a troubling pronouncement, Sir Thomas. I do not care to think of my enemy, and the enemy of the one true God, in such a light. I’d prefer that you did not speak in such terms before me again.’
‘As you wish, Don Garcia.’
‘What I do wish to hear more of is their tactics. You have more experience of them than I do. How will they seek to defeat us?’ Thomas paused a moment to think, mentally positioning the three forces and taking into account the wind direction. ‘Their target will be the galleons. They are your most vulnerable vessels, sir. The corsairs will know that is where the most valuable cargo will be. But they will soon realise that the galleons are filled with soldiers. So they will either stand off and blast the decks with grapeshot before they board, or they will attempt to sink the galleons in a bid to kill as many of your soldiers as possible. For that they can expect to be handsomely rewarded by the Sultan.’
‘Then what is to be done to frustrate them? Is it too late to turn back to Palma?’
‘That is what they will have calculated. Even now they are on converging courses. If you order the flotilla to turn about, they will follow suit and continue to close in on us. We will be engaged long before we could hope to lie under the protection of Palma’s cannon, sir.’
‘Then what would you advise me to do, Sir Thomas?’
‘Keep the galleys as close to the galleons as possible. The enemy must not be permitted to break through the protective cordon. Have one galley to the front of the formation, one to the stern and two on either side. The galleons will need to sail side by side in pairs for mutual support in the event that the enemy attempts to board them. The biggest danger is that the enemy will try to draw our galleys away from their positions. That must not be permitted, sir. We must hold the formation, whatever happens. Given that their galleys outnumber us two to one, that is our only hope.’
‘Very well.’ Don Garcia nodded. ‘Captain, we’ll need to pass close to each of our warships to give the orders. See to it.’
‘Aye, sir,’ the captain acknowledged before advancing to the rail to bellow orders for the oars to be lowered.
Richard returned from the hold laden with Thomas’s weapons and armour. He placed the bundle on the deck and stood behind Thomas to assist him in fastening the breast- and back-plates of his cuirass.
As the flagship pulled past each of the other vessels in the flotilla, the captain relayed the orders via speaking trumpet. By the time the galleys had taken in their sails, unshipped their oars and formed a protective screen, the sails of the two groups of corsairs closing in from either beam were visible from the deck. A short time later the lookout finally confirmed their identity beyond any doubt.
‘They’re flying green pennants.’
Richard edged towards Thomas and muttered, ‘Green?’
‘It is the colour of Islam.’ Thomas inspected his squire, tugging on his helmet. Richard wore a burgonet design, with the visor raised, as did Thomas. ‘Your helmet is too loose. Tighten the chinstrap.’
‘If I fasten it any tighter I’ll choke.’
‘And if you wear it as loose as that it will twist on your skull at the first blow and your view will be impaired. You’ll fall victim to the first corsair who can move quickly enough to catch you on your blind side.’
Gritting his teeth, Richard undid the buckle and tightened the strap a notch.
‘That’s better,’ said Thomas. He grasped the helmet and gave it an experimental twist. ‘And make certain you wear mantlets if you want to keep your fingers.’
‘Yes, sir.’ Richard bowed his head. ‘As you command.’
Thomas turned back to track the progress of the enemy. The two formations of galleys were in clear view, just over a mile off each beam. Their green pennants flickered like snakes’ tongues in the gentle wind blowing across the sea. Flashes of polished metal glinted amid the distant figures packed on to the decks of the corsair galleys. For the first time since they had been sighted Thomas felt some small relief as he realised that the enemy vessels were smaller than the galleys of Don Garcia’s flotilla. The slender hulls would not carry the same weight in cannon, nor would they have sufficient impetus to significantly damage the Spanish galleys in the event of a collision. But they still posed a considerable danger to the galleons and would have the advantage in speed and manoeuvrability. It would be a contest between swiftness and strength, and Thomas was reminded of the bear fights he had seen back in London. But here at least the bears, though ponderous in comparison to their tormentors, would not be chained.
‘Here they come,’ announced the captain.
A puff of smoke rapidly dispersed from the bows of the leading corsair to the south and a moment later the dull thud of a cannon reached those standing on the stern deck of the flagship. The corsair altered course towards the Spanish flotilla and the other galleys followed suit. As the sound of the signal gun reached the other galleys to the north, they too changed course and bore down on Don Garcia’s force. The Spanish commander watched them briefly and then turned to Thomas with an anxious expression. ‘What will they try to do? What would you do in their place?’
Thomas pressed his lips together and turned to view the oncoming enemy. They would be upon the Spanish ships within the half hour. There was no time to waste. He did not like being placed in this position by Don Garcia, yet the Spaniard was right. There were few Christians in the Mediterranean who knew the enemy’s way of waging war better than the knights of the Order. He quickly assessed the converging courses and cleared his throat.
‘They will try to break the formation, sir. If they can lure the galleys out of position they will be able to pass through them and wreak destruction on the galleons. As we are, each of our galleys can cover the gap between them and the galley ahead of them. The corsairs cannot pass between the galleys without coming under the guns mounted in the bows of our warships. Their vessels are small enough for a well-placed shot to hole them and force them to withdraw from the fight, or sink them. The only position we will not be able to cover with our guns is the stern of this galley. But as long as we hold the formation we can offer the galleons the best protection.’
Don Garcia weighed up his words and nodded. ‘I understand. Thank you. Captain!’
The ship’s commander turned smartly towards him. ‘Sir?’
‘You heard Sir Thomas. Steer straight and keep your station. Tell the gun crews they may fire at will on any enemy ships that pass in front of our bows.’
‘Aye, sir.’
Don Garcia turned back to Thomas. ‘Now we wait and see if you are right about our enemy’s intentions.’
The corsairs were still under sail and the vessels were handled with skill so that they began to pull ahead of the Spanish force even as they converged on it. Then, when they had gained a lead of perhaps a quarter of a mile, they turned towards the flotilla and hurriedly took in their sails and unshipped their oars for their final approach, on a perpendicular course to the direction of Don Garcia’s vessels.