“I agree,” Culum said, bewildered by the offer of friendship.
“I baint saying my da’s wrong and yburs be right. All I be saying is that we’ve to try, as men, to live our own lives, best we can.” Gorth’s craggy face broke into a smile. “You look right proper shocked, lad.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that—well, yes, I’d like to be friends. I never expected that—well, that you’d have an open mind.”
“There, you see? That be my whole point, by God. We baint never said more’n four words in our whole lives, yet you’ve been thinking I hate thy guts. Ridikulus.”
“Yes.”
“It baint easy, what we be atrying. Doan forget, we come from different lives. My school were a ship. I was afore the mast at ten. So you’ve to go easy with my manners and talk. Even so, I knowed more about the China trade than most, and I’m the best seaman in these waters. ’Cepting my da’—an’ that bastard Orlov.”
“Is Orlov that good?”
“Yes. That bugger were sired by a shark and whelped by a mermaid.” Gorth picked up some salt that had been spilled and superstitiously threw it over his shoulder. “That bugger give me the creeps.”
“Me too,” Culum agreed.
Gorth was silent for a moment and then he said, “Our da’s baint liking it a bit if we be friends.”
“Yes. I know.”
“I be straight with you, Struan. It were Tess what sayed tonight were a good time to talk privy with you. Weren’t my idea first off. To talk open tonight. But I be right glad it be sayed. What do you say? Let’s give it a try, eh? Here’s my hand on’t.”
Culum shook the proffered hand gladly.
Glessing was irritably drinking brandy across the floor, waiting impatiently. He had been on the verge of interrupting Horatio and Culum when Mauss had called him over. What are you so damned nervous about? he asked himself. I’m not. Just anxious to have it said. By Jove, Mary looks stunning. Absolutely stunning.
“Excuse me, Captain Glessing,” Major Turnbull said crisply, coming up to him. He was a gray-eyed, meticulously neat man, who took his appointment as chief magistrate of Hong Kong very seriously. “Good party, what?”
“Yes.”
“I think now’s the time, if you’ve a mind. His Excellency’s free. We’d better catch him while we’ve the opportunity.”
“All right.” Glessing automatically adjusted his sword belt and followed Turnbull through the tables until they intercepted Longstaff.
“Could we have a moment, Your Excellency?” Turn-bull said.
“Certainly.”
“Sorry to bring up official matters at a social affair, but it’s somewhat important. One of our patrol frigates has captured a bunch of scalawag pirates.”
“Excellent. Open-and-shut case?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. The navy caught the buggers on the south side, off Aberdeen. They were pirating a junk. Murdered the crew.”
“Damned swine,” Longstaff said. “Have you tried them yet?”
“That’s the problem,” Turnbull said. “Captain Glessing thinks it should be an Admiralty court—I think it’s a civil trial. But my authority doesn’t cover anything but minor crimes and certainly not capital crimes of any sort. This case should have a proper judge, jury, and rightly belong in an assize.”
“True. But we can’t have a judge till we’re officially a colony. That’ll take months yet. We can’t leave anyone accused of any crime in jail without a quick, fair trial—that’s illegal.” Longstaff thought a moment. “I’d say it’s a civilian matter. If the jury convicts, send me the papers and I’ll confirm the sentence. You’d better erect the gibbet outside the jail.”
“I can’t do that, Your Excellency. It wouldn’t be legal. The law’s very clear—only a proper judge can try such a case.”
“Well, we can’t have men accused of crimes locked up indefinitely without giving them an open and fair trial. What do you suggest?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“Damned annoying!” Longstaff said. “You’re right, of course.”
“Perhaps we should hand them over to the Chinese authorities to deal with,” Glessing said, eager to have the matter settled so that he could talk to Horatio.
“I disapprove of that,” Turnbull said sharply. “The crime was committed in British waters.”
“I quite agree,” Longstaff said. “For the moment hold all such accused, and I’ll send an urgent dispatch to the Foreign Office and ask for a ruling.”
“Yes, Your Excellency.” Turnbull paused. “Then I’d like to draw funds to extend the jail. I’ve dozens of cases of robbery with violence and one breaking and entering with a deadly weapon.”
“Very well,” Longstaff said languidly. “Let’s discuss it tomorrow.”
“Perhaps I could have an appointment tomorrow, Your Excellency,” Glessing said. “I’ve got to have some money to hire pilots, and we should settle harbor dues and wharfage, and I want authority to requisition some fast pirate hunters. There’s strong rumors that that devil Wu Fang Choi’s got a fleet north. Also I’ll need authority to extend jurisdiction over all the Hong Kong waters. There’s an urgent need to standardize port clearances and allied matters.”
“Very well, Captain,” Longstaff said. “At noon.” And then to Turnbull, “Nine o’clock?”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
To Glessing’s chagrin, Longstaff turned away and walked toward Horatio. Good Lord, he thought, I’ll never get him alone tonight.
Struan was watching the ships at anchor, and checking the sky. Good weather, he told himself.
“A beautiful harbor, Mr. Struan,” Zergeyev said amiably, wandering up to him.
“Aye. It’s good to have our own waters at long last.” Struan was on guard, but his manner was relaxed. “Hong Kong will be a perfect jewel in the queen’s crown, eventually.”
“Let’s walk a little, shall we?”
Struan fell into step as the archduke strolled down toward the surf.
“I understand you’ve only had the island a little over two months.” The archduke waved a hand at the beginnings of buildings all over Happy Valley. “Yet you’ve almost a town. Your energy and industry are astounding.”
“Well, Your Highness, if there’s something to be done, there’s nae use waiting, is there?”
“No. But I find it curious, with China so weak, that you take only a barren rock. There must be many more important prizes.”
“We’re na after prizes in China. Just a small base where we can careen and refit our ships. I’d say a nation of three hundred millions is hardly weak.”
“Then with the war unfinished, I presume you’re expecting substantial reinforcements. Armies, not a few thousand men. Fleets—not thirty or so ships.”
“His Excellency would know more about that than I. But I’d say that any Power that takes on China would have a very long struggle on its hands. Without the necessary plans and the necessary men.” Struan motioned at the mainland across the harbor. “The land’s limitless.”
“Russia’s limitless,” Zergeyev said. “But only in symbolic terms. Actually, even Russia is bounded. By the Arctic and the Himalayas. By the Baltic and the Pacific.”
“You’ve taken lands north?” Struan tried to keep the astonishment out of his voice. Where, for the love of God? North of Manchuria? Manchuria? Or China, my China?