Galleon by Dudley Pope Page B

even whimsical, let alone amusing. “If the agenda is your responsibility, write down just one item: ‘Any other business’.”
    “I’ve already done that,” Heffer said. “The final item. That’s your turn!”
    Heffer found he did not have to lead Mr Yorke and Sir Thomas to the other councillors: as soon as they realized who the men were, they hurried across the room and formed a line. Ned was amused to notice that already they had decided their own order of precedence, probably based on each man’s prosperity.
    The first introduced by Heffer was a squat and fat-faced man with a jolly manner who was obviously quite in awe of Ned. “I’m O’Leary, the ship chandler – I’m glad to meet you, sir. I hope I can look forward to having you for a customer.”
    Ned grinned and shook his head. “Not unless the Dons stop supplying us for nothing!”
    O’Leary laughed cheerfully. “Don’t let the Governor hear you say that – I hear we’re supposed to be at peace with Spain now.”
    “Has anyone told the Dons?” Thomas made no attempt to keep his voice low as he introduced himself.
    After O’Leary came Kinnock, the island’s pawnbroker, whose narrow and mean-looking face had already marked him down in Ned’s mind as a moneylender, pawnbroker or apothecary. His skin was white and he was one of those unlucky men who perspired heavily, both naturally and because he drank heavily.
    His pallid complexion was emphasized by a sharp red nose so heavily veined that it appeared to be covered with crude purple lace. A pair of long moustaches once blond were now stained by the smoke from pipe tobacco and sagging because they formed a natural catchment of the perspiration streaming down his forehead and missing his eyebrows. His tapered beard was so thin that it reminded Ned of a discarded paint brush.
    Kinnock obviously realized that Nature had treated him unfairly and equally obviously was under no illusion that most men disliked him. However, he made the mistake of assuming his unpopularity was due to his trade, whereas it was caused entirely by his ungracious manner, obvious meanness and obsession with the value and price of everything.
    He had no sooner been introduced to Ned than he was fingering Ned’s sword. “That’s from Toledo, Mr Yorke, I’ll stake my reputation on it. Where else can you find gold wire inlaid like that? Any time you want to sell it, Mr Yorke, you call on me!”
    “I’m sure Mr Yorke will,” Heffer said hastily, and turned Ned so that he met the next person. “You don’t know Mr Fraser, who imports most of our cloth and thread,” he said, and before he could complete the introduction Fraser was shaking Ned’s hand with a firm grasp, and turning to do the same with Thomas.
    “I’ve been wanting to meet you two gentlemen for a long time,” he said eagerly. He was a burly man, round-faced and cheerful – every child’s idea, Ned thought, of a kindly uncle who brought a present when he visited.
    “Yes, I’ve wanted to thank you. Without you and your men, we tradesmen here would long ago been killed by the Dons – or be trying to scratch a living in somewhere like Barbados!”
    Ned smiled and then said: “General Heffer and his men played a part, too, don’t forget.”
    “Best we do forget it,” Fraser said amiably, eyeing Heffer. “The only thing his men could do against the Spanish is let their trollops give them the pox!”
    Heffer flushed but did not argue – an indication of Fraser’s wealth, Ned thought – or the accuracy of his comment.
    “Tell me, Mr Yorke,” Fraser asked quietly, “what have you heard about giving the island back to Spain? Giving us all to Spain, rather.”
    Ned thought of the fate of the bearer of bad tidings. “I’m sure our new Governor will soon have something to say about it – after all, this is the first meeting of his new legislative council.”
    “We’ll send him packing if he tries to humbug us,” Fraser growled. “The Convertine