his hand to be kissed. It was either an oversight or a deliberate piece of clerical condescension. Whichever, it was wasted on the young commander. He merely grasped the outstretched hand and shook it vigorously.
‘Allow me to present to you Lieutenant Markham, sir.’
‘You should know that I have met the officer before.’
‘Indeed! Then will you inspect his men?’
Aramon made no attempt to keep the distaste out of his voice.
‘They too I have met before, Captain. And it has been my misfortune to see too much of their slovenliness. I am unlikely in any way to be impressed by a sudden dab of polish.’
Behind Aramon, Colonel le Comte de Puy was sucking hard on his teeth. He stepped forward smartly, almost brushing the Monsignor aside, and lifting his hat in salute, addressed Germain.‘The duty of inspection falls to me, Captain, as the military part of this small embassy.’
‘Of course,’ Germain replied, clearly somewhat confused.
De Puy stepped forward, and by acknowledging Markham’s salute permitted him to lower his sword. Then, with the marine officer one pace behind, he carried out the inspection like a royal prince, addressing several men by name, and with many a jaundiced reference to the duty they suffered on the Royal Louis Battery. The Lobsters responded in kind, having taken to de Puy while serving with him, naming him a true gent.
‘I have refreshments waiting in my cabin,’ said Germain, as soon as he finished. ‘I would be obliged if you would join us, Lieutenant Markham.’
‘Is that strictly necessary?’ hissed Aramon.
‘Why it is essential, sir,’ Germain said, his thin eyebrows rising. ‘Apart from myself, Mr Markham is the only commissioned officer on the ship. I can hardly listen to your proposal, or conceive of acting on it, without both his opinion, and his active participation.’
‘Proposal,’ Markham thought. ‘What bloody proposal.’
Aramon seemed to fill the cabin. He was a big man. But it was the way he spread himself that counted, as though no one else in the place was entitled to any consideration. Germain, behind his desk, was fine. But de Puy and Markham were pushed against the two cannon that stood either side, eventually required to sit on them to avoid standing in a half stoop. Wine was poured and tasted. That at least seemed to the cleric’s satisfaction, as he grunted with approval.
‘I’m curious, Monsignor, of how you came to know so much about my orders?’
‘You should not be, Captain Germain.’ The recipient of this preened slightly at the title. ‘Even if Calvi was not a hotbed of rumour, few good sons of the church would dare to prevaricate when I tax them with a direct enquiry.’
‘Which was it?’ asked Markham.
That interjection earned him a look from Germain that told him, in no uncertain terms, not to interrupt. It was quite interesting to note how commanding he could be when he wished it, the green eyes narrowing and the bones of his thin cheeks becoming much more prominent. It was as well to remember thatthis stripling had been at sea for years, and had probably served a good few of them as someone’s First Lieutenant. The fact that the Monsignor ignored the same question came as no surprise. He’d taken to ignoring Markham after only a short, awkward acquaintance.
‘And what is it you seek?’
‘The recovery of something extremely valuable.’
‘Valuable is a very inexact term, Monsignor.’
Aramon parried him expertly. ‘Extremely is not, Captain.’
‘And I can be of service in this?’
‘You have the means to carry the Comte de Puy and I to where we need to be, the coast of France.’
‘This item of extreme value is there?’
‘Not on the coast. It is some way inland.’
‘You could hire a ship to take you there.’
‘We may wish to be taken off again, sure that what we have recovered will get to its proper destination.’ Aramon sat forward suddenly, his voice dropping an octave, as if he was
‘Allow me to present to you Lieutenant Markham, sir.’
‘You should know that I have met the officer before.’
‘Indeed! Then will you inspect his men?’
Aramon made no attempt to keep the distaste out of his voice.
‘They too I have met before, Captain. And it has been my misfortune to see too much of their slovenliness. I am unlikely in any way to be impressed by a sudden dab of polish.’
Behind Aramon, Colonel le Comte de Puy was sucking hard on his teeth. He stepped forward smartly, almost brushing the Monsignor aside, and lifting his hat in salute, addressed Germain.‘The duty of inspection falls to me, Captain, as the military part of this small embassy.’
‘Of course,’ Germain replied, clearly somewhat confused.
De Puy stepped forward, and by acknowledging Markham’s salute permitted him to lower his sword. Then, with the marine officer one pace behind, he carried out the inspection like a royal prince, addressing several men by name, and with many a jaundiced reference to the duty they suffered on the Royal Louis Battery. The Lobsters responded in kind, having taken to de Puy while serving with him, naming him a true gent.
‘I have refreshments waiting in my cabin,’ said Germain, as soon as he finished. ‘I would be obliged if you would join us, Lieutenant Markham.’
‘Is that strictly necessary?’ hissed Aramon.
‘Why it is essential, sir,’ Germain said, his thin eyebrows rising. ‘Apart from myself, Mr Markham is the only commissioned officer on the ship. I can hardly listen to your proposal, or conceive of acting on it, without both his opinion, and his active participation.’
‘Proposal,’ Markham thought. ‘What bloody proposal.’
Aramon seemed to fill the cabin. He was a big man. But it was the way he spread himself that counted, as though no one else in the place was entitled to any consideration. Germain, behind his desk, was fine. But de Puy and Markham were pushed against the two cannon that stood either side, eventually required to sit on them to avoid standing in a half stoop. Wine was poured and tasted. That at least seemed to the cleric’s satisfaction, as he grunted with approval.
‘I’m curious, Monsignor, of how you came to know so much about my orders?’
‘You should not be, Captain Germain.’ The recipient of this preened slightly at the title. ‘Even if Calvi was not a hotbed of rumour, few good sons of the church would dare to prevaricate when I tax them with a direct enquiry.’
‘Which was it?’ asked Markham.
That interjection earned him a look from Germain that told him, in no uncertain terms, not to interrupt. It was quite interesting to note how commanding he could be when he wished it, the green eyes narrowing and the bones of his thin cheeks becoming much more prominent. It was as well to remember thatthis stripling had been at sea for years, and had probably served a good few of them as someone’s First Lieutenant. The fact that the Monsignor ignored the same question came as no surprise. He’d taken to ignoring Markham after only a short, awkward acquaintance.
‘And what is it you seek?’
‘The recovery of something extremely valuable.’
‘Valuable is a very inexact term, Monsignor.’
Aramon parried him expertly. ‘Extremely is not, Captain.’
‘And I can be of service in this?’
‘You have the means to carry the Comte de Puy and I to where we need to be, the coast of France.’
‘This item of extreme value is there?’
‘Not on the coast. It is some way inland.’
‘You could hire a ship to take you there.’
‘We may wish to be taken off again, sure that what we have recovered will get to its proper destination.’ Aramon sat forward suddenly, his voice dropping an octave, as if he was
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