Mutineer (32 page)

“Alexis!”

She turned at the familiar voice, unsure of what she’d heard. She’d spent the last six weeks as second, last, and largely extraneous, lieutenant on a packet ship making its way quickly but erratically Fringeward from Penduli. Her orders were to remain aboard until she arrived here at Lyetham and then transfer to
H.M.S. Shrewsbury,
 a seventy-four gun Third Rate for her actual position. Isom stopped beside her, sliding the antigrav sled he pulled with their baggage to a stop.

Strictly speaking, lieutenants were not allowed personal servants who followed them from ship to ship — that was a luxury reserved to commanders and captains — but Isom had somehow managed to attach himself to her. She suspected he’d received some advice from Mister Grandy about how to make use of the peculiarities of the Navy’s personnel department, but chose not to inquire too closely.

He’d simply followed her aboard the packet and taken up duties as her hammockman and servant aboard, in addition to whatever shipboard duties he was assigned. When they’d arrived in Lyetham, he’d been waiting with her baggage packed and the lieutenant in charge of the packet had said not a word as Isom had followed her onto the station. For her part, Alexis was happy to have a familiar face going with her aboard a new ship.

She scanned the crowded corridor of Lyetham Station and saw who’d shouted rushing toward her.

“Philip!” she cried with delight.

He hurried up to her and stopped short, standing to attention and tugging his uniform jacket into some semblance of order, the untamable lock of black hair falling down is forehead, a scar he’d received from a cracked helmet in action ran from under that lock of hair and down his cheek. He squared his shoulders.

“Midshipman Easely reporting, sir!” he said, saluting smartly.

Alexis’ heart fell. She’d known promotion and rank meant a great deal to some people, but she hadn’t thought how her promotion might impact her own relationships. Then she saw the gleam in his eye and the corners of his mouth twitch.

“You tosser!” she cried, throwing her arms around him and pressing her cheek against his chest, not caring about the stares such a display between two officers might garner from passersby. “Don’t you ever play at that nonsense!”

He’s grown
. Philip had been only a few centimeters taller than she on
Merlin
, but now she realized his chin cleared the top of her head with ease. His chest and shoulders were broader, too, no longer the lanky boy he’d been aboard
Merlin
. She stepped back and watched the red blush flow up his face to settle in his ears.
That’s not changed, at least
. “How are you here?”

Philip grinned. “I’m aboard
Ruby,
now. We were deployed here a fortnight ago,” he said. “I guess my message couldn’t catch up with a fast packet.”

Alexis wrapped her arms around him again, his words reminding her of the hurt his messages had contained when her communications had been filtered aboard
Hermione.
At least that was resolved, though she’d still be waiting weeks for more word from home — messages would have to reach Penduli and then be rerouted to her aboard her new ship.

“I’m so sorry about that, Philip.”

“Oh, hell,” Philip said. “That’s not what I meant, Alexis.” He grasped her arms firmly and pushed her away so he could look her in the eyes. “I know that wasn’t your fault and I’m sorry I ever thought it was. I should’ve known there must be something amiss with your messages and that you’d never just ignore me.” He lowered his eyes. “It’s just … “ Alexis grinned as he flushed again, perhaps realizing where his new height and lowered head had placed his gaze. “Well, you’re still the best mate I’ve found aboard ship,” he said, blushing again. “I thought … well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” He lowered his hands. “All’s right with us, yes?”

Alexis smiled. She wrapped one arm around Philip’s and they continued down the corridor.

“Yes.”

“Good, then. And pity save your old shipmates if they ever step into a berth with me.”

Alexis nodded. She had a moment’s thought to tell Philip not to do a thing, if ever he had the chance, but Timpson and the rest had hurt Philip as well as her. It was his right to dish out retribution if he was given the opportunity.
And I’ll relish the hearing of it.

“Isom,” she said. “This is my dearest friend Philip Easley, he and I were berthmates aboard
Merlin
when I first joined the Navy. Philip, Isom was with me aboard
Hermione
. And after.”

Philip nodded to him while Isom ducked his head.

“How long are you in Lyetham?” she asked. “I’ve a full day before
Shrewsbury’s
in port and I have to report aboard.”

“I’ve all-night-in,” he said, “but
Ruby
sails early tomorrow.” He grinned. “You owe me a supper ashore, if I remember right.”

“I do and more,” she agreed. “And a fine supper. I’ve a lieutenant’s pay now and a bit more prize money.”

Quite a lot of prize money, in fact, for the Prize Court on Penduli had finally ruled on both
Hermione’s
prizes and her
Sittich.
She suspected Captains Crandall and Hazlewood might have had a say in
Sittitch
, for the Prize Court had upheld it as her prize and not Neals’.
Trau Wunsch
had not even been submitted to the Prize Court, instead the ship had been condemned and sent to the breakers. Alexis shuddered at the memory of the surveyor’s report on the ship’s condition.
We were in more danger from that ship than ever from the
Hanoverese.

“I saw that Roland made lieutenant — and you were mentioned in dispatches, more than once.”

Philip nodded. “That was a rough action,” he said. “Roland showed himself well, and in sailing the prize back. He deserved the commission.” He shot her an amused look. “Still a prat, though.”

“Really?”

Philip’s grin faltered. “More than ever, really.” His brow furrowed. “I do think there’s something … I don’t know. The more he succeeds, the more of an arse he seems. Haven’t heard from him since he left
Merlin,
though.”

Alexis frowned. She’d hoped Roland might have come around since he’d finally made lieutenant. She quickly shook the feeling aside, though. She’d have, at most, an evening to spend with Philip and didn’t want to waste time on worries that were far away.

The thought of far-away worries brought Delaine to mind, though. She spared a moment’s time to wish him well and safe. She began to understand why spacers seemed so much stronger about their relationships and passions. Two mates could meet after being months or even years apart on different ships, but they’d drink and carouse together as though they’d been together all along. The same men who’d spend half their pay on a doxie in port, sent the other half home to a wife they spoke of with words that brought tears to Alexis’ eyes.
And speak with pride of a child born while they’ve been a year or more in space, they do.

She and Philip were friends, there may have been a moment or two of more aboard
Merlin
, but nothing could come have come of it, serving aboard the same ship, so those feelings, if they existed, had to be put aside. She’d had a few weeks with Delaine and then returned to New London. She might never see him again, couldn’t even send him a message, at least for the duration of the war.
I’ll not know if he’s alive or dead until the war’s over, even.

Now she’d have a few hours’ time with Philip, simply by the vagaries of chance that they were on the same station at the same time, then they’d both be off on different ships, with no telling when they’d meet again.
With so little time to exercise them, no wonder the men’s passions run so strong.
One had to fit a lifetime’s affection into a few hours’ time — before you were torn apart again.

She realized Philip had been speaking, but her thoughts had been far away. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I was only saying that I’ve heard there’s a pub two levels up that has a better than usual ordinary. My lieutenant recommended it highly.”

“That sounds quite nice.”

“This way, then,” he said.

He laid his hand over hers where it rested on his arm and pulled her into a gentle turn, causing her to smile.

They made their way to the station’s lifts, Isom trailing them with her baggage, and up two levels, then down the corridor to a pub called The Eagle’s Beak, a grand name for a tiny place, whose storefront was crammed between a gin-stall and an establishment with suspiciously dark windows and furtive clientele.

“It doesn’t look like much, I know,” Philip said as they entered, “but Lieutenant Vallance says it’s the best he’s had.”

Alexis sniffed tentatively as they entered, then inhaled deeply. The air inside was redolent with rich spices and cooking meats. “Heavens! If that’s their ordinary I smell, I can well believe it!”

Philip grinned. “I’m glad you think so,” he said. “I was hoping you’d like it.”

“Isom,” Alexis said. “Take a table over there with the baggage, will you? Have supper and a pint or two?”

“Thank you, sir.” The pub was only a little more than a third full, so he was able to quickly find a table along the wall where the baggage would be out of the way. Philip led Alexis to another table and they sat.

“I’m glad I found you, Alexis,” Philip said once they’d placed their orders for two meals and wine. “When I saw your packet was due here, I was afraid I’d have to sail before she arrived.” He grinned. “Been checking the arrival boards every day.”

Alexis grinned back.
He was waiting for me? Checking every day?
“I’m glad, as well.”

“Yes, well.” He glanced away and red crept up his face. “You see, I wanted to —”

“Mister Easely! I thought I’d find you here.”

Alexis turned to the pub’s entrance and saw a young lieutenant had entered and was heading for their table. The man stopped short and nodded to Alexis, taking in the rank insignia on her collar. “Lieutenant,” he said, nodding.

Alexis nodded to him in return. “Lieutenant,” she said.

“This is Lieutenant Vallance, Alexis,” Philip said. “From
Ruby.
Sir, this is Lieutenant Carew — she and I were berthmates on
Merlin
.”

Vallance nodded to her again. “Easley’s said good things about you, Carew. I’m happy to make your acquaintance at last.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant Vallance,” she said.

“If you’ll excuse me for interrupting,” Vallance went on. “I have a bit of a mess aboard
Ruby
and need to ask Mister Easley a few questions. If you’ll be so good as to excuse us for a moment, I’ll have him back to you instanter.”

“Of course.”

Vallance pulled out his tablet and gestured for Philip to follow him. Alexis turned around to watch them leave, then turned back to her table.

She jumped and nearly screamed when she discovered someone was sitting in the seat Philip had just left.

“Lieutenant Carew?” the man said.

Alexis tried to catch her breath from the start. She looked quickly around the pub and found that Isom was watching her carefully, eyes wide as another stranger was seated at his table as well.

“Your man is safe, lieutenant,” the stranger said. “As are you.” He held out a hand. “Malcom Eades, Foreign Office.”

Alexis took his hand reluctantly. “What is the meaning of this, sir?”

“There are some matters I wish to speak to you about and prefer to do so in private.” He gestured to a narrow set of stairs along the pub’s wall. “I’ve engaged a private room upstairs, if you’d be so kind.”

Alexis’ mind raced. Anyone could sit down at a table and claim to be from the Foreign Office, or any Office he pleased, really, but why should he? Why with her? What could the man, legitimate or not, possibly want?

She made a wait gesture to Isom, afraid he might do something, and looked at Eades carefully. He wasn’t in uniform, but the Foreign Office had no uniform. In fact, his clothing was, if anything, so nondescript and general that no one could possibly remark upon it. Even his features were bland and unremarkable, with nothing at all that stood out.

“My companion will return soon, sir,” Alexis said. “I cannot imagine what you might wish to speak to me about.”

“Lieutenant Vallance will keep Mister Easley busy for as long I require, Lieutenant Carew,” Eades said at the same time Alexis’ tablet
pinged
for her attention. Shocked that Eades knew both Vallance and Philip, she pulled out her tablet and saw a message.

Mister Eades of the Foreign Office will be contacting you this evening. Please follow his instructions.

Alexis blinked. It was signed
Captain Euell
of
Shrewsbury,
her next ship, but
Shrewsbury
was not in port. She checked the message headers to see if it had been sent some time ago and only just arrived on some other ship, but her tablet clearly informed her that the message had originated from
Shrewsbury
directly to the station and had been sent that very minute. She used her tablet to quickly check the system’s arrivals, in case
Shrewsbury
had just transitioned, but it had not.
Shrewsbury
was, in fact, in
darkspace
, still en route to Lyetham and had been unable to send messages at all for over a week’s time since leaving her last port of call. She looked at Eades in shock. How had he done that? He’d have to have the ability not only to send messages via the Navy’s secure communications, but also to send them with perfectly formed message headers that would be accepted as from ships and officers that couldn’t possibly have sent them.