Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (119 page)

             
As
they
watched
the
launch
pulled
into
view
and
made
for
the
Spartan
.
"
What
a
shambles,
"
Harry
commented.
"
No
doubt
we
will
know
soon
enough
what
has
happened
aboard
both.
Come,
we
had
better
attend
our
duty
again
–
our
curiosity
will
see
us
in
trouble
else.
"

             
The
word
reached
them
soon
enough
as
they
supervised
the
restoration
of
the
last
screens
and
furnishings
on
the
gundeck.

             
"
The
brig
'
s
crew
'
ave
been
carried
off
by
the
pirates,
"
a
Master
'
s
Mate
told
them.
"
This
bugger
we
'
ave
under
our
lee
would
have
made
a
clean
pair
of
'
eels
of
it
too
'
ad
we
not
shot
away
'
is
masts.

             
"
What
could
they
have
been
after,
"
Harry
mused,
"
Surely
pirates
would
have
taken
the
ship
and
her
cargo?
"

             
"
Perhaps
they
abandoned
her
if
they
thought
there
was
a
chance
we
would
overhaul
them,
"
said
Kit
in
reply.

             
"
Perhaps,
"
said
Harry.
"
No
doubt
we
shall
soon
hear
more.
Come,
the
work
is
done
here.
Have
you
checked
the
lashings
on
the
guns?
Good,
then
we
can
report
all
secured
to
Mister
Bell
and
perhaps
hear
what
is
afoot.
"

***

             
"
A
dead
French
officer
on
the
Dhow
you
say?
"
Captain
Blackwood
frowned,
"
Now
what
mischief
are
they
planning
here?
"

             
"
He
was
not
alone
I
am
told,
sir,
"
Mister
Beasley
told
the
Captain.
"
It
is
my
understanding
that
they
were
aboard
these
Dhows
to
intercept
the
brig.
The
Dhow
'
s
Captain
speaks
French
and
admits
that
they
were
under
orders
to
prevent
her
reaching
their
intended
destination,
but
whose
orders
he
cannot
say
–
or
will
not.
"

             
"
What
did
they
take
from
the
brig
then?
"

             
"
The
Master
'
s
orders,
the
crew
and
the
Agent
together
with
the
diplomatic
pouch,
sir.
"
The
lieutenant
frowned,
"
I
think
the
intention
was
to
sink
or
burn
the
ship
once
they
had
what
they
came
for.
We
seem
to
have
spoiled
the
plan
by
appearing
unexpectedly.
"

             
"
So
it
appears,
"
Captain
Blackwood
replied
frowning.
"
The
rain
squall
which
masked
us
did
its
work
well,
we
were
upon
them
before
they
knew.
And
the
dusk
was
in
our
favour
as
well.
So
now
we
have
the
brig
recovered
and
a
capture
to
our
credit
but
have
lost
the
Agent
and
the
documents
he
carried.
Can
the
dhow
'
s
masts
be
set
up
to
sail
her
do
you
think?
"

             
"
Unlikely,
sir.
Her
fore
went
just
above
the
deck
and
the
main
not
much
higher.
Both
her
lateen
yards
have
broken
in
more
than
one
place
and
the
carpenter
says
they
cannot
be
adequately
fished
to
carry
sail
even
if
we
could
set
up
the
masts
..
A
tow
is
the
best
option,
sir.
"

             
"
Then
let
us
see
to
it.
We
will
return
to
Bombay
since
our
orders
were
to
find
and
protect
the
brig
and
her
passenger.
Once
in
Bombay
we
will
be
better
able
to
discover
what
is
afoot
here.
"

-

             
The
trials
had
gone
well,
but
now
the
ship
and
her
crew
were
about
to
commence
an
intensive
training
period.
The
next
six
months
would
see
the
ship
put
through
every
possible
evolution
and
every
possible
emergency
simulation
that
Training
Staff
and
their
Admiral,
a
man
with
a
devious
mindset
in
these
matters,
could
come
up
with.

             
"
Your
exercises
for
the
next
week
will
be
based
on
a
number
of
different
scenarios.
The
first
will
require
you
to
insert
a
landing
force
against
a
defended
planet.
We
will
be
using
the
moon
Calisto
as
the
'
planet
'
and
you
will
be
up
against
the
Russian
Federation
Ship
Kiev
and
her
escort,
two
frigates
and
her
strike
squadrons.
I
need
hardly
add
there
will
be
no
live
firing.
Targeting
will
be
done
as
per
normal,
but
receivers
on
your
outer
hull
and
theirs
will
register
target
locks
as
hits.
"
The
Captain
giving
the
briefing
touched
an
interface
and
a
screen
lit
up
with
images
of
the
Russian
ships.