Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (30 page)

             
"
Thank
God
for
that,
"
breathed
Captain
Heron.
"
It
'
ll
make
life
a
lot
easier
not
having
to
explain
every
damned
thing
to
a
bunch
of
non-technical
people
who
have
insisted
on
having
their
say
over
everything
so
far.
"

             
"
I
agree.
"
The
Admiral
grinned.
"
Though
perhaps
reporting
him
for
sabotage
was
a
little
over
the
top
Commander.
"

             
"
Maybe
it
was,
sir,
"
Mary
replied.
"
But
it
was
plain
as
anything
he
thought
nothing
of
making
changes
to
the
equipment
and
installations
without
so
much
as
a
by
your
leave.
I
hear
he
'
s
now
under
investigation
anyway
because
his
relationship
with
certain
suppliers
was
a
little
too
close.
"

             
"
Your
intel
is
obviously
good
then,
"
the
Admiral
agreed.
"
That
was
supposed
to
be
secret.
"
He
turned
to
the
Captain.
"
Now
James,
are
there
any
other
deficiencies
we
need
to
deal
with?
How
is
the
weapons
kit?
"

             
"
So
far
only
some
minor
glitches,
Valerie
is
very
much
on
top
of
her
department
and
hasn
'
t
found
any
major
hiccoughs
as
yet.
Even
the
Primary
'
scanner
'
seems
to
have
all
the
right
bits
so
far
though
there
was
a
confrontation
a
day
or
so
ago
over
one
part
the
yard
wanted
to
modify.
"

             
"
Excellent.
And
Fritz;
is
he
happy
with
the
AI?
"

             
The
Captain
laughed.
"
Fritz
is
in
his
element
and
each
new
node
has
him
almost
in
a
state
worse
than
a
father
expecting
triplets.
"
He
nodded.
"
Thanks
for
the
support
you
and
your
people
have
given
us
over
this
problem,
I
'
m
confident
we
can
now
get
the
ship
finished
and
operational
on
schedule
and
in
a
state
to
do
everything
she
is
designed
to
do.
"

             
"
My
pleasure
–
I
'
ve
been
trying
to
get
the
evidence
I
needed
on
the
CE
for
some
time,
you
found
it.
Now
get
your
ship
finished.
She
'
s
first
of
class
and
she
'
ll
be
the
best
too
if
I
know
you
and
your
team.
Good
luck.
"

-

             
The
ship
rolled
sluggishly,
loose
blocks
clattering
overhead
as
the
sails
slatted
heavily
against
the
rigging
and
spars,
the
fitful
breaths
of
wind
barely
lifting
them
before
dying
away
again.
Since
leaving
Cape
Trafalgar
astern
the
winds
had
been
fickle
and
light.
Harry
tugged
at
the
sweat
soaked
collar
of
his
shirt
and
wished
he
could
shed
the
heavy
jacket
and
his
necktie.
He
moved
his
feet
and
felt
the
tar
in
the
deck
seams
tug
at
the
soles
of
his
shoes.
Away
to
Larboard,
some
sixty
miles
distant
according
to
the
ship
'
s
Master,
lay
the
African
coast,
the
land
of
Moorish
corsairs
and
pirates,
to
Starboard
the
open
Atlantic.
He
raised
the
signal
glass
to
his
eye
again,
training
it
on
the
fat
Indiaman
some
two
miles
distant
over
their
bow
and
wondered
what
it
would
be
like
on
a
John
Company
ship,
perhaps
less
crowded
than
on
the
seventy-four
gun
Spartan
.

             
"
Deck
there!
"
the
lookout
'
s
cry
brought
a
stirring
among
the
watch
keepers,
"
Five
sail
on
the
Port
Quarter.
Look
to
be
galleys
sir!
"

             
"
Mister
Heron,
"
Lieutenant
Beasley
called
Harry
over.
"
Take
a
glass
aloft
and
tell
me
what
you
see
with
it.
"
He
turned
to
the
second
Midshipman,
"
Mister
Tanner,
get
below
to
the
Captain
and
give
him
my
compliments;
we
appear
to
have
Xebecs
in
sight.
"

             
Harry
hurried
to
the
main
chains
and
swung
himself
up
onto
the
ratlines,
scrambling
quickly
up
the
long
run
to
the
maintop,
climbing
round
the
futtocks,
and
on
up
to
the
cross-trees.
Settling
himself
beside
the
lookout,
a
small
weather
beaten
man
Harry
knew
as
Tom
Worth,
he
asked,
"
Where
away
are
these
galleys?
"