Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (58 page)

             
"
So
how
did
we
get
them
then?
"

             
The
Warrant
Officer
laughed.
"
The
Admiral
found
a
loophole
in
their
rule
book.
And
offered
to
have
their
Club
expropriated
for
the
TecRates
like
you.
The
fallout
is
still
coming
down.
Turns
out
there
was
quite
a
fiddle
in
the
budgets
to
get
it
and
rather
than
own
up
to
it,
they
simply
caved
in
on
the
agreement
that
now
they
have
it
they
can
keep
it
–
but
the
auditors
are
watching
the
income
and
expenditure
on
it
like
a
hawk.
"

             
"
So
what
about
the
kit
my
oppo
in
Weapons
says
has
been
swapped
out
for
sub
spec
stuff?
Will
that
get
replaced?
"

             
"
Count
on
it.
This
ship
is
going
to
be
the
best
there
is
and
Fleet
has
some
top
people
working
on
it
to
make
sure
she
is.
Engineering
got
the
reactors
swapped
out
for
the
right
ones
and
you
watch
Weapons
–
she
'
ll
have
everything
she
wants
before
anyone
is
allowed
to
sign
off
anything.
"

             
Several
decks
from
this
conversations
location
and
further
forward
the
Medical
Centre,
again
one
of
several
mini-hospitals,
was
nearing
completion.

             
"
These
Medunits
are
state
of
the
art,
"
the
Surgeon
Lieutenant
currently
overseeing
the
work
reported.
"
Right
on
the
edge
of
our
tech
at
this
stage,
but
the
clinical
trials
have
shown
they
produce
some
remarkable
results
with
regenerating
damaged
tissue.
"

             
"
So
the
manual
says
–
and
broken
bones.
Says
here
they
can
reduce
deep
wound
healing
by
around
three
quarters
of
the
time
required
for
natural
healing
and
bones
in
days
rather
than
weeks.
Burns
and
even
nerve
damage
can
be
repaired.
"
The
MedTech
was
an
older
man
with
long
experience.
"
That
will
certainly
be
useful
if
we
get
into
a
brawl
anywhere.
"

-

             
Harry
dangled
his
legs
from
the
fore
top
and
stared
upwards
at
the
blaze
of
stars
spread
across
the
southern
ocean
sky.
For
the
first
time
in
the
fortnight
since
departing
the
Cape
it
was
clear
and
reasonably
still
as
the
ship
rolled
and
pitched
slowly
and
steadily
under
the
thrust
of
her
sails.
His
latest
confrontation
with
Gunroom
made
the
Orlop
and
Gunroom
and
its
aggressive
senior
things
to
be
avoided
for
the
moment.
Retreating
to
the
rigging
where
he
could
think
and
relax
his
guard
on
his
temper
was
a
sensible
action
and
it
had
the
added
benefit
of
escaping
the
all
pervading
smell
of
the
lower
decks.
The
constant
need
to
watch
for
the
malicious
and
bullying
of
Eamon
Barclay
and
his
cronies
and
the
need
to
guard
his
own
temper
at
all
times
could
get
very
wearying.
In
the
fighting
tops
he
had
found
the
perfect
place
for
a
little
peace
and
quiet
reflection
when
he
was
off
duty.

             
From
here
he
could
contemplate
the
unfamiliar
southern
skies
and
pick
out
the
cardinal
stars,
there
the
great
Southern
Cross,
there
Orion
and
other
bright
markers
useful
to
navigators.
Idly
he
wondered
yet
again
what
it
might
be
like
to
travel
among
the
stars,
something
he
knew
to
be
impossible.
The
strains
of
a
fiddle
floated
up
from
the
forecastle,
the
clear
notes
of
a
fife
accompanying
it,
and
Harry
smiled
to
himself
as
he
recognised
the
tune.
Ferghal
needed
little
encouragement
to
play
the
music
of
their
home
in
County
Down
overlooking
the
great
sea
lough
of
Strangford.

             
Harry
loved
music
but,
with
no
talent
for
making
it
could
only
envy
his
friend
'
s
skill.
Though
he
was
an
accomplished
artist
and
mathematician,
he
considered
the
gift
of
music
superior
to
his
own
and
longed
to
be
able
to
play
even
a
simple
instrument.
Ferghal
could
seemingly
pick
up
any
instrument
and
coax
it
into
making
music
to
make
men
weep.
The
fiddle
soared
into
a
vigorous
jig
and
Harry
looked
down
to
see
several
men
dancing
in
the
space
cleared
for
them
by
their
watching
messmates.
He
glanced
aft
and
smiled
again
as
he
saw
several
of
the
lieutenants
gathered
at
the
Quarterdeck
rail
to
watch
and
listen.
A
movement
caught
his
eye
and
he
stiffened
slightly
as
he
saw
that
Captain
Blackwood
had
quietly
joined
his
officers,
standing
apart
from
them,
on
the
windward
side
of
the
deck.