Mr. Freeman, will you be so good as to have a boat hoisted out for me? Ill go and parley with the villains.
That would be a sign of weakness, but the mutineers could be in no doubt about the weakness of his position and the corresponding strength of their own. It would be telling them nothing they did not know already, that they held Hornblower and the Lords of the Admiralty and the British Empire itself in a cleft stick. Freeman showed no signs of his doubts regarding the advisability of a valuable captain putting himself in the power of mutineers. Hornblower went below to pocket his orders; it might even be necessary to show the mutineers the full powers with which he had been entrustedbut it would be only in the last resort that he would do so; that would be letting the mutineers too much into their Lordships confidence. The boat was overside with Brown at the tiller when Hornblower came on deck again; Hornblower went down the side and settled himself into the sternsheets.
Give way! ordered Brown; the oars bit the water and the boat began to crawl towards the Flame, dancing over the little waves of the estuary.
Hornblower watched the brig as they approached; she lay hove-to, but Hornblower could see that her guns were run out and her boarding-nettings rigged, and she had clearly no intention of being taken by surprise. The hands were at their guns, there were lookouts aloft, a warrant officer aft with a telescope under his armnot a sign in the world of mutiny on board.
Boat ahoy! came the hail across the water.
Brown held up his four fingers, the universal signal that there was a captain in the boatfour fingers for the four side-boys demanded by ceremonial.
Who are ye? hailed the voice.
Brown looked round at Hornblower, received a nod from him, and hailed back.
Commodore Sir Horatio Hornblower, K.B.
Well allow Commodore Hornblower on board, but no one else. Come alongside, and weve cold shot here to drop into you if you play any tricks.
Hornblower reached for the main-chains and swung himself up into them; a seaman raised the boarding-nettings so that he could struggle under them to the deck.
Kindly tell your boat to sheer off, Commodore. Were taking no risks, said a voice.
It was a white-haired old man who addressed him, the telescope under his arm marking him out as officer of the watch. White hair fluttered about his ears; sharp blue eyes in a wrinkled face looked at Hornblower from under white brows. The only thing in the least bizarre about his appearance was a pistol stuck in his belt. Hornblower turned and gave the required order.
And now may I ask your business here, Commodore? asked the old man.
I wish to
speak to the leader of the mutineers.
I am captain of this ship. You can address yourself to me, Nathaniel Sweet, sir.
I have addressed myself to you as far as I desire, unless you are also the leader of the mutineers.
Then if you have done so, you can call back your boat and leave us, sir.
An impasse already. Hornblower kept his eyes on the blue ones of the old man. There were several other men within earshot, but he could sense no wavering or doubt among them; they were prepared to support their captain. Yet it might be worth while speaking to them.
Men! said Hornblower, raising his voice.
Belay that! rapped out the old man. He whipped the pistol out of his belt and pointed it at Hornblowers stomach. One more word out of turn and youll get an ounce of lead through you.
Hornblower looked steadily back at him and his weapon; he was curiously unafraid, feeling as if he were watching move and counter-move in some chess game, without remembering that he himself was one of the pawns in it with his life at stake.
Kill me, he said with a grim smile, and England wont rest until youre swinging on a gallows.
England has sent you here to swing me on a gallows as it is, said Sweet, bleakly.
No, said Hornblower. I am here to recall you to your duty to King and Country.
Letting bygones be bygones?
You will have to stand a fair trial, you and your confederates.
That means the gallows, as I said, replied Sweet. The gallows for me, and I should be fortunate compared with some of these others.
A fair and honest trial, said Hornblower, with every mitigating circumstance taken into consideration.
The only trial I would attend, replied the old man, would be to bear witness against Chadwick. Full pardon for usa fair trial for Chadwick. Those are our terms, sir.
You are foolish, said Hornblower. You are throwing away your last chance. Surrender now, with Mr. Chadwick unbound and the ship in good order, and those circumstances will weigh heavily in your favour at your trial. Refuse, and what have you to look for? Death. That is all. Death. What can save you from our countrys vengeance? Nothing.
Begging your pardon, Captain, but Boney can, interposed the old man, dryly.
You trust Bonapartes word? said Hornblower, rallying desperately before this unexpected counter-attack. Hed like to have this ship, no doubt. But you and your gang? Bonaparte wont encourage mutinyhis power rests too much on his own army. Hell hand you back for us to make an example of you.