Читаем Man Of War полностью

‘Ay-ay, sir!’ they chorused, with a will; there was nothing like an increase in grog to signal fighting intent.

‘Carry on, Mr Lambe.’

The lieutenant replaced his hat and touched the point as the captain took his leave accompanied by the signal midshipman.

Back in his cabin, Peto sat in the Madeira chair, and began rubbing his chin. ‘What say you, Mr Pelham?’

‘Sir?’

‘What say you the Turks might do to confound this manoeuvre?’

‘Sir, I . . .’

‘Come, Mr Pelham. You are entitled to your own thoughts on the business, and I would know how you think.’

The midshipman stood rigid.

‘Easy, man!’

‘Well, sir, it seems to me that in a place of such little sea room, a fireship could do horrible destruction. Is there not a danger the Turk might make a pretence of parleying all day, making ready their fireships the while; then they could set loose a deal of confusion when night came?’

Peto nodded. ‘Your thinking does you credit, Mr Pelham. They are precisely my thoughts. The admiral gave no indication of how long he would allow the Turks to quit the bay. He will be aware of the destruction that might follow if the fireships are loosed. But, as you intimate, if the Turks appear to want to parley, it will be devilish hard to call them out.’

‘Sir.’

Peto rose, and turned to look out of the stern lights. ‘My compliments to Mr Lambe, and have him inform me the instant there is sight of the Firefly.’

‘Ay-ay, sir.’

‘As soon as she comes alongside I wish you to escort Miss Codrington aboard.’

‘Ay-ay, sir.’

Peto cleared his throat. ‘That is all, Mr Pelham. You may dismiss.’

When he was gone, Peto poured himself a glass of Marsala, and took his copy of Thucydides from the rack. He leafed through it to Book Four, to the events at Pylus – Navarino as now was. The Athenians had been tempted to bring to battle the Lacedaemonians – the Spartans – by landing and erecting defensive works. The historian of the war described the bay in some detail; Peto did not suppose it had changed much in its essentials in the intervening centuries.


Перейти на страницу:

Все книги серии Matthew Hervey

Company Of Spears
Company Of Spears

The eighth novel in the acclaimed and bestselling series finds Hervey on his way to South Africa where he is preparing to form a new body of cavalry, the Cape Mounted Rifles.All looks set fair for Major Matthew Hervey: news of a handsome legacy should allow him to purchase command of his beloved regiment, the 6th Light Dragoons. He is resolved to marry, and rather to his surprise, the object of his affections — the widow of the late Sir Ivo Lankester — has readily consented. But he has reckoned without the opportunism of a fellow officer with ready cash to hand; and before too long, he is on the lookout for a new posting. However, Hervey has always been well-served by old and loyal friends, and Eyre Somervile comes to his aid with the means of promotion: there is need of a man to help reorganize the local forces at the Cape Colony, and in particular to form a new body of horse.At the Cape, Hervey is at once thrown into frontier skirmishes with the Xhosa and Bushmen, but it is Eyre Somervile's instruction to range deep across the frontier, into the territory of the Zulus, that is his greatest test. Accompanied by the charming, cultured, but dissipated Edward Fairbrother, a black captain from the disbanded Royal African Corps and bastard son of a Jamaican planter, he makes contact with the legendary King Shaka, and thereafter warns Somervile of the danger that the expanding Zulu nation poses to the Cape Colony.The climax of the novel is the battle of Umtata River (August 1828), in which Hervey has to fight as he has never fought before, and in so doing saves the life of the nephew of one of the Duke of Wellington's closest friends.

Allan Mallinson

Исторические приключения

Похожие книги

Цыпленок жареный. Авантюристка голубых кровей
Цыпленок жареный. Авантюристка голубых кровей

Анна – единственный ребенок в аристократическом семействе, репутацию которого она загубила благодаря дурной привычке – мелким кражам. Когда ее тайное увлечение было раскрыто, воровку сослали в монастырь на перевоспитание, но девица сбежала в поисках лучшей жизни. Революция семнадцатого года развязала руки мошенникам, среди которых оказалась и Анна, получив прозвище Цыпа. Она пробует себя в разных «жанрах» – шулерстве, пологе и даже проституции, но не совсем удачно, и судьба сводит бедовую аферистку с успешным главой петроградской банды – Козырем. Казалось бы, их ждет счастливое сотрудничество и любовь, но вместе с появлением мошенницы в жизнь мужчины входит череда несчастий… так начался непростой путь авантюрной воровки, которая прославилась тем, что являлась одной из самых неудачливых преступницы первой половины двадцатых годов.

Виктория Руссо

Приключения / Исторические приключения