Now there were distant sounds, but sounds in the little wooden ship were susceptible to so many possible interpretations that he would not at first allow himself to think that they might arise as a result of the ending of the operation. But then there were steps and voices outside his cabin door, the sentry speaking and then Eisenbeiss, and then came a knock.

“Come in,” said Hornblower, trying to keep his voice indifferent; the first sight of Eisenbeiss as he entered was enough to tell Hornblower that all was as well as could be hoped. There was an obvious lightheartedness about the doctor’s elephantine movements.

“I found the bullet,” said Eisenbeiss. “It was where I thought—at the inferior angle of the scapula.”

“Did you get it out?” asked Hornblower; the fact that he did not correct Eisenbeiss for omitting the “sir” was proof—if anyone had been present to notice it—that he was not as calm as he appeared.

“Yes,” said Eisenbeiss.

He laid something on the table in front of Hornblower, with a gesture positively dramatic. It was the bullet, misshapen, flattened to an irregular disc, with a raw scratch on one surface.

“That is where my scalpel cut into it,” said Eisenbeiss proudly. “I went straight to the right place.”

Hornblower picked the thing up gingerly to examine it.

“You see,” said Eisenbeiss, “it was as I said. The bullet struck the ribs, breaking them, and then glanced off, passing back between the bone and the muscle.”

“Yes, I see,” said Hornblower.

“And there are these as well,” went on Eisenbeiss, laying something else in front of Hornblower with the same sort of conscious pride as a conjuror at a fair bringing the rabbit out of the hat.

“Is this the wad?” asked Hornblower, puzzled, and making no attempt to pick up the horrid little object.

“No,” said Eisenbeiss, “that is how my forceps brought it out. But see—”

Eisenbeiss’s large fingers plucked the object into successive layers.

“I have looked at these through my lens. That is a piece of a blue coat. That is a piece of silk lining. That is a piece of linen shirt. And those are threads of a knitted undershirt.”

Eisenbeiss beamed with triumph.

“The bullet carried these in with it?” asked Hornblower.

“Exactly. Of course. Between the bullet and the bone these portions were cut off, as they might be between the blades of scissors, and the bullet carried them on with it I found them all. No wonder the wound was suppurating.”

“You address me as ‘sir’,” said Hornblower, realizing, now that the tension had eased, that Eisenbeiss had been omitting the honorific. “The operation was otherwise successful as well?”

“Yes—sir,” said Eisenbeiss. “The removal of these foreign bodies and the draining of the wound brought immediate relief to the patient.”

“He did not suffer too much?”

“Not too much. The men who were ready to hold him still had hardly anything to do. He submitted with good spirit, as he promised you he would. It was well that he lay still. I feared further injury to the lung from the broken ribs if he struggled.”

“You address me as ‘sir’,” said Hornblower. “That is the last time, doctor, that I shall overlook the omission.”

“Yes—sir.”

“And the patient is going on well?”

“I left him as well as I could hope—sir. I must return to him soon, of course.”

“Do you think he will live?”

Some of the triumph evaporated from Eisenbeiss’s expression as he concentrated on phrasing his reply.

“He is more likely to live now, sir,” he said. “But with wounds—one cannot be sure.”

There was always the likelihood, the unpredictable likelihood, of a wound taking a turn for the worse, festering and killing.

“You cannot say more than that?”

“No, sir. The wound must remain open to drain. When applying the sutures I inserted a bristle—”

“Very well,” said Hornblower, suddenly squeamish. “I understand. You had better return to him now. You have my thanks, doctor, for what you have done.”

Even with Eisenbeiss gone there was no chance of quietly reviewing the situation. A knock on the door heralded the appearance of Midshipman Smiley.

“Mr. Jones’ compliments, sir, and there are boats heading for us from the shore.”

“Thank you. I’ll come up. And if Mr. Turner’s not on deck tell him I want to see him there.”

Some of the gailypainted boats in the distance were under oars, but the nearest one was under a lateen sail, lying very close to the wind. As Hornblower watched her she took in her sail, went about, and reset it on the other tack. The lateen rig had its disadvantages. On the new tack the boat would fetch up alongside Atropos easily enough.

“Now listen to me, Mr. Turner,” said Hornblower, reaching the decision he had had at the back of his mind—overlain until now by a host of other considerations—for the last two days. “When you speak to them you are to tell them that we are looking for a French squadron.”

“Beg pardon, sir?”

“We are looking for a French squadron. Two sail—that will do. A ship of the line and frigate, escaped from Corfu three weeks back. The first thing you ask is whether they have touched here.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

Turner was not very clear on the point yet.

“Admiral—Admiral Harvey has sent us in for news. He’s cruising off Crete looking for them with four sail of the line. Four will do. Enough force to make them respect us.”

“I see, sir.”

“You’re quite sure you do?”

“Yes, sir.”

It was irksome being dependent on Turner to interpret for him. With Spanish authorities, or French, Hornblower could have conducted his own negotiations, but not with Turks.

“Remember, that’s the first thing you ask, the very first. Have two French ships touched here? Then you can go on to get permission to fill the water casks. We’ll buy fresh vegetables, too, and a couple of bullocks, if we can.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Keep it in your mind all the time that we’re scouting for Admiral Harvey. Don’t forget it for a moment, and then everything will be all right.”

“Aye aye, sir.”

The lateen boat was nearing them fast, making surprising speed with the small evening wind; there was a respectable bubble of foam under her bow. She came running close alongside and hoveto, the lateen sail flapping until they brailed up the upper portion.

“Turks, sir, not Greeks,” said Turner.

Hornblower could have guessed that without Turner’s help; the boat’s crew was dressed in dirty white gowns; they wore on their heads round red hats wreathed in dirty white turbans. The graybearded man who stood up in the stern wore a red sash about his waist, from which hung a curved sword. He hailed Atropos in a thin high voice. Turner hailed back; the jargon he spoke was the lingua franca of the Levant, and Hornblower tried to guess at what was being said. Italian, French, English, Arabic, Greek, all contributed to the language, he knew. It was a little strange to hear the words “Horatio Hornblower” come clearly through the incomprehensible remainder.

“Who is this fellow?” he asked.

“The Mudir, sir. The local Jackinoffice. Harbour master—preventive officer. He is asking about our bill of health, sir.”

“Don’t forget to ask about the French ships,” said Hornblower.

“Aye aye, sir.”

The shouted conversation went on; Hornblower caught the word “fregata” more than once. The graybeard in the boat extended his hands in a negative gesture and went on to supplement it with a further sentence.

“He says there have been no French ships in here for years, sir,” said Turner.

“Ask him if he has heard about any along the coast or in the islands?”

The graybeard clearly disclaimed all knowledge.

“Tell him,” said Hornblower, “I’ll give him five pieces of gold for news of the French.”

There was something infectious in the atmosphere, in this Oriental talk—that was the only explanation Hornblower could think of for his using the outlandish expression “pieces of gold.” There was no reason why he should not have said “guineas” to Turner. The graybeard shook his head again; Hornblower, looking keenly at him fancied that the offer impressed him nevertheless. He asked another question and Turner answered.