Croucher gave such a disarming smile that Ramage knew he'd made a mistake: he was not sure what it was, but Croucher was about to checkmate him.

 'The Deputy Judge Advocate,' Croucher said politely, 'will explain the position to you.'

 Ramage needed time, so he quickly stood up. 'Perhaps the court should be cleared while the point is argued.'

'There is nothing to argue about,' Croucher said sharply. 'Carry on,' he told Barrow.

The man stood up and adjusted his spectacles.

'A similar circumstance arose in a court martial in January of last year,' he said pompously. 'A court martial held, incidentally, here in Bastia. The court referred the question to the authorities in London. The Judge Advocate General gave his opinion on it, in a letter dated May 22, 1795, of which I have an attested copy here, saying: "If any person at hand, and who can without delay be called upon, is supposed to be capable of giving material testimony, I have not a doubt that the court may require his attendance and examine him."'

Ramage leapt to his feet just as Ferris was about to speak.

'Judge Advocate General, did you say?'

‘Yes," Barrow said smugly.

‘What has he got to do with it?'

'I do not understand you,' interrupted Croucher.

'The Judge Advocate General, sir,' said Ramage, 'is concerned only with Army affairs. I hardly need remind you that legal matters concerning the Navy would be the responsi­bility of the Judge Advocate to the Fleet. Am I to conclude the opinion was given on an Army court martial?'

 Croucher glanced at the Deputy Judge Advocate, and Bar­row said sheepishly, 'Well yes, sir; but we have no reason to suppose the Judge Advocate to the Fleet would differ in opinion.'

'That is a matter of opinion, and opinion is not evidence,' said Ramage. 'However, my point is that it's the custom of our Service to notify an accused person of the witnesses being called against him.'

But he knew they'd over-rule him, so he decided to forestall Croucher's little victory.

'However, I'm not objecting to any particular witness, because I am sure the court' - Ramage could not keep the irony out of his voice - 'is anxious to arrive at the truth.'

 'Very well,' Croucher said impatiently, and told Barrow to call Pisano, who strode in through the door with an expression on his face as if he regarded himself as the most important guest arriving at a gala ball. He ducked under each beam, although his head would have cleared it by a couple of inches -clearly he had banged himself so much in the smaller Lively that he was taking no chances - but, thought Ramage, instead of making an entrance da grande signore, he looked more like a puffed-up pigeon strutting jerkily across a piazza.

'Would you stand here, please,' Barrow said deferentially. ‘You are Luigi Vittorio Umberto Giacomo, Count Pisano?'

 'I have several other names, but they will be sufficient to identify me.'

 Croucher interrupted: 'You feel sufficiently recovered to give evidence?'

 'Yes, thank you,' Pisano replied stiffly, clearly wishing to forget the episode.

'You will forgive me for certain questions I have to ask you,' said Barrow. 'You are of the Roman Catholic faith?'

'I am.'

'And you are - eh - not under excommunication?'

'Indeed not!'

 Barrow put the Crucifix on the Bible and placed them nearer Pisano.

'Would you please place your right hand on the Crucifix and repeat the following oath after me.'

 Pisano repeated each phrase, eyes uplifted in what he must have thought was a reverent attitude, and sat down.

 'Your English is so good I have no need to offer you the services of an interpreter!' Croucher remarked with an ingratiating smile.

Ramage knew exactly how Pisano would react.

'Interpreter? Interpreter? Am I entitled to one?'

 'Of course,' said Croucher proudly, 'anyone whose native language is not English is entitled to an interpreter in a British court of law.'

'Then I wish to have an interpreter,' announced Pisano, crossing his legs and folding his arms, as if to indicate he would not speak another word until an interpreter was produced.

'Oh - ah - well, certainly,' said Croucher lamely. 'Send for an interpreter, Barrow.'

The Deputy Judge Advocate gave Captain Croucher what Ramage took to be a warning look, but said: 'Of course, sir.'

'Send for my clerk,' said Croucher. ‘He can find one.'

The clerk was brought into the court, instructed to find a translator, told to shut up and look when he began to make some protest, and hurried out again, pursued by Croucher's 'And get a move on!'

 Croucher sat back, a self-satisfied smile on his face. Barrow looked wretched — obviously he sensed a squall just over the horizon. Croucher's smile began to dissolve when Captain Blackman whispered something, and he turned and spoke to Captain Herbert, sitting on his left. Herbert shook his head and in turn questioned the captain next to him. He, too, shook his  head, while Blackman had in the meantime been whispering to the captain on his right, who shrugged his shoulders and spoke to Ferris, who also shook his head.

 Croucher reached out for one of the Sibella's logs and began reading, trying hard to appear unconcerned. Pisano, probably piqued at not holding the centre of the stage, indicated his boredom by picking pieces of fluff from his sky-blue breeches (where on earth did he find them? Ramage wondered) and then inspected his finger nails with more concentration, it seemed to Ramage, than he could ever muster for more serious matters.

 And, he thought grimly, matters could not be more serious. Croucher was obviously pinning everything on Pisano's testimony, and he must be the last witness they could produce: then he'd make his defence. Should he call the Bosun and Carpenter's Mate? No - there was nothing they could add to their earlier evidence. So there was only Jackson. He would only corroborate what had been said about the Sibella, but he might be useful for the Tower affair and the visit to Argentario.

 Yet what could Jackson say? All the deference that Croucher was showing Pisano indicated that, despite Gianna's intervention, he was going to make sure the court believed every word he said.

 In that case the verdict was a foregone conclusion. Ramage felt his previous elation evaporate: all those fine resolutions about fighting back, he thought bitterly ... You can't fight without weapons. And that's what his father had found.

 But - if Pisano's word counted for so much, then so would Gianna's! Perhaps not with the court, but if she gave evidence it would be recorded and appear in the minutes which Sir John Jervis and the Admiralty would read. And - he could kick himself for only just thinking of it - the court had just ruled someone could be called as a witness without previous warning.

 At that moment the clerk returned to the cabin and handed a note to Captain Croucher, who read it, looked at Pisano, and said apologetically, 'I am afraid that owing to some oversight  there is at the moment in the squadron only one person versed in the Italian language and he's not available to act as an interpreter.'

'Why not?' demanded Pisano insolently.

.'I - ah - well...' Croucher looked round, as if expecting to see a suitable explanation written on a bulkhead. 'Perhaps you would be kind enough to accept my word for it that he is not available.'

'But if I am entitled to an interpreter I want an interpreter,' insisted Pisano. 'I have a right - you said so yourself: I demand my rights!'

'I regret,' Croucher answered heavily, 'that the only inter­preter available is Lieutenant Ramage.'

Pisano's manner had clearly nettled him; Ramage thought he might even be having some regrets at having to use, such an unpleasant man as a weapon: even Croucher must have scruples, and probably shared the average British naval officer's distrust of all foreigners.