Next day, while Ramage walked out along the hills forming the bay and examined the batteries protecting it, the six seamen sat chatting with their backs to the Muralla del Mar and, without the Spaniards realizing it, studied the zebec La Providenciauntil they knew they could board her - or any other zebec - in the dark and set all sail without a moment's delay.

'It ain't a seamanlike rig,' concluded Stafford. 'Might do fer a lot o' 'eathen Moors, but wot, I hask yer, 'appens to those yards in a gale o' wind? I'll tell yer: they whip like a master-at-arms's rattan.'

'But each one's got a vang at the lower end and another near the top,' Jackson interjected mildly.

'Yers,' jeered Stafford, 'they'll be useful when you want to 'aul 'em back in again after they've gorn overboard.'

'But very fast ships,' Rossi interjected. 'The fastest. That's why the Moorish pirates use them.'

'And that's why Mr. Ramage is interested in them, Rosey,' said Jackson. 'When we leave here for Gibraltar we'll be in a hurry.'

'Like as not there'll be a Spanish three-decker chasin' us,' Fuller added gloomily.

Stafford laughed. 'If they get close, yer can 'ave a boat and row over to the Spanish admiral wiv a big plate o' fish and tell 'im we was really only 'avin' a nice day's exercise wiv rod an' line.'

Fuller grunted contemptuously: he couldn't be bothered wasting his breath on a man who talked like that about fishing.

'She's fast enough,' said the Dane. 'And she's not too big for us to handle.'

'That's the point, Sixer,' said Jackson. 'Four of us could, if necessary.'

'When do we sail Jacko? Tonight?'

'No - at least, I don't expect so.'

'Why not? No point in 'angin' about. Two weeks in that inn'll cost us two years' pay.'

'What are you worrying about? You're sitting here chatting, you're not standing watches, you'll sleep soundly tonight in a bed with no chance of being roused out to take in a reef, and there's no deck to holystone tomorrow morning. And Mr. Ramage is paying you all the time.'

'Mr. Ramage? Oh, yer mean for and on be'alf of 'Is Royal Majesty King George, an' all that.'

'No - Mr. Ramage is paying out of his own pocket.'

'But—'

'You asked him about pay, didn't you,' Jackson continued. 'You said you'd heard our pay stopped the day we were captured. Well, he waited a moment before answering. I saw he'd heard the same thing and didn't know for sure. But straight away he said, "You'll get every penny owing to you: I'll see to that." Well, I know your pay does stop. So in fact what you got was a guarantee from Mr. Ramage that he'll pay you.'

'Cor,' exclaimed Stafford. 'Why didn't yer tell 'im?'

'No point,' Jackson said impatiently. 'He'd still have paid you out of his own pocket.'

' 'Ow d'yer know?'

Before Jackson could answer Fuller said flatly, 'Because he's Mr. Ramage, that's why.'

'That's right,' said Rossi, 'If he say he pay, he pay.'

Jackson suddenly asked Stafford, 'Why did you stay with him? You didn't intend to when the Spaniards sorted out the foreigners, did you? You reckoned this was your chance to say good-bye to His Royal Majesty King George, didn't you?'

'Not "Royal" Majesty,' said Fuller. 'Just "His Majesty".'

'Yers,' Stafford ignored Fuller and admitted, 'Yers, to begin with I intended to be quit of His Royal Majestic Highness King George.'

'But why—'

'Well, later on it didn't seem right to leave Mr. Ramage,' Stafford said almost defiantly. 'What about all of you? You intended to quit too - not you Jacko,' he added hastily, 'but the rest of you.'

'Not me!' Rossi said sharply. 'After how he rescue the Marchesa when she is a stranger, and after he is a good captain to us - no! At first I do not know why the Spanish pick me out, but when I see Mr. Ramage comes with us, I am not frightened.'

'And that goes for me too, you miserable little pick-lock,' Fuller growled at Stafford.

'I wasn't a pick-lock, you fathom o' fish bait.'

'Steady now,' said Jackson, running his hand through his sandy hair, 'the only thing that matters is we're still with him. And all that matters to him is that those ships out there —' he nodded towards the Spanish Fleet at anchor across the harbour, '—can do a terrible lot of damage when they sail, unless Old Jarvie knows they're at sea.'

Jensen glanced at Jackson. 'Do you mean that we'll...?'

'I don't mean anything, Sixer; I'm just telling you what I think matters to Mr. Ramage.'

The long, many-arched balcony on the first floor of the American Consul's house was large and overlooked the Plaza del Rey. The apex of each arch was high, which added to the feeling of coolness. Ramage sat in a comfortable cane chair which had a small oleander plant growing in a tub beside it, and reflected that his impulsive evening visit to the Consul was proving interesting, if nothing else.

The Consul was in an expansive mood. He had loosened his silk stock, apologized for discarding buckled shoes in favour of embroidered Moorish slippers and now that four glasses of brandy had followed a good dinner eaten amid a gentle flow of sentimental reminiscences, he viewed most of the world with favour. The exception, Ramage was surprised to learn, was France.

'I think you'll agree, Mr. Gilray,' he said, holding up his brandy glass against the light from the chandelier, 'that although in general the Italian people have a certain shallowness, a certain insincerity, they make up for it by their artistic nature and gaiety. The Spanish, in my experience, are also rather an insincere people, yet in compensation they have a natural dignity, and a personal sense of honour - although not a national one - and this reflects in their fighting ability. But the French ...'

The Consul drained his glass, saw that Ramage's was also empty, and rang a little silver bell on the table beside him.

'The French - well, their present behaviour frightens me. They've grown greedy. It's only seven years since the Bastille was stormed, and when they executed their King four years ago last January they made fine speeches about liberty and equality. Then, already at war with Austria, they declared war on Britain, Holland and Spain. They've butchered their own people by the thousands, and Spain has since changed sides.

'I agree it's not our business what goes on in France while they try to establish a better system of government. That was long overdue. But how does declaring war on everyone else help? Now, still talking of liberty, they've over-run half of Europe. Since this - ah, liberation - has simply replaced the previous misrule with French misrule, I think we're entitled to ask the Directory if one inch of the foreign lands captured by General Bonaparte has helped give France a better government, put more bread in the French people's larders, or helped the peoples of the foreign lands. From what I hear, Bonaparte charges them a pretty penny.'

A servant came on to the balcony and poured more brandy.

'Since I'm here solely as the Consul of a neutral country, I suppose I should guard my tongue; but I keep on asking myself whether Spain has just entered the war against England of her own free will, or because France has given her no choice. I'm certain of one thing, though: the French consider the Spanish Navy as being virtually under the Directory's command.'

Ramage felt the Consul had a good reason for saying that, and wondered how to discover what it was.

'Surely, sir, the King of Spain is too proud a man to take orders from men like Barras and Carnot? Surely he isn't at the Directory's beck and call?'

'He has no choice,' the Consul said dryly, and as he looked out across the Plaza del Rey Ramage took the opportunity of pouring most of his brandy into the oleander tub. 'No more choice than you'd have if a footpad stuck a pistol in your back on a dark night and demanded your purse. I suspect the Directory have been more responsible for Langara's replacement than the King.'