Odyssey - 19. Chapter 19

July, 1797

Granger sat at his dining room table, trying to enjoy his dinner even as he interviewed Gatling and Eastwyck. Those two gentlemen sat on his left, while Calvert and Somers sat on his right. The seat at the opposite head of the table was occupied by his clerk, Patton, who was trying to eat and scrawl notes at the same time.

“What did you discover?” Granger prompted.

Gatling swallowed before talking. “My lord, we interviewed thirty men, all who appeared to be within range of the altercation. All thirty were most definite in their opinion that the five men provoked the fight, and that the two who were their targets, Johnson and Edwards, were reluctant participants at best, and were merely defending themselves.”

“How were they provoked?”

“Evidently Todd and Samuels approached them and attempted to take their rations, my lord. Before the rest of Johnson and Edward’s mess could object, Todd and Samuels started swinging their fists at the two men, and the other three joined in to hold off any help that may have come their way,” Gatling responded.

“Do you know why Todd and Samuels started the fight?”

“The men were most circumspect about that, my lord,” Eastwyck answered. “We tried to find out about it, but they weren’t talking.”

“It is rumored that they are being paid to create trouble,” Granger announced.

“Surely not, my lord!” Calvert exclaimed, but his shock was no more than the others felt, if their expressions were any indication.

“Before we succumb to unfounded speculation, let us remember that is just a rumor,” Granger cautioned. “Captain Somers, I would like you to interview the seven men involved in the altercation individually. Patton can help you with notes, and you can use Mr. Gatling and Mr. Eastwyck to assist you if you need help. I would like to get their statements in writing while this is still fresh in their minds. You may probe to try and see if they were being abetted by another individual.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Somers said. They finished dinner quickly, anxious to get on with their tasks, and left Granger alone with Calvert to dine at a more leisurely pace.

“If you determine they were fighting just to create problems, what will you do?” Calvert asked. Their conversation became more casual, since it was just the two of them now.

“It depends on whether they implicate Conway or not. If they do, then I will convene a court martial to try him. If they do not, then they will receive a very strong sentence.”

“You are sure that it is he?” Calvert asked.

“I am. I could tell by his reaction, and truth be known, he is the only one it really could be. The other officers except Weston are all known to me, and it is inconceivable that Weston would do such a thing.”

Calvert chuckled. “A man like him that values harmony…now that would be quite a shift for him to stir up conflict instead.”

“Too big of a shift, and he has much to lose and naught to gain,” Granger said. “Conway is susceptible to the lure of Sir Tobias’ gold, but Mr. Weston or any officer who plans to make a career in the Navy, would be a fool to launch such a plot. It would destroy his future.” Besides, Granger liked Weston, and found it hard to think of him as a scheming malefactor.

“Land ho!” Granger heard the lookout shout, his voice so loud the words made it down to his cabin.

“I suspect that will be the Cape Verde Islands,” Granger noted.

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of Scropes. “Mr. Robey’s respects, my lord, and we have sighted land. Mr. Robey thinks it is Cape Verde.”

Granger rose up slowly, with Calvert mimicking his pace. “Let us hope he is right, or we have all badly miscalculated our position,” Granger joked. Scropes just smiled and preceded them up onto the deck.

“I think Praia is in sight, my lord,” Conway said, approaching him first.

“Then it is likely we’ll be able to make port tomorrow morning,” Granger noted. “Perhaps we can anchor in the outer roads this evening.”

“So you mean to stop, my lord?” Conway asked.

Granger bit back a sarcastic remark, since it was obvious that was what he was going to do. “I do.”

Granger began to pace his deck, with the rest of the officers leaving him alone. He must have been walking for the better part of an hour when he was interrupted again. “My lord, I have completed my interrogations,” Somers said.

“I suspect that is information that is best relayed below,” Granger mused. He gazed over at the other officers, who were staring blatantly, but his look caused them to pretend to pay attention to other things. He led Somers back down to his cabin and motioned him over to the seating area in the quarter gallery. The windows were open, so beautiful was the weather, and it made this gallery the most pleasant place on a ship. Now in a storm, it was an entirely different affair. Then the windows would leak a bit, and the cold and humid air would turn a man to ice.

“My lord, we interviewed the men, and I am fairly certain I can piece together the truth from their individual stories,” Somers said, even as he relaxed in one of Granger’s big leather chairs.

“Indeed?”

“It would appear to be much as we expected, with the five men provoking Johnson and Edwards,” Somers said. Granger paused to notice how Somers adopted the same respectful familiarity as Calvert when it was just the two of them, and they were in a collaborative situation.

“The big question is ‘why’?” Granger said.

“I fear that is much as you suspected as well. The men were tight-lipped about that, making relatively idiotic statements, and refused to divulge their true reasons. They seem to think they’ll receive a couple of dozen lashes, and the thing will be done.”

“For merely fighting, that would be a reasonable expectation,” Granger agreed.

“When I interviewed the last man, I told him that the charge would most likely not be fighting, it would be for attempting to start a mutiny, and that the penalty for that could only be hanging.”

That was stretching things a bit, but Granger could see that working. “That is a possibility.”

“The man began to sing, saying that he was promised a guinea if he backed Todd and Samuels up.”

“Did he say where those two got the guinea?” Granger asked.

“He did not, he merely referenced it. With Your Lordship’s permission, I would like to go back and interview the other four men again, informing them that we have enough evidence to proceed with charges of mutiny, and to let them know they’re facing the noose.”

“You are quite persuasive and manipulative,” Granger said with a smile.

“Not so persuasive and manipulative that I can convince you and Mr. Calvert to invite me into your bed,” Somers said with a leer.

“That is also an idea that bears consideration,” Granger said, fighting down his erection as he visualized a threesome with Calvert and Somers. “As I recall, the last time we did that, it did not end well for either one of us.”

“No it did not,” Somers admitted. “I think it is reasonable to assume that you and I are smart enough to learn from our past mistakes, though.”

“We can only hope,” Granger joked.

Somers shifted his position, moving closer to Granger in an intimate way. “Look George, I know he is important to you, I know that you love him. I would not want to interfere with that.”

“Yet Sir Phillip was important to me as well, or so I thought,” Granger countered.

“There was also a lot of history, and other issues, with Sir Phillip and me. I do not mean to be too forward, but I would like another chance to show you I can be trustworthy in that regard.”

“And you are horny?”

Somers smiled. “That is not unusual, but it has been particularly difficult to find an adequate release lately.”

“There are men aboard who would be more than willing,” Granger said cautiously.

“And I have not said I was celibate,” Somers said playfully. “I merely alluded to finding a higher level of satisfaction.”

“I will take your request under consideration,” Granger said, but smiled. His smile faded as he got back onto the business at hand. “You have my permission to proceed with your interviews of the accused.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” he said.

“Have them bring Johnson and Edwards back to see me,” Granger ordered. Somers acknowledged his order and then went to interview the other men.

It took a bit of time to release Johnson and Edwards from captivity and to usher them back to Granger’s cabin. They entered, both of them looking terrified. They were a mixed pair, with Johnson being tall and slim, and Edwards being shorter and slightly stout, but both were good seamen, and hadn’t caused Granger problems before. “You two know better than to get into fights,” Granger said.

“Yes, my lord,” Johnson answered for both of them. “Neither one of us has been fighting before this, my lord. Samuels and Todd tried to take our rations, my lord. We had no choice, as we saw it, my lord.”

“It is fortunate for both of you that I see it that way as well,” Granger said. “See that you stay out of trouble in the future, or I may have to review my opinion of you both, and revise it to classify you as troublemakers.”

“Yes, my lord. We haven’t caused no trouble before, and we won’t cause any in the future,” Edwards said.

“You may return to duty,” Granger said. “I will instruct Mr. Calvert to assign you some additional duties to make up for all the inconvenience you have caused me.” It was all Granger could do not to smile as he said that.

The two men stared at him, stunned. They had expected to get at least a dozen lashes, maybe more, and had dreaded the worst. They blinked at him, until Johnson got his composure together enough to respond. “Aye aye, my lord,” he said. “And thank you, my lord.”

Granger nodded to dismiss them, then, since he was alone, uttered a sigh. He strode up to the quarterdeck and approached Calvert, who was standing near the binnacle with both Weston and Conway. “I have dismissed Edwards and Johnson to return to duty. I have told them you would find some additional tasks for them to do, but nothing too onerous.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Calvert said automatically.

“You’re releasing the men with no punishment at all, my lord?” Conway asked, incredulous.

“Not at all, Mr. Conway. They will be awarded some extra duties for their infraction. My investigation has shown these two men were provoked, and that the five who attacked them were attempting to steal their rations.”

“That is surely hearsay, my lord.”

“No, it is not. It has been substantiated by several impartial witnesses, and the accused men have all but admitted it. Now all that remains is for us to discover what had caused them to do such a thing. We should have our answers to that soon enough.”

Conway looked truly horrified, but hid it gamely enough. “A damnable affair, my lord.”

“It certainly is, and I shouldn’t wonder that it won’t erupt into a court martial before it is over.” Granger strode over to the side, leaving them to ponder that, and looked at the island that they were approaching. This island, situated as it was in the middle of the Atlantic, relied more on its location for defense than on stout fortifications, yet there were fortifications nonetheless. The city seemed to be a collection of plateaus, and looked arid. Granger decided that it was a good thing they didn’t need to replenish their water. A large fort on one of the plateaus dominated the harbor, and a Portuguese flag was hoisted on its flagpole, flapping lackadaisically in the wind. “Mr. Gatling, show our colors.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” he said crisply, and the British ensign soared up the mainmast. A puff of smoke from the fort, the first gun of their salute, prompted Bacchante to return the greeting gun for gun.

“Boat’s approaching, my lord,” Calvert said.

“There’s an officer aboard her, my lord,” Eastwyck added. “Looks like a major.”

“Prepare the appropriate honors,” Granger said nonchalantly. He could rely on Calvert to prepare the honor guard, so instead he looked forward, pretending to study their destination, when in fact, his eyes darted about his ship surreptitiously, taking in every detail, making sure everything was in order. He did not appear to be noticing anything until the officer hauled himself aboard.

The Portuguese major was an older man, probably in his 40s, with skin that was leathery and worn, the kind of skin one would find on a man who had lived a hard life, probably mostly outdoors. “I am Major Hernandez, and I have come to welcome you to His Most Faithful Majesty’s port of Praia,” he said in rough English even as he bowed.

“Thank you for your welcome, Major. I am Captain Viscount Granger, of His Britannic Majesty’s frigate Bacchante.” Granger watched his eyes bulge slightly when he heard Granger’s name. “We were hoping to impose upon you for some fresh food, if that is not too much trouble.”

“Nothing would be easier, my lord,” he said, but he was nervous. “I will guide you to your anchorage.”

“It is not too late to enter port?” Granger asked.

The man looked at the sky, and at the setting sun. “The lights will guide us in, if the moon does not.”

Now it was Granger’s turn to be nervous. “If you are certain, Senhor.” He was reluctant to put his ship into strange Portuguese hands, especially at night.

“I am, my lord.” He gestured to the pilot, who took station next to the helm. The next hour was harrowing. Granger watched nervously as the pilot guided Bacchante into port, while the sun set, so they dropped anchor just as the huge golden orb was dropping below the horizon. “I am wondering if you would feel up to visiting The Governor at this late hour?”

“I am of course at His Excellency’s disposal,” Granger said diplomatically, “but I am concerned that such a late call would inconvenience His Excellency.”

“It may be better to delay your call until the morning. Perhaps I could return then, my lord, and escort you ashore? I could also arrange for you to reprovision your ship.”

“That is most considerate of you,” Granger said. He escorted Hernandez over the side, and then turned back to his officers.

“They don’t seem overly happy to see us, my lord,” Calvert observed.

“No, they do not, but I suspect that we have nothing to fear from them, not after the last viceroy we tangled with,” Granger joked, getting a chuckle from Calvert. “Alert Mr. Andrews that we’ll be taking on stores in the morning, and that he’ll need to be ready to accompany me at first light.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Calvert said automatically.

“Do you have a moment, my lord?” Somers asked. Granger agreed, and led Somers down to his cabin.

“We didn’t know if you’d be going off to dine with the Portuguese, my lord, so we’re just now getting your supper together,” Winkler said.

“I am all but starving under your care, Winkler,” Granger said, pretending to be grumpy.

“I think you look quite healthy, my lord,” Somers said in his flirtatious way.

“Captain Somers will join me, as will Lieutenant Calvert. Pass the word for him,” Granger said. He motioned for Somers to sit at the table and poured them both a glass of wine. They’d just taken their first drink when Calvert joined them. “A glass for you,” Granger said, pouring some wine for Calvert.

“I interviewed the men as you requested, my lord,” Somers said. “It would appear that Todd and Samuels were the instigators, and they paid the other three men a guinea each for backing them up.”

“That’s a lot of money for men on the lower deck,” Calvert observed. “Especially since these men have just joined the ship.” That made sense, since members of Granger’s previous crew had earned a lot of prize money, and such amounts were within their budget.

“So the big question is where Todd and Samuels got the money,” Granger mused.

“And they’re not talking, my lord,” Somers said. “I’ve tried everything I could, threatening them with the noose, and with a hundred lashes, but they flatly denied everything.”

“Clearly they think that whoever hired them will also protect them,” Granger noted. “Perhaps it is time to see if we can rattle their protector’s cage a bit.”

“How do you intend to do that, my lord?” Somers asked.

“Perhaps if he is told that Samuels and Todd implicated him, Mr. Conway will concede that fact,” Granger mused.

“Perhaps, but unlikely, begging your pardon, my lord,” Somers said.

“And why do you think that?” Granger asked.

“Conway is a thug, the kind of man who is used to dealing in the less than civilized sphere. The stories he circulates in the wardroom, while undoubtedly embellished, leave one with the impression that he has spent his time with disreputable characters, and that he is most certainly one of them. His methods would be more at home on the lower deck, which is why he is having so much luck in creating tensions there.”

Granger eyed Somers as he pondered his words, and then nodded. “In any event, I am determined to leave Praia without that man.”

“You would strand him here, my lord?” Calvert asked.

“Yes,” Granger added simply. “The big question is whether I am going to do it myself, or whether he is going to request it. I have a plan to accomplish the latter.”

A nervous Winkler entered the room, since Granger had told him he didn’t want to be disturbed. “My lord, I am sorry to disturb you, but Mr. Robey is here and says it is urgent that he speak with you.”

“You may show him in,” Granger said.

Robey came in, looking nervous. He glanced at Somers and his eyes twinkled slightly as he did, answering the question about who Somers had found to satisfy his carnal desires. Yet evidently Robey was not sufficiently amorous to sate the ever-horny Somers, or perhaps he was not as good a lover as Granger had supposed him to be. He put those thoughts aside and focused on the business at hand. “Have a seat, Mr. Robey. What excuse have you come up with to insinuate yourself into a dinner at my table?”

Robey grinned at him, and then let his expression become dour again. “My lord, Samuels and Todd have escaped.”

“Escaped?” Granger asked, stunned.

“Yes, my lord, and Ford is missing as well. We have guessed that Ford was able to sneak past the guards, release the prisoners from chains, and spirit them over the side. None of the boats is missing, but bumboats have been alongside, selling things, so it’s not a great leap to assume they bribed their way aboard one of those vessels.”

“They sneaked past the guards?” Somers asked, enraged.

“So it would seem,” Robey said.

“Then if you will excuse me, my lord, I have some guards to interrogate,” Somers said.

“I would recommend that you finish your dinner first, lest Lefavre find out and plot a worse fate for you,” Granger joked.

Robey joined them, surprised at Granger’s excellent mood, surprised enough that he commented on it. “My lord, begging your pardon, but I expected that you would be more upset about their absence than you seem to be.”

“Those men were hired to cause trouble, and the man who hired them had to make sure they couldn’t talk. This was the best method. Unfortunately for him, we already have statements from them. Besides, what was I to do with them? If I flogged them until their backs were mutilated, they’d be with us, but be surly, and we’d probably end up making it a monthly ritual, flogging them again. This way they are gone, and morale will improve.”

“But they have escaped justice, my lord,” Calvert noted.

“Have they?” Granger asked with a grin. “Praia is on an island. Where will three Englishmen go?”

“You think the governor is interested in capturing renegade English deserters, my lord?” Robey asked.

“We will see about that,” Granger said mysteriously. He had been tempted to invite Somers to stay with him and Calvert, but Robey’s presence changed that. Besides, he needed to talk to Calvert about this alone. He got his chance to do that after supper, when Somers and Robey departed, and Calvert lingered.

They said nothing, doing their talking with just their eyes, as Granger led Calvert into his sleeping cabin and they undressed. Granger lay on his back and Calvert lay on top of him, and they began to kiss, letting their mouths merge together as the rest of their bodies yearned to. Finally, the stimulation was too much, and Calvert took the initiative and moved things to the next level. He carefully lubed up Granger’s hole, then his cock, and then resumed his position on top of Granger. He used his length to pierce Granger’s tight hole while still remaining on top of him, so his pubic bone and hair massaged Granger’s dick with each of Calvert’s thrusts inside of him. Calvert knew Granger’s body as well as he knew his own, and he knew this was his captain’s favorite position. He made it last, taking his time, until they exploded with each other, turning their bodies into two writhing things covered with sweat and semen. Granger grabbed a rag and wiped them off, even as he was still panting from his orgasm.

“That was wonderful, but it always is,” he said to Calvert lovingly.

“And you are right, as you usually are,” Calvert agreed with a grin.

“I had an interesting request from Captain Somers today,” Granger said. He felt Calvert tense up, even though Calvert kept his face impassive.

“And what kind of request was this?”

“It seems that he has been unable to satisfy his lustful desires,” Granger said with a grin, but got a frown from Calvert, but only a brief one.

“I have no grounds to object should you choose to assist him,” Calvert said evenly.

“He was not asking for my assistance, he was asking for our assistance,” Granger said, grinning slightly as he raised his eyebrow.

“Indeed?” Calvert asked, mirroring Granger’s facial expression. “And what did you tell him?”

“I told him that his request deserved some consideration. I would not presume to do anything without talking to you first, anyway.”

Calvert pondered the topic, allowing a comfortable silence to settle between them. “You know, George, when I am with you, I need no one else. You really are all I want.”

“I feel the same way,” Granger said lovingly.

“Still, it may be fun to spend some time with him,” Calvert said, and Granger felt Calvert’s dick begin to harden against his thigh.

“I think that is almost a given,” Granger said. “Why don’t you contemplate it? We have a long voyage ahead of us, and plenty of time to engage in a tryst with him.”

“I will do that. In the meantime, I must return to the wardroom.”

“You are not happy here?” Granger teased.

“I must keep up appearances,” Calvert said, and seemed to realize the importance of his statement, that he was better tuned in to the perceptions of others.

“You are doing so much better at this,” Granger said to encourage him.

“I do well when I am with you. If I am not, I do not do as well,” he groused.

“Or maybe you are growing and maturing as a person, and you are doing better because of you, not because of me,” Granger said, propping up his fragile ego, even though he personally wasn’t convinced.

Granger bowed politely to the governor of His Most Faithful Majesty’s colony of Cape Verde, having made the trek here with Major Hernandez. He had expected to depart at first light, but evidently the Portuguese were on a more relaxed schedule, so he was just now calling on the governor at the late hour of 10:30am.

“Allow me to present Captain the Right Honorable Viscount Granger, of His Britannic Majesty’s ship Bacchante,” Hernandez said in French. He then rattled off the governor’s significantly long list of titles.

“It is a pleasure to welcome Your Lordship to our island,” the governor said, but without much pleasure.

“I must thank you for your welcome, Your Excellency, and for allowing my purser to augment our stores.”

“I am glad to hear of that, my lord, since it is possible you will find yourself with a less pleasant reception in His Most Faithful Majesty’s dominions.”

“I cannot imagine why that would be, Your Excellency,” Granger said, even though he was well aware of why that may be.

“You caused a considerable amount of upheaval in Madeira, my lord,” the governor said. He was an older man, and seemed quite wily. He almost reminded Granger of the French governor of the Seychelles, a man he’d done business with on his last trip to India.

“Your Excellency, the men in Madeira were aiding and abetting the enemy, and by doing so, were committing treason to His Most Faithful Majesty. I would have thought that colonial governors who were honest and loyal would have applauded my efforts.” He watched that irritate and flatter the governor at the same time.

“Some undoubtedly will, yet there were ten government officials, many with family ties to others, who were executed as a result, and the governor has been forced to retire in disgrace to his estates.”

“You are suggesting that His Most Faithful Majesty was unjust?” Granger asked, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

“I am suggesting no such thing,” the governor said, a little too loudly. “I am merely suggesting that you may not find the warm welcome you might otherwise expect.”

“Your Excellency, my actions have made me known to His Most Faithful Majesty and to those around him who serve him loyally,” Granger said calmly, the contrast to the governor’s outburst quite stark. “If I am to encounter governors or viceroys who are not accommodating, I have but to post a dispatch to Lisbon, and I am confident that those officials will have reason to regret their demeanor.” Granger let that settle for a minute, while he watched the governor stew. “That is why I am so pleased by my reception here, and the kindness you have shown me.”

Hernandez looked on with what would have been amusement if he were stupid enough to let it show. The governor mellowed after that. “I am glad to hear it. I hope you know I was only informing you, in the event you visit more of His Most Faithful Majesty’s possessions.”

“I must thank Your Excellency for that insight. As I am heading to Brazil, it will be good counsel to keep. In fact, I would be happy to carry any letters or dispatches you, or your people, may have. I intend to stop in Recife, and in Rio de Janeiro, at least.”

“We would be most appreciative,” the governor said. “The governor in Recife is a close friend of mine, and is related to me as well.”

“Then I am especially pleased, Your Excellency, knowing that his charm and grace will undoubtedly mirror your own.”

“Your Lordship is too kind,” the governor said, and clearly intended that the interview should be over.

“Thank you, Your Excellency. I have had an unfortunate occurrence, and I find I must impose upon Your Excellency for assistance.”

“Indeed?”

“Three of my crew members, men who were under arrest and being investigated for mutiny, escaped during the night. It is possible that they are ashore.”

“You are asking me to help you hunt down deserters?” the governor asked acidly.

“Not at all, Your Excellency. These men are troublemakers, and I am concerned at what they may do while ashore. I would submit that locating them is more in your best interest than mine, as I intend to sail on the morning tide, the day after tomorrow.” In other words, Granger was telling him that he didn’t expect him to turn the island upside down to just find three men before he left.

“And if I should find these men, what would you have me do with them?” the governor asked.

“As deserters, and treasonous dogs, if I recaptured them they would be hanged. If Your Excellency feels compelled to offer them clemency, I would ask that you consign them to hard labor for a minimum of ten years.”

“You may deliver their names and descriptions to Major Hernandez, and I will see that they are located. I will condemn them to the galleys for twenty years. As we have no galleys, they will experience the joys of plantation labor instead.” Granger thought that, personally, he’d rather be hanged.

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

“And now, you must humor me by dining with me,” he said.

“It will be my pleasure, Your Excellency.” Granger resigned himself to the inevitable, to spending several hours gorging himself on good food and subjecting himself to tedious company. Sadly, it turned out that is exactly what happened.