Odyssey - 23. Chapter 23

September, 1797

Granger eyed Cochrane carefully, unsure of how to react to his utterance. He seemed relieved, perhaps too much so. Granger wondered if that was because the situation was so overwhelming for him, and that he couldn’t handle it, or if he was merely glad that Granger was here to effect some changes. “Tell me what is going on.”

“Sir Malcolm has not kept me very busy, my lord,” Cochrane said, with an impish grin. “Unfortunately for him, that has given me time to investigate some of the concerns cited by His Majesty’s government.”

“There were allegations of graft and collusion cited in Admiralty reports, allegations that Sir Malcolm was acting incorrectly in conjunction with Admiralty prize agents,” Granger said. “That was the reason you were sent here, or at least that was my understanding.”

“That is correct, my lord. Have you met Sir Tobias Maidstone, Sir Malcolm’s cousin?”

“I have had dealings with him, but I have not yet met him,” Granger said cautiously.

“They are as two peas in a pod. They are dominated by two things: an insatiable appetite for riches, a greed that is so extreme it is alarming; and by an almost equally large sense of self-importance.” Granger pondered that, and realized that his own treatment of Pollton must have infuriated the man.

“Not very noble traits,” Granger said disdainfully.

“Indeed not, my lord. But there is a plan in place to make them even richer than they already are,” Cochrane said. “I have been gathering evidence, and clues, and have only recently managed to piece it all together.”

“I am most anxious to hear it,” Granger said, to encourage him.

“I’m sure you noticed, my lord, how Sir Malcolm treats the Viceroy?” Granger nodded. “The Viceroy is of a similar character, and is susceptible to sycophants. Sir Malcolm is willing to subordinate his role, and his own ego, when large sums of money are on the line. So they have come up with a trading scheme to largely replace the one you interrupted at Funchal.”

“Explain that,” Granger ordered.

“The plan is for British merchant ships to carry items from the East Indies to Brazil, luxury items such as spices and silks.”

“But Portugal operates under a mercantilist system, where such goods must be shipped in Portuguese ships, and should probably flow through Lisbon first, is that not correct?” Granger asked.

“You are correct, my lord,” Cochrane acknowledged. “But such systems and niceties are likely to fall apart in the face of gold, which is what is happening here. In this case, the Viceroy will reap his share of the profits, while Sir Malcolm and Sir Tobias will also share in the windfall. In any event, the goods consumed here in Rio are not likely to raise too many hackles.” That last sentence sparked Granger’s curiosity, but he resolved to come back to it.

“Where does Sir Tobias enter the picture?” Granger asked.

“My lord, it seems that his appointment to Amboyna is the lynchpin to this whole arrangement. When we received dispatches to that effect, that’s when I was able to piece this whole thing together. Sir Tobias will be able to dispatch ships to Brazil. When they arrive here, his cousin, in collusion with the Viceroy, will be able to process them for their final voyage.”

Granger’s mind was working feverishly to grapple with this scheme. “You said process them for their final voyage?”

“That is perhaps the most interesting part, my lord. The goods are to be unloaded here in Brazil, purportedly for sale to the local populace. In reality, those goods will be reloaded onto Portuguese vessels for transshipment to Europe.”

“To satisfy the demand for spices, silks, and the like, in Lisbon?” Granger asked. That certainly wasn’t illegal, and it really wasn’t his problem.

“That is perhaps true, but I am not convinced, my lord. I have no evidence to the contrary, but I am wondering how difficult it would be for a Portuguese merchant vessel to suddenly become Spanish once she was safely past our naval forces?”

Granger stared at him, and was so shocked that he almost allowed his mouth to fall open. It would be incredibly easy for a ship to change ‘nationalities’, and based on the relatively loose patrols the Royal Navy maintained, passing through to an enemy port should be easy. “You are suggesting that these ships will carry goods to French or Spanish ports?”

“I have no proof of this, but I have my suspicions, my lord” Cochrane said. Granger paused to think about that.

“It is a logical conclusion,” Granger finally concluded. “Profits would be astronomically larger on goods sold in France than those sold in Spain, or in Lisbon.”

“They would indeed, my lord,” Cochrane agreed. “It is my assessment of the character of the individuals involved that has led me to that conclusion, though, not actual evidence.”

“One thing puzzles me about this,” Granger mused. “Goods shipped here would more properly be the property of the Honorable East India Company. I can’t imagine that John Company would be happy about having shiploads of their goods stolen, and ultimately sold elsewhere at astronomical profits, in which they do not share.”

“Can you be sure they are not sharing in them, my lord?” Cochrane asked, making a very good point.

“If that is the case, the scheme you are talking about must reach to the highest level of the Company, and possibly the government,” Granger said. He remembered when he’d uncovered Bertie’s plot to raid the Dutch East Indies, and how delicately he’d handled it. The government had been even more circumspect, and to Granger’s knowledge, none of the individuals involved in that had been prosecuted, or even punished.

“That is quite possible, my lord. That may explain why I was sent out here, and why your orders to resolve things in Brazil were so secretive.”

“Is that how Sir Tobias was appointed governor? Did these powerful forces manage to sneak that under the nose of the King’s ministers?”

“I cannot be sure, my lord,” Cochrane said. Granger stared at him intently, demanding that he share his opinion. “I can only speculate, my lord, but if I were to do so, I would say that is what happened. Unfortunately, it was a short-sighted plan, because by hurrying to appoint Sir Tobias without the proper royal sanction, they have raised suspicions.”

“This explains so much, and it explains my brother’s perfunctory recall,” Granger noted. “It does not explain why I was chosen for this mission.”

“May I speak candidly, my lord?”

“By all means, Mr. Cochrane,” Granger said, hiding his frustration.

“You are known to be an honorable man, but one who is sensitive to the political realities of a situation. You are further tied to whatever is going on because of your brother’s involvement in the affairs of Amboyna, which I would daresay have not been, how shall we say, exemplary in propriety.”

“I daresay they have not,” Granger agreed, grinning slightly at his irrepressible middle brother.

“You are also closely connected to many influential people, people who may be indirectly or directly involved. They trust you to do the right thing without creating a scandal that could work back and damage the government.”

“Are you aware of other people I know who are involved?” Granger asked directly.

“I have no proof of the involvement of anyone else, my lord, and I would be unwilling to speculate on such a possibility.” In other words, Cochrane had his suspicions, but he wasn’t going to share them.

“I must know one thing, and on this I cannot allow you to avoid an answer.” Cochrane nodded. “Are there any individuals on board this vessel that may be involved in this affair?”

“No, my lord. The only person who has the political sophistication to be involved is Captain Somers, and while he is also not the purest of men, he would have no truck with such affairs.” Did he blush when he referred to Somers’ lack of purity? Granger tried not to giggle.

“That is most reassuring, and I must agree with your assessment of Captain Somers. I think that is one of his strengths.”

“I think you are right, my lord,” Cochrane said, and now he actually was blushing. To avoid laughing outright, Granger changed the subject.

“What of the Colonel, da Colma?” Granger asked, remembering the handsome Portuguese Hussar.

“He is an enigma to me, my lord. I have spent a considerable effort trying to ascertain his motives, but I have not yet discovered anything.” Granger smiled to himself, wondering just how Cochrane had expended his efforts. “He is either my counterpart in the Portuguese camp, sent here to investigate and keep an eye on the Viceroy, or he is the mastermind of the whole affair.”

“Mastermind?” Granger asked. “He is quite young, and considerably junior to the Viceroy.”

“The Viceroy is a military man, with a somewhat illustrious career, but a relatively undistinguished family tree. He is a relative newcomer in the circles of Portuguese nobility, something that possibly fuels his arrogance. It is perhaps for that reason he was posted to this assignment.” Granger nodded, understanding just the type of person Cochrane was describing.

“To keep him away from Lisbon, where he would be an infernal pain in the ass,” Granger joked.

“There is some merit in that hypothesis, my lord,” Cochrane joked, making Granger chuckle. “The Colonel is from a very old and distinguished family. He is well-known to His Royal Highness Prince John, and can tap into influential relatives to both assure and advance his future interests.”

“Why would someone like the Colonel involve himself in such a dishonorable scheme?” Granger asked, as much to himself as to Cochrane.

“I have found that greed is not confined to the merchant classes, begging your pardon, my lord. It seemed that arrangements accelerated after the Colonel’s arrival. I am not sure if that is because he implemented the plans, or if they were hurried to completion while he was still new here, and unfamiliar with the city.”

“Have you discussed any of these things with him?”

“No my lord,” Cochrane said, as if it was an oath. “I have spoken of these things to no one except your lordship, and of course in those communiqués I have sent back to Britain.”

Granger nodded. “I have a few days to decide what to do, while we load stores.”

“I would recommend that you act cautiously, begging your pardon, my lord.” He seemed worried that Granger would find his input impertinent.

“Mr. Cochrane, it is my hope to rely on your advice and counsel in this matter. Please feel free to share it with me as you see fit.”

“Yes, my lord,” he said, but still hesitated before he went on. “I am not sure if you have the authority to remove Sir Malcolm from his position as Consul?”

“My orders give me that authority,” Granger said.

“If you were to remove Sir Malcolm as Consul, it is possible that he could merely stay on as a private individual, and probably accomplish much of what he had originally planned to do.”

“I could order him to return to London at once,” Granger said.

“I would guess, my lord, that he would merely disregard your orders. They would have to be enforced by the Viceroy, and that is unlikely. It would require a substantial firestorm from London and Lisbon to get him to leave, and I suspect that is something both governments would be reluctant to do.” In other words, that would create an issue, and a scandal, which was just what Granger was required to avoid.

“I see,” Granger said, and then began to follow Cochrane’s reasoning. “If he were removed as Consul, he could implement this scheme even more openly, without any conflicts with his office. But wouldn’t he need that, his position as Consul, to assure smooth operation of his plan?”

“Not really,” Cochrane answered. “Once it is set up, the Viceroy would guarantee Portuguese acquiescence. What could a British Consul here really do, other than send dire warnings to London? We could not impound the ships, as we do not control the harbor. We could not arrest the officers, as we lack all but the basic security forces. We are dependent upon the Viceroy to handle such problems, but as you can imagine, he would listen to our complaints, pretend to be innocent, and then ignore them.”

“So you are telling me that Sir Malcolm must be removed from Rio?” Granger asked.

“I am suggesting that, my lord. If he remains here, the plan will go on until it is unraveled at either end, and I would submit that tackling it here, at its center point, is logical.”

“It is logical, but I am not sure if it is tenable. I must think about this,” Granger said. “I will give you a chance to spend some time with Captain Somers. You are welcome to stay on board tonight, but if you choose to leave the ship, I would appreciate you calling in the morning to see if you can help us complete our stores.”

“I am at your service, my lord,” Cochrane said. Granger wondered how much was implied in that statement, but pushed that aside as he ushered the handsome young man from his cabin.

His stop in Rio was really Bacchante’s last call at a civilized and allied port before they arrived at Amboyna, and Granger wasn’t quite sure what supplies and facilities would be there. They would have to buy or take what they needed from this point forward. He had hoped to spend his time here making sure they had all that they needed, to make sure the ship was as ready for her long voyage as possible, but it looked as if he would have this new plan to occupy his mind as well. He needed to brief Calvert and Somers on this matter; he was loath to interrupt Somers, but duty called.

“Pass the word for Mr. Calvert and Captain Somers,” Granger said to Winkler. “Go find Captain Somers yourself.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Winkler said with a grin.

“Some food and drink may be welcome,” Granger added. Winkler acknowledged that statement with a nod, then left.

Calvert arrived first. “You sent for me, my lord?”

“I want to brief you and Captain Somers about my orders and about the situation here in Rio,” Granger said. They waited for about five minutes before a somewhat disheveled Somers entered. “I am sorry to interrupt your evening activities,” Granger teased.

“You are usually known for better timing than that, my lord,” Somers groused playfully. Granger and Calvert chuckled.

“I will attempt to stimulate your mind, instead,” Granger teased. “I want to brief you two on my orders, our mission, and the situation here in Rio. I have talked of this to no one except Mr. Cochrane, and our discussion must remain confidential. If something should happen to me, Mr. Calvert will be responsible for implementing my orders and taking whatever steps are needed. In the meantime, you will share nothing with the other officers without my express permission.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” they both said. He certainly had their full attention.

“Before I go on, I must know, Captain Somers, your opinion of the reliability of Mr. Cochrane.”

“He is quite reliable, my lord,” Somers said with a smirk. The others chuckled. “You are asking me if he is trustworthy, and my experience is that he is. He is a son of the Earl of Dundonald, and normally would not find himself in such a remote post, but he is considered to be something of a young genius when it comes to intrigue. I have found him to be a gentleman of honor, one whom I believe to be trustworthy.”

“Those are glowing comments, Captain,” Calvert said. “You are usually a good judge of character.”

“Usually, Mr. Calvert,” Somers said, and leered at him. It was hard to be serious when Somers was around.

“It would seem that the reason for my brother’s recall, and for the appointment of Sir Tobias, is becoming clearer. They plan to set up a more robust system to ship goods from the Indies to France and Spain, or at least that is my guess.” If someone had fired a shot in his cabin, it would not have had a greater impact on Somers and Calvert.

“Smuggling, my lord?” Calvert asked, after digesting Granger’s statement. The Navy generally didn’t involve itself in smuggling, so his question was more as to why they were involved.

“Trading with the enemy, Mr. Calvert,” Granger corrected, to make it sound more sinister. “My supposition, most of which I am borrowing from Mr. Cochrane, is that my brother was replaced as the governor of Amboyna so they could use that island as not only the supplier of goods, but the beginning port from which those goods would depart.”

“That would seem to suggest that your brother is not willing to participate in this plan, my lord,” Calvert said.

“Or perhaps his price was too high?” Somers asked. “Begging your pardon, my lord.”

“That’s quite alright,” Granger said soothingly. “I am well aware of my brother’s strengths and weaknesses.” He led them out to his quarter gallery and motioned for them to sit with him. Both of them knew Granger well enough to understand that he was indicating that the discussion had become more open and casual, and they acted accordingly.

“So where will these ships sail?” Calvert asked.

“Here, to Rio. Once here, they will be offloaded, and presumably a portion of their cargo will be sold to locals. The bulk of it, however, will be reloaded into Portuguese hulls and sent back to Europe.”

“How is that any different from just shipping them straight to London?” Somers asked.

“Mr. Cochrane made a most interesting point. He asked me how difficult it would be for a Portuguese ship to suddenly become Spanish once past our patrols, and to slip into a French or Spanish port.”

“That means they must have a specific French or Spanish port in mind, my lord, and that there must be officials there who are involved in this scheme,” Somers noted.

“Indeed,” Granger agreed. “And while that is a curiosity, it does not directly involve us.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Calvert asked.

“My orders give me broad authority to investigate and resolve the situation here. It would appear that Sir Malcolm Pollton and the Viceroy are the key individuals here. They will ensure that the goods that arrive are transshipped without incident.”

“So you can remove Sir Malcolm as Consul?” Somers asked.

“I have that authority, but I am wondering if that is wise. Unless I remove him from the port, it is likely that he will stay on as a private individual, where he will be able to process the ships through with similar ease,” Granger noted.

“But if you leave him in his position, won’t that give him the opportunity to further co-opt His Majesty’s affairs for his own pockets?” Calvert asked, being remarkably perceptive.

“That is also an issue. So the question I face is whether to remove him from his position, whether to remove him from Rio, or both.”

“I am not sure which course of action to recommend,” Somers said honestly.

“Nor am I,” Calvert agreed.

“And I am as confused as you gentlemen,” Granger agreed. “But now that you know, you can take some time to ruminate about it, and you can use what you know to help us gather more facts. I expect we will be here for a week.”

“My lord, I have a suggestion,” Calvert said, reverting to a more formal role.

“Go on.”

“I think you should consider speaking of this matter to Mr. Andrews. He will have extensive contact with the shore, and with other merchants who may know of this plan. If he is aware of what is going on, he may be able to get more information for you.”

Granger was reminded once again of Calvert’s sterling leadership qualities, and how he was willing to place his confidence in his subordinates. Granger’s mind reminisced back to their attack on St. Martin, and how Calvert had convinced Granger to put Lieutenant Humphreys in charge of the attack. “I think that is excellent advice. Captain Somers, you may return to your planned activities. Please send Mr. Andrews to see me.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Somers said, and adjusted his dick in his pants as he got up and left. Calvert smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Quite a dilemma they’ve saddled you with,” Calvert said.

“Cochrane thinks they chose me because they think I can unravel this without bringing down the government,” Granger groused, letting his guard down with this man that he loved.

“And the challenge gets even more difficult,” Calvert said. “I think that for most men, it would be almost impossible, but for you, it will probably be no great stretch. You will choose the best course naturally, as is your way.”

“Your words are those of a flatterer, of one who is working to get me into his bed,” Granger flirted.

“The words are sincere, and to prove that, I would point out that I am not working to get you into my bed, but into yours, and to further note that I suspect I will achieve that goal after our meeting with Mr. Andrews, and without much effort at all.”

“I suspect that you are correct,” Granger said, laughing. Their interlude was interrupted by the arrival of Andrews, looking stolid and taciturn as usual.

“You sent for me, my lord,” Andrews said.

“I did, Mr. Andrews. I have two topics to discuss with you. The first is a matter of some delicacy, and one on which I must have your solemn oath to keep secret.”

“I will give my oath gladly, my lord,” Andrews said.

“I need to familiarize you with a proposed scheme that seems to be in play here,” Granger began. He proceeded to outline things for Andrews, much as he had done for Calvert and Somers.

“My lord, I have learned much while serving with you. I suspect that if I ever find myself on the wrong side of the law, I could use some of these strategies to make myself sufficiently richer.” Granger and Calvert laughed, because the statement was funny coming from Andrews, who rarely cracked a joke. “What would you have me do?”

“You will have extensive interaction with those ashore. I would ask that you keep your ears open, and report anything you learn.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” he said.

“I think this is a good time to discuss victualing as well. This is the last port we will stop at that is not hostile,” Granger said. “We will be cruising along the coast in the eastern Pacific for a while, and we will probably be able to get water and some food from the locals, or to steal it from the Spanish, but it will not be easy. We should plan accordingly.”

“I would recommend that we take on additional supplies of salt, my lord. It is unlikely we’ll find beef or pork that is already salted,” Andrews said.

“That is good advice,” Granger agreed. “We should also stock plenty of fruit, and squeeze it into juice for storage. We don’t want to battle scurvy.”

“A wise move, my lord,” Andrews said as he made notes on his pad.

“And we may want to see if we can pick up some spare spars,” Granger said. “The Spaniards have a 64-gun ship of the line in the Pacific. If we encounter her, we are likely to have our rigging shot up a bit.” That was an understatement.

“A bit, my lord,” Calvert joked, even though it wasn’t funny. Granger paused to think about that, and about how tackling a much bigger Spanish ship really didn’t worry him.

“We have exhausted most of the stores we brought from Plymouth, my lord. We will have to hope that the Portuguese allow us to gorge ourselves on their bounty,” Andrews said pessimistically.

“I am going to speculate that they will be anxious for us to be on our way,” Granger noted. “Perhaps you can test them, much as we did at Funchal? Some extra rope and canvas would not come amiss.”

“It may prove to be expensive, my lord,” Andrews cautioned.

“I am not concerned about that, but I will leave it to you to strike a good bargain for His Majesty,” Granger teased.

“I will do my best, my lord,” Andrews said.

“I am quite certain that you will,” Granger noted.

“I have one more suggestion, my lord. It is something I wish I would have thought of before we left England.” Granger looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “If we are to buy supplies on our trek, it strikes me that the best currency to use would be guns and powder.”

“Not gold?” Calvert asked.

“It is possible, but they mine gold and silver here, so perhaps those things are not as valuable, sir?” Andrews speculated. “I think the natives would have a harder time acquiring guns and powder, and thus those things would be more valuable. The question, of course, is as to how plentiful firearms and powder are, here in Rio.”

“I think that is a wonderful idea, and it has the added benefit of leaving a populace of better armed natives behind to plague His Most Catholic Majesty’s governors,” Granger said, snickering.

“A nice side benefit, my lord,” Andrews agreed.

“Perhaps you can drum up some extra cannon too,” Calvert said, teasing Andrews.

“Is that a challenge, Mr. Calvert?” Andrews asked.

“A guinea says you can’t acquire at least a four-pounder,” Calvert challenged.

“Done,” Andrews said, and they shook on it. Andrews left after that, and the two young men grinned at each other even as they headed to Granger’s sleeping cabin.

“I think you will lose your bet,” Granger said.

“Perhaps,” Calvert said. “But I have achieved my primary goal for the evening.” Before Granger could say anything their lips met, and then their bodies merged, uniting in the love they shared.