“You have a beautiful ship here, milord,” he said. “I regret much to find you in company with a pirate.”
“You mean the Bride of Abydos, señor?”
“Naturally, milord.”
Hornblower saw a trap opening before him.
“You call her a pirate, señor?”
“What do you call her, milord?”
“I am waiting to hear your opinion, señor.” It was important not to commit himself.
“Her actions call for explanation, milord. She has captured and plundered a Dutch ship. That can be interpreted as an act of piracy. On the other hand it might be said she is operating under a so-called commission issued by the rebels in Venezuela. In the one case Captain Van der Maesen will seize her as a pirate. On the other, if she is a privateer, I will seize her as an enemy of my country.”
“In neither case, señor, has a court of law determined her status. In the meanwhile, gentlemen, she is in my possession.”
Hats were in the ring now. Hornblower met the eyes of the others with the least expression he could manage. Of one thing he was certain, that whatever might be eventually decided regarding the Bride of Abydos neither the British Government nor the British public would approve of his tamely allowing her to be taken out of his hands.
“Milord, I have assured Captain Van der Maesen of my support in any action he may decide to take, and he has given me the same assurance.”
The Dutch captain confirmed this with a nod and a half-intelligible sentence. Two to one, in other words; odds that Clorinda could not hope to face.
“Then I hope, gentlemen, I hope very sincerely indeed, that you decide upon approving of my course of action.”
It was the politest way of defying them that he could think of.
“I find it very hard to believe, milord, that you extend the I protection of His Britannic Majesty’s Navy to pirates, or to privateers in a war in which His Majesty is neutral.”
“You may have noticed, señor, that the Bride of Abydos is flying His Britannic Majesty’s flag. Of course, you understand that as a naval officer I cannot permit that flag to be hauled down.”
There it was, the ultimate defiance. Ten minutes from now and the guns might be firing. Ten minutes from now and this deck might be littered with dead and wounded. He might be dead himself. The Spaniard looked at the Dutchman and back to Hornblower.
“We would much regret taking strong action, milord.”
“I am delighted to hear that, señor. That confirms me in my decision. We can part the best of friends.”
“But -”
The Brigadier had not intended his last sentence to be interpreted as a sign of yielding. He had been uttering, he thought, a further threat. Hornblower’s interpretation of it left him speechless for a moment.
“I am overjoyed to find that we are in agreement, gentlemen. Perhaps we can drink the healths of our sovereigns in another glass of this wine, señor – and may I take this opportunity of acknowledging the debt the rest of the world owes to your country for such an exquisite production?”
By taking their withdrawal for granted he was giving them a chance of withdrawing gracefully. The bitter moment of admitting that they had been outfaced had come and gone before they had realised it. Once more the Spaniard and the Dutchman exchanged unavailing glances, and Hornblower seized the opportunity to pour more wine.
“To His Most Catholic Majesty, señor. To His Majesty the King of the Netherlands.”
He held his glass high. They could not refuse that toast, even though the Brigadier’s mouth still opened and shut as he struggled to find words for his emotions. Common politeness forced the Brigadier to complete the toast, as Hornblower waited, glass in hand.
“To His Britannic Majesty.”
They drank together.
“This has been a delightful visit, gentlemen,” said Hornblower. “Another glass? No? It cannot be that you are leaving so soon? But I expect you have many duties calling for your attention.”
As the side boys, white-gloved, formed up at the entry port, and the bosun’s mates pealed upon their whistles, and the ship’s company, still at their guns, stood to attention, in compliment to the departing visitors, Hornblower could spare a moment to glance round. Those side boys and bosun’s mates and gun’s crews might be facing imminent death at this moment if that interview had taken a more stormy course. He deserved their gratitude, but of course he would never receive it. Shaking hands with the Brigadier he made the final clarification of the situation.