Once again, Melville and his officers stood by the quarterdeck rail, eating breakfast and discussing the day’s activity. This morning, though, it was the lower quarterdeck. The crew of each deck worked hard to get their area in good shape for “company” on the morning when it was their turn to host meals. With a newly captured Ship and so much to be done, getting truly shipshape wasn’t possible, but the lower crew had done their best.
Everything was routine, or as routine as possible on a newly captured Ship in time of war. The mark of a professional was the ability to quickly establish routines.
Lady Elphinstone reported that she’d released a few of the injured to serve as outpatients, and could make room for two 12-pounders. Brother Petreckski had little news to report, and was ready to begin schooling the new midshipmen. The carpenter was set to cut the gun ports and put the new guns in place. Lieutenant Broadax’s men were ready to help the carpenter and the gunner with their task. The two rangers, as usual, said very little. They could be counted upon to be where they could help the most.
The sailing master reported that he was about finished with his rerigging of the Ship, and was ready to tinker with putting “royals” in place. These sails, high up on the masts, above the topgallant sails, would be small but they would have tremendous leverage, and could contribute significantly to her speed. “Aye,” said Hans, “we logged nigh onta eleven knots last time we ‘eaved the log, an’ I think ‘at’s about as good as we’re gonna do, as she stands now. But I tell ya, sir, I ain’t never seen such stout sticks on a Ship. If we can put royals on ‘er, an’ maybe even a sprits’l-tops’l, we might squeeze twelve knots out of ‘er!”
Twelve knots was a respectable speed; the old Kestrel could maintain fifteen knots when her sails, rigging and masts were in good shape. The Guldur probably never imagined that their Ship could attain anywhere near their current eleven knots. That was what real sailors could do.
“Aye,” said Hans as he and his monkey gave a synchronized spit overboard. “Ya know, the story ‘as it, that royals was first proposed by King ‘enry the Eighth, of old England, in the 1500s. The captains back in those days thought addin’ a fourth sail high up on each mast was a silly idear, so they only put the sails up when they thought the king might be watchin’. So the sailors took to callin’ ’em ‘royal’ sails! In the followin’ years they became pop’lar. We know Captain Aubrey used ’em a lot, but ye seldom see ’em in two-space. The point bein’, they ain’t nothin’ new. No innervation, jist reintroducin’ a fine old concept, seein’ as how this ship’l bear it.”
This was important, since new inventions went deeply against the fundamental philosophy and the ingrained technophobia of their culture and civilization. “Good,” said Melville. “Then we’re not really committing an innovation. If they were good enough for Captain Aubrey, they’re good enough for me.”
“Aye, Cap’n. Ya know I’m dead set agin progress. Progress jist means bad things happen faster.”
“And,” added Melville, “I think the Ship will like it.”
“Aye,” said Tibbits, with a gleam in the old carpenter’s eye. “She feels the speed, and she likes it. You can feel it in her bones. She’s a young Ship, a wolflin’ Ship, and she does like to go fast. If she wasn’t happy with her lot before, she is now. I suspect those royals will tickle her pink.”
Everyone grinned with pleasure at hearing this report from the carpenter. If the Ship was happy, then everyone on her was happy. “A happy Ship is a happy ship,” as the saying went, “and a happy Ship is your only right hard-fighting ship.” It also cheered them up to see the old carpenter taking joy in life.
“Very good, my friends. Everything is progressing well, and I thank you for all your hard work. Now, have each of you thought about nominations to fill our empty midshipman slots? I’d like to have at least four more middies, and we’ll begin a selection board this morning.”
Each of his officers made a few suggestions from their sections, and they were directed to have the candidates stand by to report to the upper quarterdeck at one bell into the day watch.
“Mr. Fielder, I’d like to ask you to assist me with the board.”
“Aye, sir,” nodded the first mate. With twelve hours in his off watch he could perform this duty and still have plenty of sleep time. It was important to have the first mate agree on the middies.
“Brother Theo,” Melville continued, “I’d like for you to serve on the board as well.”
“Yes, sir.” As the purser, he was one officer who wasn’t too deeply involved in the ongoing work on their ship, so he could be pulled off other duties without too much difficulty. He was also the primary school teacher for the middies, and a very learned and respected officer.
“One last thing,” Melville added as they began to break up. “I want to invite all the officers for dinner tomorrow evening in my cabin. I fear that McAndrews, my steward, has demonstrated himself to be an uninspired cook. Does anyone have someone they’d recommend as a chef? Whoever it is will have to try to find a way to prepare our Guldur provisions into a pleasant meal. A significant challenge for any cook, I dare say.”
“Yes, Captain,” answered Lady Elphinstone immediately. “My lob-lolly girl, Mrs. Vodi, is an excellent chef. She seems to excel at making exotic meals. The men in our hospital have certainly been enjoying what she has prepared.”
“Excellent!” replied Melville. “Do you feel like you could release her from her duties for this task?”
Elphinstone nodded agreeably. “Yes Captain, I can.”
“Good, please be so kind as to ask her to report to me at her earliest convenience.”
The morning flew by as the midshipman’s board selected four individuals to serve in the wardroom. Melville was pleased that he, Fielder, and Petreckski seemed to work well together, making their decisions with relative harmony. Between these three, no one could question the judgment of his promotions. A captain could make such selections by himself, but his decisions would ultimately have to be approved by the Admiralty. It was always best to follow proper procedures whenever there was time.
During the proceedings Melville also came to know his clerk, Archibald Hargis. He was a large, introverted man of great intellect. Hargis was a veteran of many such boards, and his assistance was of significant value. Throughout the process he seemed to be distant, dreamy, and not completely present. But the report that he produced was deemed first rate by all three board members.
In the end, they selected two ship’s boys and two young crewmen to be promoted. The board was looking mostly for demonstrated bravery and brains. Not only did they interview the candidates, but they interviewed the petty officers who supervised the candidates, to see how each individual fought in the recent battle and how they performed their duties during the long months on the Kestrel. Given the raw ingredients of native courage and intelligence, plus a record that was clean of lying and theft, the navy could give a young midshipman everything he needed to be a suitable officer. Many such young men existed on every ship, but promotion opportunities such as this, “opportunities” created by the deaths of so many superior officers, were rare in peacetime.
One of the ship’s boys and both of the crewmen came from the sailing master’s crew. This wasn’t unusual, since the brightest and most ambitious crewmen were usually drawn to prove themselves high up in the rigging. If a man didn’t work out there he was quickly moved to another section.
One of the two crewmen they selected was Hezikiah Jubal, an able seaman and topman who served with distinction in Hans’ party in the upper rigging during the boarding action. The other was Lao Tung, an ordinary seaman who had proven himself to be a ferocious fighter in the battle line. He was also remarkably well read.
The two ship’s boys were Kande Ngobe and Ellis Palmer. Ngobe was a boy, second class, and Palmer was a boy, first class. Both of them had proven themselves to be quick-witted, with above average intelligence, and they endeared themselves to the hearts of the crew by scampering among their legs during the boarding action. Working down beside the dogs, they’d killed ticks, while hamstringing and “neutering” the curs with their razor-sharp knives. Palmer had been working for the sailing master. Ngobe had been assigned to the ship’s carpenter, where he showed great promise in his understanding of the Ship and her inner workings.