Ramage & the Rebels (41 page)

He marched along, cursing his blistered heels, aching shin muscles and dry throat, but the need to talk to the men at the half-hourly halts, making jokes, kept him wide awake. All the men brightened up as they came into the straight stretch of road leading to Amsterdam, now less than a mile away. His eyes seemed full of dust and ached from the glare they had been subjected to all day, but he was glad to see the masts of the
Calypso
above the roofs of the buildings.

Then, as the road turned so that he looked from another angle, he realized there was another set of masts to seaward of her. Another frigate was anchored in the channel almost next to her. He stopped, icy cold with sudden fear, and pulled open his telescope. Yes, a frigate with a Dutch flag. The missing Dutch reinforcements—and Maria's fiancé—had arrived. Had she captured the almost helpless
Calypso?

S
OUTHWICK was angry, puzzled and disbelieving. He told Ramage that soon after daylight he had received a letter—or, rather, he had opened a letter—from the Governor addressed to “Captain Lord Ramage” saying that a Dutch frigate would be arriving in Amsterdam at noon, and that “normal salutes will be fired.”

“‘Normal salutes' indeed!” Southwick said crossly “I don't know who the Governor thinks he is, but that letter shows he's forgotten he's no longer the Governor, and how dare he give orders to one of the King's ships. Or, rather, the Captain of the King's ship that's taken the island's surrender! As if we'd salute an enemy ship!”

“Not ‘orders,' surely?” Ramage asked mildly.

“Orders, sir: you wait until I show you the letter. I have it locked up at the moment. The
Delft—
that's the frigate—will salute the Governor, then salute us, and we return gun for gun. The British flag will be hauled down half an hour before she comes in through the forts, and the flag of the Batavian Republic hoisted.

We will not ‘commit any hostile act' against her, and so on. And the Dutch flags were still flying at sunset …”

“You'd better get me the letter,” Ramage said.

He had come on board weary and apprehensive. The
Delft
was anchored two hundred yards away towards the channel entrance and despite the Governor's letter Southwick had the
Calypso
's guns loaded, the few men on board had been sent to general quarters, and he had taken in on the spring to the anchor cable to turn the whole ship so that her starboard broadside was aimed at the
Delft.
It was not a noticeable move; the wind was holding the
Calypso
across the channel and she had to be turned only a point for all the guns to bear, and the spring was on the larboard side, away from the
Delft.

The Dutch flags on the forts: Ramage suspected that could be the most significant part of the whole business. Hoisting them in place of the British flags for an hour or so, so that the
Delft
came in and gave the former Governor a chance to explain the situation—yes, that made sense. Then the British flags should have been hoisted again.

Exactly what was the status of the
Delft?
That was a puzzle. She was a Dutch ship and therefore an enemy, and she had entered the main port of an island which had surrendered to the British, all of which made her a British prize. But the Dutch flags were flying, on the former Governor's orders, so the
Delft
's Captain could claim that he did not know the British now controlled the island, and had the Dutch flags not been hoisted he would not have entered. And so the arguments could go on.

The fact was, Ramage decided, that the Governor (the former Governor, rather) had interfered in something that was not his concern. Unless … unless he was going back on the surrender terms, now that the
Delft
had come in—and, Ramage thought ruefully, now that the British had disposed of all the rebels and French privateersmen.

Southwick came up on deck with the letter and Ramage moved closer to the gangway lantern to read it. Shorn of its polite verbiage, it bore out the Master's description, except that Southwick had not mentioned that under van Someren's signature was his own description, “Governor.” In all official communications, especially in circumstances like these, every word was significant.

Ramage folded the letter and put it in his pocket. Aitken and the rest of the ship's officers were below, washing and shaving, while the seamen were washing on deck using head pumps and buckets, tired, but from the singing and joking, cheerful enough.

“I shall be calling on the former Governor. First I'm going to tidy myself. I want two boats rowing guard around us all night, and a third boat watching the
Delft,
from a discreet distance. Any sign of mischief, and it can burn a blue light. Two men at every gun on the starboard side, four lookouts, and plenty of flares ready: we can dazzle any would-be boarders, as well as see them.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Southwick said. “We won't get caught napping.”

“And I want an officer in the boat watching the
Delft.
They're all short of sleep but that's unfortunate. A senior petty officer in each of the two other boats. Young Orsini can take a turn in one of them.”

With that Ramage went below. An hour later, washed, shaved and in a clean uniform, wearing polished shoes and a ceremonial sword, the former Governor's letter stowed carefully in a pocket, he was being announced at van Someren's residence.

The great drawing-room was both hot and crowded: not because of the number of candles burning in the two chandeliers overhead and the candelabra and candlesticks which seemed to be placed at random on every table, but because of the number of people in the room.

Ramage stood at the big double doors, deliberately waiting for van Someren to step forward to greet him, and also to give himself time to see who else was in the room. Van Someren was having an animated talk with two Dutch naval officers, one of whom was probably the
Delft
's Captain: two other Dutch officers, one Army and one Navy, were waiting three or four feet away, as though they were aides expecting to be called.

Major Lausser was over by the big windows, not in uniform and talking to Maria van Someren and her mother. There were half a dozen other men in the room, with their wives. Two were officers from the garrison, the others probably leading citizens. But it was immediately obvious to Ramage that Lausser, Maria and her mother looked thoroughly uncomfortable; embarrassed but, he felt, anxious to talk and pleased (relieved?) to see him.

Why was Lausser not with the former Governor? In the brief moment available to scan the room Ramage had the impression that Lausser was definitely excluded from van Someren's circle. It was hard to explain the impression but it was as tangible as a drop in the temperature.

Finally, deliberately finishing what he had been saying to the
Delft
's Captain, van Someren walked over to Ramage, unsmiling and formal, condescending and giving the impression of a busy man being bothered by a trifle.

“My dear Ramage, I trust you've come to report on the success of your foray.”

Ramage bowed slightly. “My compliments to your wife and daughter. I trust they are well?”

Van Someren, puzzled, turned and gestured towards them. “Indeed they are, as you can see. Now, your report—”

“It will be delivered in the normal way,” Ramage interrupted and, lowering his voice so that no one else in the room could hear, added—”to my Admiral. Now, sir, shall we go to your office so that
you
can report to
me?
”

“To you? Why, that is preposterous! Why—”

“I think this is hardly the place to discuss the matter.”

“I am not accustomed to being given orders in my own residence,” van Someren said haughtily.

“That was a habit acquired while you were Governor, sir,” Ramage said, making no attempt to keep the edge out of his voice.

“I am still the Governor, and you will address me as ‘Your Excellency.'”

“You are not the Governor,” Ramage said evenly, and he looked van Someren straight in the eye when he added: “You surrendered yourself and the island to me as the representative of His Britannic Majesty, and you will therefore obey any orders I find it necessary to give.”

Van Someren looked down, and then glanced round at the groups of Dutch naval officers, as if feeling the need for reinforcements. “You had better meet the officers from the frigate.”

Ramage nodded briefly but said: “First I wish to see your wife and daughter.” When van Someren came with him, Ramage added: “Alone, I think.”

And, he thought as he walked slowly across the room, now van Someren is not quite so sure of himself. The news that I have disposed of the rebels and the privateers must have put the idea into his head that the threat which made him surrender the island and ask for Britain's protection has vanished. And then the
Delft
arrives, giving him the reinforcements he needs and changing the situation radically so that it boils down to this: his strength and safety lies in the
Delft
frigate, while the threat now comes from the
Calypso
frigate. And they are lying almost alongside each other in the harbour. Two gamblers facing each other across a gaming table: on one side Gottlieb van Someren, wagering the island on the
Delft
frigate; on the other Nicholas Ramage, wagering the
Calypso
frigate. The piece of parchment recording the island's surrender was not worth the toss of a worn die.

Ramage kissed Mrs van Someren's hand, did the same to Maria, and turned to Major Lausser, who was holding out his hand and shook Ramage's firmly. None of them had said a word, but sides had obviously been taken long before Ramage arrived back at Otrabanda, let alone landed on Punda.

“You were successful,” Lausser said. “My congratulations. I did not think it possible.”

“Much depends on one's enemy making mistakes.”

Lausser glanced up and smiled. “Indeed, how right you are. And if one can wait long enough, they usually do.”

Ramage nodded, understanding exactly what Lausser was telling him. Now to make sure Maria was not just a neutral. “Your fiancé is still the First Lieutenant in the
Delft,
Mademoiselle?”

“My fiancé? Why, my Lord, I am not engaged.” Her hand moved her fan slowly, and Ramage saw the faint mark on her finger where until very recently there had been a heavily jewelled ring.

“My apologies,” Ramage said quickly. “I must have heard idle chatter about someone else. But what a pleasant surprise for you all, the
Delft
arriving after all this time.”

“Oh yes,” Maria said quietly. “As you can see, we are all so delighted that we are giving a ball for all the officers.”

“How kind of you. What evening will it be?”

“Oh, it is now,” Maria said. The edge on her laugh showed she was not far from tears. “Can you not see all the gay couples dancing? Our orchestra here in Amsterdam is like our honour, invisible and silent.”

“Maria!” her mother protested but without much conviction. “Your father has his duty to do.”

Ramage wondered why Lausser was not wearing uniform instead of a soberly-cut grey coat, with matching breeches. The Dutchman read Ramage's thoughts. “I resigned my commission at noon,” he said.

“Before the former Governor sent a letter over to the
Calypso?
”

“Yes. A few minutes before. Several others resigned at the same time.”

“I see,” Ramage said. “But you are in a minority?”

Lausser shrugged his shoulders. “Yes, because only few people know what is going on.”

“They can guess, surely?”

“Probably not. The surrender to the British has not yet been published in the island's official gazette. Only a dozen people know you in fact lawfully command in Curaçao. The rest believe a rumour, that the British had offered to help. Now the
Delft
has arrived, obviously the British can leave.”

“
Can
they leave?”

Again Lausser shrugged his shoulders. “At the time I resigned,” he said carefully, “that decision had not been made.”

Ramage saw that Lausser was watching someone behind him and turned to find van Someren had joined them. He touched Ramage's arm. “Come now, you must meet the Captain of the
Delft.
”

“In your study,” Ramage said firmly. “This is not a social encounter.”

“But, my dear Lord Ramage, of
course
it is!”

“Mister van Someren,” Ramage said heavily, “you have no doubt heard of Newmarket Heath, in England?”

“Newmarket? Isn't that where the horses race?”

“Yes, and I must remind you of two things that even the unluckiest gambler on the Heath learned at his father's knee …”

“And what are they?”

“The first is that only one horse can win a race.”

Van Someren grunted. “He did not learn how to choose the winner, though.”

“No, that needs skill. But even the betting man knows the second lesson concerning horses.”

“And I am supposed to ask what that is?” van Someren asked impatiently.

“No, you are supposed to know that it is dangerous to change horses in midstream.”

“Come!” van Someren said crossly. “We go to my study.” He led the way from the drawing-room, snapping fingers at the two naval officers, indicating that they should follow. In the study he began introductions, but Ramage stopped him, even though he was curious about the younger man, who had been engaged to Maria. “I am forbidden by the laws of the Navy from having any meeting with the enemy. I accepted the surrender of this island from you, which means that you and your people are now under my protection. This gentleman, if he commands the
Delft,
either surrenders his ship to me, or he remains my enemy. Britain is still at war with the Batavian Republic …”