The Sword And The Dagger

by Brian Cain

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Two days into the journey the Leopard left the protection of the fleet and headed east, direct for Brest. Captain DuPont watched the fleet fade from the horizon; his crew would carry far different stories of the Irish legend and his rag tag fleet than others they had encountered. Louis Belgarde had become a crew member aboard the Ghost wishing to serve with Fial for saving his life. Yasin the Arab crew member acquired from Ras al-Khaimah felt an immediate bond with Belgarde. He was not Irish or African but a minor ethnicity like himself amongst the more populous. Fial noted this behaviour and worked hard on managing segregation rather than trying to eradicate it.

  The Leopard successfully made the one hundred and thirty miles to Brest alone. The facts of the story when conveyed to the French Admiralty confused those in command. The French expected that the Ghost would come from the north around Scotland and follow the European coast south, steps had already been taken counting on this move. Several French warships had been sent south from Brest along the coast of Spain to attack the British supply line to Portugal, expecting limited resistance. Those not hidden out of sight along the coast fell easy prey to the Ghost and were taken after limited confrontation.

  The morning of the 24th of April 1808 the fleet dropped anchor in the shallow waters of the mouth of the port of Viana do Castelo Portugal. The Ghost entered the river mouth and tied up at the dock as close as could be found to where he had docked on his previous visit. The port was bristling with activity. The British army under Arthur Wellesley was mobilising and heading inland to confront Napoleon’s army which had been victorious in Spain.

  The British navy operations in Viana do Castelo were headed by Douglas Morecombe, a product of political influence put in place to coordinate the army and navy which were sometimes at odds with bitter rivalry. He met Fial at the dock shocked by his arrival. The Ghost had drawn a crowd and soldiers were brought in to scatter the gathering. Morecombe was accompanied by Captain Milton; his ship the Cornish Queen had been mercilessly sunk by the Ghost off the coast of the Isle of Scilly, England some years before. Milton had only just survived when the longboat he had taken refuge in had been rammed by the Ghost. Milton did not approve of his privateer status with the British nor approve of his presence and pushed Morecombe to have what he had referred to as the pirate leave. Morecombe greeted Fial as he stepped from the Ghost.

  "Fial McMurrin I presume, allow me to introduce myself. Douglas Morecombe, in charge of operations here." He extended his hand and Fial shook it. Morecombe was mortified by the strength of the Irishman's grip. He was unshaven and smelt of the death etched into the timber of the Ghost. "May I present Captain Milton, unfortunately you have met before under far less convenient circumstances. He was the captain of the Cornish Queen."

  Milton interrupted. "You murdering scoundrel, I will have you hang for what you have done."

  Fial moved toward Milton well within his space with a smile and not a grimace of anger. "A murdering scoundrel, I have never referred to the men who killed my father, raped and killed my mother and hung and paraded my stepfather as murdering scoundrels. Opportunists bolstered by poor discipline and scant morals perhaps. You see the fleet anchored in this bay. Not one man has ever killed another by our own hand, differences of opinion are settled by other means. My father and mother could do nothing about what was to befall them. We can do whatever we see fit to handle our destiny. Times have changed. If you wish to continue with vengeance then consider the cost, lay a hand on me or any one in the fleet and the consequences are predictable."

  "He is a little overcome at meeting the man who killed his crew," added Morecombe.

  Fial stayed in Morecombe's face. "Agreed. I have two French warships captured on the way here, under my agreement as a privateer with the British I hand them over and seek payment and supplies for my fleet."

  "Absolutely," said Morecombe. "Milton can you arrange handover while I arrange payment."

  Milton was puzzled. "Where did you capture these ships?"

  "Along the coast of Spain. There were others anchored only just in sight in bays along the coast. We did not bother with them as they did not put to sail. These ships were in our way."

  "I wish to interrogate the crew," said Milton.

  "The crews are mine. You will not harm them. You can ask questions but if they do not wish to answer they will still be set free. March them to the French lines and free them."

  "Ridiculous, I will do no such thing," said Milton.

  Fial was adamant. "We have an unwritten law on the sea that a first class ship of the line will not fire on a lesser ship such as a frigate unless fired on first, is that not right?"

  "Yes, most of the time," replied Milton.

  "This is not one of those occasions you would see as not most of the time," replied Fial. "The guns of the Conquistador are in range of your fortifications, if one of those guns has to fire on you it is because you have violated our agreement as privateers."

  "You would hold a gun to our head?" said Milton.

  "Seems to be the only thing you understand," replied Fial.

  Morecombe raised his voice. "Milton you will stand down, I will have someone more befitting to arrange transfer of the ships. You were given a chance."

  Fial interrupted. "Let him get on with it. I don't think he's much good at his job anyway but we shall see."

  There was an uneasy silence then Milton spoke. "You are indeed a scoundrel McMurrin but a wise one. Who am I dealing with?"

  "Louis Belgarde standing behind me here. He speaks for the welfare of all the French amongst us."

  Milton became agitated. "Louis Belgarde I know as a French naval rating, I recognise him. He was once captured and escaped back to France."

  "Well now he is a member of my crew by choice. Mutiny amongst us is unheard of. During the handover you may learn something from him and he may learn something from you. Tell him about our African friends and voodoo Louis, should give him something to think about." Belgarde and Bongo stood next to each other amused by the conversation.

  "The black man understands English?" enquired Milton.

  "Bongo and his ten friends speak English well. If you want to find out how a black slave feels about what you have done to them ask my crew. You may want to think about how the hell you will confront that in the future as one day it will be upon you sooner than you think."

  They went about their business and Fial wished to talk with the religious leaders in the area. Portugal had penetrated the Congo with missionaries for years before to recent times but little was known of the outcomes as it appeared most had never returned. The main religious faith in Portugal was Catholic, dating back to Roman establishment and later driven by the Spanish inquisition. Anti-church sentiment was gaining strength in Portugal but Fial had no contact with the real direction of church institutions outside of the Irish mixed faiths he had been educated and brought up with.

  Study had found that neither religion nor armies had achieved much in the Congo due to its inhospitable climate and terrain. Bongo and One to Ten had helped him build a picture of what lay ahead to assist their people. He intended to take a navy, an army and educated locals in at one time, but should he go as a missionary under the Irish ensign in the name of God or a tyrant in the name of change. What he found in a Portuguese church would set his direction.