“Second, though, are them come to it … well, let’s say it bein’ a bit better than the alternatives, y’understand?
“A merchantman’s taken and the pirate band’s had luck — good or ill — what sees ‘em a bit short-handed at the time, well, they might call for volunteers, like. An’ a spacerman — decent, honest, all law-abidin’ a’tother times … well, a man looks at a time in a boat all adrift, or some time on a rock somewheres, both waitin’ fer rescue that there’s nary a guarantee’ll come …” Blackbourne trailed off and shrugged. “Well, such a man might see that pirate ship and a band o’ murderous, deceitful cutthroats an’ say to hisself, he says, ‘Well, least it ain’t the navy.’”
Blackbourne grinned widely and looked around, then cleared his throat as none of the watchers grinned with him.
Alexis rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “Without attempts at humor, Mister Blackbourne? Is that at all possible?”
Blackbourne cleared his throat again. “Old Blackbourne’s point, captains, would be to the nature o’ those men. Them as took to the Brotherhood as more o’ what you might call a lesser evil than a vocational calling, as it were. Some o’ those men’d have homes an’ families — ain’t seen fer years, as any spacer won’t, but no word neither, there bein’ no, what y’might call, scheduled delivery of such t’our ships. An’ no word sent back, neither, it not being strictly advisable to tell yer mum what merchantman y’took last.”
The bearded pirate’s face split to show teeth that were, compared to his black beard, quite white, and he leaned back in his chair cupping his hands behind his head.
“Them men, captains, might jump at o’ chance t’see their homes ag’in — without, y’understand, the bits o’ ropes an’ yardarms an’ twitchin’ about the like o’ which yer so disturbingly fond, Captain Ellender, sir. Them men, took to the life o’ the Brotherhood through no real fault o’ their own as they were an’, fer that, not so mightily trusted by a certain pirate captain o’ Old Blackbourne’s acquaintance, might make up a fair bit o’ a force left planetside when that acquaintance be off somewheres about his business. More’n that —” He took a hand from behind his head and held up three fingers. “— there’d be the third sort o’ pirate —”
“You said there were two sorts,” Ellender said, narrowing his eyes.
Blackbourne snorted. “Ain’t never just two sorts o’ folks — a man’s more complicated than that.” Blackbourne looked at his upraised fingers and appeared to mentally count them. “So … third sort o’ pirate, aye? That’d be a man like Old Blackbourne hisself, captains. Come t’the Brethren natural-like, loved his time, but gettin’ on in years an’ slowin’ down an’ thinkin’ t’hisself, ‘Old Blackbourne, lad, yer gettin’ on in years an’ slowin’ down. Could be it’s time t’ think on yer declinin’ times.’” He shrugged. “Well, captains, it ain’t like t’Brotherhood’s got what y’d call a pensioning plan, see? Might could take a bit o’ land here on Erzurum an’ set up — but what damn fool’d want t’ be about that? All that damp? Bad fer Old Blackbourne’s joints, t’be certain.”
“What is your bloody point?” Ellender demanded, then turned to Kannstadt. “In fact, I don’t believe this man has one at all. He’s merely attempting to delay us further, and Carew has foolishly convinced us to allow it.”
Kannstadt shook his head. “Oh, no, Herr Blackbourne’s point is quite clear, I am thinking — him finding himself in a unique position amongst his kind.”
“Being liable for a hanging is the natural state for his kind, so I hardly see how it is unique.”
Kannstadt shook his head again, then raised a questioning eyebrow to Alexis. Much as it galled her, she nodded. Ellender would likely look more kindly on the suggestion from him than her.
“Herr Blackbourne is saying that he and those, like him, getting older,” Kannstadt said, “in addition to his fellows who became pirates only to avoid what they saw as a worse fate would be willing to give up the pirating life.”
“Aye,” Blackbourne said. “Yon Hannie’s the right o’ it. Eager, even, y’might say.”
Ellender nodded. “Then they should do so, and Erzurum seems a fine place for them to go about their business.”
“That, they’re less than willing to do, y’see?” Blackbourne said, his grin widening to its largest stretch yet. “Which’d be where you fine fellows come in, o’course.”
“How’s that?” Ellender asked.
Blackbourne spread his arms wide. “Your pardon, sir.”
“I said, ‘How’s that?’ man, are you deaf?”
Blackbourne glanced at Alexis, who cleared her throat.
“We do seem to have here, gentlemen,” she said, “a rather unique situation.” She looked to Kannstadt for confirmation. “The Barbary is Hanoverese territory, but much left to its own devices, while a great deal of New London shipping traverses the corridor when our two nations are not actively at war.”
Kannstadt nodded, but Ellender still looked confused.
“And here in Erzurum,” she went on, “we have these pirates who hold something we want, our captured spacers, and, now, captains from both those nations. Senior captains —” She looked pointedly at the two. “— in-system, possibly, likely even, senior in the region, given the state of our most recent conflict and the withdrawal of both Hanoverese and New London forces during the ceasefire.”
Kannstadt was nodding, but Ellender frowned and looked at Alexis quizzically. “I’m not at all certain I’m senior, for what good it does. There could be any number of men senior to me still in captivity on Erzurum.”
Alexis nodded. “‘In captivity,’ would be the important bit there, Captain Ellender, as they are out of the chain of command while captive. You are the senior, free New London captain in the Barbary.” She looked at him intently. “The senior representative of Her Majesty’s government with regard to these matters.”
“What matters?” Ellender asked. “All I’ve heard so far is some nattering about these foul pirates regretting their decisions and wanting to run home to their wives and, likely of dubious parentage, children.”
“Your pardon, sir,” Blackbourne put in.
“You’ve already —”
“A royal pardon, Captain Ellender,” Alexis added, before Blackbourne, already staring at Ellender as though the man were a fool, could speak again.
Blackbourne nodded. “Aye, that’ll do it for most, and those who won’t agree’ll be knocked about and y’can do what y’will w’em after.”
“A pardon?” Ellender asked, eyes narrowed. “For piracy? These murderous, rapacious scum, taken untold ships, sold the crews into slavery, no telling what else, and you’d suggest we pardon them? Even if it were within my power, it’s an absurd idea!”
“In return for their assistance in taking Erzurum from those pirates who don’t accept a pardon, and the freeing of all captives, slaves, there,” Alexis said. “We’d likely have enough of a force to fully man all these ships we’ve taken — with Mongoose, Talon, Fang, Claw, and the merchantmen and gunboats fully manned we could present a rather nasty surprise for Ness’ force when it returns, or simply sail away if we’ve space enough to clear Erzurum space with all our lads.”
Ellender looked to Kannstadt. “You can’t really be considering this farce —”
Kannstadt shrugged. “This band of pirates appears to be nearly all of New London.” He pursed his lips. “Do they agree to leave the Barbary, and all of Hanover space, and never return, on pain of losing it, I will give this pardon.” He shrugged again. “It may be that my superiors will not uphold it, but if these men do not return, this does not matter, hein?”
Blackbourne leaned forward and nodded. “It’s the thought what counts, sir, truly. Most o’ the lads’d be just as happy t’never see a Hannie in life again, if y’don’t mind Old Blackbourne sayin’ it.”
“It’s preposterous,” Ellender said.
“Pardons have been issued in the past, sir,”
Alexis said. “It’s not unheard of.”
Ellender was silent for a long moment, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Alexis had just enough time to hope, before he shook his head.
“No.” He shook his head more. “No, I’ll not do it. I’ll not be known as the man who pardoned untold numbers of thieves and murderers. Sweet Dark, the Crown would have my head, and the press, the Mob … well, I’d never be able to walk the streets of any New London system again.”
“Sir,” Alexis prompted. “You’d be the man who brought back our captured spacers. You’d —”
“My career would be over, Carew, as would be your own,” Ellender snorted and jerked his head at Blackbourne. “Oh, he’d have his pardon, and the rest, they’d certainly be upheld by the Crown, if for no other reason than to reinforce the absolute authority of Her Majesty’s captains, but privately? Admiralty would never stand for it and I’d never stand on a ship’s quarterdeck again, save to sign in some hulk at the worst Fringe-world station they could find for me. And that if I wasn’t hung, myself.”
“Sir, I —”
“No, Carew, it’s out of the question, though I am heartened to hear that you do acknowledge me to be senior officer on station. That does simplify things, you see.”
Alexis felt a chill. Ellender was just the sort of officer she most despised — too political, too obsessed with thoughts for his own skin and career, too lacking in any sort of obligation to the men under his command, or others.
“Simplify, sir?”
“Yes, I’d been concerned you might object and make some space-lawyerly argument to my authority, and it’s good to see that won’t be the case.” Ellender cocked his head to one side. “In fact, I think it’s time we had a little chat. I’ve been reviewing the Naval regulations, you see — part of the data packet I requested from your Mongoose when I went aboard Claw, you see? And as I’m senior officer on station, which you’ve graciously acknowledged here, I’ve decided what we must do, which is to notify New London’s forces of the situation here as quickly as possible.”
He nodded to Kannstadt. “I would hope, Captain Kannstadt, that you would do the same with the Hanoverese forces.”
Kannstadt smiled. “I will do as I think best, of course.”
“That being the case,” Ellender said, “and this ship being the fastest of the lot we took, I shall be transferring my command to Mongoose. You may consider yourself recalled to Her Majesty’s service, Lieutenant Carew, and this ship commandeered to the needs of the Royal Navy.”
Alexis was still for a moment, her thoughts running furiously.
She’d thought it possible that Ellender would refuse the pardon for the pirates and likely sail off — escaping Erzurum was nearly all the man talked of, save his thinly veiled disdain for Alexis and the Hanoverese, no matter his brittle politeness toward Kannstadt. What she’d do then, she hadn’t really planned out — possibly attempt to free some other New London captain, if she could determine where one might be held, and attempt the same with him. Or simply wait, in standoff with the pirates, for either Ness’ return or the thin hope that Ellender would return with a rescue force. Perhaps she’d be able to put Ness in the same sort of stalemate the private ships had, then hold off until whatever force Ellender could assemble returned.
In either event, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, simply sail away and abandon hundreds, or even thousands, of spacers to their lot on Erzurum, especially given what they knew, or suspected, of the pirate Ness’ plans for them if he were forced to abandon his stronghold.
What she hadn’t considered was the possibility Ellender might recall her to service and demand her ship.
Did he have that authority? She wondered.
Probably. She’d been the one to just acknowledge him as senior in the Barbary, after all, and recalling a half-pay officer to service, even requisitioning her ship, were small things compared to the pardon she’d just suggested.
Ellender was looking at her both expectantly and impatiently.
Beside Kannstadt, Deckard stirred for the first time in the meeting. “What? Leave all our lads behind?” He frowned. “Not right, is it? No.”
Ellender glanced at him irritably.
“Captain Ellender,” Alexis said, choosing her words carefully. “Mongoose sails under a letter of marque — the ship and crew are not subject to impressment.”
That was true enough. There was also, if she needed it, a further letter from Eades and the Foreign Office, exempting Mongoose from the needs of the Service, should such a thing arrive, but Alexis was reluctant to pull that from her bag, as Kannstadt didn’t know of her involvement with the New London spymaster and she’d rather that weren’t bandied about Hanover too very much.
Nor even New London — the stench of some associations is difficult to lose in the wash.
“Is that right?” Deckard asked. “To leave them all in the muck? No, I don’t think so. Not at all.”
“Will you shut your pet idiot up, Captain Kannstadt?” Ellender asked, then to Alexis, “Come now, Carew, these are clearly exigent circumstances. I’m certain Admiralty will back my decision to commandeer this ship — and, if not —” He shrugged. “— well, I’ll apologize to her owners. Though, with the alternative of leaving her behind for the pirates to strip, they’ll likely reward me, don’t you think?”
“Not right,” Deckard muttered.
“Oh, do shut up.”
“Captain Ellender,” Kannstadt said, jaw tight and eyes narrow while he laid a hand on Deckard’s forearm, “you are being uncivil. And, perhaps, not thinking enough on Captain Carew’s suggestion. Herr Blackbourne, what is it you fear this Ness will do when he returns?”
Blackbourne sat forward from where he’d been leaning back in his chair, watching the events with a wide grin. “And Old Blackbourne thought the bloody Brotherhood were a backstabbin’, untrustworthy lot.” He shook his head and chuckled. “What’ll Ness do? Well, this hidey-hole o’Erzurum’s been found out a time or two before by private ships or wayward merchants, so it’s generally no never-mind.” He nodded to Kannstadt. “Yon Hannies never were ones t’do a thing about it, see? Always suspected they looked on us an’ t’others in the Barbary as a sort o’ irregular sort o’ force, snipin’ away at New London’s merchant traffic to Hso-his as we do.”
The pirate drained his mug and held it out for Isom to refill, which the clerk did, though with wrinkled nose.
“This be different, though. Least to Old Blackbourne’s eye, an’ likely our Ness, as well. See, never were the navy folk captive when we was found out afore. Ness laughed off your private ships, as he knew they’d not seen a thing more than those that come before, but now? With all these navy lads in orbit and off t’holler at New London an’ Hanover about it?”
Blackbourne sighed.
“Well, Old Blackbourne won’t say his thoughts on what was t’become o’Erzurum didn’t factor into his own decisions with regard to assisting you, eh, bitch-woman?” He shook his head. “No, Old Blackbourne figures Erzurum’s over if word gets back to the navies, sure. Figure our Ness is smart enough to see the same.
“Sad, though, our Ness — he’s a saltin’ o’ the earth, sort of fellow, Ness is. Y’ve heard o’ cuttin’ the nose t’spite the face, have you? Yes? Well, Ness’s more like t’ cut t’other fella’s nose — an’ an eye or two, come t’that. Old Blackbourne expects he’ll load up his ships with what men he can, then strike every bit o’ that mudball from orbit. ‘Til he’s bored with it or thinks he’s no more time.”
“Das ist verboten,” Kannstadt whispered.
Blackbourne snorted. “Are y’like t’hang him twice, sir? Or him t’care if y’do?”
Ellender waved a hand, dismissing Blackbourne. “The pirates will do as they will. Those men’s best chance, and our own, lies with us informing our forces and leaving their rescue to our respective governments and a proper force.”
Kannstadt snorted nearly as loudly as Blackbourne, then frowned and creased his brow, a
s though disturbed to be found in agreement with the pirate.
“They’ll be dead before we’ve even reported to Admiralty, sir,” Alexis said. “Before we’ve even cleared the Barbary, if this Ness returns in only ten days’ time.”
“You’ve had your say, lieutenant,” Ellender said. He stood, his officer with him.
“Lieutenant Culliver?” Alexis asked, hoping for some support.
Culliver looked down at the deck. “I wish to get home,” he whispered. “All our men do.”
“Do you suppose those still on Erzurum do not?”
“A hopeless stand won’t free them,” Culliver said, not looking up.
Deckard made to get out of his chair, but Kannstadt laid a hand on his arm. Still, he fixed his eyes on Ellender. “Is it a cowardly, cringing thing?” He nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“Control your pet madman, Kannstadt, or I’ll take him back with me, locked in the hold as he deserves.” Ellender gestured for Alexis to stand. “On your feet, lieutenant, and let us to the quarterdeck for you to turn over this ship to me.”
Alexis remained seated, thinking furiously.
“Now, Carew!”
“Sir,” she said, choosing her words carefully. She’d already acknowledged Ellender as senior in-system, if she were to outright refuse him, then that could be viewed as mutiny unless she resigned her commission, ending her career. She’d do it if she must, but perhaps the knowledge that she would might dissuade Ellender from this course. “If I were recalled to service and ordered to abandon the men on Erzurum, I’m afraid I should have to refuse the recall and resign my commission.” She swallowed. “I implore you, Captain Ellender, there must be some other way. If you insist on sailing, take some other ship and leave Mongoose here to defend those men. She’s the best armed.”
The Queen's Pardon (Alexis Carew Book 6) Page 24