STO'B 26

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Chapter Three

The evening outside the opera came flooding back: his crashing into Mr M'Mullen; knocking him down; the shouting, entirely unwarranted; his equally unwarranted advance on M'Mullen and surprise - his dismay and surprise - when M'Mullen failed to retreat; his relief when the opera let out, allowing him to escape the conflict without too much loss of face. But the admiral had said something. "I'm sorry, sir?"

"I said that your appearance doesn't do you much credit - you seem much hacked about."

"Yes, sir," said Philip, collecting himself, "yes, sir. We were attacked by a French brig, and took her by boarding. She shot our rudder away - gudgeons, too - and for a while we were at a loss ..."

"I imagine those dispatches are for me?" said the admiral, clearly uninterested in Philip's account. Any capture made before the Badger's arrival would not provide him with anything in the way of prize money.

"Yes, sir," said Philip, surrendering the packet of dispatches along with his statement of condition. copied fair by the clerk just as the Badger rounded under the Viceroy's stern and still damp with Philip's signature. For several minutes the only sounds in the cabin were the rustle of papers as Admiral Halsey ran through his dispatches and Philip's report of the Badger's state, and the living creak and groan of the Viceroy around them.

Philip stole a glance at M'Mullen, who for his part betrayed nothing at all, his long legs crossed, his dark eyes expressionless. He was dressed in civilian clothes, and perhaps feeling Philip's gaze upon him, he looked at Philip, who looked away. His gaze fell upon the Badger, following in the flagship's wake and off to her port, and looking incredibly small among the line of battle ships.

"Well," said Admiral Hasley, putting the dispatches down at last, and reaching for Philip's statement of condition. "You're a bit short of water, and other supplies, I see. And you have several prisoners - they shall have to be transferred to Gideon's Bay. Since Dr M'Mullen also is bound for those parts, I'll be sending him with you. He may have other destinations as well, you will attend to them as they arise."

"Dr M'Mullen will accompany me?"

"Yes," said the admiral. "The Sick-and-Hurt is sending him to evaluate the hospitals, and it's about time, too. Nasty places, full of infection."

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