CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Southwick 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 I 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,' 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 conies 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 dice.