The French Admiral by Dewey Lambdin Read Free Book Online

forth, barely in control of yourselves, reduced to the level of animals . . . reeking of putrefaction and . . . and . . . you dare to sass me?”
    â€œNo, sir!” Alan said quickly.
    â€œThe moment my back was turned, you gulled the first lieutenant to allow you to go ashore, knowing I would have not permitted it under any circumstances, inveigled your way into the purser’s working party and took as your shield your own compatriot, used Mister Avery as an excuse to take all the pleasure you could gather!”
    â€œIt was my birthday, sir,” David said, but not with much hope.
    â€œAnd is that a reason to fall into the gutter with this poor example of a miscreant, vile, swaggering, crowing cock? I had better hopes for you, Mister Avery. I thought you were a God-fearing young man from a good family, and the moment I withdrew my gaze from you, you let Lewrie lead you astray into the swine pen as though you wished to join the Prodigal Son in his depravity and debauchery.”
    Try making an answer to that, why don’t you, David, Alan thought to himself, amazed at Treghues’s speech. Damme if David ain’t going to get off with a tongue-lashing, and the real thunder’ll be saved for me.
    â€œWell?” Treghues demanded.
    â€œSir, I asked to go ashore, and I requested Mister Lewrie to go as my companion because he is my friend,” David finally said, after gnawing on the inside of his mouth for a long moment. “It was my idea, all of it.”
    â€œYou take as a friend a caterwauling dissembler who would force himself on his own blood? Then I tell you truly, Mister Avery, you are damned to eternal perdition unless you change your ways, and that right smartly! Well, that is the last time I shall allow either of you ashore for any reason except the good of our Service until I have decided that you have mended your ways and become the sort of Christian Englishmen I would like to have as midshipmen under me.”
    Treghues stopped, took a deep breath, and sipped at a pewter mug of something. Tea, most like, Alan decided. Whatever it was, it seemed to calm him down, for he leaned back in his chair and almost, but not quite, made a smile—which was more frightening to them than anything they had seen as of yet.
    â€œYou both wanted shore leave. You both wanted to partake in all the sordidness this miserable town has to offer,” he told them, and found no disagreement from either midshipman. “Then, on your way back, you fought with a party of men and killed two of them and wounded another. You both brought discredit on our Service, our uniform, and our ship. Ten days’ salt meat and ship’s rations—no duffs, no spirits, no rum issue, no tobacco. Ten days’ watch and watch duty. And a dozen each from the bosun.”
    â€œAye, aye, sir,” David said, letting out a sigh of relief. It could have been a lot worse.
    â€œAye, aye, sir,” Alan said. He had spent nearly two years being deprived and degraded in the Navy; he could do ten days’ minor deprivation standing on his head in the crosstrees.
    â€œAnd, to improve your souls, you shall, when off watch, come to my cabins and read aloud a chapter of the Holy Bible each day. That, you shall continue to perform until this ship pays off her commission.” Treghues spoke with finality.
    â€œAye, aye, sir.”
    â€œNow get out of here and give my compliments to the bosun as soon as you can find him. I shall be listening.” Treghues pointed to the open skylight over his cabins.
    Once on deck, David gave a little groan.
    â€œGo in peace, the service is ended,” Alan whispered, removing his hat and mopping his brow. “Christ, what an asylum this ship is!”
    â€œWell, the more we cry, the less we’ll piss,” David said.
    â€œSpeaking of.” Alan sighed. “Bosun! Passing the word for the bosun!”
    Two hours later the tide began to ebb from slack