Inferno

Chapter 103

The Citadel, now British Headquarters

It was a deep shock for Kydd. The Danish capital had surrendered – but at what cost? Its inhabitants must have held on to the end with their dogged courage, much as they’d done against Nelson, but what a price to pay for their honour.

Gambier was apparently ashore in offices in the Citadel and in a sombre mood Kydd took boat for the fortress. An all-pervading reek of burned decay hung over the city and the effect of the ordeal was on every face he saw.

‘Thank you, Sir Thomas,’ the admiral said, distracted, as Kydd handed him Keats’s dispatches. Nothing significant had happened in the Great Belt command to stand with events here except one thing.

‘Ah, Sir James. I have to acquaint you that, for his safety, I’ve lately conveyed the King of France to Sweden. King Louis the Eighteenth that is,’ he added, when Gambier showed little interest.

‘Did you indeed.’

‘He’s alone, but with a duke of sorts. Sir, do you think we should allow him passage or some such at all?’

‘I wouldn’t have thought so. He’s safe with the Swedes, isn’t he? We’ve got enough work here to concern us at the moment. Oh, do make your number with our captain-of-the-fleet, will you? He’s much pressed, I’ve heard.’

Kydd paused outside the door. It had been only a year or so but much had happened since those dog days off Cape Town when he and Popham had faced a future rotting in a backwater together and joined in a desperate enterprise to break out of the situation. Then there’d been Popham’s court-martial at which Kydd’s evidence had not gone to his aid.

As soon as he entered, Popham was on his feet in a warm welcome. If he bore Kydd any grudge there was no evidence of it. ‘Well, now, and how is the gallant Sir Thomas taking to his laurels?’ he teased.

‘As were dearly won, Dasher,’ Kydd said, calling him by his nickname as he’d done in the past, and easing into a chair.

‘I’ve no doubt, old fellow. I heard of your splendid rencontre.’

‘Not the enemy, is my meaning. The ship was in a state of mutiny, which sorely distracted me, I’m bound to say.’

‘Then we’ll dine together on the strength of it, just as soon as I can get out from under this raffle.’ He gestured grandly at a startling overflow of papers and folios.

‘Can I help at all, Dasher?’

‘The very man. We’ve got the fleet, glory be. Now we’ve the task of getting it to England. It means stripping our ships of skilled hands and putting ’em to work in their dockyard fitting out for sea. I’d take it kindly if you’d accept the post of regulating captain there, see all goes smoothly, that sort of thing. Will you, old bean?’

‘Very well.’

‘Splendid! You’ll have an office there – Nyholm, I think they call it. Now I want you to be especially vigilant. See they render up their ships in good order, holding none back, no vandalism or such-like mischief.’

‘Do we have a list of what we’re taking?’

Popham gave a satisfied smile. ‘Ah, as to that, I can say to you plainly that we most strictly only take that which is specified in the Articles of Capitulation.’

‘Being?’

‘Which were drawn up by a parcel of landlubbers. They conceive the Danish fleet to be their sail-of-the-line, the battle fleet. To any right-thinking sailor a fleet is all ships that fly the naval ensign.’

‘You mean …?’

‘Yes! Everything that floats is ours by right. Battleships to gunboats, frigates to dispatch cutters. We take the lot.’

‘This is hard medicine, Dasher. After we’re gone, they’re going to have to defend themselves in the usual way – but without any kind of navy at all? Can we not at least leave them a ship-of-the-line, a couple of frigates?’

‘No. Everything goes.’

Kydd felt resentment flare. These were a brave people who had resisted with what they had. Did they not deserve a little to be retrieved from the wreckage of surrender?

‘And I’ll have their stores.’

‘You can’t-’

‘I can and I will. Those same lubberly articles specify we might take any surplus stores. Now, if they haven’t any ships how can they need sea supplies? All sea stores, timber, rope and so forth are therefore surplus. Get it all, old fellow!’

‘I’ll have you know, sir, that I mislike topping it the plunderer. This is nothing but bare-faced thievery.’

Popham’s smile slipped. ‘Call it what you will but you’ll do it. They turned down a perfectly good arrangement when we first arrived and put us to much bother and expense, not to say blood, to come to the same end. All their fault, therefore.’