The Iberian Flame

Chapter 8

The lieutenant of the Sea Fencibles was exultant. ‘A splendid haul, Sir Thomas. All but one, who got away. We have five absconding French officers and the smugglers – you were right to station the launch and carronade behind Beacon Point. Took the lugger and then-’

‘So you’re now taking your haul in irons to the Wembury garrison?’

‘Aye aye, sir.’

‘Then please to lend me a few men, there’s unfinished business.’

With a petty officer and three others close behind, he hurried through a sleeping, silent Ivybridge until he reached a house at the end of Fore Street, set back from the road. There were lights ablaze inside and Kydd sent a pair of men to the rear.

When they were in position he went to the door and gave a thunderous knock. ‘Open! Open in the name of the King!’

Voices rose in protest and died. He hammered again and the door opened.

‘Mr Morton?’ he said, before the little man could speak. ‘I’m taking you in charge. Aiding and abetting the King’s enemies, a capital felony, sir.’ Kydd was not certain this was true but he needed to bring pressure to bear.

Morton fell back in dismay. ‘Y-you’ve no right to-’

Kydd gave a cynical smile. ‘As squire of Knowle Manor and justice of the peace, I’ve every right. My men will now search your residence. Stand aside, please.’

‘No! You can’t-’

‘Sir, I nabbed this ’un taking a run out the back.’ The petty officer held a sullen-faced man secure, like a press-gang catch.

‘Well, well. I think we’d better have a talk, sir. Inside?’

The furnishing of the drawing room was quite out of keeping with the prospects of a village merchant, and Kydd had no compunction in setting out the man’s probable fate.

‘Sir, you face the full rigour of the law. I cannot hold out hope for you in any wise.’

At the door a woman shrieked and fell senseless to the floor.

Chalk-faced Morton asked, ‘How did you …?’

‘You were informed upon, sir. I have many to swear in court to your complicity in these treasonous acts.’ He let his gaze rest on the unfortunate man in weighty silence.

‘Sir, I beg you, is there something I might do that … that …’

‘Um. Attempting to bribe an officer of the law? This will not help you, sir.’

‘Then?’

‘A special plea in the higher court may answer.’

‘Yes?’

‘As will reduce your sentence to transportation to Botany Bay – for life.’ Kydd felt a stab of guilt. The man was only a pawn in the hands of whoever was organising the escapes, but he had to get through to the principal by some means.

‘There is, of course …’

‘Yes?’

‘You may wish to consider an alternative that may see you respited – even restored to liberty.’

‘H-how?’

‘By entering King’s evidence, Mr Morton. If now you are open with me, uncover the workings of the arrangements, provide names, details, as shall put a stop to this iniquitous trade, then I’m sanguine you’ll have nothing further to fear.’

When it came out, it was a wondrous tale.

Morton was one of a number of agents whose task was to find and cultivate a string of inns, coach drivers and others to pass along the absconders. The parole-breakers would be made to pay for their freedom and the agent, after seeing those involved were well rewarded, would pocket the remainder.

It was well organised. Instructions would come to him from the parole towns as French officers came forward to the organiser to buy themselves liberty, a line of escape then needing to be activated. This would come by secret means – in the case of Morton, he was to place a case of Flete Abbey tonic wine on the Tavistock stage once a week for the fraternity of French officers. It was in the empty bottles on return that his instructions would be concealed.

Kydd could see that much thought had gone into this: one on the inside, close to the Frenchmen who would generate the bids, and those on the outside making the vital local arrangements, each depending on the other.

The last question was the most important.

‘Who then is your master, your principal?’

Morton said mechanically, ‘French gent, Marceau. Navy officer.’

It hit Kydd like a blow from a fist – but who better to draw in from the circle of French officers than those about him he knew could afford to abscond, and possibly even those who couldn’t? And Nott had mentioned Marceau handled private remittances for his brother prisoners. His high talk about standing true by his word of parole: was that nothing more than keeping himself in post as organiser, and adding to an increasing fortune?

But it didn’t ring true, given what he’d seen of the man. It was more likely that he was undertaking it like a military operation, setting up and carrying through actions that would result in valuable officers restored to French service, an object that he had reasoned transcended old-fashioned ideas of honour among gentlemen.

Or it could be that Morton was saying whatever came into his head – but he would gain nothing by it.

Kydd had to get proof, and there was one sure way of finding it.

It wasn’t difficult. A cart came, stopping at the London Inn for the empty tonic wine bottles, and while the carter was refreshing himself, Kydd went to the row he’d been told about. Neatly spiralled in a thick brown bottle was a message. He took it, felt about and found four more.

Each was headed with the name of a bird: kingfisher, shrike, swallow, others, clearly a code for the right recipient. In the body was further writing – numbers, times, references to ‘hedgehog’ and ‘stoat’, no doubt referring to others down the line. It didn’t matter: he had proof.

Nott was impressed, as much by Kydd’s reasoning as the unmasking of the conspiracy. ‘I’m to arrest the villain this instant. Shall you come, sir?’

‘I will.’

But Kydd found he was strangely reluctant to be witness to the final step. This distinguished and intelligent naval officer was destined for the misery of the prison hulks as a direct result of Kydd’s acts – and it had been his original actions that had made him a prisoner in the first place.

‘He’s not at home,’ the prim landlady of Marceau’s lodging said, with heat. ‘As he went out before ever it was morning and he leaving his rooms all ahoo.’

It was plain there’d been a hasty departure: scattered clothing and oddments spoke of a hurried selection of articles. With a pang Kydd saw on top of the dresser the bone ship.

Could he have been played for a fool? It would not be beyond Marceau’s organising genius to have devised a communication method to keep him in contact with his ship’s company, written it down as he had the bottle messages and concealed it in the sweetmeats. The ship model would be their way of relaying back to him that the channel was understood and open. And in both cases Kydd had been the unwitting courier.

‘Our bird has flown,’ Nott said sorrowfully, standing down the two constables. ‘I’ll send descriptions but I fear he’s now gone.’

For a moment Kydd was glad he’d vanished.

No doubt Marceau, like himself, was willing to take chances for a larger goal. And if he was as true to his ship’s company as Kydd was to Tyger’s, it raised some interesting questions. Would he callously leave them to their fate while he took advantage of his own escape arrangement? He doubted it.

Then did this mean he would do something about it? His pulse quickened.

In his place what would he do?

The Preussens were securely in the Millbay prison. It had been built to house American captives, and its location had been chosen to make it a short and easily guarded march from the docks up and through the massive gate. If he were contemplating any kind of escape or break-out there couldn’t be a better place: the gates thrown open by some means, then a storming run down to the wharf, crowding aboard a waiting ship and putting to sea before anybody thought to move.

This was far-fetched, but quite in keeping with Marceau’s intelligence and his undoubted bravery.

The thought wouldn’t go away.

Then a more serious one began to take shape. If Marceau was going to take his men with him when he made his break, it had to be soon, before he was recognised and arrested.

Kydd’s imagination filled in the rest. An urgent notification to the prisoners and another to the ship to come alongside and he would be at this very moment flying down to Plymouth to join them. It might be highly improbable but Kydd couldn’t take the chance – he had to go and see for himself.