The Iberian Flame

Chapter 62

Lisbon

The capacious harbour was alive with seaborne traffic: victuallers and powder hoys, transports of every kind, all in a purposeful criss-crossing.

Something was afoot.

Conqueror was at the naval anchorage, her admiral’s pennant drooping in the light breeze. Kydd made sure Tyger went to the most inconspicuous mooring and prepared to make his report. It would not be pleasant and he braced himself as he came aboard.

‘What in Hades …?’

‘Sir Thomas Kydd, Tyger frigate,’ Campbell, the long-suffering flag-captain, said quietly, ushering Kydd in.

‘I know that!’ Rowley spluttered. ‘What I don’t know is why he’s here. Tired of cruising in the north, is it, Kydd?’

‘Pursuant to your orders, sir, I proceeded to the north coast of Spain on patrol, seeking to harry the enemy wherever he might be found.’

‘And?’

‘There was no sign of the enemy – except at Bilbao.’ He’d leave the piece about Santona and the Basque rebels to the written report. ‘There, the city had risen and driven the French out. They desired that I render assistance in their defence, which, we now being their friends, I endeavoured to do.’

‘Boats, with your usual fireworks, then.’

‘No, sir. Their request was for weapons – muskets and equipment. They have men enough to do the fighting.’

‘Be brief, Kydd. I’ve a lot to do.’

‘Sir, knowing the value of a strong port held by the Spanish so close to the French border, I conceived it as a vital objective. For the price of a few muskets the city would be held for us without we send a man ashore.’

‘You’re not making much sense, sir.’

‘This is to say I landed such muskets as were carried by Tyger and passed them over to the junta, which is the-’

‘You what?’ roared Rowley, slapping his palms down on his desk.

‘I fell in with Seine and Iris frigates and added their muskets to mine to increase the effectiveness. They were well received.’

Rowley rose slowly, his eyes blazing. ‘Do I understand you to mean you cleaned out three frigates of their arms and handed the lot over to some ragabash parcel of Spaniards?’

‘In the interests of prosecuting the war against Bonaparte in the conditions obtaining, yes, I did.’

‘You – you expect me to excuse the reckless disposing of His Majesty’s ordnance in such a manner? It’s monstrous! Damn it – tell me why I shouldn’t put you under open arrest, Kydd.’

He burned. ‘There’s many who’d agree that their use by others to achieve the same object as if used by ourselves, but without the hazard, begs some measure of approval.’

‘Approval? Why, it’s nothing but-’

‘Sir,’ Campbell intervened smoothly, ‘I’m bound to observe that Admiral Collingwood may well consider that Captain Kydd’s action does in fact conform to the recent desires of their lordships to afford aid and assistance to the Spanish wherever practical in their rising against the French.’

‘I know that!’ Rowley snapped venomously. ‘Why wasn’t I informed? Hey? And tell me this, Kydd – did it achieve anything? I’d wager it was a rank waste!’

‘Bilbao unfortunately fell soon after -’

‘Ha! I knew it! You’ve now some explaining to do, Kydd, and-’

‘- but the arms are preserved and in the hands of the guerrilleros in the mountains from where they’re preparing to descend invisibly to, er, harry the enemy.’

He caught a fleeting glance of respect from Campbell, who advanced on Rowley with papers. ‘You’ve a busy day, sir. We should-’

‘Hold, Flags, I’ve not finished with this officer.’

Rowley sat down petulantly, shuffled his papers and looked up at Kydd with a dark arrogance. ‘You try a harum-scarum scheme like this again without my explicit permission and I’ll have you broke! Do you hear me, Kydd?’

Before he could reply Rowley leaned forward, took a pen and began scribbling. Kydd was dismissed.