Mutineer (30 page)

She heard her own voice again, shockingly calm and clear given that she remembered being terrified and shaking.

“
Nabb! Broady! Scholer! Back to your places the lot of you and mind your tongues! Don’t you dare disappoint me, lads, or I’ll know the reason why!
”

I guess I did say that … I thought I’d imagined it.
Alexis felt her hands begin to shake and clasped them tightly on the tabletop in front of her. She wanted it to stop, but, no,
this
flogging it seemed they still wanted to see. Blindly brush away the ones before, but not this one. She knew what they were seeing. Her halting steps toward the grating, her inability to shrug out of her jumpsuit and take her lashes as the men did, her shaking hands having to be dragged up by the bosun’s mates. She felt her face grow hot with shame.
I’m sorry, lads, I wasn’t as strong as you.

“Enough, Mister Lonsdale.” Alexis looked up to see Crandall speaking. He glanced toward her, his face pale. “Enough.”

He gestured for Barks and Hazlewood to come closer and the three captains whispered together for almost a full minute before Crandall stood.

“We’ve let this go on far too long,” he said. He gestured to the marine sergeant near the rear doors. “Sergeant, I want the name of everyone in the gallery. Gentlemen —” He had to raise his voice over the mutters this order ensued. “Gentlemen! This case is sealed! You will not repeat what you’ve heard here today on pain of court martial. We will review the rest of
Hermione’s
log in private. Take Mister Carew back to her cell. Mister Humphry, Mister Lonsdale, you two remain, but everyone else is to be removed this instant!”

* * * * *

Alexis was taken back to her cell and left alone again. She laid down on the bunk and stared at the bulkhead, unsure of what had happened. It seemed she was forever being dumped back into her cell and no one would tell her what was going on. Right now the three captains were reviewing
Hermione’s
log, they’d said, but why wasn’t she there? Would she even be given an opportunity to defend herself? And where had they gotten the log to begin with?

She closed her eyes and must have slept, for she was suddenly being shaken awake by a marine.

“They’re asking for you back in the courtroom, sir,” he said.

Alexis swung her legs over the side of the bunk and rubbed her eyes. “How long?” she asked.

“Four hours, sir.” The marine stepped back and offered her a hand to help her up. Alexis looked at him in shock, both from the offer of assistance and being addressed as ‘sir’. “Wouldn’t’ve knelt, myself, sir. Told that bastard straight, you did.”

“Thank you.” She took his hand and stood, reading the nametag on his uniform. “Thank you, Enright.”

Enright nodded toward the small head built into a corner of the cell. “Do you need a moment to freshen up, sir?”

Alexis shook her head. Her hair was a mess, she was sure, and her face felt puffy with sleep, but whatever was coming when she returned to the courtroom would likely be the end of this nightmare. She wanted it over, not delayed.

Enright led her back to the courtroom. It was quite different from the other times she’d entered. The gallery was empty and virtually all of the court personnel were absent as well. The three captains, Humphry, and Lonsdale were there. A single lieutenant sat to the side tapping away at his tablet and two marines stood at each of the doorways. Other than these, the room was empty. Alexis took her seat at the table with Humphry and Crandall spoke immediately.

“Thank you for joining us, Mister Carew,” he said. “Mister Humphry, Mister Lonsdale, you may leave. Your service is concluded and this Court thanks you.”

Alexis blinked in shock, looking around as Humphry rose and left without a glance or word to her. Lonsdale grasped her shoulder as he passed, but said nothing either. She was left facing the three captains alone. Only Barks showed any emotion, his face red and his jaw clenched tightly. Every so often he looked at her and his nostrils flared. When the door was closed behind Humphry and Lonsdale, the three captains stared at her for a moment. Alexis swallowed and met their eyes in turn.

“We, the three of us, have reviewed
Hermione’s
log with Mister Humphry and Mister Lonsdale,” Crandall said finally. “We believe, at this time, that we have sufficient information to render a decision in this case, do you understand?”

Alexis stared at him in shock. Humphry, worthless as he was, wasn’t here and she’d not been allowed to speak a word in her own defense, but they’d made a decision? She considered objecting, but what good would it do? Lonsdale had, at least, seemed to have expressed some sympathy for what was to come. Her shoulders sagged and she looked down at the table. “I believe I do, sir.”

“There are contingencies to this decision, Mister Carew,” Crandall said. “Contingencies you will be expected to abide by, so listen carefully, if you please.”

Alexis looked up, suddenly hopeful.
I can’t very well have to abide by anything if I’m hung, now can I?
Possibly she’d survive this mess — dismissal from the service wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

“The Court will shortly announce its decision to the public,” Crandall was saying. “Our finding is that you are blameless as to all counts.”

Alexis felt herself pale in shock, a chill running through her.
Blameless?
From Crandall’s talk about contingencies, she’d expected to be found guilty of something and receive a sentence less than hanging. Possibly, if she were lucky, to be acquitted of some of the charges. But blameless? That went beyond acquittal. It was a statement from the Court that the charges should never have been brought, that they were baseless and unfounded. It was a very public rebuke of Captain Neals.

“The decision is public,” Crandall continued sternly. “The proceedings are not. These proceedings, all testimony, and, most particularly, the log of
H.M.S. Hermione
are to be sealed. You are not to speak of these things to anyone at any time in the future, do you understand?”

Alexis felt her jaw tremble and her eyes burned.
Speak about it? I don’t want to ever bloody
think
about
Hermione
again!
She swallowed and cleared her throat. “I understand, sir.”

“You will be discharged from this courtroom and go immediately to a new ship —” Crandall took a deep breath. “A happier ship than
Hermione,
I should hope, but far from Penduli.”

They want nothing said about it. They want to hide what Neals did as much as they can.
With the threat of hanging no longer over her, it was like a veil had been lifted from her thoughts. She was thinking more clearly than she had in days.
Whoever it was who said the threat of hanging clarifies the mind was quite mistaken.

“Sirs … where did the log come from?” she asked.
The invasion alarm … it must have been Delaine.

“Mind your place!” Barks said. “And do as you’re told if you know what’s good for you!”

Crandall waved a hand at him. “I was going to inquire if she had any questions, regardless. She’s a right to know some things.”

Barks sat back, jaw clenched and red-faced.

“A Hanoverese brig,” Crandall said. “Sailed in bold as brass with a flag of truce flying.”

“Thank you, sir,” Alexis said, suppressing a smile. She could almost picture Delaine handing over the log with a grin and some outrageous comment. She lowered her gaze. “And is Captain Neals’ case decided as well, sir?”

Crandall paused for a moment. “Captain Neals and his officers, yourself included, will be acquitted of the loss of
Hermione
. The ship is found to have been lost due to mutiny, through no fault by any of her officers.”

Alexis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She might be doing herself in, but she couldn’t remain silent. She’d done too much of that aboard
Hermione
.

“He can’t be allowed to command a ship again, sirs, please! You don’t know what it was like!”

“You forget yourself!” Barks yelled.

Hazlewood held up a hand. “It is likely, Mister Carew,” he said, “that Captain Neals has been … much affected by his ordeal in captivity. I believe he will find the need to rest and … recover himself.”

“Should he return to service,” Crandall said, “it will certainly be some shore position and not a spacegoing command. He will remain upon the Captain’s List, of course, and one day may be promoted to admiral.” Crandall spared a glance for Barks. “Of the Yellow.”

Alexis wanted to protest, to insist that something more must be done, but she could see it would be pointless. They clearly wanted nothing more said about the events aboard
Hermione
, and doing any more to Neals would require some public reason. But if he was kept ashore he’d not have the power over the men he possessed in space. There’d be a Port Admiral looking over his shoulder all his days and there to review every bit of discipline. Being an admiral of the Yellow Squadron one day would be no honor for him — the Yellow Squadron had no ships. It was a resting place, a dumping ground for those too politically powerful or embarrassing to dismiss, but too incompetent or dangerous to allow in a command.

Hazlewood nodded to her. “The best interests of Her Majesty’s Service.” He shrugged. “If you take our meaning.”

“I understand, sir.” She did. She longed to see Neals punished, but clearly there were naval politics to consider. She bit her lip. “And the men, sir?”

Crandall sighed. “Those who ran, obviously, will be convicted of mutiny, there’s no doubt about their guilt. Most of those who came back with you will be acquitted. We’ll have to review their cases still.”

Alexis felt the shock go through her. She’d expected that those who’d run would be convicted in absentia, there was no getting around that. But they still intended to try the men who’d come back with her? And possibly convict them?

Of course, they need to hang someone. Saying they’ll hang those who’ve already escaped them isn’t enough — they need bodies on the gallows today.

She closed her eyes, silently praying for strength.
Why? Why must it be so hard?

“No,” she said, standing. She met each of the captains’ eyes in turn, seeing the shocked looks on their faces. “I cannot accept your conditions, sirs.”

“Are you mad, Carew?” Barks asked.

I get asked that so very often … perhaps I should consider the possibility.
“There’s not a one of my lads more guilty than I, sirs,” she said. “You can’t hang them.” She smiled, realizing that she had card left to play.
Thank you, Delaine, for my life and those of my lads.
“And you’ll realize that yourselves, if you’ll give it a moment’s thought, sirs.”

“What are you saying, Carew?” Barks asked.

“You want this kept quiet, sir,” Alexis said. “Even I can see that. You want nothing said about the log and what happened aboard
Hermione
, but you can’t have that if you harm my lads.”

Barks’ face reddened and he half stood, but Crandall was looking at her with an odd half-smile and Hazlewood was staring at her intently, though not unkindly.

“Don’t bargain with us, Carew!” Barks yelled. “We can just as easily hang the lot of you and keep the whole mess quiet!”

“No, sir, you can’t.” Alexis squared her shoulders and met his gaze evenly. “You forget where you received the log from in the first place, I think. My guess is that Hanoverese brig is still in port, yes? And I’m sure you must suspect they’ve kept a copy or two.”

Barks’ face was scarlet now and his eyes wide. “That’s treason, Carew. You’d ask them to release the log if you don’t get your way?”

Alexis steeled herself, trying not to show how afraid she was. If this didn’t work, then they likely
would
hang her along with the men, but she had to try.

“Never, sir. But inaction is not treason. And if a single one of my lads is harmed, I’ll not ask the Hanoverese
not
to release it.”

Captain Hazlewood cleared his throat. He leaned forward, regarding her with narrowed eyes. “Why are you doing this, Carew? You were free and clear a moment ago.”

Alexis looked at him for a moment. How could he even ask? Why was it even a question for him? She felt like the vision of the Navy she’d had aboard
Merlin
was just that, a vision that existed nowhere else. Perhaps it would be best if she went back to Dalthus, if the home she’d thought she’d found here truly didn’t exist.

Then she realized that it did exist. She’d seen it even aboard
Hermione
— in Boxer offering her his own bit for a meal, in Nabb’s sacrifice to keep the rest of her division out of the mutiny, even in the simple gesture the crew had made in building her a proper bath. They returned the love and loyalty she felt for them, and that was what she’d seen in Captain Grantham and his officers.

Two Navies
. Williard had been right about that, though not about what should be done about it. Captain Grantham’s Navy was fighting two wars — one with Hanover and one with the likes of Neals within its very midst. She could no more abandon him and those like him to fight alone than she could have left her lads back on Giron.