Caribbee(66)

It was duly signed.

‘Where’s these cobbs close by, then? I’ll get ’em now.’

‘Do I get a name? In case I have more questions.’

‘No. Find them dollars.’

Renzi felt inside his waistcoat on the other side. ‘I did say close by,’ he said lightly. Drawing out a similar hide bag he spilled out the coins in a noisy cascade. A hand immediately came out and swept them up, then roughly pulled down the blindfold again.

‘Don’t take it off for a count o’ fifty, cuffin.’ There was a scraping of the chair and the door closed.

The admiral’s eyes gleamed. ‘Curaçao! The devils – let’s take a look.’

He crossed to the table and spread out a chart of the Caribbean. ‘Ah! You see?’

The island was at the south point of an inverted triangle where the northern base was Jamaica to one side and the Leeward Islands to the other, each spaced equally apart – a near perfect sallying point.

‘A rapid descent would—’

‘Your success in the intelligence line is well remarked, Mr Renzi. Matters of naval strategy may be safely left to myself.’

‘Only that a delay would allow our losses—’

‘This is out of your hands now, Renzi. There are higher matters to consider, touching as they do on strategicals of an international significance.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘For instance – how do I act in this? We’ve not had the smallest difficulty from the Hollanders in this war but any move against the French there would be an intolerable provocation.’

He frowned, steepling his fingers. ‘So this compels me to make a decision in which there can be no middle ground. To be obliged to leave them to their depredations – or mount a full-scale invasion with all the consequent expense and peril.’

‘Sir, they cannot be left to it.’

‘An invasion of any enemy territory, Renzi, is not to be contemplated lightly. We must be assured of success, else we shall be put to scorn by the world.’

‘Quite, sir.’ The words chosen were revealing: Dacres was seriously contemplating a direct assault in depth by himself and was not inclined to share the glory with the larger Leeward Islands command. If the latter were brought in they would necessarily take control and credit, but would therefore also take the odium in the event of failure.

For several moments Dacres remained wrapped in thought, then said sharply, ‘And we only have the word of this unknown common seaman as to what’s afoot – and, come to think of it, providing me with the only evidence thus far that your theory is not some wild fantasy.’

He glared at Renzi as if it were entirely his fault that his day had turned so complicated.

‘Sir, I’ve no reason whatsoever to doubt the man. My experience tells me he’s—’

‘Your experience, sir? What is that to me?’

‘I did mention before, sir, that I have in fact previously acted in the capacity of a—’

‘You did, and I’ll bear it in mind.’

He brightened. ‘And, now I have done so, a solution to my dilemma now presents itself.’ A pleased smile dawned.

‘Yes. This is what we’ll do. While putting in train the preliminaries of planning and requisition for a descent on the island, there will be our man who goes to Curaçao itself in some cunning guise and sees for himself what’s the truth of the matter. You’ll see, of course, I can’t allow an invasion unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

Renzi knew what was coming. ‘Our man?’

‘Who better than yourself, Renzi? You say as how you have all this experience …’

Wilikins was delighted. ‘How exciting for you, Mr Renzi! To go into the midst of the enemy as it were and—’

‘Pray contain yourself, Mr Wilikins,’ Renzi said huffily. ‘Quite apart from the fact that I’m to act the spy, a calling I do cordially detest, the danger to be apprehended is great indeed. And might I prevail upon you to employ the utmost discretion in this business? As of this moment the admiral and your own good self are the only ones to be aware of this affair, but if it should become known to a wider extent I would most assuredly pay for it with my life.’

The clerk blinked, then regarded Renzi gravely. ‘That is something I would regret above all things. Nothing shall be spoken beyond these four walls.’

‘Thank you,’ he said, touched at the little man’s sincerity. ‘And now, Mr Wilikins, have you any information at all concerning the island?’

‘Ah, yes, we do. Your Captain Bligh had a confrontation with the Dutch there in the last war and did record much of his experiences. My predecessor, though, had a quaint notion of the art of filing and its recovery may take some little time.’