Summary: Ben loses the Ponderosa which is purchased by some unknown benefactor. Hoss and Joe both fall in love but only one of them ends up at the altar, and Adam is sent to the Kuril Islands to locate a missing ship.<\/p>\n
Rated: K+ (217,930words)<\/p>\n
The final page contains reviews\/comments from the Old BonanzaBrand Library.<\/p>\n
Captain Cartwright Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n To Soar on Albatross Wings<\/a> <\/p>\n The Commodore<\/strong><\/p>\n The horseman sat as though motionless yet at perfect ease in the saddle as he gazed down from the high rim rock that provided a perfect 360 degree panoramic view that stretched for miles. In the pure air of the mountains he could look down and around him for miles upon miles with nothing to obscure the views except that which was man made and alien.<\/p>\n The sun shone upon the chestnut coat of the horse so that the animal gleamed as a result of his master\u2019s careful grooming, and only the soft mountain breezes catching at the fringes of his mane and tail created any movement to this still life tableau of man and beast.<\/p>\n The man wore black. He sat with some ease in the saddle, with one leg crooked about the pommel and his hands holding the reins loosely as though he had forgotten they were actually there. His dark eyes were narrowed, the hooded lids heavy over the intelligent orbs that moved slowly from left to right and then back from right to left as though he were determined to miss out on nothing.<\/p>\n How had it all happened? In the space of a few years it seemed as though a small isolated settlement had spawned into a monstrous metropolis. He saw where the open cast mining had gouged out splendid forests that had provided shelter for all manner of animals; he noticed rivers that had once gleamed like silver ribbons in the sunlight, now rank and littered with the debris of the mines and human waste.<\/p>\n There were the houses and streets, the hotels and saloons, the roads that trailed and thrust their ways through the devastated countryside. Yonder the shanty homes where families eked out their lives and struggled through the days in an attempt to one day cross that invisible line that would take them to \u2018the other side\u2019. There were the homes of those who had struck it rich, gaudy and bright, ostentatious monuments to their owners good fortune. There were the houses of those who had straddled the divide between those who have and those who have not.<\/p>\n Schools and hotels, hurdy gurdy houses, brothels, all rubbed shoulders together. One and all jostled beside the three churches that provided for the spiritual needs of the spiritual few, and the affluent many who attended merely to be seen and noticed by any who cared. Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys and added to the pollution that came from the mines that churned out a perpetual stench and pervading noise.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s on your mind?\u201d<\/p>\n The question asked in the familiar deep voice of his father caused the younger man to turn in the saddle and gaze upon the other man as he approached him, the horse stepping daintily towards its stable mate and its rider. Ben Cartwright\u2019s dark eye brows seemed to echo the question he had asked, demanding an answer. The man in black sighed and then returned to look down upon Virginia City.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought it would grow so big, so -\u201d he searched for the right word, all the books he had read didn\u2019t seem to have provided him with one and so he shook his head, \u201cThis isn\u2019t Eden, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,it isn\u2019t.\u201d his father sighed now, and drew closer to his son, so close that their knees touched, \u201cDo you remember -?\u201d he paused, and frowned, there were so many memories of times before when first they had mounted to the rim rock and gazed down upon the valleys, and smiled at seeing the tiny little settlement nestled down below.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember -\u201d Adam Cartwright said softly, his voice barely a whisper, \u201ctimes we came here and thought, wrongly, that it could never change.\u201d he paused, the dark eyebrows rose to form peaks of bemusement, as though now he thought himself foolish to have ever imagined any such thing, \u201cI guess we didn\u2019t take into account that there always has to be a serpent in Eden.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreed, pride, insidious evil that has to rise up and destroy whatever is beautiful in this world.\u201d Ben shook his head, \u201c I never thought to look down on a scene such as this either, but we can\u2019t make time stand still, son, we can\u2019t change human nature.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that but pursed his lips slightly and quirked an eyebrow With a sudden jerk of the wrist he pulled at the reins and turned Sports head so that the big horse was soon moving away accompanied by the other rider who glanced over his shoulder regretfully before he settled back into the saddle.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long before they start to seriously encroach upon the Ponderosa?\u201d Adam asked his father, who raised his shoulders in a slight shrug,<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve already tried, but we\u2019ve managed to fend them off so far.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s nostrils thinned, and he tried to let the comment pass as the most natural thing to say, but he couldn\u2019t shrug off the fact that the \u2019we\u2019 wasn\u2019t inclusive of himself, it related only to Ben and Joe and Hoss. That\u2019s what happens, he told himself wryly, when you can\u2019t be in two places at the same time, no matter how much one would wish to be so.<\/p>\n Ben now took the lead, threading the way back down and into the Ponderosa\u2019s wide valley which was shrouded on either side by the tall pine trees from which the Cartwright\u2019s home had taken it\u2019s name. Now as they walked their horses gently through the natural paths of the woodland, the hoof beats hollow upon the damp duff of many years of fallen pine needles, both men felt a more optimistic mood lift the early depression from their shoulders. The sun shone in dappled patches upon them both as their horses threaded their way homewards.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cName?\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman glanced nervously up into the thin face of the official who stood with hand open for her papers. She had endured a long sea journey and only wanted to gain re-entry into the land of her birth without too much fuss. She was tired, nervous and pregnant, not a combination for stability in a woman of her temperament. She fumbled for the essential papers in her bag and after looking briefly at them passed them to the customs officer.<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican citizen \u2026?\u201d he paused and looked at her again, his eyes narrowed and then his eyes flicked over her shoulder, he twitched an eyebrow, and then he lowered his eyes to re-examine the papers \u201cMaria O\u2019Brien?\u201d he raised his eyes to look at her again.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she nodded, a slight frown creased her brow when she noticed him look up over her shoulder again and give an almost imperceptible nod of the head. She held her breath, resolved not to look back herself, felt the flutter of fear at her throat.<\/p>\n Surely he was taking far too long to look at her papers. Other passengers had come and gone and still she was waiting for him to rubber stamp hers. A fat man came, jostled her arm so that some papers slipped from her hand onto the floor,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I beg your pardon, Missy\u201d he leaned down to pick them up and with some huffing and puffing as he straightened himself up, handed them back to her, \u201cOh Mrs O\u2019Brien, how nice to see you here again. I missed you what with all the crush there is in getting ready to disembark. Are you managing alright? Do you need any help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s very kind of you,\u201d Maria gave him a pleasant smile, \u201cI\u2019m just about ready to go -\u201d she held out her hand for her papers which the man on the other side of the counter still held, but now pushed into her grasp, her fingers clasped them and she turned away, only to be immediately confronted by a tall man who removed his hat and smiled at her pleasantly,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d there was that nervous little fluttering in her throat again. She swallowed it down, and blinked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve a carriage waiting for you, Ma\u2019am.\u201d he extended a hand to take her luggage, beckoned at the same time to someone out of her view to attend to the other bags and then placed his hand beneath her elbow in order to encourage her to move on.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t order a carriage -\u201d she replied weakly, attempting to free her elbow from his grip.<\/p>\n \u201cYour friends did though, Ma\u2019am.\u201d he replied and his fingers tightened on her arm.<\/p>\n The fat man at the counter turned with a frown on his florid face, and his little eyes showed some concern as he turned to her,<\/p>\n \u201cEverything alright, Mrs O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n Maria opened her mouth, forced a smile and nodded. She slowly extended a hand and shook his,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for your kindness during the trip, Mr Joslin. I did appreciate it.\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n He smiled, concern remained in his eyes as he watched her leaving the building with the tall man who escorted her out as though he were some kind of guard. Another thick set man followed behind them, bearing her luggage.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The loud guffaw of laughter floated above the noise of people in the big room at the Ponderosa. Tinkling glasses, loud voices, laughter, music playing quietly in the background, all combined to make up the sounds of people enjoying themselves at one of the Cartwright events. A special event this one, an event that had brought old friends together to commemorate it, and new friends together to enjoy it.<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright refilled his brother Joe\u2019s glass with punch, and then laughed again as he turned with his own glass filled. Together they stood side by side to look at the gathered assembly, Joe glanced up at his \u2018big\u2019 brother and grinned,<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like folk are enjoying themselves, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould do, Pa\u2019s put on quite a spread for the day.\u201d Hoss raised the glass to his lips and slurped some punch, he smacked his lips and nodded, \u201cYessirree, this is quite something.\u201d he slurped some more.<\/p>\n The bride stepped forward now, her face radiant and her eyes beaming. By her side was her husband, vows just a matter of hours old, no one was too sure who was blushing most. He took her into his arms and as the music struck up so they stepped gracefully into a waltz.<\/p>\n \u201cSure look happy, don\u2019t they?\u201d Joe sighed, his face softening as he watched the happy couple.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, they sure do.\u201d Hoss nodded, and his blue eyes followed the young couple as they turned gracefully back on themselves.<\/p>\n Other couples were taking to the floor now. Hop Sing and No. 1 Cousin busied themselves by replenishing stocks of food on the tables. Ben appeared with some bottles and did mysterious things to the punch bowl so that the liquid level was raised, he winked at his sons as he passed them by.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think Adam\u2019s thinking?\u201d Joe murmured sotto voce to his brother who lowered his head before frowning to glance up at Adam who was standing near the hearth, glass in hand and a meditative look on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably thinking it\u2019s about time you or me was hog tied to a female gal,\u201d Hoss grinned, and watched as his father – minus the bottles he had been carrying earlier – went to stand beside their brother, \u201cPa don\u2019t seem to want him outa his sight, does he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Joe\u2019s brow furrowed and the hazel eyes looked anxious.<\/p>\n \u201cP\u2019raps things would have been better if\u2019n he\u2019d managed to git hisself hitched to Miss Barbara.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that didn\u2019t happen, so no point in thinking about it.\u201d Joe turned to watch as Candy Canady slipped out of the house holding tightly to the hand of a pretty young woman, with a smile Joe nudged Hoss\u2019 elbow and the two brothers exchanged a wink and a grin.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Who would have thought it possible? That was the refrain that went round and round in Candy\u2019s head as he took the young woman into his arms and kissed her. Who would have thought that the one thing he had thought quite impossible could have come about in such a wonderful way.<\/p>\n Was it only a month ago? He could remember it so well, the morning he was shoeing a horse with Joe yammering on about something or other and both of them not even bothering to look up when a buggy went by and stopped in the yard. They hadn\u2019t even stopped when voices were heard, Joe had only paused for breath when he discerned a woman\u2019s voice and he had nudged Candy who had shaken his head and smiled but continued at his task.<\/p>\n And then – there she was, standing in the doorway with the light shimmering behind her and her neat form a dark silhouette just waiting for him to look up. It was Adam who had uttered a very loud \u2018Ahem\u2019 to get his attention \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAnn \u2026\u201d he whispered her name now, kissed her lips again, very gently brushed his fingers through her hair, \u201cAnn, oh my dearest dearest darling.\u201d<\/p>\n Here she was in his arms, real and solid and beautiful. Mrs Ann Canady. His Ann. The Ann he had won and lost, and now re-found.<\/p>\n Around them stars shone in a dark sky and music, laughter and singing came from the big house. Together they were locked in to their own private long denied world.<\/p>\n It had taken her a year to trace him, a long arduous year and one which had taken her from one State to another in search of the husband she had abandoned but had never stopped loving. She had journeyed from ranch to town, from town to settlement and always heard the same thing \u2018He was here, but left a while along \u2026\u2019 and then one day in Arizona someone had said \u2018He was here but left to go back to work on the Ponderosa, that\u2019s in Nevada territory, why not go look for him there?\u2019<\/p>\n That had brought her to journey\u2019s end. That magical moment when she had stood in the doorway and watched him hammering at the shoe on a horse, and he had raised his head, looked at her and cried her name as though his heart was in his mouth and had exploded with that one word.<\/p>\n \u201cAnn!\u201d<\/p>\n Now this was their wedding day and Ben Cartwright had provided them with a day to remember because to him, and to his family, Candy Canady had been more than just a ranch hand, a friend, he had been like family. This day had been a wonderful evidence of the affection they held for him.<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s gift was that of a house for them, one he had laboured on himself some years earlier, one that they knew had been built on love. It was now to be their home on a small parcel of land gifted to them by the generous owner of the Ponderosa. Neither of them could have believed it possible that they could have been so showered with so much love.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Agnes Joslin smoothed down the folds of her husbands suits and shirts and carefully placed them in the wardrobe and chest of drawers. She had kept up a constant barrage of questions about this and that, where had he been, what had he done, whom had he seen?<\/p>\n Mr Joslin was content to say as little as possible. He sat watching her bustling about the room putting away his belongings. It made him feel content, satisfied somehow, that he had at last reached home safely. His smile faded when the chatter stopped and she stood up with a frown puckering her brow and an envelope between her fingers,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d she demanded with folded lips and hooded eyes, she sniffed it suspiciously, \u201cIt\u2019s got perfume on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGive it to me -\u201d he held out a plump hand and plucked it from her, sniffed it and frowned.<\/p>\n The perfume was easily recognisable, the pretty lady in the cabin next to his own, yes, that was right. Mrs O\u2019Brien. He gulped, surely this could not be some kind of billet doux? He accepted the fact that he was handsome (well, his opinion endorsed by his wife but not one shared by anyone else), but surely she had not wished to pursue him? No, surely not. He opened the envelope, which was unsealed and extracted another, stared at the address and glanced at his wife.<\/p>\n \u201cShe must have slipped it into my pocket when I wasn\u2019t noticing \u2026 I mean .. I didn\u2019t notice her doing it.\u201d he turned the envelope over and looked at the wax seal, \u201cI think this letter is rather important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen open it \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do that,\u201d he said solemnly, and he looked again at the name and address on the envelope, \u201cIt isn\u2019t addressed to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s it for then? Anyone we know?\u201d she asked, and sidled up to him, peered over his shoulder and scowled as she read the words that had been written in dark black ink but thin writing:<\/p>\n Captain Adam Cartwright – Ponderosa<\/p>\n Chapter 2.<\/p>\n A new morning dawned with a lowering mist shrouding the tops of the trees. Adam shrugged into the yellow coat and inhaled the air deep into his lungs. He smiled at his brothers who were walking by his side, Joe still yawning as a result of sleeping in too long and Hoss still pulling on his vest having taken too much time over his breakfast. Ben was stepping down from the porch and discussing the plans for the day which he felt needed to be repeated due to the obvious lack of attention the discussion had received at the breakfast table when the sound of a horse galloping into the yard caused each man to stop in anticipation of the riders arrival, aware of the fact that such haste seldom brought with it good news.<\/p>\n The young man astride the horse pulled it up hard amid a flurry of dust, leaned down from the saddle to address Ben in a voice that rasped from lack of breath. The horse, sweat foaming his body, trembled in every limb from its exertions and Joe reached out a hand to calm and reassure it.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Cartwright – we got trouble – Hank sent me to tell you that McGarthy\u2019s sent a crew of men onto Ponderosa land. They\u2019re sawing down trees, got dynamite \u2026\u201d he stopped in mid sentence as the four men moved instantly towards the stables, each one looking grim faced and each one preferring action rather than standing there to listen to anything else. What little had been said was more than sufficient.<\/p>\n It was Hoss who paused and stepped back to grab at the horse\u2019s reins,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best git down from that horse, Chuck, take him to the corral and git yerself a fresh one after you\u2019ve seen to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYa take care of that horse, Mister, and then ride out and join us. We know whar McGarthy will have sent his men and we don\u2019t need you riding along with us as a guide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Agnes Joslin weighed the letter in her hand. It had stood on the mantle over the fire in the dining room since the previous evening as though accusing her of some crime. Now she couldn\u2019t resist the temptation any longer,<\/p>\n \u201cI just wonder what this is all about.\u201d she scowled, and sniffed the perfume, shook her head, \u201cI think there\u2019s mischief here, Douglas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell if there is, it ain\u2019t got nothing to do with us. Put it back, Agnes, and get on with your breakfast.\u201d and in case she had forgotten how to go about getting on with breakfast he showed her by stuffing a good quantity of food into his cavernous mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cNo woman – no respectable woman – travels alone carrying a letter to a man other than her husband unless there\u2019s mischief afoot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been reading those romances again, my dear, you should leave the reading alone, it addles your brains.\u201d he muttered between chomping and gulping down quantities of black coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense.\u201d she frowned, \u201cAnd why give it to you?\u201d<\/p>\n He shrugged broad shoulders extravagantly. He had no idea why, nor did he have any idea how little Mrs O\u2019Brien had managed to slip a letter into his pocket, he wiped a greasy mouth on the back of his hand as he pushed the plate away,<\/p>\n \u201cBest leave it alone, Agnes. If Mrs O\u2019Brien wants to claim the letter back then all she has to do is call for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow will she know where to collect it -\u201d Agnes replied rather sharply, \u201cunless you gave her our address.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, I -\u201d he paused, and frowned, he shook his head, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think I gave her our address, dear.\u201d his voice faltered uncertainly, and he pushed himself away from the table, hauled himself out of the chair and approached her, \u201cDo you think we should open it?\u201d<\/p>\n Her eyes opened wide, just what she was thinking herself but how much better that the suggestion had come from him. With a triumphant flourish she passed the envelope over to him and had opened her mouth to speak when the door opened and a neatly clad maid stepped into the room,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a gentleman called to see you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA gentleman? Didn\u2019t he give his name?\u201d Agnes demanded sharply, answering as was customary any questions addressed to \u2018sir\u2019 by any of the staff.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am,\u201d the maid replied with her eyes fixed on Joslin\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not expecting any callers. It\u2019s too early, I\u2019ve not finished eating yet.\u201d Joslin protested and returned to his seat at the table. He tossed the envelope upon the table, and without pausing to think about what he was doing dropped his napkin beside his plate as he reached over for more food. As he did so all thought of the letter went from his head, the napkin settled over the envelope and it now became literally a matter of out of sight, out of mind.<\/p>\n \u201cTell him to go away and call back later.\u201d Agnes dismissed the girl with a wave of the hand.<\/p>\n The door closed and she muttered something beneath her breath, glanced at her husband with a slight frown and resumed her seat. She glanced once at the mantle to remind herself of what had been irritating her so much, noticed the empty space and contented herself with the knowledge that her husband was in full control of the matter now. What exactly that meant in the Joslin household was a matter for anyone\u2019s guess. Liam McGarthy was a swarthy red haired slightly balding man in his mid fifties. He had made his fortune years earlier during the gold strike at Sutters Mill, California, *and was now eager to add to it by extending his mining operations in Nevada. Another Comstock *was due to happen, and he wanted to be first in the rush with the biggest strike of all. For him open cast mining was the quick and easy way to fulfil that ambition, and why the Cartwrights refused to do it when everyone knew they were sitting on a mountain of gold and silver he just couldn\u2019t fathom. They obviously needed a bit of a shove and push, and he was just the man to do it.<\/p>\n He knew they would come. He took out his watch to glance at the time and smiled to himself as he sat in comfort in his luxurious carriage. Just as he thought within an hour of setting foot on the Ponderosa along came the four Cartwrights. Well, it made a change from the usual three, he mused.<\/p>\n He could see from the set of Ben Cartwright\u2019s mouth that the man was seething. There may not have been steam coming literally out of his ears but McGarthy could see the fury blazing in the dark eyes. He waited until Ben was abreast of him before greeting him with a cynical \u2019Good morning.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re on my land.\u201d Ben dashed the greeting aside with the words that growled from his lips, \u201cTake your men, McGarthy, and get off the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen, you\u2019re much too hasty -\u201d Liam replied as he sprawled back a little and set his head to one side to observe Ben\u2019s reaction, \u201cI\u2019ve brought some papers along with me -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake your papers back with you and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve brought some papers along with me for you to look over. Ben, this could be a very profitable business for you and your boys. Why be so quick to dismiss it? Now I know for a fact that you -\u201d he nodded over at Adam who immediately narrowed his eyes and inclined his head forward to hear more clearly what was about to be said, \u201chave mining interests around Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot open cast mining\u201d Adam replied quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cNevertheless you do have mining interests, and personally, I don\u2019t understand why you don\u2019t advocate the open cast system. You get results far more quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not interested in fast results.\u201d Adam raised his eyebrows and then glanced quickly over at the workmen who had paused in their labours to watch, \u201cYou had better do as my father suggested, McGarthy, and take your men and clear out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make a deal with you, Ben, with the four of you, in fact -\u201d McGarthy pulled a wry face, although the eyes were wary, \u201cI know that this was a rather hasty act on my part, for which I apologise,\u201d the smile was false, Ben knew that and waited for what else was to come, \u201cbut you can\u2019t hold out for long, Ben. You need these minerals here, just like any other businessman in this area. You ain\u2019t going to make much profit on your beef this year, the cattle trade has been hard hit, and a lot of the mining corporations have taken their timber contracts to other suppliers \u2026 you\u2019re going to need to use what you\u2019ve got under the ground, Ben, and I\u2019m the man who can get it for you. I\u2019ve got a contract here just ready for you to sign \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMcGarthy, I have no intention of signing any contract with you, nor with any other man who feels they have the right to come onto my land and use open cast mining. Now, do I make myself clear?\u201d<\/p>\n McGarthy shrugged, folded the papers and slipped them back into his pocket,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re making a mistake, Ben. You need that gold -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t need you to tell me what I need,\u201d Ben jerked back the reins and turned Buck away from the carriage, \u201cGet off my land \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n McGarthy smiled, shook his head and gestured towards the men waiting for his orders,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s just four of you, I\u2019ve got you outnumbered, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n Immediately four guns left their holsters and four guns were pointed at him. Ben\u2019s dark eyes grew darker and his lips became thinner<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s any shooting, McGarthy, you\u2019ll be the first to go down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t dare?\u201d Liam hissed, the bluster fading away now at the cold determined look on the ranchers face, and his eyes turned towards the three other men.<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t like to try testing us out, would you, Mr McGarthy?\u201d Hoss ventured to say, with just a slight crook of an eye brow.<\/p>\n McGarthy scowled before, with a dismissive gesture, he turned to his driver and indicated that it was time to leave. The carriage turned away and they heard him address a thick set man who was obviously acting as foreman of the crew. As the four horsemen sat in the saddles watching, the mining crew reluctantly began to dismantle their equipment and return it to the waiting wagons.<\/p>\n Chapter 3<\/p>\n \u201cMr Joslin?\u201d<\/p>\n The tall thin man removed his hat and observed carefully the short fat man standing before him. He smiled confidently, and Joslin, noting the smile, immediately lost all confidence in how he was going to deal with whatever was at issue.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Joslin, I believe that you were a passenger on board the Ventura that left Paris recently?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, what of it?\u201d not the best reply, Joslin realised he had already lost ground and fidgeted uneasily in his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that a friend of mine lost some papers during the voyage which you may have picked up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour friends wrong, I didn\u2019t pick up any papers at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, perhaps she handed them over to you then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, she didn\u2019t. Who is this person anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs O\u2019Brien. I believe you had the cabin next door to hers and were on good terms with her during the voyage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHardly saw her to be honest, sick most of the time. Mal de mer and – er – being in a certain condition aren\u2019t conducive to good sea travel.\u201d he narrowed his eyes and looked more closely at the other man, \u201cHaven\u2019t I seen you someplace before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a friend of Mrs O\u2019Briens, that\u2019s why I\u2019m here to collect back the papers she left with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish you wouldn\u2019t keep on about her leaving papers with me, she never did no such thing except -\u201d he paused and wished he could have taken the words back, the almost wolfish eagerness on the other man\u2019s face disquietened him and he fidgeted a little more, \u201cjust a letter that I found in my jacket pocket.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh a letter -\u201d the tall man smiled although the eyes looked colder than ever, he put out a hand, gloved in yellow leather, \u201cIf I may, sir, I would appreciate it if you handed it to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do that -\u201d Joslin frowned, he stood up with an air of confidence and raised his chin, \u201cSorry, but I can\u2019t give it to you. Fact is, we\u2019ve misplaced it.\u201d he twisted his lips into a semblance of a smirk, \u201cMy wife and I had it this morning but since then – it\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a pause – long, uncomfortable and very tense. The thin man sighed and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a pity. No idea where it has gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone whatsoever. I did ask if any of the staff had seen it but they hadn\u2019t, it wasn\u2019t addressed to us, you see? Not our property.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see who it was addressed to? I was given to understand -\u201d again a pause, he checked back his words as there was no point in informing the foolish fat man of too much.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Adam Cartwright. There was a red seal on it too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, interesting.\u201d the crease in the man\u2019s brow was significant, and revealed just how interesting it was, he glanced sharply at Joslin, \u201cWhat kind of seal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, a red wax seal -\u201dhe shrugged, \u201cHow\u2019m I to know what kind of seal it was, I didn\u2019t look.\u201d<\/p>\n Thin lips on a thin face parted in a grimace of a smile, he nodded, muttered his thanks and made his departure.<\/p>\n Outside once more and standing on the sidewalk of a busy San Francisco street he pursed his lips and scowled. Well, at least they knew a little more than they had, or rather, had confirmed what little they had known. Adam Cartwright – again! Curse the man, but it had been expected really. With the O\u2019Brien\u2019s involved it had been a certainty that Adam Cartwright would have been drawn into the mix somehow. He began to walk slowly away from the Joslin\u2019s home, his brow furrowed in deep thought. Why couldn\u2019t Adam Cartwright stay put with his cows at home and leave other matters alone?<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Agnes Joslin surveyed the man standing before her with some concern. There was nothing offensive about her visitor, he was by no means unattractive and deported himself with a grave air that she quite admired. She glanced down at the card he had left at the house earlier, and listened as he concluded an apology for having called at such an inconvenient time previously. The matter, he continued to say, was of some urgency.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, Mrs Joslin,\u201d he smiled politely, \u201cI had expected to meet a friend of mine from a ship that arrived from France, the same ship that your husband was travelling on -\u201d he paused and looked at her thoughtfully, it crossed his mind that she would be a good person to have on side during a poker game as her face certainly gave nothing away, \u201cA young woman, in fact.\u201d<\/p>\n She tapped the card thoughtfully against her free hand, and looked at him with a slight frown now,<\/p>\n \u201cI take it you are referring to Mrs O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed yes, I am. Do you know anything at all about her whereabouts?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, my husband only struck up her acquaintance while on board ship. He said that she was met by some friends -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d the question was intended to prompt her memory for more but she had stalled. He sighed, \u201cDid she – I mean – could she possibly have given Mr Joslin anything to look after, until she could collect it, perhaps?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, a letter?\u201d<\/p>\n She blinked and her mouth shut tight, there now, hadn\u2019t she said the letter was trouble? She shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no letter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo letter?\u201d he sounded dismayed, sighed and shook his head, \u201cIn that case – well – in that case I can only apologise for my intrusion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs the letter important?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, very important.\u201d he sighed again, mustered up a weak smile and picked up his hat slowly, \u201cShould Mr Joslin remember anything at all, would you ask him to contact me at that address.\u201d he nodded towards the card she still held in her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s of any help at all,\u201d she paused now, \u201cI mean, is there any money involved in this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you mean is there a fee for any information you can give -?\u201d he nodded, \u201cI\u2019m sure we can come to some arrangement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just that my husband had a visit from a gentleman at his office this morning. He asked after the letter as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson\u2019s face fell. The letter missing. Mrs O\u2019Brien missing. Others already sniffing around – it boded no good at all. He could feel his heart sinking, Mr Smith was not going to be at all pleased. He listened to what she had to say patiently, while his mind travelled along another road altogether. It was only when she mentioned Adam Cartwright by name that a light shone in his eyes and he actually mustered up a smile.<\/p>\n Chapter 4<\/p>\n McGarthy bit off the end of his cigar and spat it onto the floor, then he rammed the cigar into his mouth and struck a match. From the window he could see the coming and going of a wide range of towns people but the ones he was most interested in were those making their way to his offices. They came either by foot or carriage, depending on the distance between their buildings.<\/p>\n He gave merely the slightest of smiles as he saw Murdoch clamber down from his barouche, the fancy open top carriage that the Director of the Gould & Curry Mine liked to flaunt as he rode through town to declare his supremacy over most other mortals, the handsomely matched pair of horses arched their necks as the vehicle rolled away from McGarthy\u2019s building, taking Mrs Murdoch to visit elsewhere while her husband conducted business.<\/p>\n By the time Murdoch had reached the room set aside for the conducting of this particular business meeting five other men, all Directors or Presidents of their own corporate businesses had began to mount the stairs towards McGarthy\u2019s office. They were conducted to where the meeting was to take place to find Murdoch and McGarthy already seated at the large highly polished oval table.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you get on?\u201d Jackson growled as he shook McGarthy\u2019s hand, \u201cWere you thrown off their land?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs predicted -\u201d McGarthy smiled and indicated a seat for Jackson, head of the Diamond Jack Mining Company.<\/p>\n The meeting began, McGarthy taking the head of the table. He opened a folder and then glanced around the table where each man began to open folders that had been placed at their position around the table.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to get a good idea as to what open cast mining is really all about \u2026 good engineering, quick profits.\u201d he smiled but his eyes were cold as he glanced from one to the other of them, \u201cNow, gentlemen, I know you\u2019ll all agree with me that there\u2019s a lot of gold and silver waiting to be taken out of that mountain Ben Cartwright\u2019s sitting on, my engineers tell me there\u2019s every probability of another Comstock coming out of it but old Cartwright is too stubborn to consider mining it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe might,\u201d Rawlins brushed cigar ash away from his papers, \u201cbut not open cast mining. He and his family are dedicated to keeping the Ponderosa as they found it. Open cast mining -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c- is the best option for all.\u201d Murdoch interrupted, he had no time for Rawlins whom he considered one of Ben\u2019s allies.<\/p>\n \u201cI disagree,\u201d Rawlins scowled, he was the President of a large mining corporation with branches operating in various states, \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019ll ever get Ben Cartwright to agree with you either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen -\u201d McGarthy rose to his feet and raised his hands in a placating manner, he smiled, \u201cthere are always options available to a discerning businessman. Look at the information I\u2019ve given you about opencast mining \u2026\u201d he picked up a sheet of paper, \u201cthis is an area on the Ponderosa overlooking Lake Tahoe. We cut out the ground in vertical levels until we get a hole. They\u2019re called benches, and will run about four to sixty metre intervals. * Some of the areas on the Ponderosa I\u2019ve ear marked won\u2019t need those shelves as they\u2019ll be too shallow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s rocky ground thereabouts so the walls of the pits will be at an angle to lessen the danger of rock falls. We\u2019ll have to accommodate for faults in the rocks, perhaps set in some rock bolts. I\u2019ve arranged for some de-watering bores to be used to relieve water pressure.\u201d*<\/p>\n \u201cThat could cause the walls to collapse in on themselves,\u201d Henderson of the Forked Pine Mine muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve skilled men ready to be employed who can handle all that,\u201d McGarthy replied giving Henderson a cold glare, \u201cThere will be ramps built for the wagons to carry off the ore and waste rock.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Rawlins shook his head and tapped the papers angrily, \u201cNo, you can\u2019t do this. The waste rock will mount up and cause slurry to drain off into the Lake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you using cyanide to treat the gold? * If you are -\u201d Richardson from the Pyramid Lake Mines shook his head, \u201cI can\u2019t agree with this, McGarthy. If you step onto Cartwrights land they will fight you tooth and nail to protect it from what you plan to do. I can\u2019t agree with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a fool then, and you\u2019ll lose out when we start hauling in the gold.\u201d Murdoch smiled complacently and leaned back comfortably in his leather chair.<\/p>\n \u201cThe cyanide leach process isn\u2019t the only one way to treat the gold ore, we can use other means\u201d McGarthy said quietly.<\/p>\n The men around the table moved restlessly in their chairs. Some of them had already been utilising the open cast system. The initial outlay was expensive but in the long run they knew it would bring about vast quantities of minerals to the surface much more quickly than any other system. It was Rawlins who was first to stand up and face McGarthy,<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t sit in on this any further, McGarthy. You do as you think fit, but I don\u2019t subscribe to it. I came here years ago when Ben Cartwright was a struggling rancher, and we had to fight off everything from wild animals to Paiute to thieving miners to survive. I can\u2019t accept that what you plan to do is right.\u201d he turned to go, then paused, \u201cDo you intend to buy this land from Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Rawlins -\u201d McGarthy drew in his breath and stared the other man down, \u201cif you intend to have no part in these proceedings I suggest you leave now.\u201d he glanced up and down the table, \u201cAny one else with ties to Ben Cartwright can get up and go too.\u201d<\/p>\n Henderson bit his bottom lip and glanced anxiously around the table but hesitated when no one else seemed about to leave. Rawlins glared at him, then shook his head in disappointment before stomping from the room and slamming the door behind him. A picture rocked on the wall from the vibration.<\/p>\n \u201cWell? Henderson? Are you in on the deal?\u201d Murdoch looked at the other man coldly, and for a moment it seemed as though Henderson would wilt beneath the other mans scrutiny, but instead he rose slowly to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cI owe Ben too much to fall in with your plans, gentlemen. I wish I knew of a way to stop you for going ahead with them, but you seem pretty determined to continue. Well, so be it, but I firmly believe that you will lose far more than you\u2019ll ever gain from this venture.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused, looked thoughtfully at Jackson with whom he had conducted a significant amount of business in the past, but Jackson looked down and toyed with the corner edge of the papers in front of him rather than face his associate.<\/p>\n McGarthy smiled as the door closed,<\/p>\n \u201cVery well, gentlemen,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cLet\u2019s really get down to business \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Frank Rawlins paused as he heard his name being called out above the noise of the traffic. He paused, one foot already on the step of the hansom, and turned to face Henderson.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t go through with it, Frank.\u201d Henderson said, \u201cIt would be like stabbing Ben in the back and we owe him too much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Isaac, we do. I\u2019m glad you didn\u2019t go through with it.\u201d he extended his hand and shook Hendersons firmly, \u201cWhat are you going to do now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo back to Philadelphia, get out of here as soon as I can. I don\u2019t want to have any dealings with this whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNor I.\u201d Rawlins nodded, \u201cGod speed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou too.\u201d<\/p>\n They went their separate ways. Rawlins to his home, where he went immediately to his study and wrote a letter which he sealed in an envelope for Ben Cartwright. Maria O\u2019Brien rose to her feet as the door opened, and watched with an agitation bordering upon hysteria as the door was closed and locked behind the man who now approached her.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to leave here -\u201d she cried, \u201cPlease let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy dear Mrs O\u2019Brien, anyone would think you were locked up in a prison the way you speak. Now then, calm yourself down and relax.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said, I want to go. Open that door and let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned and then heaved a sigh as though it distressed him to see her in such a state. He poured out two glasses of wine, one of which he gave her, the other he sipped slowly as he took a chair opposite her.<\/p>\n \u201cNow then, dear lady, we\u2019ve found that the letter you were to deliver was to Adam Cartwright. Captain of the Ainola if I recall correctly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Was it? There was no address on the envelope when it was given to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must have known it was important though – to someone, other than Captain Cartwright of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I tell you, I don\u2019t know. Please let me go -\u201d she clasped her hands together as though in prayer, fell upon her knees at which he leaned forward and grabbed at her hands and pulled her back onto her feet.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, why not admit that you know a lot more than you\u2019ve told us. Where\u2019s your husband for a start? Why did you come here and not him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do I know?\u201d she ran trembling fingers through her tousled mane of hair, \u201cLook, I don\u2019t know who you are, I don\u2019t know why you\u2019re doing this to me – but I don\u2019t know anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s your husband?\u201d<\/p>\n She sat down, weak and too weary to stand any longer. She buried her face in her hands and wept, all the time shaking her head and saying as though in an intonation \u201cI don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t know \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 5<\/p>\n In some ways life at the Ponderosa never changed. Despite his absences from home Adam found the early morning gathering at the table for the first meal of the day consistent with all the memories of past meals. He smiled to himself as he came down the stairs to greet his family while carefully buttoning up his shirt and joining them at the table.<\/p>\n The red and white tablecloth, the worn old coffee pot, the pink table ware that had been Marie\u2019s pride and joy, they were all there just as they always had been in the past. He sat down and nodded over to Hoss, Joe and his father.<\/p>\n \u201cWonder what today will bring?\u201d he murmured as he poured himself fresh coffee and savoured its aroma.<\/p>\n \u201cWater holes for me,\u201d Joe groaned, \u201cI\u2019ll be glad when Candy gets back from his honeymoon to help me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re very quiet, Pa, everything alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, fine -\u201d Ben muttered as he put down one letter and picked up another.<\/p>\n \u201cI gotta go check on that horse -\u201d Hoss wiped his mouth on his napkin, and frowned, \u201cshe\u2019s about to drop her foal any time now. It\u2019s her first and she\u2019s a mite spooked by it all.\u201d<\/p>\n He was about to rise to his feet when Ben half rose from his chair, sat down again and thumped the table with a clenched fist. He screwed up the letter he had been reading, then exclaimed something indecipherable before picking the letter up and smoothing it out to re-read.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Pa?\u201d Joe asked, leaning forwards in order to peer at the letter from over his father\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cA letter from Rawlins.\u201d Ben said through clenched teeth, \u201cApparently McGarthy had a meeting with several prominent heads of Virginia City\u2019s leading mining corporations. He and Henderson were invited along and were the only two who walked out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd?\u201d Adam prompted, holding his cup mid way to his lips while his eyes remained fixed upon his father\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were discussing open cast mining operations on the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n The three younger men looked at one another, then each turned towards their father.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd – anything else?\u201d again Adam prompted his father who seemed incapable of speech.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he asked if there was going to be an offer to me about purchasing the land, Rawlins and Henderson were more or less told to leave the room.\u201d Ben put the letter down slowly, and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, \u201cThey won\u2019t be offering to buy the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t suppose they will.\u201d Adam said in agreement and carefully raised the cup to his lips to drink the strong coffee while he stared thoughtfully at the far off wall.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, it ain\u2019t gonna be possible to patrol every inch of our land any more than we are doing.\u201d Hoss muttered, \u201cWe\u2019ve got the men ready, but the fact is that we jest ain\u2019t got enough men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t just march onto our land and start digging it out, can they?\u201d Joe looked at each one of the men there, his hazel eyes depicting his anxiety, \u201cI mean – not on the scale they seem to be planning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ll go and see Rawlins -\u201d Ben muttered as he carefully folded the letter back into its envelope, \u201cPerhaps I\u2019ll go and check on things with our lawyer as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want any company?\u201d Adam asked quietly and looked at his fathers anxious face, \u201cI\u2019ll come along.\u201d he said immediately before his father had a chance to say yes or no, \u201cIt\u2019s better to have someone witness what\u2019s said, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, son -\u201d Ben replied but his mind was already full of what he needed to find out and hardly on anything that was being addressed to him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could all go in -\u201d Joe suggested, and glanced at Hoss who looked doubtfully back and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t leave that horse -\u201d he rubbed his chin, \u201ccould come in later though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Ben roused himself from his reverie, shook his head and smiled without mirth, \u201cNo, it\u2019s alright. Adam and I will go in and sort this matter out. Even if it ends with McGarthy behind bars!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded and sighed. Here he was a full grown man and still cleaning out water holes, and Hoss fussing over a horse. Life just seemed to be one long road of same old things, day in and day out. He glanced over at Adam in order to catch his eye but his brother was busy eating his breakfast, somewhat distractedly to be sure, but he didn\u2019t look up or seem aware of Joe\u2019s desire to communicate. Hoss left the table and the door closed behind him. The day\u2019s business had begun.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Dorothea Armstrong was known to the clientele of The Palace Saloon as Peaches. No one was sure as to why because Dorothea didn\u2019t resemble a peach. She watched the bat wings of the saloon open and close, smiled at the men who entered and sauntered towards them with a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Ben, Adam, its good to see you both here today. Is there anything I can do for you, gentlemen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can tell us where Mr Rawlins is,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cWe were told he was here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh sure, he\u2019s in the next room,\u201d she trailed a hand along Adam\u2019s arm and smiled, \u201cCome and see me later for something to drink, Adam, it\u2019s been a long time since I saw you and there\u2019s a lot of catching up to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam made no comment to that, but walked away towards the other room behind his father. Peaches watched them and then with a sigh leaned against the counter,<\/p>\n \u201cGet me a drink, Charlie.\u201d she sighed, and then turned to face the mirror that was suspended on the wall behind the counter, \u201cMake it a long one -\u201d she added and turned away. She hated mirrors, they said too much about the passage of time.<\/p>\n Rawlins glanced up, nodded at Ben and Adam and indicated that he would be with them soon. Together father and son took the chairs of another table and sat down while Rawlins finished his round of poker.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for him to do so, and by the time he had joined them at the table a bottle of whiskey and three glasses had appeared, Adam poured out the drinks as Rawlins sat down.<\/p>\n \u201cYou got my letter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for writing it and letting me know what was going on,\u201d Ben replied, \u201cHave you heard anything else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, everyone\u2019s clammed up. I tried to winkle out some more information from Jackson but he wouldn\u2019t talk. They want that gold badly, Ben. McGarthy\u2019s a crafty and ambitious man, he won\u2019t let you stop him getting it either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhereabouts does he intend to start work?\u201d Adam asked, \u201cI mean, he must have a location in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSouth of Papoose Peak. He\u2019s had assayers and surveyors out there already. He knows that it\u2019s some trek from the house, away from your main working areas.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s close to Paiute land,\u201d Adam sipped the whiskey, swallowed it and then raised his eyebrows, \u201cThere could be trouble if they go ahead with the plan to mine there. I wouldn\u2019t have thought the land stable enough to take that kind of mining.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s thought it all out, Adam. Got his engineers working on it all. The other mine -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore than one?\u201d Ben seemed surprised and shook his head, \u201cHe is ambitious!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe other mine he intends to get up and running near Lake Tahoe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Ben looked at one another, again Ben shook his head in amazement,<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll ruin the whole area, the lake will be destroyed -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what other plans he has, Ben. You\u2019ve a lot of land out there, you won\u2019t be able to police it all. That\u2019s what he\u2019s banking on, keeping you busy and -\u201d he stopped and glanced upwards as the door opened and closed.<\/p>\n \u201cGood day, gentlemen.\u201d McGarthy said amicably and he placed his hat upon the table and pulled out a chair, \u201cI\u2019m sure you won\u2019t mind if I join you? No? I didn\u2019t think so. Well, Ben, it seems Mr Rawlins here has told you about my plans?\u201d he smiled at them all, \u201cYou must be wondering why your knowing about what I intend to do doesn\u2019t worry me particularly?\u201d he looked at each one of them in turn, his pale eyes boring into theirs, he picked up a glass and poured in some whiskey, \u201cYou see, Ben, I know that the land where I am going to mine doesn\u2019t rightly belong to you.\u201d he gulped back the liquor and chuckled, \u201cAn oversight on your part I suppose. Never mind, as the saying goes, it all comes to he who waits \u2026 and I\u2019ve waited a long time for this, Ben, believe me, I have.\u201d<\/p>\n A shadow of bemusement passed across Ben\u2019s face as he looked at McGarthy, then he allowed himself a slow smile and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to disappoint you, McGarthy, but you\u2019re still going to have a long wait for that land. It\u2019s mine, legally all wrapped up, and I have no intention of ever selling to you.\u201d he rose to his feet, picked up his hat and looked at Rawlins, nodded a farewell and left the table, closely followed by his son.<\/p>\n Once outside he released his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow before looking at Adam who was surveying him thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cIs it possible that he could be right, Pa?\u201d Adam asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t.\u201d Ben replied stubbornly and glanced up and down the street before nodding towards the offices of their lawyer, \u201cBut it may be a good idea to make sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that but stepped in line with his father. It sent a little trickle of apprehension down his spine to have to acknowledge the fact that his father was uncertain enough to have to go to the lawyer to make sure.<\/p>\n Chapter 6<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson had changed a little in appearance since the last time he had boarded a stage coach for Virginia City. Now he wore his hair longer and had a neatly trimmed moustache. He wore a smart city suit, bowler hat, grey kid gloves and his kind gentle eyes were obscured by spectacles that gave him a rather owlish appearance. His speech pattern had also changed for he now spoke in a distinct English accent, to be exact Thames Estuary English.<\/p>\n After the disappointment of his meeting with Mrs Joslin, Jeffrey had taken himself off to ponder over the matter for a while in a nearby park. It had been while he was sitting there, staring rather fixedly at a statue of some recently departed philanthropic local, that he became aware of a pair of feet planted squarely in front of him. He turned his gaze towards them and allowed his eyes to travel upwards to meet the anxious face of a young woman.<\/p>\n After having stared at one another long enough to appreciate that each had decided that the other was the person they wished to address – although Jeffrey didn\u2019t know exactly why – Jeffrey asked her if there was something the matter and how could he help.<\/p>\n \u201cI saw you leave the Joslin\u2019s\u201d she had replied rather tentatively, \u201cFact is, I showed you into the room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you did,\u201d Jeffrey had smiled and nodded, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I was so distracted that I hadn\u2019t remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n She shrugged, parlour maids were not meant to be remembered by visitors to the house and she accepted that as part of the job. She cleared her throat,<\/p>\n \u201cI overheard your conversation. Fact is, I overheard Mr and Mrs Joslin talking earlier because it was about a letter, weren\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA letter? Yes, it was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, fact is, when I was clearing things away from the table I found a letter. I was going to return it to them but what with one thing and another I forgot.\u201d she bit her lip and frowned, then had looked at him rather fearfully, \u201cFact is, when they started arguing about it I lost my nerve and didn\u2019t dare to mention it. Then you came by and -\u201d she had then put her hand in her pocket and withdrawn it, and in her hand had been the letter.<\/p>\n Jeffrey had risen to his feet, looked at her frightened face, and taken the letter from her. Then he had released his breath as he had read the address, and glanced at the seal.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you. This letter really is very important, I really do appreciate it, I mean, you\u2019re coming here to give it to me.\u201d he had stammered, and she had merely smiled shyly, turned and hurried back to the house, casting one last look over her shoulder at him before she had vanished from sight.<\/p>\n So now here he was, seated in the stagecoach en route to Virginia City, to the Ponderosa no less. The letter would now be delivered to the Captain by hand. He settled back into the seat with a sigh, and watched the views pass him by as he reviewed in his mind his previous adventures with the Captain, and then, considered exactly what the reaction could be to the contents of the letter.<\/p>\n There were only two other passengers, a woman and her young daughter. Jeffrey relaxed a little more. Whoever else had been interested in that letter had, he hoped, not yet thought of leaving the city.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, how did you get on?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben turned towards Joe and frowned as his youngest son threw down his hat, and began to unbuckle his gun belt. He then looked over at Adam who was looking through a pile of papers that looked very complicated to Joe\u2019s eyes. It was now his turn to look from one to the other, he raised his extremely expressive eyebrows questioningly, and walked further into the room in order to pick up one of the papers which he glanced over quickly before placing back down on the desk.<\/p>\n \u201cSo? Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam grimaced and scratched the back of his neck, he in turn raised his eyebrows at his father and waited for Ben to speak. Hoss, seated on the settee, ran his hand over his chin and stared a blue eyed gaze at his parent.<\/p>\n \u201cMcGarthy is claiming that the land he wants to mine on the Ponderosa doesn\u2019t actually belong to us.\u201d Ben explained in rather a rush of words so that Joe had to think them over for a moment before he got the sense of it.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he crazy? Of course it\u2019s our land.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that, Joe, but we need the legal proofs to back up our claims should McGarthy try to prove his statement correct.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What did you do? Didn\u2019t you tell him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course we told him -\u201d Adam\u2019s voice held that derisive tone that Joe hated so much, he narrowed his eyes and put his hands on his hips in a defensive attitude, \u201cBut as Pa said, we need the legal proofs to back us up. McGarthy wouldn\u2019t have made those claims if he didn\u2019t feel confident that we couldn\u2019t prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe went to see the lawyer but he was unavailable, so we went to the Land Registry office and they were closed. Then we went back to the lawyer and he had gone out.\u201d Ben passed a hand over his hair and sighed, \u201cIn general, we were given the run around. All the time I had the feeling McGarthy was watching every move we made from his offices, and laughing at us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d Joe paused, frowned slightly, \u201cwe\u2019ve papers here to prove what land we own, haven\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re checking through now.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cHopefully we\u2019ll find all the necessary documents here and those we don\u2019t possess should be at the lawyers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if we don\u2019t? I mean, if we don\u2019t find any papers or proof of ownership? What then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe,\u201d Hoss shrunk back a little, \u201cYou could try being a bit more positive about this here thing, couldn\u2019t you? If Pa says he has the papers, and it\u2019s our land -\u201d he gulped and glanced anxiously at the three other men, shrugged rather helplessly and clasped his hands together as though he just didn\u2019t know what else to do with them.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, one thing we do know and that is where to put our men -\u201d Adam frowned, narrowed his eyes and looked at his father, \u201cIf McGarthy wants that land we\u2019re not letting him have it without a fight, are we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI never intended anything other than that, Adam\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cBut I had hoped that this wouldn\u2019t develop into another feud like we had with the Bishops over the Truckee.\u201d he rubbed his brow thoughtfully, \u201cI\u2019ll arrange to have men posted along the Tahoe and get the area around Papoose Peak guarded. I\u2019m surprised that he\u2019d go there, though, it\u2019s wild country and too easy to stray onto Paiute land.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s too greedy to see sense -\u201d Joe muttered, \u201cThe conniving snake.\u201d he glanced over at Hoss who was looking thoughtful, \u201cDid the mare drop her foal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, she sure did.\u201d the first smile of the evening passed over Hoss\u2019 lips, \u201cA real beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she did it all without Hoss\u2019 help,\u201d Adam chuckled, \u201cHe was in here eating beef sandwiches when it happened -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you -\u201d Hoss laughed and rose to his feet, \u201cWhich reminds me, Hop Sing is dragging his feet over supper.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 7<\/p>\n One major change in Virginia City was that there was no longer a friend in the law department. Sheriff Roy Coffee had retired on the grounds of age and that he could no longer disguise the fact that his poor eye sight meant he was more of a danger to himself with a gun than to any criminal. It was also obvious that the mushroom growth of the town required more than one man and a handful of deputies to see to the maintenance of law and order. By this time the whole town had been quartered up into four separate divisions with their own Law Enforcement Forces.*<\/p>\n Whenever Ben entered the sheriff\u2019s offices now he felt as though he were entering unknown territory. Without Roy sitting behind the desk Ben felt as though he had entered upon the ship\u2019s bridge without its Captain at the helm. He looked now at the sheriff and realised that he had known the young man since his school days, and yet he was a complete stranger to him.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Cartwright, I can\u2019t accept what you\u2019re suggesting here.\u201d Matthew Thompson said quietly, \u201cThe days when you could shoot trespassers down for stepping foot on your land have been and gone. I can\u2019t endorse an action that could bring about people getting killed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you giving this same advice to McGarthy and his men?\u201d Ben snapped, his eyes darkening, \u201cIf they step foot on the Ponderosa without my permission, which they won\u2019t get anyway, and if they start mining there, then, by heavens, I\u2019ll chase them out of there faster than you can say -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Cartwright -\u201d Thompson stood up and placed a hand on Ben\u2019s arm, \u201cDon\u2019t start a war when it isn\u2019t necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to do to prevent it happening?\u201d Joe asked quietly, and he looked straight into Thompson\u2019s eyes in such a challenging manner that the sheriff felt his collar tightening around his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019ll do if it does happen,\u201d Thompson replied quietly, attempting to stare Joe out, \u201cI\u2019ll have all you Cartwrights arrested and in jail faster than blinking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd McGarthy?\u201d Joe raised his chin, \u201cWhat if he does trespass on our land? Can we rely on the law to come to our assistance and haul him off?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can prove he\u2019s trespassing – then yes, you can.\u201d Thompson looked at Ben, then at Joe, \u201cBut I understand that it\u2019s possible that he won\u2019t be trespassing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a lie -\u201d Joe hissed and took a step forward, remembering Thompson as a play ground bully during their school days and forgetting that he now wore a badge.<\/p>\n \u201cBe careful, Joe. I\u2019ve still a number of scores to settle with you, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben placed a firm hand upon his son\u2019s arm, and raised his eyebrows as though to caution Joe that enough was enough. He said no more however but turned from the sheriff and made his way to the door, followed by a seething and resentful Joseph.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish Roy were still here,\u201d Joe murmured, twitching his hat slightly lower to shade his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would no doubt have said the same thing, Joe. There\u2019s nothing the law can do except warn both parties not to act rashly.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe tightened his mouth and thought of what a waste of time it had been to go to the sheriff in the first place. Not that he could ever recognise Thompson as a sheriff, he had never had time for the man when they schooled together, less so now.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Caleb Shannon had acted on Ben Cartwright\u2019s behalf for many years and now listened with sympathy and patience to the ranchers problem while he glanced nervously over at Joe who seemed unable to sit still for five minutes altogether and was obviously straining at the leash to get the matter settled one way or the other.<\/p>\n He pulled out folders and files, rolls of parchment and long pieces of paper with red wax seals dangling on them. By the time he had pulled everything out of his cabinet and safe Ben was beginning to imitate Joe, having developed a severe case of the fidgets and needing to walk over to the window to stare out at the peaks of Sun Mountain.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you say McGarthy claimed you didn\u2019t actually possess any land?\u201d Shannon asked, and when Ben pointed to several places on the map the lawyer immersed himself among the papers once again.<\/p>\n Finally he sighed and re-emerged, looking rather like a dazed squirrel, he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben, but with regards to Papoose Peak, I\u2019ve no documentation on that whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must have.\u201d Ben exploded, \u201cFor heaven\u2019s sake, man, I made a treaty with Winnemucca himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well then, that\u2019s the problem, the legal system doesn\u2019t recognise contracts with the Paiute as far back as \u2026 what was it? \u2026 1838?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it was later than that, it was after Joseph was born, about 1843.\u201d Ben frowned, \u201cWinnemucca *gifted the land to us, he made his mark on an agreement -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBen, McGarthy could claim that anyone could have made that mark. One of your sons could have done \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned from the window with a scowl on his handsome face and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cThen that would be a lie -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m only stating the facts. Perhaps you have the document at home?\u201d Shannon looked at Ben rather pointedly but Ben shook his head, \u201cWell, it isn\u2019t here, I\u2019m sorry. Even if Winnemucca had signed, or put a mark on that paper, it wouldn\u2019t have been legally binding.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it would be legally binding.\u201d Joe snapped, \u201cEven during the Paiute war in 1860 Winnemucca never demanded that land back from us. He gave it as a free gift to Pa because of the help -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Joe, there\u2019s no need to go into all that.\u201d Ben sighed, and shrugged, \u201cLet\u2019s discuss the land at Lake Tahoe then. I know for a fact that there was correspondence about that land between the Real Estate Department here, yourself, and the Government confirming that the documents I held from Mexico officially established my ownership of that land.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, and I remember the matter, Ben, it was after the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo in 1848,* but of course, there was so much going on at the time. So many claims being put forward and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you saying? That you don\u2019t have that correspondence either?\u201d Joe snapped, \u201cExactly what kind of lawyer are you anyway? I thought our dealings were safe with you? You\u2019ve been acting for Pa and our family all these years and you don\u2019t keep our papers safe?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked at Shannon thoughtfully, then rose to his feet with a slight frown on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cShannon, my son has a point, we\u2019ve trusted you for a lot of years but it seems to me very strange that the land that McGarthy claims doesn\u2019t belong to me, also happen to be the areas where you have somehow or other mislaid the paper work. It also seems strange to me that McGarthy found out about this at a time that suits him very well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying that you don\u2019t trust me, Ben? After all these years?\u201d Caleb looked shocked, distressed, and he shook his head, \u201cI\u2019ll search more carefully, if there are papers then I\u2019ll find them.\u201d he paused, frowned, \u201cAnd if there is anyone in my employment who would have stolen them and used them for McGarthy\u2019s benefit, I\u2019ll find him as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson shared the meal with the woman and her daughter at the way station ran by the Nesbitts. He refrained from asking any questions about the Cartwrights or the Ponderosa. Mrs Wilcox and her little girl may have been bona fide passengers, but life had proven to him that it was not possible to take everyone at face value.<\/p>\n He had had a lot of time to think over the situation. He knew that the letter he was carrying to the Captain wasn\u2019t going to be well received. The letter that had required his involvement in the matter had mentioned the worrying matter of Captain Daniel O\u2019Brien\u2019s disappearance, and although a naval Officer was considered reasonably expendable the fact that an important diplomat had also disappeared with him created major concerns.<\/p>\n It puzzled him as to why the letter to the Captain had been given to Mrs O\u2019Brien, who had in the past proven herself to be totally unreliable and feckless. It was all very messy. Jamieson liked things to be more black and white than this matter, and now the wretched woman had disappeared. He had mulled that over and over in his mind \u2026 had she disappeared or had she returned to her old friends<\/p>\n Mrs Wilcox had proven to be a pleasant enough person, very inclined to chatter in between the times she was reading stories to her child or playing games with her to while away the time. The little girl had also been very happy to come and sit with him and chatter. It had all been rather a distraction from his thoughts, but it made him feel that his \u2018new personna\u2019 of an Englishman abroad was obviously one that made people feel safe with him.<\/p>\n By the time Jamieson went to his bed that night his mind was whirling. The worse thing that could happen was for the Captain to refuse orders. After all, there was no doubt about it, the letter definitely contained orders.<\/p>\n Chapter 8<\/p>\n The lamps glowed warm and bright in the big room of the Ponderosa, but the four men grouped together around the table were ignorant of their enhancement to the room. They trawled through papers, scrutinising carefully every scrap until in the end Hoss threw one piece down on the table and buried his face in his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t do no more of this here -\u201d he groaned, \u201cmy eye balls are aching like they were on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind, big brother,\u201d Joe patted him on the head and grinned, \u201cyou go make another pot of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but fact is I\u2019m so full of coffee that my stomach\u2019s afloat.\u201d Hoss sighed and put a hand to his stomach as though to emphasise the point.<\/p>\n \u201cI know how you feel,\u201d Adam said as he leaned back in the chair and stretched his arms to the ceiling.<\/p>\n \u201cMcGarthy must have paid someone to steal the papers so there ain\u2019t no point in trying to find them here.\u201d Joe muttered tapping the paper he was holding, \u201cAll I keep finding are shares you\u2019ve bought for all manner of things, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the fact is that McGarthy thinks he\u2019s got one over on us,\u201d Adam half closed his eyes and the chair tilted precariously on two legs as he leaned back further, his hands folded behind his head, \u201cI think we would do better to find the papers and documentation on every bit of land we have, then work out a plan of action.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch as? Pistols at dawn?\u201d Hoss stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, he arched his back to get the crick out of it, and yawned.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be the easy option,\u201d Joe said with a smile in his voice, \u201cIf there\u2019s a call for volunteers I\u2019ll be first in line remember?\u201d<\/p>\n They shared a smile and Ben rose to his feet, frowned and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not good that they refuse to accept a document because it was signed by Winnemucca, it was a gift from a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s an Indian, Pa, same as Chinese, they ain\u2019t got no legal rights*.\u201d Hoss reminded him quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cAll the same -\u201d Ben absent mindedly picked up his pipe, \u201cWinnemucca – well, he was known as One Moccasin* one time; he didn\u2019t trust the white settlers, not that there were many of us around at the time, not like his father, Truckee*, he was a fine man. Winnemucca though -\u201d he puffed some life back into the tobacco, some sparks glowed, \u201che wanted us out of his land. Adam\u2019s friendship with his son helped where we were concerned, and then there was some illness that killed a lot of the Paiute, Marie did a lot to help there, that\u2019s why Winnemucca gave us the land at Papoose Peak because of Marie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I remember -\u201d Adam\u2019s voice softened, he looked at his father and it struck him that one of the changes he had found hardest to accept upon returning home was the reminder that his father was getting older.<\/p>\n It had been a long and disappointing day. In silence Adam and Ben set aside some of the papers and slowly began to sift through another pile. It was not until l a.m that they were able to take some papers and together stand in front of the map that had outlined their boundaries for so many years. Adam glanced at one paper and with his finger traced another boundary, and then another \u2026 then he smiled and looked at Ben with a twinkle in his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Pa, there is a solution to this matter, if we keep strictly to the letter of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we may not be able to prove we own the land around Lake Tahoe, or the land around Papoose Peak. But we own everything else and have the papers to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded, his eyes, weary though they were, seemed to catch a fire in them, as though Adam\u2019s idea, though unspoken, had transmitted itself into his own mind, he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t cross our land\u201d he smiled, \u201c \u2026 unless he has learned to fly.!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Maria O\u2019Brien opened her eyes and looked around her at the room which had been her prison for the past few days. Her eyes were heavy from lack of sleep and weeping. Sometimes she would slip into a sleep out of sheer exhaustion and then wake up with a start, wonder where she was, and then remember. Just like now. As usual on these occasions her heart began to thud within her breast and it was all she could do to breathe properly. She was about to rise up from the bed when a gentle hand touched her arm,<\/p>\n \u201cMaria?\u201d<\/p>\n Her name was whispered so softly that she wondered at first if she had misheard it or perhaps mistaken some other sound for a voice, but then she saw the shape of a woman seated in a chair close to her bed. A lamp shone behind her, so that she was partially in shadow, but Maria could see her lean forward towards her,<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d Not a very original question but in the circumstances it seemed the best thing to say, she rubbed at her eyes, and waited for an answer.<\/p>\n \u201cMy names Sylvia, I\u2019m a nurse from the local hospital. They asked me to come in and see if you were alright as they were concerned for you, and the baby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConcerned about me?\u201d Maria\u2019s voice contained a note of surprise, then she smiled and shook her head, \u201cThis is a trick, isn\u2019t it? You\u2019re not a nurse at all, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman said nothing but stood up and approached the bed, she had turned up the flame in the lamp and now Maria could see that the woman was young, and dressed in a Nun\u2019s habit. The click of rosary beads sounded quite loud in the otherwise silent room,<\/p>\n \u201cMy dear, I don\u2019t know who these people are, all I know is that they sent for a nurse to come and sit with you, to make sure you were alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just want to go home to my family. That\u2019s the only reason I came here from Paris, was to be with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut – what about your husband? He\u2019s there to take care of you, surely? After all, you should be his first concern, you and your baby.\u201d she sat down, and placed folded hands beneath the folds of her scapular, she smiled gently, and leaned towards the other woman, the veil she wore falling slightly across her face.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel\u2019s away, he\u2019s in the navy, he has to obey orders.\u201d she sighed and leaned back, closed her eyes, \u201cI\u2019m so tired. I don\u2019t know why they won\u2019t let me go home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose because they\u2019re concerned for you.\u201d Sister Sylvia replied, and put a hand on Maria\u2019s head and stroked back the wild tousled hair, \u201cHave you been eating anything? You need to, for the baby\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but I\u2019m frightened of these people. Can\u2019t I come home with you?\u201d she opened her eyes wide, stared at the other woman with a stricken fearful look in her eyes and the other woman frowned, and looked confused,<\/p>\n \u201cBut these people are your friends, aren\u2019t they? They certainly seem very anxious for your well being.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, don\u2019t be fooled by them, they just keep asking me questions that I can\u2019t answer, I don\u2019t know anything about a letter \u2026\u201d she paused, and lowered her eyes, \u201cI can\u2019t remember, there was a letter, wasn\u2019t there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, my dear.\u201d the Nun smiled patiently.<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel gave me a letter in a blank envelope and told me to take it to his friend. It was just before he went to sea.\u201d her voice drifted drowsily as though she were about to go to sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cDid he say the letter was important, Maria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he said I had to get it to his friend on the Ponderosa. Captain Cartwright.\u201d Maria sighed, \u201cCaptain Cartwright. It was in a blank envelope. I got frightened when I saw the man coming -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA tall thin man, he reminded me of someone but – I can\u2019t remember – so I gave the – no, that\u2019s not right, I put the letter in a man\u2019s pocket. It doesn\u2019t really matter. I just wanted to be safe at home with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaria, don\u2019t go to sleep now \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I\u2019m very tired.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I know, dear, but tell me – where has your husband gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe never said. On a boat. He\u2019s a sailor – a seaman -\u201d Maria shook her head, \u201cI hate the sea.\u201d she whispered and her body relaxed gently into sleep.<\/p>\n Sylvia rose to her feet and went to the door which opened to her light tap upon it. She shook her head at the man she confronted and began to remove her veil, an abundance of golden blonde hair tumbled free around her shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe doesn\u2019t know anything,\u201d she replied quietly, \u201cIt isn\u2019t fair what you\u2019re doing to her, you should let her go to her family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe may know more than she admits to -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh for goodness sake -\u201d Sylvia snapped in a far angrier voice that she had used in the other room, \u201cshe\u2019s going to be very ill if you don\u2019t let her go to her family, she could lose the baby, even die. Have some feelings, for pities sake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think that Nun\u2019s habit has got to you,\u201d he laughed, \u201csuddenly so sweet and kind -\u201d he grabbed at her wrist and swung her towards him, \u201cCome with me, we\u2019ll talk about it elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson woke up as the sun rose and sent shafts of sunlight drifting into the room. He could smell food cooking. For a few seconds he lay very still listening to the sounds around him, then he groped under the pillows for the envelope and relaxed as his fingers found it. He put it safely into his jacket pocket and then rubbed at his face to restore some life into the stiff muscles. In a few hours time he would be delivering the letter \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 9<\/p>\n Maria O\u2019Brien opened her eyes and closed them again quickly. Her first thought was that perhaps she was going mad. She gripped the edges of the bed with both hands as though afraid that if she moved at all, even twitched her feet, then she would roll right off all together. Had everything been just a dream, a nightmare? Perhaps she was still on the boat steaming its way to San Francisco.<\/p>\n She forced open her eyes and glanced around the room. It was pristine white, clean, sparsely furnished. It was different, so very different from the other room where sleep had seemed impossible and where she had felt so much fear, especially when the door opened and the man would come in to ask all those questions.<\/p>\n She could see a door now and waited with her heart thudding . There were voices from outside, firm footsteps, brisk and efficient, walking past her door and receding into silence. She turned her head to see a small bedside cabinet with a carafe of water and a glass upon it. There was a crucifix upon the wall and a small prayer book beside the glass.<\/p>\n She wanted to call out but fear of the man coming into the room prevented her. She felt the sweat beading her face, and her hands were trembling, and when the door did open she gave a scream before she fainted.<\/p>\n Then someone was rubbing her hands and a cool cloth was wiped around her face, a glass of water put to her lips. She opened anguished eyes to look up into the face of an elderly woman, her coif and veil identifying her as a Nun, and Maria recalled the other woman, the young girl, who had come and sat beside her earlier. Perhaps now it was alright to sleep, so she closed her eyes again and clasped the older womans hands tightly within her own. For some reason, for the first time in days, she felt safe.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Peaches sauntered around the saloon slowly, it was practically empty as was common at such an early hour of the day. The Palace always opened early in order to catch the early traders and passengers who came in on the Placerville stage, or from the Virginia and Truckee railroad that ran short trips from Gold Hill. Business wasn\u2019t particularly lucrative but it gave them the edge on some of the other saloons in town. There were too many of them, and it was becoming over competitive.<\/p>\n McGarthy pushed the doors open and glanced around the shadowy room before his eyes settled upon the darkly clad man seated at a table in the corner. He beckoned over to the bar keep for a drink. Charlie knew from experience that McGarthy would be expecting a strong black coffee and set about preparing him one which he handed to Peaches to take to their morning customer.<\/p>\n As usual she approached the desk and set everything down in place by the big man\u2019s elbow, and as usual she received a smile, a wink and a pinch on the cheek. She longed to tell him that she was too old for that kind of thing by now, but said nothing. She knew it paid to keep quiet about most things in front of Mr McGarthy. She glanced over at the other man who was hugging a glass of whiskey against his chest and her lip curled in contempt. Whiskey this early in the morning meant problems for someone. She twitched a shoulder, what did she care, she knew who he was anyway, one of those big shot lawyers up on Main Street. She returned to her position near the counter and turned to talk to Charlie while her eyes watched the two men in the large mirror. With all her years of experience in handling people she could tell when there was a deal being discussed and she could almost smell when it was a dirty one.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what did he say?\u201d McGarthy asked as he poured coffee from the pot into his cup, he glanced up at the other man, \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he shouted some, you know how Ben Cartwright can shout \u2026\u201d Shannon scowled, \u201cI had to pretend that some clerk of mine must have stolen the papers. He knows that the papers were stolen, Liam, he remembers handing them over to me. He won\u2018t let go of that land as easily as you think \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you assume I ever thought that he would? Do you think that I ever thought Ben Cartwright a feeble old man who would just roll over and hand me that land on a plate? You\u2019re an idiot if you thought that. No, I\u2019m expecting him to put up a fight. I know him almost as well as he knows himself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to get involved in this, Liam. Ben and I have been close friends for years and I don\u2019t want him to find out that I\u2019ve betrayed his trust.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook,\u201d McGarthy peered closely into the other man\u2019s face, \u201cthere\u2019s no point in you turning into some kind of bleeding heart now, Shannon. You had your chance to say no, but you preferred to take the money and hand over what I wanted. Now quit your gabbling on because I ain\u2019t interested.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted you to know, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n McGarthy scowled more deeply, he gulped down the coffee and poured himself some more while Shannon sipped at his whiskey. McGarthy shook his head and the contempt for the other man was so obvious on his face that the lawyer swallowed down the whiskey faster than usual, choked, coughed and rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t ask me to do anything else for you, McGarthy, because I won\u2019t\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can ask all you want, Shannon, but it\u2019s too late, you\u2019re in it too deep now to get out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd don\u2019t even think to threaten me,\u201d McGarthy reached out a hand and gripped hold of the lapels of Shannon\u2019s jacket, spittle sprayed from his mouth stinging the other man\u2019s eyes, \u201cDon\u2019t dream of it or anything else either, unless you want some thing unpleasant to happen. Just remember, Shannon, you have a daughter to look after, and you won\u2019t be able to do any looking after if you happen to be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n The colour drained from Shannon\u2019s face, he passed a hand across his eyes, and with a last backward look at the other man he hurried away from the table as though he had been scalded. McGarthy said and did nothing except drink more coffee. After a few more moments he looked around him. No one seemed to have noticed him, and if they had no one was inclined to mention it. He snapped his fingers and pointed to Peaches,<\/p>\n \u201cCome here a moment -\u201d he said, and without comment she turned and walked towards him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Sister Theresa de la Croix closed the door quietly behind her and turned to face the young woman who had been waiting for her in the corridor. The convent served also as a hospital for the poor, and it was the vocation of the Nuns there to serve and care for those who were unable to afford doctor\u2019s and hospitals in the city. Sylvia rose up from the hard bench seat and approached the elderly nun with a look of concern, and, to her credit, the concern was genuine.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid she is very unwell. It\u2019s a great pity that she couldn\u2019t have been brought here much sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe isn\u2019t going to die, is she?\u201d<\/p>\n The Nun looked sympathetic and placed her hand upon Sylvia\u2019s arm, thinking as she did so how good it was for a young woman to show so much kindness to a complete stranger in bringing her to them for care in her hour of need.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she has lost the baby she was carrying. Are you sure you don\u2019t know her name, or who she is? She is wearing a wedding ring, and her clothes aren\u2019t the kind worn by the usual sort that come here. I would say that she was not at all poor.\u201d she sighed and glanced at the door, as though her words could have been heard by the sad soul who slept on the bed within the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know anything about her,\u201d Sylvia lied, \u201cI told you, I found her wandering in the street -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps a traffic accident?\u201d the Nun ventured to suggest and Sylvia nodded as though the idea had never occurred to her before,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible, of course -\u201d she murmured, and sighed in the most sincere manner possible.<\/p>\n They turned together to walk along the corridor towards the high door which led to the main thoroughfare of the city, and here they parted with Sylvia promising to return as soon as she had found out any news about \u2018the strange young woman she had found.<\/p>\n In her room Maria stretched out a hand for the glass of water near by, her fingers touched the carafe, and it toppled slowly to one side until it finally smashed upon the floor. The sound reverberated through the room like a gun shot going off and for some unknown reason she began to scream, and scream \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHow is she?\u201d<\/p>\n The voice asking the question was cold, heartless. Sylvia turned towards him, her own eyes filled with tears and she shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not fair,\u201d she whispered, \u201cYou\u2019re cruel and unfeeling, and I\u2019ll never forgive you for what you\u2019ve done to that poor woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not asking you for your forgiveness, I\u2019m asking you how she was?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe lost the baby, she\u2019s ill, very ill. Jeffrey, I -\u201d she gasped as his hand swung across her cheek a stinging blow and as she raised a hand to prevent him striking her again she saw his eyes blazing down at her,<\/p>\n \u201cI told you not to call me by that name, do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re mad,\u201d she whispered even as her voice choked with tears, \u201cI should never have got involved with you and your stupid ideas. Let me go, I don\u2019t ever want to see you again.\u201d and she turned towards the door of the carriage in which they were both seated at this time, and fumbled for the handle.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Jeffery Jamieson stepped down from the stage coach and adjusted his jacket which had become decidedly crumpled during the ride. The Overland stage* was certainly not designed for comfort over long journeys, and he brushed dust from his sleeves, while all the time his eyes glanced up and down the street, up and over all the buildings as well as the people passing by. He had arrived at last and he was thinking of what to do next when he heard a familiar laugh accompanied by a warm guffaw. He turned to see two men, two very familiar young men, striding from the General Stores. He smiled, to be sure, the sun really did shine upon the righteous.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me,\u201d he called out in his newly acquired very English voice, \u201cExcuse me, are you gentlemen by any chance connected to the Cartwrights?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Joe stopped in their tracks and turned to survey the dapper little man standing beside a neat leather suitcase on the sidewalk. They looked at one another and then back at him,<\/p>\n \u201cWal,\u201d the biggest of the two drawled, \u201cthat depends on whose looking for \u2018em and why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d the other man nodded, placing his hands on his hips and eyeing Jeffrey up and down challengingly, \u201cJust exactly who is it that wants to know?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 10<\/p>\n \u201cIs the Captain available?\u201d<\/p>\n The Captain! Those two words sent a shiver of apprehension down each Cartwright\u2019s spine and Ben swallowed hard before he could reply to the man whose hand he had just shaken in welcome,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Adam\u2019s not here just now, but he shouldn\u2019t be long.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey nodded and smiled at the three of them before accepting Ben\u2019s invitation to take a seat. He put the valise he was carrying down on the bureau and after a quick glance at the clock to check the time, he sat down.<\/p>\n \u201cI must say, Jeffrey, I hardly recognised you.\u201d Ben smiled as he took his seat in the red leather chair opposite their guest.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t recognise him at all, you should have heard him talk, Pa, sounded a reg\u2019lar English toff.\u201d Hoss grinned and perched himself on the arm of the settee while Joe sat down and looked at Jeffrey rather thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cSo why are you here this time, Mr Jamieson? I always get the feeling that it\u2019s bad news when ever I see you.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was cold, not exactly hostile, but definitely cold. His eyes also were sparking off green warnings within the honey hazel and his lips were a straight line of discontent.<\/p>\n \u201cI – er – I can\u2019t say, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not,\u201d Joe said between clenched teeth, \u201cYou have to check in with The Captain first, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Joseph.\u201d Ben\u2019s voice cut across the younger mans tirade, so that Joe was left biting down on his tongue and scowling at Jeffrey from under his eyebrows. Perched on the arm of the settee next to where Joe was seated, Hoss placed an affectionate consoling hand upon his brother\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t discuss anything until I see the Captain. If you would rather I returned at a more convenient time -\u201d he paused as Ben raised a hand to stop him talking,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re more than welcome, Jeffrey. You\u2019ll have to forgive our apprehension as to what your visit relates to, but we – well, we\u2019re pleased to see you, and looking so well too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy latest disguise\u201d Jeffrey smiled, \u201cMy mother was English so it wasn\u2019t too difficult to recapture the accent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you need a disguise?\u201d Joe asked bluntly.<\/p>\n \u201cA precaution\u201d Jamieson said quickly, \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to explain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re under no obligation to do so, Jeffrey, I\u2019m sorry, we\u2019re just inquisitive by nature.\u201d Ben forced a smile and then glanced over to Hop Sing who was bringing in coffee on a tray, \u201cThanks, Hop Sing. You remember Mr Jamieson, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing nodded, bowed his head and placed the tray down. He gave Jamieson a stern look of approbation which did nothing to lessen the man\u2019s fears and suspicions that perhaps he would have been safer if he had stayed in town.<\/p>\n Adam rode Sport slowly at a walking pace into the yard, glanced with slight curiosity at the buggy and horse nodding over the hitching rail. He recognised it as the one Higgins hired out and the horse was an old acquaintance. He dismounted and twisted the reins over the rail, stroked the visiting horses neck and walked thoughtfully back into the house.<\/p>\n He would have had to have been blind, deaf and stupid not to have recognised that something was going on, the atmosphere was so thick that it was like walking into a fog.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong?\u201d he murmured as he removed his hat and rather anxiously looked at each member of his family before he saw Jamieson who had now risen to his feet, \u201cWho are you? I\u2019m sorry, but -\u201d he paused and then his dark eyes opened wide in surprise, \u201cJeffrey Jamieson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, one and the same, sir.\u201d Jamieson nodded and fumbled about awkwardly with his hands as he wasn\u2019t sure whether or not he should salute.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, this is a surprise,\u201d Adam smiled, extended his hand and shook Jamieson\u2019s warmly, he looked at his father, \u201cIsn\u2019t it, Pa?\u201d then he smiled blithely at Jamieson again, \u201cYou\u2018re looking rather smarter than I can remember. Have you married, settled down, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Was he feigning ignorance? Was he denying the obvious? Was he deliberately pushing aside the inevitable until it could no longer be avoided? Jamieson licked his lips and watched as Adam unbuckled his gun belt and carefully folded it, set it down upon the bureau and then turned to face his family.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one\u2019s died, have they?\u201d he asked with his eyebrows raised and his eyes flicking from one face to another, \u201cJamieson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – er – I -\u201d the hapless man glanced over his shoulder at Ben, who was looking thoughtfully at his son, Joe and Hoss had remained so still that one could have suspected that they had suspended breathing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever it is, I\u2019m sure it can wait until after supper.\u201d Adam said briskly, and rubbed his hands, slapped Jamieson on the shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, and smiled at Joe and Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cSupper\u2019s a long way off yet, brother.\u201d Hoss said glumly, \u201cWhere\u2019ve you bin anyhow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, just attending to some business.\u201d Adam shrugged, then he stood very still, looked at Jamieson \u201cWell, you had better tell me what you\u2019re really here for, Jamieson, before my family keel over from the suspense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not private from my family. Just spit it out, man, and stop dithering.\u201d the dark brows furrowed across the tanned brow, and the near black eyes smouldered.<\/p>\n With some deliberation he walked to the old blue chair and sat down, straightened out his legs and leaned back, surveyed Jamieson and once again raised his eyebrows in that somewhat mocking but quizzical way that demanded a response. Jamieson pulled an envelope from his pocket and looked down at it, before he handed it to Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s this from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s – it\u2019s from Captain O\u2019Brien. He gave it to his wife just before he set sail a few months ago. She brought it as far as San Francisco but has since disappeared, I don\u2019t know what has happened to her except that she was met at the customs department by a tall man who claimed to be a friend of hers. She slipped the envelope into the pocket of a fellow passenger -\u201d he licked his lips, his eyes darted from one to the other of them, \u201cI don\u2019t know what Captain O\u2019Brien has to say in the letter to you, sir, but I was actually sent to give you this -\u201d and he produced from the valise a large package which he passed over to the other man.<\/p>\n He turned it over and over in his hands, the colour faded from his face, his heart raced and then the colour rushed back. He couldn\u2019t raise his head to meet the eyes of his brothers and father whom he knew would be watching everything he did, waiting for anything he was to say. He cleared his throat and then raised his eyes to look at Jamieson,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know what this is about?\u201d he held up the package, and Jamieson nodded, \u201cWell, then, perhaps I could just leave it until later.\u201d he noticed Jamieson stiffen, \u201cWell, perhaps not.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at the blank envelope that contained the letter from O\u2019Brien, a letter that was rather thick and with a red seal, then he looked at the package which had the seal of the Secretary of State embossed upon it. He licked his lips and flicked a quick glance over at his father, who looked as though the sword of Damocles was about to descend at any moment.<\/p>\n The thick paper upon which the Secretary of State had written crackled in his hands as he unfolded it, and he smoothed it out carefully before glancing up at Jamieson who seemed the only calm person there. There was a quietude in the room that was so loud that Adam could hear his heart thudding. Not now, he thought to himself, not now.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Adam, what does it say? Or can we guess?\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was brittle, emotionally charged, if Adam thought his heart was thudding loud enough for the world to hear then he only had to look at his little brother to see how rapidly his was beating, he could barely get the words through his lips.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s from the Secretary of State. It\u2019s to inform me that I have been promoted to rank of Commodore -\u201d<\/p>\n There was a moment of silence. The rank of Commodore had been established in the American navy only from 1862, so was a fairly unknown ranking to laymen such as themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good, ain\u2019t it?\u201d Hoss observed in the silence that followed.<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations, son.\u201d Ben smiled, his eyes were rather moist, the implication of the promotion may or may not have sunk in, but his pride in his son was more than obvious as he stepped forward to give his son a warm shake of the hand, both hands outstretched to seize that of his boy.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, congratulations, Adam.\u201d Joe managed to say although his voice was thin and there was a slight break in the words.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that all it says? Seems like a mighty lot of writing jest to tell ya thet.\u201d Hoss drawled.<\/p>\n Adam licked his lips with the tip of his tongue, raised his eyes to meet his fathers,<\/p>\n \u201cI have to report to my ship as soon as possible.\u201d he said in a lower tone of voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I suppose that has to be expected,\u201d Ben replied after a moments hiatus, and he took Adam\u2019s free hand in both of his own and gripped it hard, very hard, while he clamped his mouth down tight shut and just nodded, his eyes bright with tears, perhaps; pride, most definitely.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is your ship?\u201d Joe asked quietly, having cleared his throat and trying to keep his voice flat and conversational.<\/p>\n \u201cIn harbour at \u2018Frisco.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cD\u2019ya know where you\u2019ll be going from there?\u201d Hoss wanted to know as he looked at his brother and knew deep in his heart that these minutes were the longest and hardest Adam had borne in a long time, and he saw the way Adam raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, then to rub his temple as though he had to force himself to get through the coming moments.<\/p>\n \u201cTokyo\u201d came the reply eventually, \u201cIn Japan.\u201d he swallowed hard, \u201cI have to see the Admiral there \u2026\u201d he looked at Jamieson then, \u201cAre you part of the ship\u2019s company?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. Commodore.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, he shook his head as though to clear his thoughts from emotion and then folded the letter away, then he picked up the other one, the one that Maria had brought from France, from Daniel.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Daniel\u2019s a Captain now?\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben stepped back, forced a smile to his lips<\/p>\n \u201cWell, this calls for a celebration, doesn\u2019t it? We should have a drink -\u201d and he walked to the cabinet and brought out his best whiskey, \u201cShall we?\u201d he looked at Adam, quirked a dark eyebrow. and if his smile was a little forced, Adam was probably the only one to notice.<\/p>\n Later Adam was able to go to his room, where he opened the letter from Daniel O\u2019Brien, and very carefully smoothed it out upon the desk top before commencing to read:<\/p>\n \u201cMy friend, Adam,<\/p>\n I am enclosing here in this letter my recent orders. I know this is a breach of privacy but I have no choice but send them to someone whom I can trust. I am sorry, Adam, but I think that of all men, you are the only one I can really trust. May be it is because of the dangers we shared in Alaska, and of all the time we have known one another.<\/p>\n You will see that I have been promoted to Captain. I jumped rank, Adam, how about that? I would have been quite happy being a mere Lt. Commander. However, such is as it is, and I am sending this letter to you via my wife, Maria. I would ask you to take care of her, or rather, that your family would do so, and keep her safe.<\/p>\n You see, I have recently seen Jeffrey Metcalfe. Like a shadow he has drifted through my life these past few weeks and seems to be everywhere. I have made enquiries about him, but to no avail. It is as though the man had fallen from the face of the earth and yet, I swear, I have seen him here in Paris, and in Vienna.<\/p>\n Tomorrow I board my ship, the Baltimore. I shall not go into further details but you will see from my orders where I am going. If I do not contact Maria in a months time she is to come to you with this letter. Jeffrey Jamieson may know something about what is going on, I have seen him recently too, but he seems reticent to talk.<\/p>\n This letter is confused and muddled, much as I feel I suppose. I have to trust you, Adam, but at the same time I am afraid that there is great danger ahead for us, because I can not imagine that Metcalfe\u2019s appearance means anything other than vengeance on his part against us, and any who may have baulked his plans in the past.<\/p>\n Sincere best wishes \u2026 Daniel O\u2019Brien\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked at the date and then re-read it through slowly before he took out the orders belonging to his friend. He read that Captain O\u2019Brien was to escort \u2018A Person of National Importance\u2019 on an Ambassadorial commission to Tokyo, forthwith.<\/p>\n He folded it over carefully, struck a match and set it aflame. He watched it burn and as it did so he heard his father\u2019s foot steps mounting the stairs and approaching his room.<\/p>\n Chapter 11<\/p>\n \u201cNot planning on burning the house down, son?\u201d Ben smiled as he spoke and watched the last of the paper fall into a blackened smouldering pile of ash before he walked to the window.<\/p>\n For a moment there was silence. Neither man could find the right words to say at the time, and both knew that whatever they said would, could, never really reflect exactly how they felt. Ben remained at the window staring out at the view beyond while Adam bit his bottom lip and writhed inwardly in his struggle to find his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cI – I needn\u2019t go, you know?\u201d he blurted out suddenly, breaking the silence and looking anxiously at his father who turned towards him, a slight frown drawing his black eyebrows beetling across his brow. \u201cI don\u2019t want to be a Commodore, I – I just want – I just want to do what\u2019s right and this just isn\u2019t the right time to go now. I could resign and just leave them be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you could.\u201d Ben nodded, and then turned back to look out of the window, while he thought over what Adam had said. He wanted to say the right things in order to pacify his son\u2019s feelings, but at the same time he wanted to hear the right words for his own emotions to be soothed and comforted.<\/p>\n \u201cWith this McGarthy situation brewing, Pa, I can\u2019t leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben drew in a long long breath, and shook his head before he turned to his son and looked into Adam\u2019s eyes. He smiled slowly, and once again shook his head. Why, it was just like all those years before when he had looked at his son and heard him saying<\/p>\n \u201cWith Ma gone, and everything, Pa, I can\u2019t leave.\u201d<\/p>\n Where had the years gone? Yet here was that same son, with those same anxious worried brown eyes looking up at his father and needing the same reassurances just as back then.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can handle the McGarthy problem, Adam, that\u2019s our concern.\u201d he said slowly, \u201cAs for your not going and refusing this commission, well, you know that you will, you have to, that\u2019s how you were raised, to be honourable and dutiful. Your President requests you to do this, for whatever reasons he may have, and he has to come above the requests of your father, of your family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI -\u201d Adam opened his mouth in protest, then clammed it shut, after all he wasn\u2019t a wet eared youth anymore, he was a man in his 40\u2019s and knew very well where his duties lay. He shook his head, then lowered it towards a hand that rubbed his brow nervously, \u201cPa, it\u2019s just come at the wrong time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever time would have been the wrong time, son.\u201d Ben sat down opposite Adam and stretched out his legs, reached out a hand which he placed gently upon his sons, \u201cAdam, we\u2019ve got a little greedy and too complacent, we\u2019ve had you here for – what? – a year now. We should have realised that it couldn\u2019t have gone on indefinitely. Not many Officers have that length of time from their assignments.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should have retired but when Grant said that he would be calling on my services in the future I felt that I had no choice but to remain on the lists.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded, remembering the President, the situation at the time and what had been said. Inwardly he cursed the man, while respecting the office,<\/p>\n \u201cI can understand that,\u201d he glanced around the room, sniffed and raised his eyebrows, \u201cSo? What were you burning?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome documents Daniel sent me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he – alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure, I have to talk to Jamieson about it.\u201d Adam drawled the words out slowly, and fingered the ash so that it disintegrated beneath his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course -\u201d Ben nodded, bit his lip and rose to his feet, \u201cWhen do you expect to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoon.\u201d involuntarily Adam clasped his hands together between his legs and glanced up at Ben who again nodded as though he really didn\u2019t need to be told the time, the hour or the day.<\/p>\n \u201cTokyo\u2019s a long way away,\u201d he said quietly as he turned towards the door.<\/p>\n With his elbow now on the desk Adam raised his hand to rub against his brow, he sighed, and then brought his hand down over his face before once again clasping his hands together.<\/p>\n The door closed quietly and he listened to his father\u2019s footsteps as they departed from the room, along the landing and down the stairs.<\/p>\n Chapter 12<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure? Really sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson opened his mouth as though in surprise that the other man could doubt his word, then he looked haplessly at the letter in Adam\u2019s hand and pointed to it,<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien seemed sure, sir\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced down at the letter, bit down on his bottom lip and scowled, before looking from under his eyebrows at Jamieson<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Jeffrey, you had just better go through the whole thing from the beginning.\u201d he looked again at the letter and then turned his back on the man as though staring out of the window would help him to concentrate, \u201cFor a start, how did you know he had left Russia?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson, who had opened his mouth to \u2018start from the beginning\u2019 now closed his mouth in order to think of an answer to the second question, he cleared his throat<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Captain – then Lieutenant O\u2019Brien – reported seeing him in Vienna the security forces checked things out. Our contacts in Russia confirmed that Metcalfe had left the country about three weeks earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd went straight to Vienna?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, he didn\u2019t. He came to San Francisco to check on his contacts there, found out what had happened to Pelman and realised that everything had more or less disintegrated as a result. That little band of rebels has been completely crushed, there\u2019s nothing and no-one eager to start another civil war for the Confederacy now.\u201d he allowed a slight smirk to drift across his face and then realised that Adam had turned around to face him, his hands behind his back and a thoughtful expression on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cSo he went to Vienna and saw O\u2019Brien there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he saw Lieutenant O\u2019Brien there, of course, but it was purely co-incidental. Metcalfe is a very wealthy man in his own right, and most of his money is in foreign banks. That\u2019s how he managed to salvage his assets, by depositing them there during the War. While other men lost everything, his money was piling up the interest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what does this wealthy man do now? He sees O\u2019Brien in Vienna and then -\u201d he grimaced and shrugged, \u201cgoes to Paris and sees O\u2019Brien there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Jamieson nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cCo-incidence?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe first sighting was, at least one assumes it to have been, but not the others. Somehow and for some reason he has made it his business to know Mr O\u2019Brien\u2019s whereabouts and to know that Mr O\u2019Brien had written to you. For some reason -\u201d he stressed the repetition of the phrase he had already used \u201cit seemed important to him to know what that letter contained. That indicates that his interest may be in yourself, and if it is then it is thought that his business now is solely occupied in getting revenge on yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy taking Mrs O\u2019Brien where?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know, yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo \u2019we\u2019 know if Metcalfe has taken on a different name, another personna?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cMetcalfe may be known one day as someone and the next as someone else. At the present time he is called Ralph Forster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you have no idea where Mrs O\u2019Brien is? Do you think she is still alive?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson shook his head, \u201cWe don\u2019t know, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are \u2019we\u2019 doing about finding her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything we possibly can.\u201d<\/p>\n The reply was calmly given, and as a result Adam paused in his pacing up and down the room, and now looked at Jamieson thoughtfully, before perching himself on the arm of the settee to think over what he had been told,<\/p>\n \u201cWould Metcalfe know about O\u2019Brien\u2019s trip to Tokyo with this important other person?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should think he would find out easily enough, he was still in France when Mr O\u2019Brien embarked on to the Baltimore which was waiting for him in Marseilles.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded then, and looked down at the letter in his hand, he frowned again<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien couldn\u2019t have imagined his wife to be in any danger, otherwise he would have sent her immediately to her own family instead of sending her here with that letter.\u201d he pursed his lips and half closed his eyes as he considered what he had been told, and then he re-read the letter once more, \u201cJamieson, what do you know about my orders? And about where O\u2019Brien is now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the whole point, sir, no one knows where Mr O\u2019Brien is now. I can\u2019t tell you what your orders are, sir, that\u2019s for the Admiral to tell you when you get to Tokyo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it possible that Metcalfe may be involved in another political affair to ruin Grant\u2019s government? He was in Russia long enough to have formed alliances, wasn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and it is possible that he has done so. I can\u2019t confirm it, sir. I\u2019ve not been told anything of that nature.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pulled a wry face, typical of Jamieson to become inscrutable when it suited him. He stood up and folded the letter neatly back into its envelope, at the same time the clock struck the hour.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n As he undressed for bed Adam thought back over the preceding hours. The evening meal had been eaten in comparative silence, as everyone seemed occupied with their own thoughts and anxieties over Jamieson\u2019s appearance and Adams impending departure. Any attempt to make it a more light hearted affair failed, Joe was depressed, Hoss confused. It went without saying that both Adam and Ben were not happy at the turn of events. Afterwards the conversation had been solely about things that wouldn\u2019t touch on the matter they all really wanted to talk about, as a result the mood had been sombre and formal.<\/p>\n He lowered the flame in the lamp and folded his arms under his head, stared up at the ceiling and tried to think about the future, and about Metcalfe. He was still puzzling over the man when he fell asleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, wake up, wake up.\u201d<\/p>\n He forced himself out of his dream by an extreme effort and struggled to open eyelids that seemed determined to remain glued together. Finally he opened his eyes to see Joe looking down at him. He narrowed his eyes and wrinkled his nose<\/p>\n \u201cJos? Wassamatter?\u201d his tongue seemed to be still asleep and he raised himself on his elbow to peer more closely at his youngest brother, \u201cAre you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were yelling in your sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYelling? I don\u2019t yell \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you were. I heard ya.\u201d<\/p>\n He yawned and rubbed his face, blinked again and looked at Joe thoughtfully. In the glow of the lamp which he had forgotten to extinguish, Joe looked just a slightly older version of the little boy who would demand to crawl into bed with him on cold winter nights.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat was I yelling?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething about Rostov and -\u201d he stopped as Adam raised a hand and nodded, \u201cDoes that make any sense to you then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRostov – yes – yes, that\u2019s right, I was dreaming of Rostov and Lawson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho were they?\u201d Joe perched himself on the side of the bed and looked intently at his brother who was now staring thoughtfully into space.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo of my men. They died in Alaska. They – I -\u201d he bit his lips, and his face contorted slightly.<\/p>\n He had been dreaming. He could remember it now. He had been looking down at their faces, Rostov and Lawson\u2019s. Frozen and stiff with the snow falling down upon them, upon their wide open eyes that stared unseeingly up at the stars of the night sky. He had left them there, unburied, and in his dream he was trying to waken them up just as Joe had woken him. He shivered, and then looked again at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, anyway -\u201d he sighed and put his hand gently on Joe\u2019s arm, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? About leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course about leaving.\u201d he frowned, had things got so that Joe didn\u2019t care anymore about whether or not he stayed or left?<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I\u2019m getting used to it. I don\u2019t like it though, Adam. Not now, we need you here. But you know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d Joe\u2019s hazel eyes blinked, and his Adam\u2019s apple jerked convulsively in his throat, and his brother could see how his heart was beating by the flutter of his nightshirt.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about timing, isn\u2019t it? Guess it\u2019s something I never did get right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I wish you weren\u2019t going. But I know you have to go because – because you have to obey orders after all. I understand that, but it doesn\u2019t make your leaving any easier for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make it any easier for me either.\u201d Adam replied in a low voice, \u201cOdd, isn\u2019t it? Times I longed to get away from here, explore the wide open world out there, expand my knowledge -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI felt the same too, for a little while. I could never leave home again though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should get married, Joe, raise a family here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess I\u2019ll get round to it sometime.\u201d Joe smiled, a whimsical grin, \u201cIt\u2019s a pity that you – I mean – with Barbara.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt would have meant leaving someone else behind, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Adam raised an eyebrow, he felt the warmth of Joe\u2019s arm through the cloth of the nightshirt, \u201cYou\u2019ll take care of Pa and Hoss, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure I will, as best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t trust that Shannon, Joe. Keep an eye on him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI always disliked him too,\u201d Joe nodded, they shared a smile thinking of Ben\u2019s loyalty to his \u2019friends\u2019 and how he would feel if he knew that two of his sons felt this way about one of them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoon.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cFrom what Jamieson said, I should have left days ago.\u201d he sighed, \u201cProbably go on the afternoon stage tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow? That IS soon.\u201d Joe scowled, he drew in his breath and slowly exhaled, \u201cWell, alright, if it has to be -\u201d he placed his other hand over Adam\u2019s and lowered his head.<\/p>\n There was no need to say anything else, what they felt, what they wanted to say, was written down on their faces. In the morning he took Sport out early. He wanted to go and see the places he loved, all those places from which he had once wanted to never see again but which had been like a hook in his heart and drew him irreversibly back. As he looked over Lake Tahoe he felt the pain a creative man feels when looking down at a piece of artistry beyond any human beings ability to invent. The sky was losing the pink and orange glow of early dawn, the clouds were reflected as a perfect mirror image in the Lake. Pieces of poetry trickled like snatched songs in and out of his mind but none of them remained fixed in place for him to quote and meditate upon. Meditation was solely taken up by drinking in the beauty before him.<\/p>\n It was a piece of heaven on earth and he sighed deeply remembering a morning when his father had said just that very thing.<\/p>\n He pulled at the reins and turned Sports head towards home.<\/p>\n Chapter 13<\/p>\n The black horse stood quite still as its rider dismounted and waited for the horseman to draw closer. He knew that his brother would come in this direction and had waited patiently until the rider on the chestnut appeared and now that he could see Adam so clearly he wondered what he was going to say. He twisted the reins in and out of his fingers while his eyes never left the sight of his brother and his horse coming closer and closer.<\/p>\n \u201cWaiting for me, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n The deep voice held a smile in it, and Hoss glanced up, thumbed his hat to the back of his head and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, figured on you comin along this way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you riding home with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, thought p\u2019raps we could spend some time together down by the river.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t speak but dismounted slowly, and together the two men walked through the tall grasses down to the river with their horses following along behind them. Finally Hoss stopped, glanced around him and then smiled at his brother,<\/p>\n \u201cKnow why this is such a special place for me, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like coming here,\u201d Hoss drew in a deep breath, inhaling the air which smelt sweet and clean, of wild flowers and hot sun on pine needles that wafted across the river on the breeze.<\/p>\n \u201cI figured you did,\u201d Adam nodded and released Sport\u2019s reins so that the horse was free to amble where he chose, he knew the animal wouldn\u2019t go far, the grazing was too good where he was anyway.<\/p>\n Hoss did the same and together the two men continued to walk down towards the beach. One tall man dressed in black matching his strides to those of his \u2018bigger\u2019 brother in his weather beaten brown vest and plain loose beige shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cWas a time I used to try to match my strides to your\u2019n,\u201d Hoss smiled, \u201cWas a time I had to look up to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas a time you used to do what I told you,\u201d Adam replied with a grin, \u201cWas a time it was just you and me against the world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that was what it was all about then, weren\u2019t it?\u201d he sighed and sat down on the grass, Adam did likewise, stretching out long legs and watching as the wild flowers bent over to accommodate him. \u201cUp thar,\u201d Hoss jerked a thumb to the track that they had just left, \u201cthat was where Pa stopped the wagon and said that this was going to be our land, our home. It was bright sunshine like now, and the wild flowers were scattered about making the place look right purty. I reckon on it being the best day of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou never liked travelling,\u201d Adam picked a daisy and twirled it around and around in between his fingers, \u201cEvery time we stopped at a town or settlement you created a fuss when we had to leave. You just wanted to set down roots any place rather than get back in that wagon \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I remember -\u201d Hoss nodded and the blade of grass he had picked he chewed on, \u201cBut I love this place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo do I.\u201d Adam replied slowly.<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t speak for a few minutes, Hoss threw the blade of grass away, and looked up at the sky,<\/p>\n \u201cSure wish you weren\u2019t going, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, it\u2019s not very good timing, is it? McGarthy -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDadgummit, Adam, I don\u2019t care a fig about McGarthy, it ain\u2019t about timing either – it\u2019s jest that I wish you weren\u2019t going.\u201d he glanced over at Adam and his face contorted a little as he struggled to keep his emotions in check, \u201cSometimes I jest git so afeared that you may never come back home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that\u2019s possible every day of our lives living here, Hoss. How many times has one of us come close to dying from some crazy gunman with a grudge, or -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Hoss broke in, dismissing Adam\u2019s words with a wave of the hand, \u201cthat ain\u2019t the same as going on the sea and travelling all them miles away, and us not knowing whar you are or how you are – it kinda eats us up inside you know?\u201d he looked at Adam, wondering whether his brother realised how much his absences concerned them, then he looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I have the same worries too, wondering what\u2019s happening here -\u201d Adam sighed now and looked over to the ponderosa pine clad hills beyond the river, \u201cI remember the times we used to come here fishing -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember the day you caught a fish that hooked you in the river,\u201d Hoss grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure was a big un, wasn\u2019t it? Pa had to dive in and haul me out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou kept hold of the fish though.\u201d<\/p>\n They shared a smile, a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cRemember the day we lost Joe?\u201d Adam said, \u201cHe was only a few years old, and he\u2019d wandered off. Thought he\u2019d drowned and Marie was sure upset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess that was the day we realised he was always going to be a handful of trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKeep an eye on him for me, Hoss, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, ain\u2019t I always done?\u201d<\/p>\n They said nothing, slipped into a companionable silence because they didn\u2019t need to speak anymore. They lay in the sun and felt the warmth of it upon their faces, the flowers nodded over them and all they could hear was natures orchestra humming, buzzing and sounding all around them.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Firm handshakes, straight controlled faces, eyes that may have been a little moist but looked at one another firmly and then he was gone. Jamieson beside him and a couple of sodbusters opposite. Everything packed away and stacked away neatly into the trunk of the stagecoach.<\/p>\n They waved, raised a hand in salute, received a corresponding wave of the hand and then the stage coach jerked into action and was rolling him out of town.<\/p>\n Just for a moment each one of them felt the isolation and loneliness of the heart when someone loved suddenly ceases to be a shadow of themselves. They knew that once again there would be the empty room upstairs, the black clothes hanging in the wardrobes, the books waiting for their owner to open them once more. There would be once again the empty chair at the table for even Candy would no longer be taking his place there now, for his seat was at his own table beside his wife in the house that Adam had built all that time ago.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, come on, boys,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cLet\u2019s get home, there\u2019s work to be done. I have to pay a visit to Caleb and see if he has any information for us.\u201d<\/p>\n They turned and walked away just as the dust clouds from the departing stage coach began to settle back onto the road. Only Hoss glanced back over his shoulder to see how far the vehicle had gone, and he was able to see it turn the corner and disappear from sight.<\/p>\n Chapter 14<\/p>\n Caleb Shannon watched the approach of the Cartwrights towards his office and wiped the perspiration from his brow. He pulled out various folders and files from the appropriate cabinets and piled them on the desk then sat down with pen in hand and began to write on a piece of paper in front of him. If he could look busy perhaps they would go away.<\/p>\n Despite expecting their arrival he still jumped when the door opened and the three men entered the room. It was Hoss who closed the door behind them and it seemed to Caleb as though they filled the room, he felt as though he were suffocating and pulled nervously at his collar,<\/p>\n \u201cNot a good time, Ben. I am sorry but as you can see -\u201d he gestured to the paperwork that was amassed on his desk.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright, Caleb, I wasn\u2019t intending to stay I just wanted you to come with me to see Winnemucca tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWha- at?\u201d a large blob of ink splattered onto the page upon which he had been writing and Caleb made a choking sound in his throat, \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be available, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think you\u2019ll jest have to re-think your plans, Mr Shannon,\u201d Hoss said simply, \u201cPa needs you to meet him at the Ponderosa tomorrow, so you\u2019d best be there.\u201d<\/p>\n Caleb glanced at Hoss and then at Ben, he noticed the way Joe was watching him, narrow eyed and tight lipped. It\u2019s not good being a man with a guilty conscience as he was finding out. He lowered his head and looked down at the blot, slowly he picked up the blotter and carefully dabbed at it,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019d you want to go and see him for, Ben. You know anything he signs won\u2019t be accepted as legal and binding, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn which case this whole town will have to close down and everyone in it move out, because I don\u2019t think the U.S. Government are quite in agreement with you there, Caleb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe U.S Government paid good money for this land, Ben, it isn\u2019t the same thing at all.\u201d he looked again over at Joe and noticed how he was peeking through the blinds at the window as though he saw something, or someone, of great interest there. He twitched his eyes to look at Ben, \u201cA Deed of Gift signed by Winnemucca wouldn\u2019t hold up in court. McGarthy knows that -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, yes, Mr McGarthy!\u201d Ben nodded, \u201cHave you found out yet who stole the papers from your office, Caleb? I don\u2019t want to find any more papers missing in the coming weeks, it won\u2019t do your business much good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I\u2019ve not pinned down the culprit yet, Ben, but I shall do.\u201d Caleb nodded in assurance that to say the word as to see the deed done, \u201cNow about this trip to Winnemucca -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf the land can\u2019t be considered as mine, Caleb, then it will revert back to the Paiute. That means that anyone trespassing on that land won\u2019t have the Cartwrights to deal with, they\u2019ll have a whole tribe of Paiute ready and waiting to make sure they don\u2019t come again. I thought you and I should visit Winnemucca and put him on notice, so to speak\u2026\u201d Ben turned away from the lawyer and approached the door, he half turned \u201cI\u2019ll see you tomorrow then, about mid morning.\u201d<\/p>\n They left, one followed by the other, Joe glanced at Caleb and frowned, with his hand on the door handle he paused,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Mr Shannon, it sure isn\u2019t that hot in here,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWha-? What do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust that you\u2019re sweating a whole lot.\u201d and without another word he turned and closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n Caleb pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his face. Did they know something? His act of perfidy didn\u2019t sit well on his conscience and he slumped back in his chair feeling totally isolated.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Sylvia Brooks took a quick look at herself in the mirror as she approached the door of her room. She saw a tall blonde woman with shadows under her eyes, a bruise purpling her cheek bone, and the rouge standing out from the pallor of her face. She stooped to pick up her large carpet bag and after another startled look in the mirror at the woman she barely recognised as herself, she closed the door.<\/p>\n This was her chance for freedom and she was not going to miss out on grabbing at it. Jewels that had been gifted to her were now safely stowed away in her bag, along with some clothes, perfumes and a few other items with which she didn\u2019t want to part.<\/p>\n For the first time in so long, he, Jeffrey Metcalfe, had left the house, left San Francisco en route to the Ponderosa with plans to remove that Captain Cartwright out of his life for good. And she – she had spun dreams of escape, and even more daring, of a rescue. A hansom cab passed by and stopped as she hailed it. The driver watched her clamber in with her heavy bag,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere to, Miss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Convent of Hospitaliars.\u201d came the reply, \u201cPlease, be quick, hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMr Shannon didn\u2019t seem too happy to see you, Pa.\u201d Joe observed as they cantered through town, \u201cI\u2019ve got a feeling that he can\u2019t really be trusted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Ben raised an eyebrow questioningly, \u201cAnd what makes you think I trust him, Joseph?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked, looking at his father with amazement, \u201cThen why\u2019d you go thar fer?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cBecause then Mr McGarthy gets to know what\u2019s going on sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe does?\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cHow come?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause Caleb will tell him.\u201d Ben said with a sigh, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Hoss, the only lawyer I have ever trusted for many years now is Julian Frobisher, and unfortunately for us he isn\u2019t here to help us now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The hospital was a large building tucked down a side street and it was here that Sylvia paid off the hansom cab before hurrying to the big wooden doors with the heavy bronze handle.<\/p>\n It only took a few moments to locate Sister Therese who listened to Sylvia attentively and with complete trust on her side led her to the room where Maria O\u2019Brien was being held.<\/p>\n It was not that she was a prisoner just that she was so frail and delicate from her illness, and now she watched the approach of the well dressed woman behind the nun with something like suspicion and fear, remembering the face but unable to recall when exactly they had met before that particular moment.<\/p>\n Sylvia took the initiative by sitting down opposite Maria and explaining that she had come to take her from the hospital, should she so wish.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you going to take me?\u201d the voice was very low, Sylvia had to lean forward to hear what she was saying and reached out her hand to take hold of Maria\u2019s. She was somewhat surprised when Maria drew her hands away.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you might like to go where you felt safe, away from anyone who would hurt you again.\u201d<\/p>\n Maria lowered her head and thought about that carefully. She remembered that she had been hurt, that a tall thin man with evil eyes had hurt her. She looked over Sylvia\u2019s shoulder and caught the eyes of the elderly nun, who smiled at her sweetly,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, child, this young lady wants to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Maria, I want to help you. Look at me -\u201d she pointed to the bruise on her face and the bruises on her arms, \u201cThat same man hurt me too. I want to get away from him but I can\u2019t leave here without knowing that you\u2019re safe too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know -\u201d Maria shook her head and folded her arms tightly across her chest as though to protect herself from unseen dangers.<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t there anywhere you can think of where you would be safe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel said to go to the Ponderosa, to the Captain.\u201d Maria\u2019s eyes widened with excitement, she had remembered something, and that had been an achievement for the nun beamed a big smile and nodded encouragingly.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you can\u2019t go there -\u201d Sylvia cried, \u201cThat\u2019s where he\u2019s gone – the bad man – he\u2019s gone there. I can\u2019t take you to the Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I shall stay here until Daniel gets home.\u201d Maria sighed, she cast down her eyes to stare at the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about your family? Can\u2019t I take you to them?\u201d<\/p>\n Maria said nothing, she just stared at the floor and no longer heard anything at all. The nun put her hand on Sylvia\u2019s shoulder and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all she can do for the moment, perhaps if you come back later.\u201d she whispered, and stepped back.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The Attorney at Law was a man whom Sylvia had once met at some party or other. She had liked him, and his wife had been kind and pleasant. She had spent some time with them, talking about their past and how they had arrived in San Francisco some years earlier. As she stood in the foyer of the building and waited to see him, she recalled the conversation, or rather, the relevant snippet upon which she was building her hopes.<\/p>\n She had asked them how they had made their fortune and the wife had laughed and told her the most fantastic story of how she had prospected for gold in Virginia City by washing the clothes of the miners. Her husband had laughed along with her and told Sylvia that it was true, that many women who took in washing found more gold than the miners did, for the gold dust got trapped in the seams of clothing and the very vigorous washing they were given loosened the tiny specks of ore into the water which was later sieved very very carefully and stored away for safe keeping. It was the fact that the couple had been in Virginia City that was the key to Sylvia\u2019s hopes and when she was told to follow the clerk to Mr Frobisher\u2019s her nerves were as taut as a bow string.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, young lady, what can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n Julian Frobisher offered her a chair, the most comfortable in the room, and looked at her like a kindly father would look down at an errant child. Perhaps he had noticed the nervous clenching and unclenching of her fists or the way she glanced over her shoulder when the door closed,<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t remember me, do you?\u201d she exclaimed, \u201cNot that there\u2019s any reason why you should, but I remembered you and your wife telling me that you were in Virginia City at one time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s correct -\u201d he frowned thoughtfully, \u201cwhere did you say we met?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t – say, I mean – it doesn\u2019t matter, a party somewhere. Mr Frobisher, did you get to know the Cartwrights at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich Cartwrights do you mean?\u201d he narrowed his eyes and looked at her thoughtfully, his experience with young ladies like her had taught him to be very careful how he answered questions like that –<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ponderosa, the Cartwrights of the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your interest in them?\u201d<\/p>\n She raised a hand to her brow, rubbed her temple and realised how cold her hands were, she looked appealingly up at him,<\/p>\n \u201cA man I know, not a kind man,\u201d she paused and noticed his glance at the bruise on her face, \u201che wants to kill Captain Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Cartwright?\u201d Frobisher frowned, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know the full story, sir, except that he hates him, and anyone he hates he destroys, if he can. Would you telegraph them and warn them that he\u2019s on his way there, and tell them that there\u2019s a young woman here at the hospital of the Hospitaliers, Maria O\u2019Brien. She\u2019s very ill. They\u2019ll know who you mean -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd who exactly am I to say is on his way to remove Captain Cartwright?\u201d Frobisher asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe could be calling himself anything by now. His name is Jeffrey Metcalfe -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes,\u201d Frobisher nodded, \u201cI know the man you mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd do you know what he\u2019s capable of?\u201d she rose to her feet, her hand on the arm of the chair as though to steady herself.<\/p>\n \u201cI know enough -\u201d he nodded, \u201cAnd what about yourself? Where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs far from here as possible.\u201d she replied, and extended her hand to accept the one he had held out to her, they shook hands with the reserve of strangers who respected one another, and then she was walking out of the room closing the door behind her.<\/p>\n Chapter 15<\/p>\n By some quirk of irony, the travellers on the two stagecoaches, one heading to Virginia City and one leaving it, sat down to breakfast a mere twenty five miles apart. Metcalfe graced the table at the Muellers way station with his brooding saturnine presence while Adam took his place at the Goat Springs way station and smiled a pleasant greeting to Mrs Nesbitt. His mood was contemplative and introspective.<\/p>\n In Virginia City Caleb Shannon was telling McGarthy the latest developments with regard to Ben\u2019s plans on meeting with Winnemucca. McGarthy chewed on the end of his cigar and scowled as he listened to Shannon\u2019s dialogue.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to stop him going,\u201d he declared with a flourish of the cigar, \u201cWinnemucca needn\u2019t know what\u2019s happening, if he thinks the land is Ben\u2019s then he\u2019ll figure out that Ben has decided to do some mining work there. Just don\u2019t get Ben to go to the camp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you expect me to stop him?\u201d Shannon whined, \u201cDo you honestly think that anything I say would stop Ben Cartwright doing what he thinks best? McGarthy, why not just give up on the whole thing?\u201d<\/p>\n McGarthy rose or rather reared up from his seat behind his desk and gave Shannon a look of contempt that was so undisguised that Shannon broke out in a sweat and his heart pumped harder than ever beneath his vest. Of the two men, Ben Cartwright and Liam McGarthy, that had him squeezed between them, he wasn\u2019t sure which he preferred or whom he detested the most.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really think I\u2019d bow down to Ben Cartwright? After all these years of watching him and his boys getting richer, and more influential in the territory? I\u2019ve had to eat their dust for too long, and I ain\u2019t backing down to them now.\u201d McGarthy growled, casting the soggy remains of his cigar into a nearby spittoon.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t be backing down, though. It would just mean making some kind of agreement, a compromise -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLiam, if Winnemucca decides he doesn\u2019t want your kind of mining bang slap next to his land, he would turn pretty wild. You may not have been here in \u201960 *when he turned nasty then, but he has his two sons raring to have a battle with the diggers and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you, I don\u2019t compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut there\u2019s lives at stake -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly if Ben Cartwright gets to see Winnemucca.\u201d<\/p>\n Shannon shook his head, trying to get McGarthy to see sense was like trying to break through a brick wall with a feather. He stood up and picked up his hat,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do what I can, but I can\u2019t make any promises, Ben\u2019s a stubborn old man, and a determined one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen believe me, Shannon, I\u2019m more stubborn and more determined than that old goat will ever be.\u201d McGarthy leaned forward, \u201cNow you just get to the Ponderosa and find some reason that will stop Ben Cartwright going anywhere near Winnemucca\u2019s land.\u201d<\/p>\n As Caleb Shannon descended the stairs from the office of Mr Liam McGrathy, he wondered just how he could stop Ben, what argument could he put forward that would not be immediately countered by the rancher, what forceful declaration could be bring about that would not be dismissed by his old friend. With dismay mounting in his heart, Caleb stepped out onto the street and momentarily blinded by the suns rays, stood for a while to get his bearings.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright sat in as comfortable a huddle in the corner of the stage as he possibly could, with his arms folded across his chest and his hat lowered to cover his face, he allowed his mind to wander back and forth over the past years. He pondered on what kind of ship he would be using to get to Tokyo, he reminded himself that he needed to purchase a book that would give him some information about Japan, its customs and language. He considered the plight of his friend and fellow officer, Daniel O\u2019Brien and the hapless voyager of \u2019some importance\u2019 who had gone missing with him. He yawned and stretched out his legs, involuntarily drew them back when his booted foot struck against the foot of the person seated opposite him, and struggled to resume his meditations.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson was watching the views go by as many passengers have done since travel began. He was looking forward to returning to the city and getting his orders. He was wondering whether it was the Captain or himself who had changed because he sensed that the relationship between them was strained. He glanced over at the still figure huddled in the corner and frowned, perhaps it was just that the Captain no longer had that love for the sea, and that the pull to his family had become stronger than it was<\/p>\n previously. Perhaps he resented him, Jamieson, appearing with orders and hauling him back to sea? In that case, Jeffrey told himself, he needn\u2019t take things quite so personally, it was the message and not the messenger whom Adam Cartwright was at odds with now.<\/p>\n The coach veered carefully from the track in order to make way for the coach that was heading towards them. This was the customary area where both stage coaches would pass the other, and it happened just once a month according to the schedules of the Wells Fargo Company. As the coaches passed each other passengers could get a glimpse of the occupants of the other coach and it happened that as Jamieson casually looked up and into the interior of the other vehicle his eyes met those of Jeffrey Metcalfe.<\/p>\n Both men recoiled back in surprise but the glimpse was so momentary that Metcalfe wondered for a moment whether or not he could have been mistaken in assuming the man he had seen was Jeffrey Jamieson. Why think it when the man he had just seen looked so different? The next question he asked himself was why had he instinctively thought it to be Jamieson? The only answer he could give was that Jamieson had recognised him, the brief look of astonishment and recognition had been strong enough to trigger a memory in Metcalfe\u2019s mind and that had been sufficient for a trickle of apprehension to run down his back.<\/p>\n There was nothing he could do now but to sit out the rest of the journey and decide what to do when he reached Virginia City, but at the back of his mind he was already telling himself that he was too late, his enemy had already slipped from his grasp.<\/p>\n Jamieson had gasped and grabbed at Adam\u2019s arm, rousing the other man who sat up, tipped his hat from his face and looked at Jamieson with darkly arched brows.<\/p>\n \u201cMetcalfe, I saw Metcalfe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips, shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to stop the coach -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat on earth for?\u201d Adam muttered, \u201cIf he\u2019s on the way to Virginia City let him go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he\u2019s -\u201d Jamieson paused, glanced at the other passengers who were looking confused but interested in what was going on, he leaned in towards Adam, \u201che\u2019s obviously looking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he isn\u2019t going to find me then, is he?\u201d Adam almost hissed back, and pulled his hat back over his face, closed his eyes and tried to settle his thoughts.<\/p>\n So, Metcalfe was en route to Virginia City. Adam pursed his lips thoughtfully, as he considered what Metcalfe would be thinking of doing now. He could of course get a horse from the way station and pursue this coach in an attempt to catch up with it and murder him, or continue on his way and hatch some other devious plot instead. Adam thought over the man for a while, and decided that he could do nothing until Metcalfe himself showed his hand.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The buckboard rocked to a standstill and Caleb Shannon glanced cautiously around him in the hope that he would find no one at home. He groaned inwardly when the door opened and Ben Cartwright emerged onto the porch, his head bowed in concentration as he buckled up his gun belt.<\/p>\n He glanced up and smiled at Caleb, who mustered up a smile and a gulp, he took several steps forward to meet with rancher half way across the yard.<\/p>\n \u201cBen, I was just thinking that perhaps this is not quite the right approach to the problem. Maybe if we were to step inside and just reconsider the whole matter and see if we couldn\u2019t find some other way of dealing with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben paused, frowned and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really want to deal with it in any other way, Caleb. In all honesty I think we should notify Winnemucca of what is happening and -\u201d<\/p>\n The crack of a revolver cut across anything he had to say, as he drew out his own gun and fired in the direction of the stables Caleb Shannon collapsed on the ground, clutching at his chest from where petals of blood were blooming over his smart grey jacket.<\/p>\n There were conflicting noises, the sound of horses, the sound of footsteps \u2026 he was on one knee supporting the other mans head in an attempt to hear what he was saying, Hop Sing was hurrying towards them, and a group of horsemen appeared, the sheriff in the lead.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been shot,\u201d Ben cried, \u201cHelp me get him into the house. One of you men get back to town for the doctor -\u201d he stepped back as two men dismounted, hurried to help Hop Sing get Caleb into the house, but no one else moved.<\/p>\n The instinct of survival in every man is a strong thing and shows itself in the ability to interpret the signals that herald danger. Ben felt those signals at that moment as he stepped away from Caleb and looked up into the face of the young man, Matthew Thompson.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always good to see you here, sheriff,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cbut what exactly are doing here right now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe met Mr Shannon on the way here, he asked us to keep close in case he was in danger. It seems he was right, he was in danger.\u201d Matthew replied, and dismounted, \u201cHand over your gun, please, Mr Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy gun?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard what I said,\u201d he reached out a hand \u201cMr Shannon didn\u2019t like what you were going to do, he was going to tell you to change your mind and he anticipated trouble. When we met up he -\u201d Thompson breached the gun and sniffed, \u201cyeah, this gun\u2019s just been fired.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it has, I fired at the person who shot at Caleb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr Cartwright, but I swear we only heard the one shot, ain\u2019t that so, boys?\u201d<\/p>\n The \u2018boys\u2019 murmured assent, and Thompson shook his head and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr Cartwright, I\u2019m afraid that I\u2019ll have to take you back into town with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if I refuse to go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019ll have to arrest you.\u201d he passed Ben\u2019s gun to one of his deputies, and then glanced over at the house. The two men who had gone into the building with Hop Sing were now striding back towards them, despite their grim faces there was a swagger in the way they were walking that denoted that their news was not all bad, to them anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Shannon\u2019s dead, sheriff.\u201d one of them announced and all eyes turned to Ben who stepped back, startled and defensive.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, Mr Cartwright, I ain\u2019t got no other option than to arrest you for the murder of Caleb Shannon -\u201d he paused and shook his head, \u201cin cold blood too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heaven\u2019s sake, man\u201d Ben protested, \u201cI did not shoot Caleb. Someone shot him from the stables, I shot back and -\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson just stared blankly at him and then turned to mount his horse, before looking down at Ben,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d best saddle up, Mr Cartwright, you can put all you have to say in writing in a statement when we get to town.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 16<\/p>\n \u201cNow, just hold on a minute thar!\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright put his hat down slowly onto the bureau and looked at each person in the room with his blue eyes resembling two chips of blue ice. By his side Joe was breathing fast and heavy, his hat still in his hands as he looked from one to the other of the people in the big room of his home.<\/p>\n Something was wrong – they had realised that as soon as they had seen the buggy belonging to Doc Martin as well as the one owned by Caleb Shannon in the yard and no sign of Buck. Their first instinctive thought was that something had happened to their father, and they had hurried to enter the house to find out what it had been, only to find themselves confronted by Paul Martin, Victoria Shannon and Hop Sing.<\/p>\n \u201cFather arrested in jail\u201d Hop Sing\u2019s shrill voice had exclaimed while Paul had said something about \u201cCaleb Shannon\u2019s been shot, I put him in the guest room.\u2019 and Victoria sobbing \u201cHow could he do it, my Pa was his best friend\u201d (an exaggeration on her part but she was in shock!)<\/p>\n They all stopped, except for Victoria who was still crying into a rather large handkerchief that Joe rather suspected had come from the Ponderosa laundry basket.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now -\u201d Hoss slammed his gun belt down by his hat while Joe remained staring woodenly at the three people before him.<\/p>\n \u201cI spik first\u201d Hop Sing cried and told the two younger men how Ben had been arrested for the murder of Caleb Shannon a few hours earlier, \u201cBut Mister Ben say other man shoot first -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy Pa wouldn\u2019t shoot anyone -\u201d Victoria sobbed anew.<\/p>\n \u201cNot your father, man from stables, shoot your father and Mister Ben shoot at man but then sheriff come. He say Mister Ben tell lie, no other shot fired only one and that one is bullet in Mister Shannon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me get this right, the sheriff didn\u2019t believe my Pa? He thinks Pa shot Mr Shannon?\u201d Joe cried with his face going pale and his lips narrowing into a dangerous sign of a soon to be explosion of anger.<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff say Mr Shannon dead, Mister Ben kill him. Not listen to Mister Ben. He say ONLY ONE shot fired.\u201d Hop Sing nodded, the emphasis on only one solely his and obviously significant.<\/p>\n There was a moment of silence, Hoss gulped and wasn\u2019t sure what to say next, he glanced at Joe and then at Victoria who was now descending slowly into a chair with the handkerchief to her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure sorry about your Pa, Miss Victoria, and don\u2019t you worry none, we\u2019ll find out who his killers are -\u201d Hoss said slowly, deliberately, and he looked at Paul who was standing thoughtfully by the table waiting to be heard, \u201cThanks for coming out, Doc, guess there weren\u2019t much point, was there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, to be honest, Hoss, there was – someone had to bring Miss Shannon here and someone had to see to her father.\u201d he gave Joe a swift look as the young man opened his mouth to say something, \u201cThe announcement of Mr Shannon\u2019s murder is rather premature. I\u2019ve extracted the bullet, which came from a colt .45 revolver.\u201d he opened the palm of his hand to expose the bullet, \u201cMr Shannon is very seriously injured, there is the possibility of -\u201dhe glanced at Victoria who blew her nose, \u201cof death, but no guarantee of it. Miss Shannon has agreed to stay here to care for her father and I know that Hop Sing will take good care of him also. The sheriff seemed very hasty in concluding that Mr Shannon had been killed, he didn\u2019t even stop to examine the fact for himself.\u201d he frowned, \u201cPity Roy wasn\u2019t still in charge here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t mind if I stay here to look after my father, do you, Joe? Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d they both said together, Hoss heaved a deep breath and blushed a little, while Joe looked concerned and stepped closer towards her, placing a hand gently on her arm, \u201cJust let us know if there is anything we can do to help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust explain why your father wanted to kill Pa, if you can?\u201d she raised her chin and looked at him with the tears swimming in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Victoria, our Pa wouldn\u2019t shoot anyone, not anyone, believe me.\u201d Hoss cried, and Joe nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYou can believe him, Miss Shannon, Victoria, and me, our Pa would never have shot your father unless it was in self defence -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMan shot Mr Shannon from stable -\u201d Hop Sing interjected.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you hear the shot, Hop Sing?\u201d<\/p>\n Hop Sing sighed, shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNot sure, hitting stove pipe with pan – too much noise.\u201d he shrugged as four pairs of eyes were levelled at him, \u201cStove pipe clog up with soot, need bang hard to bring down.\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Mr Shannon able to talk, Doc?\u201d Hoss asked, \u201cPerhaps he could tell us what has happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t talk, Hoss, he\u2019s far too sick, and very weak. I don\u2019t really recommend you even try to get him to talk just yet. But I have been thinking -\u201d Paul frowned, \u201cI can\u2019t help but think that Sheriff Thompson acted very hastily in this instance, and it seems to me very strange that that posse happened to be here so soon after the incident, in fact, almost as soon as it happened. I was thinking it wouldn\u2019t do any harm to let them carry on believing Mr Shannon has died, and see where it leads to.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss and Joe exchanged thoughtful glances before Joe shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI think it would be more interesting if we let them know Mr Shannon hadn\u2019t died, Doc.\u201d \u201cFor attempted murder they can -\u201d Paul replied with raised eyebrows and he looked at them both anxiously, \u201cVery well, we\u2019ll do it your way, so long as it doesn\u2019t place my patient in any danger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Doc, that rather depends on how much some folk want him dead.\u201d Joe answered , \u201cBut don\u2019t worry none, we\u2019ll make sure he\u2019s kept safe and sound and out of harms way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well,\u201d Paul snapped his bag shut and then approached Victoria, \u201cNow, my dear, don\u2019t be alarmed, your father has a strong constitution, and I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll pull through this.\u201d<\/p>\n Miss Victoria Shannon gave him a rather watery smile and a nod of her head, shook the doctor\u2019s hand and then quietly excused herself to go upstairs to the room where her father lay.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cWell, did you find anything?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss straightened himself up and shook his head, after an hour of careful searching around the stable area, and pacing out the location of where Ben had been standing and Mr Shannon had fallen, there was still no evidence to prove Ben\u2019s statement to be accurate.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever shot Mr Shannon didn\u2019t leave no evidence behind him, Joe. Any footprints left around here have been mussed up real good. There ain\u2018t no cartridge left and I can\u2018t even find a hole for whar Pa\u2018s bullet could\u2018ve got to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a mess!\u201d Joe exclaimed, \u201cWe\u2019d better go ride into town and talk to Pa. They\u2019d be expecting us to do that, perhaps we can get him out on bail.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh, yeah, I can see the kind of money Thompson would be asking for that as well,\u201d Hoss groaned. \u201cThe whole thing stinks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, any idea who could be behind this? I mean, this ain\u2019t no random killing is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t reckon on it being thet at all. This was planned, it\u2019s clumsy, but it was planned.\u201d<\/p>\n From the window of the room in which her father slept Victoria Shannon looked down upon the two young men. She had only recently returned from Chicago where she had been teaching in a school for the blind. She was an intelligent girl and had stepped into the void her mother had left at the school upon her death several years ago, Mrs Shannon had been a teacher at the school for some years since she had become blind as a result of a domestic accident.<\/p>\n It seemed an irony that almost as soon as she had returned to Virginia City she found herself a guest at the Ponderosa under such disastrous circumstances. She could remember going to school with Joseph Cartwright and as she watched him talking by the corral fence with his brother, she smiled at the memories of the many occasions when Joe had created havoc due to some mischief or another.<\/p>\n She dropped the curtain and returned to her father\u2019s bedside. What a wretched man he had become – and for a moment she found herself wondering just who was responsible for her father\u2019s shooting. Rawlins was waiting outside the sheriff\u2019s office when Ben strode out of the building flanked by his sons. The explosive atmosphere within when the news had been delivered to the sheriff that Mr Shannon was not, in fact, dead, and that Ben could not, therefore, be charged with murder, had been potentially dangerous. The level of noise from the shouting, the cursing and abuse from Thompson (and a fair bit from the Cartwrights one had to admit) had caused people passing by to pause and then hurry on by, only Rawlins had stayed and waited patiently.<\/p>\n Bail had been set at a higher figure than usual, but it had been paid, the forms duly signed and Ben was able to leave the building. Hot with anger, boiling with rage, Ben was ready to thump a few heads together when he saw Rawlins, and paused in mid-step.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you know about all this?\u201d he growled.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing at all, Ben.\u201d Rawlins replied, \u201cIs it true that Shannon isn\u2019t dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite true.\u201d Ben snapped, and behind him Joe and Hoss nodded affirmation.<\/p>\n \u201cAny place we can go to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben nodded, and led the way towards the Sazarac.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n McGarthy faced the men seated at the table and listened to what was being said. He had expressed his own horror at the attempt on Shannon\u2019s life, had expressed relief that he was still living and declared it an abuse to justice that Ben Cartwright could walk free. Most of the very prosperous and prominent men seated at the table agreed with him, some had their suspicions and kept them to themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t going to stop us though,\u201d he said, \u201cWe\u2019re going to make sure that our plans go into action soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it true that the Cartwrights were going to involve Winnemucca in this?\u201d Murdoch asked, and flicked ash casually into a crystal glass ashtray, \u201cOnly I don\u2019t want an Indian insurrection on my hands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere won\u2019t be one,\u201d McGarthy said coldly.<\/p>\n Jackson and Richardson shared a glance, obviously uncertain about such a vague promise. McGarthy shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll leave the Papoose Peak area free for a while, we\u2019ll just concentrate on the Tahoe plans. They go ahead as soon as we have the equipment available.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cYou know that Shannon has been working for McGarthy?\u201d Rawlins leaned forward, the four heads almost met over the centre of the table, \u201cHe gave McGarthy the papers about your land, and he was instructed to stop you from seeing Winnemucca.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he would have known nothing he could say or do would have stopped me from doing that,\u201d Ben picked up a glass, narrowed his eyes and surveyed Rawlins thoughtfully, \u201cHow do you know all about this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a friend who is a very close friend of Mr McGarthy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome friend -\u201d Joe raised his eyebrows, \u201cif they\u2019re prepared to spill the dirt on him to you as soon as his back\u2019s turned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, let\u2019s say this friend is a friend I share with Mr McGarthy.\u201d Rawlins gave a slightly embarrassed grin and the other three men silently consented to ask no more questions.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat else does your friend know?\u201d Ben prompted, and glanced anxiously over Rawlins shoulder to make sure they weren\u2019t overheard.<\/p>\n \u201cMcGarthy intends to get to work on the Lake Tahoe land as soon as he can – that could be within a few days, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss swallowed hard, he couldn\u2019t put how he felt into flowery words, but the thought of seeing such a beautiful place ripped apart for open mine casting made him feel ill, he looked at Joe and knew from his brother\u2019s face that he felt exactly the same.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot can happen in a few days,\u201d Ben replied quietly.<\/p>\n Chapter 17<\/p>\n San Francisco was as always. As Adam stepped from the stage coach the smells and noise of a busy over crowded metropolis assailed his senses and he sighed, glanced over at Jamieson and raised his eyebrows. He tipped his hat politely to the departing fellow passengers and then checked the time by the clock on the building opposite.<\/p>\n The first thing to do was to report to the Admiralty and check in with them. There were other things he needed to do before boarding ship and as he watched Jamieson organising the luggage he allowed his mind to wander over them. In no time at all he was walking to a hansom cab rank and clambering aboard one of them. His eyes saw familiar sights and he winced at the thought of what beautiful country had been excavated to make way for the humans that would continue to devastate and pollute the area that he had once known when virgin soil.<\/p>\n In less than an hour the sound of the sharp tread of his booted feet could be heard down the halls of the Admiralty building, each step reminded him of his last visit to these self same offices and his admission into the presence of Commodore Pelman. He sighed, a lot had happened since then and a slight frown creased his brow at the thought.<\/p>\n Admiral James Barlow* looked up as the door opened and a tall man dressed in the naval uniform of Captain approached him. They saluted one another formally and then Barlow stood up and extended his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright I understand?\u201d he smiled and gestured towards a chair opposite, taken the papers that Adam had handed him, and waited until after Adam had seated himself before speaking again, \u201cCongratulations on your promotion, Commodore. I see your uniform is still – well – out of date.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith all due respect, Admiral, but it\u2019s a uniform for which I hold a fondness. I wouldn\u2019t like to exchange it for another just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow frowned, looked up from reading the papers he had taken from the oil skin pouch Adam had given him, and let his eyes travel over the younger man facing him. He saw a well set up man, handsome and darkly tanned, black hair that rose from a high forehead, bright clear eyes that denoted intelligence, alertness and inscrutability as their smoky brown orbs stared back at him, the mouth was well formed and the chin, obstinate. Well formed hands rested upon the other man\u2019s knees, and long legs ended in feet shod in good leather boots. All in all, Barlow recognised a man who knew what he wanted and not one to be deviated off course.<\/p>\n \u201cI have to admit you have risen to your rank as Commodore very swiftly, but looking through your records, sir, I can well understand why.\u201d he allowed the briefest of smiles to touch his lips, \u201cThe appointment was granted by the President himself for services rendered with regard to the Pelman\/Metcalfe affair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdmiral Barlow, I know many men who have served this country well, and for longer than myself. I prefer to be Captain of my own ship, to be honest with you, sir, I find being a Commodore both a mouthful and too – hmm – incongruous for a man like myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIncongruous?\u201d Barlow murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cI could think of other words\u201d Adam smiled slowly, \u201cI believe that I am to go to Tokyo and receive further orders there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that is correct. Do I send you as Commodore or Captain Cartwright?\u201d Barlow smiled and the thought crossed his mind \u2018Incongruous, indeed!\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said before, I prefer being Captain of my own ship, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe rank of Commodore can be retained here, Sir, until your return. I am sure that upon our next meeting you will feel that the rank will be far less incongruous by then.\u201d he stood up, he passed various papers to Adam, who glanced down at them briefly, then extended his hand and shook Adam\u2019s firmly, \u201cI think you\u2019re very wise, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, he gave the Admiral a brief smile and a nod of the head, saluted and turned to leave, the details of his command gripped firmly in his hand.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Julian Frobisher shook Adam\u2019s hands warmly in both of his, all the while exclaiming how pleased he was to see him, asking after Ben and the boys, naming various friends he had known and all the while leading the younger man into his office, the door of which was gently closed firmly behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re looking very grand, Adam. A Captain in the navy, well, Ben must be very proud of you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSit down, sit down -\u201d he gestured to a chair, quickly removed some files from it and then took a chair next to it, he shook his head, \u201cIt\u2019s strange, such a co-incidence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is?\u201d Adam smiled, straightening out long legs and running his fingers through his hair.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing you here.\u201d Frobisher paused, then continued \u201cOnly a few days ago a young woman was in here asking me to contact you to warn you that someone was out to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Adam raised his eyebrows, \u201cHow mysterious? A young woman you say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA pretty young woman, and obviously a victim of this man\u2019s misconduct if her bruises were anything to go by. An old enemy of yours, I think, Adam – Jeffrey Metcalfe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded slowly, and then drew in his breath which he exhaled equally slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cI know him.\u201d he replied in the manner of tone familiar to him, \u201cWe passed him on the stage coach to Virginia City. I\u2019m under orders at present otherwise I would have gone after him, rather than risk him loose there and creating problems for my family, who have problems enough just now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that why you are here?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded again, he drew from his pocket an envelope and handed it to the attorney,<\/p>\n \u201cJulian, my family may need my help and I won\u2019t be able to give it except via yourself. Would you look over these instructions and, should the need arise, would you follow through on them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have every confidence in you, Adam, yes, of course I shall do.\u201d he smiled now, and put the envelope on the desk, \u201cHow serious could this problem become _\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we could lose the Pondorosa, and I\u2019m hoping that it won\u2019t result in my father or brothers coming to any harm, although considering the men involved, it is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt must have been hard to leave them at a time like that -\u201d<\/p>\n The fleeting expression on Adams face was answer enough. Frobisher nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m due time off from here, fact is, I\u2019m really due for retirement. I\u2019ve a mind to go and see old friends again\u201d he smiled and was pleased to see a lightening of the dark eyes in Adams face.<\/p>\n \u201cThis young woman you spoke about, what else did she have to say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe mentioned about a young woman, a Mrs O\u2019Brien -\u201d he looked startled at the look on Adam\u2019s face, \u201cYou know her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been very concerned about her, she\u2019s the wife of a dear friend who entrusted her safety to my family. We lost contact with her when she arrived here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMetcalfe got to her, but I do know where she is -\u201d Frobisher frowned, \u201cMy wife and I shall go and see her, perhaps she should come with us to Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, then rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry this is just a brief visit, Julian, and one that isn\u2019t really just a social call, but I have to attend to my duties on board ship.\u201d he extended his hand, \u201cI can rely on you, can\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son, you can do that, believe me.\u201d and Julian enclosed his other hand over Adam\u2019s by way of emphasis.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The ship stood in the harbour, shining in the sun of a fading day. Although Adam\u2019s heart sunk at seeing that it was not one of his dearly beloved clipper ships, but one of the \u2018new fangled\u2019 steam ships it was till beautiful to look at and as he mounted the gangplank in order to board it, he noted with some pride that her name was S.S. Boston.*<\/p>\n The crew greeted their new commanding officer by piping him aboard and the ships company were all present to salute him and take note of him. He glanced over them all with a shrewd eye, a slight wry smile and returned their salute. He was then taken to his cabin.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, that\u2019s our new Captain.\u201d one of the officers murmured to another, and they both raised their eyebrows questioningly.<\/p>\n \u201cI heard tell he was the one responsible for getting rid of Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI read about it – didn\u2019t realise this was the Officer involved though.\u201d a downward grimace of the mouth, and a quick return to the \u2018standing to attention\u2019 stance.<\/p>\n In his cabin Adam watched as Jamieson stowed away his trunk and some other personal possessions. There was a light tap on the door and a cabin boy entered, snapped a salute,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here to see if you want anything, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your name, boy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJonathan, sir. Jonathan Masterton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome coffee then, and ask the officers to report to me immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n Jonathan snapped another salute, glanced over at Jamieson, then scampered from the cabin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Jamieson, and exactly what position will you hold here on board ship?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson smiled slowly and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI shan\u2019t be coming with you, sir. I have duties elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo do with Metcalfe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, to be honest, Mr Metcalfe isn\u2019t my concern. My duty was to make sure you got on board the Boston, and now that you are here, sir, I have to take my leave.\u201d he extended his hand which Adam took in his, and shook warmly. \u201cI hope all goes well for you on this trip, sir, and that you find Captain O\u2019Brien safe and well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Jamieson, take care of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson smiled, frowned and said slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the time comes, sir, don\u2019t turn down your promotion again, will you? If anyone deserves it, in my opinion, you most certainly do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn your opinion, Jamieson -\u201d he smiled, his brown eyes smouldered with something akin to amusement, and he shook the mans hand once again before releasing it, and watching Jamieson leave the cabin.<\/p>\n Chapter 18<\/p>\n Metcalfe arrived in Virginia City as the heavens opened and the rain fell in cascades, making the hard packed roads vast puddles of muddy water within minutes. Scowling at the thought that his prey may well have left the town already, Metcalfe splashed his way to the nearest hotel, arriving wet, dishevelled and irritated. Having arrived thus he then found himself having to wait as other passengers in an equal state of disarray crowded into the foyer and demanded attention.<\/p>\n Eventually he was given some attention, snatched the key to his room from the clerk and turned towards the stairs, then paused,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know the Cartwrights from the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone does, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d the clerk smiled amicably and without lifting his eyes from the register began to carefully blot the last written name, Ralph Forster.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it he\u2019s still in the area? Not gone on one of his jaunts again?\u201d he gave a rather sneering grimace as he spoke but the clerk did not notice as he was about to turn his attention to another guest.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure, sir.\u201d he smiled, looked up, \u201cEnjoy your day, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n A new day dawned, and a watery sun peered down from the heavens upon a rain drenched town. Metcalfe leaned against the window frame of his window and watched as the population awoke and began their day. Children ran to school yelling and shouting, skipping between the puddles, splashing in among some; harassed housewives went too and fro into the various stores; saloon girls lounged around the balconies outside their rooms in flimsy negligee\u2019s laughing and chattering among themselves; cowboys rode by on prancing horses and the business men, the wealthy ones of the town, drove through the melee in the carriages and barouches as though they were in one of the major cities in Europe.<\/p>\n Metcalfe watched them all with contempt. After some time he drew bored with the exercise and decided that it would be better for him, should he not locate Adam Cartwright that day, to return to San Francisco. He breakfasted in the restaurant, a solitary meal, the reply to his question regarding Adam\u2019s presence or absence was always the same, no one seemed to know for sure.<\/p>\n He walked aimlessly down the main street without paying any heed to where his feet were taking him, his hands clasped behind his back and his chin down on his chest with his eyes downcast on the ground. He was in mid-stride when he felt the thud in his shoulder, he half turned, raised a hand in an attempt to defend himself, but was too late. More blows rained upon him, he felt his legs weaken beneath him, and then suddenly there was mud washing over his face, getting in his nostrils and mouth, his body was feeling heavy and no longer receptive to pain. A face loomed large in front of his eyes, and he was aware of a furtive glance, a pinched mouth, and hands roving around his body, and then there was just darkness as he slipped into the void of unconsciousness.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright stood on the bridge of his ship with his hands clasped behind his back and his eyes fixed to the horizon. S.S Boston was leaving San Francisco harbour, and he watched the city slip away before him with feelings of resentment and anxiety gnawing within him.<\/p>\n He had gone over the plans of the ship, and had been taken on a tour of it, such a thorough tour that he could go from one end to the other without fear of getting lost. Smoke belched from the chimneys and he resented the black clouds that filtered their way skywards, resented them for the fact that these self same clouds sullied the air they breathed. He hated the smell of the metal, the oil and grease, the burning fuel that kept the engines turning. There was no longer the snap of the sails above him, the beauty of the wind billowing in the sheets, the carvings and mouldings lovingly formed by skilled carpenters who loved their trade, and consequently loved their ships. Grace and beauty, elegance and poetry in motion was gone for the sake of speed, and he wished that his officers wouldn\u2019t eulogize so much about a vessel that to him was nothing more than an enlarged tin can.<\/p>\n The coast line was fading from view, he could see the men on board attending to their duties. He glanced at his first officer who stood by his side with a self satisfied look on his face, then he glanced at the helmsman who was staring fixedly ahead at the distant horizon that was beckoning them towards Tokyo.<\/p>\n He inhaled deeply, there was nothing more he could do now for his family, he had to accept his own impotence in the matter now and hope to God that he had done sufficiently should they need his help. He turned his back upon San Francisco and turned to face the sea .<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Joe and Hoss Cartwright kept their heads down, not even daring to raise their eyes to glance at one another as they listened to the sounds of their father who was opening the mail. There had been a large bulk of letters and mostly addressed to Ben. So far each one he had ripped open had been greeted with a Humph, and a \u2019What! Not possible – by thunder – \u2019 and so forth. Joe sighed and shook his head, and began to break his bread into small fragments on his plate. Any moment now and his father was about to erupt.<\/p>\n In the room above Victoria Shannon carefully and gently bathed her fathers\u2019 face and hands, attempted to get some water through his dry lips, and then sat by his side with a book in her lap to read. For some reason best known to himself, Shannon refused to die.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand this -\u201d Ben stormed into the dining room area and glanced wildly at his two sons, with both hands full of papers, letters, invoices, dockets. \u201cI don\u2019t understand this at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly don\u2019t you understand ,Pa?\u201d Hoss asked mildly, glancing now at Joe who refused to look up.<\/p>\n \u201cLetters and demands for payment for just about everything over the past six months.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve not paid any bills for six months?\u201d Hoss queried, looking so surprised that some ham fell off the ends of his fork and he didn\u2019t even notice.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure, Pa?\u201d Joe stood up, and looked at his father anxiously, \u201cThere has to be some mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should say so, and I\u2019m going to go right into town to find out what mistake it is, and who made it.\u201d Ben growled, \u201cPractically everybody we could possibly owe money to is claiming payment, it\u2019s as though they\u2019ve all gone mad and decided to -\u201d he paused and shook his head, \u201cBut I know the bills have been paid, everythings been paid, the money isn\u2019t in the bank because -\u201d again he paused and turned around, raised his eyes to the ceiling, not in prayer to God but in recalling to mind that his lawyer lay there in the room above, \u201csurely he couldn\u2019t have done that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDone what, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTaken the money and not paid any of our creditors!\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing to that but seized hold of some of the letters and papers on the desk and quickly glanced through them, he whistled softly between his teeth before passing some of them to Hoss and picking up a few more. Then he looked up at his father and the colour had drained from his face,<\/p>\n \u201cPa, these aren\u2019t just demands for our usual quarterly bills, some of these demands are for payment in full!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and look at this one, Blenkinsop\u2019s demanding payment for stuff we\u2019ve ordered that ain\u2019t even been delivered yet, on top of what\u2019s already owed him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is all crazy, Pa. Some of these payments amount to thousands of dollars!\u201d Joe exclaimed in despair.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething\u2019s gone crazy alright, and I know it\u2019s not me.\u201d Ben replied tight lipped and staring down at the bill in his hand, \u201cThis is from Jake Muldoon cancelling his contract, which, of course, he is in his rights to do, but there\u2019s no explanation as to why.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already started work on getting the timber prepared for him, Pa.\u201d Hoss said quietly, \u201cThat means we\u2019ll be carrying a loss of some hundreds of dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s another one here, Pa\u201d Joe held up a letter, \u201cPhilip Schneider – cancelling his contract and asking us to collect what we\u2019ve done. That\u2019s going to cost -\u201d<\/p>\n There came a heavy knock on the door and Ben shook his head, raised his eyebrows and muttered under his breath about probably finding a queue of creditors lined up in the yard demanding their money. He swung the door open to reveal Roy Coffee standing on the porch with a baffled expression on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cBen, jest hadda come and see what\u2019s going on around here.\u201d Roy\u2019s face looked familiar, friendly and Ben felt a surge and an uplift within him at the sight of the old lawman who stepped into the house, swept off his hat and glared around the room at Hoss and Joe, \u201cWhat\u2019s all this talk in town about you shooting Shannon and gitting yourselves bankrupt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBankrupt?\u201d Joe and Hoss cried, and Joe added, \u201cWho said we were bankrupt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and Pa didn\u2019t shoot Mr Shannon either,\u201d Hoss declared.<\/p>\n \u201cHmph, except right now I\u2019d like to -\u201d Ben growled beneath his breath, as he stepped to one side to close the door behind their visitor.<\/p>\n Roy flipped his hat onto the bureau and scowled at the three men in his usual amicable manner,<\/p>\n \u201cGuess you\u2019d best tell me what\u2019s going on around here. Blast it, I ain\u2019t bin able to enjoy one day of my retirement due to all the grumbling I\u2019ve heard about young Thompson. I thought he was gonna be a decent kind of lawman but -\u201d he shook his head and sat down, then surveyed the papers in Ben\u2019s hand and some that had fallen onto the floor like giant Chapter 19<\/p>\n Colours merged and twirled above his head, splitting apart and joining back together again. Shepherds courted shepherdesses, cherubs bounced on fleecy clouds, pink and blue ribbons floated among red and pink roses. He closed his eyes again and involuntarily a groan slipped past his lips.<\/p>\n He had long ago thought that upon his passing he would float off to heaven, and had never thought that he could be consigned elsewhere. He forced open his eyes once again and concentrated on the view above him. Common sense told him that he was in a room, probably what a woman would refer to as her boudoir. He released a shuddering sigh and struggled to remember what had happened to bring him to this particular fate.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s recovering -\u201d someone said, a man with a deep voice, \u201cprobably concussion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWill he be alright?\u201d a woman\u2019s voice now, gentle, kindly with a slight accent that he could not quite make out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll need to make a more thorough examination, Dorothea.\u201d<\/p>\n He opened his eyes and looked away from the gaudy ceiling to the two people in the room. A woman, tall, attractive and looking anxiously at the man standing opposite her. They were standing by the window, she was leaning forwards to hear what was being said, to pay more than the usual attention as a glass phial was passed into her hand. The man was broad shouldered, well built, grey haired and elderly, there was the stoop around the shoulders that implied that he carried the weight of the worlds\u2019 problems upon them, well, those of this town at least.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere am I?\u201d<\/p>\n They both turned to look at him and then approached the bed. Both pairs of eyes looked down at him with gentle kindly concern. He assumed, correctly, that the matter was serious.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid you\u2019ve been attacked and badly injured, sir.\u201d the man spoke thoughtfully, peering into his face, leaning in more closely than he would have liked but obviously for some medical reason. \u201cCan you tell me how many fingers I\u2019m holding up?\u201d<\/p>\n Stupid question the man on the bed thought and peered at the digits, narrowed his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cFour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTwo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, can you tell me your name?\u201d<\/p>\n Now that was difficult. He scrambled in his brain for the name. He had written something down recently but couldn\u2019t recall what it was, he frowned, so many names slipped into his mind. He grabbed at one,<\/p>\n \u201cHugh Williamson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, well, Mr Williamson, I\u2019m afraid you\u2019ve been a victim to one of our more violent members of society. They\u2019ve not treated you very kindly and robbed you of your possessions. Can you remember where you live?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite right, sir.\u201d the man smiled, and behind him the woman smiled, \u201cYour home address.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I live in San Francisco.\u201d he paused, \u201cSan Francisco.\u201d he said with a more definite tone of voice, \u201cI\u2019m visiting here.\u201d<\/p>\n He was tired. He wanted to close his eyes and drift back to sleep. He heard the woman talking but made no sense of her words.<\/p>\n \u201cCan he stay here a while longer, Dorothea? I\u2019ll call in later and see how he is getting on. I\u2019m afraid he\u2019s lost a lot of blood and the injuries are severe, he could be here some while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand, Dr Martin. It\u2019ll be alright by me, don\u2019t worry about him.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul Martin nodded, clicked shut the medical bag and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I had better get along to the Ponderosa and see how Mr Shannon is getting on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it true what they\u2019re saying in town, Dr Martin? About the Cartwrights?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t pay any attention to rumours, my dear.\u201d he picked up his hat but as he placed it upon his gray head he couldn\u2019t avoid looking anything other than optimistic.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you tell them, for what it\u2019s worth, that they do have good friends here in town, we\u2019ll do what we can to help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll tell them, but they\u2019re proud people -.\u201d<\/p>\n Dorothea nodded, and closed the door behind her visitor. The man on the bed heard the door click shut and drifted into a dream about a ship drifting in a black sea with snow falling and covering them with ice crystals so that it looked just like it had been dusted with sugar icing.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The Cartwrights and their companion dismounted outside the First National Bank, and while Roy strode over to the sheriff\u2019s office, Ben and his sons marched defiantly into the bank and demanded to see the Manager.<\/p>\n From his vantage point in his office McGarthy watched them with a smirk on his face, he jammed a cigar into his mouth and clamped down tightly upon it with his teeth. He struck a match and narrowed his eyes against the flare of the flame – it was hard not to gloat, but he couldn\u2019t help but do so.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n When the door of the sheriff\u2019s office opened Matthew Thompson was about to pour some coffee into his cup, he turned, recognised Roy, and poured the scalding liquid everywhere but in the cup. Roy took off his hat, and stood with his blue eyes fixed on the young man who looked as though he had just seen a ghost.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this nonsense about Ben Cartwright shooting down Caleb Shannon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt ain\u2019t nonsense. I was almost on the spot when it happened.\u201d Matthew declared vehemently, waving a scalded hand in the air as he spoke, \u201cYou ask any of my deputies, they were right there with me\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not interested in anything the deputies have to say right now, I\u2019ll check up on their stories later. I just want to hear exactly what happened from you \u2026 word for word. Exactly what happened, by gum.\u201d<\/p>\n The sheriff sat down slowly, and scowled. He hadn\u2019t been too sure about taking on this job, but the desire to prove to Joseph Cartwright and to his mother in law that he could amount to something in this town had forced his hand. He stared fixedly at Roy who was pulling back a chair and settling his bones into it,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, ain\u2019t\u2019cha suddenly got nothing to say?\u201d Roy snapped.<\/p>\n \u201cI got plenty to say, and I don\u2019t have to say it to you, you old goat.\u201d Matthew cried, \u201cYou seem to forget that I\u2019m the sheriff here, and you ain\u2019t got no right bustin\u2019 in here demanding to git me to divulge evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve every right. As a citizen of this town I have every right to demand honest answers to my questions from any one who claims to be upholding the law -\u201d Roy\u2019s moustache bristled, \u201cparticularly if\u2019n I don\u2019t reckon on it being done proper. Now, you jest git off that high horse of your\u2018n and tell me what I want to know or I\u2018ll be asking more questions from some other folk that you might not be wanting me to speak to anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you implying that I ain\u2019t doing my job right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know you ain\u2019t, if what you claim happened – just spit it out, son, it might be a bit hard to do but it\u2019ll go a whole lot better for you in the long run if\u2019n you do.\u201d he paused, \u201cAnd the truth, mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe truth !\u201d Matthew Thompson snorted contemptuously, \u201cAs if you\u2019d know the truth if you saw it. You\u2019re so bamboozled by all those years being pals of the Cartwrights that you wouldn\u2019t believe the truth even if I told you it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I got all day to sit here and listen to what you have to tell me, and I\u2019ll know if it\u2019s the truth or not, son, believe you me!\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson licked dry lips, he glanced at the coffee pot and then at Roy, who nodded in acceptance. He rose to his feet, and poured out the coffee into two cups all the while trying to remember exactly what it was he had been told to say, and wondering if the truth wouldn\u2019t be easier after all.<\/p>\n Chapter 20<\/p>\n The soul of the poet had succumbed to the curiosity of the engineer. They had passed the Tropic of Cancer and were into the Pacific Ocean, from the bridge of S.S Boston Adam observed the smooth way the ship sliced through the waves and as they had borne him and the ship further from the shores of his homeland so he left behind the fears for his family and thought more of the plight of his friend, Daniel O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n The waves of the sea were gentle and there was no breeze in the air. It was so still that even the few clouds in the sky remained stationary. But the ship maintained its course and Adam conceded that had he been in his favoured kind of vessel, then it would be going nowhere. He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled faintly to himself remembering how he had decided to find out how the \u2018tin can\u2019 actually functioned, and had spent hours of each day examining the ship, watching the men at work, and wondering out a system on how some things could be perfected to become even more efficient.<\/p>\n But, most of all, he wondered about the whereabouts of Daniel O\u2019Brien. Time had not permitted for him to seek out Daniels wife, and the facts given to him by Frobisher had indicated that it would have been a waste of his time anyway. He fretted a little about Metcalfe\u2019s whereabouts and wondered if the man could possibly be involved in this latest adventure, or whether it was just a case of time and unforeseen occurrence.<\/p>\n When time permitted he studied what he had been able to obtain about Japan, their culture and traditions. He learned about the treaties that country had made with America, particularly the one negotiated by Commodore Perry on March 31, 1854,* in which Japan had agreed: 1. Peace and friendship between the United States and Japan. 2. Opening of two ports to American ships at Shimoda and Hakodate. 3. Help for any American ships wrecked on the Japanese coast and protection for shipwrecked persons. 4. Permission for American ships to buy supplies, coal, water, and other necessary provisions in Japanese ports.<\/p>\n His officers were efficient, proud of their ship, wary of his ignorance and a little disdainful it seemed (to him) of the fact that he had captained only clipper ships until this expedition. He had done what was usual for him, he had listened, smiled, and learned more as a result.<\/p>\n As he stood on the bridge now he still pondered as to why he was taking this trip to Japan and what it had to do in connection with his friend, O\u2019Brien, and the missing \u2019important personage\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The Bank Manager rose to his feet and shook Ben\u2019s hand before sitting down and indicating that the 3 men do likewise on the other side of the big desk. He sighed, and before Ben could speak tapped the stack of files on his desk,<\/p>\n \u201cI know why you\u2019re here, Ben. I can\u2019t tell you how sorry I am about all this -\u201d he paused, \u201cI was surprised to hear that you had amassed so much debt to be honest as I followed your directions in providing Caleb Shannon with sufficient funds for your bills to be paid directly through him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I don\u2019t understand, Mr Weems, why were you doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Weems looked amazed at Ben\u2019s question and then glanced at Joe and Hoss who were staring at him with such a fixed look on their faces that he began to feel the way a worm would do at the end of a hook confronted by a fish. He ferreted about in a file and produced a letter which he handed over to Ben, then he sat back and waited for the reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d Ben paused, read on a little and then raised his head, \u201cthis is incredible -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat is your signature on the letter, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I agree it is but -\u201d Ben re-read it through, with Hoss and Joe peering over his shoulders to see what was written, in effect it was a letter giving Caleb Shannon Power of Attorney over all Bens money and assets in order to pay sundry bills, outgoings and other concerns necessary until the undersigned (Ben Cartwright) saw fit to change the arrangements which he would do in writing, and here Ben paused and jabbed a finger at the date set down, \u201cI never wrote or signed this letter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve just said that you had,\u201d Weems reminded him.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know that, but I would never give anyone so much power over us. For heavens sake, Weems, do you really know me so little that you could even think for a moment that I would actually give this much authority to ANYONE?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen how is it that your signature is on that letter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is it that you never approached me to ask me about it?\u201d<\/p>\n Weems sat straighter in his chair and raised his chin, he nodded, he paused a moment before he answered,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve every right to ask that, and I accept that I was too trusting -\u201d he bit his lip, \u201cWhen I received the letter I went to Caleb and asked him about it. As you can see from the date you and the boys were away from the Ponderosa at the time, and I knew that from the time Adam had been away at sea you had left me to carry out a lot of these kind of transactions on your behalf. I was surprised – I can remember that – because I thought you were indicating a lack of trust in me, I took it personal.\u201d he frowned, and for a moment must have been reliving the occasion of his interview or altercation with Shannon, for his face was screwed up in concentration, \u201cI was angry at the time and Caleb assured me that it was nothing personal, but as he had acted as your lawyer for many years, and with you not knowing when Adam would be going to sea again, it had been agreed between you that all transactions would be dealt with by him in future. The Power of Attorney was a means to an end -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was that alright,\u201d Hoss growled, \u201che\u2019s been taking our money and making himself a nice little fortune.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he must have known that he would be found out sooner or later,\u201d Joe muttered, \u201cI mean, what was he thinking of?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not interested in what he was thinking of,\u201d Ben growled, \u201cI\u2019m more concerned about the position this has left us in. There\u2019s talk in town that I\u2019m bankrupt -\u201d he narrowed his eyes, \u201cas a result I\u2019ve lost contracts which would have boosted our funds, and some businesses with whom I have an agreement to pay on a quarterly basis are now demanding payment in full. Do I have any funds available to pay off some and keep the others off my back?\u201d<\/p>\n Weems chewed on his bottom lip, and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been checking over the paperwork, and there just aren\u2019t sufficient funds to pay off everyone. Some, perhaps -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you get the money out of Shannon\u2019s account and put it back in our Pa\u2019s account?\u201d suggested Hoss rather naively.<\/p>\n Weems sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cThat wouldn\u2019t be possible. Apart from which I doubt if Mr Shannon would have the money there, he wasn\u2019t building up a nest egg, Hoss, he was spending freely, gambling mostly. I\u2019m afraid, Ben, your money has -\u201d he shrugged \u201cgone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure, absolutely sure?\u201d Ben asked after a silence in which the ticking of the clock on the wall had never seemed so loud.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve checked through the accounts – if you want to go through them with me yourself, then please, feel free to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa? Is there anything we can do?\u201d Joe asked seeing Ben looking rather adrift, as would any man who finds himself betrayed by a man he trusted and left without funds as a result.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Pa, just say the word -\u201d<\/p>\n Ben raised his hand for silence, then looked wearily at Weems,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know that Shannon could be dying at this moment?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI heard,\u201d Weems replied, and his Adam\u2019s apple jerked nervously, \u201cI don\u2019t believe that you shot him though, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm, people could well assume that this was the reason why I would -\u201d Ben scowled, his dark brows beetling above his eyes. He walked over to the window and stared out at the mountains, his mouth clamped tightly together, then he sighed deeply and turned \u201cI want to go through all this paperwork with a fine tooth comb, even if it takes me all week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Roy Coffee adjusted his spectacles and took his seat at the desk facing the sheriff. He placed upon the desk several pieces of paper upon which were scrawled notes in his own hand writing, and signed by several different persons. He jutted out his chin and narrowed his eyes, the light from a lamp shone and reflected from the glass in his spectacles.<\/p>\n \u201cNow then, son, you just read through these here statements I got from several of your deputies and tell me if there be anything you want to change in your own.\u201d he leaned back in the chair, and watched as Thompson picked up the papers and appeared to be reading through them,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand -\u201d he said finally, \u201cthese statements ain\u2019t accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they don\u2019t all agree with what you said, that\u2019s fer sure.\u201d Roy raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, \u201cLook, you just tell me what happened – the truth this time. You see, one deputy says he never even saw Mr Shannon at all until they rode into the Cartwrights yard, but you say that you met Mr Shannon on the way to the Ponderosa and he asked you to keep close by because Ben Cartwright was out to cause trouble. Now, I\u2019ve worked with that thar young deputy and I trust what he sez.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMeaning you don\u2019t trust me?\u201d Thompson said bluntly.<\/p>\n \u201cMeaning his statement don\u2019t agree with your\u2019n, and I tend to favour his.\u201d Roy picked up another piece of paper, \u201cThis statement is from Judd – he\u2019s worked on and off with me in the past, a good man, easily led though. He contradicts himself several times, but mostly he ain\u2019t sure whether he heard one or two shots as they approached the Ponderosa. Your statement said there was only one shot, the one that Ben fired – you say – at Caleb.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the talk in town it turns out he had a good motive for wanting Caleb out of the way.\u201d Thompson stated and stood up, \u201cWhat are you trying to do, old man., discredit my integrity?\u201d<\/p>\n There was a pause as a deputy stepped into the office from the sidewalk, he nodded and smiled at Roy, and then looked at Thompson,<\/p>\n \u201cSheriff, that man they found beat up, they took him in at Miss Armstrongs place -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeems there\u2019s something odd about him, he says his name is Hugh Williamson, but there ain\u2019t be no one by that name signed in at any hotel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe he\u2019s visiting friends or relatives?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, maybe so, ain\u2019t no one come forward claiming they\u2019re missing a relative though -\u201d the deputy scratched the back of his neck, \u201cAnother thing – someone signed into the International and not returned there, fit\u2019s the description of this Williamson fella at Miss Armstrongs.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy sucked his teeth and raised his eyebrows, he pulled the statements back and folded them into his pocket. It was a nuisance getting interrupted like this, but, he mused, he had sure got Matthew Thompson rattled.<\/p>\n Chapter 21<\/p>\n In the cool of the evening of a day that seemed never ending, Joe left the house and walked with down cast heart into the yard. He paused at the corral fence and leaned against the upper bar with his chin resting upon his folded arms. He stared up at the stars and thought about what losing the Ponderosa was going to mean to him. Seeing his father so distressed, his brother so silent, and afraid of his own fears, he found that his thoughts just went over and over the same paths, trod the same way, over and over. He rubbed his face with one hand and shook his head in disbelief at his own anxieties,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n He jumped, startled at the thought that there was someone else outside, someone who may have seen him vulnerable and at odds with himself. He turned,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Victoria. I didn\u2019t realise you were here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI came out to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, to be honest, I don\u2019t really want to talk.\u201d he paused, and looked at her, the daughter of the man who had brought about their ruin.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me or anyone in general?\u201d she replied and stepped a little closer, \u201cI suppose you really meant me, didn\u2019t you? Are you blaming me for what my father is supposed to have done?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no suppose about it, Victoria,\u201d he said very quietly, \u201cNow, if you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019d rather not talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n She twisted her fingers together for a moment before stepping closer,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I\u2019ve no illusions about my father,\u201d her voice faltered as though she were caught up in a memory, then she continued \u201cBut he is dying. I can\u2019t help what my father may or may not have done, but I do appreciate that being here could be an embarrassment to you and your family. Mr Canady came by today and told me about the talk in town, about you all being bankrupt -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not bankrupt -\u201d Joe said with the obstinacy of a child.<\/p>\n \u201cI could arrange for a wagon to be fixed up so that Pa is comfortable, and then we\u2019ll go back home to town.\u201d she frowned slightly, \u201cAt least he can die in his own home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t expect you to do that,\u201d Joe said between gritted teeth, \u201cthe man\u2019s dying and that\u2019s all there is to it. Where he dies -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor Martin gives him a few more days, and he\u2019s heavily sedated so wouldn\u2019t feel anything. Another thing,\u201d her voice became brisk, \u201cI know where my father\u2019s private papers are kept, I could look around and see if there is anything among them that may help you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEven if it proves your father a thief?\u201d Joe frowned, and looked at her in some surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if it proves my father an innocent man.\u201d she responded.<\/p>\n There was silence for a few moments, and it occurred to Joe that this was the first time they had spoken together since she had arrived at the Ponderosa to care for her father. Since that first occasion she had kept to the room in which her father lay, and never intruded upon them. He felt a pang of guilt and reminded himself that this was a young woman caring for a dying man, her father, and he had shown no sympathy, no care.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Victoria, really sorry for the whole thing. I swear my father didn\u2019t shoot yours and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d she said and put her hand on the top bar of the fence, close to where he was leaning, \u201cI know he wouldn\u2019t do that, Joe, he\u2019s too honourable. I don\u2019t think there are many who believe it either.\u201d she looked around her now as the darkening shadows drew closer, \u201cBut I do think that I\u2019d be more help to your family if I went home with my father tomorrow morning. I\u2019ve already got it arranged, I want to do it for you all, and for my father too.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned then and walked quickly back to the house before he could raise any further objections. It entered his mind as he watched her slim figure that Miss Shannon had grown into a very attractive young woman.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Jeffrey Metcalfe woke to a new day where the sun shone brightly through the window and splattered warm gold over the floor. He took a deep breath and realised that he no longer felt any pain, whether that was because he was healing well or from the drugs he had been given he was not sure. He propped himself up on his elbows and squinted slightly in order to get things into focus. He didn\u2019t dare to look up at the ceiling again, once had been more than sufficient.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Williamson?\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor was looking down at him and momentarily Jeffrey\u2019s mind went blank before remembering that he had given an old alias to him, he mustered up a weak smile<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry to be a nuisance,\u201d he muttered, \u201cI – I think I should be getting back to my own rooms now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt if you\u2019ll be able to manage that for a while, Mr Williamson.\u201d Paul frowned, \u201cThe injuries you received are far too severe. I can\u2019t even give you an estimate of just how long you are going to be in this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey frowned, glanced around him and felt panic flutter in his breast, he raised his eyes to the doctor,<\/p>\n \u201cMy belongings – have they been found?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid not,\u201d Paul replied, \u201cI\u2019m afraid that there\u2019s a lot of petty theft going on at present, and -\u201d he paused as the door opened and Peaches stepped into the room balancing a tray of food in her hands, \u201cAh, yes, this is what you need, Mr Williamson, some thing to nourish you and build up your strength.\u201d<\/p>\n He hadn\u2019t realised he was hungry, nor had he realised how weak and tired he was but the food smelt appetising, he leaned back against the pillows and watched as the woman busied herself in getting things set out for him to eat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very grateful to you for your help, Madam.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can call me – Dorothea\u201d she said, and smiled.<\/p>\n He lay there supine, lethargic and continued to watch her while his mind trickled back in time. He had not always been a vengeful person, why, he could remember when he first bore the name of Hugh Williamson, and the sense of pride he felt during the wearing of it, as he performed his duties as a doctor on the Ainola. He frowned, those early days on board the ship had been pleasant ones, the only thing ruining his peace of mind, his sense of being needed and used for a good purpose, was that he had already sold his soul to the devil, that particular devil being Commodore Pelman and the instrument of torture he had used was his, Metcalfe\u2019s, loyalty to the Confederacy.<\/p>\n When had he turned into this angry, vindictive person? He closed his eyes and recalled a conversation he had held with Adam Cartwright when trying to explain what had gone wrong in his life – and as he had tried to recapture the words, and the feelings, he saw in his minds eye the attentive face of the younger man, stricken down, weak and ill, but listening patiently.<\/p>\n Had he hoped for mercy then when he had pleaded his cause to Adam? Had he hoped that the good qualities in that man would strengthen him, absolve him, enable him to return to the person he once had been before Civil War had yawned open its mouth and swallowed him down into the pit of anger and despair?<\/p>\n Someone was beside his bed, and it was the woman, Dorothea, who was smiling down at him, with anxious kindly brown eyes, Metcalfe found himself wishing he could turn back the clock, turn it back many, many years.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Roy Coffee licked the blunt nib of his stubby pencil and laboriously scored through several lines of some writing. His spectacles had wandered down his nose, and his moustache bristled as he pursed his lips in concentration. He didn\u2019t look up when the door opened and then closed with a bang.<\/p>\n \u201cYou here again, old man? What do you want from me this time?\u201d Matthew Thompson\u2019s voice was level, dark, but simmering with anger.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I wanted from you before, young man.\u201d Roy replied, \u201cI want the truth. You see, I got me some more statements -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho from this time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral more men who rode out with you on that thar posse.\u201d Roy raised his very bushy eyebrows and peered at Thompson over the top of his glasses, \u201cAnd other folk who wanted to come forward and make statements about the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat various other folk? There weren\u2019t no other folk involved \u2018cepting Shannon, us and Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFolk tend to hear things, scraps of information about things they hear and things they see. When they get to thinking about it they start putting things together – course, some things don\u2018t add up, but others start fitting neatly together – like, f\u2019instance, this statement here -\u201d he pulled one out of the pile, \u201csays they saw you and Mr McGarthy in deep conversation over at the Albierno\u2019s restaurant and that the name of Caleb Shannon was mentioned several times. That may not mean much to a man with a clean conscience -\u201d he glanced up at Thompson and frowned, \u201chmmm, now that\u2019s interesting.\u201d he muttered and drew a line through some writing on the paper.<\/p>\n \u201cGet out of here,\u201d Thompson leaned over his desk, \u201cGet out of here before I forget my responsibility to uphold law and order around here and take a gun to ya, you meddling old fool.\u201d<\/p>\n Roy got to his feet, slowly picked up his pieces of paper and his hat, and made his way to the door, he paused, turned and looked hard at Thompson before closing the door and stepping out into the main street.<\/p>\n Deputy Judd Barkus frowned and put his hands in his pockets while he considered the conversation he had just overheard. He\u2019d been cleaning out the cells when Roy had come in , but hadn\u2019t bothered to draw attention to himself because he hadn\u2019t wanted to get more involved with Roys questioning than he had, but now, he just got to thinking \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 22<\/p>\n Ben had woken in a sombre mood that morning. The brilliance of the sun was clouded by the dark depression that hung over him as he stood at the window and stared out at the hills. The fact that Caleb Shannon had so betrayed him rankled inside him, for Caleb had been a man he had, to some extent, trusted with everything. If he hadn\u2019t been warned by Adam to watch out for some collaboration between Shannon and McGarthy in this recent situation regarding the mining projects, he would still have been trusting him as much as ever.<\/p>\n He heaved a sigh and bowed his head, the thought of Adam brought back a myriad regrets, the largest of which was the fact that his eldest son was not there to assist them and work along with them to save the land they loved so much. It was bad enough having the threat of the mining operations hanging over their heads, to even imagine the land around Lake Tahoe devastated – he put a hand to his brow and wiped away sweat.<\/p>\n He recalled only too well having signed some papers before they went away some time ago, but then he was always signing papers for one thing or another, that\u2019s what one did when one trusted a legal representative like Shannon. How had Shannon actually managed to do it? All that money? He of all people would have known that the Cartwrights were not really wealthy, not in the strictest sense of the word. They were land rich, cattle and timber, yes, they provided income and work but labour had to be paid for, and the mines still hadn\u2019t really paid such high dividends as yet. But what really hurt more than anything was the question as to why had he done it? What had motivated him to rob his friends? Was Weems correct when he said it was simply to maintain his gambling habits and pay off those debts.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Victoria Shannon reached the bottom of the stairs and paused to glance over at the rancher as he sat at the desk checking through the columns of figures and then checked them with other figures on some papers. But this was no time for delay, she stepped forward and gave a slight cough, she had to cough again before he glanced up, his dark eyes surprised at seeing her standing there.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Victoria?\u201d he stood up, a memory filtered through his mind and he nodded, \u201cOf course, you were going to -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no need, sir, my father wants to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo see me?\u201d Ben\u2019s voice was deep with surprise, \u201cIs he recovering?\u201d<\/p>\n She merely shook her head, and looked as though she were unable to speak, so Ben hurriedly rose to his feet with the fear that Caleb would die before he could reach him, and followed her up the stairs to their room.<\/p>\n Caleb Shannon was clearly dying, the colour of his flesh, the way it sagged in folds from his livid face, the trembling hands and that indefinable smell that preludes death made the event all too prevalent. Ben faltered at the door and looked at Victoria, then together they stepped into the room and up to the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cBen?\u201d<\/p>\n The trembling hands reached out towards him, grasped at the warm flesh of the rancher\u2019s hands and held them so tightly that Ben actually winced,<\/p>\n \u201cBen – I\u2019m sorry – not a good friend to you -\u201d the hoarse words were barely audible but both occupants in the room heard them adequately well, Ben glanced at Victoria who gave an imperceptible nod of the head.<\/p>\n \u201cCaleb, you know I didn\u2019t shoot you, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n There was no answer, the man\u2019s breathing was harsh and laboured, the eyes rolling in their sockets.<\/p>\n \u201cCaleb, say something – I don\u2019t want you to die before letting Victoria know I didn\u2019t shoot you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs Victoria here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m here, father.\u201d she stepped closer to him, \u201cI\u2019ve been here all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForgive me, daughter. Forgive me.\u201d a tear leaked from his eye, the heavy lids closed and the breathing became more shallow, \u201cBen, I know you were a good friend – I\u2019m sorry – I – you didn\u2019t shoot me – I told Thompson -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you tell Thompson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWinnemucca – not good – Ben – McGarthy -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes – what about McGarthy?\u201d<\/p>\n There was a long slow release of breath, then nothing more. Ben released the other mans grip on his hands and then turned to Victoria who was standing by the bed looking down at her father with a blank expression on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, my dear, you must -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Mr Cartwright, there\u2019s no need for you to spend time being concerned about me.\u201d she looked at the rancher and smiled gently, placed her hand upon his arm, \u201cYou don\u2019t seem to realise, Mr Cartwright, that not all fathers are like you.\u201d then she looked back down at the dead man and shook her head, \u201cNo, some men don\u2019t even know how to be fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a sad thing to say,\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, isn\u2019t it?\u201d she gave the slightest of shrugs, and raised her eyebrows \u201cEven more sad is the fact that it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n She picked up the corner of the sheet and raised it carefully to cover Caleb Shannon\u2019s face. Then she looked at Ben and smiled slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make arrangements for him to be taken from the house. Thank you so much for providing this room for us while – while -\u201d she paused, unable to find the right word, then with a frown shook her head and walked to the door where she turned to look back at him, \u201cI knew you hadn\u2019t shot my father, but I\u2019m glad he was able to confirm it, for your own peace of mind.\u201d and then she left the room.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n McGarthy looked around him at the men seated in the high backed chairs around the highly polished table. When he lowered his eyes he could see their reflections in the wood as clearly as though in a mirror. It gave him some small satisfaction that he had these men dancing attendance upon him,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve just had it confirmed, gentlemen. Ben Cartwright has had to take out a mortgage on the Ponderosa to cover his debts. Imagine it -\u201d he leaned forward \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t pay the money due by the end of the month the Ponderosa goes up for sale. We won\u2019t have to worry about just mining pockets of land that Cartwright once owned, we\u2019ll be able to take our pick at any time we wish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat depends on whether or not he can pay the mortgage.\u201d Murdoch said, \u201cAnd if he can\u2019t, whether we can -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he won\u2019t be able to raise that money in so short a time period. If he goes over the end of the month the interest will be exorbitant, he\u2019ll never be able to buy the Ponderosa back. As for us – I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be able to muster up the funds easily enough between us all.\u201d he leaned back in his chair, and allowed his eyes to flick from one face to the other. Not one man there looked quite as smug as he felt, and for some reason, that really irritated him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026 \u201cVery well, Roy, I agree entirely with you\u201d he put down the papers and thought over what he had read, mulled over what the deputies had discussed with him and remembered the stoic integrity of Roy Coffee when he had been sheriff. He now leaned forward towards them, \u201cRoy, would you agree to being sworn in as sheriff and serving as such for another term? I can\u2019t think of a man I would rather have as sheriff right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Mr Bradley, I\u2019ve been retired a while now and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou chose to retire, Roy, there was no reason for you to do so except your own estimation of your own worth, which, in my opinion and the opinion of many others, was singularly wanting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes that mean I can go and arrest that young whipper snapper sitting in my office right now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt does – once I\u2019ve officially sworn you in that is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Matthew Thompson was browsing through some wanted posters when the door to the office opened. He turned his head, saw Roy, and chose to ignore him, resuming his perusal of the posters instead.<\/p>\n \u201cYou might as well go home, old man, there ain\u2019t nothing here for you.\u201d he sneered.<\/p>\n The door closed sharply, and again he turned his head to look at Roy and it was then he noticed the sheriff\u2019s badge pinned on Roy\u2019s vest, and behind Roy were Judd Barkus and Vinnie Tylor, both cradling rifles in their arms and looking at Thompson as though he were a lesser form of life.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here -\u201d he rose to his feet slowly, his hand hovering towards his gun which was still on the desk where he had placed it only a short while earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave it right there, Thompson, and take that star off\u2019n your shirt front. You ain\u2019t deserving to wear it any longer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat right -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvery right. Mayor Bradley just swore me in and my first duty as sheriff is to arrest you for the attempted murder of Caleb Shannon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean \u2026 I didn\u2019t murder anyone, or attempt to either for that matter\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to tell your story to the circuit judge when he comes round in a few weeks time, Thompson, seeing as how you won\u2019t tell me the truth about anything I jest plain gotta accept what folk tell me in their statements and act on them. Mostly they point to you as being the one behind Shannon\u2019s shooting.\u201d Roy moved further into the room, \u201cNow, then, you know where the cells are, you jest go head towards them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI tell you I didn\u2019t do anything -\u201d Thompson yelled in fury as the three men advanced towards him, \u201cJudd, you were there, tell him, go on, tell him I didn\u2019t do no shooting.\u201d<\/p>\n Judd Barkus preferred to say nothing, he merely scowled and flexed his shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you before, Thompson, I only want you to tell me the truth, and when all\u2019s said and done, that\u2019s always the best way.\u201d Roy turned the key in the lock and paused a moment to look through the bars at his prisoner, \u201cI\u2019ll be waiting, when you got something to say, that\u2019s worth listening to, jest call.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 23<\/p>\n News of Caleb Shannons death spread through the town like a prairie fire and by the time Victoria Shannon, accompanied by the Cartwrights arrived at the Undertakers, quite a small crowd had gathered to catch a morbid glimpse of the proceedings. Taking Victoria by the elbow Ben carefully led her through the crowd which parted to allow them admittance before closing in upon them once they had passed through the doors of Harpers building. The undertaker\u2019s closed wagon with its sombre contents had gone round to the back where Harper had his workshop and \u2018Chapel of Rest\u2019.<\/p>\n Joe and Hoss glanced at one another, dismounted from their horses and without a word made their way to the bank. Both of them were nervous and rather fidgety, Joe nearly dropped his hat as he stepped into the Manager\u2019s office.<\/p>\n \u201cTake a seat, Joe, Hoss.\u201d Weems indicated where they could sit before resuming his own well padded leather chair, he steepled his fingers together and looked at them both as they sat looking rather nervously at one another and then at him, \u201cWhat can I do for you, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, you see, sir, it\u2019s like this -\u201d Hoss licked his lips, his mouth was so dry he could have gulped down a gallon of beer as easy as winking, \u201cWhat exactly is the situation with regard to Pa\u2019s money. I mean I know you said he had to take out a mortgage to pay off them thar bills and such, but what does that leave him with?\u201d<\/p>\n Weems raised his eyebrows and leaned back further into his chair,<\/p>\n \u201cHasn\u2019t your father discussed this with you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr well,\u201d Joe now took up the narrative, \u201cYou see, Mr Weems, there are some things that we prefer not to discuss with our dear Papa, especially when the guy who stole his money just died in the bedroom upstairs and – and so, you see, we wanted to know how we stand right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight now?\u201d Weems frowned, \u201cWell, the bills have been paid till the end of the month. That\u2019s all come out of what your father had in the account and from the mortgage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat means -\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cThat when the mortgage is due for payment Pa won\u2019t have any money in his account to pay towards it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he\u2019s hoping to get some contracts set up again and money paid in advance -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat won\u2019t work,\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cIt won\u2019t be enough, and there ain\u2019t the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I thought, and no doubt something your father is considering at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Weems, Hoss and I were talking about this, and we want to withdraw our money from our accounts and have that money available for the mortgage. Could you do that for us?\u201d<\/p>\n Weems bowed his head and rather regally rose from his chair to walk to some files, he picked up two and brought them back to the desk, sat down and opened them. It was fairly obvious to anyone that he had already looked through the accounts and knew every dime and nickel there. He looked up,<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t clear the mortgage, but it\u2019ll go a long way towards payment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much exactly?\u201d Hoss ventured to ask.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout a third.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA third?\u201d both men repeated and then looked at one another in dismay, \u201cIs that all?\u201d Joe murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s better than nothing,\u201d came the somewhat clich\u00e9 of a response as Weems closed the files, \u201cDo you want me to transfer the money over?\u201d<\/p>\n They nodded glumly, \u201cThat leaves us with two thirds of the money to find.\u201d Joe sighed, \u201cAnd not much time in which to do it. What will happen if we can\u2019t raise the money?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe bank will foreclose on the mortgage and the Ponderosa becomes the property of the First National Bank and its shareholders. Or -\u201d he paused, \u201cit could become the property of anyone who can pay the mortgage off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Judd Barkus was the one who told Matthew Thompson that Caleb Shannon was dead. He stood at some distance from the bars of the cell when he mentioned it, knowing how long Thompson\u2019s arms were, and how quick his temper was, so he was somewhat surprised when Matthew merely groaned and buried his face in his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t kill him.\u201d he protested in a mumble through his fingers, \u201cI didn\u2019t. You go and tell that old fool out there I didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t talk about Roy in that way, Matthew, he\u2019s a good sheriff and a good man. You should have more respect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I were dead!\u201d was the only response he got to that comment.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cDead?\u201d Liam McGarthy looked at Peaches with a frown, and then turned away from her, \u201cThen why doesn\u2019t the sheriff arrest Ben Cartwright for his murder?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHadn\u2019t you heard, Liam, Matthew Thompson isn\u2019t sheriff any longer, Mayor Bradley has sworn in Roy Coffee for another term in office.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRoy Coffee?\u201d Liam shook his head, \u201cHe works hand in glove with the Cartwrights, he won\u2019t arrest Ben, he\u2019ll just poodle along and pretend it never happened. It\u2019ll be brushed under the carpet like all those other things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat other things?\u201d she walked slowly over to a mirror and adjusted a curl above her ear, and then another stray curl, while all the time her eyes were fixed on his reflection.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, you know, those other times when a Cartwright should have been locked up for murder. What about – about that time Adam Cartwright shot down Ross Marquette, f\u2019instance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was proven to be self defence, Liam, and remember Ross had just murdered his own wife. Delphine died in Adam\u2019s arms, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you know that? For all we know he could have murdered her too -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh Liam, you don\u2019t mean that,\u201d she turned and looked at him, a frown furrowing her brow, \u201cWhat is this all about, really? Can\u2019t you tell me?\u201d she walked slowly towards him, and put her arms around his neck, \u201cYou can trust me, you know that, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment she thought he would trust her, and that whatever involvement he had in Caleb\u2019s death would be revealed, but instead he put his hands on her arms and pushed her away,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t trust anyone, not any more.\u201d he growled, \u201cJust go away, Peaches, just go away and leave me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, are you going to hang for someone else\u2019s dirty work?\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson looked up and saw Roy standing on the other side of the bars, the spectacles on his nose, the pale blue eyes looking kindly over at him and the gruff voice holding a note of sympathy. He looked down rather than look at the homely figure any more, and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that,\u201d Roy said, and cradled the mug of coffee between his hands, he looked down at it and his shaggy eye brows arched slightly, \u201cBut you connived at it, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you knew I didn\u2019t do it -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re an accomplice. You\u2019re where you should be now. Mind you, it\u2019ll go well with you if\u2019n you speak up and tell me what you know. Or would you rather I told you what I know, then you can fit in the missing pieces -\u201d he jutted out his jaw, and the bristles of his moustache stuck out like those of an old walrus, \u201cFirst off – you get to hear tell that Mr Shannon\u2019s going to see Ben Cartwright with a view to visiting Winnemucca about the land at Papoose Peak, ain\u2019t that right?\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson shook his head, whether in denial of the fact or not was not clear, but Roy merely continued with his dialogue.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was suggested that you followed Shannon to the Ponderosa and got someone to shoot him, not necessarily to kill him, just prevent him and Ben going to Winnemucca. Ain\u2019t that right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you already know so much why ask me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I want you to name the person who wanted to frame Ben, and who\u2019s sitting back right now letting you take the rap for Shannon\u2019s murder.\u201d Roy paused to let the words sink into the other man\u2019s brain, he pulled out a wad of papers and slowly sifted through them, wetting his thumb and going one by one through the pile, \u201cAh, here\u2019s an interesting comment – \u2018I recall that there were seven of us started off outa town just after Mr Shannon had left and we met up with him but only the sheriff talked to him. I didn\u2019t notice at the time but on thinking about it, when we got to the Ponderosa and there was a gun shot, I realised that we were missing a man. There was another gun shot -\u201d\u201d Roy glanced up, \u201cSee there, ain\u2019t that interesting, two gun shots just like Ben Cartwright said all along – \u201cand then as we rode back to town with Mr Cartwright I realised that we were back to the seven men again.\u201d\u201d Roy slipped the papers back into his pocket.<\/p>\n Thompson shook his head, covered his face with his hands, and Roy calmly sipped some of his coffee,<\/p>\n \u201cNow then, I find that a mighty interesting statement, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright.\u201d Thompson looked up and slowly rose to his feet, \u201cLook, I didn\u2019t\u2019 want to hurt the old man, but McGarthy wanted Cartwright out of the way, to stop him talking to Winnemucca. He\u2019s had good results on an assayers report about gold in Papoose Peak, and he wanted to get there but with Winnemucca involved he knew the investors wouldn\u2019t touch it until there was a cast iron guarantee that the Paiutes wouldn\u2019t get all riled up about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my men went ahead to the Ponderosa when I stopped to talk to Shannon, I tried to persuade him to turn back but the old fool wouldn\u2019t – he wasn\u2019t sure who he was more scared of, McGarthy or Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo who exactly shot Shannon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTom Seidler.\u201d he sighed, \u201che\u2019s one of McGarthy\u2019s men, it was McGarthy who set it up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut with your consent -\u201d Roy murmured slowly, and without another word he walked back to his office, closing the door behind him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Julian Frobisher stood on the sidewalk outside the Internationale Hotel and pursed his lips. It had changed so much. It had been a huddle of shanty buildings, lop sided tarpaulin draped saloons, and a few sturdy stores and houses. He shook his head, what a difference in a few years, but even so it was still just a pale imitation of what had happened in San Francisco.<\/p>\n He signed the register and was about to put down his address when he noticed the name several lines above his own. He froze, glanced at the address given alongside the name and felt his mouth run dry. It was possible that there was some error, of course, but Miss Brooks had definitely said that Jeffrey Metcalfe was using a pseudonym and now \u2026 here it was, that very name in black ink on the register.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this gentleman still resident in the hotel?\u201d he asked politely.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sort of – I mean, he booked in and the following day he disappeared. Haven\u2019t seen him since.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know why he was here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir – very quiet gentleman in fact. The only thing he mentioned, or rather, the only person he mentioned was Captain Cartwright, that\u2019s Ben Cartwright\u2019s eldest son, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n So it was him, Frobisher thought as he mounted the stairs to his room. The man who had caused Mrs O\u2019Brien so much distress and the other young woman a certain degree of heart ache. He also knew enough about Jeffrey Metcalfe and his connection with the Pelman case that had involved Adam not so long back as it had been his firm of lawyers that had been hired to defend Adam in court.. But now as he approached his hotel room his mind went back to Maria O\u2019Brien, and as he put the key in the lock of the room, he was transported back to the day when he had watched an elderly nun do exactly the same to the room in which Maria slept.<\/p>\n He and Martha had been gentle with her, had talked to her and listened to what she had to say but in the end she had refused to leave the safe haven of the hospital and the nuns she now trusted. They had had no choice but to leave her with them on the understanding that Martha Frobisher would visit every day in an attempt to build up some confidence between them and perhaps get her to return to their home. That had left Julian to travel to Virginia City alone, and all the talk en route had been about Ben Cartwright\u2019s impending bankruptcy and attempted murder of an important town personage.<\/p>\n It beggared belief, but confirmed all the fears that Adam Cartwright had conveyed to the old family friend the day he had left America.<\/p>\n Chapter 24<\/p>\n \u201c 35\u00b027’N, 139\u00b028’E. helmsman\u201d*<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n The quietness of the words fell softly in the afternoon sun, the sea was calm, the sky blue overhead. On the bridge Adam watched as the helmsman adjusted his bearings and the great ship moved effortlessly on course. He allowed himself a slight smile, and then turned to face the waters ahead. He had learned a lot about his ship over the course of the past days, and one of the lessons was that of appreciation for its seaworthiness. The crew worked well together, some of them having crewed for the Boston on other occasions, and all of them were respectful of their new Captain.<\/p>\n Sometimes at night when he had woken during his sleep he had thought himself on the Ainola again, and waited for the familiar smell of wood, varnish, pitch to assail his nostrils, instead there were the mechanical smells, the oil and the coal, the smell of men confined to a small area, the clean fresh smells of sea and salt.<\/p>\n Jonathan Masterton appeared at his elbow,<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, cook says your meal is ready in your cabin, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Masterton.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t look at the boy, his eyes were strained to focus on the dot of land ahead, birds were beginning to circle, a sure sign of land. He nodded, they were on course, and all was well. They had passed the Hawaiin Islands some days past, having no need to stop there for any reason their course had been forwards towards the islands of Japan.<\/p>\n In the Captain\u2019s cabin the first officer, Lieutenant Myers waited along with Dr. James Royale, both of whom had been invited to join Adam for lunch. Myers stood with his back to the door, looking out of the port hole and observing to the doctor that they had had a fairly smooth run of it since leaving \u2018Frisco when Adam entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI was saying to the doctor that we have had a smooth run from leaving \u2018Frisco, sir.\u201d Myers commented as Adam indicated that they should take their seats to eat, \u201cYou\u2019ve not really had the chance to see the Boston at her best, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I suppose not,\u201d Adam smiled, and waited for Collins to serve the soup.<\/p>\n Talk lapsed into commonplace subjects, the doctor observed that there had been very little in the way of sicknesses and injuries during the voyage much to his satisfaction, and Myers mentioned that the men had all worked well. Adam sighed, finished his soup and hoped that when the main course came along the conversation would be more lively.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you serve under Pelman, doctor?\u201d Myers asked innocently enough and then paused, gulped and glanced up at Adam, \u201cEr, you knew Commodore Pelman, I believe, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm, in a manner of speaking -\u201d Adam nodded and glanced at the doctor who was looking embarrassed, \u201cDid you serve under him then, Doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, when he was a first lieutenant many years ago.\u201d James recalled and waited for Collins to remove his plate, \u201cHe was a good officer, and a fair man.\u201d he frowned, \u201cI never thought he would deviate from anything other than that but it would seem I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAmbition can spur us on to many a wrong course,\u201d Adam said, regarding the mutton on his plate rather thoughtfully, \u201cMutton, Collins?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. Cook\u2019s own recipe -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, smiled and commenced to regale his officers about a time when a sheep herder decided to bring sheep onto the Ponderosa, and why there was such antipathy between the sheep herders and the ranchers on the western plains. The meal slipped into laughter and pleasantries, and the mutton was eaten heartily, washed down with sufficient wine to help it along.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n It had been the most miserable of weeks as Ben Cartwright struggled to get together the finances needed for payment of the mortgage. Weems had attempted to cajole the President and Chairman of the bank to lengthen the time period in order to accommodate the rancher but they were not in the mood to be conciliatory, seeing it an opportunity to gain their pound of flesh from a man whom they both respected and feared.<\/p>\n Ben knew that the animosity went back as far as the time when he was put forward as a nominee for Governor of the foundling territory, and his stepping down from the race had, in some way, breached whatever friendship had existed between himself and the Banks founding family. But that was in the past and his hopes of an extension to the loan period were sadly dashed.<\/p>\n Julian Frobisher\u2019s appearance in Virginia City had been a comforting presence. He had stayed at the ranch for some days, carefully going through the papers and procedures in case Ben had missed out on anything. Victoria Shannon had arrived the morning after her father\u2019s funeral with not only the deeds and bond signed by Winnemucca but with an ample amount of money that she had found in her father\u2019s safe.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t take this, my dear.\u201d Ben had said sincerely as she placed the money in his hands, \u201cYou\u2019ll need it yourself, for your future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease, Mr Cartwright. I would really be very grateful to you if you would take it. Don\u2019t you see that this money could well be yours anyway? I can\u2019t possibly keep it knowing that my father took it from you, how could you expect me to do so? Please do take it.\u201d and she pressed it firmly back into his hands.<\/p>\n Joe stood up and drew closer, he glanced from the girl to his father and when his father was about to hand the money back he put a hand on his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cPa, do as Victoria said, she\u2019s right in what she says, she wouldn\u2019t be able to keep it knowing it really was yours.\u201d<\/p>\n She flashed him a rather tremulous smile, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Joe, I knew you would understand.\u201d she had turned then to Ben, stood on tip toe and kissed his cheek, \u201cThank you, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n Julian Frobisher had suggested making a list of all those who had rallied around to provide gifts of money – on loan – for the Cartwrights to make up the mortgage. That way, he said, should they not need their gifts, they can all be returned to those friends and neighbours who had no wish to see the Ponderosa sold to the highest bidder.<\/p>\n But now here was the day of reckoning. Julian Frobisher had returned to town the previous day (and still had no idea where Jeffrey Metcalfe had disappeared to), while the Cartwrights sat out the hours to noon when they would go into town to pay what money they possessed towards the mortgage. Each one knew that the sum available did not match with the sum required.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here?\u201d Ben looked around at the considerable number of men who lined the track into Virginia City. He looked over at Candy Canady, who nudged his horse forwards to meet his employer, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on, Candy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s like this -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCut to the point, son, what is this all about?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe now moved Cochise forward and turned him towards his father, he glanced at Candy and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cWe ain\u2019t going to let anyone take the Ponderosa from us, Pa. This is our land, we sweated blood over it, we\u2019ve lost blood over it, Ma\u2019s buried on it, and we don\u2019t intend to let any little man who happens to own a bank take it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right, Pa.\u201d Hoss now urged Chubb forward, \u201cWe\u2019ve got our men all ready to fight anyone who comes by to take it from us. A scrappy bit of paper don\u2019t mean nothing. We were prepared to fight to keep the miners off our land, and by heck, we\u2019re prepared to fight the legal men off our land too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so?\u201d Ben frowned, and looked at the men who were lined up resolute, stern of face, all armed with rifles, pistols. He shook his head, \u201cI\u2019m grateful to you all, but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo but\u2019s, Pa. The Ponderosa belongs to us, it ain\u2019t going to be handed over to anyone else and that\u2019s a fact.\u201d Hoss thrust out his jaw, looking like a belligerant bull dog.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Cartwright, Winnemucca\u2019s riding down with a party of Paiute. They don\u2019t want anyone taking the land either.\u201d Candy murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Are you mad?\u201d Ben cried, \u201cYou\u2019ll have to go and stop him, I don\u2019t want a war on my land just because -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust because of some one wanting more money than we\u2019ve got just now?\u201d Joe added, \u201cIf we had a few more weeks we could have raised the full sum. You know that we could have done, Pa, and so do they – those faceless men who sit at their desks and rubber stamp everything and expect us to just do as we\u2019re told. Well, Cartwrights don\u2019t get pushed around, we never have, and if they\u2019re not prepared to wait those few weeks, then we\u2019ll make them.\u201d his voice softened, \u201cNo one wants a war, Pa, we just want them to be reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked over the assembly of men with an anxious eye, then he nodded, looked at his sons, at Candy, and with a jerk of the wrist turned Buck towards town. As he rode forwards it sounded as though an army were riding behind him, he felt his heart surge with pride, even a jubilation that his men, and some neighbours, felt this strongly about the matter, but at the same time the logistics of it all, rang a death knoll in his brain.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n It was a strange feeling being in the big office with the big round table at which Mr Weems, Julian Frobisher, Howard Baxter and Ben, Joe and Hoss Cartwright were seated.<\/p>\n Howard Baxter was the lawyer representing the bank and he put forward the fact that despite a significant amount of money being placed on the table by the Cartwrights, it did not redeem the mortgage. They fell short by several thousand dollars.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a few measly dollars,\u201d Joe jumped up like a jack rabbit, \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, you\u2019re going to sell us out for a few measly dollars?\u201d he thumped his fist on the table, \u201cWell, why can\u2019t you just wait a while so that we can raise that money, it\u2019s not impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben grabbed at his sons arm and pulled him down, he looked at Hoss\u2019 face and could see the big man struggling to control his emotions. He himself had gone hot and cold, felt the sweat break out down his back, and the collar tighten around his throat, but he knew he had to be rational, calm, he licked his lips,<\/p>\n \u201cHoward, isn\u2019t there any way that an extension could be allowed us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve consulted our employers, Ben, they refuse to budge. They said you signed the agreement for a fixed date. If you don\u2019t pay at a certain time, on a certain day, the Ponderosa goes up for sale to the highest bidder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd,\u201d Weems piped up, \u201cwe are already an hour past the time allocated. I\u2019m sorry, Ben, I know it must seem very unfair, especially as this loss is all due to a criminal act on the part of Shannon. If we could have recovered the money from him in time, all the money I mean, then there would have been no problem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe won\u2019t give up the Ponderosa without a fight.\u201d Hoss said quietly, in a very dignified manner, and he drew in his breath, and placed his clenched fists upon the table, \u201cI swear, I\u2019ll tear apart the first man who tries -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Hoss,\u201d Ben placed a hand on his son\u2019s arm, \u201cThat\u2019s enough now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen,\u201d Julian now stood up, he placed a leather briefcase on the table, \u201cBen -\u201d he looked at his friend with a pale but resolute face, \u201cthis matter isn\u2019t a case of fighting for rights with guns and fists anymore, it\u2019s about lawyers and courts.\u201d he looked at Weems and Howard Baxter, \u201cI think these gentlemen have something to say to you, Ben.\u201d<\/p>\n Weems went rather pale, and then blushed to the roots of his head, but Howard Baxter who had never liked the Cartwrights in any shape or form, was made of sterner stuff, he stood up, and opened the briefcase and took from it some documents,<\/p>\n \u201cWe were made an offer yesterday, which has been accepted. The Bank, being the owner of the Ponderosa from the hour of 1 p.m. on this date, has accepted the offer made -\u201d he looked at the stricken faces of the three men, and nodded, \u201cAs Mr Frobisher said, Ben, this is the time for lawyers and courts, etcetera, and you have to get up very early in the morning to beat them.\u201d he hastily added his signature to a paper and handed it to Frobisher, who looked at it, nodded, and placed it with the other documents in the suitcase.<\/p>\n Ben went purple, he rose to his feet and clenched his fists and turned to Julian<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew about this deal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ben, I knew about it. I knew that you could never meet the deadline, so I clinched the deal on behalf of my client.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYOUR Client?\u201d Ben shouted. \u201cYOUR Client!\u201d he grabbed at Julian\u2019s shirt front, and pulled him closer so that their faces were only inches apart, \u201cYou tell your client that if he steps one foot on my land I\u2019ll blast his head off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that goes for me too.\u201d Joe muttered, feeling too stunned at the enormity of what was happening to be able to feel anything but shock.<\/p>\n Hoss had had to sit back down, his legs had gone weak. The thought of life without the Ponderosa was like a newborn babe being thrown out into the snow during a blizzard. Everything he loved – gone. The tears welled up in his eyes and overflowed. Unashamed he put his hands to his face and wept.<\/p>\n In a very dignified manner Julian pulled himself free and straightened his shoulders. He turned to face Weems and Howard Baxter who were attempting a rapid departure from the room,<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen, would you please remain seated. There is more to this matter than you realise. Mr Cartwright, Ben -\u201d he looked at Ben and drew in a deep breath, \u201cI am sorry that I acted in a somewhat under handed manner towards you, there was nothing else I could do in order to save the Ponderosa for you. You see, what Mr Weems and Mr Baxter have neglected to mention to you is that there was already another deal on the table, a consortium of mining organisations had the money and the papers ready for signing yesterday. My buyer had to move in earlier to make sure they didn\u2019t succeed in getting it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand -\u201d Ben said as he slowly settled back onto his chair, \u201cWhat are you getting at?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMcGarthy and several others had already got the money ready to pay off the mortgage, to buy the Ponderosa from under your feet, Ben. You would have come in here and gone through all this only to have found that you didn\u2019t own the land anyway, they already had it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstead your buyer has it – am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Julian held up a hand to quell the reaction, he took out a piece of paper and put it on the table in front of Ben, \u201cThis is a receipt for the sum of -\u201d he paused, \u201cHow much money have you in your pockets, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWha- at?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much money do you have in your pockets?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben fidgeted, muttered under his breath, and pulled out several dollars, some loose change which he put on the table.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Weems, please count the money.\u201d<\/p>\n Weems swallowed hard, counted the money and it totalled $5 dollars, ten cents. Julian wrote down the amount on the receipt and signed it, then handed it to Ben. He then produced a document which he put on the table,<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would sign here, Ben, and if Mr Weems and Mr Baxter could sign below his name as witnesses please.\u201d<\/p>\n It was like a pantomime. Ben felt as though he were going through the actions in some kind of dream. He scrawled his name, watched Weems and Baxter add theirs, and then watched as Julian put the document in a large envelope, and placed it with the other papers in the suitcase. This he locked. He stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cBen, for the sum of $5 dollars and ten cents, you have bought back your Ponderosa. Congratulations.\u201d and he smiled, extended his hand which Ben, rather confused, accepted.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t understand what\u2019s happened.\u201d Joe muttered and turned to Hoss, \u201cDo you?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shook his head, and looked at the other men in the room. Weems and Baxter were looking red faced and talking fast together, Weems then turned and protested that what had happened wasn\u2019t legal but Julian countered it with the fact that what they had intended to do the previous day hadn\u2019t been legal either and the new owner had every right to dispose of his property as and when he wished for as much or as little as he wished.<\/p>\n Ben remained seated, his chin resting on his chest, and his dark brows furrowed, once they were alone with Julian he asked the question Julian had been anticipating :<\/p>\n \u201cWho was it, Julian? Who was the owner of the Ponderosa for the past 24 hours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Ben, my client asked me not to reveal his name.\u201d he extended his hand again, \u201cNo hard feelings, Ben?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled, whether he suspected who the buyer had been he never said, he just decided to bide his time and find out at a more appropriate time.<\/p>\n But the Ponderosa was safe – it was theirs – and all for the sum of $5 and 10 cents.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Daniel O\u2019Brien leaned his head back against the wall, and closed his eyes. The chain around his neck felt heavier than ever before, and those around his wrists had chaffed his flesh until they were bleeding. He knew that he was better off than some who had been incarcerated much longer than he or Hampton, but at the same time he couldn\u2019t help but wonder if he had the stamina to last much longer. He tried to recall Maria\u2019s face, to conjure up her beauty to refresh and restore his spirit, but it only shimmered for a moment like some transient mirage. He could have wept \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 25<\/p>\n The stagecoach may not have been the most comfortable way to travel now that the V&T railway *was installed, but Julian preferred it by choice. He was about to put his foot on the step and enter the vehicle when he saw Ben approaching him and with a rather weary sigh, stepped back down again, and patiently waited for his old friend to catch him up.<\/p>\n \u201cYou weren\u2019t going to leave without saying good bye, surely?\u201d Ben smiled his warm generous smile and extended his hand which Julian took warmly in both of his own.<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t intended to,\u201d Julian replied watching with some trepidation as the driver throw his belongings into the back of the coach.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe you a lot, Julian, I wanted to thank you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, well, that\u2019s alright, Ben. You\u2019ve thanked me enough -\u201d Julian nodded, looked at the stage coach and turned to enter it, but Ben plucked at his sleeve to detain him a while longer, he paused, waited.<\/p>\n \u201cJulian, can we have a few minutes in private.\u201d<\/p>\n Julian pursed his lips, it just had to happen, it was inevitable, he knew as sure as eggs were eggs that Ben would have to ask THE question \u2026 he nodded and stepped back against the wall of the depot, looked around him, and knew this was as private as it would ever get. Ben leaned forward,<\/p>\n \u201cI really have to know who the buyer was -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? What difference does it make?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of difference, Julian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn what way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Ben scratched his nose and folded his arms across his chest, \u201cWell, I don\u2019t like feeling obligated to anyone. Now, if I don\u2019t know who it is who – er – bought the Ponderosa and then very kindly gave it back -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSold it back -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well, if you want to put it that way,\u201d Ben tugged at his ear lobe. \u201cI don\u2019t want to live out the rest of my life knowing that there is someone out here to whom I owe so much. It\u2019ll drive me crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n Julian nodded, he knew without doubt that Ben would not rest until he had found out for himself who had been the mysterious provider, he would scratch around and probably come up with the wrong answer and have to live with it for the rest of his life. Julian tweaked Ben\u2019s arm and drew him closer into the shadows of the building,<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s think of a hypothetical situation -\u201dhe said, and looked at Ben<\/p>\n \u201cHypothetical? Alright, hypothetical it is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA man comes to me and tells me that he knows for sure that his family are going to get into dire difficulties very soon. He knows for a fact that certain businessmen in his locality have their eye on some land and have every intention of getting it, by fair or foul means. He has thought the matter over and felt that the only way he could help his family is by putting all his assets in one basket, so to speak, and to hand the basket over to a trusted friend so that should the family need financial assistance it would be there to bail them out. To ensure that no one could claim the land back at any time he contrives a way of selling the land back to them \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. So this – hypothetical – person has sold all his assets?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything he has, shares in various businesses, mining propositions, engineering – and he has a large amount of money from his employers which he hadn\u2019t dipped into for over – well – for a long time. Plus other assets that we don\u2019t need to mention as this is purely hypothetical, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis hypothetical person sure has been busy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, his friend was for some time.\u201d Julian smiled, \u201cThis hypothetical person tends to sit back and observe people, as a result he is rather cynical and distrustful by nature – particularly of some rich fat businessmen in town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like someone I know \u2026\u201d Ben smiled now.<\/p>\n \u201cBen – this is strictly hypothetical remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, and no doubt, highly confidential?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely. Now, I must go, the coach is about to go without me. Goodbye, Ben. Take care.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks again, Julian, for all your hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n Frobisher leaned back against the seat of the stagecoach and sighed thoughtfully. He wondered whether or not he had been wise to have told Ben as much as he had, even if he had disguised it a little in lawyer jargon. Still, at the end of the day, he had done what he could to follow his client\u2019s requests.<\/p>\n As the stage rumbled out of the depot and he waved a last farewell to his friend from the window of the vehicle, Julian was reminded of Adam\u2019s last words as he was about to leave his office all those weeks earlier:<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is, Julian, when a man goes away to sea there is never any guarantee that he will return home, so shouldn\u2019t he do all that he possibly can to use what assets he has to help his family? Of course, there is also the thought that upon returning, he wants his home to still be there -.\u201d and he had smiled, and the brown eyes had twinkled beneath the arched brows.<\/p>\n Chapter 26<\/p>\n The Boston entered into Edo Bay* with gentle ease. Standing at the bridge Adam watched as the busy town drew closer with a curiosity based on many who encountered a new country for the first time. He had spent evenings studying the culture and traditions of these people, and, with his customary inquisitive nature now thought over the facts he had learnt and allied them with the sights he now beheld.<\/p>\n He knew that Tokyo was known formerly as Edo, and that the first shogun Leyasu Tokugawa had st about building it into a fortified city in 1590. It had grown powerful during the centuries despite being hidden away from the rest of the world until Commodore Perry had sailed off the coast of Edo. Terrified citizens had thought the fleet of four ships billowing black smoke were floating volcanoes and fear had led to a mass exodus from the city. With patient diplomacy Perry had negotiated a treaty with the Shogunite government and Japan woke up to the realisation that it had slept through the centuries and now needed to exert itself to catch up.<\/p>\n Events had moved swiftly as the Tokugawa regime had collapsed and Imperial rule was restored. Edo was renamed Tokyo in 1868 and the Emperor moved from Kyoto, to the castle at Edo where he converted it into the new Imperial Palace. Changes happened so swiftly that normal people began to regard the whole situation as miraculous. A telegraph system was set up, brick buildings appeared among the wooden ones, banks and hotels, stores and restaurants were built, even universities were founded. Paddle steamers sailed along the Samedi river. As Adam\u2019s ship hove into view he could look upon a city as modern as any other in the world at that time.<\/p>\n Adam watched patiently as his men worked to steer the ship into its allotted bay, ropes were cast down and tied securely to the bollards, finally the gangplank was placed into position. Adjusting his jacket, and setting his hat carefully over his head Adam left the bridge with his papers and log book in the possession of his first officer who followed close behind him. They were piped down, salutes were snappy and bespoke a crew happy to have reached shore and anticipating shore leave within the hour. Together the two officers stepped into the waiting carriage.<\/p>\n Such a contrast of peoples – poor rubbing along in life with the rich, people in rags scurrying around pompous men and arrogant women in their flamboyant but beautiful garments. Geisha women teetered along the recently paved sidewalks on their strange platform shoes, glancing at the passing vehicle from slanted black painted eyes in their strangely white faces. He wondered if his first officer was struggling to suppress his amazement and awe at the sights that now befell his eyes.<\/p>\n The United States Minister to Japan was John Armor Bingham,* appointed by President Lincoln as judge advocate of the Union Army with the rank of major in 1864; he became one of the judges later appointed as judge advocate at the trial of those who had conspired to kill Lincoln, and after a further remarkable career was appointed Minister to Japan.* With some slight unease Adam waited for the carriage to rock to a halt outside the American consulate Buildings where he was to be taken to Bingham\u2019s office. As they stepped to the main entrance hall an officer approached, saluted Adam, nodded at Myers, and took the log book and papers from the first officer, then he asked Adam to follow him. Myers was left to kick his heels in the entrance hall.<\/p>\n The big doors slammed shut behind Adam as he entered the office, and it seemed to him that the great man was somewhat diminished by the opulence of the room in which he resided, although not alone. Several Officers of the fleet and Bingham\u2019s personal secretary were also in attendance. Adam followed the officer who had possession of his papers, and watched, curiously, as they were set down upon the desk. There was a brief whispered conversation, and then Bingham rose to his feet and stretched out his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to Tokyo, Captain Cartwright.\u201d he smiled, and the smile was both in his eyes and his voice, his posture one of pleasure and genuine interest in the Officer now standing before him.<\/p>\n Adam smiled, saluted, and then shook the great man\u2019s hand. He was then introduced to the men already in the room. Now, he thought to himself, now I shall find out exactly why I have had to come all this way \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 27<\/p>\n It seemed that within minutes of his entry into the study everyone but Bingham and Adam had left. Doors opened and closed slowly and silently, and suddenly they were alone facing one another across the vast rosewood desk. Bingham smiled and indicated a chair for Adam to sit in, then as he was about to resume his seat he paused and looked with narrowed eyes at the younger man,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m curious, Captain,\u201d he smiled and sat down, pulled his chair closer to the desk and picked up a pen, \u201cI read in the lists that you had been promoted to Commodore and yet – you refused to accept the post? That\u2019s somewhat unusual, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, sir.\u201d Adam replied slowly, while part of his mind worked on the small matter of where to put his hat.<\/p>\n \u201cAny particular reason why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps -\u201d he paused again now and looked at the old statesman, a man who had served under Jackson, Lincoln, survived the civil war, and could have been President himself had time been on his side. \u201cPerhaps I didn\u2019t feel I deserved the post.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAfter what happened with Pelman? Your trip to Alaska itself warranted you some reward surely?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir, I\u2019ve been on a retainer for over a year now, and done nothing to deserve a promotion. May I be honest with you -\u201d he looked again into the old man\u2019s eyes and sighed, \u201cI\u2019m sure you will agree with me that President Grant is a fine man, charismatic would be the term for a man with such a gift of leadership as he possesses but -\u201d he bit his bottom lip and frowned, the dark eyes hidden behind long lashed lids,<\/p>\n \u201cBut -?\u201d Bingham murmured and leaned back in his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, even in Nevada we get to hear of things going on in Government, and the indications are that although President Grant is a fine man, it can\u2019t be said that his Government is totally -er – above board.\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham said nothing, frowned and then raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cAre you saying that you think the Government is corrupt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust that I would rather earn my promotion than be handed it on a silver platter, I don\u2019t want anyone pointing a finger at me and accusing me of taking bribes or anything of that nature.\u201d Adam frowned, \u201cI\u2019m not a politician, sir, I don\u2019t know how to dress words up to make them sound anything different to what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s fine by me, Captain, and I admire you for your frankness, which is quite a refreshing thing in this day and age.\u201d Bingham sighed, \u201cIt makes me feel more confident that you are the right man for this problem after all. You\u2019re a good friend of Captain O\u2019Briens, I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you heard from him at all recently?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had a letter from him, he had written it before he left America on The Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid he mention anything about the assignment he was on?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, he looked at Bingham and waited for the other man to speak. Bingham also waited, and for a few moments on the ticking of a clock could be heard in the room. Finally Bingham nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cObviously he mentioned something to you and you don\u2019t wish to disclose it in case it causes problems for him, well, be that as it may -\u201d Bingham frowned, \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien was assigned to bring the representative of the United States safely here to Tokyo. Mr Hampton is a distant relative of the Presidents and was to have been acting in an Ambassadorial capacity here in Japan. They set sail but never arrived. Did Captain O\u2019Brien indicate in his correspondence to you that he had any concerns about the journey?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paused, frowned again and slowly passed a hand over his mouth before answering,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know of a man called Jeffrey Metcalfe?\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham looked at Adam now and then pulled some papers from a file, this he scanned before he paused, looked up at Adam once more and continued to read. Then he finally put down the papers upon the desk,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s mention of a Metcalfe here in connection with the Pelman fiasco. He was on board the Ainola, and was put on a boat with some Russians on your return from Alaska. He may have borne you both a personal grudge but I hardly think that he would be involved in removing The Baltimore from the Pacific Ocean with an Ambassador on board.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien was concerned, Mr Bingham, that there was a threat of some sort, some danger in connection with the journey. I – I didn\u2019t realise that the whole ship and ship\u2019s company had disappeared.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTotally disappeared.\u201d Bingham said slowly and very significantly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason – or rather – another reason why I suspected Metcalfe\u2019s involvement is because of the efforts he has made to obtain O\u2019Brien\u2019s letter to me, even to the extent of kidnapping Mrs O\u2019Brien. Surely that couldn\u2019t just be due to his animosity towards us? He must still have contacts, people who would, perhaps, not want Hampton to reach Tokyo -\u201d he stopped, seeing from Binghams face that he had struck on a sensitive spot, and once again the two men lapsed into silence.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were some who didn\u2019t want Hampton here. You\u2019re right, there\u2019s a lot of bribery and underhand dealing within the Grant administration, and Hampton wanted to get out of it, so Grant agreed to send him here. It\u2019s possible that those people could have worked along with Metcalfe, who has allies everywhere it seems \u2026 a wealthy man, clever in his own right \u2026\u201d his voice petered out and he sighed, picked u p some papers and handed them to Adam, \u201cThere\u2019s a ship waiting for you in Yokohama bay. I want you to do everything possible to find Hampton, and O\u2019Brien. It would be a minor miracle if you succeeded in finding The Baltimore itself, but we\u2019ll be content with the safe return of those two men. There\u2019s no need to concern yourself with Metcalfe, we\u2019ll deal with him from this end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a long way from Nevada, sir, which is where Mr Metcalfe was the last time he was seen.\u201d Adam replied grimly as he folded the papers back into the envelope and slipped them into his pocket. \u201cHe was riding into Virginia City as I left it \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham nodded thoughtfully, then rose to his feet ,<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll deal with him and if he is involved in this business he\u2019ll be dealt with severely. I only hope that your mission is a success, Captain. Those papers contain all the details that we possess in connection to the disappearance of The Baltimore. I wish I could add more, but so far nothing has come to light\u201d he walked around the desk to stand beside the Captain, \u201cI\u2019ve arranged for you to stay in rooms here before you leave, there will be no need for you to return to The Boston as all your personal things have been brought here. There\u2019s a soiree this evening, a Japanese delegation – they love to hold parties for any reason whatsoever and it will give you a glimpse of life here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd when am I expected to leave?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe day after tomorrow.\u201d Bingham placed a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder, \u201cI can\u2019t guarantee you success on this task, young man, but Grant doesn\u2019t call you a maverick for nothing \u2026 he has great trust in your abilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam shrugged, sighed and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why, sir, but -\u201d he frowned, thought of Jamieson, of Metcalfe, and once again shook his head, \u201cI can\u2019t help but feel that you\u2019ll get some answers if you can track Metcalfe down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d Bingham replied, and after they had shaken hands he stepped aside to allow Adam to leave the room.<\/p>\n Chapter 28<\/p>\n The room was surprisingly light. The sun beamed in through large windows that overlooked the bustling city with its variety of humans scurrying back and forth upon their daily routines in life. He waited a while for the Officer to place the papers upon a desk, nodded in response to the snappy salute that he was given and then waited for the door to close upon him.<\/p>\n He stood very still for a moment or two, just to think over the interview he had just had and to review it in his mind. Bingham had dismissed Metcalfe too glibly and had merely skimmed over the matter relating to the missing ship and its human cargo. Adam closed his eyes and recaptured the features of the statesman in his minds eye, and then with a slight frown he reopened them to the dazzling light within his room.<\/p>\n The papers were there on the desk and this he now approached with little enthusiasm. He placed his hat on a chair and flicked casually through the papers with his thumb, running the pages slowly thus until in the end he stopped, straightened his back and returned to the window.<\/p>\n As he looked down upon the immaculate gardens his mind drifted back to collect memories, little snippets from the past that flicked by like so many playing cards and the hook in his heart betrayed him, gave a little tug and there he was, back home by the fire, staring into its flames. He was young, he was going to college, and there was a child sobbing, clasping him by the leg and begging him to stay. Flick and another card fell into place and he was standing on the steps of his college and looking to the future – a bright future if he stayed in Boston, he could become an architect or an engineer, he could become anything he wanted to be but \u2026 fickle destiny \u2026 that hook that was buried deep in his heart tugged and he was pulled back home. Home with horses and cattle, the smell of Ponderosa Pine and Hop Sings baking, laughter and arguments, and Pa. Fickle destiny luring him to sea, so much to learn and so much to do and all the time the hours and minutes of his life slipping through his fingers, and as he reached out for something tangible destiny had merely laughed and slid away from his grasp.<\/p>\n He shook his head and remonstrated with himself. Daydreaming would solve nothing, all it would do, he reminded himself, was weaken his resolve to fulfil this assignment. But -the last card fell and he saw Barbara Scott with her husband, recently in town on a warm sunny day, a little girl skipping by her side and embarrassment on her face. Adam shook his head and returned slowly to the desk and picked up the papers.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Dorothea glanced up from her reading to observe the man seated opposite her. He was, she felt, something of an enigma. She had heard talk of the man missing from the hotel, and the description certainly did fit her guest who was still occupying her boudoir. She sighed, turned a page and observed the words thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Williamson,\u201d she looked up at him, \u201cI must say that you are looking far better in health now, Dr Martin said that he felt quite sure that you would be well enough to go about your business tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow? So soon?\u201d Jeffrey looked startled, he had heard no mention of such a rapid recovery on his own behalf, and he shook his head, \u201cI hadn\u2019t realised -\u201d he looked at her and saw the pink flush on her cheeks and nodded, \u201cOf course, I should have realised long before now, my staying here is causing you some embarrassment, dear lady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no,\u201d Dorothea protested as she remembered certain events and persons in her life which had caused her much greater embarrassment, \u201cNo, please don\u2019t think that, Mr Willamson. It\u2019s just that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you see -\u201d she paused, bit her bottom lip and sighed, there was little point in dissembling, if she wanted to know the truth of the matter she would have to ask, she cleared her throat delicately and plunged head on into a morass of words \u201cA man disappeared from the hotel a while ago, a man of your description but not of your name, he disappeared -\u201d oh dear, she was repeating herself, and she glanced away to stare at the china dog on the mantle, \u201che disappeared, but the same day you appeared, here, injured as you were, with no proof of your identity on you or any money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I see, you want me to pay for my treatment and bed?\u201d he smiled coldly, and shrugged slightly, what more could he expect after all, she was but a woman.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t even that.\u201d Dorothea said firmly, \u201cIt\u2019s just strange, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her thoughtfully, before leaning forward towards her and catching her eye with his own he held her attention before speaking,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no mystery involved, my dear lady, I gave you a name when I was asked, a name that I once used for some while with great pride. Being confused and unwell for some reason that was the first name that came to my mind and so I gave it even though it is not my real name. Of course, as time passed I felt too awkward to confess at what I had done, but now, as you seem to feel that there are some concerns involved -\u201d he shrugged and gave an embarrassed smile, \u201cI am sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to cause you any anxiety or worry. Of course I shall return to the hotel tomorrow, even this very evening if you would prefer?\u201d<\/p>\n He was all affability and openness. She shook her head in protest, and closed her book.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you in some kind of trouble, Mr Williamson,\u201d she asked gently, \u201cDo you need some help?\u201d<\/p>\n He leaned back in his chair and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I think -\u201d he paused, and reconsidered her words. Did he need help? Or had he gone beyond the stage of being helped by anyone now? He turned to look into the flames of the fire and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, shook his head as though in perplexity at his situation and then he turned back to her, \u201cNo, thank you, I don\u2019t need any help. As you say, I am much better now, and shall leave here in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson signed his name on the hotel register and picked up his bags which he carried himself to his room. He closed the door behind him and walked to the window, and slowly lowered the blind.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Victoria Shannon paused in the very act of opening the gate to the house that had been her home for so long, she paused in order to watch the young man who was riding on a black and white horse down the main street with his hat lowered so that a shadow covered his face making it impossible for her to see his expression. For a moment she wondered whether or not he had noticed her, but the house was at an angle to the main street and it was not easy for someone riding from his direction to notice anyone standing where she was now.<\/p>\n With a slight shrug of the shoulders she pushed the gate open and walked slowly down the drive to the front door, at which she turned again to glance down the road in order to notice the rider of the black and white horse. He had dismounted now and was obscured from her view by the horse itself. She bowed her head in silent resignation and pushed the door open.<\/p>\n It was quiet without her father there, she had never noticed before how much his presence in the house had affected all her senses. She felt almost like an intruder as she closed the door behind her and stepped into the large formal room in which they would have sat at one time as a family. She untied her bonnet and set it down on the arm of the settee, then approached the mirror to observe her reflection. Mrs Beiri popped her head around the door to see who had come in and then seeing Victoria standing there gave her a warm smile,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve made a cake -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mrs Beiri.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll make you some tea -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t want cake nor tea. She felt restless and uncomfortable in the big house, and knowing what her father had done to the Cartwrights made her stomach churn over with despair every time she thought about it. The shame, the terrible gnawing shame, knowing that her father had embezzled Ben\u2019s money, placed the Cartwrights in a position that could have led to their losing the Ponderosa .<\/p>\n The knock on the door caused her to jump, but before she could move from her spot in front of the mirror Mrs Beiri had crossed the room and was pulling the door open.<\/p>\n \u201cI just came to see Miss Victoria, ma\u2019am\u201d Joe\u2019s voice trickled through the hall to her ears, \u201cIf it\u2019s at all convenient, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria felt her cheeks burning more than ever as she turned to face the young man who was now entering the room his hat held in his hands and a smile on his face and truth be told that smile soon lit up in his eyes when he looked at her,<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Miss Victoria. I mean, Miss Shannon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Joe. Do come in -\u201d she paused, he was already in so that was the first faux pas, she wondered how many more she would manage before this meeting was over.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in town and thought I should call by, make sure you were alright. Pa was concerned about you after your father\u2019s funeral and thought we should – er – keep an eye on you, and make sure -\u201d he bowed his head and grimaced, \u201cWell, make sure that you didn\u2019t need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Joe, that was very kind. Would you like -\u201d she took a deep breath, \u201cwould you like to sit down and have some cake, Mrs Beiri has just made one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, wouldn\u2019t mind at all,\u201d Joe grinned and promptly took a seat, he glanced around the room while he balanced his hat on his knee, \u201cPretty room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, isn\u2019t it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like the picture over there -\u201d he pointed to a landscape painting on the wall opposite, \u201cIt\u2019s a little like the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think so?\u201d she turned to look at it, frowned and then looked back at him, smiled, \u201cWell, if you say so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know exactly whereabouts it is too,\u201d his smile widened and the hazel eyes twinkled, \u201chow about I show you someday?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, well,\u201d she glanced over at Mrs Beiri who had entered the room laden down with a tray laden down with tea things, the cake taking pride of place in its centre, \u201cthat would be lovely. Thank you.\u201d and she looked up at Joe, met his eyes and blushed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Adam sat back in his chair and stretched his arms wide, before running his fingers through his hair. He had read the papers and come to the conclusion that what they contained was really very little. A lot of words and the sum total of them hardly anything at all. He leaned his elbows on the desk top and steepled his fingers as he considered what little information he possessed about the whole affair, but he knew one thing and that was he had a full day in which to find out a whole lot more.<\/p>\n He rose to his feet and as he did so there was a light tap on the door, it was pushed open and a man entered the room. Like many Japanese he was short in stature in comparison to the 6 ft tall Officer standing before him, and to whom he now bowed with customary Japanese courtesy. He stepped to one side and allowed a woman to now enter the room, a woman with Adam\u2019s dress uniform neatly pressed and ready to wear.<\/p>\n \u201cTime soon for special party in honour of Captain.\u201d she said in a voice that was very soothing to the ear, almost musical. She smiled at him, bowed, and placed the uniform on a chair. \u201cYou dress? I come later. Take you to Mr Bingham.\u201d she bowed again, her eyes lowered and bustled from the room.<\/p>\n Chapter 29<\/p>\n He had enjoyed the \u2018entertainment\u2019, the food and the interesting array of people who came and went, but at a time that would not be considered insulting to his hosts he made his excuses and made his way to his room.<\/p>\n The sounds of the evenings entertainment trickled into his room from a distance but he shut his mind to them and concentrated on the things he had gleaned from his casual conversations that evening. What had he learned? That Mr Hampton was not a dynamo in politics, had strode a neutral path during the war. He was a Yale graduate in law and had attained some prominence in that field. He was not above 55 years of age and was a widower with two children, both married. He was going to act in an Ambassadorial capacity so who would have been put out by such an appointment? It occurred to him that perhaps Bingham, with all his statesmanship and experience, and much of it to be envied, would not have wanted to be deposed by a man who appeared rather a lukewarm character.<\/p>\n Mr Hampton then, rather than Daniel O\u2019Brien, must be the key to this strange disappearance. In that case would Metcalfe have been involved? Bingham had indicated that Hampton was not a man to be corrupted, had disliked the way the Grant administration was riddled with underhand dealings (so much so that the press were referring to Grantism* to mean any thing from outright corruption to bribes and fraud). So was someone in Government wanting him removed on a rather more permanent basis than just packing him off to Japan? In which case it was rather hard on the ships crew who had suffered the same fate! If one took it a step further, was there something taking place in the Bingham administration in Tokyo that someone did not want Hampton to discover?<\/p>\n Adam had finally fallen across his bed with too many unresolved questions reeling around in his head. He fell asleep wondering what had happened to Jeffrey Metcalfe \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in.\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened and Lieutenant Myers stepped into the room, saluted and then removed his cap, which he placed on the small table by the door.<\/p>\n Adam was leaning over the desk looking at the map, he glanced at Myers and nodded to him, straightened his back folded his arms across his chest. Myers glanced down at the map and then back up at his Captain,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sir, you were right, several ships did see the Baltimore when she was en route to Tokyo. Of course one or two of them aren\u2019t here at present, but I can give you some information about them \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and together they resumed their observation of the map. Adam traced the route of their own passage from San Francisco to Tokyo with his forefinger, it would have been the same route taken by the Baltimore weeks earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cAn English freighter cut across the Baltimore here at mid day, a week after the Baltimore had left Frisco.\u201d he pointed to the map and Adam marked it with an x. \u201cI spoke to one of the officers there and he said the ship was going at a steady rate of knots. There was nothing to indicate there were any problems on board and he was quite surprised to learn that she hadn\u2019t berthed here. There was also a Dutch cruiser en route to \u2019Frisco who passed her at 10 in the evening on the 6th. There was a light rainfall apparently but they could see her clearly enough. They\u2019ve only just returned to Tokyo and had heard of the missing ship so he had looked up details on his log. They passed her about here, sir.\u201d and he pointed to another section of the map which Adam marked with an x.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ask about weather conditions \u2026 apart from this light rainfall had there been any storm at sea during that time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone, sir. Calm conditions throughout. I asked everyone about that, and also if they had seen any other ships other than the Baltimore. The English and Dutch ships had passed one another, they\u2019re regular on this route. There were several Japanese ships at sea at that time but they aren\u2019t here now, so I couldn\u2019t get any information from them. They were going to San Francisco, Hawaii and Holland respectively.\u201d<\/p>\n Time slipped away as Myers gave further details about the ships that had been at sea during the Baltimore\u2019s last voyage. Each one that had claimed to have seen her and had given co-ordinates was marked down on the map, the date and time neatly recorded alongside the x. There were also several ships referred to that should have seen the Baltimore when they themselves had been traversing that area, but had seen no sign of her. Their co-ordinates were marked down with a question mark.<\/p>\n Not all the ships were currently in Tokyo but it nevertheless painted a good picture of just how busy the shipping lines were between Japan\u2019s largest port and other parts of the world. An officer would mention seeing the Baltimore and then confirm seeing another ship, named such and such, and give date and time. It went without saying that this ship would have seen the Baltimore, and their names were written neatly down on the map.<\/p>\n In the end there was a clustering of names and crosses, dates and times. Then there were the questions marks making their way to Yokohama bay. The last sighting had been at 4 in the afternoon of the 10th of the month by a French clipper en route to Hawaii.<\/p>\n A giggling Japanese woman entered the room with a tray of coffee and sweet things to eat, she made her customary bow and retreated. It was Myers who poured out the coffee and brought the steaming beverage to the Captain who was staring down at the map as though demanding from it an answer.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Adam said eventually, \u201csomewhere from the last sighting -\u201d he pointed to last little cross nearest to Yokohama bay, \u201cand this ship which was closest to that area, and a mere six hours time difference – somewhere there is the solution to the problem.\u201d he circled the area and then put the map carefully to one side while picking up another, this map was one that indicated the sandbanks, reefs, shoals, and other dangers that lay hidden beneath the sea and around the coastline of Japan and neighbouring islands in the Pacific. After a brief glance at the first map Adam located the area for his search, then spread the map out more carefully across the desk, this he now studied very carefully before turning to Myers who had to step back quickly in order not to have been knocked over due to standing so closely behind Adam<\/p>\n \u201cCan you see anything that I may have missed?\u201d Adam asked with raised eyebrows, and Myers shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNothing, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully before releasing his breath, then he shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, there was no storm, no sudden tornado or other natural phenomenon to have sent them to the bottom of the sea, and there were no hidden rocks, reefs or such to have smashed in the hull \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich means?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich means that whatever happened on the Baltimore was the work of some man, or a group of men, on board the ship when she left San Francisco. Or – would she have stopped over at Hawaii? I wonder \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wasn\u2019t scheduled to stop, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, she wasn\u2019t but she may have been forced, or enticed, to do so.\u201d he strolled over to the table and poured himself some coffee, now cold, but he sat down with it in his hands and drank it anyway. \u201cI can\u2019t think of any other solution unless -\u201d he paused, stretched out long legs and placed the cup very carefully upon the tray, \u201csome ship came from another location, but no, that wouldn\u2019t make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would mean two ships disappearing instead of just one, sir.\u201d Myers stated the obvious with a seriousness that nearly brought a smile to Adam\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, so it would.\u201d the Captain replied and rose to his feet to return once more to the desk and to gaze down at the map. \u201cWell, at least we know at what point we can begin our search, who knows, they may even come looking for us and spare us a lot of time looking for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Myers said nothing but stared at the map until the different colours merged before his eyes. He cleared his throat after a while to divert Adam\u2019s attention from them, and then announced very cheerfully<\/p>\n \u201cOh by the way, sir, I thought I should let you know, but I swopped places with Lieutenant Greening. He\u2019s going back to \u2018Frisco on the Boston, and I\u2019ll be coming with you. I hope that\u2019s alright, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam regarded him steadily for a moment, smiled and nodded approval,<\/p>\n \u201cWell done, sir, now that\u2019s what I call showing initiative.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. Thank you, sir.\u201d and Myers grinned, \u201cI didn\u2019t want to miss out on this, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course you didn\u2019t, Myers\u201d Adam replied drily, and returned to observe the maps with an inward smile.<\/p>\n Chapter 30<\/p>\n Dorothea watched her guest thoughtfully as he ate his breakfast. He had always been a quiet man throughout his time there, and his disclosure about his name given to her the previous evening had rather unsettled her peace of mind. Throughout the night she had lain awake wondering if his face were on any wanted posters in Roy Coffee\u2019s office, or whether or not she should go to the sheriff and mention the fact to him.<\/p>\n Yet something had stopped her and caused her to continue as though nothing had been said at all, apart from the fact that today he was going to return to the hotel, collect his belongings and leave town. She put down her cup rather noisily on the saucer and stared anxiously at the coffee pot as though the consideration of another cup of coffee was of prime importance, even though it was not that at all, the fact of the matter was that she had grown an affection for the man.<\/p>\n Of all the men in her life she had to fall for a man who was a complete mystery to her, a man about whom she would never know anything and who was about to ride out of her life. She sighed and reached for the coffee pot. He had reached out at the same time and their fingers touched. Both withdrew immediately, as though some charge of electricity had surged through their arms, then they smiled at one another<\/p>\n \u201cYou first -\u201d he offered and his eyes twinkled.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d she murmured, but kept her eyes downcast.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Dorothea, you don\u2019t seem yourself today? Is something troubling you? Is it what I told you last evening?\u201d<\/p>\n She put the coffee pot down with a slight thud, then nodded<\/p>\n \u201cI was concerned to be honest. It made me realise that I knew nothing of you and that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c-that I could be a murderer for all you knew? And here you are, at my mercy? All these days you have been so kindly caring for my welfare and I could be about to murder you and run off with your jewels? Is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t know what to say to that, but just looked at him before lowering her eyes and shaking her head. Instinct told her that this was a man who would not be interested in knowing how she felt about him. Let him think it was just mere idle curiosity and nothing else .<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I was thinking it unfair of me to take advantage of your kindness like this \u2026 so if you have the time, and patience, perhaps you would hear me out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, I have all the time in the world.\u201d she said quietly and picked up her cup, sipped some coffee and replaced it very carefully.<\/p>\n \u201cMy real name is Jeffrey Metcalfe. I\u2019m a doctor by profession, and, to be honest with you I am a wealthy man due to investments overseas.\u201d he paused and looked at her, saw the flush of crimson blush her cheek, \u201cI served as a doctor during the Civil War – for what people would now say was the wrong side, although -\u201d he frowned slightly and then sighed, \u201cWell, that\u2019s all part of history now, but the misery and horror of that time wrought upon so many haunted me. It was futile, and murderous carnage.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded, her brother had died on a battlefield somewhere unknown and her father had returned home without his wits and died insane. What Metcalfe said struck a sympathetic chord, and her feelings for him deepened as a result. She had to hold tightly to the handle of her cup in order not to reach out a hand to take hold of his, and give it a little squeeze of sympathy.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the war ended and I was a disillusioned man. I got involved with a society of ex-Confederates and we resolved to put matters right by fair means or foul. I\u2019m not even sure now whether or not I still feel the same way about it all but -\u201d he sighed, \u201canyway, as a result I was fortunate enough to be on board the Ainola, captained by Adam Cartwright -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d her eyebrows shot up, and she cleared her throat noisily, \u201cSo you knew Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I got to know him very intimately over the course of the voyage -\u201d he smiled, recalling to mind the days he had spent caring for Adam after all the injuries he had sustained in Alaska, and what had resulted from that care, his lips tightened over his teeth, and he controlled the welling up of anger within him, \u201chowever, we parted company as I travelled through Russia for a little while which benefited me a great deal. When I returned a few months ago I thought I would like to meet up with Adam again – hence my visit here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a sad story. But why did you have to change your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to be associated with the man Jeffrey Metcalfe had become – the connection with the war -\u201d he mumbled all humility and self chastisement, \u201cA new name and a new future.\u201d he smiled at her as though soliciting her compassion, and from the look on her face, he knew he had succeeded in that purpose.<\/p>\n \u201cI am so sorry -\u201d she murmured, \u201cAnd then to have this accident.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it gave me the opportunity to come to know you, Miss Dorothea, that\u2019s one blessing, isn\u2019t it?\u201d he reached out a hand towards hers and rather tremulously, she reached out her own and clasped hold of his fingers.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Adam left Virginia City some weeks ago, all this time you have been so ill, you would not have known -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, but then, that\u2019s chance and unforeseen occurrence as the good book tells us. Do you know where he has gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy yes, he has travelled to Japan, to Tokyo of all places.\u201d she smiled, \u201cIts no secret -\u201d<\/p>\n Metcalfe smiled wanly, no secret? Well, it wasn\u2019t now.<\/p>\n Chapter 31<\/p>\n It was mid morning when Metcalfe finally left the home of Peaches Armstrong. He didn\u2019t look back although he knew by instinct that she would be looking at him from the window. He wasn\u2019t interested in becoming involved with a woman of \u2018her sort\u2019, warm hearted and attractive as she was, he had no time for romantic attachments with women who would have reached a certain age and required commitment from him. He frowned slightly as he made his way along the sidewalk and recalled that Sylvia would no doubt be wondering what had happened to him, and at the thought of her his mind wandered back over the weeks as he considered what may have taken place during his absence.<\/p>\n He had no doubt that Sylvia would still be there, waiting loyally for him to return. He wondered if she had succeeded in inveigling Maria O\u2019Brien away from the convent hospital or whether the wretched woman had remained there. He despised women like Maria O\u2019Brien, weak and vacillating, always whining and whinging about something and no backbone to them whatsoever. Sylvia on the other hand was made of sterner stuff, and did as she was told, perhaps with the help of the odd slap once or twice. He had no doubts whatsoever that she would be worried about his absence and a faint smile drifted about his lips at the thought of her.<\/p>\n He went first to the Telegraph Depot and asked if any mail had been forwarded for him. There was none. This puzzled him a little as he had expected some enquiry from Sylvia at least. After a moments thought during which he tugged at his bottom lip and scowled at the clerk, he scrawled out a message to be sent forthwith to the woman at his home address, and then he sent a message to an associate of his in \u2026 Tokyo.<\/p>\n He paid for the cables and left the building with his thoughts on Adam Cartwright. After all his efforts to get hold of that letter and Adam Cartwright ended up going to Tokyo! He shook his head slightly, if things had gone wrong with his plans perhaps Hampton and O\u2019Brien were there too. If only, if only, he could have got hold of those letters from O\u2019Brien\u2019s silly little wife.<\/p>\n He entered the hotel and walked up to the registrar who glanced up at him, frowned and did a slight double take, so while his mouth was still flapping open Metcalfe pulled some money from his pocket and slapped it down on the counter,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve my luggage here I believe? My name\u2019s Forster, I\u2019ve been absent for a while but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, of course, I remember now. Your luggage is still in your room, Mr Forster.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis should cover the expense of the room.\u201d he turned towards the stairs, and then paused as a man approached him, a man familiar to him but slightly different. He frowned and waited in case he was mistaken and the man was not approaching him after all.<\/p>\n \u201cJeffrey Metcalfe?\u201d<\/p>\n He paused in mid stride and then turned,<\/p>\n \u201cAre you addressing me? I\u2019m sorry, but I\u2019m Ralph Forster -\u201d he frowned, he could see from the man\u2019s expression that this was not believed, and behind the spectacles there was something in the man\u2019s eyes that was very familiar, he sighed, \u201cYes, who wants to know?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson said nothing, he stopped a few paces in front of Metcalfe and looked him up and down, then he nodded, as though to himself, and with a totally impassive air took out a badge which he held up in one hand, Metcalfe shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a Pinkerton?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. You don\u2019t remember me, do you, Metcalfe? No, I didn\u2019t think you did. You were called Hugh Williamson at one time and not so long ago either -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the orderly – whatsisname?\u201d Metcalfe pursed his lips and raised his chin, as though being insulting would intimidate the more slightly built man, who appeared to be unarmed. \u201cLook, why not come to my room and discuss matters -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re under arrest, Metcalfe, for the kidnapping of Maria O\u2019Brien, and for acting against the interests of the United States Government. I\u2019d advise you not to do anything stupid -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about,\u201d Metcalfe said in a deeper tone of voice and half turned his back on Jamieson as though choosing to ignore him altogether, but from the corner of his eye he saw movement and knew instinctively that the way to the door was blocked by someone else. He drew in his breath, long, jagged and harsh, \u201cThis is ridiculous -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would hand over any weapons on your person to the sheriff -\u201d Jamieson indicated Roy who had entered the hotel and stood patiently waiting by the door.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no weapons.\u201d Metcalfe hissed, \u201cWhat do you take me for? I\u2019ve been ill for the past few weeks, I don\u2019t know what\u2019s been going on -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew exactly what\u2019s been going on , particularly at the time you kidnapped Mrs O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about -\u201d he paused then, and glanced from one to the other of the two men as though in an attempt to think out his options, he licked his lips and shook his head, \u201cIt won\u2019t do you any good arresting me, you know. I\u2019ve contacts who can make it very uncomfortable for you should you attempt to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson merely shrugged and glanced at Roy who put his hand firmly on Metcalfe\u2019s arm,<\/p>\n \u201cCome along, sir, don\u2019t make trouble for yourself now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake your hand off me -\u201d he cried, pulling his arm away from Roy\u2019s grasp and taking several steps further towards the stairs, \u201cI warn you, if you try to arrest me now you can say goodbye to any help I can give to Adam Cartwright.\u201d he smiled at the look that crossed both mens faces, \u201cYes, I thought that would make you think twice about the matter. Let me assure you both that if you don\u2019t leave me alone you may as well get used to the idea of never seeing him alive again.\u201d his eyes darted feverishly from one to another, \u201cNow, just step away from the door and let me pass -\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson shook his head and stepped forward,<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Cartwright knows the risks he has to take, Metcalfe, your threats don\u2019t concern us or him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Roy nodded, although his face still carried a careworn anxious look upon it, \u201cJust come along with me, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n From her bedroom window Dorothea watched as the man she had been prepared to give her heart to was led away from the hotel by Roy and a stranger in town, a man who looked nondescript and unnoticeable in a crowd. She pulled back the lace curtain and watched the three men until they walked out of her view and then slowly dropped the curtain down again.<\/p>\n Chapter 32<\/p>\n The music drifted beautifully into the still quietness of the evening. Standing at the taffrail on the upper deck Adam leaned forward and placed his hands upon the solid oak, and listened to the flautist as the music lifted and soared from below decks. He recognised it as a piece by Handel, the flute sonata in G Major, opus 1-5. He bowed his head in order to allow the music to seep into his very being, on this their first evening of their assignment it seemed as though the piece of baroque music had been designed to meld together every man living and breathing on that ship. He remembered reading how Beethoven had announced that “Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would bare my head and kneel at his grave.\u201d * It was Adam\u2019s opinion now as he listened to the music that had Beethoven been standing in his place he would have bowed his head and wept in homage.<\/p>\n There were no birds in the skies overhead, only the fewest of clouds and the sky still blue despite the hour. There was a fresh breeze, just right for filling the few sails they had unreefed, and now he looked above him to watch as the puffed out sails brought to life the dignity of the ship. A light smile touched his lips as he recalled Bingham saying \u201cWe know you prefer sail to steam, Captain, so I hope you won\u2019t be disappointed in your ship.\u201d and it had crossed Adam\u2019s mind then, \u2018I wonder how much else you know about me!\u2019<\/p>\n But Bingham had been right, and Adam\u2019s heart had danced a little when he had set eyes on his craft. As elegant a ship that ever sailed, even compared to the Ainola, he had to admit that this craft was a beauty. He could smell the wood too, even above the smell of salt water and ozone he could still smell the newness in her, the wood, the resin and unconsciously he ran his hand across the smooth wood of the taffrail, and then began to tap his hand in time to the music. He turned slightly and viewed the lower decks, a few men stood about, some leaning against the taffrail and listening in thoughtful meditation to the music, two men stood close together smoking their pipes, talking in low tones, an Officer paced the deck, it was obviously his watch, and the two men saluted him as he passed. Adam watched as the officer paused, said something and one of the men laughed, pleasantly, relaxed. The officer then paced on, glanced at the bridge and saw Adam, saluted and smiled.<\/p>\n All the men were new to Adam. The ships company had lined up and been introduced, and he had ran his eye over them and wondered if any had served with or under him in other ships, but there was no familiar face. Myers was the only man he had known prior to casting off.<\/p>\n He turned away now and resumed his meditation, looking down at the waters as the ship sliced through the waves, the soft slopping sounds against the ships hull, the creak of the masts as they bent gently against the force of the wind in the sails, all added their own special melody to the music being wrought so well from the flautists fingers.<\/p>\n He ran over a few facts in his mind about this mission, and the main fact that stood out above all else was that he knew so little, that his mission was really a case of searching for that elusive needle in a haystack. He had only one plan, to hop, skip and jump the islands until someone mentioned they had had sight of The Baltimore and then they would follow that lead until it led to \u2026well, to wherever it would lead.<\/p>\n He walked away from the taffrail now and walked behind the helmsman who murmured, \u2019All\u2019s well, Captain.\u2019 in a soft voice, perhaps not wanting to disturb the harmony of spirit that pervaded them all at that moment. Had Shakespeare not said \u2019Music calms the savage breast?\u2019 it had certainly wrought its magic over this company of men, and Adam smiled once more to himself, clasped his hands behind his back and made his way to his cabin.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n In San Francisco several men were methodically turning Metcalfe\u2019s home inside out and then tidying everything away again. His safe had been cracked open and documents examined and some removed. The servants answered a myriad questions, quaked in their shoes and enjoyed the excitement of it all \u2026 something to tell the children later as cook put it. They were further thrilled when the valet was taken away in handcuffs having been recognised as an extremely unpleasant character given at times to murder when the fancy took him.<\/p>\n By late evening the men had completed their task and left Metcalfe\u2019s home almost as they had found it. Were he to return there he could assume that Sylvia, out of spite, had taken some papers as on the surface all looked as it should, but then the servants would have told him of what had happened and he, had he had time and opportunity, would have no doubt had the sense to leave as quickly as he could or live out the next few hours waiting for that inevitable knock on the door.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss Armstrong? What brings you here?\u201d the deputy had risen from his chair, and looked at Peaches in surprise as she entered the sheriff\u2019s office with a tray, \u201cI hope that\u2019s some supper for me?\u201d he smiled and winked, but she only shook her head.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Amos, I\u2019ve been caring for your prisoner for the past few weeks and I don\u2019t intend my patient to go neglected in your cells. I thought I\u2019d bring him something to eat, and his medication which he forgot to take with him.\u201d she smiled, her eyes wide and guileless. Beneath her bodice her heart was pounding, and all she could think was what a mercy that Roy Coffee was not on duty now.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me see -\u201d Amos rose and walked to her, lifted the cover from the tray and admired the food laid out so daintily on a plate, \u201cVery nice, Miss, I wish someone would plate up something like this for me once in a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to find yourself a wife,\u201d she laughed, and stepped forward with the tray in both hands, then stopped as he stepped in front of her, \u201cWhat now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust to ask, Miss, you ain\u2019t brought no weapons nor such on you, have you? Sorry, but I\u2019ve orders not to let anyone in to see the prisoner without searching them and I can\u2019t very well do that to a lady -\u201d he licked his lips, what was running through his brain was more than obvious and Peaches felt a little giddy in case he did touch her, \u201cso I\u2019ll just have to take your word for it -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI promise you, Amos, I\u2019ve not brought a gun with me. Only food and medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n Amos nodded and stepped aside, he watched her as she walked into the cell block and followed her, his keys in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Metcalfe?\u201d<\/p>\n He rose to his feet as she approached and smiled, a gentle, kindly smile, one of gratitude at seeing a friendly face, a smile that brought a warmth to her flesh and a light to her eyes. Amos unlocked the cell door and stepped aside to let her put the tray on the bed in the cell. Then he took her arm and ushered her out again, before locking the door.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I have a few moments – just to talk?\u201d she asked and Amos frowned, then nodded and returned to the outer office where he had a mug of coffee cooling.<\/p>\n Metcalfe watched him go, then glanced at the tray, before looking at the woman, he put out a hand and covered hers as she gripped hold of one of the bars,<\/p>\n \u201cThat was kindly of you, Dorothea. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n She swallowed a lump in her throat, and lowered her eyes, before lifting them to look once more into his face,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the least I could do. Here\u2019s your medication -\u201d she said softly and with her free hand she withdrew a derringer from her pocket and passed it through the bars to him, \u201cBe careful with it, there\u2019s only enough for two doses.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled, his fingers tightened slightly around hers, before releasing them. She turned away and without a backward glance hurried from the cell block, her cheeks red, and her heart beating so fast that she could barely breathe. When Amos called out goodnight, she didn\u2019t reply..<\/p>\n From his hotel window Jeffrey Jamieson had seen the woman go into the office with the tray. He knew from Paul Martin that a woman called Armstrong had been caring for Metcalfe during the past few weeks, so he had not been surprised at seeing her taking food to him. He watched as she came out of the building and paused at the hitching rail, leaned against it for a moment with her hand on her heart as though to still its beating.<\/p>\n Jamieson frowned, well, perhaps she had formed an attachment for the man, and seeing him in jail would have affected her. He leaned forward a little so that his brow actually touched the glass, men like Metcalfe knew how to manipulate people, particularly women. Like big fat spiders they spun their webs and entrapped the weak and willing into their cocoons of silken threads. He watched as she straightened herself up, glanced up and down the road, and hurried back to her home.<\/p>\n A guilty up and down glance, the look of someone who had done something more than He reached out for his gun belt and quickly buckled it around him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n In San Francisco harbour the body of a young woman was pulled from the water. She had been a pretty girl once with an abundance of soft silky blonde hair. Her clothes clung to her body like a second skin, and sand glittered upon her like star dust. The man who had found her gently moved the strands of sodden hair from her face, and shook his head \u2026 she had been young, someone\u2019s daughter, someone\u2019s lover \u2026 and now something not very pleasant to look upon.<\/p>\n Sylvia Brooks had not left the Metcalfe home quickly enough, and had not appreciated just how long an arm he had, for it had reached out, plucked her from safety and cast her down.<\/p>\n Chapter 33<\/p>\n Dorothea Peaches Armstrong closed her door behind her and then quickly locked it. For some reason her knees felt weak and she felt as though her legs would no longer support her body. She sunk slowly down into a chair and put her face in her hands, realising that she was now shaking all over.<\/p>\n True, she was generous with her favours, after all she was a very attractive woman and had that sensuality that made her so alluring to men, and true, there were far few women in the town and far too many men so she was doing what any sensible woman would do, or so it seemed to her. All the same, she had never in her life acted in a way that put her at odds with the law.<\/p>\n What if Roy were to walk into the sheriff\u2019s office and Williamson or Metcalfe, whoever he was, shot him? Why had she given in to that stupid impulse to help the man at risk of another person\u2019s life and her – she shuddered now at the thought – her freedom. She glanced at the door, what if after he escaped he were to come here, and ask her to go with him? She shrunk in her chair and clutched at her throat – she thought she had loved him, all those days caring for him, but now, all she felt was fear. But why? Perhaps when he had taken the gun and removed his hand from hers she had instinctively seen the man behind the mask, seen something in his eyes, or his demeanour, and realised that she had been used, duped. And so skilfully done that she had not realised just what a foolish and dangerous risk she had undertaken for him.<\/p>\n Now she approached the door again and thrust the bolts across as though the lock was insufficient to keep out the monster. For a moment she hovered in the hall and then as fast as she could, ran to her room and in an almost hysterical frenzy began to pull off the sheets and covers from the bed upon which he had slept, pulling at anything that bore even the faintest smell or hint of him, and all the time the refrain beat inside her head \u2018What if he hurts Roy, what if he hurts Roy?\u2019<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Amos opened the cell door and leaned down to pick up the empty tray. He was going to remark on what a good meal it had looked but didn\u2019t get far enough to get the words beyond thinking point. A stool crashing down upon his skull sent darkness crashing down with it. Afterwards Metcalfe closed and locked the cell door, tossed the keys across the room and slipped through the door into the street.<\/p>\n A man was approaching, crossing the road and heading towards the sheriff\u2019s office with a purposeful tread. Metcalfe narrowed his eyes and stayed in the shadows long enough to recognise the figure as that of Jeffrey Jamieson. The urge to rid himself of his one time medical assistant was strong and he raised his arm, aimed and fired.<\/p>\n It was a foolish move, it lost him time and the advantage of shadows and secrecy. Now he was revealed and Jamieson immediately fired back two shots even as he fell in the middle of the road. The shots were like alarm bells going off as people from the nearby saloons and hotels rushed to the doors, and spilled out into the street. Ben and Hoss Cartwright were among them, their guns in their hands and running towards where Jamieson was struggling to regain his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cEscaped prisoner -\u201d Jamieson yelled, \u201cDon\u2019t let him get away -\u201d<\/p>\n In her room Peaches put her hands over her ears and prayed for forgiveness while she imagined a scene that was actually far worse than the actual scene being played out in the street.<\/p>\n Metcalfe raised his gun, the small hand sized derringer was light to his hand, and his fingers felt clumsy as it squeezed the trigger. He had fired off one shot and Jamieson had fallen, this last shot, the only one he had, would make sure Jamieson would not get to his feet again. He fired, and began to run. Two paces along and he felt two thuds in his back, as though he had been punched forcibly, but he staggered onwards. Then he felt as though the power in his legs were going, he could see the boards on the sidewalk rising up to meet him, and then he was falling.<\/p>\n For a moment everything was just black and when he was able to open his eyes he was looking up into Jamieson\u2019s face and was surprised to see the man looking anxious and concerned. He could feel the warmth of blood spreading out over his body, and he could feel the strength leaving him as it did so. He looked up into Jamieson\u2019s eyes and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cToo late, Jamieson, your Captain doesn\u2019t stand a chance. I\u2019ve sent a telegram to Tokyo and -\u201d<\/p>\n He paused as Jamieson held something up in front of him, he narrowed his eyes, and read a few words. He was confused, that cablegram should have gone – he glanced at Jamieson again and saw the satisfied smile on the man\u2019s face,<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t survive.\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can,\u201d Jamieson replied staunchly, \u201cHe will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Metcalfe grinned, and then a shudder passed through his body, his hand reached out to snatch the piece of paper from his adversary but then weakness prevailed and his arm dropped limply, lifelessly to his side.<\/p>\n Jamieson let the body fall back upon the boards of the sidewalk. He leaned against the wall of the building from where the lamp shone down upon him and Metcalfe and the oddly assorted men who were crowded around them. He heard, as though from a long way away, a voice, familiar but not recognisable as a fog seemed to cloud his mind. Someone was saying \u201cPa, it\u2019s Adam\u2019s friend, he\u2019s been hurt -\u201d and for some reason he felt alright, his grip on the telegram tightened, darkness descended but he knew he was going to be alright.<\/p>\n Chapter 34<\/p>\n The breeze was freshening and The Shenandoah sails filled, the bow dipped to the waves, rose up and slapped down on the next wave that came. Spray flew aft like a warm rain and Adam raised his face to look up at the stars. He had studied the star charts and was aware of the changes in the pattern of these constellations. The sails were filling well and the ship was hastening on towards the islands of Hawaii and Honalulu.<\/p>\n Myers joined him on the bridge and stood behind the helmsman, checked the wheel and got a disgruntled look from Baker, as if it were not bad enough having the Captain peering over one\u2019s shoulder and making him feel like a man still wet behind the ears? Myers turned to Adam<\/p>\n \u201cThe barometer reading is 3-0-point-4-7 and steady, sir. Wind southwest veering northwest – 20 -25.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded. He wasn\u2019t really listening. He could tell the changes in the wind now, but appreciated Myers enthusiasm, the youngster was willing that was for sure, and he was out to impress. Adam watched as the moon sunk below the horizon, a brilliantly fat orange now distorted out of shape and now suddenly gone.<\/p>\n \u201cShould sight Hawaii by morning, sir\u201d Baker said in his warm drawl, \u201cAll\u2019s steady.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s relieving you later, Baker?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLaurensen, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a splash from the portside as a larger wave hit the hull, and Adam looked up at the stars once again before turning and descending the steps down to his compartments. A lamp swung too and fro by the door and he ducked to avoid it striking against his head.<\/p>\n He cast off his jacket and took his seat at the desk upon which were the charts he had been studying over the past few hours. One he now rolled up and put to one side, and then, elbows on the desk, and chin cupped into his hands, he stared down at the map to absorb the information he could glean from them.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien and Hampton could both be dead by now. Perhaps long dead. They could be food for fish at the bottom of the sea for all he knew, and he leaned back with a sigh at the thought and rubbed his chin pensively, for in that case he could be chasing red herrings for ever.<\/p>\n He thought of O\u2019Brien now, recalled the time they had first met and had formed their first tentative association, which became such a close friendship, sealed during the horrors of their previous trip together. He wondered if O\u2019Brien would be waiting for him, Adam Cartwright, to come to his aid this time. He rubbed his face with long sensitive fingers, and closed his eyes, there was no denying it, he was tired, sleep had been elusive during the past few nights, and anxieties had been abundant.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cIs my son in danger, Jamieson?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s deep voice seemed to reverberate in Jamieson\u2019s head as he forced his eyes open to look up into the anxious face of the rancher. His injury was painful, a bullet through the fleshy part of one\u2019s upper leg may not kill a man, but the doctor\u2019s reassurance on that score did not lessen the pain. He sipped water and then nodded to Hoss that he had had enough before settling back against the pillows at his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Mr Cartwright, it rather depends on where your son is at present.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you explain any more than that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can only tell you that one of the biggest threats to your son, and to Mr O\u2019Brien, has been removed. He sent a telegram to Tokyo, to one of his associates but thankfully I got there before it was sent and appropriated it -\u201d he frowned, the thought came to his mind that he didn\u2019t know where the telegram was, but the panic on his face was interpreted correctly by the rancher who held the piece of paper up to show him, \u201cThank you, sir,\u201d he nodded in gratitude, \u201cThat piece of paper is a vital piece of evidence, it has the name and contact address of a man – the man – who could have been a lot of trouble for Adam. I was able to contact one of our associates in Yokohama and as a result Mr Metcalfe\u2019s friend and any of his allies will be under arrest and under interrogation very soon.\u201d he closed his eyes, the speech had exhausted him, he held the piece of paper tightly in his hand, clasped it against his chest, \u201cIt will be alright -\u201d he murmured, \u201cIt will be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss allowed himself a grunt of irritation and shook his head as he stepped away from the sick man\u2019s bed, he walked to the window and stared out of it, scratched his head, and turned to his father,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like it, Pa. I got a feeling like a thousand ants crawlin\u2019 all over me -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you just need another bath,\u201d Joe muttered irreverently.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe, quit jawin\u2019 around at a time like this, I need to think -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWon\u2019t do you no good,\u201d Joe replied getting to his feet and shrugging his shoulders, \u201cWhatever you think up won\u2019t do any good because Adam\u2019s way beyond any help we can give him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat don\u2019t exactly help, little brother.\u201d Hoss said between gritted teeth.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, ain\u2019t no point in prettying anything up at this stage of the game,\u201d Joe answered another shrug, \u201cUnless you get on a boat for Japan yourself, and then you can\u2019t guarantee that Adam will be there -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want Adam to end up in a situation like he was last time,\u201d Hoss declared, getting quite hot under the collar now, \u201cAll that he went through in Alaska and the next thing you know they put him in prison and such.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt least he\u2019s in a warmer place than Alaska.\u201d Joe observed with a slight lift of the eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough,\u201d Ben\u2019s voice broke into the argument and he came and stood beside his sons, one hand on Hoss\u2019 shoulder, \u201cWe don\u2019t know enough, and what little we do know is sufficient to worry about. We can only take Jamieson\u2019s word for it at present, and assume that it could have been far worse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomehow that don\u2019t make me feel any better.\u201d Hoss said quietly. \u201cI don\u2019t know much about the sea and such, but I do know that there\u2019s a whole lot of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The Shenandoah was not a small ship, and boasted 16 sails, even so she still resembled a a small speck upon a vast curtain of blue silk. During her days on this voyage she had passed four other vessels – a Dutchman and an English steamer heading towards Tokyo, a steamer cutting across to Shikoku, and a smooth clipper ship, French, heading for home. The Captain had saluted them in passing and hailed a greeting which had been affably returned.<\/p>\n The crew worked well together, Adam was pleased at that, and his officers were a good mix of men of whom Myers was First Officer. The flautist, Adam discovered, was a midshipman, Griffin Mayhew. The ships cook was an agreeable and good tempered man from New Orleans and Adam\u2019s steward was a pleasant fellow by the name of Mike Scott, a Canadian by birth.<\/p>\n It was Scott who, as dawn was breaking, announced the news that Hawaii was now in view, and the helmsman was awaiting the Captain\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n Chapter 35<\/p>\n The many gaudily painted and decorated canoes that were heading towards the Shenandoah made Adam grateful that they were not an invading force. On the light breeze drifting towards them from the direction of the islands came the sound of singing and laughter. Lithe limbed brown skinned bodies plied to their paddles which dipped and dived into the water sending sprays of diamonds glittering back into the sea. Forwards they came until they had reached the ship and now began to swarm up the ropes until they were soon crowding onto the decks.<\/p>\n Pretty girls, fulsome women, handsome men all shouting and singing and chanting, holding up the floral lei\u2019s they had brought with them and throwing them around the necks of the ships crew with laughter and cries of \u2018Aloha\u2019 \u2018Aloha American\u2019 \u2018Aloha sailor man America\u2019.<\/p>\n A young woman mounted the steps to the bridge with the floral tribute in her hands and paused when she saw Adam, she bowed her head as though acknowledging that he was the officer in charge, and then laughing tossed the lei over his head<\/p>\n \u201cAloha, Captain America sailor\u201d she cried and quickly turned and ran back down the steps to join her companions who were turning the whole ship\u2019s crew into chaos.<\/p>\n \u201cShall I stop them, Captain?\u201d Myers asked anxiously but Adam shook his head, raised a hand as though to still Myers\u2019 from making any move.<\/p>\n There was a sudden lull in the laughter and chanting as a rather regal figure appeared on the deck.. An older man with a head dress arrayed upon greying hair stepped onto the deck bringing silence to his own people. They fell back upon themselves to let him pass, and Adam realising this was a dignitary and representative of their island stepped down to the lower deck in order to receive.<\/p>\n He was a handsome man, and as Adam approached him watched with a loftiness that touched on arrogance although his eyes were kindly and curious as they observed the younger man who came towards him with a smile on his lips,<\/p>\n \u201cYou are Captain of this vessel?\u201d he asked \u201cI am Lunalilo, one of the Ali\u2019I* of these islands. Our King greets you and sends you his wishes that you come this evening where he will hold a banquet in your honour.\u201d he bowed his head at the conclusion of his speech and then looked up in anticipation of Adam\u2019s reply.<\/p>\n \u201cTell King Kal\u0101kaua* that I would be honoured to attend, I and my officers.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cAnd I thank you for coming to give us this welcome to your islands, Chief Lunalilo.\u201d<\/p>\n He swept his hand towards his own berth, inviting the other man to his quarters for refreshment but Lunalilo declined so graciously that no man could have been offended.<\/p>\n Adam watched him and a number of the canoes return to the bay, and without another word turned to go into his own cabin leaving his crew to enjoy for a while some laxity in discipline. The sounds of laughter, singing and music drifted into several hours until one by one the visitors returned to their boats and paddled back to their home.<\/p>\n Adam finished writing the letter to his father, he signed it and put it in the envelope which he sealed with red wax. Hawaii – a place as close to paradise, so they said, that a man could find. Climate and culture perfectly balanced to make any human being feel immortal – for a while.<\/p>\n Adam allowed a third of the ship\u2019s crew to take out the boats to the island. Each man there had been given the directive that while enjoying their ship\u2019s leave they were not to forget why they had come – to find out whatever they possibly could about the Baltimore and her crew.<\/p>\n Before dusk Adam and his officers, apart from Midshipman Mayhew who was left the senior officer in charge, boarded the Captain\u2019s barge and entered the bay where they were greeted once again with singing and chanting, flaming torches were held aloft and they were led along to the palace of King Kal\u0101kaua and his Queen, Kapiolani*.<\/p>\n The whole royal entourage appeared to welcome the American Captain and his officers. His ship was applauded and commended, the virtues of the American President, whom \u201cI should imagine you see many of our ships now, sir,\u201d Adam said to William in a soft voice and the other man nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cSince my brother negotiated with your President a treaty between our countries, yes, we see American ships here now.* Of course, the British have been here far longer. Our Kaleleokalani is part English, and her influence during the reigns of her husband and son has been considerable.\u201d he frowned, \u201cYour ship, Shenandoah, yes, I have heard of this place, Shenandoah, a valley is it not?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, a very beautiful valley, sir. I commend you on your knowledge of my country.\u201d Adam smiled and leaned forward to take more of the roasted pig.<\/p>\n \u201cI read a lot.\u201d William Pitt shrugged, \u201cWe are encouraged to learn -\u201d he paused, \u201cThe last ship here from America is due to leave tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saw her in the bay.\u201d Adam observed.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is a fine ship too, but not like yours, your ship is like many swans sailing on the seas, but the Portland -\u201d he shook his head, obviously a man who loved romance and the sailing ships to modernisation and steam.<\/p>\n \u201cHave there been no other ships recently?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBritish and French only. The last American ship was about a year ago. Like yours she was a ship full of grace and beauty -\u201d he sighed and turned to converse with a woman by his side.<\/p>\n In the morning Adam had a package of mail sent to the Captain of the Portland with a request that he deliver them to the Post Office in San Francisco upon his arrival there. Within the hour the Captain of the Portland was boarding the Shenandoah<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it was you,\u201d the Captain cried, extending his hand to give Adam\u2019s a very hearty shake.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t even know it was you.\u201d Adam exclaimed and stepped back to admire the young Officer standing in his cabin,, \u201cCongratulations, Captain Masters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve a few crewmen from the Ainola on board the Portland, sir.\u201d he smiled and sat down, feeling less in awe of Adam than he had during those first few weeks he had sailed on the Ainola. He sighed, \u201cThat was quite an adventure we had, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was,\u201d Adam poured out some coffee and passed a cup to Masters, \u201cHow long have you been here in Hawaii?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout three weeks. Longer than intended, but we had problems with the ship. Steam may be the way of progress but there\u2019s still teething problems.\u201d he smiled and gazed out of the port hole where he could see the island framed as though in a landscape painting, \u201cI remember most of all the time the Ainola got trapped in the ice and we used the boats to haul her through – \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I remember -\u201d Adam sighed and captured the memory of the struggling men, the ice creaking and squeezing against the ship\u2019s hull.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd mornings when the ice was so intense it frosted the sails and the ship, it looked beautiful, do you remember, sir?\u201d he glanced at Adam with a dreamy expression on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Adam nodded and buried his face in his cup, \u201cHave you heard any news about Captain O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien? A Captain? That\u2019s good news. No, I\u2019ve not seen nor heard from O\u2019Brien since we parted company after – after the Ainola was destroyed. How is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know -\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cIt\u2019s what I aim to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything that I can do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you see or hear anything of his ship The Baltimore – and could find a way to let me know, I would be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do what I can, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve not seen him in these waters then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I had, I would have told you right away, sir.\u201d Masters frowned, \u201cI\u2019ve been coasting up and down between Honalulu, Hawaii and the other islands here, there\u2019s not been another American ship in the area for over a year.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n They blinked tears as they were hauled from the cage. The sun was bright, brighter than they had anticipated, but compared to the darkness of their prison even the moon would have been too bright. O\u2019Brien wiped the tears from his face and closed his eyes. The movement made the chains on his wrists rattle, and slowly he allowed his arms to fall back to his side.<\/p>\n His captors voices were harsh and crude, the language unfathomable but they all understood some words now. The order to move on, to walk, to drink, to eat. He forced his feet forward, stumbled slightly, raised a hand against the wall to steady himself, ,only there wasn\u2019t a wall and he fell, heavily, upon the stony ground.<\/p>\n He was pushed along once he had risen to his feet again, pushed and pulled back into line and into a huddle of men. He could see Hampton standing close by, and could barely recognise him. He wondered if he, too, were now unrecognisable. The guards were passing them by now with gourds full of water which they poured over them, threw at them, vast quantities of water to \u2018clean them off\u2019. He tried to catch some drops in his mouth, and knew that without this ritual humiliation the water rations they were given would never have been sufficient to sustain them.<\/p>\n When he opened his eyes again and could see well enough he looked around him. Every time he had been hauled out he looked and looked in the hope that there would be some weakness evident to him about their prison. Some weakness that he could feed his mind upon and think of some plan of escape. There were sounds to his left now and he half turned to see the bodies of those who had been in the prison and who had died during the night being hauled unceremoniously away. Perhaps then, death was the only way out. He looked over at Hampton and wondered just how long the man could last out now.<\/p>\n Chapter 36<\/p>\n No one had heard any mention of The Baltimore. Each man who had gone ashore had made their own enquiries and found nothing to contradict the statement that the last American ship to berth in Hawaii prior to The Portland had been over or nearly a year ago.<\/p>\n Fresh water and fruit was stored away and the cook had enough fresh meat to put into barrels of brine to last them a few weeks. On the upper deck Adam watched as men carried the provisions down into the hold. As the boats were finally hauled back on ship and lashed down, and the men began to return to their duties Adam gave the order to weigh anchor and to lower the sails. Men began to hurry to their tasks, some mounting the ratlines, the rope ladders permanently rigged from bulwarks and tops to the mast to enable access to top masts and yards. The middies scampered up with bare feet, in order to release the reef lines on the sails, so that the great mass of sails were free to capture the wind.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Conrad, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMount to the crow\u2019s nest, keep an eye out for anything at all that you feel is unusual – anything, do you hear?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam narrowed his eyes to watch as Conrad snatched up the telescope and began to clamber up the ratlines to the crows nest. He looked then at Baker,<\/p>\n \u201cYour trick is it, Baker?\u201d he smiled<\/p>\n \u201cYes sir, it is, until the next watch when Laurensen takes over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust steer her round the coast line of all the islands – don\u2019t get too close, I don\u2019t want to be bothered by bumboats now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMyers -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want a good speed on her, we\u2019ve a good head wind, make the most of it.\u201d he frowned and leaned forwards slightly \u201cKeep a sharp eye out for anything unusual -\u201d<\/p>\n Myers nodded, he knew better than to ask what exactly would be considered \u2018unusual\u2019. Adam walked to portside and watched as the ship moved smoothly through the waves. The coastline changed, wavered, steadied and changed again. Palm trees waved in the warm breeze and above his head the sails filled out and snapped with that familiar taut snap that augured well and made him feel that all was well. They passed Big Island,* Kahoolure*, down the sides of Maui* and Molokai*. Kauai* was last, all of which took far longer than Adam had thought as they had searched along the bays and crept as close to land as possible. Now they had reached open sea and there had still been nothing seen of The Baltimore, nor of her crew and Captain.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhere now, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam reached out a hand and poured wine into the glasses of his officers, Myers, Hathaway and Kenney. The doctor, wine still in his glass, raised a hand to decline any further replenishment.<\/p>\n It was two days after leaving Hawaii, the moon was a grossly oversized orange on the horizon, almost extinguishing the stars surrounding it, and the lamps and candles in Adam\u2019s room cast shadows over their faces. They had eaten a good meal finished off by fresh Hawaii\u2019n fruit. Adam surveyed his glass and nodded thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue on course.\u201d he murmured. \u201cIf we don\u2019t find anything by the time we hit Australia, then we turn round and come back again until we do.\u201d<\/p>\n The officers glanced at one another, the doctor sighed and leaned towards an apple, which he polished slowly on his jacket, no one spoke. Everyone felt that there had to come a break for them sometime, soon.<\/p>\n Chapter 37<\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019know what -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon that this here trip is the best one I\u2019ve ever been on, nothing\u2019 to do but eat, sleep and enjoy the sun. Y\u2019know what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI reckon that one of these days rich folk are going to pay a fortune to sail on ships like this un around these islands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy\u2019d they wanna do a thing like thet fer?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Cos they\u2019d be able to afford it, that\u2019s why. They\u2019d git to sail around and enjoy the sun, visit them islands and have that hospitality there. Ain\u2019t nothing wrong with that, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t see it happening. Ain\u2019t no point.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled as he eavesdropped onto the conversation between the two seamen who were carefully picking out the hemp from some old twisted ropes, this was called oakum, and the material found would be used for caulking the ship\u2019s hull. The drift of smoke from their pipes brought back memories of his father\u2019s old pipe, and his smile softened as he stepped away from the prow as he wondered on what his father and brothers would be doing at that moment.<\/p>\n He glanced up at the sky, there were birds swooping and diving, and that indicated land. Another island. He pursed his lips and frowned, another slag of coral giving birds landing space no doubt, they had seen sufficient of them over the past few days since leaving the Hawaii\u2019n islands. He straightened his jacket and mounted the ladder to the bridge, picked up his telescope and began to scan the horizon.<\/p>\n He was steadying it on some movement on the island\u2019s coastline when a cry came from the crows nest,<\/p>\n \u201cBoat approaching, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam trained his glass on the sight of the boat that was being rowed towards them, the steady disciplined movement of the mens bodies as they leaned into their oars indicated to him only one thing, that they were seamen, trained to work as a unified body of men. He felt a tingle of excitement trickle up and down his spine, could this be, at last, the break they needed now?<\/p>\n Steadily the boat navigated the coral reef that were like jagged teeth holding back the ocean and protecting what appeared to be a lagoon. Stroke by stroke the boat came nearer, and the seamen on board the Shenandoah began to crowd together and to stand by the sides of the ship to watch her approach.<\/p>\n \u201cFriend or foe, sir?\u201d Hathaway asked in his soft voice, and he smiled in a way that indicated that he, too, was hoping that this was some break in their long search.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s hope that they\u2019re friends, huh, Hathaway?\u201d Adam smiled and lowered the telescope, handing it to the younger man who raised it to his eye although he had lingered a while to observe the insignia of the U.S. 7th Cavalry that was stamped upon it.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a cablegram for Jamieson.\u201d Joe said \u201cCould be something important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, p\u2019raps.\u201d Hoss took another swig of his beer, drained the glass and put it back down onto the table, \u201cY\u2019know, I\u2019ve been thinking, Joe, Pa made a big mistake them years back when he sent Adam off to college.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Joe wrinkled his nose and frowned, \u201cHow\u2019d you make that out, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I reckon that it took Adam away from us right back then, made him have a little bit of his heart always longing to be someplace else instead of with us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Hoss, you sure speak some nonsense at times. Have you been reading them books again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat books? I ain\u2019t been reading no books.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReckon you have. I told you not to read them books.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss sighed and rose to his feet, he picked up his hat and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you can think what you like, Joe, but I remember a time back when you was bit by a wolf, and we were waiting for a doctor to come see you and all Adam did was talk about the East, and so called civilization. I told him then about how I felt about the Ponderosa, jest hoping that p\u2019raps he could see it in per- per – hum – see it the way I do. Guess he felt so low that evening he just let slip how he felt about life out here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, that was a long time ago – now, c\u2019mon, let\u2019s get this mail to Pa and Mr Jamieson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guarantee you one thing, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss squared his shoulders and shook his head as he placed the hat over his scant hair,<\/p>\n \u201cI guarantee you anything you like that thar cable don\u2019t bring any good news.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe looked at his brother thoughtfully and then shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure ain\u2019t a happy fella today, are ya, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – and I\u2019ll tell you something else too, that beer was flat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The boat brushed against the starboard hull of the Shenandoah, and the men in it glanced up with expressions on their faces that indicated not only relief but hope, an intense hope that only a glimpse of salvation could bring any man.<\/p>\n \u201cLower ropes -\u201d Myers voice intoned the command and immediately the men were lowering the rope ladders by which the others could clamber aboard.<\/p>\n Most of the ship\u2019s company were now on the main deck, each man prepared to welcome a friend but prepared for the enemy. Adam, coming down the ladder from the bridge, walked forwards, the men parting to make way for him.<\/p>\n Each man, as they scrambled over the side and stumbled upon the deck, glanced at Adam and gave him a salute. Not one of them spoke, waiting it seemed for their spokesman to come aboard. Adam, eyes glancing from face to face, wondered, hoped, and waited.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Cartwright -\u201d a familiar voice suddenly broke through the silence, \u201cCap\u2019n?\u201d and a big man elbowed his way through to the forefront of the assembled men, \u201cIt\u2019s me, sir, Davies from the Ainola. I was -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHelmsman?\u201d Adam murmured and stepped forward, checked himself and nodded, \u201cWelcome aboard the Shenandoah, Mr Davies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Captain, thank you – I just knew we\u2019d be alright when I saw the Shenandoah heave into view, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain?\u201d another voice and Adam turned to face the last man to step on board, \u201cAre you Captain of this vessel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am, sir. And you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLieutenant Jackson, sir, from the ship Baltimore.\u201d upon which the young man attempted a salute before collapsing upon the deck.<\/p>\n Although all the men appeared healthy, and certainly not malnourished, their clothing was in a sad state of repair and their hair and beards evidence of weeks without razors or combs. Adam had Jackson carried to his own berth and summoned Soames, the ship\u2019s doctor, to attend to him. Davies, despite his familiarity with the Captain, had the sense to step back into the crowd and await any further dialogue, knowing that Adam would initiate such in his own time.<\/p>\n Myers stepped forward to hand over the Log Book from the Baltimore which he had been handed by one of the sailors, a youth who claimed to be a middie and had retrieved the Log Book before leaving the island. There were various papers sticking out from its pages, making it look a regular hedgehog of a tome.<\/p>\n It took little time to recognise the cause of Jacksons illness. At some time within the past few weeks he had received a bullet wound which had been neglected. The infection from the wound had putrefied, it was, Soames said, a wonder the man was still alive.<\/p>\n \u201cI was worried at first, in case it was some fever -\u201d he looked at Adam and knew the Captain had had the same fear, he shrugged, \u201cI don\u2019t think he\u2019ll live beyond an hour now, Adam, I\u2018ve given him something to ease the pain and make his final moments more peaceable.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and watched the door close behind the doctor even as he pulled out a chair to sit beside the dying mans bedside. Soames was a good doctor, and had proven himself a kindly associate. He was an older man, almost the age of Adam\u2019s father, and allowed himself the privilege of referring to the Captain by his personal name when they were together in private. Of all the ship\u2019s company he was the one man on board whom Adam had total confidence in, and he accepted that it could well have been due to the man\u2019s age and experience, tempered by the fact that in some ways he was a father figure, a surrogate for his own beloved father back home.<\/p>\n He had placed the Log onto the desk, and occasionally glanced over to it, wondering what history it contained and what revelations it would open up to him. The man on the bed, stirring slightly, brought his mind back to his ministrations, and he turned to look down at the man who had now reached out a hand to touch his own. The coldness of the dying man\u2019s flesh sent a shiver up Adam\u2019s arm, never was there a time when a man was faced with the question of his own mortality more so than when there was contact with a dying fellow human.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m here -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – Cartwright, Adam Cartwright of the Shenandoah.\u201d<\/p>\n A slight smile graced the lips of the other officer, he raised his hand and pointed into the air, his eyes, already drained of colour, were clear evidence of the nearness of death.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien spoke of you -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you tell me what happened, Jackson? Who shot you? Where\u2019s O\u2019Brien? Where\u2019s the Baltimore now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGone. Ship gone. Mutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMutiny?\u201d Adam sat back and frowned, the one word that was like a blasphemy to a seaman, particularly an officer, he licked dry lips, \u201cIs O\u2019Brien dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – not yet – maybe – don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho shot you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jackson stared up at the ceiling with blind eyes, his hand dropped to his side, his breathing became slightly easier and Adam leaned in towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cJackson, you\u2019re safe now on board The Shenandoah, tell me what happened, what caused the mutiny?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I was born in the Shenandoah Valley,\u201d Jackson whispered, \u201cBeautiful land. Married a girl there.\u201d his eyes closed and he sighed, a smile graced his lips and Adam had no doubt that the dying man was slipping into memories of happier times.<\/p>\n He felt a pang of remorse having to drag the wretched man away from his dreams and back to the realities of what had happened, he placed a hand on the mans chest, very gently, and said softly<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did they mutiny?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe woman -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, was the man speaking about his wife now or some woman on board the ship?<\/p>\n \u201cWhat woman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeacons – saw beacons – came and – ship broke up – O\u2019Brien -abandon ship.\u201d he reared up, his eyes distended and his arm flailed, \u201cABANDON SHIP\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n Adam put his hands gently on the man\u2019s shoulders, but was amazed at the strength now in the man\u2019s body, resisting his help to lay him back down, instead he remained rigid, his arm stretched out, his hand pointing ahead of him and his eyes distended.<\/p>\n \u201cBeacons – no, false beacons – hit the rocks – abandon ship, abandon ship\u2026\u201d his voice trickled into a whisper, his body went limp in Adam\u2019s arms and carefully Adam settled him back onto the bed, \u201cAbandon ship -\u201d Jackson whispered and then there was a harsh rasping, his back arched and he fell back, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling and his body finally at rest. Adam closed the man\u2019s eyes and stood up, opened the door and called to Scott to fetch the doctor. The man was now beyond help, all that needed to be done was for Soames to certify cause of death and for the body to be taken to the sick bay where the carpenter would deal with what was to be done.<\/p>\n Adam returned now to his desk and pulled the Log book towards him. He glanced up as the body was removed, nodded agreement at the time for the \u2018burial\u2019, and waited for the door to close as he opened the record of the Baltimore\u2019s last days.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien\u2019s writing, strong and dark and decisive. Page upon page of information \u2026 latitudes and longitudes noted, how many knots they were travelling, weather conditions, estimated times to arrive here or there, mention of having to swing the compass at one time, which meant O\u2019Brien had to measure the accuracy in the ship\u2019s magnetic compass to readjust its readings, that meant he had to turn the ship and take bearings on reference points.<\/p>\n There was mention of the ships they had passed. Luncheon with a French Captain on board the frigate La Dauphine. Took on board two passengers, women. Mrs C. Turville and her maid, Miss Kirk, at the request of the French Captain. The passengers requesting passage to Tokyo, the frigate going only so far as Hawaii.<\/p>\n Adam glanced up, the door opened and Scott entered with clean linen for Adam\u2019s bed. He obviously felt that his master could not, would not, want to sleep in the sheets upon which a man had died. Adam watched Scott for a moment or two as the bed was stripped and remade, all in silence. The Canadian was almost as elusive as a previous steward, Abbott. Adam sighed, memories of Abbott always made him feel guilty.<\/p>\n The Baltimore had no intention of stopping at Hawaii, and were pleased to take on the passengers as their direct route was for Tokyo. Mention of several other ships, some Japanese, a Russian merchantman, an English freighter.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was some agitation in the mess today. The men are objecting to certain conditions so insignificant as to be laughable, were it not just an indication of how uneasy they are with one another. This has not been a happy ship\u2019s company from the moment we left American shores\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a fight between a Marine and the bo\u2019sun. Disciplinary action taken. Twelve strokes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is becoming increasingly difficult to locate the cause of these petty problems. The men are quarrelsome and unruly. Three men were disciplined today for insubordination. Lieutenant Jackson reported further matters that will need to be looked into. Mr Hampton commented that this was an unlucky ship, but that is not so, it is merely the men who persist in being objectionable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a serious breach of misconduct this morning. Miss Kirk was assaulted by several of the ship\u2019s crew. Twelve lashes to each man. Miss Kirk and Mrs Turville advised not to go from their cabin without proper escort.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeacons showing -\u201d<\/p>\n That was all. Adam turned the pages and found no further entries. The Log Book had obviously sustained water damage but there were no further writings or notations in it to record what happened next. He pulled out the slips of paper that bristled within the book but most were notations of a man with time on his hand to doodle, or sketch in some bird or fish he had seen, or even to write down snatches of poetry. O\u2019Brien – he had been such a lover of poetry, and Adam had a fleeting memory of how they had bolstered one another up during the snow storms on that Alaskan wilderness by quoting poetry.<\/p>\n Then he found an envelope with his own name written upon it, \u2018To be delivered to Captain Adam Cartwright\u2019 and rising to his feet he tore open the envelope to pull out the letter it contained. He stood at the port hole to read it.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWell, is it good news or bad?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson glanced up at the rancher, his hand that held the cablegram dropped back onto his lap,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not good news.\u201d his voice was devoid of emotion, dull and a trifle weak, he looked up at Ben again, \u201cI think it was to be expected.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss shot a look over at Joe, a \u2018told you so\u2019 glance that did nothing to settle the younger man\u2019s mind, he stepped forward<\/p>\n \u201cEnough of the mysteries, Mr Jamieson, what\u2019s the bad news, and how does it affect my brother?\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson frowned more deeply, and looked from one to the other of the three men there. It was strange, he thought, even though Adam Cartwright was thousands of miles away his presence was still strongly felt here, still alive, merely because of the love and respect these men had for him. He could understand it, it had touched him as well when he was on board the Ainola, and watching the man suffer both physically and emotionally during the bleakest hours of his life. Jamieson nodded, as though he had settled something in his own mind, he passed the paper to Ben who read aloud<\/p>\n \u201cShe was not there.\u201d<\/p>\n They once again exchanged looks, puzzled, confused. Ben passed the cable back to Jamieson and crooked his dark eyebrows<\/p>\n \u201cShe wasn\u2019t there? What does that mean? It obviously makes sense to you but nothing to us\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t suppose that it would, I mean, of course it wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, ain\u2019t\u2019cha going to explain who the \u2018she\u2019 is?\u201d Hoss asked gruffly.<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra Pelman.\u201d Jamieson replied curtly and he could see that they were still confused, still baffled by the name.<\/p>\n \u201cPelman\u2019s wife?\u201d Ben said sharply, as though realisation and memory combined had revealed the fact like a bolt of lightning.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Commodore Pelman\u2019s wife. She disappeared after her husband\u2019s death, if you remember. No one was able to track her down until some time ago when she was traced to Russia, with her brother.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer brother?\u201d Joe frowned, \u201cWho was her brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJeffrey Metcalfe.\u201d Jamieson replied in a voice that trembled slightly, as though he had referred to the devil himself.<\/p>\n Chapter 38<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – it\u2019s a million to one chance that you\u2019ll ever receive this letter but should you do so, would you take care of Maria for me? I mean, keep her safe and treat her as though she were your sister. I just have this feeling that there\u2019s something very wrong about this assignment and that, in all probability I may not survive.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t think too much about it at first, one doesn\u2019t, accidents happen, but the co-incidences begin to mount after a while, don\u2019t they? I\u2019ll start at the beginning – before we started from \u2018Frisco several of our men met with accidents, so we had to take on board replacements. They seemed alright but once we got mid-way through the voyage things began to go wrong. A general air of discontent set in among the crew that I had not encountered before, and despite talking things over with them in an attempt to quell the trouble, things kept rumbling on.<\/p>\n Hampton said this was an unlucky ship, but it isn\u2019t, it\u2019s the men themselves. Davies, whom you will recall from the days of our Alaskan trip, has kept me informed and it seems the men we took on board as replacements are the instigators and, unfortunately, one of my officers in particular seems to be the perfect foil for their aggression. Lieutenant Jackson is a fine man but he\u2019s a bully, ambitious and I have to admit, something of a loudmouth. At the least hint of insubordination he demands disciplinary action.<\/p>\n Of course the more insubordination there is, the more disciplinary action is taken and the more angry the men become. But that is just one complication \u2026<\/p>\n En route we met up with a French frigate and were invited aboard for hospitality, which we in turn, reciprocated. It \u2018just\u2019 happened that they were going to Hawaii but the passengers they had wanted to go direct to Tokyo. Needless to say we offered our services and took the ladies on board.<\/p>\n Here is where there is another co-incidence, or was it? Mrs Turville keeps herself to herself, I have seen her only once and that was upon boarding when I took her to her berth with her maid. However the maid seems very familiar with the men, particularly those who came on board at such late notice.<\/p>\n I am plagued with questions and doubts now, not knowing for sure whether I am imagining things or not.<\/p>\n Last evening I invited Mrs Turville to join Hampton and myself, Jackson and our doctor, for supper. She attended and was very pleasant company, in fact, a very attractive woman. However as the evening progressed I noticed that Hampton was getting rather quieter than usual, he is an unassuming man at the best of times, and towards the end of the evening he was almost on the verge of being impolite to our guest. He said later that he was sure he recognised her, a woman whom, he claimed, was one of the most unscrupulous he had ever known.<\/p>\n Can you believe this, Adam, but I have on board my ship Pelman\u2019s wife, Jeffrey Metcalfe\u2019s sister?<\/p>\n I am racking my brains in an attempt to get to the bottom of this matter. I feel sure now that the French frigate, La Dauphine, was not there by any chance encounter but for the sole purpose of our taking this woman on board. Hampton is a nervous wreck and pacing the floor like a mad man. Apparently she followed her brother to Russia, travelled to Europe with him and now? Why Tokyo? Why on board this ship with Hampton?<\/p>\n I am writing out my thoughts here, and my concerns. They may well come to nothing. It may all be conjecture and co-incidence and Hampton\u2019s overwrought imagination. If so I\u2019ll destroy this letter, if not – perhaps you will one day find it and be able to put together some of the threads of this conundrum.<\/p>\n \u2018Here life has death for neighbour Then star nor sun shall waken Memories, my friend, memories \u2026 my thanks, Daniel\u201d<\/p>\n He read through the letter again and then slowly closed it, folded it back into the envelope and drew in his breath before he raised his eyes to look out at the sea through the port hole.<\/p>\n He was roused from his reverie by a sharp knock on the door to which he called out an abrupt \u2018Enter\u2019, and when he turned he saw Davies, the helmsman of the Ainola, standing at the entrance to his berth.<\/p>\n \u201cCome in,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cClose the door behind you.\u201d and while Davies did so he walked slowly to his chair behind the desk, with a sigh he sat down and looked at the man as he approached the desk, \u201cWhat have you to tell me?\u201d he asked, and leaned back in his chair to await the answer.<\/p>\n Davies cleared his throat with a loud hrrrmmph, and then with knitted brow and agitated hands he approached the desk. He looked at Adam and then lowered his eyes, unable to sustain the depth of the penetrating look he received from the Captain.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain – jest that – thank God it was you came by now. When we saw the ship hove to we were so -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDavies, tell me what has been happening? From the beginning – and the truth, man.\u201d<\/p>\n Davies\u2019 eyes flicked up and once again he looked into the Captain\u2019s face and once again he lowered his eyes, and hung his head. For a moment there was silence then he drew in his breath,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what seamen are like, Captain, superstitious fellows. You can ignore one or even two accidents before sailing but when it mounts to three or four, then they get to talking and convincing each other that the ship\u2019s unlucky. That\u2019s how we set out on our voyage, Captain, an unlucky ship despite having a good Captain.\u201d he paused, \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien couldn\u2019t be faulted in any way, not in anything. Believe me -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do – continue with your story.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice intoned, although he bit down on his lip, and his fingers were tapping against his thigh impatiently as Davies intoned his narrative in the only way he knew how, and that was, slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo we ended up with four or five pier head jumpers on board, at first no one thought much of it, they had signed on like the rest of us and replaced the men lost due to the accidents before the ship sailed. But after a while it seemed those men were always at the centre of little incidents, things that were going wrong, and then that Lieutenant Jackson, though I don\u2019t want to talk ill of the dead, he was a stickler for good behaviour and discipline, and when things went wrong he wanted to know why. It meant more and more times the cat was out of the bag and used on our backs too – then those men would be there awhispering and criticising and it wasn\u2019t long before the seeds of discontent that they sowed began to take root and grow.\u201d he paused for breath, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand before recommencing, \u201cThey seemed to pick on Jackson, knew his weakness and fondness for using the cat, so it always seemed things went wrong when he was about. It began to rankle more and more with the men.\u201d<\/p>\n Again a pause and he looked at Adam who was staring out of the window with a blank look on his face, at the silence Adam merely bade him continue<\/p>\n \u201cThe Captain wasn\u2019t happy with Jackson and he wasn\u2019t too happy with us, what with so much going wrong. The whispers went around again that the ship was unlucky and then we met up with the Frenchie.\u201d he cleared his throat, \u201cNext thing was the women came on board. That just made the men even more uneasy, an unlucky ship with women on board, that just increased the bad luck s\u2019far as they were concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised a hand here, and turned to look at Davies,<\/p>\n \u201cI believe Captain O\u2019Brien was invited to dine on La Dauphine, did Mr Hampton go with him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, Mr Hampton suffered from – well- he was a reg\u2019lar land lubber, sir, and thought of getting down the side of the ship into a boat and crossing the water to the other ship just about scared the life out of him. With all due respect -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the next day when the French officers dined on your ship, did the women come over as well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, not at all. They didn\u2019t come until the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Mr Hampton didn\u2019t see them board?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, they jest scuttled into their cabin. Never really saw the lady -\u201d he frowned, \u201cthe odd thing was that her maid, she used to come out on the deck and fraternise with the men, particularly the pier head jumpers. Whispering and laughing and flirting with them she were \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a report that she was assaulted on one occasion -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe so, sir.\u201d Davies frowned, \u201cBy this time there was a lot of unease among the men, talk wasn\u2019t good, and then Jackson came down with the master at arms accusing some man of harming the girl. It caused a lot of bad feeling, a lot of whispering and murmuring if you know what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo on -\u201d Adam sighed, and turned to resume his observation of the view from the window.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew the Captain weren\u2019t happy, he wasn\u2019t easy about the men and Mr Hampton was no help either, always fretting about this or that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were still on course for Tokyo, weren\u2019t you?\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was crisp, sharp, and his eyes lingered awhile on the helms mans face.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, despite a diffident crew, you were on course for your destination – so what exactly did Jackson mean when he mentioned about some beacons?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeacons, sir?\u201d Davies looked unsettled, uncomfortable, his eyes shifted from Adam to the log book on the desk. \u201cMr Jackson mentioned beacons, did he, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe said the ship was lured onto the rocks, and was broken up. You had to abandon ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Davies sagged slightly around the shoulders, he shook his head as though undecided about what to say next.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak up, Davies, what did Jackson mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must know, Davies -\u201d Adam rose to his feet, \u201cThe man was dying, for goodness sake, he\u2019s hardly likely to tell a lie on his death bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, sir, but he could say things that were wrong, a mistake -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow could the ship breaking up and the command to abandon ship be a mistake, Davies?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything went wrong, sir. Them that was with the pier head jumpers began to talk about mutiny, that was wrong talk, sir, and those that were agin it, told \u2018em so in no uncertain terms. A seaman don\u2019t mutiny when there\u2019s a good Captain in control, but Captain O\u2019Brien didn\u2019t realise that he had lost the men because those men had their confidence and were wheedling and needling away at \u2018em until they couldn\u2019t even see the quality of the Captain and jest wanted the ship. It happens, sir -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGod forbid it happens on any ship of mine,\u201d Adam growled, and knit his brows as fiercely as his father ever would, \u201cGet on with it – what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could understand what happened really and why – but one night when we were on dog watch the lookout reported seeing beacons to starboard. Well, that ain\u2019t possible, not rightly so, not hereabouts. We went to see what was going on and sure enough there were what appeared to be beacons burning -\u201d he paused and shook his head, \u201cnext thing fighting broke out. It was dark, men were struggling against men who had been best mates minutes before, we didn\u2019t know who we were fighting. Mr Jackson was yelling about beacons and I went down to inform the Captain. He was writing in the log, and as I went in some men followed right behind me – I recall him standing and asking what was happening and there was shooting -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien was shot?\u201d Adam stood up, his fists clenched as he leaned down upon the desk, \u201cDid you see if he was – how bad it was?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was alright, sir – he was dragged out, me too – young Harris grabbed the log, wasn\u2019t sure how he managed to wriggle out with that but he did. The fighting had stopped, the beacons, so called, were still burning. I saw Mr Hampton was standing there, looking scared out of his wits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the women?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo sign of them, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam bit his bottom lip again, passed his hand over his face and sat down with a concentrated look in his eyes before he glanced back at Davies,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe men divided up, we were put on the boat and told to abandon ship. Jackson was tossed down in with us. Harris had already sneaked into the boat. As we pulled on the oars with no idea where to go except to be guided by the stars, we noticed that the beacons were nothing more than burning tar barrels. Seems to me those pier head jumpers were out to make trouble, and they knew exactly when and where to cause it. Those tar barrels were a signal -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor whom? Who else was about there to take notice of them? What purpose did they serve except to scare the lot of you into a fight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, sir. But whatever they was for, it worked for them, didn\u2019t it? They had the ship, and the Captain and Mr Hampton.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the women.\u201d<\/p>\n To that Davies made no reply, he merely clutched his hat tightly and observed the Captain thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cHow was Jackson shot?\u201d Adam asked in a voice that sounded deflated, even slightly depressed, he glanced at Davies before lowering his gaze to linger upon the cover of the Log book.<\/p>\n \u201cHe took over when we hit land. Took command I should say \u2026 he wasn\u2019t popular. Some of our men died there – on the island. I mean, we didn\u2019t lack water or food, there was enough on the island to keep us going until the monsoon season, but some had been injured in the fighting and – and Jackson just drove them too hard. To be honest, sir -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised a hand, whatever Davies\u2019 opinion of the officer, now dead, was of no interest to him, he had formed his own opinion already and in a short while would be praying over the body before it was cast into the depths. He rubbed his brow with his fingers, while he kept his eyes downcast,<\/p>\n \u201cSo – the ship didn\u2019t break up, or get wrecked on the rocks?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all. In the morning we could see her quite clearly -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeading for Tokyo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir. She had altered course.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised his head and looked at the helms man thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t suppose you noticed – ?\u201d he paused and Davies nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cAs it happened, sir, I did.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 39<\/p>\n Lieutenant Miles Jackson was sent to his grave with more dignity at his funeral than he had ever received during his life. All the ship\u2019s crew were assembled to listen to the Captains brief eulogy and prayer before the board upon which the body, sewn into the canvas by the ship\u2019s carpenter, was tilted and the body slipped into the sea. For a moment there was silence then the bo\u2019sun piped for dismissal and everyone returned to their tasks.<\/p>\n Dr Soames remained standing next to the Captain and both men walked to the taffrail and leaned upon it, looking down at the sea into which the late officer had been consigned. One would never have known there had been such disturbance when looking down upon the resplendent surface.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Captain, I\u2019ve been hearing quite a few tales in sick bay -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt you have,\u201d Adam murmured and his dark eyes flicked towards the doctor before returning to gaze upon the water, \u201cSuch as -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMutiny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHrrmph. I can\u2019t believe any seaman worth his salt would mutiny against Daniel O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, it only takes a few seditious whispers and resolute murmurers to get discontent into a crew of superstitious hot heads.\u201d Soames folded his arms upon the smooth wooden surface of the ship\u2019s side and frowned, \u201cThe late departed we\u2019ve just deposited into the sea certainly played his part in the mess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe perfect foil.\u201d Adam agreed in a soft voice, and he bowed his head, \u201cIt\u2019s a mess all round, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is.\u201d Soames glanced over his shoulder and watched as some men walked along the deck, \u201cJackson was a bully and a thug, he usurped O\u2019Brien\u2019s authority at every opportunity he could, and the men resented him for it. Then the women -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know about the women -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll the seamen I have treated in sick bay were loyal to O\u2019Brien. Some of them were saying that on the night of the mutiny they lost a lot of good men because there was so much confusion, good men died, and good men went along with the bad because they swallowed the lies they had been told. They\u2019re feeling very bitter about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid any of them have any idea where the ship was heading when they left it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t you been told?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was given one suggestion but it leaves us where we were – a lot of sea to cover and a lot of land to negotiate. The only consolation I have so far is that O\u2019Brien is – was – alive when they last saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Hampton -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and Hampton.\u201d Adam frowned, \u201cI wonder what it was all in aid of, this mutiny? It was planned from before the Baltimore set sail, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were after Hampton of course, and whatever it is he knows, or has in his possession or even because of his connection.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHis connection?\u201d Adam said vaguely and then he nodded slowly, \u201cOh yes, of course, with Grant.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe French ship didn\u2019t arrive at that spot by accident I\u2019m thinking -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m thinking the same.\u201d Adam nodded and turned his face into the breeze, \u201cIf you find out anything more report to me immediately.\u201d he said and walked away, while Soames made his way to the binnacle to collect the binnacle list, the ship\u2019s sick list, for the day.<\/p>\n It was Laurensen who was on duty and he acknowledged Adam with a brief but correct nod of the head while his hands kept steady on the wheel. He watched as Adam checked the compass and map which he had set out along with his sextant earlier The pitch of the ship was a perfect roll and dip, causing the fore and aft ends to fall and rise repetitively.<\/p>\n \u201cPort tack, helmsman,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPrepare for ready about -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam watched the man\u2019s hands on the wheel and then turned to observe the sails as the wind direction changed with the ship\u2019s turning, then he walked over to observe his maps. The co-ordinates Davies had provided he accepted as having been partly guess work, partly instinct, made from a glance back at the turning of the ship by the light of the burning tar barrels. They could be so far wrong \u2026<\/p>\n The bell for the changing of the watch sounded and Adam looked up, glanced at the sun and then resumed his markings on the map. Everything now was down to hope and a prayer \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The woman reclining on the beautifully upholstered chaise longue surveyed the gown that was being held up before her and with her head to one side she tried to imagine herself wearing it that evening at the soiree arranged for her guests. She had earlier checked the menu with the chef and addressed the situation regarding the wine to be served, now all that remained was her own personal toilette.<\/p>\n A brief knock on the door and it opened, before she had said a word, to admit a young man who snapped his fingers at the girl holding the dress and dismissing her with a jerk of his head. He walked towards Cassandra, bowed smartly with a click of his heels and waited for her to address him. She didn\u2019t, instead she stretched out her hand to pick up a gold cigarette case from which she took one, snapped the lid shut, and replaced it on the table. As she lit the cigarette she looked up at the young man through the flare of the match,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, say whatever you have to say, and then go away and send my maid back to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou may not want to when you hear what I have to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n She merely raised her eyebrows, and drew on the cigarette before slowly releasing the smoke through her lips,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be the judge of that, just tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe American Government has infiltrated your brother\u2019s papers -\u201d<\/p>\n She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders, the flimsy silk of her negligee slipped to reveal pale soft flesh,<\/p>\n \u201cThe house in San Francisco has been ransacked -\u201d<\/p>\n She inhaled from the cigarette and gazed up at the ceiling.<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t move. Just for a moment she froze and then slowly turned her magnificent eyes towards him<\/p>\n \u201cWho killed him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was shot in Virginia City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartwright – did he shoot Jeffrey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he was already on board his ship. It was a Pinkerton agent called Jamieson.\u201d<\/p>\n She narrowed her eyes slightly, then gave a very slight shake of the head,<\/p>\n \u201cI warned him that he had no time for personal vendetta\u2019s, he refused to listen.\u201d again a slight shrug of the shoulders and the silk slipped further, she stared up at the ceiling before putting the cigarette back to her lips, \u201cSend my maid in, I want to see what dress to wear tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Madam, can\u2019t you see -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you see that you are irritating me? Go away – I have a lot to do and little time in which to do it. Send in Sophia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Stepping into the cabin, Adam went immediately to his desk and picked up the Log Book. Was it possible that he had missed something in the reports? Would Daniel have realised that a situation was brewing over which he would have no control? Light was fading now and he leaned forward to turn up the flame in the lamp so that a golden pool of light shone down upon the writing. Slowly page over page he turned, until he had reached the final and last entry \u2018Beacons showing \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n Beacons \u2026 Adam stroked his jaw thoughtfully, then tugged pensively at his ear, a gesture that would have had Hoss smiling knowing that his brother\u2019s keen mind was gnawing away at some problem in search of its solution.<\/p>\n Tar barrels, beacons \u2026 fire and flame \u2026 he leaned back in his chair and sat silent and still for a while, his hand resting upon the open book and the other upon his knee while he stared out at the darkness now beyond the window. The first time he had seen Cassandra Pelman was when she had swirled into the Eugene\u2019s house, and declared with a defiant almost triumphant toss of the head that his ship, the Ainola, was burning in San Francisco harbour. He recalled to mind now the burning hulk of the fireship that had embraced HIS ship, and the flames, and he saw the faces of those who had died as a result. HIS men. He released his breath, unaware that for a moment he had stopped breathing, the memory was too intense and too miserable to dwell upon.<\/p>\n He cleared his throat and returned to the papers on his desk \u2026 Cassandra Pelman liked playing with fire, literally; he had no doubt she had been behind the idea of the fireship that had destroyed the Ainola, and he had no doubt now that she had been behind the quite theatrical burning of the tar barrels. It was all theatrics, grand gestures, but behind it all there was a plan of some kind \u2026 the accidents before the ship had sailed, the men ready to be taken on as replacements, the stirring up of discontent, the exact timing of the French frigate with the women on board.<\/p>\n So she had sailed from France \u2026 Cassandra Pelman. He scrambled around in his mind for a memory, Daniel\u2019s letter, hadn\u2019t there been mention of Jeffrey Metcalfe? \u2018I have seen him in Paris and in Vienna \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n A knock on the door and Scott entered with the Captain\u2019s night cap on a silver tray, he placed it on the desk and glanced at Adam thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything else, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing. Thank you, Scott.\u201d he allowed a smile, brief, to show his appreciation and waited for the door to close.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Metcalfe, Cassandra Pelman. Both in France. He left first, but she stayed until it fitted the plan for her to leave and get on board La Dauphine. He picked up his glass of whiskey, and as usual inhaled the aroma of it first before his first taste. It hit the back of his throat, burned its way downwards, warmed his insides \u2026 Jeffrey Metcalfe had been in San Francisco, he must have arranged for the accidents and selected the replacements, but then he had gone to Virginia City. He could recall now Jamieson\u2019s recognition of the man, their coaches passing.<\/p>\n He gulped back some more whiskey and walked to the port hole to look out upon the moon shining upon the sea. It was a dead calm. That meant the ship would be still, a silent witness on the black sea of the ocean. He narrowed his eyes and remembered the time Metcalfe had left the Ainola, the way the man\u2019s eyes had bored into his as the Russians had rowed away. Russia. Had Cassandra Pelman joined her brother in Russia before they had left together for France?<\/p>\n He rubbed his temple, round and round, and took another gulp of the whiskey. That was all in the past, but the past could well be the master of the present \u2026 he gulped back the last of the whiskey and placed the empty glass upon the salver.<\/p>\n Chapter 40<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re looking mighty pleased with yourself, Candy.\u201d Joe gave his friend a sly sidelong look out of the corner of his eyes and raised his eyebrows, \u201cAnything happening that I should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothing\u201d the other man replied sheepishly, and continued to hammer down the post with renewed vigour, going rather red in the face as he did so.<\/p>\n \u201cYou quite sure?\u201d Joe managed to ask as he grappled with some fencing and hauled it upright for Candy to take the brunt of the weight while he hammered it the other end.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure, would I lie to you?\u201d Candy said averting his face to avoid catching Joe\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cMmm,\u201d Joe frowned slightly and shifted the weight of the planking \u201cYou\u2019ve been going around the place looking like you were lost in a dream most of the time. Is that what marriage does to a man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d Candy shrugged, \u201cDifferent people react in different ways, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I wouldn\u2019t know.\u201d Joe muttered, and glanced up over his shoulder as he saw Hoss approaching, \u201cHoss, where\u2019ve you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn town, had to get some more nails and such\u201d he turned to Candy, \u201cHey, Candy, I saw Ann in town.\u201d his face broke into a broad smile.<\/p>\n \u201cOh – you did? I mean, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure did, and ain\u2019t she jest about the cutest little gal a man ever did see? Candy, you sure got yourself a real beauty of a wife.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Candy nodded, going even redder in the face but trying to avoid looking at the two Cartwrights as he reached out to grab a handful of nails.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she told me your news -\u201d Hoss guffawed, and nudged Candy with his elbow sending the other man teetering forward some steps before he regained his balance, \u201cSure is something, I guess congratulations should be in order.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations?\u201d Joe paused and looked at Candy before looking at his brother, \u201cIs this what I\u2019m thinking it is?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDunno what you\u2019re thinking, little brother,\u201d Hoss said, \u201cBut seems like there\u2019s gonna be the patterin of little feet soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Joe smiled innocently \u201cIs that right, Candy? You getting yourself a dawg?\u201d<\/p>\n Candy dropped the plank and turned to look at Hoss, reproachfully, and then at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know darn well it ain\u2019t no dawg, Joseph Cartwright. You\u2019ve been hinting and pushing for me to tell you all day -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCats then?\u201d Joe smirked, tossing the hammer in the air and catching it in one hand.<\/p>\n Candy shook his head and picked up his end of the plank, hoisted it up and muttered something about getting the fencing finished before Ben came to see how they were getting on. Hoss grinned, nudged Joe and winked, Joe in turn winked, nodded and nudged his brother back. For the rest of the day Candy was going to suffer the merciless teasing of the two brothers in celebration of the news that he and his wife were to become parents. It led to an exhausting day for the soon to be father.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Daniel O\u2019Brien held the mug of water up to the lips of the sick man and carefully helped him to sip some of it, before his hand was pushed away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to drink more, Hampton, if you want to escape this place you have got to build up your strength. Come on, just a few more mouthfuls.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d Hampton whispered, and his voice was shallow and reedy, he turned heavy lidded eyes to the young Officer and forced a smile, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Daniel, I\u2019m just not as strong as you, and – and I don\u2019t think I can manage any more. Why not go and rest now, while you can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf I leave it here, will you drink more?\u201d<\/p>\n Hampton merely smiled, or tried too. He was too weak to do more than grimace and tried to turn his head away for it felt heavy on the thin stem of his neck and rolled clumsily. Daniel observed him thoughtfully, before edging away to where his bedding existed. He sat there with his knees drawn up, his arms around his legs and his chin resting upon his knees, while all the time he kept his eyes on the other man.<\/p>\n Hampton was dying. There was little point in pretending and ignoring the obvious. The man\u2019s weakness, lethargy, and the way his eyes were sunk deep into the sockets, making his face resemble some grotesque mask, were all signs that death was now imminent. O\u2019Brien wondered whether the other man knew it, or whether he was fooling himself into thinking he was merely tired and would wake up in the morning feeling so much better.<\/p>\n Scant food rations, foul water, all day sitting, standing, leaning, slouching with nothing to do to occupy one\u2019s time takes a toll on the most robust of constitutions. O\u2019Brien had seen too many die around him during the past few weeks, the bodies left where they dropped until the guards came to force the living out of their prison, douse them with water and let them walk about for ten minutes before they were herded back inside. By that time the bodies had been removed. He had watched them, covertly, as they had hauled out the dead and dragged them away. No ceremony, no dignity. Just carcases for casting into lime pits, and covering them over in shallow graves.<\/p>\n He had tried to engage several guards into conversation, but they had come to nothing. If other guards saw a prisoner attempting to befriend a guard then that particular guard was not seen again. O\u2019Brien had given up attempting to talk, as had others, and now only watched and waited for an opportunity to act, unless, of course, death came first.<\/p>\n How many nights now had he sat and listened to the harsh breathing of some soul taking his last breath. The air reeked from the stench of death. He bowed his head and clasped his hands in some semblance of prayer while he struggled to recapture the features of his beloved wife. She seemed now as though a dream, in some other life where he had enjoyed some happiness and pleasure. Sometimes her voice came in snatches into his head, and he would pause what he was doing to try and retain it, but it would go, drift away like dry leaves on an autumn breeze.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien -\u201d a whisper of a voice and he raised his head, Hampton was struggling to breathe now, his hand feebly gestured towards him, this was the only man on earth now he could call a friend and he was dying. \u201cO\u2019Brien?\u201d he cried.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m here, you\u2019re not alone.\u201d he said in as strong a voice as he could muster, \u201cYou\u2019re not alone \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cListen, O\u2019Brien, if you get out of here, get Cassandra Pelman -\u201d the man\u2019s voice faded, the facial muscles contorted, the grip on O\u2019Briens shirt tightened, \u201cI wasn\u2019t important, O\u2019Brien, nor you. Insignificant pawns. She\u2019s a -\u201d the mouth formed words but no sound came, although O\u2019Brien could well add descriptions of her for the dying man, but he gripped Hampton\u2019s wrist, put his other hand on his shoulder and waited for the end which came painlessly.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he dead, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n He glanced upwards at the man standing behind him, one of his own men who had been incarcerated with them. He nodded, pulled Hampton\u2019s hand free and gently placed it across the dead man\u2019s chest. He stood up slowly, and once again nodded.<\/p>\n He returned to his bedding, which was merely his jacket strewn upon the dirt floor. He sat there, head bowed, hands clasped, and every so often he would look up and glance over at the dead body of the man who had come in an Ambassadorial capacity to the Japanese Government but had died in some hell hole in a foreign country, unsung, unknown. As he himself had said, just an insignificant pawn. Then why the charade? That was what went round and round in O\u2019Brien\u2019s mind now. There were no secret documents this time, no hidden codes, no treaties to be made and broken, no declaration on behalf of the President to another President \u2026 just a man, insignificant except that he was related to President Grant and had been sent to act on behalf of that President\u2019s Government.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t make sense. He ran his hands through his hair, and stared down at the mud caked floor. He didn\u2019t know what country they were in, he didn\u2019t understand the language of the guards, and he knew if he didn\u2019t get out of the place soon he would be either mad or dead within a week. And for what reason? He glanced up and looked over his shoulder. There were twelve men still living who had been part of the Baltimore\u2019s crew. There were at least another twenty five men still living from all parts of the world. All bowed down from deprivation and starvation. And for what reason?<\/p>\n That night four more men died.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n There was a light tap on the door to which Adam called out \u2018Enter\u2019, and Dr Soames peered into the cabin, then stepped inside. Adam indicated the whiskey decanter and glasses, and watched as Soames filled two, brought one to him, and sat down on the chair opposite him with the other glass in his hand. For a few seconds they savoured the whiskey, Soames leaned forward, a trifle uneasily<\/p>\n \u201cWell, have you come any nearer to a solution?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can think of only one -\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cand the worse of it is that I may be entirely wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I don\u2019t know for sure whether the destination we are headed for, based on Davies\u2019 instinctive reactions, and some conjectures of my own are correct. If they are -\u201d he paused and sipped the whiskey slowly, as though he needed it to even have the courage to mention his idea, \u201cIf Davies was right, and we\u2019re heading in the right direction it may not be too preposterous an idea after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what is it?\u201d Soames leaned forward more closely, his hands tightening on the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cDavies kept calling the men who replaced those who were injured as pier head jumpers – and we know that they are taken on for warships. That\u2019s right, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Baltimore was a warship. Not only was she a warship, she was The Warship, the best in the fleet, and the newest. This was her maiden voyage.\u201d he frowned, \u201cSoames, they weren\u2019t after O\u2019Brien, nor Hampton \u2026 they were after the ship!\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 41<\/p>\n Soames looked at Adam intently for a while, a mixture of curiosity and awe mingled with a desire to laugh at the suggestion he had put forward<\/p>\n \u201cCuriouser and curiouser,\u201d he mused, \u201cWhat makes you think that? I mean, why steal a warship? Who would anyone want to do that? What will they do with it when they get it?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled now, the smile he would give his brothers when they would look at him in that same way, as though thinking what he had said was incredibly stupid but at the same time knowing that it couldn\u2019t be and that any moment now some answer would be given that would make everything as clear as \u2026 well, much clearer anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cAlexander II* of Russia -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRussia? Are you mad? Why would the Czar steal a warship, an American one at that -\u201d Soames shook his head and got up to pour himself another glass of whiskey, he paused and decided to bring the decanter to where they sat, \u201cAdam, that would be political suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all.\u201d Adam dismissed political suicide with a wave of the hand, and after Soames had refilled his glass he drank some before putting the glass down upon the table, \u201cHe didn\u2019t steal it, did he? Mrs Pelman stole it for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many whiskies have you had, my friend?\u201d Soames chuckled, while dipping into his own glass quite liberally.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at it from this viewpoint,\u201d Adam leaned forward and as often happened he used his hands to emphasise the points he was making, \u201cAlexander II lost money in the Crimean War, not only that his nation was humiliated at Sebastopol, he lost money selling Alaska to America. It\u2019s pretty common knowledge that he\u2019s a reformist* in his own country but it\u2019s a vast country, Soames, not forgetting that he\u2019s also King of Poland*, that\u2018s a lot of people to keep happy and not all of them are, so -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he steals a ship from America to make them happy, is that it?\u201d Soames smiled indulgently and took another sip of the whiskey.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said before, he didn\u2019t steal the ship, Cassandra did.\u201d Adam swept his hand down the back of his head, smoothing down the crisp curls onto his collar, he paused as though to gather the threads of his argument together, then with a slight frown continued, \u201cAlexander II is threatening to go to war with Turkey* – again. His military and naval forces are inadequate to the task but he is mustering them together, what better thing than to have a warship as modern as the Baltimore as the flagship to lead them across the Baltic mmmh?\u201d he smiled slowly, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised if Metcalfe and Prince Gorchakov* -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlexander\u2019s chief advisor -\u201d Adam narrowed his eyes, \u201cAlexander isn\u2019t a military tactician, he\u2019s more into social reforms for his country, so he\u2019s left a lot of the military and naval problems to his advisors. What better than Metcalfe and Gorchakov planning this together, after all, Mrs Pelman would still have her contacts in the naval department here in America – and don\u2019t think for a moment she hasn\u2019t -\u201d he shot that comment out before Soames could get the words out of his mouth \u201cbecause it\u2019s a fact that she has. Both she and Metcalfe have every reason to hate America and what better revenge and humiliation than to take the Baltimore in the way that they did. Also what better lever for getting Russian largesse in the way of protection, money, property -\u201d he shrugged slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Metcalfe is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know where he is, last seen in Virginia City and no doubt hotly pursued by Jamieson -\u201d he paused and smiled slowly, \u201ca friend of mine,\u201d he explained with a sigh, and crossed his legs and looked at Soames, \u201cWell, have you any better ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n Soames cleared his throat and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNone, except that no one has mentioned hearing Russian being spoken on board the Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should they? There are quite a few Americans who are prepared to sell out their country, unfortunately, the Metcalfes aren\u2019t a species all on their own.\u201d Adam gave a rather crooked smile, \u201cNo, I think that\u2019s where the Baltimore is, and that\u2019s where we\u2019ll find them. O\u2019Brien, Hampton and Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFind them? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed, a long drawn out sigh and he stretched out his long body, and shrugged<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know exactly where, that\u2019s the problem. We\u2019re still hunting needles in haystacks, except that we know which particular haystack it is now. We\u2019ll just keep heading north -\u201d his voice trailed away, he looked thoughtfully at the glass and drank from it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may be already too late for Hampton and your friend, O\u2019Brien.\u201d Soames said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Adam replied, \u201cI know \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019re pretty convinced with this idea?\u201d Soames asked anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t think of anything more plausible, after all, who would want to steal a boat? I can\u2019t see Mrs Pelman selling it back to the Navy, can you?\u201d he shrugged again, sipped his whiskey and pursed his lips, then he glanced over at Soames, \u201cIf you come up with a better suggestion let me know, but in the meantime we stay on course – north.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n It was hard to remain so still, limp and inert, barely daring to breathe. He had pulled on his jacket and buttoned it securely, and he had taken Hampton\u2019s personal papers and possessions from his pockets and slipped them into his own. Then sometime during the early hours of the morning he had let his body slip into a huddled shapeless mass beside his one time associate.<\/p>\n As expected the guards had come, he heard the gates clanging open and the sound of their voices, the shuffle of feet as the men left the vicinity of the prison. He waited almost impatiently, and yet when the time came it still caught him by surprise. The harsh reality of men showing no respect for the dead, a firm grip around the wrist and then being dragged through the prison, the ground rough against his body, an impatient shake from the guard when the \u2018dead\u2019 body\u2019s foot had snagged against some obstacle or other.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t move, don\u2019t move he kept telling himself while all the time his brain was screaming to different parts of his body commands that he dare not obey. His leg hurt, but a dead man feels no pain so he forced himself not to flinch, not to groan, just not move. His head struck against a stone and he had to bite down hard not to groan aloud.<\/p>\n The guards voices were loud now, someone was laughing, another man said something and the laughter stopped. Perhaps, O\u2019Brien surmised, there was one guard at least who felt some respect for the dead.<\/p>\n Now he was being lifted up and he forced himself to go limp. He had seen enough dead bodies to know that rigor would not have affected his limbs for at least another hour, and limpness would not have been deemed unnatural. Rough hands grabbed at him under the arm pits and hauled him upwards and then flung him down. He found himself face to face with a corpse, unknown, for which he was grateful. It was easier to divorce himself from his situation by not knowing this rather intimate associate.<\/p>\n They were on a cart, he could felt the juddering through the bodies beneath him. He closed his eyes tight, shut his mouth tighter and wondered yet again if he had been mad to have even thought of such a scheme as this one. He wanted to put a hand to his face to prevent the inhalation of the stench, to hold back the nausea – but still he dared not move. Thankfully the distance from prison to grave site was not far, the cart was drawn to a halt, and he felt himself being lifted up, swung too and fro and then cast down. Well, he told himself, if he died now what would it matter after all?<\/p>\n The breath was knocked out of him when he landed but the landing was soft. He didn\u2019t dare to open his eyes to find out why but remained as still as possible, as silent as he could be. He heard the thuds of other bodies falling, landing close by. Then came the sound of voices, and after some minutes had passed he knew that only two men were assigned this ghastly task. There were the sound of bottles clinking, footsteps retreating and he dared to open his eyes and look around him.<\/p>\n One guard was sitting on the wagon seat, uncorking a bottle of wine with his teeth, which he spat out, the other was unwrapping some food – bread, cheese and some meat. O\u2019Brien was amazed at the naturalness of the men, partaking of their morning meal surrounded by the dead! He kept his eyes on them for some time, remaining so still that his body was becoming almost as stiff as the bodies around him that were now reaching various stages of rigor.<\/p>\n One man walked away, obviously to relieve himself and the other walked to the back of the cart, O\u2019Brien surmised that he was collecting tools. Now, he told himself, now was the time to move, to get away, and with a slow but precise roll of the body he twisted away from the mass grave in which he had been cast, and almost sick with fear – an almost unreasonable fear – he scuttled on all fours over the edge of the grave and into the thick grass in which it had been cut out.<\/p>\n Less than a foot away were shrubs and trees, and into these he scrambled. Scurrying backwards he inched his way under cover, feeling twigs snagging at his clothes, but at the same time smelling the rich fresh odour of undergrowth and living things. He folded his arms and through the shrubs watched as the two men returned. Had he been able he would have fled but every limb in his body had gone weak, all he could do was rest his chin on his arms and watch.<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t notice his absence. They were too busy going about their task and too anxious to get it over with as soon as possible. He closed his eyes as the dirt struck the first of the corpses, he felt tears on his face, his body ached with the effort to suppress sobs. He whispered a prayer for those who lay there, unknown by name to him, but not unknown to Him who had every hair on their heads accounted for, and he thought of Hampton, and prayed for him. Lastly he prayed for himself.<\/p>\n Chapter 42<\/p>\n In the gathering gloom that was descending upon the Ponderosa, Ben was just able to discern the figure of his youngest son walking slowly towards the stable. For a moment he watched Joseph from the shelter of the door of the house, and when he saw his son disappear into the dark interior of the stables he took a step forward, as though to follow him, then paused awhile. He bowed his head and sighed deeply, before turning back into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong, Pa?\u201d Hoss glanced up at his father, his brow creased in a corrugation of furrows.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I was just worried about Joe.\u201d Ben passed a hand down the back of his head, and rubbed his neck, \u201cDidn\u2019t he seem rather quiet to you during supper?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he was, but he won\u2019t speak about it.\u201d Hoss crossed one leg over the other, and then watched as his father began to pace the floor, \u201cPa, you bin pacing the floor for as long as I remember over one or other of us.\u201d he grinned, \u201cJoe\u2019s alright, he just needs some time to sort himself out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what he\u2019s doing then? Sorting himself out?\u201d Ben frowned, \u201cWhy does he have to sort himself out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno, I tol\u2019 ya already, he won\u2019t speak about it. He\u2019s been kinda quiet ever since Candy told us about how he and Ann are expecting their baby. I tried to git him to talk some, but it weren\u2019t no use. He jest said he was alright and to leave him alone. So I figured that\u2019s what I\u2019d do\u2026\u201d he shrugged, and looked thoughtfully at his father, \u201cAre you going to leave him alone too, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like it when he goes into these moods, Hoss. Adam was always the introspective one of the three of you, and I knew how to handle that, but with Joseph \u2026\u201d he glanced over his shoulder, wistfully, and then back at Hoss, \u201cI think I\u2019ll just go and se if he\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss grimaced, and said nothing. He reached for the newspaper and began to read the latest news and goings on in Virginia City, except that it wasn\u2019t the latest because it was already several weeks old.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Joe turned as soon as he heard the door creak open. For a moment Ben just stood by the door watching his son, thinking of how he had matured into a fine looking man, handsome, a man any father would be proud to call his son. His stern face relaxed a little into a smile of pride, and his eyes gentled as Joe turned a weak smile to him,<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong, Joe?\u201d he stepped further into the warm building. He picked up one of the lamps as he passed and set a match to the wick, increasing the light in the somewhat gloomy interior.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes there have to be anything wrong just because I came here for a few moments -\u201d Joe snapped, and then clamped his lips shut, shook his head, \u201cSorry, Pa, I didn\u2019t mean to snap your head off.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I can\u2019t say I\u2019m not used to it,\u201d Ben replied gently, and he raised his dark eyebrows, and approached closer to Joe, so that when they were standing shoulder to shoulder he was able to raise an arm and place his hand upon Joe\u2019s back, \u201cAnything you want to talk about? Any way I can help?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, Pa, I guess you know me too well,\u201d Joe said, looking down at the foal nuzzling up to his mother and smiling in spite of himself at the sight, and he looked up and turned to his father with a slight frown on his face, \u201cPa, do you remember my Ma?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I do,\u201d Ben smiled, puzzled, and shook his head, \u201cHow could I not remember her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI mean – can you bring her face to your mind any time you like? Can you see the colour of her eyes, how they\u2019d change in the light or according to her mood? Can you really see her as clearly as you did – say – ten years ago? And what about Elizabeth, can you see her now like you did twenty years back? Can you hear her voice in your head and remember her smell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you driving at, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust answer me, Pa, can you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sighed and lowered his arm, he leaned against the bar of the stall, and pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess over the years it isn\u2019t so easy to see them as it was, and sometimes it\u2019s even quite difficult.\u201d he licked his lips with the tip of his tongue before biting down on his bottom lip, \u201cOddly enough, I sometimes find myself thinking that my life with Elizabeth and Inger was just part of a dream – a wonderful dream – that I had many years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd can you hear their voices now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dream about them, sometimes. I hear their voices then, but – it\u2019s not so easy to do so now. Why are you asking me these questions, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m losing her, I can\u2019t remember her so clearly anymore, and I find that I go for days without even thinking of her and when I do, she\u2019s fading away from me.\u201d Joe said softly, and clasped his hands together, \u201cI loved her so much, Pa, so much. Little Moon – \u201c he put a hand to his brow, \u201cI loved her so much and now she\u2019s just like someone I dreamed about, it all seems so unreal, as though it didn\u2019t really happen to me.\u201d he glanced quickly at his father from the corner of his eyes, and then sighed as he resumed his observation of the foal, \u201cI did love her, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t doubt that you did, son. There\u2019s no need to punish yourself just because of what is a purely natural thing. It doesn\u2019t mean that you didn\u2019t love her then, or even that you have stopped loving her now, just because this is happening to you. It\u2019s not as if you had her for very long, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot long enough.\u201d Joe whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember saying to your brother once, memories and dreams are precious things, they\u2019re always there when you need them. That\u2019s true, son, even when you think you can\u2019t hold onto them because they\u2019re so fragile, so frail, suddenly a memory will come back to mind so vivid that it\u2019s as though you\u2019re transported back in time. They never leave you, son, never. There\u2019s something so special about the woman you love enough to marry that it never lets you go -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I would always -\u201d he paused, licked his lips, \u201cwell, I wanted to always be in love with her, you know? I thought if I were always in love with her I would never be able to lose her to the distance of time, does that make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d Ben smiled slowly, again his arm rested lightly upon Joe\u2019s shoulders, \u201cIt just means your heart is healing, Joe, your heart is healing and perhaps you could love someone again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that what happened to you, after Elizabeth?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and after Inger -\u201d he paused, \u201cyou\u2019re still young, Joseph. You can\u2019t hold back from loving someone else for the sake of anyone else whom you have loved.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish you had met her, Pa, then you\u2019d understand what I mean by not wanting to let her go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, son. I do understand, believe me. I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The air was fresh, much fresher than it had been previously. Davies was taking a trick on the wheel, holding the great ship steady as the sails filled with air and the vessel skimmed almost effortlessly through the waves. Adam paced back and forth for a while, his eyes glancing up at the sails, then at the sea, then at the men working hard at their tasks. It was a well run ship, he would have had it no other way, discipline was not harsh but it was tight, but commendation was there too, and each man in the ship\u2019s company was made to feel respected for what they did and in whatever capacity they did it.<\/p>\n He noticed Soames at the binnocle, taking up the sick list and glancing over it. He smiled to himself as he recalled the conversation they had shared in the previous night. Poor Soames, he was a practical man and lacked imagination. Adam turned on his heel and stared out to starboard, glanced up at the sky and thought over what had been said between them. He had sensed, even when the doctor was leaving, that he wasn\u2019t fully convinced of what Adam was saying, he had even said to Adam in a rather sarcastic tone of voice that he was surprised at his knowledge of Russian politics.<\/p>\n Adam frowned to himself now, he hadn\u2019t ventured to say anything, doubting that the good man would have understood anyway, but it wasn\u2019t that difficult to find out what was happening in the world around oneself, even as far afield as Nevada, news could be gleaned from the most useful sources.<\/p>\n If he hadn\u2019t had such an experience with Metcalfe and Pelman perhaps he would have not been so interested in Russian politics, after all, why should he have been? But there were such memories from that Alaskan adventure \u2026 Lebedev, Rostov , and Metcalfe leaving in that boat, rowing away from them with such hate burning in his eyes. Of course it was obvious that Pelman\u2019s wife would join her brother in Russia, after all, she loved money and power, and Metcalfe had both.<\/p>\n Bingham had liked sharing talk of Russia, they had had quite a discussion about the Czar while Adam had been in Japan. It was a dangerous thing to turn one\u2019s back on an empire that was growing more powerful every day, too dangerous to be like an ostrich and pretend that the Great Bear would not suddenly pounce and have you in a grip so tight that you could be swallowed down piece meal.<\/p>\n He turned back and returned to the rail, looked down and smiled, Soames had gone, ready to perform his duty to the best of his ability. Adam nodded thoughtfully, well, he had his duty to do too, and being ignorant of a growing threat to American security was not one of them.<\/p>\n Chapter 43<\/p>\n For some time Daniel O\u2019Brien was quite unable to move from where he lay. He remained prone, his head resting in his arms but his eyes ever vigilant as he watched the two men carefully scattering the lime over the bodies, followed by the slow arduous task of piling on the top soil. Perhaps he should have left, but he felt too numb, too weak. There was also an overwhelming feeling that it would have been disrespectful to those who lay there in their eternal sleep, to even think about leaving.<\/p>\n The two men were quiet as they went about their task, as though even they felt the touch of death and their own mortality tapping them on the shoulders. By the time they had finished their task Daniel\u2019s nerves were at screaming pitch, he had rubbed his eyes until they were sore but he knew that if he were to give way to tears now, he would end up sobbing aloud and betraying himself to his captors. He waited for them to finish and then, surprisingly, had to wait for them as both stood in contemplative silence at the graves edge, caps in hand, leaning upon their shovels with their heads bent in prayer.<\/p>\n They mounted the cart and trundled away in a strange morbid silence. For some minutes Daniel remained where he was, aware only of the most profound quietude, so profound that not even a bird sang, nor was there any sound of a breeze wafting through the tall grasses and trees. He felt as though the whole moment in time had been captured into a capsule and sealed tight, with no escape from it forever.<\/p>\n The mood passed quickly enough, adrenalin pulsated through his veins and his nerves began to pump messages to get moving. He inched his way through fallen leaves and over damp soil. He was aware now that the sun had reached its noon time position, that he was alone, without food or water, and the only asset he possessed was his own skin.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cSteady as she goes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSteady now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbaft the fore hatch, Mr Jennings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir, abaft it is.\u201d<\/p>\n It was the afternoon watch, noon to 2 p.m., Adam mounted the steps to the bridge and then overlooked the lower deck to observe the goings on of the men. He paced to starboard and looked over the side of the ship and into the waters. With an anxious sigh he glanced then up at the sky, checked the sails before returning to stand beside Baker who had just come on shift, or, as he would have said, come to do his trick.<\/p>\n \u201cOn course, Baker?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, sir, doing well on course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problems?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problems, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment, before turning to walk portside and to look down at the water. There was no variation between that and the water he had just observed on starboard, so he returned to where the maps were unfurled and smoothed over for observation. He was leaning down towards it when he became aware of Midshipman Griffin, the flute player, standing by his side.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mr Griffin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, sir, but Dr Soames wondered if he could speak to you in your cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, looked quickly at the maps, and then hurried back to his cabin. Upon pushing open the door and closing it behind him he found Soames already there, standing by the port hole, awaiting his entrance.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Adam, no,\u201d Soames smiled reassuringly, and then drew himself upright, \u201cI\u2019ve a sick man down below. He wishes to speak to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow sick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe thinks he is dying, he isn\u2019t but I thought it might be a good idea for him to continue thinking it so that he can tell you whatever it is that is on his mind. He\u2019s more likely to tell you the truth if he assumes he\u2019s now destined for only one of two places \u2026\u201d his smile broadened, \u201cHe\u2019s one of the men from the Baltimore, a midshipman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe lad who got the Log Book?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, another by name of Daltry.\u201d Soames opened the door and stepped aside for the Captain to lead the way towards the sick bay.<\/p>\n It was dark and claustrophobic and smelt of too many bodies and perspiration, but all in all, considering the amount of space available it was one of the better sick bays, he acknowledged that much to the credit of Soames, a doctor and medic of the old school no doubt. He was directed to the hammock where Daltry was awaiting his death, and sat down on the stool by his side,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Mr Daltry, you wished to speak to me about something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Captain. I would have asked to see you sooner but I\u2019ve just been far too ill,\u201d he turned anguished eyes to the Doctor, \u201cAin\u2019t that so, doc?\u201d<\/p>\n Soames nodded reassuringly, although he had to turn his head away as he did so. Adam leaned forward and looked at the man\u2019s face, it was shining with the sheen of perspiration and the eyes were dull and sunken into their sockets. He really did wonder whether or not Soames diagnosis in this instance could have been wrong, the man certainly looked like a deaths head awaiting his grave.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, speak up now, man, while you have the time for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat woman that came on board \u2026 not the rich \u2019un, her maid I mean \u2026 well, she was a rum \u2019un and no mistake \u2026\u201d he paused and turned his head away, coughed retchingly and lay for a moment gasping for breath, \u201cshe was always coming up on deck, flirting she was with some of the men \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich men? Can you remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey were the ones that came on to replace some we lost in accidents, just before setting sail. That\u2019s bad luck if ever there was \u2026\u201d he coughed again, long and wretchedly. \u201cShe used to talk to them, but not in American. She wasn\u2019t an American.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas she French? They arrived and disembarked from a French frigate, I believe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, that\u2019s so, but it wasn\u2019t French. It was \u2026\u201d more coughing, he wiped his face and begged for water which was given to him, after a while he was able to speak a little more, \u201cShe spoke Russian.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRussian? And how would you know it was Russian?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI learned to speak it from some Russian sailors when I was whale hunting off the Baltic sea some years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you tell your Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir. I didn\u2019t think it was important enough, after all, she was just a woman \u2026 I mean \u2026no disrespect to her.\u201d he sighed and closed his eyes, \u201cIt was just that I got to thinking that how would the men understand her unless they were Russian themselves, or just, like me, learned it sometime, so I went and asked one of them, in Russian \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what was his reaction?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe threatened to slit my throat and chuck me overboard if I mentioned it to anyone else. He said that I\u2019d be watched all the time \u2026 I had not a chance to say anything to anyone then. Anyway, that evening they took over the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you understand anything of what was said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, it was just lovey dovey stuff.\u201d Daltry closed his eyes, he was tired from talking and longed for some rest, his brow creased slightly, \u201cShe did say that it wouldn\u2019t be long before they were home again. I remember that, but didn\u2018t think it was anything important.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe didn\u2019t happen to mention where home was, did she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir ..\u201d Daltry sighed, closed his eyes, \u201cThank you for coming to see me, sir. I can die in peace now. Thank you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing but sat very still for a few minutes until the man had slipped into sleep at which time he rose to his feet and glanced over at Soames. Together they left the sick bay and returned to Adam\u2019s cabin, where Scott had already placed a tray with coffee and refreshments. Adam gestured towards them and muttered to Soames to help himself, while he went to his desk and began to scan over his maps.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe you an apology, Adam, it seems you were right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, possibly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not sure?\u201d Soames sounded surprised, poured out coffee and carried the cup over to the desk where he placed it carefully near Adam\u2019s elbow.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, I\u2019m sure of what I said,\u201d Adam replied narrowing his eyes to scan the names of islands and bays, creeks and archipegaloes that existed from where they were currently placed right up to the Bering Sea. \u201cWe\u2019ll have to stop off somewhere along here to take on fresh water and supplies.\u201d he frowned, \u201cBetter to do it as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, could this become serious?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, the Russians stealing one of our ships?\u201d Soames raised his coffee cup to his lips and sipped it cautiously.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Russians didn\u2019t steal it, Mrs Pelman did. That will embarrass our Navy, the Russians will say they didn\u2019t realise, didn\u2019t know etc etc. Mrs Pelman will \u2026\u201d he shrugged, \u201cWell, she will probably try to get away with murder, as she has done before.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWar won\u2019t break out then?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked up and frowned, he straightened his shoulders and back, then smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it. Perhaps a little skirmish here or there while we get our ship back, but that should be all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Soames raised his eyebrows, \u201cI\u2019m relieved to hear it\u201d he sighed, \u201cI think.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 44<\/p>\n Cassandra had learned a long time ago that a beautiful woman silently paying rapt attention to mens conversation would learn far more than a woman who asserted herself to out talk and out wit a man. Reclining upon her chaise longue dressed in a rich ruby red gown that set off wonderfully the rubies around her throat, she listened carefully to what the two men were discussing with her now.<\/p>\n A faint smile drifted occasionally over her lips and she would turn her gaze from one to the other of them, and then to the view out of the window, before resuming what appeared to them, the giving of her full concentration on their conversation. They were Russian but spoke fluently in English, although heavily accented. Occasionally she would nod or shake her head, make a comment, ask a question but always at the back of her mind was the question : \u201cWhich of you would be the most useful to me?\u201d<\/p>\n In her hand she held a letter in a very stiff envelope that carried a very impressive wax seal. She had yet to open it, instead she smiled and listened until finally one of the men rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cMadame, enough of this talk, if it pleases you, we would like to see this ship now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you would,\u201d she reached out and rang a small bell on the table by her side, \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t please me to take you there myself, I\u2019ve spent long enough on the ship to know how sound she is and how fast. I shall get my young friend here to take you down to the bay where she is berthed.\u201d she turned and smiled at Vacek who had entered the room, \u201cVacek, take the Count and Monsieur Nikisch to see the ship. Please assist them in a very thorough examination of it – after all, I did promise the Prince that he would have the best and it suits me that our friends can report back to him that that is precisely what he is getting.\u201d she smiled at them, \u201cI shall take this opportunity to read my letter and if it needs a reply, I shall start to write it. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you later \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be our pleasure, Madame.\u201d the Count bowed as did Monsieur Nikisch, and both followed Vacek out of the room.<\/p>\n The door closed quietly behind them, and she waited a moment before reaching out for a cigarette from her box, she sighed heavily as though already bored with this latest game she was playing, before placing the cigarette between her lips and lighting it.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t bother to open the letter, instead she rose from the chaise longue and walked over to the window. It was a long arched window, the cill of it was low enough for her to step over and onto the balcony that overlooked the bay. The ship gleamed white against the blue of the sea, and she smiled to herself as she thought of how easily it had been to steal it from under the noses of the Americans. She could just see now the three men wending their way through the terraces down towards the bay and again she smiled, what did she care if they were interested in the ship or not, there would be others who would be, and if there was no one interested, then it could rot for all she cared.<\/p>\n As she looked at the ship she wondered what had happened to the Captain, and to the man who had been sent, supposedly on a diplomatic assignment. She walked thoughtfully away from the window and into the shadows of the room, while she considered what to do next.<\/p>\n There was no doubt about it, she was bored. The adventure had passed and this part of it, the bargaining and such, which was Jeffrey\u2019s forte, was something that rather disgusted her. Why did he have to give in to that stupid desire of revenge? It had resulted in the very last thing that either of them had wanted and now she was left alone. Even as she thought it she paused to look at herself in the mirror and to observe the tall, slim figure that looked back at her. No doubt she was beautiful, her hair, which really was her crowning beauty, adorned her head wonderfully, and the rubies at her throat brought colour to her creamy porcelain complexion. Her figure was that of a woman ten years younger than herself and her face was untouched by age. In this regard she considered herself well and truly fortunate.<\/p>\n She inhaled upon the cigarette and turned away, the rich silk and satin of her dress moved across the floor in a soft, sibilant sounding way, and at the table she reached out for a glass of wine and drank at it greedily.<\/p>\n She was a beautiful woman and there was no man in her life to love her, reassure her of his undying devotion to her. She missed even her husband\u2019s sweating hands upon her shoulders, and the smell of him as he would come close to her, to take in the smell of her hair, of her body. She remembered how she hated the thought of his nearness to her, but now \u2026 now there wasn\u2019t even that to reassure herself that she was loved and desired.<\/p>\n She crushed out the cigarette, and returned to the window. Those men who had come with such flattering comments, such praise and such compliments, all they really wanted was a boat. She watched as they re-emerged from the terraces like three small ants, and she shook her head. She seriously needed a diversion.<\/p>\n The maid came promptly at her summons, and listened intently to what her mistress told her, before hurrying away to do as she was told. While she waited Cassandra opened the letter, breaking the seal as she did so,<\/p>\n \u201cMadam<\/p>\n His Highness accepts your terms and upon the recommendations of the gentlemen whom he has sent to see you, will comply with them forthwith.<\/p>\n It is suggested that you remove yourself from your present accommodation and return to France or Italy in order that your presence here does not come as an embarrassment should future events involving the American Government become strained. It is, you understand, for your own safety and protection that we suggest this.<\/p>\n Be assured of our goodwill<\/p>\n Secretary to She raised her eyebrows in a fine arch, and tossed the letter to one side in a cold display of disdain. So, this then was her reward, dismissal in such a polite way, so perfectly neatly written by a man who had been a Russian statesman for so many years. She shook her head impatiently, the man was old, what could one expect? She sat down upon the chaise and thought about him, how he had been the state chancellor since 1867*, and although he hadn\u2019t been against the sale of Alaska he had not seen it\u2019s immediate necessity. How diplomatic was that? She was about to reach out for yet another cigarette when the door opened and the maid entered, bobbed a curtsey and announced a Monsieur Shuvoluv.<\/p>\n He bowed, approached with the feigned arrogance of a young man who is somewhat overawed by being in the presence of such a powerful and lovely young woman, he bowed again when he finally stopped only a foot or two from her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou enquire, Madame, about two of our prisoners?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did, what have you to say about them?\u201d she looked at him, the full force of her blue eyes upon his face making him blush,<\/p>\n \u201cThere is little I can say about them, Madame, except that they are dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDead?\u201d she repeated, \u201cHow could they be dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople – die – in prison.\u201d he shrugged, \u201cIt happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoth of them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Captain O\u2019Brien and Mr Hampton, they were buried this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Captain O\u2019Brien was an Officer, a gentleman, and Mr Hampton was on diplomatic service -\u201d she paused, and bit back what else she was going to say. \u201cGo away -\u201d she waved her hand in dismissal, and when the door closed, snatched at the cigarette which she held between her fingers while she considered the conversation.<\/p>\n How could she blame them after all? She shivered, such a waste, O\u2019Brien was a good looking man, and she chided herself for not having paid more attention to his well being.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n In the half light afforded by the trees and shrubs, and the closing down of the day, O\u2019Brien was able to stumble across a track to where a ploughed field stretched just beyond it. It appeared as though some root vegetable was growing there and furtively he tugged at it, tugged at another and then hurried back to the shadows. He brushed the dirt away, and bit, or rather tried to, into the flesh of what was apparently a turnip. It stuck in his throat, even though he chewed on the raw flesh as much as he could he was unable to swallow it down.<\/p>\n He cast them aside and walked disconsolately through the copse, keeping the track close in sight, knowing that indicated human habitation close by, but humans who would not particularly want a wild looking man such as himself to suddenly appear before them. He stumbled once or twice, his weeks in prison had weakened him, the lack of food, sunlight, decent air, had all contributed to his weakness. He thought of Hampton and others who had died during his incarceration, and thanked God that he had survived the odds.<\/p>\n It would, he thought, have been kinder if they had just been stood against a wall and shot. It would have been swift and clean and quick, instead of the slow lingering torturous death they had endured.<\/p>\n He paused, the sound of water was just ahead and he pushed through the shrubs to find a stream trickling over rocks, clean and pure, and without heed of who was nearby who could see him, he ran out, fell to his knees and began to drink. He stopped only when there came a loud bark from a dog, very close by, and with despair in his heart he turned to confront the enemy \u2026 a very large dog and a very small little girl.<\/p>\n Chapter 45<\/p>\n The girl\u2019s hand on the dog\u2019s collar was somewhat reassuring, for the animal was making a rumble deep in his throat that was a clear warning off to the stranger who was frozen in a kneeling position at the stream with water trickling through his fingers. She said something to the dog without taking her eyes from Daniel, but the dog promptly obeyed whatever had been the command and sat down, his eyes looking alternately at her and then at Daniel.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Daniel said, and realised his voice was rough, harsh, coming from a throat so dry even though the water had slaked his thirst, \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to frighten you.\u201d<\/p>\n She still stood there, and he realised that in actual fact the only one who was frightened was himself. She was calm, curious, even intrigued. She pointed to him and then to her chin, made a tugging motion as though pulling on a beard and then laughed. A sweet chuckle that gurgled up from her tummy. Daniel smiled, his ragged beard, grown as a result of his incarceration, was obviously of some amusement to her.<\/p>\n Having had a laugh at his expense she now turned away, tugging at the dog\u2019s lead as she did so. He watched her as she turned, and wondered if the next thing she would do was report him to the very people he had escaped from, and fear once again rose in his heart. He was somewhat mystified therefore when she glanced over her shoulder at him, and smiled, raised a hand and beckoned to him to follow her.<\/p>\n She was obviously not from a wealthy family, her clothing was cotton and linen and wool, homespun, finely decorated but not at all what one associated for finery, even, Daniel surmised, even here, wherever it was that was actually \u2018here\u2019. He forced himself up from his knees, steadied himself for he was close to falling down again, his whole body being so weak, and trailed behind her. Every so often she would glance over her shoulder, see him, and smile, her olive black eyes crinkling in the folds of her cheeks.<\/p>\n In a short while they arrived at what must have been a village of a kind. No grand buildings, nothing that denoted wealth or riches here. People glanced up as the girl passed with her dog and the stranger trailing behind her. They stared at him, turned to watch as he followed her, but there was no hostile or aggressive move towards him and once he had passed beyond their view they returned to their own business.<\/p>\n She stopped outside a small building and pushed open the door, the dog waited outside, his tongue lolling between white (and very sharp) teeth, his amber eyes patiently looking at Daniel who stood, unsure, at the entrance. He heard her talking, a language he did not recognise, and then voices, that of a man and a woman. Eventually the door re-opened and a man stood looking down at him, his hands on his hips and his chin thrust challengingly forwards.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh -\u201d he grunted and some words were spoken that seemed like a series of grunts to Daniel, but the gesture was obvious enough, he was being invited inside.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The dancing was in full swing when Ben, Hoss and Joe arrived. They entered the big hall that was festooned with the gaily coloured lanterns and were quickly seized upon by various factions. Ben was grabbed by the Councillors who were taking the opportunity to discuss some project or other with him, Hoss and Joe made their way towards old friends with whom they were comfortable, and from their vantage point they could fill their glasses with punch or any other drink available and watch the dancing.<\/p>\n Barbara Scott approached them with her husband, they were hand in hand, relaxed and happy. Hoss never thought of Barbara in connection with Adam any more but Joe did, which meant that Hoss smiled a welcome and Joe remained poker faced.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening, Joe, Hoss. How are you both? It\u2019s so good to see you both here this evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Ma\u2019am, Miss Barbara I mean, Andrew -\u201d Hoss smiled, nodded and shook Andrew\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n Joe nodded, then turned to refill his glass. Barbara sighed, then smiled back at Hoss,<\/p>\n \u201cI hear that Adam has been called back to sea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am, that\u2019s right, so he has an\u2019 all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he? Have you heard from him at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe – er – no, we ain\u2019t heard from him matter of fact.\u201d Hoss frowned, aware that his little brother was simmering and Barbara was getting uncomfortable, \u201cBut he\u2019s off to Tokyo.\u201d he licked his lips, \u201cAin\u2019t that right, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTokyo? My, that\u2019s some distance -\u201d Barbara replied, her eyes looking thoughtfully at Joe who looked over her shoulder at someone who had just entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, would you?\u201d he said with a stiff smile and made as swift an exit as he possibly could, while Hoss stood at the table looking embarrassed and awkward.<\/p>\n \u201cEr – say – kin I git you both a drink? The punch ain\u2019t up to Pa\u2019s standards but it\u2019s pretty good for all that.\u201d he blustered feeling sweaty and awkward and vowing to skin his brother\u2019s hide when they got home.<\/p>\n Joe however had no qualms about having left Hoss in an awkward position, he had seen Victoria Shannon arrive and was determined to grab her for the first of the dances. She was removing her wrap when he came up to her, and gave her the benefit of one of his most charming smiles.<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n She said it so simply, almost childishly, that the words seemed to wrap around his heart. He cleared his throat, coughed, and smiled vacuously, like a schoolboy.<\/p>\n \u201cCat got your tongue, Joe?\u201d she laughed, her blue eyes twinkled and she put out a hand to touch his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Victoria, I – I kind of lost my thoughts there a second or two.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so? I wonder what you were thinking about then \u2026\u201d she tossed her head to free her blonde hair from the snood into which she had bundled it upon leaving the house, \u201cYou know, Joe, I was wondering whether or not I should have come, seeing as how soon it was after father\u2019s death, and – and wondering how people felt about him now that they know that – well – now that they know about him\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about that, Victoria, it isn\u2019t him that matters now, it\u2019s you. I\u2019m glad you came.\u201d he placed a hand over her hand, which was still clinging to his arm.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you?\u201d she looked at him, relief, pleasure, shyness, all combating shades that passed over her face, and then she smiled \u201cThank you for saying so, Joe. It may not be entirely true, but it does help a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t forgotten about what I said the other day, Victoria, about taking you for a ride around the Ponderosa. Would you still like to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith you? Yes, indeed I would, Joe. It\u2019s very kind of you to ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not being kind, Victoria, I want to take you \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked shy again and glanced away, then looked back at Joe and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, I really appreciate it, Joe. I\u2019d love to come.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good. Now, what would you like .. A drink or a dance?\u201d and he took her arm and tucked it rather proprietarily through his own.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The man and the woman made room for him at the table, while the girl sat on a stool beside a fire, the big dog stretched out like a white fluffy rug at her feet. A bowl of food was placed in front of him, and the woman nodded, pointed at it and then at him to let him know that the food was there for him to eat.<\/p>\n His mouth filled with saliva, he was almost ashamed of the fact that the smell, so delicious, was reacting upon his salivary glands to the extent that he was positively drooling. He was given a thick wedge of bread and without hesitation he began to eat. It tasted as good as it smelt and he had to force himself to eat slowly.<\/p>\n The man sat beside him and ate from a bowl, breaking bread and dipping it frequently into the broth. He now and again looked at Daniel, before glancing away to look at his wife, who now sat with food for herself and the child.<\/p>\n The man spoke, more grunts, Daniel shook his head and shrugged, he pointed to himself,<\/p>\n \u201cI am Daniel.\u201d he said simply.<\/p>\n The other man nodded, and words, unfamiliar but clearer were spoken. He looked at Daniel to see if he would understand, but Daniel shook his head. The man crinkled his eyes as a deep frown furrowed his brow<\/p>\n \u201cAinu -\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Daniel nodded, and repeated the word. The man nodded, then pointed to himself, his wife and daughter<\/p>\n \u201cAinu.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel nodded again, they were all Ainu, so it hadn\u2019t been a personal name, he tried again,<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel. I am American.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican.\u201d the other nodded. \u201cAmerican.\u201d he repeated the word slowly and looked at his wife who nodded also.<\/p>\n She rose to her feet now and returned with a vessel similar in shape to a samavar, the child came and placed cups on the table and into this a rich thick tea was poured, sugar added and handed to him.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d he said simply, \u201cThank you.\u201d and for some inane reason he felt the urge, very strongly, to cry.<\/p>\n Kindness after a time of such cruel treatment comes as a surprise as well as a relief. His emotions felt stretched as taut as a wire, and his hand shook when he took the cup, so that some of the scalding liquid spilt onto the table.<\/p>\n No one spoke. The child looked at him sadly, as though anxious for him, the dog\u2019s big tail pounded on the floor, making a dull thud,thud upon it. They drank the tea in silence, and then the woman tugged at his sleeve and pointed to some corner of the room, she put her hands together and placed them against her face as though indicating .. Sleep.<\/p>\n Oh, to sleep. His body was exhausted for want of real sleep. He nodded, took her hand, felt it rough and calloused in his own, but shook it warmly, gratefully, before going to the bedding and almost instantly falling into a sleep.<\/p>\n A dreamless sleep. So tired, so exhausted that he didn\u2019t even think for a second that they could betray him, would betray him. They could have done, after all \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Joe Cartwright was on the other side of the world, but when he eventually slipped into his bed his head was still whirling from the music, from the perfume from the young girl with whom he had spent most of the evening, and from the realisation that perhaps his Pa had been right, perhaps his heart was healed at last and ready to be conquered by love once again.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Whales swam in a pod close to the ship. The seamen reacted as most men do when seeing these giants of the great oceans, their water spouts projecting fountains up into the air, their great flukes crashing down to create wave upon wave of turbulence that rocked the ship from one side to the other.<\/p>\n It struck Adam once again of the careful balance there should be between the animal life and human life. As he watched them he thought of the men who had been whalers, who were, may be, still whalers, hunting down these majestic beasts. What would happen, he pondered, if one day all the whales became extinct because man had pursued them to their finish. He was totally in awe of them as they plunged down into the depths, and his heart seemed to soar along with them when two leapt up together as though celebrating life before they too sunk down beneath the waves.<\/p>\n Once he had been talking to a Cheyenne warrior, a man well used to handling a lance or a bow and arrow in the chase of buffalo across the plains, and he had listened to the story *of how the Great Spirit had told them to care for the earth, for it was their mother. The mother would provide for her children always, there would be an abundance, for as long as they cared for her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe earth is like a wide hoop, but when the hoop is broken -\u201d the old man had sighed, the frail back had bent and the grey hair had blown in the breeze across his face, \u201cWhen the hoop is broken, the children will go hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam watched the great creatures until they disappeared from view, the sea calmed, and the ship steadied. Thoughtfully he returned to his cabin, sat at his desk and looked down at the maps. His fore finger traced the path that they had already traversed, he carefully took his sextant and compass and began to plot a new course.<\/p>\n Later he made his way to the bridge and walked to the helmsman. He smiled at the nod he received from Davies, his old helmsman from the Ainola.<\/p>\n \u201cSet a new course, Davies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye sir -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLatitude: 46\u00b030’0r43;N Longitude: 151\u00b030’0r43;E\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye aye, Captain \u2026 as you say, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 46<\/p>\n The table ware gleamed and the candle light flickered pleasantly . Adam was always pleased when Scott set out the table so well, and there were grateful murmurs from the young men who were seated with him, and having eaten well, now leaned in their chairs, loosened their jackets and refilled their glasses with wine.<\/p>\n They were not sure what the fish was called that they had eaten, as it was a species unknown to most but it was very fresh having been caught only hours before being cooked. The sea of the North Pacific was full of marine life, and the \u2018unknown\u2019 creature had been enjoyed to the full. Pork and vegetables, never to the excellence of Hop Sing\u2019s cooking but only Adam knew that, had been served next and declared excellent, and compliments had been sent to the cook, an under rated individual who worked from dawn to dusk cooking for the ship\u2019s crew as well as the Captain. Fruit that was still good enough to eat from their Hawaii\u2019n trip was next, followed by cheese and un-weevled biscuits.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, so what do any of you know about the Chisima Islands,\u201d Adam asked as he lounged back in his leather backed chair and observed the four men with a slight smile on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, so that\u2019s where we\u2019re going,\u201d Mayhew said with wide eyes and a smile, blithely unaware that he had just displayed his ignorance to all and sundry.<\/p>\n Scott smiled, looked over at Adam, and refilled the young man\u2019s glass at Adam\u2019s slight nod of the head. They had learned during the course of this voyage that Mr Mayhew could take only so much wine in an evening.<\/p>\n \u201cChisima Islands – close to both the Japanese and Russian borders.\u201d Hathaway said thoughtfully, \u201cI think there\u2019s over 50 of them. Aren\u2019t they also known as the Kuriru Islands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right,\u201d Kenney leaned forward and took the last of the biscuits with a slab of cheese, he gazed rather absent mindedly at the far wall as though recollecting facts and figures drummed into him at school; \u201cKuriru Islands, Kuril comes from the original inhabitants language, Kur meaning man.\u201d he looked around at the assembly, smiling in self satisfaction and awaiting congratulations, he received nothing only a pleasant smile of encouragement from the Captain, \u201cEr – it\u2019s an archipelago. Volcanic. I think there\u2019s still an active volcano on one of the islands.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is,\u201d Hathaway nodded, \u201cI think quite near to Japan, and hopefully, if that is our destination, dormant at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s hope so,\u201d Adam smiled and raised his glass to his lips. \u201cDo any of you know anything about it\u2019s political history?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I think there\u2019s some discussion going on between the Japanese and Russians over ownership\u201d Kenney replied with his eyes grazing around the table in the hope of finding another biscuit, he was a plump young man, with an inclination to eat too much when the opportunity appeared. His cabin mates had been known to lock their personal supplies away and hide the keys.<\/p>\n \u201cChisima is Japanese for Thousand Islands Archipegalo.\u201d Myers said slowly, \u201cIt\u2019s better known to us as the Kuril Islands and is approximately 1,300 miles northeast from Hokkaid\u014d, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia.\u201d he smiled slowly, \u201cI read about them while in Tokyo. There are discussions going on between the two countries, and a treaty known as The Treaty of Commerce, Navigation and Delimitation was concluded in 1855. This established a border between Iturup and Urup. The Japanese have the territory south from Iturup while Russia claims everything north of Urup.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded thoughtfully, and smiled over at Myers,<\/p>\n \u201cVery good, Myers. In your opinion would it be a good place to hide a warship?\u201d<\/p>\n The four men looked at one another, Myers nodded, while Kenney leaned forward as though he were about to divulge some grand secret,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably the most perfect place imaginable,\u201d he glanced at Myers who was nodding emphatically in agreement, \u201cWhere better?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially with the Russian connection,\u201d Myers added.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d Adam nodded now and refilled his glass. Mayhew was now prevailed upon to play some music, the Partita for flute in A Minor by J.S. Bach. As the music floated softly from the instrument Adam toyed with the glass, twisting it round and round between his fingers and wondering all the time what had become of Daniel O\u2019Brien, and what a lot of time he had wasted searching around the Hawaii\u2019n islands for the Baltimore and his friend. It seemed more and more likely, and he had pondered this for many a day now, that his friend had died, and along with him the men who had been taken captive with him the night Cassandra Pelman took over the Baltimore for her Russian patrons.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The dark interior of the room was suddenly engulfed with light as the child threw open a casement that covered the window aperture. She turned to look down at the man sprawled upon the bedding and with her head to one side she observed him thoughtfully, and even, somewhat critically. After some moments had elapsed during which he seemed totally oblivious to her scrutiny, she approached him, knelt down and shook his shoulder.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien woke instantly, his hand groped for his gun, and found nothing except crumpled woollen covering. He shivered, rubbed his head and face with his hands to get life into them and then looked at the child who smiled at him before reaching out her hand and placing it gently upon his cheek.<\/p>\n What kind of child is this, he pondered, that seemed totally untroubled and unafraid of a total stranger and a wild one at that; he could vaguely recall catching a glimpse of himself in the water as he had stooped to drink at the stream, and the sight had not been a pleasant one. He ran his fingers through his hair and beard, and hoped that would tidy them both a little.<\/p>\n The man and woman were talking together in low tones, there was the smell of food cooking and the sound of earthenware being placed upon the rough hewn table. The girl stretched out her hand and he accepted it, held it within his own, a small dimpled hand that held within it hope.<\/p>\n They were about to eat when the door was flung open. For an instant Daniel\u2019s heart jolted with shock within his rib cage, and he froze to the spot in fear that the man now standing at the doorway was one of the guards. The thought that he had been betrayed while he had been sleeping was such a contrary thought to the feeling of hope he had just entertained that misery totally overwhelmed him. He stared at the man and waited, prayed that what he feared most was not going to become an actuality.<\/p>\n \u201cSo – you\u2019re the American?\u201d the newcomer declared as he stepped inside. He looked keenly at Daniel, closed the door, turned to the \u2018host and hostess\u2019 and shook their hands, he ruffled the girls hair, making the curls more unkempt than ever and even patted the dog on the head, \u201cWell, how d\u2019you do? I\u2019m Laurence Willoughby, and you -?\u201d he smiled, extended his hand, blue eyes crinkled, the blond hair flopped onto his brow, he looked as out of place there as O\u2019Brien would if he were to be picked up and planted down in some smart dining room in Eaton Square, London.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien – Captain Daniel O\u2019Brien – American Navy.\u201d he replied hoarsely and rose to his feet and accepted Willoughby\u2019s hand by giving it a warm and hearty shake.<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent. Well done.\u201d he smiled, exposing perfect white teeth, and then turned to the couple who were watching the performance curiously, he said something in their own language, took some money from his pocket which he jingled in his hand before placing it down on the table, he picked one coin up and placed it in the little girls hand, closing her fingers around it and smiling at her.<\/p>\n She smiled at him, then looked up at her mother and father and smiled at them. It seemed to O\u2019Brien that everyone looked very satisfied with the proceedings, but he only felt a vague feeling of discomfort. For all he knew he had been sold into captivity again, and this man, this Willoughby, was nothing more than a Russian sympathiser ready to take him back to jail.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you can either stay here and eat with them, or come with me.\u201d Willoughby said in a very pleasant English voice, \u201cI\u2019ve a place not far from here, and more room for you to have a clean up and shave – if that\u2019s what you want, old chap?\u201d he looked enquiringly at Daniel as though nothing was too much trouble, his smile was very pleasant, genuine but O\u2019Brien still couldn\u2019t stop his heart beating and thudding against his ribs from the shock the other mans entry had caused him..<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, that would be – excellent.\u201d he said eventually. He shook hands with everyone there, smiled at the child, didn\u2019t dare pat the dog who was looking at him rather hungrily and drooling rather messily.<\/p>\n Together the two men left the building and walked down the track towards a house that Laurence indicated was \u2018his\u2019 place. Once inside, and the door closed behind him, Laurence pulled out a chair and indicated that O\u2019Brien sit down. He then roused up the fire and placed a kettle upon the coals.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you exactly?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked as he approached the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cLaurence Willoughby. I thought I\u2019d already said.\u201d Laurence replied, \u201cThere\u2019s shaving stuff and soap over there, the water will be ready in a moment. I\u2019ll get us something rustled up to eat while you\u2019re getting cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you.\u201d Daniel mumbled, his eyes turning this way and that, noticing some things and moving on to others. \u201cYou came just at the right moment you know, even if you did scare me to death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid I? Gosh, how unlike me \u2026\u201d he smiled, raised his eyebrows in self mockery, \u201cMy mother could tell you some stories about me and my ability to mess up when it comes to being punctual.\u201d he picked up the kettle and poured the water into a bowl, which he passed over to O\u2019Brien, together with what looked like a towel.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll talk some more while we eat.\u201d he said cheerily, \u201cTea or coffee with your breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 47<\/p>\n Daniel didn\u2019t speak while busy with his ablutions, nor did his new acquaintance who appeared quite happy to prepare their meal. It was a relief to see his face looking back from the mirror at him, the sunken eyes and hollowed cheeks told their own story however, as did the dry lips and pale skin, but at least he recognised himself again.<\/p>\n Willoughby glanced up at him, smiled and nodded as though in approval at his visitor\u2019s appearance, then poured out some tea. He pointed to the food and told Daniel to help himself. Without hesitation Daniel pulled out a chair and sat down, then began to drink the hot tea. Once the cup was empty he began to put food on his plate, he did so with a deliberation that was not lost to his host, who was seated opposite him,<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Captain Daniel O\u2019Brien of the American Navy, just what are you doing here on this island?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI could ask the same of you, Mr Willoughby.\u201d Daniel replied carefully, and glanced up at the other man with slightly narrowed eyes.<\/p>\n Willoughby grimaced, shrugged and leaned forward to pour more tea into O\u2019Brien\u2019s cup, then he drank a little himself, before picking at the bread and eating it crumb by crumb, his eyes on Daniel\u2019s face and a slight frown on his brow.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an artist,\u201d he replied suddenly, and with a vague gesture indicated some items in the room that would support the statement, paints, oils, a palette and easel, some canvases.<\/p>\n \u201cHere? In this miserable place\u2026\u201d Daniel exclaimed in disbelief.<\/p>\n \u201cThis miserable place is actually very beautiful, Captain.\u201d Willoughby replied as though rather insulted by Daniels ignorance, \u201cAs an artist I enjoy travelling to places in the world that very few people have ever seen before, and have never had the chance to spoil and ruin.\u201d he pushed over a plate with some meat in it, \u201cTry this dish, you\u2019ll find it delicious, it\u2019s a native delicacy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright,\u201d Daniel said slowly, \u201cFirst of all, perhaps you could actually tell me what this place is called.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know?\u201d Willoughby extended his eyes wide, and Daniel momentarily wondered whether or not the man was pretending, \u201cThis is one of the Kuril islands, known in Japanese as the Chishima Islands.\u201d he picked up some fruit and turned it over and over between his fingers, \u201cThis island belongs to the Russians, the whole string of them separates the North Pacific Ocean from the Okhotsk sea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s miles from anywhere -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really. Miles from where you should be -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow would you know where I should be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s quite obvious, seeing that you didn\u2019t even know where you were,\u201d Willoughby smiled slowly, \u201cI, on the other hand, have been here some months. I even speak some of their language, which is how I came to know about you. The villagers talk, you know, and you aroused their curiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heavens sake, man, tell me the truth, are you really an artist?\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another, then Willoughby shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, my mother said she wouldn\u2019t touch my paintings with a barge pole, and my father threatened to disinherit me for wasting his money on my education, but -\u201d he shrugged, \u201cWhat\u2019s a fellow to do? I love my art -\u201d and his lips twisted slightly in self mockery. \u201cDo eat some more, Captain, you look as though you haven\u2019t eaten anything for weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve not eaten well for some time, that\u2019s true enough,\u201d Daniel replied, he bowed his head as though overcome with weakness, but it was no physical weakness, only the remembrance that there were still a large number of men, some of his own ship\u2019s company, who were suffering what he had been enduring for all those weeks, in that prison. Who knew how many had died while he was eating this food now?<\/p>\n Willoughby was watching him carefully, although he remained expressionless, his eyes softened. He licked his lips thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Captain, I wouldn\u2019t mind betting that you had something to do with that ship they\u2019ve got in the bay some miles back.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel raised his head, stared at the other man as though he were mad, opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again.<\/p>\n \u201cI was painting in the forests close to the bay when I first saw it a while ago. I thought it was strange to see an American ship sailing so close to Russian waters, then later when I went back – one has to catch the light just at the exact moment, you know? – I realised there were no American seamen on board. Interesting that, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Willoughby – is that your real name?\u201d Daniel asked quietly, wondering whether or not the man was playing fast or loose with him, \u201cI don\u2019t know who you are, but I doubt very much if you are a bona fide artist. How would you know an American ship from any other ship in that bay?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Baltimore is an American city or something, isn\u2019t it? Not Russian, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien\u2019s mouth clamped shut, he stared at Willoughby as though the man were mad, he tried to rise to his feet, but found his legs were too weak, he fell back into his chair. The next thing he knew Willoughby was pushing some more tea into his hands and insisting he drank it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m just – feel so weak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you are, anyone would be considering what you\u2019ve gone through.\u201d Willoughby replied kindly, \u201cHere, lean on me, I think you need to have a good sleep and when you wake up, we\u2019ll have a serious talk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not an artist, are you?\u201d O\u2019Brien heard himself asking as he was helped from his chair and half carried, half dragged to a bed just discernible in the far corner of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am as a matter of fact,\u201d Willoughby said in a very injured tone of voice, \u201cWell, some of the time.\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cDear Pa, Hoss and Joe,<\/p>\n I\u2019ve wasted so much time searching for Daniel and his ship around the Hawaii\u2019n islands and coasting around the Pacific that I dread to think what could have become of him and his ship\u2019s crew. Weeks have passed and we have just gone from one false lead to another. I have a terrible fear that they are dead and we are too late to save them or find the ship.<\/p>\n There are times I stay awake at night going over and over in my mind as to what I could have done that would have been -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam paused, his hand holding the pen poised half way to the ink well. Slowly he put the pen down and got to his feet, he put his hands in the pockets of his jacket and slightly hunching over his shoulders he walked to the window to look up at the sky, after a moments consideration he passed his hand down the back of his head, smoothing down the curls over his collar, and returned to the desk.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien slowly roused himself from his sleep and crawled out of the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cWilloughby?\u201d He strained his ears waiting for a human sounding voice, but there was nothing. \u201cWilloughby?\u201d<\/p>\n He glanced at a clock and noticed that it was some minutes to noon, then anxiously put his hands to his pockets as his first thought now was that he had been robbed of his meagre possessions, and most importantly, those of his dead companion, Hampton. But everything was intact and he was about to mount the stairs to see whether his new associate was there when the door opened and Willoughby, dripping water and bringing rain and wind in behind him, stepped into the house.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s raining,\u201d he said with a slight hint of a laugh in his voice, \u201c Come on, hurry up, there\u2019s no time to be wasted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo time – what – ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGrab that sou-wester, man, and move yourself. Oh, there\u2019s a pistol in the drawer – here, I\u2019ll get it.\u201d he hurried to a rather flimsy desk and opened the drawer, taking from it a revolver which he checked to see whether or not it was loaded. \u201cNo time to be wasted\u201d he repeated, \u201cHurry up.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien struggled into the sou\u2019wester, the task more difficult as it was a size smaller than he would normally have required. He caught the pistol as Willoughby tossed it over to him and had the vague thought \u2018But this is loaded -\u2019 before passing it through his belt and following Willoughby out of the house and into the rain.<\/p>\n A group of men, one of them the man who had provided O\u2019Brien with shelter, were waiting, seemingly impervious to the downpour. They ranked themselves behind the two men and silently left the settlement. O\u2019Brien noticed with some trepidation that all of them were armed with some variety of weaponry. He tugged at Willoughby\u2019s sleeve<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh? Oh, I\u2019m glad the sleep refreshed you, I was worried for a while that you wouldn\u2019t be able to join on. Pity if you missed out on this -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Quite an adventure, isn\u2019t it?\u201d Willoughby\u2019s teeth flashed white against the shadows of his face, slick now with the rain water pouring down upon it, \u201cThe rain came just as the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRight time for what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe right time to get your men out of that hell-hole, Mr O\u2019Brien.\u201d came the reply and this time the smile had gone, the attractive vacuous face was serious and stern.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026. They had told her that Italy was good at this time of year. Had she ever visited Venice, perhaps it would be a good idea to go after this little adventure. If they purchased the ship then, of course, she could go anywhere in the world – better to avoid anywhere near the American coastline of course.<\/p>\n Italy? Pah again – first of all she had to get off this wretched chain of islands and with them refusing to pay for the ship that seemed hardly possible for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n Chapter 48<\/p>\n \u201cWell? What do you think?\u201d Joe moved his hands away from before the girls\u2019 eyes and waited. His voice held a slight tremor of pride in the way he said the words, and when Victoria looked down at the view she could well understand why and turned to him with a face beaming with the brightest of smiles on her lips and in her eyes<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d she said in a quite reverent whisper, \u201cI\u2019ve never seen a view so beautiful, Joe. Is this really your favourite place on the Ponderosa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo far\u201d he said with that pride still in his voice and he descended from the buggy and walked round to her side in order to assist her down. \u201cThere\u2019s parts even I haven\u2019t explored yet. But so far I\u2019ve not found anything to beat this\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know what you mean, Joe.\u201d she agreed with her hands on his shoulders as he swung her down to the ground. \u201cYour family really are blessed, this is so lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy Pa worked hard to make it so, and Adam and Hoss,\u201d he paused, \u201cI reckon of us all I\u2019m the one really blessed. I came along when things were pretty fair and dandy. I never had to go without to the extent they did -.\u201d he took her hand and led her to a shaded area and together they sat down upon the grass and wild flowers to look down at the lake.<\/p>\n \u201cI can remember Adam , when he used to come for you at school.\u201d she smiled, \u201cI think our teacher had something of an affection for him, didn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled and nodded, and watched her as she just sat very still to look at the view, to look up at the sky and see how perfectly it was reflected again in the lake, she turned and smiled at him,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you for bringing me here today, Joe. I do appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my pleasure.\u201d he replied, and he meant it, his voice was husky in his throat as he said the words, and he had to turn away from looking at her and stare over at the view towards the mountains.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat will you be doing now?\u201d he finally asked after a reasonable length of time had elapsed in silence, \u201cWill you go back to the school?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019ve no position there now.\u201d she said quietly, \u201cI thought I would stay in Virginia City for a little while and just see how things work out. I know my father – well, I know father -\u201d she stammered, paused, \u201cJoe, I couldn\u2019t believe my father could treat Ben as he did\u2026 and other people in town too \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t think of it, Victoria. Don\u2019t -\u201d he squeezed her hand, \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t help but think of it, Joe. I keep thinking whether or not I could have prevented it somehow. Written to your father years ago and warned him, although I didn\u2019t realise then that my father was guilty of malpractice and embezzlement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you couldn\u2019t have written to my father, could you, if you didn\u2019t know \u2026\u201d he smiled and looked into her face, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it, Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do though – I let people carry on thinking my father was a good honest man when in fact I knew he was cruel and unkind. I hated my father, Joe – \u201c her lips trembled and she lowered her head and pulled her hands away from his, entwining her fingers together within the folds of her skirt, \u201cI couldn\u2019t write to your father and say that, could I? Perhaps I should have done .. \u201c her voice trailed away.<\/p>\n \u201cDid he hurt you then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy father drank, and when he was drunk he didn\u2019t care who he hurt. He caused my mother\u2019s blindness. People thought it was due to an accident, but it wasn\u2019t, it was caused by him.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing, he gazed across the lake and recalled Mr Caleb Shannon to mind. Affable, kind, generous and always very straight to the point when discussing business with their father. It had been only during the recent revelations concerning him that the veil had slipped and a glimpse revealed of the real man.<\/p>\n \u201cWere you there then? When it happened ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I was in the buggy and we were coming home from some function. He had been drinking, and he drove the buggy too fast. I was nearly asleep, but heard my mother begging him to slow down and let her take the reins. It made me wake up, alert, you know how it happens sometimes, a sound or movement almost like a shock of electricity that makes you wide awake. Then I realised that the buggy was swerving all over the road, and Pa was cursing Ma and telling her to stop telling him what to do and if she didn\u2019t stop he\u2019d beat the hide off her when we got home. I started crying because I knew he would too, I\u2019d seen him hit her and hurt her so he turned and was shouting at me to shut up. He lost control of the horses and the buggy overturned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t realise -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no one did. Not even the doctor, my father made sure of that. My mother was very ill, so very ill. She was blind and – and paralysed down her left side for some time. He paid for her to go away, people thought how kind, how generous, how loving. But, Joe, it was none of those things,\u201d she turned to him, her eyes wide with misery, \u201cit was because she embarrassed him by looking as she did, and because she reminded him of what he was, and what he had done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when you left too,\u201d he said softly and recaptured one of her hands, holding it tightly between his own.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I couldn\u2019t bear to be in the same house as him. I went to school and then went to help my mother in the School for the Blind. She improved in health, yes, she remained blind but she was able to walk and use her arm and hand again. She was a lovely woman, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n He squeezed her hand gently and raised her fingers to his lips, a spontaneous movement which even surprised himself.<\/p>\n \u201cYou will stay in Virginia City, won\u2019t you?\u201d he looked at her, and saw the wide eyes, the long lashes, \u201cWon\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n As he kissed her lips and held her close to him Joseph Cartwright told himself that he was no longer a youth but a full grown man, and a full grown man needs a woman in his life, and as far as he was concerned, he had just found the woman he wanted in his life for the rest of it, how ever long it would be.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cNow what?\u201d Daniel hissed into Willoughby\u2019s ear as they approached the area where the prison, for there really was no other word by which it could be called, was concealed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll see,\u201d came the not very accommodating reply, and the Englishman turned to look at Daniel thoughtfully, \u201cHow long were you here for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ever come across any English seamen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that I recall.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby sighed and turned away, a frown settled upon his brow and he stared through the rain at the rocks and boulders ahead of them. The men from the village had fanned out now, and were so well concealed that Daniel had difficulty in seeing them through the rain and the foliage.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your interest in this place, Willoughby? Surely not to release a handful of American seamen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you more about it when we get out of this and back to the house.\u201d Willoughby replied and looked away from O\u2019Brien and over to where the entrance of the compound could now be seen, \u201cCome on, follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n Rain may well be unpleasant, and somewhat inconvenient but it served some good purposes too as there were no guards in sight as they prowled close to the perimeter of the area where O\u2019Brien remembered being humiliated regularly when allowed out to be \u2019cleaned up\u2019. He could feel his heart racing just remembering the times,, and the sights he\u2019d see of the bodies of men being dragged from the interior of the cells. He took in a deep breath and half closed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cCome -\u201d Willoughby pulled at his sleeve, arousing his mind to the activity in hand, and slowly they drew closer to the entrance.<\/p>\n A man lounged in the shadows, a rifle at his side and a cigarette in his hands. He was about to raise it to his mouth when Willoughby placed the barrel of the revolver at his temple, and ordered him to hand over the keys. The guard did so with such eagerness that Daniel wondered whether he had been caught up in some kind of farce, surely, if the captives had realised the guards could be so co-operative they could have broken free weeks ago.<\/p>\n Daniel was now aware of other men moving about, the villagers were coming forward, entering the compound, stealing up to the prison wall itself and once the great gate had been opened they surged through in a rather ill disciplined mob. He glanced at Willoughby who could only shrug and, keeping close to the walls, follow along behind them.<\/p>\n The further along the corridors they went the more resistance there came from the interior. A resistance to the attack was made and gunfire brought to bear. The sound of the guns caused the prisoners to add their own cacophony to the melee, the rattling of the barred doors, shouts and curses, anything to add to the chaos until finally there came silence.<\/p>\n Daniel, as weak as he was, had succeeded in wrestling a rifle from the hands of one man, and sending him falling back with a wound that would prevent him from bothering anyone for some time. Fumbling over the body he had located some keys, and pulled them free from the belt to which they had been attached. While the fighting had ensued he had hurried to the cells and unlocked the doors.<\/p>\n It had taken less time that O\u2019Brien could have imagined for the prison to be over run and captured. It had been a rather disorganised affair, what O\u2019Brien would later describe as being carried out in the typical \u2018Gung-ho\u2019 spirit of the British, but they had won through, and for him and Willoughby that was the main thing.<\/p>\n There were a number of men from the Baltimore still alive and more than happy to see their Captain again. Other prisoners dispersed, returning to their homes, their villages. It was as they walked home that Daniel realised that Willoughby was looking far from happy, and he knew instinctively that it wasn\u2019t due to the wound he had received from some man who had taken a run at him with a knife. He put a hand out to the other man,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby said nothing, he shook off Daniel\u2019s hand and quickened his stride to the small dwelling in the settlement, anxiously followed by his new found friend. The rain had eased a little, the ground underfoot was slush and mud, the wind had died down and there was now a flat calm. By the time Willoughby pushed open the door the rain had come to a stop.<\/p>\n Chapter 49<\/p>\n Willoughby closed the door behind him and slowly divested himself of his wet outer clothing, as did Daniel. Neither man spoke. It was Daniel who lit the oil lamp and candles while Willoughby poured out some whiskey into two cups.<\/p>\n \u201cThis\u2019ll warm your cockles \u2026\u201d he said passing one over to Daniel, before turning and walking to the window out of which he stared for some moments. \u201cYour men will be alright, the villagers will see to them. They\u2019re good hospitable people.\u201d he swallowed some of the whiskey and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t expect it to be so easy to overcome the prison \u2026\u201d Daniel said quietly, \u201cThere was hardly any resistance really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no there wasn\u2019t, was there?\u201d Willoughby murmured but the manner of his response made O\u2019Brien feel that he now had little interest in the subject. He remained staring out of the window and sipping the whiskey.<\/p>\n \u201cWilloughby, thank you for your help. I didn\u2019t get the chance to really thank you before and now, with my men free, I can get a plan set up to retrieve my ship.\u201d he sat down at the makeshift table and looked around the room, a trifle embarrassed as Willoughby seemed loath to reply.<\/p>\n The paraphernalia of the artist was clearly in evidence with the candles and lamp light shining down in the room. Even to an untrained eye like Daniel\u2019s the paintings he could see really were colourful and bright, well executed, and depicted various aspects of the island, it\u2019s bays, the bird life, even people. He swallowed some whiskey and then shook his head, on such an empty stomach as his own, the alcohol had a dizzying effect.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you are really an artist with a flair for a good fight and rallying the troops?\u201d he said with a smile. Willoughby\u2019 turned away from the window, and brought himself and the glass of whiskey over to the table and sat down.<\/p>\n He looked thoughtfully at Daniel then offered him a wry smile,<\/p>\n \u201cI should explain, shouldn\u2019t I? I\u2019m sorry, pretty arrogant of me to have led you out on a party like that when you don\u2019t know me from whoever.\u201d he raised his glass, sipped a little of the whiskey, \u201cMy father\u2019s a Duke, owns land in Gloucestershire in England, and property in London. Have you ever been to England?\u201d he sighed when Daniel shook his head, \u201cWell, you know what they say about the English nobility \u2026 four sons, the first goes into the army, and the second into the navy, the third son goes into the diplomatic service and the fourth, whether he likes it or not, goes into the church. I was the fifth.\u201d he paused and sipped his whiskey once again..<\/p>\n \u201cSo where did you get sent?\u201d Daniel asked with a whimsical smile.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I could do as I pleased really. Had a good education \u2026 Eton, Cambridge and then because I wanted to be an artist I went on to the Sorbonne. Then the grand tour. Spent time in Russia and learned the language.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd ended up here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYe -e -es.\u201d he frowned, and a curl of blond hair dropped over his brow, the blue eyes lowered to look at the table, \u201cMy brother, Archer, he was the second one, in the navy. He was my favourite brother, always took an interest in me, helped me out when I needed it. Well, some time back he and his ship disappeared. My other brother, Charles, the one in the diplomatic service, sent out feelers all over trying to locate him, but nothing seemed to come to the surface. He, Charles, asked me to keep an ear open while I was on my trips abroad, just in case I stumbled upon anything interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd did you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI met a woman when I was in Russia. A fascinating quite lovely woman. She and her brother were quite – well – terrible really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTerrible? How do you mean?\u201d Daniel leaned forward, his heart thumped a little faster, while his mind kept asking \u2018would it be possible? Could it be such a co-incidence?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOdd to explain, really. Some people just have an aura about them don\u2019t they? They attract and repel in equal measure. I got to hear quite a bit about them that made them even more interesting and so I got friendly with them, particularly with her, of course. She really took to the idea of being friendly with the son of a \u2018Dook\u2019.\u201d he smiled, \u201cI didn\u2019t tell her that I was No 5 on the list so didn\u2019t really count.\u201d he frowned then, and twisted the glass round and round in his fingers, \u201cCharles had given me enough information to know, from the details I sent him, that this couple could well be involved in Archer\u2019s disappearance. The Baltimore, you see, wasn\u2019t the first warship to \u2018disappear\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n Daniel said nothing, he was beginning to see now what had happened, what hopes had been raised and consequently dashed when Willoughby had not found Archer, he was about to speak when Willoughby began to talk again.<\/p>\n \u201cI won her trust to some degree. I say to some degree because I don\u2019t think she would ever trust anyone totally. She told me about these islands and encouraged me to visit them. As an artist, she said, I would fall in love with the place. She told me that it was the perfect place to hide just about anything, anywhere. Her brother, he was a cold fish, he didn\u2019t like her getting too involved with me.\u201d he sighed, \u201cWell, the upshot of it was that by listening at keyholes, getting friendly with servants and doing all the usual things to get information I did find out how their little tricks worked. I just didn\u2019t know on how large a scale and I didn\u2019t know about this prison until I stumbled upon you \u2026\u201d he scowled, \u201cThe fact is when they found out that I knew so much they went off to France and I had to make a quick exit. I made it to here, I knew they would be coming here some time, when their next coup worked. In the meantime I could paint, and look for Archer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you haven\u2019t found him, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, there\u2019s a lot of islands and I guess I was being a little na\u00efve in thinking that I would stumble upon his ship and himself somewhere here, enjoying life. Sometimes I wondered if he had turned traitor and handed the ship over, other times I imagined a battle royal and him being killed. I just didn\u2019t know enough but at the same time I knew too much – does that make sense to you?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel nodded sympathetically, he stood up and brought the whiskey to the table, then sat down again.<\/p>\n \u201cWas the woman called Cassandra Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes – and her brother, Jeffrey Metcalfe, I know him even more so.\u201d he poured whiskey into the glasses, and leaned forward, his arms folded upon the table, \u201cHow come you didn\u2019t know about the prison?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe people here wouldn\u2019t talk about it, they\u2019re very – well – na\u00efve in a lot of ways, superstitious too. They wouldn\u2019t talk about it, although they did mention about a bad place, but I thought it was just their talk for places that were taboo to foreigners. It took me a bit of time convincing them to help me attack the place. Your presence helped a lot, thankfully.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou hoped to find Archer there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I didn\u2019t know where else he could have gone.\u201d his lips firmed into a grim line, \u201cI can only presume that he\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel said nothing, his mind returned to his days of incarceration, the despair and depression, the lack of food and exercise, the longing to be free mixing with the longing to be stood against a wall and shot. He didn\u2019t like to confirm Willoughby\u2019s suspicions nor indicate where Archer\u2019s body may be found.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen did they start .. I mean, Mrs Pelman and her brother, when did they start this plan of theirs to steal warships and sell them to the Russians?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to my brother Charles, and various others in the diplomatic services in various lands, it\u2019s been some time. Not too obvious, of course, just a ship reported missing with all hands in such and such a locality, or floundered off the coast of wherever. Not always sold to the Russians either, old chap, it depended on who had the money available at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould it have been as far back as – say – ten years?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know -\u201d Willoughby leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, \u201cOh, wait, she said something about after the civil war, her husband and brother thought up this plan. So – it couldn\u2019t have been as far back as ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer husband was a Commodore in the American navy -\u201d Daniel said slowly, and he put a hand to his throat as though feeling a noose around his neck.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The Shenandoah slipped easily into the bay. Adam had directed that the ship be put into a safe harbour so that running repairs could be carried out and both the ship and the men could get the opportunity to dry out. Two boatloads of men rowed to the island in search of fresh water and whatever provisions they could locate, either by bartering with the locals, if there were any, or taking what they found from the vast amounts of vegetation which appeared to be abundant on the island.<\/p>\n He, in the meantime, went to his own cabin to make a note in the log and to write to his father and brothers, and then poured himself out some coffee. He walked to the port hole and looked out at the island that stretched just a few miles away. A strange land, a strange sea. He shifted his gaze to look up at the sky and wondered, as he often did, what his family would be doing at that time and whether or not they would be sparing a thought, just occasionally, for him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n A slight breeze had blown up from somewhere and created ripples upon the surface of the lake. Joe looked thoughtfully at Victoria and wondered if he had been too rash in kissing her, for she had pulled away, then looked down with a little blush on her cheeks, and become very quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cHave I offended you? I am sorry if I did it\u2019s just that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s alright, Joe, you didn\u2019t offend me, certainly not.\u201d she gazed up at him, large blue eyes that shone at him, and her lips were parted in a very gentle smile, \u201cI just needed to hold back, gather my thoughts -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I just couldn\u2019t resist …\u201d he pulled a face, one designed to bring a smile to her face that would be encouraging rather than sympathetic.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, my father -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, don\u2019t bring him into the conversation again, ,Victoria. Whatever he did is gone, he\u2019s dead and he has no influence over us now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u201d she frowned, \u201cI\u2019ve always felt a great fondness for you , Joe, even at school I admired you from afar. You were always in the thick of things, always in trouble and always so amusing. I loved you and laughed at you – you were so utterly incorrigible.\u201d she laughed now, and leaned towards him, but not near enough for him to kiss her again, \u201cI think Miss Jones loved you too, in her own way\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI somehow doubt it -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, you brought a lot of life into the class room. You have that gift, Joe, you bring life to where ever you are. But, you see, I\u2019m not like that \u2026 I\u2019m not very clever, I couldn\u2019t shoot a gun or a rifle to save my life, I don\u2019t know anything about cattle and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut, Victoria, I\u2019m not expecting you to be able to do anything like that,\u201d he laughed a little, and held her hand between his own, \u201cMy mother was a lady from New Orleans, for Pete\u2019s sake, and she She looked at him then, as though searching in him for some flaw, something that would prevent her from giving her heart to him. It was, she knew, already a lost cause, she had lost her heart years ago, and absence from him had been time enough to build up a barrier which was fast being dismantled now. She wondered whether or not she was wise to assume so much from just one kiss .<\/p>\n Chapter 50<\/p>\n \u201cBo\u2019sun, pipe all hands on deck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAye, Captain\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stood at the bridge and waited while the bo\u2019sun piped for the ship\u2019s company to assemble on the main deck. There was the usual thud of feet on boards, men swung down from the rat lines and sheets, or appeared from the holds. Eventually they were all assembled and stood in silence before their Captain. Behind him stood the officers, and behind them Davies was at the helm.<\/p>\n \u201cMen -\u201d he paused and looked at them, each man there felt as though the dark eyes of their Captain was boring into theirs and they straightened their shoulders squarely as a result, \u201cCurrently we are in Russian waters. We need to keep alert at all times and be careful how we act should we be approached by a Russian man of war. We are not at war with Russia, and we certainly do not want to be the cause of any trouble between our nations so a degree of tact and discernment has to be considered at this time.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what our assignment is here – we will be sailing around the coast line of these islands until we locate our ship, The Baltimore. If tact and discernment, some folk call it diplomacy\u201d (there was a ripple of laughter at this)\u201dfail, we may have to use a little force. Be that as it may, remember you represent your country and at the moment we need to proceed with caution.\u201d<\/p>\n He stepped back, saluted his men, and descended the steps to his cabin. Myers shouted orders, Davies swung the wheel to the co-ordinates given and the great Shenandoah swung out to sea. Her sails gleamed white in the early morning sun, and she seemed to glow against the blue sky and sea as she sallied forth into the wind.<\/p>\n The previous days foraging had been a great success, the brine barrels were full of fresh meat, and there was little need to salt down the fish as the sea was teeming with varieties of fish yet to be sampled. The few inhabitants they had met had been pleased to barter with them and despite the language barrier they had returned to the ship well laden down with fresh milk, butter and cheese.<\/p>\n Adam entered the log for the commencement of the day and after a few moments he left his desk to find his book of poetry. It was well thumbed through now, his constant companion and the last gift his father had given him before he had left for the sea all those years earlier. Sometimes he felt that when he held the book he held the essence of his fathers spirit within it, and he would hold it in his hand just for the memory it held for him of the man he so respected and loved.<\/p>\n Beneath his feet he felt the shivering of timbers as the ship made her passage through the sea. For a little while he remained standing with his book in his hand and his thoughts on those he loved, and then he came as though from a dream and slipped the book back upon the shelf. He walked over to where he had set down his telescope and picked it up, his thumb rubbed against the emblem of the 7th Cavalry and he remembered the day and circumstance in which it had been handed to him, and with a sigh he left the cabin, closing the door sharply behind him as he did so.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Daniel ate his breakfast carefully. It seemed to him as though his stomach was constantly crying out for food but when it came it lay there heavy and unappetising. He looked over at his new companion who was looking through some of his canvases as though searching for one in particular, but upon not finding it he let them all slip back into place one upon another and turned to Daniel with a grim smile,<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking, Captain O\u2019Brien, of taking a walk this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fine morning,\u201d Daniel nodded and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI was also thinking, Captain, that perhaps you would care to walk with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that sounds a pleasant enough thing to do,\u201d he drank some tea.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that we should have a purpose for our walk, don\u2019t you agree?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m not an artist -\u201d Daniel said slowly, frowning a little.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought that as we have found some seamen, we should now go looking for a ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh – yes, now I quite understand what you are meaning. A very sound idea.\u201d<\/p>\n He swallowed down the tea more quickly and stood up, wiping his mouth as he did so and straightening his rather shabby jacket. Willoughby nodded, and raised his eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cThe local people tell me that there are some ships in the bay about two hours walk from here, do you think you have the strength to go that far?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had the strength to walk to the prison and fight yesterday -\u201d Daniel reminded him and Willoughby nodded and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. I didn\u2019t mean to sound patronising in any way.\u201d he went to his desk and pulled open a drawer from which he took out his pistol, and also a telescope. He looked over at O\u2019Brien and grinned, \u201cBest to find out the lay of the land, so to speak, and then we can make plans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think she may have sold the ship already?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s possible, if so, the Russians will have to suffer the loss.\u201d Willoughby shrugged and led the way out of the house.<\/p>\n The island, bathed in the early morning light, was beautiful. There were trees of every kind of variety growing there, and beyond the village through which they walked could be seen dense forests, consisting mainly of coniferous trees. There were spruce, firs, larch trees, the slender silver birch, there were willows and cherry trees all intermingled with maples and rowans. As their feet took them through the underwoods they found berry bearing plants from which they plucked plump fruits as they walked along merely for the fact that the fruit was there to be taken.<\/p>\n A fox slunk by, paused to glare at them, and then hurried into the undergrowth, birds sang and trilled their songs overhead. For Daniel, after so long an incarceration, it was like drinking in refreshment for the soul. His steps grew lighter and his vision for the future seemed only brighter as they passed along under the dappled shades of the trees.<\/p>\n \u201cGod\u2019s in his heaven – \u201cBrowning\u2019s \u2018Pippa Passes\u2019 \u2026\u201d Willoughby said, and stopped to glance heavenwards as though he would wish to see this God in his heaven. Then he sighed, \u201cA lovely sentiment except that it is hardly true, is it? God is in his heaven, but by thunder, it\u2019s far from right in this world of ours.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien said nothing, he placed a hand gently on the other man\u2019s shoulder, and then walked on.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n It took longer than two hours to reach the best vantage point for them to see below and observe the bay that had been referred to Willoughby by the local men. Now they settled down upon their stomachs and looked down at the sparkling waters to look at the three ships in the natural harbour formed in the bay.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s The Baltimore -\u201d O\u2019Brien whispered, and his voice thrilled with the words, he could barely conceal his excitement. \u201cShe\u2019s there -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo is a Russian warship and -\u201d Willoughby turned the telescope onto the other ship \u201cAh, a French frigate.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLa Dauphine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, indeed. You know her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, I know her.\u201d and very quickly O\u2019Brien explained how the French frigate had been used to get Cassandra on board his own ship. \u201cWhen I look back on the situation now, I do wonder at her foolhardiness, after all, there could have been a far worse fight than there actually was.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra Pelman does nothing that would endanger her, O\u2019Brien. Believe me, she knew exactly how that fight would turn out. It would have been planned down to the very last detail.\u201d he passed the telescope to the American \u201cWhat do you see?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere aren\u2019t many men on board the ships -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re complacent.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d want to have more men on board taking into consideration that the prison has been overwhelmed and the prisoners are now free.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s what I thought.\u201d Willoughby said thoughtfully and held out his hand for the telescope to be returned.<\/p>\n As O\u2019Brien swung the telescope up to observe the buildings that seemed to be built in terraces upon the mountain side he paused a while to observe three individuals standing on a balcony overlooking the bay. He gave a start and then passed it to Willoughby with the comment to him to look and see<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s her,\u201d Willoughby said, \u201cCassandra Pelman.\u201d he lowered the telescope, \u201cOf course, she would be here, wouldn\u2019t she? I should have realised but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut there\u2019s no sign of her brother, is there?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien said nothing but waited patiently while Willoughby watched the three people as they went through their conversation there unknowingly observed. Finally he put down the telescope and looked at O\u2018Brien,<\/p>\n \u201cI have to go and speak to her, she may know where Archer is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should she know about where your brother is, Willoughby? She\u2019s only been here the same amount of time as I have – your brother has been missing for over a year and a half.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby said nothing and yet his eyes remained fixed upon the spot where Cassandra had been standing. It made O\u2019Brien wonder just how deep the friendship had been between them and for a moment he had his doubts as to just how much he could rely on the young Englishman. However, Willoughby gave a shrug of the shoulders and turned to O\u2019Brien with a wry grin,<\/p>\n \u201cWe know where the ship is, now we need to form a plan as to how to get you and your men back on board her and headed for home.\u201d and he gave O\u2019Brien a friendly slap on the arm and turned to wards the way they had come through the woodlands.<\/p>\n Chapter 51<\/p>\n Neither man was in a hurry as they turned and slowly made their way through the woodland back to the village. They talked about what they should do next, how they could retake the ship, and deal with Cassandra. They dropped into casual conversation and finally O\u2019Brien told Willoughby a little of his own life, his marriage and some of his own adventures at sea. It was when he was telling Willoughby of the first time he had met Adam Cartwright that the Englishman gave a wry chuckle,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard of the man.\u201d he glanced over at Daniel who was tipping some sweet berries into his mouth and savouring the taste, \u201cThat is, if he is the man who sent Metcalfe off to Russia when on a trip to Alaska?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the man,\u201d Daniel nodded, \u201cone of the best friends I have ever known. I could trust him with my life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom what Metcalfe told me about him I got the impression he was quite ruthless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps so,\u201d Daniel acceded, \u201cBut for the right principles shouldn\u2019t one be?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, no doubt.\u201d Willoughby replied, \u201cFrom the way Metcalfe talked about him it were as though he were Metcalfe\u2019s Nemesis.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat could be one way of putting it,\u201d Daniel said slowly, \u201cAdam has had a strange life, one that I partly envy and partly admire. It had made him what he is, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn admirable man then,\u201d Willoughby pulled a twig from the undergrowth and began to behead some ferns and bracken with it as he walked through the shadier woods now. He glanced up at the sky, \u201cTomorrow there will be no moonlight, did you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes -\u201d Daniel smiled, of course he knew that, seamen interpreted the phases of the moon as easily as telling time by the clock, in many instances it was a matter of life and death to be able to do so.<\/p>\n \u201cA good time then to plan our method of attack. When better than on a night as dark as the ace of spades?\u201d he grinned and beheaded several plants in his enthusiasm.<\/p>\n Daniel smiled again, he had already a plan in mind, one that was not going to usurped by this impetuous young idealist\u2019s ideas. He walked closely behind Willoughby now, enjoying the walk, birds were singing and once he saw a Peregrine falcon swoop down and then soar back up into the thermals. His heart felt lighter now than it had for some time, and he felt physically stronger due to the sense of well being he now possessed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that -?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby grabbed at his companion\u2019s arm and dragged him back into the shadows. In silence they remained for some time as they strained to hear the sounds that had seemed many miles away but yet terrifying in their effect upon them. Both had recognised the sound of gun shots. There was the baying of dogs and the sound of cries, human and yet in some terrible way, utterly inhuman.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it the village?\u201d Daniel whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cHush!\u201d<\/p>\n They stayed where they were, both feeling inadequate to help, and yet unsure as to what help it was that was needed. Finally Willoughby rose to his feet and pulled out his gun,<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stand any more of this, let\u2019s go -\u201d and despite the fact that they only possessed the one pistol, the two men began to run towards the sounds that were trickling through the forest and sending the birds squawking into the heavens.<\/p>\n They paused again once, when the worse of the sounds had come to an end. There were no longer the sounds of dogs nor of gunshots. Only the moaning which in some ways was far worse for it indicated a tragedy and one in which they themselves were helpless. They could smell burning now, the smell of devastation, burning wood and thatch.<\/p>\n Once again Willoughby grabbed at Daniel\u2019s arm to pull him back into the shadows as men marched along the track some hundred yards ahead of them.<\/p>\n \u201cRussian corsairs.\u201d he whispered, \u201cHeaven forbid, what have I done?\u201d he groaned and sunk back further into the shadows.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do mean? Whatever you did, I was part of it too -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wondered why the villagers never spoke about that prison, they must have been terrified that if they did so the Russian soldiers would come down on them. I co-erced them into telling me about it, and helping me – us – attack it. We thought it was too easy, didn\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes -\u201d Daniel nodded, and it had been too easily attacked, shabbily defended, quickly surrendered.<\/p>\n Neither of them spoke as they made their way through the trees and finally emerged at where the village had been. It still stood there, but a devastated symbol of destruction and vengeance as burning homes, shattered bodies and weeping women told the whole story of what had so recently taken place.<\/p>\n No one took any notice of them as they walked slowly through the chaotic mess that remained. An old woman was slowly gathering up her possessions that lay scattered over the road, as though by doing so she could put everything back to rights, as they had been before the attack. A woman nursed her child while her eyes stared blankly ahead of her and tears ran down her face and another child leaned close against her for comfort.<\/p>\n A man stepped out of the remains of his house and glanced over at them, the despair and fear on his face comment enough of what he was thinking. Both Willoughby and O\u2019Brien could not find words to utter any comfort, but side by side made their way to the building that had been the Englishman\u2019s home for some months. The door was off its hinges, but mostly it was intact. Someone had kicked a booted foot through every painting that had existed, leaving the canvases torn and scattered about the room. But compared to other homes they had come off lightly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to remember that until a few decades ago these people classified themselves as an independent nation, closely allied to the Japanese, but since 1855 they became Russian subjects.\u201d Willoughby was saying as he put a chair to rights, picked up the kettle, examined his cache of – now broken – whiskey. \u201cThey have to be reminded of where their allegiances lie, it seems.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy fire and sword -\u201d Daniel muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, isn\u2019t that always the way -\u201d came the reply. Willoughby picked up a shattered canvas and tossed it upon the pile of others, \u201cAnd no art lovers among them,\u201d he said wryly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Daniel glanced around the room, \u201cI feel that it\u2019s my fault. It all seems to have started from the time I came here -\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby said nothing, but he smiled without warmth and shook his head. It had all started much further back than that, he had wanted to say, way back to 1855, before they had ever put foot on these beautiful islands.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n It seemed to Cassandra that things were slowly slipping out of her control. The two Russians were holding back on payment of The Baltimore on the premise that her brother, Jeffrey, should have been the one to carry out the transaction, as had been agreed during their previous negotiations. Now that it would appear he had disappeared, or died, (they were both rather sceptical with regard to the truth of either event) it would mean re-drafting the legal documents which would take up more time.<\/p>\n Nikisch was the more suspicious of the two, but also the one who flattered and complimented her the most while the Count drank wine, and watched with rheumy eyes and a bulbous nose. She knew, however, that the Count was the one with the brains that would be working out just how much the Baltimore was worth and just how much of a liability she could be to their future plans.<\/p>\n As she looked down at the ships in the bay she pondered on the idea of boarding the French frigate and heading for France. Leave the men their toy, and good riddance. A light tap on the door and she turned to see Vacek, who entered the room with a stealth that almost made her flesh crawl.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you recall my telling you that the prison was attacked yesterday?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heavens sake, of what interest would I have in a prison. Why ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe guards have confronted the ones responsible -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c- and no doubt they\u2019ve had to pay the price. A heavy one knowing how much you Russians love blood and gore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadam, I am not Russian,\u201d Vacek replied with a pained expression on his face, and he sighed, \u201cSome of the prisoners have been recaptured and relocated to a more secure place. They will go to Russia and no doubt work their lives away in the salt mines.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heaven\u2019s sake, as though I\u2019m interested \u2026\u201d she murmured and opened her silver casket to pick out the jewels she would wear later that evening.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Captain of the Baltimore was one of the prisoners -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Captain -\u201d she paused, her voice faltered and she recalled a glimpse of the young handsome face that had smiled over at her during supper on La Dauphine, \u201cI thought he was dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe may be,\u201d Vacek shrugged, \u201cHe wasn\u2019t among the prisoners.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What am I supposed to do about this, Vacek?\u201d she held up emeralds against her throat, they flashed beautifully and emphasised the green in her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cJust that another person has also been located on the island, someone you once knew in France.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh my goodness, Vacek, can\u2019t you just say what you mean instead of spinning it out in riddles. Am I supposed to believe that the whole world and his wife have arrived here in the Kuril Islands?\u201d<\/p>\n Vacek thought over the comment, and decided not to mention that it was now she who was speaking in riddles. He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cA young Englishman, Laurence Willoughby. He\u2019s been living here some months apparently.\u201d<\/p>\n She sat back and frowned in retrospection. Willoughby, the son of an English Duke, and very handsome and gallant. Jeffrey hadn\u2019t liked him, but then Jeffrey had often taken against the men who surrounded her. She couldn\u2019t now recall what it was that Jeffrey had disliked about Laurence but she had thought he was rather the kind of man she liked to be seen with, not that he had ever declared any affection for her. She sighed and shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad.\u201d she murmured. \u201cLet me know if you find him or hear anything more about him, Vacek. I\u2019d like to – huh – see him again.\u201d<\/p>\n He withdrew, closing the doors behind her. With a click of his fingers he summoned several men to follow him, their footsteps nearly echoed the sound of her heart beating.<\/p>\n Chapter 52<\/p>\n Adam surveyed his Officers thoughtfully as each one of them gave their opinion as to what course they should take next. The ship was sailing close to the shore line in the hope of avoiding any prowling man of war that may be too curious as to her presence \u201cCaptain?\u201d<\/p>\n Myers voice broke through his reverie and he leaned forward in an attempt to appear interested. He had obviously not heard what was being discussed by the look of embarrassment on their faces, and the way they looked at one another.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr Myers, what was it you were saying?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr -\u201d Myers had lost his confidence, he glanced at Hathaway who rubbed his nose and smiled feebly, \u201cYes, we were saying that we aren\u2019t far now from an area here -\u201d he pointed on the map of the larger island of Sakhalin \u201cit\u2019s a large bay shrouded by woodland. We were thinking it a perfect place to hide a ship -\u201d he paused and glanced up at Adam\u2019s face to see if he could make out what the Captain thought of the idea.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could tuck the Shendandoah in here -\u201d Hathaway indicated a small indentation close to the bay but shielded from it by a spur of land, abundantly forested, \u201cand take a reconnaissance party round here, on foot, to see if there is anything there.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s dark eyes darted from one to the other of them, and he nodded thoughtfully<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good idea. Tomorrow promises to be a really dark night, perfect for some clandestine dirty work. So I think we should put your plan into action as soon as possible.\u201d he stood up and smiled, \u201cMr Myers, you will have charge of the ship. Mr Hathaway will accompany me and several other men to check out the lay of the land. Mr Kenney will be master of the boat awaiting our return.\u201d he pushed his chair against the desk \u201cI think we could safely say that we are nearing that spur, Mr Hathaway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be nigh on upon it, sir.\u201d Hathaway glanced at Myers, surprised that the idea had been seized upon without discussion or debate.<\/p>\n \u201cExcellent, let\u2019s get to it then.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam could have roared with delight at the thought of going on shore. As much as he loved the ship he wasn\u2019t in the frame of mind to be cooped up for much longer and the thought of using his legs through woodland brought an almost childish delight tingling through him.<\/p>\n As Hathaway had said the coastline indicated the spur of land into which the Shenandoah could quite easily nestle into without being too easily seen. With the sails rolled and furled she anchored close to shore and the Captain\u2019s boat was lowered. It took little time to row and beach the boat. Kenney and six men were left in charge, being given orders to be friendly to any local people but cautious so as not to cause any problems that would result in a horde of Russians to descend upon them. Then the reconnaissance party disappeared into the trees.<\/p>\n It was wonderful to look above at the sky through the dappled leaves and boughs of such a variety of trees. The sun glimmered and shimmered and cast shadows upon their faces, and Adam took a deep breath to inhale the rich smells all around him. Despite his delight in walking through such a beautiful location he remained wary and cautious, pausing to listen to the sounds around him before proceeding on and paying constant attention to his compass.<\/p>\n In less than an hour they had reached an area where the woodland thinned out and gave way to the rocks that formed the shoreline of the bay. He stopped, frowned, and glanced at Hathaway who grimaced<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sir, I think we\u2019ve found her, haven\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have indeed.\u201d Adam murmured and raised the telescope to his eye, he arched a dark eyebrow \u201cYes indeed, and also La Dauphine, the French frigate that Captain O\u2019Brien referred to, now, what\u2019s she doing there, I wonder.\u201d he lowered the telescope and stood very still, thinking about the three ships that lay in harbour before he raised the glass once again to his eye \u201cThe Baltimore isn\u2019t manned as such, barely a handful of men on her, probably assuming she\u2019s safe enough with a Russian man of war slap bang beside her. I wonder if -\u201dhe paused, and allowed his own thoughts to travel onwards, if La Dauphine were here, was it possible that Mrs Pelman was still on the island? At the same time, and here his hopes soared, was it possible that O\u2019Brien was here, on this island?<\/p>\n He swung his telescope to view the buildings that stood on the terraces carved from the volcanic rock from which the islands had been created. Then he, after seeing no one for whom he searched, returned to scrutinise the ships. After a while he touched Hathaway on the arm and indicated that it was time for them to return to the boat.<\/p>\n He was smiling as he returned through the woodland, the whole ambience of the location touched his senses and thrilled the sensitive nature of him so that as he walked back towards the boat his thoughts turned to poetry and he was reminded of Tennyson\u2019s words in the poem Oenome<\/p>\n \u201cThere lies a vale in Ida, lovelier His musings broke off as there came the sound of someone approaching who was not exactly light of foot, as twigs were snapping, small stones set rolling. All of the men froze to the spot, and turned in the direction of the sound to see several men running, slithering and sliding through the woods and trees, jumping over fallen boughs, crashing thrown thin leafy twigs. When these men saw the group of men below them they also froze and then recognising the uniforms, relaxed, and approached them, panting and sweating profusely.<\/p>\n \u201cSir?\u201d one man addressed Adam and saluted him smartly, \u201cHarry Daniels, from the ship Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n Then came several other men who saluted, introduced themselves, all from the Baltimore. They numbered five in all.<\/p>\n Briefly, breathlessly, they told their story of the imprisonment, the rescue and the subsequent attack on the village.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been running ever since -\u201d a man called Davy Jackson panted, \u201cnot knowing the lie of the land we didn\u2019t know where we were headed, \u2018cept to go in the opposite direction of the prison.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was hell, that\u2019s what it was,\u201d Harry said, wiping his brow on the back of his sleeve, \u201cI know some Russian and overheard them saying that once they got the go ahead to leave for Russia the prisoners that were still alive would be taken to Siberia to work in the salt mines.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that there would be many of us left,\u201d Davy added. \u201cThere were good men dying every day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien – was he one of the prisoners?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, he and the Government man, Mr Hampton. They died. Well, we thought they had -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Hampton\u2019s dead.\u201d one of the muttered, \u201cNo doubt about that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah but we thought the Captain was too, but he wasn\u2019t, he was just making it look like he was to get out, and then he led the attack on the prison to get us out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith some Limey -\u201d Harry added.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well, and where is Captain O\u2019Brien now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was with the Englishman reconnoitring -\u201d Davy was still puffing, never a fit man the weeks of incarceration in the prison had taken their toll. \u201cThey weren\u2019t at the village when it was attacked.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably managed to avoid it,\u201d Harry sighed, \u201ccould be anywhere, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and glanced up towards the way the men had come, his eyes swept the line where the trees merged with the sky, and then he looked at Hathaway,<\/p>\n \u201cTake these men back to the Shenandoah and take care of them. Get the boat back to the beach within two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Hathaway opened his mouth, raised his eyebrows and looked at the Captain anxiously, but Adam was already making his way through the trees and undergrowth, following the track that the seamen had provided in their descent to safety and freedom.<\/p>\n Chapter 53<\/p>\n From the window of the dwelling it was not difficult to see what was happening in the immediate vicinity, and Willoughby, by glancing up and through the aperture didn\u2019t miss the tall young man and the four men with him talking to one of his neighbours. For a moment he watched them, making sure not to be observed and keeping well into the shadows, but when the neighbour half turned and pointed towards his building he knew instinctively that being there was no longer a safe option.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien, we\u2019ve got to get out of here.\u201d he said quietly and grabbed at the other man\u2019s arm, \u201cThey\u2019ll be here any moment, we\u2019ve no time and not that many options open to us. Quick, upstairs and onto the roof.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien asked no questions, although he grabbed at the leg of the shattered chair as he passed by it, and followed close behind his companion. They had reached the attic space just as Vacek and his men stepped into the house, they heard the broken door crash onto the floor, finally free from the fragile hinges.<\/p>\n Willoughby pushed open the window and squeezed through, swiftly followed by O\u2019Brien. The roof was old and had suffered some damage during the conflict but it held firm enough for them to inch themselves to the edge, and then make a leap for the roof of the adjoining building. It duly collapsed under their duel weight sending up a shower of dust and debris in their passing.<\/p>\n Scrambling hurriedly to their feet they made for the doorway of the building and out into the street. Vacek and his men had just reached the attic area of the first dwelling as O\u2019Brien and Willoughby ran to the shelter of another property. By leaning out of the window Vacek caught a brief glimpse of O\u2019Brien\u2019s blue jacket and with a very Slavonic curse scrambled back down to the floor, hurried down the stairs and out into the street.<\/p>\n A chair leg and one pistol, with very few bullets were not exactly the most adequate supply of ammunition to ward off the enemy O\u2019Brien thought as they ran from one house to the shelter of another. He saw the woodland ahead, and gestured to Willoughby that they should head for the shelter of the trees there but even as Willoughby nodded his head in agreement and turned in that direction a shot rang out, followed by another. The bullet razed across Willoughby\u2019s arm, bringing blood to the surface instantly, but it didn\u2019t stop the young man from racing onwards behind the American.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The sight of such devastation made Adam stop in his tracks. Ahead of him he saw a huddle of dwellings that had suffered the onslaught of a force far greater than he had originally anticipated. He watched the occupants of the dwelling as they tried to assemble together the remnants of their lives, some suffering greatly from the shock of their losses. He saw a child wandering in the middle of the street, blood flowing from a wound to her head and only a flimsy garment covering her little body, her bare feet were black from mud and blood.<\/p>\n He stooped down and picked her up, took a handkerchief from his pocket to staunch the blood while at the same time using one corner to wipe away the dirt, and the tears. She hugged into him, her crying stopped now in the bewilderment of seeing this strange face with the dark eyes, and feeling in the strength of his arms a warmth and comfort that brought forth a sense of some security. She fingered a brass button from his tunic, while she put fingers of her other hand into her mouth and sucked on them. As he walked further into the village she gradually sunk her head upon his shoulder and fell asleep, her fingers still clasping the brass button.<\/p>\n He had seen it all before – Indian villages and white settlements, homesteads destroyed by the Indians and by other white men, greed, pride, and cruel injustice, as a wise King once said \u2018man had dominated man to his own hurt\u2019. But it never lessened the sense of pain in his own heart, the knowledge that others suffered and had undergone so much loss. A woman came wailing from a house towards him with her arms outstretched and very carefully he passed the child from his arms into hers and watched as she ran to the shelter of her home.<\/p>\n It was several paces later that he heard the gun shots. He tensed, stepped back into the shadows of an overturned cart and looked around him to see what was the cause of the gunfire. Two men running towards him, no doubt in order to take shelter from the self same vehicle, and one was familiar to him. He narrowed his eyes, smiled briefly, and as O\u2019Brien neared him reached out, grabbed at his arm and pulled him into the shadows.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, confound you -\u201d O\u2019Brien yelled and raised the chair leg but before his arm descended to land a blow upon his \u2018assailant\u2019 he recognised the brown eyes that were looking amusedly at him, and his arm dropped in amazement, \u201cYou? Here?\u201d he breathed and was about to say more when Willoughby crashed against him just as several more gunshots whistled towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that your only weapon?\u201d Adam indicated the chair leg, which caused O\u2019Brien to blush rather and drop it immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve a gun.\u201d Willoughby said, \u201cBut only four bullets.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced back to the approaching five men, Vacek looking very determined and apparently unarmed, while the four other men walked slightly behind him, rifles in their hands.<\/p>\n \u201cCut through this barn and make for the trees. Do you know this area at all?\u201d Adam looked at Willoughby, dark eyes piercing down into the Englishman\u2019s face, and when he nodded Adam continued, \u201cThere\u2019s a bay, a small beach, there should be a boat waiting for us. Head down there -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know where it is,\u201d Willoughby nodded, touched O\u2019Brien by the arm and scuttled on all fours from the shelter of the cart into the barn, he turned once to see O\u2019Brien put his hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder before he followed close behind him.<\/p>\n Vacek was now looking a little hesitant and unsure of where to proceed. He turned his head left to right, and back again. The four men watched their leader and were equally confused. They slowly approached the cart, paused and made the mistake of turning back on himself and then stood, perplexed, in the middle of the road.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t hang around to wonder what the man would do next but slid from the shelter of the cart, through into the shadows of the barn and out through the gaping hole at the back of it. Within minutes he was following O\u2019Brien and Willoughby through the undergrowth and into the trees. By the time Vacek had decided to look to the cart and barn there was no longer any sign of them ever having there.<\/p>\n There was no time now to enjoy the beauties of nature, to take pleasure in the way the sun dappled through the shrouds of leaves and boughs. The three men ran almost recklessly through the forest and down finally to the beach. Hathaway, obedient and reliable as always, rose to his feet from the boat, saluted his Captain and stepped aside to allow him, O\u2019Brien and Willoughby a seat and while they sat catching their breath and trying to get their thoughts in order, he gave the order to cast off and return to the Shenandoah.<\/p>\n \u201cWell now, Captain O\u2019Brien,\u201d Adam said at last, \u201cWe meet again -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it couldn\u2019t have been at a better time, Adam.\u201d Daniel exclaimed seizing hold of the hand that was extended towards him, \u201cGod knows how you came to be here, but -\u201d he couldn\u2019t speak any more, emotion engulfed him and he had to break off to control himself. He turned to Willoughy, \u201cThis is Laurence Willoughby, Captain Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything alright, Mr Hathaway?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Captain, all\u2019s well.\u201d Hathaway replied with a nod and a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cVery good.\u201d Adam looked at Daniel, \u201cNow all we have to do is get the Baltimore back for you, Captain.\u201d and he laughed, a rather dry warm laugh that O\u2019Brien remembered from of old and that gave him, as it always had, a sense that all would be well now. All they had to do was get back The Baltimore \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 54<\/p>\n Soames quickly checked Willoughby\u2019s wound before leaving the officers to their discussion of recent events. Scott brought in refreshments and left the cabin smiling hugely. He had never seen his Captain looking so happy and relaxed.<\/p>\n During the time they had taken to arrive back at the Shenandoah Adam had carefully arranged with Hathaway to ensure surveillance was carried out on the Baltimore, so once the Officers had been seen safely on board ship, Kenney was dispatched back to shore with Hathaway and enough men to form two parties of a watch guard on the other ship, sending messages back by semaphore during the hours of daylight that remained. Kenney was a bright young man and had understood his Captains orders perfectly, and as a result carried them out exactly as was required.<\/p>\n Adam listened intently to the adventures, and misadventures of his friend, adding a little here and there where it was deemed necessary. The two were so involved in their discussion that Willoughby found himself biting his nails, stretching out his legs and doing everything a man has to do to appear alert and interested when he was, in fact, extremely tired. Adam feigned ignorance for a while, not merely out of mischief but also because the information Daniel shared filled in the gaps of his knowledge of events. Eventually he turned to Willoughby<\/p>\n \u201cSo, Mr Willoughby, you know Mrs Pelman and her brother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I do. I mean, I did.\u201d Willoughby nodded, and launched into the story of his brothers, Archer and Charles, and how he had met Mrs Pelman and Jeffrey Metcalfe in Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cHow well did you know them?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby looked thoughtfully at Adam, he saw the keen alert eyes, the slight smile in the curve of the lips, and he knew that this was a man who could discern an untruth as easily as a magnet attracts iron filings. He shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cI got to know them as well as I needed to at the time.\u201d he replied cautiously, \u201cMetcalfe didn\u2019t trust me, and I didn\u2019t trust nor like him. Cassandra, well, she\u2019s a lovely looking woman but it doesn\u2019t take a man long to realise her world revolves totally around her and her own interests.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what were your interests, Mr Willoughby?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy interests were then what they are now, I want to find my brother.\u201d he looked straight into Adams eyes then, and saw a flicker of empathy, before the Captain stood up and walked to the table and poured out some drinks for them all. He waited for Willoughby to continue speaking, but the Englishman remained silent.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think he could be dead?\u201d<\/p>\n He turned, saw the flash of despair and pain pass over Willoughby\u2019s face and knew and understood and sympathised. No matter how long it would have taken he would be doing exactly the same had it been Joe or Hoss. He passed the cup and saucer into the other man\u2019s hands,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, of course you don\u2019t,\u201d he said quietly, answering his own question, \u201cWhy should you indeed, and nor would I until I had the most definite proof of it.\u201d he now handed Daniel his coffee, before resuming his seat, \u201cYou\u2019ve been on this island some time -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I\u2019ve been painting, I\u2019m an artist -\u201d he paused, perhaps realising that what he had stated seemed rather a poor reason, he sighed, \u201cI anticipated that Cassandra and her brother would be here eventually, and it seemed reasonable to think that Archer may have been here. It\u2019s taken time to search through all the islands, there\u2019s still a number still to visit -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this prison that Daniel and his men were held in? You never thought to ask questions about it before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would you do, Captain, if you were on a strange island and told about a prison? Wouldn\u2019t you merely expect it to be doing what prisons do? Holding prisoners of people who have broken the law and deserve to be there? I didn\u2019t expect it to be anything other than that, and the people with whom I lived never indicated it to be anything other than that either. They spoke about a bad place, and a place they didn\u2019t go which just enforced the idea in my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut your brother could have been there -?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby said nothing, but the way he raised his chin and looked defiantly at Adam was enough to indicate that he didn\u2019t want to think along those lines, and refused even now to do so.<\/p>\n \u201cThen as soon as Daniel appears and tells you about it, you organise the villagers to attack the prison -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt seemed the right thing to do at the time.\u201d the younger man said quietly, \u201cI tend to be rather impetuous at times, I suppose upon hindsight I should have thought about the matter a little more deeply, seriously, but I couldn\u2019t think of anything else and time seemed to be important too.\u201d he bit his lip, \u201cI also thought that with some Americans involved there was some hope that Archer would be there, or – well – the fact is, I didn\u2019t think that it would lead to what happened \u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, once again he found himself in sympathy with Willoughby knowing so well another young man who would no doubt have done the same, another young man equally as impetuous and hot headed. He sipped his coffee and looked over at Daniel who was appearing somewhat uncomfortable at the questions being asked of Willoughby.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing is,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cwe need to get those men out of the prison. We can\u2019t go off with the ship knowing that those men are stuck there waiting to be sent to the salt mines.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t expect the villagers to help us again. Not after what has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we can\u2019t. So – any suggestions? Any ideas?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel moved restlessly in his seat, he looked at Adam but his friend had his eyes fixed on Willoughby who was struggling to think up some idea. He glanced over at O\u2019Brien,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess I could go and see the Governor of this island. Have a discussion about it, put it to him straight.\u201d he looked then at Adam, \u201cThese islands are partly owned by Japan and by the Russian authorities. At present this particular island still has a Governor that cares for the various districts.* I went to see him once before, to ask him about Archer and whether or not he knew anything about an English ship coming here, but he didn\u2019t. He did commission me to do a painting though, it was of the Shinto temple* to the south of the island.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t look too interested in painting commissions, his mind had wandered elsewhere and he emptied his cup, replaced it on the table and stood for a moment or two with one hand tapping thoughtfully against his thigh while the other fingered one of the books on the shelf.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a good idea, don\u2019t you think, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n He turned at the sound of his friend\u2019s voice, then he smiled and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d he looked at Willoughby, \u201cTomorrow night, if nothing happens between times, we shall get that ship back. That leaves us all day, twelve hours. We\u2019ll try the civilized way of doing things and hope that by the time we get the Baltimore, you will have a reasonable sized crew, Captain O\u2019Brien.\u201d he smiled again, and looked at Willoughby, \u201cIf it works, Mr Willoughby, will you be coming with us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTokyo initially.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby frowned, and looked wistfully at the view that could be glimpsed just through the port hole, he sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cBut Archer could be here \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if he isn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n Again that despairing look fell across the Englishman\u2019s face, and he shook his head before looking defiantly up at Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra Pelman will know where he is, I\u2019m certain of it. If I confront her with what I know about her dealings -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could have done that before -\u201d Daniel said quietly \u201cWhen you were in Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know as much then as I do now, O\u2019Brien. This time I\u2019ll find out if I have to shake it out of her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm, I think you\u2019d have to do more than that,\u201d Adam murmured before placing a friendly hand on the other man\u2019s shoulder, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll find a way to work this out. In the meantime we need to get something to eat, and then sleep. Tomorrow\u2019s going to be a busy day.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 55<\/p>\n In her most lavish gown Cassandra sat at the table and ate her food without tasting any of it. During the course of time she had spent with the Russians with whom she was hoping to negotiate the sale of The Baltimore she had come to realise that even though she had spent a lifetime manipulating and corrupting men, she had also relied upon them. None more so than her brother who had always been quick minded, intuitive and businesslike and a man that these Russians would have respected and to whom they would have submitted.<\/p>\n It seemed that they had little respect for her although they paid her lavish compliments on her beauty and her gowns, there was no attempt to engage her in business talk about the deal they were supposed to be involved in now. It was quite evident in the way they ignored her presence by conversing quietly together in their native language, as though she were not sitting right by their side. The contempt they had for her was so obvious that they made no attempt at all to hide it.<\/p>\n She crumbled the bread slowly between her fingers and let the pieces fall onto the plate while she watched them and listened as they talked together, in Russian. She could feel the heat of her temper rising, and the final straw came when the Count glanced over at her, before turning to Nikisch and making some comment that brought laughter from the other man.<\/p>\n She rose from her seat<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen, the money you agreed to pay my brother and myself is due this evening. Pay it promptly or the deal is off.\u201d she stared at them both, before turning and walking angrily away.<\/p>\n \u201cHow dare they,\u201d she fumed at her maid later, \u201cHow dare they talk about me in their own language as though I were not even there. How dare they insult me like that -\u201d she could barely get the words out of her mouth, her anger was so total, \u201cIf Jeffrey were here this whole matter would have been resolved by now. They wouldn\u2019t have dared treat him as they treat me. Just because I am a woman -\u201d and without stopping to pause for breath she picked up a hand mirror and threw it across the room.<\/p>\n \u201cMadam -\u201d the other woman hurried to pick up the shattered pieces, \u201cNothing is gained by losing control like this, you must think of what to do rather than -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t do that,\u201d she hissed through clenched teeth, and grabbed the woman by the wrist, \u201cDon\u2019t you ever dare to lecture me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Madam, but -\u201d she cringed back, rubbed her wrist and with fear now etched in her face, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the money isn\u2019t paid within the hour the deal\u2019s off. I\u2019ll – I\u2019ll get on board the ship and take it back to America if I have to, I\u2019ll -\u201d she stopped her tirade when there came a light tap on the door, and she turned as Vacek entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Count sends his apologies and asks that you join them in the other room.\u201d he bowed, clicked his heels and opened the door wider for her to pass through.<\/p>\n She straightened her back, stared at him as though she hated the sight of him, and without another word strode from the room, forcing herself to become composed and calm as she went to confront the men who held her future in the palm of their hands.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is a fiery one, that one ..\u201d Vacek murmured, somewhat with admiration in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, too much so for her own good.\u201d the maid replied still rubbing at her wrist and staring at her mistress with a look on her face that cautioned Vacek to say nothing more.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Hoss Cartwright very carefully ran his fingers over the edge of the wood he had been whittling, it felt as smooth as silk and he smiled with pleasure at the touch. He turned the piece too and fro for a moment before he began to whittle at another piece very patiently, making sure that the slivers of wood fell neatly into the hearth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks good, Hoss,\u201d Joe said as he stopped to admire the carving, \u201cWho\u2019s it for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s for Ann and Candy\u2019s baby.\u201d came the reply, and Hoss glanced up and smiled, \u201cA rocking horse is something that would suit a boy or girl, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe nodded, before sitting down in the blue chair and watching Hoss for a few seconds in silence,<\/p>\n \u201cYou should get yourself a wife, Hoss. Settle down and raise your own kids.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah? Hark who\u2019s talking? Why not take a leaf out of your own book.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh-huh, might just do that, I\u2019m working on it anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben removed the pipe out of his mouth and looked at his son with raised eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re working on it? Anyone I know?\u201d he asked with a slight smile on his mouth as he tried to recall the number of times Joe was going to get married, was thinking about getting married, or nearly did get married. His son wore his heart on his sleeve, there was no mistake about that, but commitment? That was something else entirely, not that every girl who had nearly got him to the altar had cancelled on the deal voluntarily, there had been several very sad occasions when death had stepped in and, of course, there had been Little Moon.<\/p>\n \u201cToo soon to say just yet,\u201d Joe grinned, \u201cbut, Pa, remember what you said the other day about perhaps my heart was healing? Well, I reckon that you were right. I think I\u2019m well on the way to recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Ben nodded, narrowed his eyes and looked at his son thoughtfully, \u201cI\u2019m glad to hear it.\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cSure would be something to be married by the time Adam got back home again, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d Joe\u2019s grin broadened into a smile, \u201cCan you imagine his face?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe won\u2019t believe it until he sees it for himself,\u201d Hoss chuckled as he ran his hand over the wood, he sighed, \u201cSure wish he would hurry back though, he should be here, with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe glanced at Ben and lowered his gaze at seeing the momentary blank look on his father\u2019s face at Hoss\u2019 comment. Perhaps they didn\u2019t talk about Adam enough now, he thought, perhaps they had got so used to his absence that when they did mention him it just hurt more, as if it were possible.<\/p>\n \u201cAnn and Candy sure are happy in the house Adam gave \u2018em,\u201d he said in an attempt to turn the conversation, \u201cPeople in town can\u2019t stop talking about how generous he was to them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, he had no need of the house, Joe. Ann and Candy deserved it, they\u2019d gone through enough in life as it is.\u201d Ben murmured and picked up his pipe, looked at the bowl and stuffed more tobacco in it.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure, I know that -\u201d Joe replied, and pulled a face before pulling a book from the shelf.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere do you intend to live then, when you get married, Joe?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, on my own land.\u201d he mused vaguely, not liking to admit he hadn\u2019t thought that far ahead, \u201cOr perhaps here -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, jest might be that we wouldn\u2019t want you rattling around here with us two bachelors,\u201d Hoss chuckled, \u201cAnd \u2018specially when Adam comes back, sides, what would Hop Sing do with a female woman in the house, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh , I daresay he\u2019d manage,\u201d Joe replied and opened the book, stared at the words and allowed his mind to drift. Not that it drifted far, only back to the day when he had held her hand, kissed her lips and knew that he wanted to marry her. Victoria Shannon. He smiled to himself, a slow secret smile that he thought was totally unobserved.<\/p>\n Ben frowned slightly as he puffed on his pipe, and thought over the meaning behind that smile of Joe\u2019s. It was time one of them married, he told himself, but it would mean changes, big changes, and he drew harder on the stem of his old pipe as his own thoughts turned to the other changes his life had brought about over the years.<\/p>\n Perhaps, he thought, this is what happens when one becomes old? One sits, thinks and wallows in nostalgia. He sighed and drifted into his own dreams.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cAll\u2019s well, Captain.\u201d Myers said softly as he heard Adam\u2019s footsteps approaching him on the upper deck.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything from the beach?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKenney signalled half hour ago with the shutter lamp, he said all was quiet, no change.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and walked to the taffrail, leaned upon it and gazed up at the stars above. It was dark, the moon was barely visible. He bit his bottom lip and thought over the conversation he had had with Willoughby and O\u2019Brien. He liked the Englishman, it was an instinctive trust, but he felt that the young man was confused, uncertain as to what to do. He must, Adam surmised, be feeling guilty as well, knowing that time had been wasted when he could have been putting it to better use. He sighed, it was easier said than done, he realised and appreciated the fact that in a country as isolated as this one, with its Shinto background, confused political alliances, varied dialects, there would be difficulties in finding out the basic facts let alone the most important ones.<\/p>\n A warm breeze drifted past his face and he closed his eyes, raised his face to the breeze and recaptured a moment in time years ago when Joe had done something crazy, the illogical reasons he gave, the idealistic purpose he pursued, all so typical of his youth, and his ardour. Joe, Adam smiled, Joe was so full of passion for things, so much like his mother in that respect and for just a fleeting instant Marie\u2019s face came very clearly to mind, yet when he tried to keep it focussed there, so that he could really drink in her features, really capture them again as sharply as though she were alive before him, then it just shimmered away and disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, thank you, Mr Myers\u201d<\/p>\n They stood together, side by side, watching the dark outline of the beach, just a darker shadow barely discernible in the night time darkness.<\/p>\n Chapter 56<\/p>\n Count Alexandrei Zhukov struck a match and for a moment stared at the flame before putting it to the cigarette. He was an attractive man but his thin lips and rather weak chin betrayed the fact that he could be cruel, his eyes were always watchful and alert, his bearing, as a Russian noble, was upright and slightly arrogant. He said nothing as the servants continued to attend at the table, pouring wine into their glasses and placing food before them on the gold rimmed plates.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what do we do?\u201d Nikisch said quietly, \u201cThe woman is getting restless, she obviously wants her pound of flesh.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Zhukov released the cigarette smoke in a pale gossamer cloud of smoke, \u201cYes, of course, that is to be expected after all. I would have preferred to have dealt with her brother, if he was her brother -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh come now, Count, Metcalfe was certainly nothing other than her brother.\u201d Nikisch raised his eyebrows, and glanced thoughtfully at the man by his side, \u201cYou dealt with him before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I told you, several years ago.\u201d he held the cigarette between his lips and stared at the far wall through a haze of smoke, \u201cHe was a clever man. His sister though, she is greedy. She thinks her beauty alone will give her everything she demands. But she hasn\u2019t the brains of her brother.\u201d he frowned, stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it away, \u201cDo you think he is really dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI made enquiries, she received a letter telling her so the day we arrived. Apparently he was shot dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRidiculous!\u201d Whether the Count thought it ridiculous that a man could be shot dead or that Metcalfe had put himself in such a situation prior to finalising this very lucrative deal was not clear. No one spoke for a while, he shook his head, \u201cHow did he get shot?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe went to a town in Nevada, he was seeking an enemy of his – Captain Adam Cartwright -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh – I know this Captain Cartwright. Remember the Lebedev affair? Alaska?\u201d he could see from Nikish\u2019s face that the man had no idea of what he was talking about, so he sighed, to be surrounded by such imbeciles ? He nodded, \u201cSo this Cartwright shot him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, another man. Captain Cartwright was not there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm,\u201d Zhukov dismissed Adam Cartwright from his mind, someone placed another dish of food in front of him and he observed it thoughtfully, \u201cThe American ship is a good investment, the money we pay for it -\u201d he paused, and frowned, \u201cperhaps not all that we originally offered. However, it will be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could just take it,\u201d Nikish smiled slowly, \u201cShe is a mere woman, why waste time on her?\u201d<\/p>\n Zhukov shook his head, and picked up a silver spoon, his own reflection, upside down in the bowl of the spoon, stared back reprovingly at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could do as you say, but we are not thieves, Vassily. We represent our country, our Czar. We would not dishonour our name in such a manner. Besides, this woman may be stupid, but she has contacts in America that could be useful to us later in time. A beautiful woman is always a very useful person to have on one\u2019s side.\u201d<\/p>\n Duly admonished Nikisch closed his mouth and said nothing. Vacek placed another glass of wine by his elbow, and stepped back to take his place in the line up of servants on attendance at the table. A little later that evening he was tapping on the door of the \u2019beautiful woman\u2019s \u2019 room and telling her everything that he had overheard.<\/p>\n She listened attentively with her face growing ever more pale. When he had finished speaking she looked at him thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you telling me this? You\u2019re Russian yourself, you\u2019re -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadam, I have told you before, I am not Russian. I am Croatian. There is a difference.\u201d he smiled slowly, his blue eyes softened as he looked at her, \u201cAnd one thing that they said which is very true, you are very beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him, frowned, and shook her head before she rose to her feet and walked to the window. Outside it was dark, impossible to see the ships in the bay from such a distance, she picked up a glass of wine and stared out into the night. She had never felt more lonely, or so isolated.<\/p>\n \u201cI need to get away from here.\u201d she sighed, \u201cWhy don\u2019t they just give me the money and let me go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall get you the money,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cLa Dauphine is in the bay, waiting for you to leave here. She will take you wherever you wish to go \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him, a slight frown on her face now,<\/p>\n \u201cWho exactly are you, Vacek?\u201d<\/p>\n He bowed, clicking his heels as was his custom, and smiled the same enigmatic smile that she had seen so often,<\/p>\n \u201cI am, Madam, your servant, Vacek Krizanic.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing but merely looked at him as though trying to see him as a person other than a servant, but he, content with having spoken the words he wished for now, turned and left the room.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n He turned, Soames had approached so silently, or he had been himself so deep in thought so as not to have heard him, that his voice caught him by surprise. He smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening, Doctor. No patients to care for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll\u2019s well down below.\u201d came the calm reply, \u201cYou\u2019re concerned about tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, Doctor, I\u2019m not really sure what will happen tomorrow.\u201d he turned again to look out towards the beach, \u201cThree ships in the bay \u2026 American seamen to get released from jail \u2026 and the possibility that Mrs Pelman and her friends on shore have the higher cards. It\u2019s really a wait and see, one step at a time, kind of game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you\u2019re good at poker, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cMy Pa never approved of gambling,\u201d he replied, and his laugh was soft, almost beneath his breath.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Zhukov and Nikisch observed the Croatian with barely concealed contempt. The Serb\/Croatian countries counted very little with them, Great Russia ruled over so much that these little satellite countries would, one day, be crushed by them. Insignificant, troublesome at times, but like dogs without teeth. The Count flicked ash from his cigarette onto the floor with a careless gesture of boredom<\/p>\n \u201cSir,\u201d Vacek approached them once again, \u201cA lot more is involved in this game than just a ship – is not that so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is involved has little to do with you\u201d Nikisch shrugged, \u201cYou can go and tell your mistress that the money is safe. She will have it tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Vacek pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cAll the money that has been agreed between Madam and Prince Gorchakov?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked from one to the other of them, his blue eyes cold and disbelieving. Nikisch stepped forward,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do you know about any agreement between Madam and the Prince?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEnough for it to be very useful for my Government,\u201d Vacek replied, bowed politely and left the room, closing the doors silently behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is he?\u201d Zhukov asked, \u201cFind out about him -\u201d he rolled the cigarette between his teeth, his thin lips curving around it finally as he walked straight backed and arrogantly to the window.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n A new day dawned. O\u2019Brien and Willoughby sat at the table eating breakfast with Adam and Myers, slices of ham and eggs, fresh bread and strong coffee. O\u2019Brien was regaling them with the story of how he and Adam had enjoyed an Inuit bath during an Alaskan winter when the door opened and Mayhew stepped inside,<\/p>\n \u201cThe launch is ready for you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, wiped his mouth on the serviette and rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cMr Willoughby, time for us to visit the Governor and see about the release of the men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne moment, Adam,\u201d O\u2019Brien stood up, \u201cThey\u2019re my men, I should be going with Willoughby.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced down at Willoughby who shrugged slightly,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t mind who I go with – they aren\u2019t my men, but I do want to ask about my brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned and looked over at Mayhew<\/p>\n \u201cAny news from the men on the beach?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothings happened yet, sir. They report that all is as it was when they last reported.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Willoughby, if you would come with me, sir. Captain O\u2019Brien, I entrust the Shenandoah to your command, please make sure she is in one piece when I return.\u201d he quelled any word from O\u2019Brien by a stern look of reproof, picked up his hat as he passed his desk and placed it carefully over his dark head. Willoughby, in silence, followed<\/p>\n Chapter 57<\/p>\n Kenney was the first to appear upon the beach as the Captain\u2019s launch approached and he waded into the water to assist in getting the boat alongside the other already hidden away.<\/p>\n \u201cNothings happened since day break, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good,\u201d Adam straightened his jacket, made sure his hat was secure and glanced up at the dawn sky, \u201cRetain a few men here and return to the Shenandoah, I\u2019ve left Captain O\u2019Brien in charge of the ship. It\u2019s possible that anything could happen while we\u2019re on land here, so whatever orders he gives you -\u201d he looked at Kenney and smiled at the polite nod of the head that he received in response, so he then pursed his lips and indicated to Willoughby that it was turn for them to go.<\/p>\n The way to the Governor\u2019s residence was some way inland, and en route they passed several of the local people who eyed them with suspicion and anxiety. A Shinto temple reminded them of the religious temperament of the people, and the western dress of some gave an indication of the Russian influence upon them. When they reached the official residence Adam glanced up at the sky and then checked his watch, it was now 9 a.m.<\/p>\n The Governor was pleased to receive the two visitors from overseas. Willoughby was announced as Lord Laurence Willoughby and for a fleeting moment Adam wished he could have been announced as Commodore Adam Cartwright, and smiled at himself for being so vain as to even think such a thought.<\/p>\n The Governor was a small man, Japanese, and elderly. He was dressed in the traditional garments of a Japanese dignitary and bowed to them both in the manner of his culture, both Adam and Willoughby bowed low from the waist, their eyes lowered as eye contact was considered insulting.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease to sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n They sat, servants shuffled in and provided them with green tea in small china cups which they drank. The Governor looked at them both and nodded before asking them why they had come to see him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt may have come to your attention, sir, that some American seamen have been held prisoner in one of your prisons, and -\u201d Adam paused as the Governor raised a hand.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat prison?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced at Willoughby who supplied the name and district in which the prison existed, and the Governor frowned slightly, nodded and asked Adam to proceed.<\/p>\n \u201cA few days ago one of the villages in this district was the subject of a brutal attack by Russian forces and -\u201d<\/p>\n Again he paused as the Governor raised his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cI was told that an attack had been made upon the prison, the prisoners had escaped, violent criminals, and the instigators of this attack had to be punished.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, sir,\u201d Willoughby straightened his back and looked into the old man\u2019s face, \u201cI happened to be the one who encouraged the villagers to attack the prison because – I am sure you are unaware of what is actually happening – but American seamen had been taken there against their will, held prisoner, left to die and buried in mass graves.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are mistaken, Lord Willoughby, nothing like that is happening. Why should such a lie be said about this? There are only criminals taken there at my order.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are being misled, sir.\u201d Willoughby said honestly, \u201cI have witnesses to testify to what I am saying. I would beg of you, please, to listen to what the American Captain has to say to you.\u201d<\/p>\n The Japanese Governor turned regally to Adam and his dark eyes looked thoughtfully at him, he inclined his head and Adam began to speak. He explained the reason why he had come to these Islands, the concerns of the American Government in Tokyo about the ship that had gone missing, the discovery of the seamen who had been incarcerated and witness to the deaths of their companions, how a friend of his had survived only by pretending to be dead and as a consequence taken to the mass graves.<\/p>\n The Governor listened with a bowed head, and for a moment, after Adam had ceased to speak, said nothing. Then he raised his head<\/p>\n \u201cDo you play chess?\u201d<\/p>\n They both nodded and the old man nodded slowly in turn,<\/p>\n \u201cThe islands are currently like a chess board, the players are Japan Government and Russian Government. I am just a chess piece moved here and there, soon to be displaced and removed. Things happen now that I know nothing about, that confuse me, it is not what is customary for my people, you understand? Russia moves a piece here and there, I wait in turn for Japan Government to move but -\u201d he paused, \u201cin this instance is example of things happening of which I know nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n He called one of his aides, a younger man dressed in western clothing who darted curious looks at Adam and Willoughby. The Governor spoke to him in his own language and the aide scuttled away.<\/p>\n \u201cWe must wait for a while.\u201d the Governor murmured, \u201cTell me, please, Lord Willoughby, why are you still here? You came a while ago to paint a picture which pleased my wife very much, but I thought you would not be staying on the island much longer?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t intended to stay much longer, sir.\u201d Willoughby sighed, \u201cBut I -\u201d he paused and glanced over at Adam, \u201cI wanted to find my brother, Archer. You may recall I asked you before if you had heard anything about him, or his ship?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember, and I also remember that I told you that I had no knowledge of him.\u201d the reply was sincere, and direct. It wasn\u2019t what Willoughby wanted to hear, and he lowered his head. \u201cI made enquiries, Lord Willoughby, on your behalf. There has been no English ship in these waters for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was hoping that, perhaps, your information would be wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a silence, not exactly uncomfortable but it did go on for long enough to eventually become so. Adam was about to speak when the aide returned and spoke rapidly to the Governor, who replied in a tone of voice and with such speed that it was like a Gatling gun going off, there was even a hint of ruddiness glowing in his cheeks and both Willoughby and Adam were quite sure it wasn\u2019t because the man was happy at what he had heard.<\/p>\n Another pause as the aide left the room. The Governor scowled, then slowly composed himself. He looked at Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cI have made enquiries. You are right and I was wrong.\u201d he bowed from the waist in apology, \u201cThere will be a very serious investigation into what has happened. It would seem our Russian players of this particular chess game have exceeded their limits. This is not good for universal hope of good communication.\u201d he rose from his chair, \u201cI have given my aide orders to free your seamen. Immediately.\u201d he turned to leave the room, then looked at Willoughby again, \u201cYou have a brother, called Charles Willoughby?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Laurence Willoughby nodded, confused at this sudden and quite unexpected question, \u201cYes, I have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA letter has arrived from him for you. It will be given to you when you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut how – I mean -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe may be far from your world, Lord Willoughby, but we are not without contact with it. This letter was sent by despatch to Tokyo, and put in the diplomatic bag from Tokyo to me. It arrived yesterday afternoon. A runner was going to deliver it to you today.\u201d he turned to Adam and bowed, \u201cHonourable Captain Cartwright, I hope you find your missing ship now that you have your missing men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019ve found the ship, sir,\u201d Adam replied promptly, \u201cIt\u2019s getting it back that\u2019s the main problem now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do not understand -\u201d the old man turned to give Adam more attention, his curiosity was again sincere, his interest genuine, \u201cYou have found your missing ship? It is here, is that what you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir. It is here, and I do intend on getting it back.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked from one man to the other, then bowed his head, his shoulders seemed suddenly too frail to support the weight of this particular problem and he sighed<\/p>\n \u201cThe chess game leads to checkmate -\u201d he murmured, \u201cI am unsure how to proceed now. Russia will soon be the Government here, but Japan keeps some controls too, but America – we cannot afford to have an incident now involving America -\u201d he shook his head, \u201cTell me, could there be a mistake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I could say that there was, but right now, sir, our ship is in one of your harbours alongside a Russian man of war and a French frigate. There\u2019s a woman here intent on selling it to -\u201d he paused, and looked at Willoughby who was listening intently, and then looked again at the Governor, \u201cCan we ask for any help from you?\u201d<\/p>\n The old man folded his hands within the wide sleeves of his kimono, he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can offer you no assistance beyond what I have already given. It is better for my people to have no further involvement\u201d he turned to Willoughby, \u201cLord Willoughby, thank you for your visit to these islands. Honourable Captain, farewell.\u201d he bowed to them both and hurriedly made his exit.<\/p>\n Adam released his breath and then looked at his companion,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I guess there was no harm in asking -\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cPoor chap, he\u2019s caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. I wouldn\u2019t like to be in his shoes right now.\u201d<\/p>\n They left the room and as soon as the doors closed behind them an aide came to Willoughby, bowed and gave him an envelope with a heavy embossed seal on it. Laurence surveyed it thoughtfully, drew in his breath and bit his bottom lip.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s from my brother, Charles.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want to read it here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Later\u2026 if you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked in silence from the building and as they descended down the steps a man in black livery hurried towards them, bowed in the customary way,<\/p>\n \u201cHonourable Captain, I am to tell you that your men are free. In a short while they will be at the entrance of the temple where you can meet with them.\u201d he bowed again, and then hurried away.<\/p>\n Adam watched him go, then gave a slight shrug of the shoulders. He glanced up at the sky and surveyed the sun, once again pulled out his watch and checked on the time. It was now 11.30 a.m.<\/p>\n The gardens of the Governors residence were pleasantly laid out and Willoughby excused himself while he walked to a bench beneath a large red maple tree. He broke open the seal, and unfolded his brothers letter. There was little in it, but enough for him to bow his head, put his hand to his eyes and weep.<\/p>\n Adam turned his back on the scene, the man was distressed, that was obvious, but he knew that any overtures of sympathy from him now would be embarrassing. His instinct was to wait for the Englishman to compose himself and tell him, should he wish to do so, in his own time.<\/p>\n They walked, in silence, some distance together towards the temple. Both kept their eyes straight ahead. When they had reached the temple entrance where they were to meet up with the men, Willoughby cleared his throat, and Adam waited in expectation of bad news.<\/p>\n \u201cI – the letter from my brother – Charles.\u201d Laurence Willoughby licked his lips, and glanced almost shyly at Adam, \u201che wrote to tell me that Archer\u2019s body has been found.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry. That wasn\u2019t the news you wanted to hear, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d the one word trembled slightly, again he cleared his throat, \u201cHis ship was caught in a storm off the Atlasov Island, we can see it from some areas here -\u201d he broke off and frowned \u201che and his men were taken to Siberia, he died in the salt mines.\u201d he snapped the words out, cold and stark and very real. He shook his head, \u201cThey killed him. The Russians – killed him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would they take the trouble to let your brother know that, or even return his body?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDiplomacy. Scratching each other\u2019s back. One favour in return for another. I don\u2019t know .. I only know that politics stink. I came here to find my brother, I was sure from what I was told that there was a link with Cassandra Pelman and her brother – now, this is tantamount to telling me to back off. All this time kicking my heels here and for nothing.\u201d he put a hand to his brow, ran his fingers through his hair so that it stood on end, \u201cArcher\u2019s dead, he\u2019s been dead for months – this letter was dated weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCommunication\u2019s always slow -\u201d Adam replied and placed a conciliatory hand on the other man\u2019s arm, \u201cI\u2019m really sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was the best brother -\u201d Laurence mumbled and pulled his arm free and walked several paces away.<\/p>\n It was at that moment that the bedraggled sight of The Baltimore\u2019s seamen came into view so that Adam\u2019s attentions were turned towards them. Willoughby slowly folded the letter back into its envelope and slipped it into his pocket. He was bereft, and with a despairing glance up at the sky, started to walk away from where the group of men were gathered.<\/p>\n \u201cWilloughby, where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d the young man shrugged, \u201cI don\u2019t know, I don\u2019t even care now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t stay here -\u201d<\/p>\n Again he shrugged, put his hands in his pockets and turned listlessly away, only to be stopped by Adam\u2019s hand on his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cCome along with us now. The Governor more or less gave you your marching orders in there anyway. And there\u2019s still some unfinished business to attend to here -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnfinished business? What do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman -\u201d Adam quirked an eyebrow, \u201cShe\u2019s here on this island, and I don\u2019t intend leaving it without seeing her first.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby\u2019s eyes widened, a light shone momentarily in their depths, he nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, of course, Mrs Pelman.\u201d and he nodded again, but this time with more conviction.<\/p>\n Chapter 58<\/p>\n Daniel O\u2019Brien had watched the launch leave the ship with a deep sense of resentment niggling in his stomach. Willoughby hadn\u2019t even seemed bothered about the seamen, so why on earth had Adam insisted on taking him. Those men, O\u2019Brien told himself, were his responsibility, apart from which Adam\u2019s duties lay with the men on this ship, and the Shenandoah herself. He tapped his hand against the taffrail in annoyance and irritation, and turned away to observe the sea on the lee side of the ship.<\/p>\n Soames watched the young man with a rather thoughtful expression on his face before he approached him, smiled and asked if he could walk the deck with him, to which request Daniel complied.<\/p>\n They walked in silence for some while, observing the motion of the waves, the beauty of birds in flight, some seals basking on the rocks just a little distance away. Finally Soames paused to lean against the ships\u2019 side, Daniel stopped beside him, his face still sullen from what he had felt was a personal rebuff.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been through quite a lot recently, young man,\u201d Soames said quietly, \u201cI can see from your complexion and the way your clothes hang on you that you\u2019ve suffered quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Daniel nodded, and stared down at the sea, he heaved a sigh, \u201cI saw some brave men die, and die needlessly too. It\u2019s not enough to die in battle or in storms at sea, but to rot in a prison like that one -\u201d he shook his head, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t wish that on anyone.\u201d he began to wring his hands, and he gulped, his breath quickened and Soames could see the pulse at his throat beating faster, the emotional memories of that experience were very raw, very fresh, it would be some time before Daniel would sleep well at nights. \u201cIt was as though we were just left to rot and die.\u201d his voice was lowered a little, \u201cIt was inhumane.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I was talking to some others who were with you there, they\u2019re my patients now. I can\u2019t guarantee how well they\u2019re going to pull through.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel didn\u2019t notice the quick look of inspection Soames cast over him, he was too intent upon observing the seals to even realise the scrutiny he was under by the kind hearted doctor. For a little while they were silent again, and then Soames smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam must have a very high opinion of you, Captain O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? What makes you say that?\u201d O\u2019Brien said sharply for his thoughts had been quite the reverse, and he looked at Soames as though the man were stupid.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s left you in command, hasn\u2019t he? That\u2019s a lot of responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy responsibility is with my own men -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re in that prison you\u2019ve just left, sir, I doubt if – should the attempt to get them released fail – whether you would have wished spending any more time there, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel stared at Soames as the words slowly sunk in to his brain, he turned away feeling ashamed. As usual Adam had been thinking of him, Daniel O\u2019Brien and his welfare, before his own. Daniel gulped again and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt if I could have gone near the place again. The last time was bad enough – . The smell alone -\u201d he shivered, \u201cit clings to one, you know?\u201d he looked at Soames helplessly, and the doctor nodded, \u201cJust being out of the place was good enough I would have thought, but there seems to be something in the back of my mind that keeps dragging me back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long were you there for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI lost track of time, but it was weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames put a gentle, kindly hand on the other mans arm, nodded understandingly and then turned to observe the seals who were now plunging in and out of the water and looking at their observers with large black moist eyes and quivering whiskers.<\/p>\n \u201c\u201dI\u2019m not going mad, am I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all.\u201d Soames smiled, \u201cWeaker men may, I think there are several of the men here now from your ship who are suffering from their weeks of incarceration there, but I doubt if you have to worry about that, you just need some distraction to take your mind from it. Being here, responsible for the Shenandoah, should be a good thing for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel clenched his fists tightly behind his back, resentment had gone to be replaced by a sense of guilt. He couldn\u2019t meet Soames eyes but turned around and began to walk to the starboard side of the ship. Soames excused himself and returned to his patients.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The gold shone dully in the light of the room. For some time Cassandra had stood and looked at it, she had ran her finger down each ingot and felt the thrill of ownership trickle down her spine. She had felt a bubble of laughter welling up inside her as she had counted the bars, had taken them out of the leather case one by one, marvelled at their weight, and replaced them.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought there would be more than this -\u201d she had said to Zhukov who had shrugged, and grimaced,<\/p>\n \u201cI can only give you what I have got,\u201d he had replied in a surly voice, \u201cThis is a small fortune, Madam, if you do not find it to your liking then we shall take it back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you?\u201d she had turned to look at him with her chin raised and her eyes showing some contempt for him, \u201cAnd lose the ship altogether?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think so?\u201d he had replied with a slow smile, and had met her gaze with a challenge in his own eyes that reminded her of the conversation she\u2019d had with Vacek the previous day.<\/p>\n It was mid-morning and a pleasantly warm day. She walked to the balcony and looked down at the harbour, and then to the horizon before turning to look at the gold. Now she crossed the room to close the lid of the case and turned a small key in the lock, and as she did so the door opened and her maid appeared,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is Vacek?\u201d Cassandra asked and the maid shook her head,<\/p>\n \u201cHe hasn\u2019t been seen all day, Madam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe has to be somewhere,\u201d she replied with a cold frost in her voice, \u201cTell him to report here to me, immediately. Then come back and start packing my clothes. Get someone to ask the Captain of La Dauphine to see me here as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The other woman looked at her mistress with something like loathing in her eyes, but Cassandra was already returning to look down at the harbour and to watch as the two Russians stood talking together on one of the terraces of the garden. She didn\u2019t move even when the door finally closed and left her alone in the room.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Willoughby followed Adam as a lost child would follow his father, with complete trust and unquestioning submission. He was so shocked at the news his brother\u2019s letter had contained that he couldn\u2019t think beyond the fact that Archer was dead; that he himself had spent months of fruitless searching on these islands only to learn that Archer had already been dead many weeks before. He stopped when Adam stopped, didn\u2019t hear a word that the other man said to the seamen who turned off down into the woodland to follow a track to the beach. When Adam resumed walking, so did Willoughby.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be alright once they get on board the Shenandoah, the doctor will take good care of them and once we are out at sea again and they can resume their duties it will soon blow the horrors away.\u201d Adam said conversationally to the silent man striding along beside him, \u201cOf course, by rights you should have gone as well. There\u2019s very little point in your coming along with me.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby frowned, he paused in mid-stride and looked at Adam as though he needed to hear what had been said again because the first time had seemed like nonsense. Adam stopped and looked at him<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t you hear what I said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I – no – not really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI said there was little point in your coming along with me. You\u2019ve had a shock and it would be better for you to get back to the ship with the men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I thought we were going to see Cassandra Pelman ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am. I\u2019m not so sure whether you will be coming with me though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course I\u2019m coming as well,\u201d Willoughby replied with some heat in his voice, \u201cIt\u2019s all her fault and that wretched brother of hers -\u201d he paused, swallowed words that he would have regretted and drew in a shuddering breath.<\/p>\n Adam frowned, he tugged at his earlobe and looked puzzled as though he were confused about something, then he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cTell me again what connection you have with Mrs Pelman?\u201d he asked pleasantly, \u201cI\u2019m curious about that, you never actually made it very clear before when we discussed it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because I never mentioned it, it was you and O\u2019Brien who were talking about her all the time. Well, not all the time -\u201d Laurence licked his lips, \u201cLook, I\u2019m the loose cannon in the family, the son that doesn\u2018t really come up to much, No 5 on the list so to speak.\u201d he frowned, grimaced again, \u201cMy brother Charles is in the diplomatic service in London, quite well connected -\u201d he paused and frowned, \u201cVery well connected actually. The powers that be were worried about a ship that had gone missing, one of their prototypes in fact. I\u2019m an artist by profession, and in all honestly, Captain, it\u2019s a profession I love. Anyway, one day I got a letter from Charles asking me to contact a woman – Cassandra – casually of course, and develop a friendship with her, see if she would open up and talk to me about things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMissing ships -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, missing ships, exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n They had resumed walking again now, their feet taking them in the direction of the house that overlooked the bay.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what happened next?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got another letter from Charles, my brother Archer and his ship had disappeared. I was getting along pretty well with Cassandra, not so well with her brother though. He was quite an unpleasant character. I found out quite a lot really, Cassandra talked a little, I spied around, gave money to servants for information, all that kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat made you decide to come looking for Archer here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomething Cassandra said once – she said you could hide anything here. I think that\u2019s where I made my mistake, I said – \u2018Like a warship for example?\u2019- she laughed and said \u2018Oh yes, as easy as anything.\u2019 but her brother looked furious, he looked at me as though I had just signed my death warrant. It was actually quite unnerving. I sent information back to Charles and he said that the last they had heard from Archer was that he was approaching the Chishoma Archipelago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich our friend the Governor denies any knowledge of – what did he say? No English ships for years?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s lying or he just wants to stay in ignorance of what is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh I daresay he knows enough and is paid enough to forget what little he knows.\u201d Adam replied, \u201cSo you came here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. They – Cassandra and her brother – disappeared, went the very next day after that conversation. I found out later they went to France. Several odd things happened to me – like chimney pots falling on my head, almost; horse drawn carriages nearly mowing me down in the street; it happened too often for comfort. Charles recommended I returned back to London, but I thought that if Archer were here, he would need me. I had to find him for my own peace of mind. He was a good brother, Captain, I admired him enormously\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, he knew that for an Englishman Willoughby had gone as far as he could to admit his great love for his brother. He said nothing more, but continued walking up the steep slope towards the house, Willoughby matching him now step for step.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew they would come here eventually. Before I left Russia I had a communication from Charles saying they had heard that there were plans to steal and sell another warship. So I had two motives for coming here really.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWere you in love with her?\u201d<\/p>\n The question was blunt and to the point, Willoughby blushed just a little, Adam could see the colour above the collar of his shirt,<\/p>\n \u201cI was infatuated with her I admit that – but after a while I found that she made me feel too uncomfortable for anything more. The feeling I had for her just began to fade away, like the memories of a very pleasant dream that one can\u2019t quite remember except for the bitter aftertaste it had left.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you think that seeing her here, she would tell you where your brother was?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose so -\u201d he sighed, \u201cBut I know where he was now, as soon as I saw that reference to the salt mines I knew that at some time Archer had been here, long before I ever came, stuck in that prison before being sent to his death in Russia.\u201d he put a hand to his brow as though to wipe away some perspiration, and once again Adam turned his head away in order to spare the man any embarrassment from his display of emotion.<\/p>\n Chapter 59<\/p>\n Cassandra\u2019s maid was not unattractive and she was young. She was French by birth and had travelled with her mistress on La Dauphine, boarding The Baltimore and enjoying the frisson of danger and excitement the adventure had brought her. For the time during the journey the two women had enjoyed confidences, laughter and in some strange way a form of friendship. A form of friendship however that had faded like mist before the summers sun once they had arrived at the Kurils and taken up residence to await the Russians.<\/p>\n Sophia had become disillusioned with her mistress when the line became so indelibly drawn between them, and her place, on the other side of the line had been made so clearly evident. She had become further disgruntled when she had become infatuated with the Croatian, Vacek, and he – ah well – he had become infatuated with her mistress. The more advances she made towards him, the more Vacek talked about Cassandra, her beauty, her aura of presence and power, the plans they had made between them.<\/p>\n Every hour of the day the young woman had waited for a glimpse of Vacek, and most of the hours were wasted either because he never appeared, or because when he did all he wanted to talk about was – Cassandra. Only the previous evening he had entered the room to declare, with typical Croatian swagger, that without his help Cassandra would be lost, her ventures all for nothing, the gold – pah, unattainable. Sophia listened and inwardly seethed.<\/p>\n She found the French Captain easily enough, he liked women and so she went where the kind of women he liked would be found. Upon giving him Cassandra\u2019s orders she then went to find Vacek.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien could see the men on the beach carefully taking their places on the thwarts of the boat, and his heart sunk at the pitiful sight of them. Soames, still hovering close by in attendance upon the young man, drew near and watched anxiously. The seamen from the Shenandoah were having to assist some of the men into the boat where they seemed in a state of near collapse. He shook his head in dismay, and turned away to look up at the sky, at the creation and beauty of a blue cloudless sky with birds hovering and diving, rather than at the abject despair of those men.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m supposed to take back my ship with them -\u201d O\u2019Brien sighed, and shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to happen, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re going to need a lot of help,\u201d Soames agreed, \u201cI\u2019ll get things ready for them in the sick bay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMayhew?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien looked at the eager faced young midshipman and managed a weak smile, he could remember when he was also once as eager, and, once as young.<\/p>\n \u201cAsk the cook to make plenty of soup for the men coming on board now.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayhew gave a snappy salute and hurried down to the galley. O\u2019Brien watched as the men bent their backs to their oars, good healthy seamen from the Shenandoah, and huddled on the thwarts were men who had been just as healthy once, but were now weakened by weeks of deprivation and malnutrition .<\/p>\n He turned at a footstep behind him and saw Myers approaching him, the lieutenant saluted as a matter of courtesy and then stood by Daniel\u2019s side, watching the boat drawing closer,<\/p>\n \u201cPoor wretches,\u201d he murmured, \u201cThey\u2019ve suffered -\u201d and his voice trailed away in sympathy as he watched them.<\/p>\n Daniel couldn\u2019t speak, he remembered watching Hampton fading away, giving up hope and just dying by inches. All those men, he closed his eyes at the memory of the grave and the bodies pressed about him, the smell, the stench and without a word he turned upon his heels and walked away, hurrying to the Captains cabin and falling into the chair by the desk. He sat there for some minutes struggling to breathe, loosening his cravat in order to get some air. The knock on the door was so light that he barely noticed it, but it was the steward who entered, he placed a glass of port by Daniel\u2019s elbow<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor\u2019s orders, sir.\u201d Scott said kindly, \u201cand to tell you that your men have come on board now, all present and correct, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n He couldn\u2019t speak, but nodded his thanks to the well meaning man. He picked up the port, it was good quality he could tell that from the smell, and it crossed his mind that he had had a steward on board the Baltimore. He wondered where the man was now \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Russian seamen were leaving the man of war to board the Baltimore. Obvious plans were now taking effect to prepare her for open sea. In the shadows of the undergrowth two of Adam\u2019s men took note, tossed a coin to decide which of them would relay the news to Hathaway and Kenney, and which would stay to keep watch.<\/p>\n By the time Hathaway was signalling to the Shenandoah the news that there was activity on board the Baltimore and requesting orders, Adam and Willoughby were mounting the steps towards the house, Nikisch and Zhukov were sitting down to lunch with Cassandra, and Sophia found Vacek.<\/p>\n Chapter 60<\/p>\n It was while Adam and Willoughby were mounting the steps to the building that Sophia found Vacek Krizanic in deep conversation with the French Captain of La Dauphine. Watching them both from within the shadows of the plants that grew in the lush gardens of the house, it was not difficult for her to interpret the body language of both men and come to the conclusion that some kind of agreement was being struck between them.<\/p>\n She waited until the Captain had turned and was returning to the harbour before stepping out from the shadows, making Vacek misplace a step in surprise,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? You here, Sophia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadam sent for you,\u201d she replied with a severity in her voice that was unusual for her when she was with him, \u201cshe is angry with you, you have been absent all morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat concern is that to you?\u201d<\/p>\n She paused, frowned a little, then turned towards him. She was not intelligent, but she was a woman, and pretty, and even if she didn\u2019t know how to explain or put into words what she thought, she knew there were other ways of gaining knowledge. She moved closer to him, her body inches from his, and she smiled<\/p>\n \u201cYou and the Captain – you are friends, qui?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. We are not friends.\u201d he spoke quietly, and pushed her impatiently away, \u201cYou think you have seen something, you have seen nothing, you understand me, you have seen nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n She sidled closer to him, placed a hand upon his arm and caressed it gently,<\/p>\n \u201cI am not clever, that is true, but I am not blind, mon cher.\u201d<\/p>\n He once again pushed away her arm, and hurried up towards the house, his brow knitted in fierce concentration. Exasperated now she stamped her foot,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you are a fool, Vacek. She doesn\u2019t care for you, don\u2019t you realise that? She plays games with men like you. All she is interested in is the gold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGold?\u201d he paused, and turned towards her, \u201cShe has the gold?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, she has the gold now. I have seen it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? You have seen it, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, a lot of gold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what is she going to do with this gold?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is going to take it with her on La Dauphine. We sail for France today.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled now, and reached out for her hand which she willingly placed within his own, for she smiled back at him in return.<\/p>\n \u201cCome, little bird, let us help Madam. The gold will be heavy, too heavy for her, or you, to carry all the way to La Dauphine I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Conversation was rather stilted during the meal between Cassandra Pelman and the Russian envoys. It seemed as though now the transaction between them had been completed all parties had mentally withdrawn to their own side of the invisible line between their countries. Zhuhov and Nikisch spoke occasionally to one another in rather desultory terms and to Cassandra so briefly that she could very well have ceased to have existed.<\/p>\n The American woman was beginning to feel that the best thing to do was make her excuses and leave the room, just a quiet formal departure and then she would be free to take the gold and escape to the French ship. She was just about to rise to her feet when the door opened and when she saw who had been admitted she found herself incapable of moving, let alone getting to her feet as her legs would have given way beneath her.<\/p>\n It was Zhuhov who demanded to know who the intruders were, along with a string of Russian curses at the hapless individual who had admitted them, and his sharp little eyes swung towards Adam and Willoughby who had now paused, midway to the table, with enough space between them but not enough to prevent everyone speaking being heard clearly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are \u2026 ?\u201d Zhuhov raised his chin, while at the same time he pushed his chair a little further from the table as though it would enable him to view the two men a little more clearly. His hand convulsively tightened onto the serviette, and his lips thinned perceptibly in annoyance.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Adam Cartwright of the United States ship Shenandoah, this is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Adam Cartwright.\u201d Zhuhov almost purred the name and his eyes lit up at the memory of what he knew about this man,. \u201cAh, now – so you are Adam Cartwright, the adventurer of whom we hear so much about in Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am Adam Cartwright,\u201d the younger man inclined his dark head in acknowledgement, \u201cbut as to any reputation I may have in your country, sir, I -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut yes,\u201d Zhuhov interrupted once again and rose to his feet in a grand movement that was, Adam surmised, expected to captivate and enthral his audience, \u201cCount Lebedev was one of my relatives, you know. By rights I suppose I should challenge you to a duel to avenge his honour, but in truth, he was not a popular man with me. I am Count Josef Zhuhov and this gentleman is my associate, Vassily Nikisch.\u201d he bowed formally with a click of the heels.<\/p>\n \u201cThis gentleman is Lord Laurence Willoughby from England -\u201d Adam gestured towards Laurence who bowed towards the two men and to Cassandra, \u201cMrs Pelman we already know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh -\u201d Zhuhov nodded, then raised his eyebrows, \u201cWell, so here you are, Captain Cartwright, just like the proverbial Jack in the box you pop up in the most unexpected places. I suppose you have a ship somewhere -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomewhere -\u201d Adam replied coldly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you have come all this way for what reason?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would have thought that obvious \u2026 I want to reclaim the Baltimore back.\u201d<\/p>\n There was silence for a moment, it hung in the air like the sword of Damocles must have done in that long ago ancient myth; the Russians looked at one another with expressionless faces, while Cassandra could only stare at Adam\u2019s feet as her nimble brain tried to work out some way, the best way, in which she could extricate herself from the difficulties this confrontation was presenting.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso to take Mrs Pelman back to the United States with us\u201d Adam continued, his eyes never leaving the Count\u2019s face for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman? Back to America? But – come now – for what reason?\u201d the silky tones of the Russian purred innocently, and he sat down again and reached out for a grape which he put into his mouth as though any further conversation would be viewed as mere entertainment.<\/p>\n \u201cTo answer to various charges of treason, Count.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikisch shrugged and muttered something in Russian under his breath, while Cassandra gripped tightly to the edge of the table in order to hold onto something solid, she felt, upon hearing those words, as though she were going to faint.<\/p>\n \u201cMadam,\u201d Zhuhov turned to her now, a slight smile on his lips and she could see the cold calculating eyes twinkling as though in amusement, \u201cMadam, what do you have to say to this man? He thinks you are a traitor to his country? Is not that amusing?\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby cleared his throat, the manner of the Russian was insulting and time wasting, and he was not in the mood for play acting. He was about to step forward but Adam\u2019s hand on his arm, unseen by those seated at the table, prevented him from doing so.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m no traitor to my country.\u201d Cassandra said coldly, \u201cI don\u2019t recognise Grant\u2019s administration. Whatever I have done was for MY country, and for the Confederacy of America.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBravo, bravo\u201d Zhuhov cried and even clapped his hands together before looking at Adam with a smile on his lips, \u201cYou see, Captain, she refuses to go with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou and your brother, Madam, have played this game for long enough,\u201d Adam said, addressing himself to the woman, \u201cIt\u2019s time to leave the past behind you both, and to -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy brother is dead, sir.\u201d Cassandra replied coldly, and she now rose to her feet, \u201cHe was killed weeks ago in Nevada, looking for you.\u201d she stared into his face, saw a slight rising of the dark eyebrows and a darkening of the eyes, but no other emotion, \u201cand his death, although it may mean nothing to you, makes me even more determined to never step foot on American again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy regrets for your loss, Mrs Pelman, but my orders are to take you back with me.\u201d he turned now to Zhuhov, \u201cI believe that you may be under the false impression that the Baltimore was for sale to your Government, but I regret to inform you, sir, that was not the case. Whatever payment has been agreed upon between you and this woman must be repaid, and the Baltimore returned to us.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhuhov drew in his thin lips over his teeth which made him appear more like a cadavar than ever. He realised that Adam was offering the \u2018political\u2019 olive branch, the way out of the matter without embarrassment to either country, after all, what country wants to admit to the theft of their newest warship, and what country wants to be accused later of stealing it? He turned to Nikisch and spoke to him in Russian in a more forceful tone of voice than previously, Nikisch replied with a shrug, a swift few words and then silence as he turned his attention to observe the two men standing in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you,\u201d Nikisch spoke in his fractured English, \u201cWhy are you here, English?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to ask Mrs Pelman something, a question to which I believe she only knows the answer.\u201d Laurence replied.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what question is that, English?\u201d Nikisch replied insolently, his lip curling as though he found the air polluted by the presence of the two men.<\/p>\n \u201cMy name is Laurence Willoughby and I am the son of a Duke, kindly address me, should you need to do so, in a manner according to my rank, sir.\u201d Willoughby spat out in such heated tones that Adam wondered if he was about to be witness to a brawl, but instead Willoughby turned towards Cassandra, ignoring the Russian totally, \u201cMadam, I would like to know if you and your brother were involved in the disappearance of Her Majesty\u2019s ship The Excellency?\u201d<\/p>\n Cassandra said nothing, her face went a little paler but other than that there was nothing coming from her at all. Willoughby drew in his breath,<\/p>\n \u201cI know for a fact that my brother, who was Captain of the ship, and his seamen were held captive here, on these islands, as have been many other seamen from various ships over the past few years. These men have died either here, or in the ships that have taken them to Russia, or in the mines in which they have been forced to work. My brother died in such conditions \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen there is hardly any point in asking about his ship, is there?\u201d Nikisch drawled coldly.<\/p>\n Laurence took a step forward, prevented from taking more by Adam\u2019s hand on his arm, which he shrugged off while at the same time uttering a cry of despair and anger. Cassandra now looked at him and her face softened for the first time, the large eyes filled with something unbelievably like tears,<\/p>\n \u201cI am sorry, sir, I don\u2018t know anything about any English ships or seamen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was told quite categorically that you did -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I must refute that charge most strongly, sir. I assure you that I am ignorant of knowing anything about The Excellency. My brother also \u2026\u201d she glanced at Adam, \u201cbut it is possible that my husband may have known.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour husband? Then -\u201d Willoughby paused, then remembered that Pelman was dead, he shook his head, \u201cThat won\u2019t do, Madam, if he knew, then I am sure you would have known as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Zhuhov clapped his hands once, sharply, breaking through the conversation. He then looked once again at Adam, and narrowed his eyes<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s difficult, Captain. We can hardly claim to be in ignorance of the Baltimore\u2019s presence when we can all see that she is snug in the harbour below.\u201d he lounged back now in the chair, his elbow elegantly poised upon its arm, and his hand raised to his chin, \u201cAn embarrassing situation could arise, you understand, which we would wish to avoid, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCount, the Commanding Officer of the Baltimore is ready to take back command of his ship. I would it better if it was done peaceably rather than not.\u201d Adam replied with his usual phlegmatic manner in such instances as these, he raised a dark eyebrow and glanced from one to the other of the men.<\/p>\n \u201cIn return of our largesse -\u201d Zhuhov glanced at Cassandra whose heart beat had began to race at the thought of returning all those ingots that were nestled so neatly in the case on her bed, \u201cwhat you do with your ship and this woman are irrelevant to me and my country.\u201d he turned towards her, his face inscrutable and his eyes so cold that she could have been looking into glass, \u201cMadam, we shall be leaving in an hour, the gold we expect here in fifteen minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n She gulped, raised a hand to her throat, and looked nervously from one man to the other, Russian, English, American. Each man looked coldly back at her.<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she replied, \u201cNo, it can\u2019t be done. There was an agreement -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetween your brother and ourselves, Madam. I would advise you to be careful with your words, these men will be witnesses to what you say and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am not going back to America with them -\u201d<\/p>\n Zhuhov shrugged, he turned to Adam and smiled coldly,<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Cartwright, it has been pleasant to meet you. Perhaps you would care to join me in drinking some wine while Commissar Nikisch goes with Madam here to reclaim what is ours.\u201d he jerked his head at Nikisch who was obviously not going to be allowed to enjoy any further imbiding with his companion as he slowly unwound himself from his chair and walked to Cassandra\u2019s side, taking her elbow and forcing her to move from the table.<\/p>\n Chapter 61<\/p>\n A soft breeze caused silver ripples to spangle across the waters and slap in a lazy fashion against the side of the Shenandoah. The furled sheets on the masts appeared indolent and rather redundant on a day that seemed to O\u2019Brien seamlessly never ending. He paced the foredeck with a distracted air, head cast down and hands clasped behind his back. He only came to a halt when he realised that Myers was standing in front of him<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien, there\u2019s a message from the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien released his breath even though unaware that he had been holding it in for so long, but the thought of something to do, some action, was galvanising. He turned on his heels and hurried to pick up his telescope from where he had left it on the binnacle, and took his place beside Myers.<\/p>\n \u201cThe French frigate is leaving harbour -\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the Frenchie?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApparently so.\u201d he lowered the telescope thoughtfully, bowed his head and then turned to the skivvy waver, \u201cSend them back a reply, Phillips, just that they\u2019re to keep us informed of any movement on the Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir\u201d Phillips, one of the signalman who prepares and flies flag hoists, set about preparing the message while O\u2018Brien watched.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain O\u2018Brien, if I may -\u201d Myers paused, struggled to rephrase in his head what he was about say and wishing that he was speaking to his own Captain rather than this young man who was of his own age and experience, despite out ranking him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou were about to say something, Mr Myers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly that I was wondering what we should do about the French ship.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien shrugged, and shook his head<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m only concerned about my own ship, Mr Myers. The French ship is a matter of irrelevance at this point of time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d Myers frowned and bit down on his bottom lip; it seemed to him that O\u2019Brien was missing out on something important but for the life of him he couldn\u2019t find the right way of putting it to the man, instead he sighed and stood with his chin up and shoulders rigid.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think I\u2019m wrong, Mr Myers?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, of course not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery well then, please act accordingly.\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured and walked away with a scowl on his handsome face.<\/p>\n It was difficult. The French frigate could well be important to their own plans but he had no instructions or orders to do anything other than to keep the Shenandoah in one piece. He tried to see the situation through Adam\u2019s eyes, and knew that the only reason for their being there anyway was to secure the Baltimore, not go chasing after French frigates no matter how pretty a price she would bring in prize money. He smiled slowly in irony, what was he thinking to have even considered it, the French were allies, and to arouse an allies distrust was tantamount to waving a red flag in front of a bull. He turned and watched as the signalman sent up his flags, and smiled at the look on Myers face. He approached the officer and placed a hand on his shoulder,<\/p>\n \u201cThe French are our allies, Mr Myers, if they have connected themselves in some ways to this business then we shall leave it to the likes of Mr Bingham to deal with the matter.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShould she sail in this direction and pass us by I should imagine it would be quite a shock to her to see us loitering here – we\u2019ll wait and see what develops, shall we?\u201d<\/p>\n Myers nodded, smiled slowly, but couldn\u2019t help wishing that Captain Cartwright was standing there telling him this, rather than Daniel O\u2019Brien.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n For Cassandra Pelman it was a moment as terrible and as full of foreboding as the moment when Maria Antoinette received her death sentence so many years ago in Paris. Her room was in total disarray and when she realised that the gold was gone, it took a moment for the realisation to actually sink into her brain, after which the room spun around and she thought she was going to pass out. She finally managed to turn and face Nikisch, with his supercilious smirk and the long thin fingers that tapped impatiently upon the polished surface of her dressing table.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gone -\u201d she eventually said and her words sounded hollow and empty even to her ears.<\/p>\n \u201cGone? What do you mean, it has gone?\u201d he had stopped tapping his fingers now, and was standing more erect, his cheeks rouged by two red spots and his eyes sparking with the fear at the realisation of what her words actually meant.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone\u2019s been here, taken the gold.\u201d she hurried to her jewel box and raised the lid, beneath her make up so artfully applied earlier that day the colour drained away, her eyes stared at the empty casket while her mind hurried through a list of names, people, anyone whom she could associate to this deed and then she turned to the Russian, \u201cSophia – \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSophia, my maid. She\u2019s taken it – taken the gold and my jewels.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps under your orders, Madam?\u201d he stepped forward and looked contemptuously at the casket that looked woefully empty, he then went to the bed and pulled aside several gowns that had been casually thrown across it, then he looked at her, \u201cI recall the woman, she is not clever, she would not have got far.\u201d<\/p>\n Cassandra didn\u2019t really hear what he said, her mind was dwelling on small things that hadn\u2019t meant anything at the time but that now bore a particular significance – hurried whispered conversations between Sophia and Vacek, conversations that stopped immediately she appeared; the expressions on their faces when they thought they were unobserved. She saw it all, recalled it to mind, and realised that she had been made to look a fool.<\/p>\n \u201cVacek -\u201d she whispered, \u201cVacek Krizanic\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cKrizanic?\u201d he stopped as he neared the door and turned to her, \u201cYou think he has taken the gold?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know he has -\u201d she said quietly, \u201c and Sophia went along with him, and I trusted them both.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen you are a fool\u201d came the cold merciless words from the mouth of a man who had never shown compassion to any living soul in his life.<\/p>\n She said nothing but listened to the clip of his heels on the floor as he strode away from the room, back to tell Zhukov. She couldn\u2019t move as her legs trembled so much, and her throat seemed tight, too tight even for her to breathe. She couldn\u2019t remember the last time she had cried, nor for whom, but tears of rage and despair, tinged with fear, sprung now to her eyes and fell to her cheeks.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright frowned, his darkly tanned brow furrowed in bemusement as he watched the sleek French ship move elegantly from the harbour. He glanced over at Willoughby who was standing stiffly by the table at which the Count still sat, both men making no attempt to acknowledge or speak to the other.<\/p>\n \u201cThe French frigate -\u201d Adam said in his deep clipped voice, \u201cwhat connection does she have with this – er – arrangement of yours?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLa Dauphine?\u201d the Count shrugged, \u201cNo connection except as a means of transport from France for Madam Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Adam turned his head to observe the Russian and then flicked another glance at Willoughby before resuming his observation of the French ship, \u201cShe brought Mrs Pelman from France -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said -\u201d Zhukov snapped irritably.<\/p>\n \u201c – but she met with the Baltimore while en route to Tokyo and Mrs Pelman changed ships, she left La Dauphine to sail with the Baltimore on the pretext of getting to Tokyo sooner. So why did La Dauphine continue on here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am not interested in such irrelevancies.\u201d Zhukov murmured, and poured himself some more wine. \u201cCaptain, you think too much about little details -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittle details often lead to bigger things, Count. Well, it hardly matters, as you say, especially as it\u2019s leaving the harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n The Count\u2019s head jerked up and he turned bright suspicious eyes towards Adam who was still standing at the window observing the graceful departure of the frigate. Zhuhov was about to speak when Nikisch\u2019s entrance into the room prevented him from doing so, he rose to his feet slowly as though in anticipation of hearing bad news.<\/p>\n Nikisch paused, the object of three pairs of eyes, he faltered a little and then strode forwards resolutely.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gold is not there. The woman accuses Vacek Krizanic of stealing it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVacek Krizanic?\u201d Zhukov whispered the words almost beneath his breath and his eyes flicked up to observe his associate, \u201cHe was alone in this? She had nothing to do with it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows with a woman such as she is -\u201d Nikisch replied, his contempt for Cassandra only too obvious. \u201cWe will find him -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Adam said thoughtfully, and he turned from his position at the window with a slight smile on his lips, although his dark eyes were darker than ever and the shadows cast across his face made him appear ominously sinister, \u201cIf you want to find him I think you will have to move swiftly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Willoughby asked, looking at the other man with a rather puzzled expression on his face, \u201cMrs Pelman, is she- \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cForget about Mrs Pelman for the moment, Willoughby. I\u2019m just thinking that if these gentleman want the gold back, and this Vacek, then more than likely both are on that ship just leaving the harbour now.\u201d he turned towards them and shrugged, \u201cYour birds have flown, Count.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 62<\/p>\n The sun was still shining, the waves of the sea still shimmered, even though within the room itself it seemed as though an all enveloping thundercloud had gathered about them. Adam remained standing at the window with his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched the progress of the frigate, his ears were alert to every nuance of sound within the room, and yet in his solitary stance at the window he appeared completely detached from them all.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gold? But how is it possible -\u201d Zhukov cried, and then went into a torrent of Russian which was answered by Nikisch in such a cold, brittle manner that it caused Willoughby to leave his position and walk to the window where he took his stand beside Adam.<\/p>\n Nikisch was in full flow now, his thin nose quivered and his lips were bared from his teeth, while the Count stood in silent and dignified poise at the table listening intently to what was being said.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know what they\u2019re saying?\u201d Willoughby asked the Captain who merely shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back.<\/p>\n The tirade between the two Russians would have continued had they not suddenly become aware of the presence of Cassandra Pelman who now stood in the entrance of the room looking like the tragic heroine from some Greek mythological legend. Her eyes were magnificent, blazing, large and wild; her lips were red as though she had bitten them so much that she had drawn blood; her hair was dishevelled and a mass of coils, while she had one hand clutched at her breast and the other stretched towards them as though in supplication for their clemency. Looking at her Willoughby felt a surge of sympathy in his youthful heart, and gulped back a lump of emotion that had risen in his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cMadam, do you realise what you have done? This Vacek Krizanic is a Serbian revolutionary. With the gold you have provided him he will raise up an army and bring about a war against Russia, against the world if he has to -\u201d Zhukov cried, his voice sounded strangled as though his windpipe was caught by some emotion that prevented the words from coming clearly and he shook his head as though to gather his thoughts into a better semblance of order so as to make a more coherent speech.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t for me to know your enemies, Count,\u201d Cassandra replied in a voice so cold, so brittle and harsh that any sympathy he had felt for her Willoughby felt drift away as though a winters wind had blown upon his heart. \u201cI never gave him that gold, I never brought him here – what he did he has done, what of it? You cannot blame me. He has stolen, not from you, but from me, do you understand that? And understand this also, NO ONE takes anything from me unless I freely give it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh, she is a little viper this one,\u201d Nikisch hissed and shrugged, \u201cBut you are here, Madam, and your gold is gone. Why should we worry so much, we have our own ship and it will not take much for us to hunt your little Serbian revolutionary down.\u201d he turned towards Adam with a sly sneer on his lips, \u201cWe also have the Baltimore, which, Captain Cartwright, we are more than willing to sell back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned slightly and bowed rather sardonically, his own lips twisted into a parody of the Russians and he crooked one eyebrow,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir, but I don\u2019t buy back something that is already mine -\u201d<\/p>\n Their eyes locked, and it was Nikisch who turned his head away to look at Cassandra who was turning to leave the room,<\/p>\n \u201cMadam?\u201d<\/p>\n She paused and turned, her face white with red blotches upon her cheeks as though she had rouged them too vigorously, her eyes were fever bright<\/p>\n \u201cI only came to tell you that I have no intention of staying here nor going with you, Captain,\u201d she tossed her head towards Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere exactly do you intend to go?\u201d Nikisch asked, drawling out his words in a sarcastic tone of voice, \u201cAnd how?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m returning to France -\u201d she drew in her breath and smiled but her smile faded at the look of triumph on his face, and she glanced quickly over to wards Adam who was shaking his head as though he thought her hopes impossible. \u201cWhat is it? What\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has happened, Madam, is that you convince us even more that you were in league with this Krizanic. Where have you planned to meet him?\u201d the Count asked, his voice deep and sincerely aggrieved.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean -\u201d she replied haughtily and once more turned as though to leave.<\/p>\n \u201cHe means,\u201d Adam said in his quiet deep voice, gentle now in deference to her womanhood, \u201c that Krizanic and the gold are on board La Dauphine, which is now leaving the harbour.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t move, not even a quiver betrayed the emotion that hit her at that moment in time. Betrayal upon betrayal, first Vacek, then Sophia, and now Le Montfort; she knew that she couldn\u2019t lower her defences now, for she saw them all like a pack of wolves baying for her blood. She merely stared at Adam as though defying him and demanding from him a clearer explanation. At the same time her mind ran through the alternatives left open to her and with despair she realised that her options were extremely few.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Madam, what do you have to say? Did you act as Krizanic\u2019s accomplice or not?\u201d \u201cThe gold, sir, was mine,\u201d she retorted and she turned to leave once more, only to find her passage blocked by several men who stepped past her as though she were little more than an inconvenient statue.<\/p>\n The Captain of the Russian man of war marched towards the Count, saluted, bowed and addressed the Russians in a low voice, while his eyes glanced over at Adam, before returning to his superior. Adam plucked at Willoughby\u2019s sleeve and nodded towards the window.<\/p>\n The window was floor length, and had been opened slightly to admit the warm air during the luncheon. With a gesture towards Willoughby for silence, Adam stepped out into the garden, and followed obediently by the Englishman, hurried through the terraces and down through the shrubberies until he had reached the beach.<\/p>\n Upon hearing his whistle the men on the beach gathered from their hiding places and within minutes were bending over the oars of the skiff as they steered her towards the Shenandoah.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Captain de Montfort was an honest man who had served in the French navy for many years. He had complied with the orders that had confined him and his crew to La Dauphine for several weeks only as a result of the disciplines he had learned from his years of service. He had endured long boring hours and an increasingly irritated and mutinous crew, but he had skilfully succeeded in keeping them from running riot over the island while he awaited the culmination of this particular assignment.<\/p>\n It had been an assignment that had confused and worried him despite the rewards that had been offered by the beautiful Mrs Pelman. Now as he watched the coastline of the island gradually fade from view he wondered why she had changed her mind, sending to the ship only this Serb and her maid in her place. She had promised him both money and an opportunity to get to know her on a more intimate footing, one that he, a Frenchman, liked to think of as romantic. Now, all he had for the weeks of waiting was a foreigner and Sophia.<\/p>\n They followed the line of the bay, striking out towards the open sea, breaking through the waves with hardly any movement upon the upper deck. He paced back and forth, his brow creased, and his mind weighed down by the thought that something was wrong, and that his leaving the island without Mrs Pelman aboard had been rather like abandoning his post.<\/p>\n In a cabin Vacek and Sophia celebrated their new found wealth in a rather more personal and abandoned manner. The gold and the jewels that had latterly been the possession of the American woman now gleamed in the corner of their berth, although at this point of time it was no longer at the foremost of their minds. Nor were they concerned about the anxieties of the French Captain, nor were they bothered by the fact that an American ship was unfurling her sails and turning away from its shelter towards their ship.<\/p>\n Captain de Montfort watched with further confusion as the Shenandoah slowly manoeuvred her way to face his ship, and then as the wind caught in her sails, began a direct course towards La Dauphine.<\/p>\n Chapter 63<\/p>\n Standing beside Adam, Daniel O\u2019Brien felt a surge of confidence trickle through him. Once again he wondered what it was about the man that could create in others the feeling that anything was possible if one reached out to attempt it. Now as he watched the other ship drawing closer towards them he was aware of Myers and Hathaway nearby, and knew that they also seemed to have grown some inches since the Captain had returned.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly do you know about this man, Daniel?\u201d Adam was scanning the French ship through his telescope and now lowered it to look at his companion, \u201cDid you notice anything about him that time you met him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApart from his being completely enamoured of Mrs Pelman?\u201d Daniel\u2019s lips twisted into a slight smile, \u201cWell, he struck me as a sincere kind of man with no secret agenda. I doubt very much that he would have known exactly what Mrs Pelman was planning on doing when he agreed for her and her maid to transfer over to the Baltimore. I am surprised at seeing him here though.\u201d he frowned now in concentration as he tried to recall fragments of conversation over the time he had met the Frenchman, \u201cOne thing that puzzles me – he was supposed to be sailing only so far as Hawaii, and another thing is that Mrs Pelman was travelling under an assumed name, Mrs Turville. Doesn\u2019t that strike you as strange?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt all strikes me as strange.\u201d Adam muttered, \u201cI don\u2019t want to think of the French Government being involved in all this but seeing one of her frigates here makes me wonder if she is or whether the man is actually acting only in his own interests.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel pursed his lips and shook his head, he could think of nothing constructive to say but stared out over the sea at the other ship. They were closing in quickly upon her which Adam felt was a good sign of a willingness on the part of the French ship to co-operate with them. Within a very short time they would be within hailing distance, and the Frenchman had made no attempt to out run them, or distance himself from them, rather the reverse in fact, for he appeared to be anxiously awaiting their approach.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n In Virginia City Joe and Hoss Cartwright sat among a crowd of men watching a line of young women in very gaudy spangled short dresses kicking their legs in the air to some tuneless music. Hoss raised his glass to his lips and frowned thoughtfully as he sipped the beer, memories of a conversation he had overheard between his father and Candy crept into his mind like the attentions of a buzz fly that would zip in and around a man when the sun was high.<\/p>\n He tried to pay attention to the entertainment, but found it impossible, the more the tune jangled on the old piano, the more the ladies pranced and danced about on the stage, the more irritated he became,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more than pleased for you, Candy.\u201d Ben had said as he had stood beside Candy in the study area of the big room, \u201cIt seems everything you have dreamed for will be coming true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and more than I thought possible, Mr Cartwright. I prayed for Ann to come back into my life, I had never stopped loving her although I did doubt the fact that she would continue to love me. But now this, the baby -\u201d Hoss had heard his friend\u2019s voice dip into a shy tone and fade into silence.<\/p>\n There had been a rustle of some papers and some mumbling between the two men before Ben said quite clearly,<\/p>\n \u201cI had always hoped that there would be more Cartwright babies around the place here but it seems that the boys aren\u2019t interested in settling down and raising families just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I guess they\u2019ll come around to it. You can\u2019t say that Joe hasn\u2019t done his best to get himself married off -\u201d they had chuckled at that but then had come Ben\u2019s sigh, a long drawn out sigh that had made Hoss feel very uncomfortable.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought Adam would have been married by now, that situation with Barbara – well, a shame that it just fizzled out like that, but then, you have to be home to put the logs on the fire to keep it burning I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure that the boys will settle one of these days, Mr Cartwright -\u201d and there had been a note of embarrassment in Candy\u2019s voice as though the conversation was one he wasn\u2019t particularly enjoying.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, perhaps so. I would have liked to have had some grandchildren around the place before I died. The Ponderosa was meant to \u2026\u201d and then his voice had faded and Hoss had a mental picture of his father leaning over some papers on the desk as he talked.<\/p>\n The Ponderosa was meant to – Hoss scratched his head and stared at the dancing ladies while the phrase trickled through his mind, meant to what? The Ponderosa was meant to – didn\u2019t make sense, and he glanced over to Joe who seemed to be staring at the stage as though in a trance. Perhaps Joe would know what Pa had meant, but then again would he? Joe seemed to be rather sober just lately, even a bit tetchy. Perhaps he would just tell Hoss that he should not have been eavesdropping anyhow and if he wanted to know then he should go and ask Pa outright.<\/p>\n Hoss sighed and buried his nose in the glass, taking a large gulp of the beer and swallowing it noisily. The dancing ladies had parted into two rows now and a young woman was taking centre stage. He put down his glass and wiped his mouth, beside him Joe was still staring at the stage with a blank look on his face. People were clapping, so Hoss put his hands together and clapped as well, he nudged Joe and jerked his head towards the stage as though to give him the hint that perhaps he should be clapping too.<\/p>\n Joe sighed and blinked, forcing himself out of the dream he had been weaving and concentrating on the aspect before him. A pretty woman singing about a love who had gone far away and lamenting over the fact that she would never see him again. He sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy am I here?\u201d he asked himself, \u201cI should have stayed at home. I would have been happier at home.\u201d he sighed again and glanced at Hoss, \u201cLook at him, the big galoot, as happy as a pig in muck. I wish he knew what I was going through right now.\u201d he scratched the back of his head and stretched out a leg which was cramping up, \u201cLove – why do people have to write songs about love? I could write a real doozie of a song about love.\u201d he coughed to clear his throat, picked up his glass and emptied it, \u201cI wonder if Victoria could ever feel the way about me as I feel about her? She\u2019d probably say it was too soon, too quick. How long should any man have to wait before realising they\u2019re in love? You\u2019re either in love or you ain\u2019t, and I should know -\u201d mentally he began to list off the ladies he had loved passionately, had loved for less than a week, had loved enough to die for, had loved enough to want for a wife.<\/p>\n Hoss nudged him again and he gave his brother a sullen stare, reached out for his glass, realised it was empty and stood up only to have men hiss at him to sit back down again. The lady was trilling like a canary on the stage with the pretty girls warbling behind her, even the piano was playing in tune. He sighed and bowed his head, stared at his boots and thought about Victoria Shannon.<\/p>\n Hoss fidgeted in his seat. Joe\u2019s lack of interest in the entertainment was getting on his nerves, what with that and worrying about the meaning of what Ben had said earlier his own interest in the show had gone some time ago. He emptied his glass and set it down on the table just in time for the lady to finish her song. Like everyone else he applauded. Even Joe did in a mechanical kind of way. He gave his brother another nudge of the elbow,<\/p>\n \u201cWill you stop doing that!\u201d Joe hissed, a scowl darkened his handsome face.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I would if you would start paying attention,\u201d Hoss hissed back.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat for? I\u2019ve heard it all countless times before?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so? Then why\u2019d ya come this evening then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you bought the tickets.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d Hoss nodded emphatically, \u201cYeah, I did. So why don\u2019t ya sit back and enjoy it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I\u2019m bored.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow cum you weren\u2019t bored when I bought the tickets?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I didn\u2019t know then that I would be bored -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Voices all around them hissed and growled \u2018Shut up\u2019 \u2018Sit down and zip up\u2019 \u2018Can\u2019t you Cartwrights shut up?\u2019<\/p>\n They rose to their feet and pushed their way through the throng just as the young woman began to sing yet another song. Joe pushed open the doors and let them swing shut behind him. Love – again – always songs about love!<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t they have a song about a good old fashioned hanging!\u201d he snapped angrily as he stomped down the road towards his horse.<\/p>\n Hoss thumbed his hat to the back of his head and looked up at the stars \u2026 he shook his head and slowly followed behind his brother towards the horses while at the back of his mind the words \u2018grandchildren\u2019 \u2018before I died\u2019 \u2018the Ponderosa was meant to be \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks. He snapped his fingers with such a loud click that Joe half turned to observe him before continuing on towards Cochise. But for Hoss realisation had struck and he nodded in affirmation of his forthcoming project \u2026 Hoss Cartwright was going to go wife hunting.<\/p>\n Chapter 64<\/p>\n The firm handshake and direct glance from the French Captain reassured Adam as well as Daniel that the man was well meaning and if he had a secret agenda he was certainly hiding it well behind the demeanour of this affability.<\/p>\n He exclaimed in pleasure at the sight of O\u2019Brien and pumped his hand vigorously, at the same time leaning forwards to bestow upon the American a truly Gallic embrace which O\u2019Brien side stepped neatly but with a polite smile.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome, gentlemen, welcome aboard my ship. But,\u201d he looked thoughtfully at O\u2019Brien and frowned, \u201cYou have been ill, Captain?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the road to recovery now, thank you, Captain de Montfort.\u201d O\u2019Brien said in reply and he smiled, \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQui, quelle surprise huh?\u201d he now glanced at Adam, \u201cTwo American ships?\u201d his eyebrows rose in query, he shrugged in exaggerated surprise.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were surprised to see your ship here also, Captain de Montfort.\u201d O\u2019Brien glanced around him, before his eyes settled back upon the French man\u2019s face which registered some confusion, \u201cI was under the understanding that you were only going to Hawaii, which was why we took on board Mrs Pelman and her maid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman?\u201d de Montfort drawled the name out, and frowned, \u201cWho is Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien frowned, bit his lip and shook his head as though now in doubt of the other man\u2019s sincerity. Adam, having looked carefully about him, now resumed the conversation,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman was known to you by another name, Captain. I believe she passed herself off as Mrs Turville when you knew her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Turville?\u201d de Montfort frowned, looked disconcerted and shook his head, then he sighed, \u201cCome, this discussion should take place in my cabin, I think.\u201d and he gestured towards his quarters with an elegant motion of the hands while turning to one of his crew and speaking so rapidly in French that Adam began to have some misgivings into how much he could actually trust the man after all.<\/p>\n The Captain\u2019s berth was comfortable and well furnished, books and music were obviously close to the man\u2019s heart as were evidenced by the shelves that lined the one wall and were stacked high with reading matter, a music stand with sheet music on it and a clarinet stood by the window. Upon the Captain\u2019s desk was a tantalis and crystal glasses and after gesturing to the chairs for his guests to sit upon, de Montfort filled several glasses with brandy and handed one to both his fellow Captains. He then sat down, a glass in his hand<\/p>\n \u201cI am confused.\u201d he said immediately.<\/p>\n \u201cBelieve me, Captain, you\u2019re not the only one.\u201d Adam remarked dryly, he sampled the brandy and nodded in approval.<\/p>\n \u201cMadam Turville is – Madam Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, one and the same. Excuse us if we come straight to the point, but why are you here, Captain? You were supposed to have stopped at Hawaii but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, quite so. La Dauphine is a merchant ship, Captain Cartwright, and I had things to do in Hawaii. Madame Tur – pardon – Madame Pelman paid her passage to Hawaii and then suddenly she wants to go to Tokyo. She is a woman of impulse, a widow she tells me, and when she meets the Captain O\u2019Brien she wants to go to Tokyo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you went to Hawaii and then, on a whim, decided to see what was happening here, on the Kuril Islands?\u201d Adam frowned<\/p>\n \u201cMais non, non -\u201d de Montfort shook his head, \u201cMadame tells me, before going to the American, that after Tokyo she would be going to the Kuril Islands. She pays me to go and meet her there to take her back to France. First I must fulfill my commission in Hawaii, I confirm with my superiors that it is in order to go to the Kuril Islands and – \u201c he gestured, eloquent enough to mean hey presto, here I am.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been here, some time I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQui, too long, my crew are – not happy to stay on a ship so long. I wait for instructions from Madam but none come. I see the American ship is here, I take my boat and go to visit Captain O\u2019Brien but he is not there. Instead – Russians.\u201d he frowned, and shook his head, \u201cI am in between the cleft stick you understand?\u201d they didn\u2019t and looked puzzled, he shook his head again, \u201cRussians on board an American ship, on my other side, more Russians in their own ship. I order my men to stay on board and keep out of the way. My Government would not want to be involved in any troubles between American and Russians.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you just stayed and waited for instructions from Madam Pelman as to when you would leave?\u201d Adam raised his eyebrows thoughtfully and waited for the Frenchman to speak while they sipped their brandy.<\/p>\n \u201cI watch and wait. I see Madam in the gardens and visit her, she tells me that when she comes aboard she will be bringing much gold with her. She has business with Russian Government, important business. Of course,\u201d he frowned then, a darkening of the brow and a slight colour mantling his cheek indicated his discomfiture, \u201cI am not comfortable with this arrangement and tell her that my Government does not want to be involved with any business dealings that she has with Russian, but she reminded me that her passage back to France had already been paid -\u201d he paused, there was, he reminded himself, little point in mentioning any other form of payment she had promised him.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you wait – and then, suddenly, decide to go without her anyway.\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured cynically.<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d de Montfort looked shocked, his eyes widened and his shoulders rose to meet his ears in a true Gallic motion of amazement, \u201cI go today to speak to her, but -\u201d he looked from one to the other \u201celle est mort. Comprenons? You understand? She is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stared at de Montfort as though the man were mad, then looked at O\u2019Brien before shaking his head slowly from side to side, he passed his hand slowly down across the lower part of his face then said just one word \u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExplain? What is there to explain?\u201d de Montfort flourished his glass wildly, splashing some brandy over his hand as he did so, \u201cI go to see her, instead I meet her friend Vacek. He is – she told me – her secretary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe was – oh never mind – go on\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe is distressed, \u2018ow you say, unhappy. He tells me Madam could not come now, she had died.\u201d<\/p>\n They stared at him in disbelief, Adam rather slowly raised a hand to pass over his hair and down to the nape of his neck as though wondering whether to laugh out loud or just let the man continue waffling on, he sucked in his breath and decided to finish his brandy while de Montfort continued the story.<\/p>\n \u201cI ask – \u2018Let me see her\u2019 but no, Vacek said that -\u201d another extravagant gesture to signify dismay, horror, he shook his head, \u201cthen he says that it was not safe for me to remain, the Russians would make a big international affaire of this matter so I was to leave immediatement. I turn to go, he says \u2018Wait – I cannot stay, you must take me with you.\u2019\u201d de Montfort shrugged, \u201cSo, very soon he and Madam Turville\u2019s – non, pardon – Madam Pelman\u2019s maid arrives with great haste. I ask her, the little Sophia, what had happened to Madam and she confirms what Vacek told me, her mistress had died.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you weren\u2019t suspicious? I mean, you didn\u2019t disbelieve them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor what reason?\u201d de Montfort frowned, \u201cCaptain Cartwright, Captain O\u2019Brien, I am the Captain of a merchant ship, not a man of war. If I were Captain of a man of war I would still be leaving here quickly, how could I stay without my country becoming involved in a problem that exists between you and Russia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a point there, Adam\u201d Daniel said quietly and swallowed the rest of the brandy in two gulps.<\/p>\n \u201cVacek Krizanic and the maid,\u201d Adam leaned forward, \u201chave lied to you, Monsieur de Montfort.\u201d he looked at the other man and saw the confusion in the mans face, and he understood that the man was not a fool, but an honest man who for some reason believed that other men were just as honest, especially when the liar was as practised a one as Vacek Krizanic. He stood up, \u201cMadam Pelman is very much alive and well, I should imagine that by now she is wondering why exactly you\u2019ve gone and left her like this, although, perhaps she has already guessed the reason.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good,\u201d de Montfort said slowly, \u201cI have told you all I know, perhaps you will be so good as to explain why you are here, and what exactly it is that I am caught in the middle of it\u201d his eyes looked from one to the other, his English may have been far from perfect but the request was certainly clear enough.<\/p>\n As briefly as possible Adam and O\u2019Brien filled in the missing pieces of the puzzle, interspersed every so often by a cry of \u2018Incredible\u2019 and \u2018Mordieu\u2019. It really didn\u2019t take too long to explain, although even to Adam\u2019s ears the whole story seemed, as de Montfort would say, incredible. When there was finally silence de Montfort rose to his feet and opened the door,<\/p>\n \u201cColbiere, ici -\u201d<\/p>\n The officer to whom he had earlier spoken was within the cabin so promptly that Adam had no doubt that he had been listening at the door, he saluted, paid attention to what his Captain told him and left the cabin. De Montfort now turned to his American guests,<\/p>\n \u201cCome, Messieurs, we shall see the denouement.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rolled his eyes rather but rose to his feet and with O\u2019Brien by his side followed the Frenchman to the deck where Vacek and Sophia were being hustled forward by Colbiere.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does this mean?\u201d Vacek demanded, looking from one Captain to the other with defiance in his eyes and his fists clenched as he stepped forwards as though to underline his request by force, Corbiere promptly stepped forward and forced him back.<\/p>\n Sophia, looking still dishevelled and making a swift adjustment to her dress, merely looked terrified as she watched Vacek struggling to free himself from two seamen who had him in their grasp.<\/p>\n \u201cCome -\u201d de Montfort stepped forwards and into the cabin that the couple had been forced to vacate.<\/p>\n Adam heard the Frenchman\u2019s gasp even as he stepped through the door, and he knew the gasp was not one of horror but of amazement as his eyes fell upon the quantity of gold that gleamed so dully in the corner of the cabin. De Montfort stared at it and then turned to Adam with a slow nodding of the head,<\/p>\n \u201cI was a dupe for these thieves, and Madam – she is still alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I left her, yes, she was still alive.\u201d Adam replied quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe gold?\u201d the Frenchman swept a hand towards the ingots and raised his eyebrows, \u201cIt is a King\u2019s ransom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s – well – the price of good solid ship, Captain.\u201d Adam smiled slowly, \u201cI should imagine the sooner I get it returned to the Russian diplomats the better.\u201d he turned to O\u2019Brien \u201cAnd you can take your ship back, O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about those two? What do you wish me to do with them?\u201d de Montfort asked as he closed the lid down upon the gold and turned the key in the lock.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll take them back with us, sir.\u201d Adam replied extending his hand towards the case, \u201cI think the best thing for you would be to continue peaceably on your way home.\u201d<\/p>\n De Montfort smiled sadly, and nodded. His eyes now fell upon the jewellery that Sophia had taken from Cassandra\u2019s jewel box and he swept it slowly into his handkerchief, neatly tied the corners and handed the little package into Adam\u2019s keeping.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a shame,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cMadam Pelman was a beautiful woman -\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 66<\/p>\n In her room Cassandra Pelman paced the floor like a caged lioness. Years of careful scheming now appeared to be as fragile as a house built of cards, just about ready to tumble down. Back and forth she strode with her gown flowing behind her, constantly rubbing her hands together as though ice flowed through her veins instead of blood.<\/p>\n Nikisch and Zhukov had ignored her with such blatant contempt that she had no reason to remain in the room with them. Once they had realised that Adam and Willoughby had left the room the two Russians had discussed the situation as though she were not there, and when she had gone they continued to discuss the matter as though her departure made no difference to them whatsoever.<\/p>\n Finally she stopped her pacing, to panic now would be to lose all hope. She had never felt more alone, for in her life there had always been a strong man to bear the burden of her decisions, of her failures and of her successes. She had despised Pelman but he had been the brains behind the stealing and selling on of ships, an idea that had come to him during the Civil War when everything was in such disarray that most Senators and Government Officials in whatever form of active service wouldn\u2019t know whether any ship was in dock at New York or Timbuctoo. Then there had been Jeffrey, always quiet, strong, ready to defend her, prepared to negotiate the best on the deals. Of course the Eugenes had been useful with their influence, contacts and money. She had lost them all now, they were all gone, all gone.<\/p>\n She had to formulate a new plan. She needed a strong man in her life again and she knew exactly which man would be most suitable for her needs.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The Jacob\u2019s ladders was placed carefully so that Sophia could quite easily climb down the ship\u2019s side to the boat below. She had watched Vacek as he went over the side, and she had seen the case of gold being lowered carefully down so that it settled carefully and neatly between the thwarts, and now it was her turn to descend. She looked imploringly at de Montfort and spoke to him in their own language,<\/p>\n \u201cMonsieur, pourriez-vous m\u2019aider?\u201d she raised her hands, clasped as though in supplication, and her eyes, wet with tears, \u201cs\u2019il vous plait, monsieur?\u201d<\/p>\n A seaman, one of the French men, came and grabbed at her arm to haul her back to her feet, and now she turned to Adam<\/p>\n \u201cMonsieur, my only sin is that I love Vacek. Madam is not kind, she is – \u201c she paused as though searching for the right word but unable to find the English for it she shook her head, \u201cMonsieur, je m\u2019excuse, pardon, pardon.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed and looked at de Montfort, then at O\u2019Brien, but Daniel had turned his head away as though sick of the histrionics of the girl and was already making his way to the ships side in order to descend to the boat. Adam said something to de Montfort who nodded in agreement, the two men shook hands and then Adam made his way to where Daniel was standing, placing a hand on the arm of the seaman who was still grappling with the girl.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave her now, she\u2019s a French subject and your Captain will see to her.\u201d then he turned to Daniel and with a curt nod of the head waited for his friend to descend the ladder.<\/p>\n The sea was a flat calm and both Officers had taken their seats on the thwarts, the oarsmen bent their backs and in a fluid motion began to row away from La Dauphine towards where the Shenandoah waited. Vacek Krizanic looked around him with wild eyes, he stared up at the vast sides of the ship that seemed towering overhead and with a cry called out Sophia\u2019s name.<\/p>\n \u201cBe quiet, man,\u201d Daniel said coldly, \u201cAny nonsense from you now and I shall order you to be shackled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSophia\u201d Vacek cried and pushing against the seaman seated beside him he rose to his feet, \u201cSophia\u201d<\/p>\n The boat rocked slightly, the seaman grabbed at Vacek and pushed him back onto the seat. From above them Sophia looked down at the man she loved, called out his name,<\/p>\n \u201cJe t\u2019aime\u201d she cried, while the tears streamed down her face and when Colbiere put his hands on her shoulders to pull her back she pushed him away, \u201cVacek, Vacek, je t\u2019aime sans fin.\u201d<\/p>\n Still the oarsmen pulled at the oars in a unison of movement that was worthy of the years of discipline at sea, Vacek succumbed to the seamans attempts to subdue him, and the boat steadied itself as it continued its way to the American ship. Daniel turned to Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you let her go? She was party to this theft after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe did it for love,\u201d Adam replied without looking at his friend but staring into the face of the Serb who was staring now at him with eyes full of despair and anguish.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was still wrong -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was still wrong,\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cOther women have done worse for love, don\u2019t you think?\u201d and he lowered his eyes and glanced sideways at his fellow officer before raising them again.<\/p>\n Daniel said nothing more, the allusion was significant, a reminder that had it not been for Adam\u2019s act of compassion and mercy once before, on behalf of a woman in love, then Daniel\u2019s wife would have had to face a judge and jury for what had taken place as a result of her actions. He bit his bottom lip, and stared thoughtfully at the sea, as though the subject was now exhausted.<\/p>\n Adam glanced back to the French ship, Sophia was no longer there, her cries no longer heard. He glanced ahead of him and relaxed as the Shenandoah reared closer. He could see Mayhew\u2019s head just appearing at the side of the ship, he turned to Daniel to say something when Vacek suddenly reared up from his seat and flung himself at him, his hands pushed against the Captain\u2019s chest as though his one aim was to hurl the other man overboard. Instinctively Adam\u2019s hands gripped around the other mans wrists. The boat rocked but before it had steadied itself both men had plunged into the water and the sea had closed over their heads.<\/p>\n Vaceks hands now rose to Adam\u2019s throat, despair and fear drove him to put all the strength he possessed to be rid of the man who had brought about the end of his hopes. The gold would have financed a rebellion in Croatia against the Russian oppression, it would have brought freedom for Vacek\u2019s people from a tyranny that was cruelly oppressive, and on top of all that, the girl Vacek cared about had been separated from him, and all because of this one man. The American. Adam Cartwright. Better to die now and know he had taken his enemy with him than to live and know the bitter taste of failure.<\/p>\n Adam struggled against the pressure on his throat, the weight of his clothes were pulling him down into the depths of the sea, and his opponent seemed to be possessed of a quite unnatural strength. He pushed his hand against Vacek\u2019s chest, struggled to bring his arm up against the other man\u2019s arms and thus pull them away from his throat, he could feel his lungs burning, that terrible burning that indicated that the air in them was depleted, the desire to open his mouth and breathe was overwhelming. He kicked out, felt Vacek\u2019s legs tangle against his own, locked his legs around them and pushed with all his strength, with what really was the last ounce of strength that he possessed.<\/p>\n Chapter 67<\/p>\n The door slamming shut made Hoss jump and drop the pencil he had been using onto the floor. As he leaned down to retrieve it he peered around the side of the chair to see who had entered and scowled slightly when he saw Joe. Very carefully he put his pencil back in the top pocket of his shirt and tucked the paper he was writing on in the back pocket of his pants.<\/p>\n \u201cIs Pa home?\u201d Joe tossed his hat onto the peg and began to unbuckle his gun belt, he glanced over at his brother and frowned, \u201cWhat are you looking so guilty about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing. What are you looking so annoyed about?\u201d Hoss replied, tossing back the question with what he considered some alacrity, although, of course, he would call it something else.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, nothing much.\u201d Joe walked into the room and slumped down into the blue chair and stared up at the ceiling, \u201cBarbara had a little boy -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Hoss screwed up his eyes and wrinkled his nose, Joe had made the statement in much the same tone of voice as he would have recited \u2018Mary had a little lamb -\u2019 \u201cWho\u2019s Barbara?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBarbara – nee Scott – you know, the woman who was going to marry our brother before he did a disappearing act to the frozen north.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Hoss raised his eyebrows, \u201cThat Barbara?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, exactly, that Barbara.\u201d Joe sighed and folded his arms across his chest, stretched out his legs and pouted, \u201cShe had a baby boy yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, fancy that -\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cI didn\u2019t know she was expecting a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she doesn\u2019t exactly keep us on her calling card list anymore, does she? Not since she did the dirt on Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat ain\u2019t fair, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s true though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it ain\u2019t. Adam released her from her promise to marry him, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe said nothing, but his scowl darkened somewhat and he sighed deeply while at the same time hugging his arms tighter into his chest,<\/p>\n \u201cThat baby could have been a Cartwright.\u201d he grumphed, narrowing his eyes and staring fiercely at the log basket.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, it ain\u2019t, so best quit thinking along those lines, and don\u2019t mention it to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mention what to Pa?\u201d the voice of their father intoned deeply behind them and Ben stepped forwards, settled into his chair and picked up his tobacco pouch and pipe, then looked around at them both \u201cWell? What is it? You were in deep conversation before I got here, why stop now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he -\u201d Joe jabbed his thumb in Hoss\u2019 direction, \u201ctold me not to mention to you what I was told by Paul Martin in town today about Barbara.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBarbara Scott?\u201d Ben managed a half smile and his dark eyes turned from one to the other, \u201cWhat about her? Is she alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, she\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe had a little boy yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Ben said nothing more but stuffed tobacco into the bowl of his pipe and then paused half way to putting it in his mouth in order to ask if that was all and had there been any mail.<\/p>\n They both knew what that meant, and they both shook their heads even though only one of them had gone into town to collect the post.<\/p>\n Ben puffed life into the pipe, the tobacco glowed red and he leaned back and exhaled slowly. So Barbara Scott had a child of her own now. Without realising it he sighed, and the rather nebulous thought trickled through his mind that had things worked out, that child could have been Adam\u2019s son. Well, so be it, and he sighed again and puffed harder so that the tobacco glowed more red than ever.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what were you writing when I came in, Hoss?\u201d Joe asked again, \u201cYou sure looked guilty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d Hoss frowned, \u201cI jest dropped my pencil and couldn\u2019t find it, is all.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged and rose to his feet, stretched and turned to wards the stairs,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll just go and get cleaned up before supper. I won\u2019t be long.\u201d he said to no one in particular and he hurried up the stairs towards his room in his usual two at a time mode.<\/p>\n Behind them Ben and Hoss could hear the clatter of dished being placed on the table, and cutlery rattled. Hoss got to thinking about what was written on the paper in his back pocket, the urgency of the situation made him feel as though it were burning a hole in his pants, while Ben, with his eyes hooded so that he could observe without it being too obvious, wondered where Adam was, whether or not he was safe and well, and whether he realised just how much he was missed back on the Ponderosa.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Kicking out against the water Adam forced himself to the surface, shook his head, gasped for air and even as he struggled to get back his breathe eager and willing hands seized hold of him and hauled him up and into the boat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Daniel cried as the body of his friend was carefully placed amid the thwarts, \u201cIt all happened so quickly.\u201d he looked up at the seamen, \u201cRow harder, we\u2019ve got to get him aboard ship.\u201d then once again he looked down at his friend, rubbed the cold hands and placed a hand on Adam\u2019s chest in order to feel for a heart beat, \u201cAdam? Do you hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n When Adam opened his eyes it was to see Daniel\u2019s anxious face looking down at him, he closed his eyes again slowly. For some reason that he could not explain the face of his friend had not been the face he had wanted to see at that moment, he waited a short while before forcing his eyes to open again,<\/p>\n \u201cVacek?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDrowned?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnless he can stay under water for longer than ten minutes and survive, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat, and struggled to sit up. Someone had pulled off his jacket, and loosened the cravat of his shirt, but what clothes he was wearing were wet, he drew a hand across his face and for a second looked unseeingly at the damp palm before glancing up at Daniel,<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get back to see the Russians. The gold -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have it safely here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, looked at Daniel and smiled slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it won\u2019t be long before you can take back command of your own ship again, Daniel. We\u2019ll have to arrange a deployment of men, as some of your crew aren\u2019t fit for work yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel nodded and watched as his friend struggled to his feet. He poured out some brandy into a glass and forced it into Adam\u2019s hand,<\/p>\n \u201cHere, drink this, it\u2019ll warm your insides.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Adam allowed himself a dry slight laugh, \u201cIt may not be as fine a quality as de Montforts but it\u2019ll do for now. The main thing,\u201d he swallowed back the brandy, \u201cis to get to Zhukov and deliver that gold back to him. Then,\u201d he emptied the glass and set it back onto the desk, \u201cto see what to do about Cassandra Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, what do you intend to do about Cassandra Pelman?\u201d Daniel asked and passed over a dry shirt which Adam struggled into, and began to slowly button up, before going to stand before a mirror to check the tying of the cravat.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam replied as he began to pull off his wet pants and other wet things, he caught the towel Daniel tossed over to him with one hand, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d he paused and narrowed his eyes, \u201cWe\u2019ve cut off her escape route to France, and I doubt if she would want to go with the Russians.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould she come with us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s already adamantly refused to do so. Mind you, she thought she had La Dauphine to provide her with escape, now that has gone,\u201d he pulled on clean dry pants, sat down to pull on socks and dry shoes then stood up, \u201cnow that has gone she will have to rethink her strategy.\u201d he checked himself again in the mirror, ran his fingers through his hair and then turned to Daniel, \u201cI think we should prepare ourselves to sail into the jaws of the Russian bear, don\u2019t you?\u201d he smiled<\/p>\n \u201cYou are alright, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Daniel said, putting his hand on his friend\u2019s arm, \u201cAs a friend, Adam, you would tell me -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel, I\u2019ve fallen into more rivers, streams and seas than you could count on both hands and feet, so – please – \u201c he raised a hand to signify that enough was enough and with that Daniel O\u2019Brien had to be content.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Nikisch and Zhukov were at the harbour, standing on the pier when the boat containing the two Officers and seamen from the Shenandoah came slowly to berth. Standing back they watched and waited as the boat was tied to a bollard and the two Officers, Captain Cartwright and Captain O\u2019Brien, approached them. Behind them Davies came with the case containing the gold.<\/p>\n \u201cCount Zhukov,\u201d Adam acknowledged the older man with a slight bow of the head, he turned to Nikisch and merely nodded, \u201cI believe this is yours?\u201d<\/p>\n Rather theatrically Davies opened the lid and exposed the gold to view, Zhukov did not move but Nikisch did, he ran a finger down the length of one of the ingots and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYou forget we gave this to the woman, Mrs Pelman, in payment for the American ship.\u201d \u201cYou may have forgotten that the ship was not Mrs Pelman\u2019s to sell\u201d Adam replied equally as quietly, \u201cSo shall we forget about Mrs Pelman for the moment, and just accept the fact that this is yours, and that Captain O\u2019Brien, here,\u201d he turned to present Daniel to the two men, \u201c can resume his command on the Baltimore?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if we do not?\u201d Nikisch replied.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do not what?\u201d Adam raised his chin challengingly, and the lids of his eyes lowered, hooding the dark eyes while he raised one eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we do not accept the gold and take the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam now smiled slowly, then turned to Daniel,<\/p>\n \u201cDid you hear that, Daniel. He wants to keep your ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he does, Adam.\u201d O\u2019Brien drew in a deep breath, \u201cPerhaps he doesn\u2019t understand English? Perhaps you need to spell it out to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Nikisch flushed bright red, and stepped forward with his thin lips drawn back in a snarl of anger, he put out a hand as though to snatch at Adam\u2019s jacket and then realised what he was doing and to whom. Adam, as Captain of the Shenandoah, was representative of his country, and to have laid a hand upon him, even under provocation, could have had severe diplomatic consequences. He was a diplomat of the old school, and now, understanding protocol, stepped back quickly.<\/p>\n Count Zhukov now spoke, his voice was deep, slow and resonant, he looked at the two Americans thoughtfully, and then at the gold, then smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cI understand your meaning, Captain Cartwright, you would like to purchase back your ship?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, smiled slightly,<\/p>\n \u201cAs I said before, Count, I don\u2019t buy back what I already own.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh yes, but this is not your gold, is it?\u201d Zhukov\u2019s smile widened as he pointed to the ingots that gleamed upon the pier at their feet.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue, but then, that is not your ship, is it?\u201d and Adam\u2019s smile widened as he pointed to the Baltimore.<\/p>\n Zhukov nodded, he extended his hand and bowed towards the two men,<\/p>\n \u201cI think we understand each other, Captain.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we do, sir.\u201d Adam replied, and he accepted the other mans hand and shook it firmly.<\/p>\n Zhukov clicked his fingers and instantly a thick set Russian seaman appeared and picked up the gold; with a brief gesture he indicated that it be taken on board the Russian man of war after which he turned to Adam and Daniel,<\/p>\n \u201cWe shall be leaving within the hour, Captain Cartwright. I presume that you shall be dealing with Madam Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam bit down on his bottom lip, frowned and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI presume so, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen – goodbye.\u201d he clicked his heels, bowed towards both Officers and then walked abruptly away, followed by Nikisch who didn\u2019t deign to speak or even look at them, he passed by as though both men were beneath his contempt to do so. Neither man looked back<\/p>\n Adam and Daniel looked at one another, smiled and without a word shook each other by the hand<\/p>\n \u201cMy word, that was easier than I thought it was going to be -\u201d Daniel said with a note of laughter in his voice and some colour, at last, in his cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cI rather think,\u201d Adam said with a chuckle, \u201cthat the worse is yet to come.\u201d and as he spoke he turned towards the steps leading to the terraces of the building from which the Russians had come, and from where Cassandra Pelman now approached them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Lordy!\u201d Daniel breathed, sounding so much like Hoss Cartwright that Adam could only sigh, and then nod slowly in agreement.<\/p>\n Chapter 68<\/p>\n The noise of sea birds cawing above their heads, the waves slapping against the harbour walls, men calling out to one another in Russian, footsteps as men departed from the Balitmore, all these sounds echoed around the two men as they watched Cassandra and her entourage approach them.<\/p>\n She now stood merely a few feet from them and scowled from one to the other while behind her the people she had recruited to bring down her luggage dropped cases and boxes on the pier.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s happened to my ship?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich ship do you mean exactly?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked politely while he placed one hand upon his jacket in the vicinity of his heart.<\/p>\n \u201cThe French ship, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Captain de Montfort preferred to continue on his journey to France without you.\u201d<\/p>\n A deepening of a scowl creased her brow and the large eyes widened and the rouged lips parted slightly as she thought upon her options. She turned her head to observe the Russian ship and the number of men moving about the walkway carrying various boxes indicative of the Russians imminent departure. She was about to speak when her face drained of colour and she stepped back as both her hands rose to her face in horror,<\/p>\n \u201cOh no, Vacek? It is Vacek, isn\u2019t it?\u201d she cried with a note of hysteria in her voice as, behind the men, she observed several men pulling a dark shape from the water. It took no time at all to see that this was once a living being, for the limp arms flailed to left and right upon the sand, and his face, livid and with eyes distended, was turned towards her. The body was hauled upon the beach. She stepped forward then, as though to run towards him, but then paused as O\u2019Brien stretched out an arm to prevent her going any further, \u201cLet me go, I have to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s little point, Mrs Pelman. Krizanic is dead.\u201d Adam murmured, \u201cHe won\u2019t be able to tell you where your gold is, or what has happened since he last saw you, I\u2019m afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe gold?\u201d she looked at him then, turning away from the sight of the dead man being carried over the shoulder of one of the local men. \u201cWhat do you know about the gold?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, I\u2019m not here to answer your questions. Now, if you\u2019ll just collect what you think you need most, perhaps we can board ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBoard ship? What do you mean? I\u2019m not boarding any ship with you.\u201d she turned from Adam to look at O\u2019Brien, \u201cWill you tell me what\u2019s going on ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, the Baltimore and the Shenandoah are heading for Tokyo. You have a choice of which ship you prefer to sail in, but I do need to remind you that space on board both ships is cramped, you can only take your essentials with you. May I also remind you that you are under arrest and I\u2019m afraid you have no other option available to you at this moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips as he listened to O\u2019Brien\u2019s statement. He remembered how this woman had made such a grand entrance at the Eugene\u2019s house that day the Ainola was burning and nine of his men were killed. He recalled the way her eyes had looked at him as though in challenge. That was the day he had first met her, and since then there had been nothing but death and destruction trailing in her wake. He crooked an eyebrow as though to hasten her decision along, but she merely stared at him as though he were a sheet of glass.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you I would not step foot in America and I meant it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was when you thought de Montfort would hang around here and take you back to France,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cbut as you can see he\u2019s not here, nor is Vacek, and nor is the gold.\u201d<\/p>\n She put a hand to her brow, then swept her hand across her hair as though some strand had blown across her eyes, not wanting them to think she was concerned or worried about anything they had said. She straightened her shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cThen I shall take my chances with the Russians.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m afraid the Count and Nikisch really don\u2019t want to be further involved with you. They have their gold back, that\u2019s all that concerned them really. The loss of an American ship weighed up against the loss of the gold and national reputation doesn\u2019t really compare. Now, if you don\u2019t mind, Ma\u2019am, we really need to get away from here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I\u2019m not going. I\u2019ll stay here until – until another ship comes.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled, shook his head and looked at O\u2019Brien with a shrug of his shoulders. It was O\u2019Brien who informed her that she had no choice, she couldn\u2019t remain on the island and she would have to leave.<\/p>\n \u201cThen I need a maid. Where\u2019s Sophia?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSophia is returning to France on La Dauphine,\u201d O\u2019Brien replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d the response was involuntary, and regretted, for she immediately bit her lips and shook her head in dismay at her loss of control. She raised her head again and looked once more at Adam, \u201cI need a maid. You\u2019ll have to get me one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense, you don\u2019t need a maid, you want one, but you don\u2019t need one. If you really \u2018need\u2019 help to get yourself dressed in the morning I\u2019ll loan you one of our midshipmen.\u201d Adam retorted, and put out a hand to take hold of her arm, \u201cIf you don\u2019t mind, Madam, we\u2019re losing time and I\u2019d rather be out of the harbour before the Russians than afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n She stood there for a moment looking crest fallen, and with her face quite still and devoid of any emotion. It was not the hard cold face that had shown itself so often before, with the harsh shadows exposing the sharp planes of the bones and high bridged nose, more the face of a woman, a beautiful woman, who for once had run out of choices and was now dependent upon someone else to make decisions for her. She reminded Adam of a wild horse that had just reached the point of docility, but then she raised her eyes and stared deep into his own and he remembered that even horses could fool a man.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m under arrest?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am, you are.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what charge?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTreason.\u201d<\/p>\n She blanched slightly and went a trifle paler. Then she turned and pointed to two boxes, said something to one of the women standing near by, and pointed to the Shenandoah. She watched as they picked the boxes up and took them towards the boat where the seamen carefully manhandled them under the thwarts and waited for their Officers and passenger to board.<\/p>\n \u201cWill I be tried?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n She bowed her head and stepped forwards, together the three of them walked along the pier to the boat and it was O\u2019Brien who stepped back to let her pass. She was helped into the boat by Davies, then Adam and O\u2019Brien stepped down and took their seats opposite her. The men pushed away from the pier, and applied themselves to the oars, each stroke taking them closer to the ship.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you have the Baltimore back again, Captain O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed, yes, madam.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing, but folded her hands neatly together upon her lap. A stranger would have remarked upon her beauty and thought her an innocent modest woman so cunningly had she applied her paints and rouges, and the sun shone gently upon her casting her in favourable shadow. Adam looked at her thoughtfully and wondered what had turned her to the avaricious and manipulative woman he knew, a woman who could plan death with the coldest of hearts. He knew she had never loved her husband, Commodore Pelman, and had contempt for Andre Eugene, but she had used them both to get her what she had wanted and in the end she had gained nothing. Nothing at all. Even her brother had now died.<\/p>\n The Jacob\u2019s ladder was lowered and she mounted the rungs carefully, once she slipped and seemed as though to fall, but a strong hand behind her steadied her and returned her foot to the rung. She lowered her head, and bit her lip to conceal a smile, and without any further impediment made her way to the deck of the ship. It was Adam who stepped onto the deck after her, and rightly as she had surmised, it had been his hand that had guided her foot and saved her from falling although, in fact, she had no intention of falling at all.<\/p>\n \u201cLieutenant Myers, show this lady to her cabin\u201d Adam said abruptly, and the young man attached himself to her side like a sheep dog prepared to jostle her into the right direction, \u201cMayhew, take the bags for Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d a smart salute and the bags were taken up and balanced carefully as Mayhew took the lead towards the cabin.<\/p>\n Cassandra looked around the ship, glanced up at the sky and clouds and then at the masts and rigging, at the men who were even now beginning to unfurl the main sails. She turned to Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen do I get my meals? What privacy do I get? I shall need to take the air daily and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, you are a prisoner on board this ship.\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was even and deep, his dark eyes looked at her without guile, he raised both eyebrows, \u201cThere will be one of my marines posted outside your cabin door at all times, should you require anything let him know. Excuse me, I have things to attend to -\u201d and with a curt nod of the head he turned and joined O\u2019Brien and Willoughby in his own cabin.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s going to provide some entertainment on this trip to Tokyo, Adam\u201d Daniel chuckled, \u201cLet me know if you need any help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly,\u201d Adam tossed his hat onto his desk, and poured coffee into three cups, it smelt good and strong and dark, he passed each man a cup before savouring the aroma and taking a seat, \u201cLord Laurence Willoughby, sir, what do you intend to do now? Will you be coming with us or staying here?\u201d<\/p>\n Laurence pushed his fingers through his hair, and gave a slight smile,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be staying here, thank you.\u201d he pouted a little before smiling again, \u201cEven though I am now the fourth son of a Duke, I am still an artist, that\u2019s where my main love lies, and that\u2019s what I want to do. I also have to make my peace with the villagers who – due to my reckless behaviour -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it wasn\u2019t reckless\u201d O\u2019Brien interjected but Laurence shook his head, and raised a hand,<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Captain O\u2019Brien, but I feel that those villagers would not have suffered so much if I had been less stupid. I want to paint what I find beautiful here, and enjoy living here. Perhaps in a year or two I shall go back home to England, but until then I\u2019d rather remain where I am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case then, let\u2019s drink up and see you safely off the ship.\u201d Adam murmured with a smile of his own, and then he looked over at O\u2019Brien, \u201cWe need to get some men to crew for the Baltimore, O\u2019Brien. Once we have seen Willoughby off the ship we must decide who would be best for you to take back, of course, you will want Davies and those of your men who had escaped capture earlier on.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby drank his coffee slowly, in no particular hurry to part company with these two men. In his mind he was capturing moments of the past days that he could transfer to canvas with his oils and paints, and he studied particularly Adam\u2019s face, carefully catching the light and shadows as they fell upon high cheekbones, dark eyes and black curling hair.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, what will happen to Mrs Pelman?\u201d he asked as the conversation between the two men lulled into silence.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be tried for treason.\u201d Adam replied slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what will happen then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Adam bit down on his bottom lip and frowned, \u201cThat will be for a judge and jury to decide. Thankfully that doesn\u2019t fall into my jurisdiction.\u201d<\/p>\n Willoughby nodded and set down his cup slowly. He rose to his feet and shook their hands warmly, then with unusual English warmth he gave O\u2019Brien, with whom he had shared most of his recent adventures, a close embrace.<\/p>\n As Willoughby sat in the skiff returning to shore he glanced up at the Shenandoah and at the two Officers watching his departure. His thoughts, however, were upon the lady, the prisoner upon that ship sailing to, perhaps, her death. He sighed and for some reason a sonnet of Shakespeare\u2019s floated into his mind<\/p>\n Mine eye hath play’d the painter and hath steel’d, Chapter 69<\/p>\n The sun was lowering along the horizon, slanting so that it caught in one\u2019s eyes and then a person had to half close them which would sometimes crinkle up their whole face. Hoss was having problems as the sun\u2019s rays reflected against the paper he was holding in one hand. He very carefully and deliberately drew a line through a name on what appeared to be a list of names, and then, after licking the stubby point of the lead once again, he scored through yet another.<\/p>\n Two whole days and still nothing. His list was growing shorter which meant so were his options. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck so that his hat tilted forwards a little over his face. He paused though at the sound of a child\u2019s giggle,<\/p>\n \u201cYou look funny \u2026do it agin.\u201d<\/p>\n He pushed his hat up and looked down at the boy who was standing in front of him, a slim dark haired boy with large hazel brown eyes, long lashes and dark hair. A few freckles dashed across his nose, and when he smiled he displayed a gap where two teeth had recently gone missing. Hoss judged him as between 6 to 7 years old.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I ain\u2019t gotta mind to, if\u2019n you\u2019re gonna laugh at me agin.\u201d he said pulling a sad face, as though the laughter had upset him.<\/p>\n \u201cAw, didn\u2019t mean nothing by it,\u201d the boy said, \u201cJest that you looked funny, is all.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss thumbed his hat to the back of his head so that it fell off and with a neat swivel of the hips and twist of the hand he caught it again. This sent the boy into shrill gurgles of laughter. Back went the hat and once again Hoss scratched the back of his neck and the hat toppled forwards, and this time his efforts were rewarded by the sound of clapping. He grinned and tipped his hat back into its rightful position and found himself looking at a woman who bore a wide smile on her face and was still clapping her hands. The child had scampered off, Hoss could just see him rounding a corner. He shrugged and looked rather sheepish,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Miss, I thought you was a kid.\u201d he blushed and shook his head, \u201cI mean, I thought it was a kid but -\u201d he bit his lip \u201cDad burn it, there was a kid here jest now and \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course there was.\u201d she laughed and turned to point to the boy who had now disappeared, \u201cHe went that way. I heard him laughing so came to see what or who he was laughing at.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, weren\u2019t nothing cept Ol\u2019 Hoss.\u201d and he felt a little hot under the arm pits and around his neck, \u201cEr – sorry, Ma\u2019am, guess I should introduce myself. I\u2019m Hoss Cartwright.\u201d and he extended his hand, realised he still held his stubby old pencil in it and quickly passed it into his pocket, before extending his hand once again. \u201cAre you new in town?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I arrived yesterday. I\u2019m Hester, Hester Verlaine.\u201d she took his hand and shook it while all the times her blue eyes twinkled up at him and her smile never faltered, \u201cI\u2019m from New York.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, New York.\u201d Hoss crinkled his brow and thought about New York for all of ten seconds, he nodded appreciatively and smiled, \u201cSo, I guess you\u2019re staying at the hotel, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m staying at the boarding house on C street. It\u2019s not too expensive and quite clean.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, well, that\u2019s good.\u201d he shuffled an imaginary pebble too and fro with his foot, while he licked his lips and looked up and down the street, \u201cHester Verlaine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right, that\u2019s my name.\u201d she smiled and pulled her hand away, \u201cI hope to see you again sometime, Mr Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh sure, yes, I guess you will do at that, Miss – er – Miss Verlaine.\u201d<\/p>\n He watched her as she walked away from him, and quickly pulled out the stubby pencil from his pocket and wrote very carefully on his list, \u201cHester Verlaine, New To Town\u201d. he glanced up as she reached the other side of the road, \u201cBlue eyes, red hair, freckles, a nice lady.\u201d<\/p>\n She was a nice lady, and her hair wasn\u2019t so much red as that rather magnificent coppery gold colour that could make the person possessing it look as though they were wearing a halo when the sun shone upon it. She wore a smart well cut suit of pale green linen braided with dark green velvet, and her gloves were neat and clean. Hoss watched her as she walked to the General Store and then hurriedly turned aside when, at the doorway, she turned to glance back at him.<\/p>\n When he looked back the door was opening again and Joseph was coming out with a smile on his face. Hoss\u2019 heart sunk to his boots, wasn\u2019t that just typical? Wasn\u2019t that just the story of his life? Joe Cartwright the great heart breaker just had to be in the store when Hester Verlaine had walked into it. He sighed and carefully tucked his piece of paper back into his pocket along with the pencil.<\/p>\n \u201cAll done, big fella?\u201d Joe asked with a grin and eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, don\u2019t sound so down hearted, Hoss, there\u2019s Hop Sings chicken dinner to look forward to , you know? The day isn\u2019t over just yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah, sure, Hop Sing\u2019s chicken dinner.\u201d Hoss nodded and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cNot that I\u2019ll be long hanging around afterwards.\u201d Joe smiled slowly, \u201cI\u2019ve a – er – meeting for tonight that I don\u2019t want to miss out on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Well, you don\u2019t surprise me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t?\u201d Joe\u2019s eyes widened and then he smiled slowly as he stepped in time with his brother along the board walk to where the horses were hitched. \u201cAw, I guess you saw her go inside, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I did.\u201d Hoss took the reins of his horse and untethered them from the hitching rail. He didn\u2019t say a word now as he thought over how quickly his brother had got fixed up with \u2018a meeting\u2019 for tonight within minutes of meeting her. He shook his head, it was one of those mysteries that had bothered him ever since Joe had been knee high to a grass hopper and his abilities to charm ladies had first come to their attention. He sighed again, and mounted into the saddle.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t look very happy, Hoss.\u201d Joe observed as they trotted carefully down the street, avoiding traffic and weaving in and out of other vehicles and horses.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t I?\u201d Hoss shrugged and pulled his hat down over his eyes.<\/p>\n Well now, he had thought it would be relatively easy to find himself a wife, what with only having one brother in town to contend with, but it just seemed that no sooner had Adam left town than Joe\u2019s attractions for and to the opposite sex had grown out of all proportion. He shook his head, and chewed on his inner cheek and slowly sunk deeper into the mire of self pity.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 so, anyway, I couldn\u2019t pass up on the chance, Hoss, so I asked her right out then and there, \u2018What are you doing this evening? It\u2019s going to be a lovely evening, full of stars and a full moon.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss turned, realising that his brother was chattering, disclosing the way he had seized the opportunity to go out for the evening with a complete stranger, just like that. He rehearsed it through in his head, but somehow he just couldn\u2019t hear himself saying the words in the same way as Joe could, and he ground his teeth together, and tightened his grip on the reins.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 and she has the prettiest eyes, have you ever noticed what long lashes she has, Hoss? I know I\u2019ve fallen in love with lots of women, well, thought I was in love ..\u201d Joe paused and sighed dramatically.<\/p>\n Hoss fidgeted in his saddle. They were out of town now and he dug his heels into Chubb to encourage the horse to a faster speed, anything rather than having to listen to Joe nattering on about his latest conquest. In love indeed? How could anyone fall in love that quickly?<\/p>\n A wagon was coming towards them at a steady pace and he was forced to pull over, as was Joe who took off his hat and waved it to the young couple sitting on the bench seat. Hoss hadn\u2019t noticed who they were, but raised a hand on noticing Joe\u2019s action.<\/p>\n \u201cShe looks well, doesn\u2019t she?\u201d Joe murmured as the wagon trundled along leaving behind it a swell of dust.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure.\u201d Hoss glanced over his shoulder and realised he hadn\u2019t even noticed that it was Candy and Ann Canady. He got more annoyed with himself now than ever, he was very fond of Ann, and was looking forward to the time she and Candy had their baby.<\/p>\n It was odd really, the fact that they lived in the house that Adam had built – and nearly broken his back in doing so – for Laura and himself, and now Candy and his wife were there, with a baby of their own soon arriving to make it a family home. He watched the wagon disappear down the track and then turned Chubb into the road for home.<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem miles away, Hoss. Is anything bothering you?\u201d Joe asked kindly, and his face looked anxiously at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cShould there be?\u201d Hoss retorted rather heatedly, and then felt ashamed for so quickly retaliating when his brother had intended only good.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not really, but you do seem a bit out of sorts.\u201d Joe frowned, and sighed himself, \u201cIt seems a long time since we heard from Adam, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n This line of conversation caught Hoss unawares, his mind still being on a certain red headed young lady and Joe\u2019s \u2019appointment with her\u2019, so he had to put his mood to one side and consider how he felt about not having heard from Adam for so long. He nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, been a while. Fact is, only one letter since he left \u2019Frisco.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you ever think of him out there at sea? All that water and sea gulls and things?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I do.\u201d Hoss nodded emphatically and shivered, he didn\u2019t know why, but it always made him shiver the thought of his brother in a little boat in the middle of so much sea. He thought back to the time when Adam had come back from Alaska and all the things that had happened to him. It had taken a long time for his \u2019big\u2019 brother to settle back into the brother they had known and loved. Memories of that ordeal had haunted him for a long time and Hoss got to wondering just where his brother was now, and how he was faring.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Pa worries about him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course Pa worries about him. Don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I do. Sometimes I just can\u2019t sleep for worrying about him. Tokyo\u2019s along way from here, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure is a bit further than Sacremento.\u201d Hoss agreed.<\/p>\n They settled into silence now, their horses galloping along the familiar track towards the Ponderosa, their minds on one person who had once ridden by their sides. Joe shivered now, and he glanced over at Hoss and wondered if his brother had noticed, it was just that sometimes he got very afraid that Adam would never come back home again. Even though it was easy enough to get used to his brother not being with them, it wasn\u2019t so easy to get used to the thought of his brother never coming home. It was much easier to assume he would walk through that door again – one day.<\/p>\n They didn\u2019t speak again until they arrived home, and led their horses into the stalls. Hoss wasn\u2019t going out again so he carefully unsaddled Chubb, removed his saddle blanket and the harness and bridle, then he began to carefully groom him and brush him down, ran his hands down the animals legs to check that there was no cause for alarm, no indication of any injury. In Cochise\u2019s stall, Joe was doing the same, talking quietly to his horse as had become his habit over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations. It doesn\u2019t happen often but when it does -\u201d Hoss clicked his fingers and grinned, his good humour slowly returning as it often did when he was busy with his horse. There was something about grooming Chubb that always eased him out of a bad mood.<\/p>\n Joe chuckled, as was expected, but he was pleased at Hoss\u2019 resumption of good humour. He didn\u2019t speak for a moment or two while he considered the subject he was about to discuss, then he cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking that it was time I settled down\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d ya mean – settle down whar?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know – settle down, get married, have a family. That kind of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n They relapsed back into silence and Hoss wondered whether or not it had anything to do with the woman he had met in town, or whether it was someone else, the young girl that Joe had seemed to be talking about so much lately. He bowed his head and mentally apologised to his brother in case he had misjudged him earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought perhaps how it\u2019s been some years since Little Moon died, and – well – perhaps it was time to consider getting married. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, you ain\u2019t getting any younger,\u201d came the quiet reply, \u201cand you certainly ain\u2019t gitting any prettier.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe smiled and closed his eyes dreamily. He drew in his breath and remembered how Victoria Shannon had turned to look at him when he had met her in the General Stores earlier. That look had held such promise \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The light tapping on the door roused Adam from his perusal of Charles Dickens story of Oliver Twist. He dragged his mind from comparing Mr Bumble\u2019s rumbling cry of \u2019MORE!\u2019 with Hoss\u2019 demands for seconds of everything that Hop Sing could rustle up and called out \u201cEnter -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain – it\u2019s the lady -\u201d Mike Scott murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat lady?\u201d Adam removed his feet from resting upon the seat of a chair opposite to him, and swung himself around, \u201cDo you mean the prisoner, Scott?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen what about her?\u201d<\/p>\n Scott sighed and shrugged, rolled his eyes and swept out his hands in a gesture of dismay,<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s complaining about the food.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? What\u2019s wrong with the food?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe says it\u2019s not fit to eat. There\u2019s worms in the biscuits and the meat\u2019s rotten. She wants to eat the same as the Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Adam sighed and frowned, \u201cWell, tell Mrs Pelman, that she doesn\u2019t have worms in her biscuits, they\u2019re weevils. And tell her she eats the same food that I do \u2026\u201d he paused, \u201cso if she has any complaints take them to the cook, not to me. I\u2019m not interested in her diet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe threw the food at the Marine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen leave her to clear the mess up and tell her we\u2019re on short rations, she\u2019s had her mid day meal and must now wait until supper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll probably throw the coffee pot at me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen duck, man.\u201d Adam growled deep in his throat, and wished he had left the wretched woman to languish on The Baltimore. \u201cShe should be grateful to be given a pot of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell her, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou do that -\u201d Adam replied and returned to the plight of poor Oliver, bringing his feet back to the seat of the chair opposite and allowing his mind to wander back to the time when the great Charles Dickens had graced Virginia City with his presence and publicly read from his stories. It all seemed like a different world to the one in which he now existed. It was, in fact, rather sadly becoming just another fading memory of happier times. He closed his book, the mood for reading had passed and he rose to his feet.<\/p>\n Chapter 70<\/p>\n His footsteps upon the deck were becoming familiar to her ears now. She found herself listening for them in the evenings and during the days. He wasn\u2019t light on his feet, for he wasn\u2019t a small lightweight of a man but well built with a confident tread upon the boards. She recognised the way his heel came down hard, followed by the toe, a slight bounce, before the other foot came done.<\/p>\n Once she distinguished his foot steps she would then listen to pick up his voice. It was a deep voice, slightly drawled at times, slightly clipped at others. In the confined space of the berth to which she had been assigned she would imagine what he was doing once he had walked the space between his cabin and the deck. She would try and imagine his voice in different settings, mellow and kind, romantic and tender. It was a voice, she realised more than ever, to which she could listen as he read poetry, and perhaps, she surmised, he could sing.<\/p>\n Like a caged tigress she would pace her cabin, before throwing herself upon the trestle bed in an attempt to sleep. At times it was too hot, and she would throw off her gown and recline upon the tumbled sheets in her chemise. Sometimes it would be too cold and she would pull blankets over herself until she fell asleep.<\/p>\n But, always, his footsteps would come and penetrate her consciousness so that she would steal to the door and press herself against it to listen. If he paused by her door, his footsteps did not betray him; if he stopped in mid-step to wonder about her well being, there was no obvious indication. The footsteps would pass and his voice would reach her from some part of the ship as he spoke to one of his officers or crew.<\/p>\n The sea was a glassy green and the waves rose and fell, and sometimes the ship shuddered. She walked to the door and banged against it, banged hard with her fists.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it now?\u201d a voice demanded.<\/p>\n \u201cI want hot water to bathe in, you idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, and I suppose perfumed oil and the rest \u2026\u201d a coarse laugh followed.<\/p>\n \u201cJust some hot water, stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n She listened as someone spoke to the Marine, by pressing really close she recognised the voice of the steward, Scott. He had been kindly disposed earlier, not quite so much now. \u201cMrs Pelman wants some hot water.\u201d Scott replied, \u201cTo bathe with \u2026\u201d there was a pause \u201cIt\u2019s quite hot and stuffy in there, sir, and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Scott.\u201d the three words were enough to send the steward away, and the Marine\u2019s heels clicked as though to attention.<\/p>\n She bowed her head, concentrating in order to hear him say something, but she heard only the footsteps walking away from the door. Ten minutes later the door opened and two men came into the cabin carrying two large pails of hot water, a towel and some soap were placed upon a chair. The pails were left on the floor for her to deal with herself. So, she had been permitted her water, and even soap for her ablutions. She chalked that up as a success.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n It was a full moon and the stars shone overhead like a canopy covered in sequins and diamonds. Side by side in the Cartwright\u2019s newest buggy the young couple sat, not exactly shoulder to shoulder, nor arm in arm, but close enough to be aware of the warmth of each other\u2019s body; he could smell her perfume, light and flowery while she could smell leather and pine as well as the maleness of him.<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria, do you – could you ever imagine living here for the rest of your life?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think you could, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course, it\u2019s my home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t want to travel? Perhaps to Europe? Or even to Switzerland and Austria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019d like to see what other countries were like. I\u2019d want to go beyond the confines of this territory.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed and twisted the toggle on his jacket, he cleared his throat and frowned ever so slightly as he gazed wistfully up at the stars,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you feel that way because you left here and went away for a while \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut so did you, didn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at her, and saw her looking at him, her eyes gentle on his face and her lips parted in a smile, kind and soft, he reached out with his hand and his fingers just lightly touched hers. She didn\u2019t move them away.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I left the Ponderosa for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you found someone you loved?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I did. Have you never been in love before, Victoria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d the answer came swiftly, it caught him by surprise as he had anticipated a modest and maidenly \u2018Oh no!\u2019 \u201cYes, long ago, I fell in love with a very mischievous little boy at school. He was always in scrapes, and always causing chaos in the class room. Then I went away and I thought I was in love with a young man.\u201d she paused then and he could see quite clearly the light furrows in her brow and the way her eyes clouded over, \u201cHis name was Roger, and he was a very attractive and intelligent person, he courted me with such persistence that I really thought he loved me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn his own way perhaps he did. I did care for him. I thought I was in love with him too, for a while.\u201d she paused and sighed, he could see the rise and fall of her breast against the soft lemon silk shawl she had around her shoulders, \u201cBut I was wrong, it wasn\u2019t love, just a silly infatuation because my head was turned by his attentions to me. I\u2019m afraid I hurt him a lot when I left.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t say \u2018Poor Roger\u2019 although he could sympathise. His fingers tightened around hers and she leaned closer towards him. They sat in silence for a little while, both deep in thought, perhaps about past loves, perhaps about new ones \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cAre you cold?\u201d he said eventually.<\/p>\n \u201cJust a little \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere -\u201d he slipped off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, and then kept his arm close around her, inevitably she drew closer towards him so that their bodies leaned in towards each other and their shoulders touched.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you were to marry someone who lived here, Victoria, and they didn\u2019t want to travel the world, would you mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he loved me, I wouldn\u2019t mind.\u201d she smiled but didn\u2019t say what she was thinking, that in a while she would get him to change his mind, if he really loved her.<\/p>\n She leaned her head upon his shoulder and sighed. It was a wonderful safe place to be, her head seemed to fit perfectly into the hollow upon his chest beneath his collar bone. He could smell her hair as he leaned his head closer against her own.<\/p>\n They sat there for a little while, a dark silhouette against the fullness of the moon that seemed to have settled on the horizon beyond them. Then, somehow, with one accord, they turned towards each other and gently their lips touched, a tender soft kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cWill you marry me, Victoria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe, yes, if you really love me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, Victoria, I do love you.\u201d he kissed her again, his lips harder, more demanding, then gentle and soft. \u201cI love you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I have always loved you, Little Joe Cartwright.\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I call you Vicky?\u201d he sighed, his breath soft against her mouth and her assent was lost in another kiss, one that was long and everything the kiss between a young couple in love should, and could, be.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Ben leaned down and lit a taper which when caught by the fire he used to light his pipe. He drew upon it for a while until the tobacco was well caught and then looked up over at Hoss who was scowling at a piece of paper in his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cAnything important, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot really, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve done nothing but pull it out of your pocket and stare at it all evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, no, I ain\u2019t -\u201d he frowned, \u201cHave I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you have.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, it ain\u2019t nothing important.\u201d and to prove it he rolled it into a ball and tossed it into the fire.<\/p>\n They both watched it catch light and burst into flames, a glowing smouldering ball of fire among the logs.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe took the best buggy,\u201d Hoss said, and stretched out his legs in an attempt to appear nonchalant.<\/p>\n \u201cMmmm, well, I said he could.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess he\u2019s taking a young lady out again tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou make it sound as though he takes a new woman out every night -\u201d Ben replied with a slight chuckle in his voice. \u201cNo, he\u2019s taking Victoria out again, he\u2019s quite smitten with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss gulped, his Adam\u2019s apple jerked convulsively and he had trouble clearing his throat. He looked over at his father,<\/p>\n \u201cWere you much disappointed when Adam and Barbara\u2019s romance ended, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA little, I thought she was a good match for him. Intelligent, hard working and attractive. She was genuinely fond of him, but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you think he loved her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think he did. Perhaps he still does.\u201d Ben\u2019s voice lowered, and he drew harder on the stem of the pipe as he thought of his eldest son, \u201cSome things just aren\u2019t destined to be, Hoss. Adam\u2019s logic and sense of fair play got in the way – in some ways he was right, but – I don\u2019t know – sometimes logic and fair play don\u2019t compensate for love.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he had married her, you\u2019d have a grand child here by now.\u201d Hoss looked into his father\u2019s face and saw the gentle expression that passed over it, then the way the brow knitted as though his father chose not to dwell too much upon such a thought, \u201cWouldn\u2019t you have liked that, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, every man wants a son, and then, rather greedily, hopes for a grandchild to continue the family name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Ponderosa should have children, shouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben glanced over at Hoss and frowned more deeply,<\/p>\n \u201cIs this conversation leading anywhere in particular, Hoss? Have you done anything that I should know about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks no, Pa, I just – was thinking – that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, things follow a natural course, son. First a wife, then the children come along \u2026 how many times have I thought one of you would get yourself a wife and found that for some reason or another -\u201d he shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cWeren\u2019t always our fault, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHerhmmm.\u201d Ben said nothing to that until after a few moments had elapsed he suggested getting out the checker board. \u201cI bet I beat you 3 games straight tonight, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n The fire glowed, the ball of paper was now a black pile of ash slowly disintegrating into the hearth, a log settled noisily into the grate and the clock struck the hour. Hoss set up the board and passed over the checkers to his father, at the back of his mind he kept repeating one name \u2026 Hester \u2026 Hester Verlaine.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The soap smelt good, and at last she could smell her hair without feeling dirty. She splashed perfume over her body and combed some into her hair which she then coiled carefully leaving some to curl seductively upon her neck. Now she slipped on a clean chemise, and over that a pale oyster pink satin dress.<\/p>\n She peered through the door, and recognised the Marine as the younger one that had the 3 hours duty before supper. She smiled and sat down, stretched out her legs so that her feet reclined upon some books she had found. After a while she heard \u2018his\u2019 footsteps, they passed her cabin with the usual confident stride, wide and purposeful. She heard them mount the ladder to the bridge.<\/p>\n The song she sang was an old one, old and familiar, a love song written by a young King of England for a woman who was not his wife, but was one day to become such and as a result overturn all the world by the religious upheaval it would bring.<\/p>\n \u201cAlas, my love, you do me wrong, Greensleeves was all my joy Alas My love, that you should own On the bridge Adam narrowed his eyes, a frown furrowed his brow and he half turned his head as though attentively listening to the music. His eyes glanced upon the men who had paused, stopped to listen, their own faces turned towards the sound of the woman singing.<\/p>\n Seamen were notoriously superstitious, and to bring a woman on board ship was always considered to be a sign of bad luck. Adam had never given sway to such rubbish, but he respected the men and their feelings. He also knew that some men there had not seen wives, sisters, daughters or lovers for many a month, and nothing could bring down the spirits of a man more quickly than to become embroiled in the emotional misery of reminiscence which would arouse other more warm feelings. He knew only too well that those feelings could give way to discontent, and a discontented crew soon became niggardly and troublesome.<\/p>\n Among the men on deck was young Griffin Mayhew and with a click of the fingers Adam summoned him to the bridge,<\/p>\n \u201cMr Mayhew, why not get your flute and play the men a merry song, something to dance to \u2026\u201d he turned then to Kenney \u201cMr Kenney, I believe you are very good on the Jew\u2019s harp, so why don\u2019t you and Mr Mayhew get together for some rousing music.\u201d he watched as both men hurried to their cabin, and then turned to Hathaway, \u201cGive the men an extra ration of rum, it\u2019s a fine evening, and all\u2019s well.\u201d<\/p>\n He watched Hathaway go with an alacrity that brought a slight smile to his lips, and then he turned to face the breeze that was warm to his face. He half closed his eyes, and waited while all the time Cassandra sang her song<\/p>\n \u201cYour vows you\u2019ve broken, like my heart, The sound of the flute and the jew\u2019s harp broke through her warbling like a clash of thunder. For a moment she was surprised, stepped back from the door as though physically struck, and then curled her hands into fists and gave the door a hefty thump, heard only by the Marine who guarded it.<\/p>\n A seaman brought out a penny whistle, and another produced his fiddle, grog was poured into the cups that went around, and within a few minutes there came the sound of men dancing, their heavy shoes clumping on the deck as they passed and repassed one another in a typical sailor\u2019s horn pipe.<\/p>\n Men cheered, they clapped, they drank their grog and sang along to the music and all thoughts of sweet hearts and loved ones were consigned once again into the secret caves of their hearts.<\/p>\n On the bridge Adam nodded in tune to the music, but his eyes were fixed on the door where the Marine leaned down as though to listen to the sounds from within the cabin. He raised his eyebrows and then, with his hands clasped behind his back, watched his men at their enjoyment.<\/p>\n Chapter 71<\/p>\n The Captain\u2019s cabin was not overly large, on a clipper ship such as the Shenandoah, space was of a premium and even the Officers had to share their berths. So it was that Adam\u2019s cabin, with desk, stove, book shelves ranging the walls, one comfortable chair, several narrow not so comfortable chairs, a low table, and against the far wall, a narrow bed, could be considered cramped but cosy.<\/p>\n Sergeant Jonas Armstrong stood at attention in front of the Captain now, his chest thrust forward, chin tucked in and shoulders full square. He looked his Captain in the face and waited for his orders. Years earlier he could recall to mind the day Adam Cartwright stepped foot on the Ainola under Captain Greaves, a tall dark eyed thoughtful young man with age and a lack of sea faring experience against him. He, Armstrong, had been one of the marines under the command of Sergeant John Smith at the time, and had served on the Ainola a mere three months longer that Adam. By the time they parted company he, like many others of the marine corps, would have followed the Lieutenant, as he was then, into the jaws of death itself. Now he stood here, and waited to hear what the Captain had to say,<\/p>\n \u201cArmstrong, I want you to remove the Marine from guard duty and make sure he has no further contact with Mrs Pelman whatsoever.\u201d Adam looked up at the strong face of the other man, he didn\u2019t expect to see a single muscle twitch nor any question of doubt appear in the pale blue eyes, Armstrong merely nodded his head once, \u201cMake sure you use only older and more experienced men.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Armstrong,\u201d Adam smiled, his tone softening from Commanding Officer to old sea friend, but only for an instant, Armstrong would not have respected it for longer, and discipline for an old warrior such as he was imperative.<\/p>\n When Armstrong had closed the door behind him, Adam walked over to his desk and checked the log, made a swift notation, and then sat down, picked up his pen and dipped it into the ink well. Pausing for reflection, he looked down upon the letter he had been writing, then put pen to paper, continuing from where he had left off earlier<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026 and so we are now making our way to Tokyo. Daniel, in The Baltimore, is straining to keep up with us. By that I mean, not that he is struggling to keep up with us, but that he is holding back his ship in order to accommodate us. Steam is faster, no doubt about it and when the wind luffs, as it keeps doing just now, I know Daniel is having a good laugh at our expense.<\/p>\n It seems strange to think that I now have Mrs Pelman in custody. After all this time and with Pelman himself dead, as is her brother, Jeffrey Metcalfe, I still feel anxious about her. She is corrupt to the bone, manipulative, and without any morals whatsoever. I feel that she is the kind of rare person that has no conscience, no concept of what is right and wrong, only the concept of the here and now, what she can get for herself with no consideration of the consequences to anyone else.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t doubt that she would quite easily bring about a mutiny on board this ship, another reason why I wanted to sail with The Baltimore as a close companion. If she doesn\u2019t create a mutiny, then perhaps she will set fire to the ship, or cause some mischief. I just somehow doubt the possibility of arriving in Tokyo with either Mrs Pelman still in custody or the ship intact.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused as there came a light knock on the door and when he called \u2018Enter\u2019, a young man stepped into the cabin. Rather shyly he removed his hat which he tucked under his arm, and then snapped a salute in respect of his Captain, although there was something in his poise and demeanour that indicated some defiance. Armstrong followed behind him, then stepped to his side, saluted Adam<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Cadet Stanley Phillips, sir. He has requested permission to speak with you on – er – the matter of -\u201d he paused as he caught Adam\u2019s dark eyes looking straight into his face, and the uncompromising blank look on his Commanding Officer\u2019s face made him blanche a little, he gulped, \u201chis removal from guard duty.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam switched his dark gaze to the younger man, his face remained emotionless although a pulse beat alarmingly at his temple,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re questioning my order, Cadet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I – well – no, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why are you here?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam leaned back in his chair, one hand rested upon the desk, the pen still between his fingers, while with his other hand he tapped impatiently against his thigh. Back home his brothers would have had the sense to start backing off.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman asked me to deliver a message to you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been talking with the prisoner?\u201d the face remained impersonal, but there was a slight edge to his voice now, he raised one hand to his brow and rubbed it with his forefinger.<\/p>\n \u201cShe talks through the door at me, sir. I – I don\u2018 t actually hold a conversation with her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat exactly were your orders, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo stand guard outside Mrs Pelman\u2019s cabin for a full watch, daily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot to have any discussion, conversation with her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd yet you\u2019re here now to deliver a message from her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, I didn\u2019t disobey orders. Believe me. I just stood there and she talked. I couldn\u2019t tell the lady not to talk, after all, she\u2019s alone, and in that cabin, and it gets frightfully hot in there.\u201d he paused, bit his lip and realised he wasn\u2019t actually doing the best out of a bad job, \u201cI mean, I felt kinda sorry for the lady, after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the message?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe wants to talk with you, about getting some fresh air, some freedoms.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam coughed, anything to disguise the rising anger that came into his throat. He looked at Armstrong and dismissed the man with a nod of the head, then looked at Phillips,<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been serving on board the Shenandoah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI came on board at Tokyo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c21, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you from?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman is our prisoner, and my orders are to bring her to Tokyo. You\u2019re young and inexperienced, Cadet, but I would have thought even so you would have known better than to have disobeyed orders -\u201d he raised a hand when Phillips opened his mouth to protest, \u201cand to have the – audacity – to carry a message from her to your Commanding Officer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure what else to do, sir, after all I promised -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou \u2018promised\u2019!\u201d Adam exclaimed, his eyebrows shooting up and the dark eyes widening.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a lady, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stood up, to Stanley Phillips he seemed to rear up like some Goliath from behind the desk, and he felt his knees knock together. He watched as Adam walked briskly around the desk, and then paused when he came to stand beside him,<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me.\u201d the Captain said in a quiet and solemn tone of voice.<\/p>\n Phillips followed Adam from the cabin and across the deck, down to the lower deck, and to where Soames worked in the sick bay. The smell of vomit, excrement, body heat, were mixed together with those of soap, disinfectant, and the heavy odour of laudanum, morphine and other medications. Adam led the way, removing his hat as he entered the sick bay, he nodded over to Soames who rose to his feet solemnly, and glanced from Adam to the young marine, his eyebrows raised in confusion,<\/p>\n \u201cDr Soames, are these men the crew from The Baltimore?\u201d he gestured towards a row of man who were lethargically stretched out upon hammock after hammock.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are those who have survived so far. I\u2019m hopeful that a few others will, but -\u201d he shook his head, \u201cI can\u2019t guarantee it for all.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam turned to Phillips and inclined his head to one side as he observed the young man,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know what happened to The Baltimore, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason why we came here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to walk through this room, observe the men here. I want you to remember that each and every one of them is a victim, of that woman\u2019s actions. Go ahead \u2026\u201d he swept his hand forward, and watched the youth falter, then step resolutely forward.<\/p>\n It took him less than five minutes to walk down the aisle and back again, by which time he had his head bowed and his lips clamped in to a narrowed bloodless line.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, sir? Do you still have sympathies for a woman who should, by rights, be in the brig instead of enjoying the comforts of my first Officer\u2019s cabin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u201d the voice was low and husky. \u201cBut she said that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSHE said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat it was her husband and brother, she had no idea what was happening and \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t say another word, sir.\u201d Adam raised his hand, and led the way out of the sick bay and back onto the deck. \u201cSergeant Armstrong -\u201d Jonas came immediately to Adam\u2019s side, Adam then turned to look at Stanley Phillips long and hard, \u201cSergeant, Cadet Phillips is to attend this sick bay every day and to do whatever Dr Soames tells him. He is to go nowhere near the deck or the cabin which holds the prisoner. Should he do so, he is to be charged and put in the brig.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d Armstrong saluted, Phillips did so also and Adam strode away back to his cabin.<\/p>\n The two marines stood silently side by side for a moment until the Captain was out of sight, then Jonas turned to the younger man,<\/p>\n \u201cYou got away with it mighty easy there, Phillips.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cD\u2019you think so, sergeant?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know so, sir. Because if it had been me I wouldn\u2019t have spent five minutes discussing the matter over with you, you ignorant, stupid little man, I would have had you taken down to the brig and left in solitary.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut? But?\u201d Jonas swelled up like one of the toads that swell in the Florida swamps during mating time, \u201cdon\u2019t argue with me, cadet. You compromised your position, you disobeyed orders, you let down the Marine Corps on board this ship. Now, you had better get on with your duties forthwith before I have you clapped in chains.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n In his cabin Adam walked to the port hole in his cabin and gazed out to sea. The sight of the waves rippling unceasingly to the horizon did nothing to lift his spirits, nor to quell the anxiety that trickled through him like electricity, the kind before a storm that sets the hairs on one\u2019s body standing on end.<\/p>\n He should have had the boy sent to the brig instead of talking the matter over, he told himself as his mouth narrowed and his eyes half closed. He bowed his head, and sighed. Joe would have done exactly the same though, he\u2019d have listened to sweet talk from a pretty woman and believed everything she had said to him. Phillips was young, he had been noticed as a promising Marine, one with a future ahead of him. How fair was it to ruin his chances because of Cassandra Pelman. Hadn\u2019t she victims enough already? Why add Phillips to the tally.<\/p>\n He glanced over at the desk and his unfinished letter. But he no longer had it in his heart to write any more. He paced the floor and then, mind made up, he strode out of the cabin and across the deck.<\/p>\n She could heard his footsteps, clipped and moving fast. By the time he had reached the door she was seated by the window, elegantly draped over the chair, her long hair loose and curling across her shoulder, the perfume intoxicatingly heavy in the air. A shaft of light from the doorway shone across her, at the slim body, and the long shapely legs. She half rose, as though in surprise, before sinking back into the chair.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain? I – I didn\u2019t think \u2026\u201d she lowered her head, cast down her eyes, and looked like a virginal martyr about to be served up to the lions.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, I understand that you find your quarters too small and too hot for your comfort?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, yes, a little.\u201d she looked up at him and her long lashes fluttered as though she found the light too strong after so many days in darkness.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you would like to walk around the deck and get some fresh air?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, indeed.\u201d she put her hands together as though in supplication and her large eyes widened while her lips smiled, exposing her perfectly white teeth.<\/p>\n Adam looked at her, for a full minute he allowed his eyes to look upon that face. She was a beautiful woman. He remembered the moment she had walked, no, swept into the Eugenes room and announced about the destruction of his ship, The Ainola, and her beauty had taken his breath away, caught up in that instant of time as she swept through the door, her clothes swirling, her face flushed \u2026 he released his breath and then turned, clicked his fingers and two seamen entered the cabin.<\/p>\n \u201cTake all the furniture out of here except the bed, one chair, and that small table.\u201d he ordered.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing? I don\u2019t understand?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you wanted to walk? I\u2019m afraid the deck is off limits for you, Madam. By removing most of the furniture you now have ample room to walk and exercise. If you want to do so with some fresh air, I suggest you open the port hole. But not on days when the weather is inclement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious?\u201d she stepped forwards, her hands spread out in appeal, \u201care you mad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Madam, not at all. If I were to comply with regulations you should be locked behind bars in the brig where there is no fresh air, and your companions would be the rats. As it is, my first Officer has provided you with his cabin while he shares a cabin with two other men in one far smaller than this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam -\u201d she cried out his name and grasped for his hand which he withdrew before her fingers could touch his flesh, \u201cYou hate me? Why? It wasn\u2018t my fault, all that has happened, it wasn\u2019t my fault. Please, please, believe me?\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing, but waited until the last piece of furniture had been taken from the room. He glanced around, and then looked at her. A tear rolled down her cheek and he knew that had it been anyone else, any other woman, he would have reached out, wiped it from that smooth porcelain skin but he merely turned his head away,<\/p>\n \u201cAm I so ugly then that you can\u2019t bear to look upon me?\u201d she cried with a sob in her voice.<\/p>\n Now he turned and looked at her, frowned and shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re a beautiful woman, Cassandra Pelman. But when I look at your face I see only a burning ship, nine of my men stretched out on the quayside in San Francisco, and I see you, triumphant and smiling as you told me my ship was burning. That\u2019s what I see when I look into your face, Madam, I see the faces of my crewmen \u2026\u201d he turned now, and without looking back stepped from the cabin, and closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n For a moment she stood there, staring at the closed door. Then she ran at it, clenched her hands into fists and pummelled at the wooden planks, kicked at them, and shouted and screamed and swore at him as his footsteps merely returned him to his cabin, and once there he closed his door and walked to the port hole to gaze out at the never ending sea.<\/p>\n Chapter 72<\/p>\n Everyone loved a party, and the Ponderosa Parties were legendary throughout the territory. Those who were invited placed their invitations proudly on their mantles so every visitor could see it, and those who were not invited did everything they possibly could think of in order to gain one. It didn\u2019t always succeed but occasionally someone got a pleasant surprise.<\/p>\n Hoss was as excited about Joe and Victoria\u2019s engagement as he possibly could be, although he now realised it also removed from him the obligation of finding himself a wife of his own. He was perfectly confident that once the couple were married then babies would be arriving at the Ponderosa sufficiently quickly for Ben to be made more than happy. He could relax. He felt a burden lifted from his shoulders. For the first time in days he went about his chores whistling and humming little tunes to himself.<\/p>\n \u201cHi Adam,<\/p>\n It\u2019s the 16th of the month here, and the weather is fine. In fact everything\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n He cleared his throat and concentrated. Writing a letter to his brother was something Hoss liked to do as often as possible, and then, when it was long enough he would seal it up and send it off. It could contain the events of a week or those of a month. But whatever it contained it was always written with a great deal of concentration .<\/p>\n \u201cThis week end we\u2019re holding a party. It\u2019s a real special party, brother, because Shortshanks has gotten hisself\u201d he crossed that out \u201chimself a finance. You remember little Victoria Shannon, Caleb\u2019s daughter? Well, he done popped the question to her and she said yes. So, by the time you get home there will be a Mrs Cartwright in the house again.<\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019s mighty pleased about it all because somehow he felt responsible for what happened to Caleb. Of course we keep telling him Caleb was responsible for what happened and it could have been a whole lot worse, after all, we could have lost the Ponderosa due to his shenannnaguns\u201d he crossed that out as well \u201cillegal dealings. But, you know Pa, and he felt responsible for Victoria, wanting to make sure she was safe and well. Now he\u2019s happy because she\u2019ll be here at the Ponderosa and he can really keep an eye on her.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course Hop Sing wasn\u2019t too happy at first. It\u2019s a long time since he\u2019s shared the kitchen with anyone. He seems more settled about it now and is busy getting things ready for the party.<\/p>\n Sure can\u2019t tell you how relieved I am that Joe has found himself a woman at last. I was beginning to think I would have to go git myself a wife. I tell ya, brother, women here are still in short supply and those that are available just don\u2019t seem to fit in with ol\u2019 Hoss\u2019 idea of a wife.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused then, with a sigh he scratched the back of his neck with the pen which left a black ink blob on his collar. He looked up and stared at the far wall, then scowled as a name drifted across his memory and a picture of a tall young woman with red hair and blue eyes flashed into view. It was gone in an instant, so swiftly in fact that he could pretend to himself that it had never happened.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall write another time and tell you how the party went, and how things are going here. Candy and Ann are well settled in your house, and the baby won\u2019t be long in coming now. I guess they\u2019ll be coming to the party, Joe being so friendly with him an\u2019 all.\u201d<\/p>\n He put away the pen and closed the lid on the ink pot. He held the letter up and read it through and nodded, it was one of his neater efforts, and he slipped it into the envelope that contained several other letters addressed to his brother. They would be posted off after the party, and he gave the envelope a light tap with his fingers as he walked away from his desk.<\/p>\n He stared out of his bedroom window and looked up at the stars, the moon was drifting along and there were no clouds. Just the slightest of breezes ruffled the leaves on the trees and somewhere an owl whooped. He liked the night sounds, they were always reassuring to him. Another day had ended and another was about to be born.<\/p>\n Down in the yard he saw Joe walking over to the corral, and he watched as his brother paused for a moment and raised his head to look at the stars above him. In such a vast expanse one can feel so small, so insignificant. It was the one time that Hoss ever felt like that, but then the one before whom he was standing was the one who had created all things anyway, so that was to be expected.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n For some hours the motion of the ship had been increasingly turbulent as the wind increased to 25 knots (27 mph approx). It was not a wind force to cause a seaman much anxiety, and on land would have been sufficient to move large branches, make telegraph wires sing, perhaps turn an umbrella inside out. It was driving behind the ships so that the Shenandoah was actually going at a good pace alongside the Baltimore.<\/p>\n On the bridge Adam watched his men at work. He walked down to check the binnacle every so often and then checked with the helmsman that they were remaining on course. He watched the sky carefully but there was no sign of any heavy clouds, only blue skies and the faintest puff of cloud to mar them.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like havin\u2019 wimmin about, not on ship -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam leaned over the rail to see who was speaking and noticed several seamen in a tight knot together. The ship pitched a little and they steadied up, Adam had to step back to keep his balance. The wind was building up.<\/p>\n \u201cWimmin on board ship are the very devil of a thing,\u201d another seaman muttered.<\/p>\n \u201cI hear tell this one\u2019s a looker though -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what? She\u2019s still a woman, ain\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but a good looking one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAin\u2019t no difference. You tell \u2019im, Jeb?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cS\u2019true, this ain\u2019t no place for a woman, and I hear that even though she\u2019s a looker, she\u2019s trouble. She\u2019s out to make trouble for the Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObvious, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Their voices faded into mumbles and when Adam glanced over the rail again they were gone, scrambling about their duties and cursing women in general like all seamen until they got to land, and returned to their wives and sweethearts, or the prostitutes in the brothels. Then when they returned on board the women were the worse problem in the world yet again, either because they wanted to be wed, or there was a baby on the way, or a new baby had arrived, or there was some unwanted disease that had somehow arrived along with their pleasure. Life – it was either swings or roundabouts for a seaman as far as women were concerned, but on board ship \u2026 there was no place for them<\/p>\n Adam could see O\u2019Brien quite clearly on the Baltimore. He wondered if he had been wise to have insisted on taking Cassandra Pelman on board the Shenandoah, but then his orders were to arrest her and escort her to Tokyo, along with finding O\u2019Brien and Hampton, and returning with the Baltimore.<\/p>\n Obviously it would have been easier for him to have given the responsibility to O\u2019Brien, but he was the senior Officer, and as such there was no bending of the rules. He noticed O\u2019Brien looking over at him and raised a hand in salute, he received an answering smile and a salute in return.<\/p>\n In the cabin Cassandra rolled on the bed. One moment her stomach was at her throat and another moment down in her ankles or floating ceiling wards. She was sweating and shivering at the same time, and more than once she had vomited. She had never had she felt so ill, and she began to cry, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes while at the same time bawling like a baby.<\/p>\n It was the cook\u2019s scullion, the lad who delivered the food for her to eat, under escort by the Marine on duty, who found her so ill who ran to find Dr Soames while the Marine stood at the doorway keeping an eye on her. Not that she was likely to run away, it was quite obvious that she could no more stand on her feet than walk.<\/p>\n The ship heaved again and she groaned, and heaved herself \u2026 once again vomit slewed onto the floor. She looked a bedraggled cheese coloured mess and for once in her life she didn\u2019t care. She clutched at the sheets now, hoping above hope that they would keep her secure on the bed from which she was terrified of falling.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman?\u201d Soames looked down at her and grimaced, obviously a bad case of sea sickness, and he shook his head in sympathy. He took her hand and felt her pulse, put a cool hand on her brow and nodded, then he turned to the Marine, \u201cFetch me some warm water and towels.\u201d<\/p>\n The Marine, deciding it was bad enough having to stand guard duty over the woman, and that he was certainly not going to be nursemaid as well, beckoned over a seaman and repeated the doctors request. The seaman preferring not to be involved with the woman delivered the message to one of the midshipmen who hurried to comply.<\/p>\n Within half an hour Soames had cleaned Cassandra up, given her a draught to calm her stomach, and got a seaman in to swab up the floor. When he finally left the cabin the air smelt slightly fresher, she looked decidedly cleaner and was finally sleeping.<\/p>\n He tapped lightly on Adam\u2019s door and entered with a slight sense of misgiving, Adam looked up and frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes there have to be anything wrong?\u201d Soames smiled, but he still looked pensive and uneasy.<\/p>\n \u201cNot necessarily, but you look as though you\u2019ve bad news to tell me, so, whatever it is, you had best tell me right out.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames smiled again, this time with a more relaxed air about him,<\/p>\n \u201cYou do make my task so much easier, Adam, when you can diagnose my moods so accurately.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam merely smiled in return and rose to his feet, poured sherry into two glasses and passed one over to the doctor,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been to see Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know that? Oh, stupid question, it\u2019s not as though we\u2019re actually separated by millions of miles is it?\u201d Soames sipped the sherry, and nodded, \u201cBad case of sea sickness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Adam frowned, \u201cI would have thought she would have suffered that from day one, rather than now \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, she\u2019s sick alright, probably the fact that we\u2019re having some turbulence.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and slid slightly lower in his chair while he nursed his glass between his long fingers, Soames continued \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve given her something to help her sleep. She should be, at least, a little more rested by the time she wakes up.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded again and took a sip of the sherry before putting the glass onto a table, he looked at Soames thoughtfully, and then looked away.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should be in Tokyo soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll be glad to lose your passenger there, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know they may want you to take her to America from there, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope not -\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cI\u2019d prefer it if someone else had the responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised, actually, that your orders were to take her to Tokyo and not directly to America.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Adam shrugged, \u201cOrders are orders \u2026 who are we to question them?\u201d he frowned slightly, \u201cAlthough, to be honest with you, Doctor, I was surprised myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 73<\/p>\n If only she could get some air .. Clean air that would restore her spirits enough to start thinking clearly again. Nearly a whole day had passed and all she had been able to do was sleep, sweat and pray that she wouldn\u2019t vomit again. Even now her throat burned and her stomach felt sore, but the misery of the previous hours were behind her as she stumbled across the floor towards the port hole all the time wondering why the floor never seemed to be exactly where it should be when she put down her foot. She fumbled at the catch and the glass flew open with such ease and swiftness that she was caught by surprise and was thrown off balance again. Now she could feel the cool air, it blew with the mist of sea spray upon her face and she drew closer in order to enjoy it even more.<\/p>\n The mist sparkled in among the curls of her hair and spangled her skin in the way of dew drops upon the petals of the tenderest blossoms. She leaned further forward in order to absorb it more and more just as the ship lurched again and shuddered, a wave thumped upon the ships side and spray slung itself through the opening and over her. Although it made her catch her breath in shock, she remained standing there to catch yet another cold dash of water as it struck against the ship. Finally, soaked through but feeling cleaner than she had for some time, she closed the window and fastened down the catch.<\/p>\n She dried herself and stripped off her clothes, found clean garments and dressed herself carefully before seeing to her hair. She had just finished her ablutions when the door opened and Soames entered followed by the kitchen lad bearing food on a tray.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look much better,\u201d Soames smiled at her, \u201cI was worried about you, Mrs Pelman. We couldn\u2019t really believe it was sea sickness that made you ill but couldn\u2019t think what else it could be, unless it was something you ate.\u201d<\/p>\n The kitchen lad scowled at that, and gave the doctor a dark glare before thumping the tray down on the table and then quickly leaving the cabin. Cassandra looked at the Doctor thoughtfully, and, as always, sought to see whether or not the man could be used to her advantage. She saw an honest man, humble but efficient; his eyes were clear and he looked at her without admiration for her looks, nor intimidation at her reputation. If she were to find any use in him it would take time to erode down his preconceived loyalties and prejudices. She glanced at the black medical bag and then at him,<\/p>\n \u201cDid you give me something, some medication?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly to calm your fever. I\u2019m pleased to see it worked well for you.\u201d he leaned forward and touched her brow, the glands at her throat and then picked up her hand to check her pulse, \u201cYes, you seem well recovered. Perhaps it was sea sickness after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a good sailor usually, but I think the confinement of this room, and the smells \u2026\u201d she shivered and drew her arms around herself, \u201cI could never stand being confined in small rooms. The food is awful, it makes me feel sick \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve not the best chef in the service, I must admit, but we shall be in Tokyo soon, so things will improve.\u201d he smiled and rose to his feet, \u201cDo you feel well enough now to go without medication?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll I want is fresh air and to be able to breathe.\u201d she reached out and placed her hand gently on his arm, \u201cCould you ask the Captain if it would be possible to take a walk on the deck, just once in a day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall ask, my dear, but I can\u2019t guarantee it\u2019ll happen. Captain Cartwright has already given you more than is required in connection to his orders. By rights you should be in the brig.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he tells me, but, Doctor, please believe me when I tell you this, I\u2019m innocent of what he feels I am guilty. Please, ask him to come and talk to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m afraid I can\u2019t do that, Mrs Pelman. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d he picked up the bag and rose to his feet, \u201cNow, eat your food while it\u2019s still warm.\u201d<\/p>\n She watched him leave the cabin, the door closed behind him and she was once again alone, the shadows of the small berth closing in around her, and the spray of the waves striking against the windows.<\/p>\n She picked up her bowl of soup, and a spoon. She sniffed it and felt her stomach tighten in rebellion, but before she put the bowl back she saw a small slip of paper on the tray, just under where the bowl had been placed. With the slightest of smiles on her face she opened it and read the message that had been scrawled upon it while at the same time her ears picked up the sound of familiar footsteps approaching her cabin, stopping, a murmur of voices before the footsteps continued onwards.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The sails were full, and they were maintaining a good speed. The Baltimore ploughed through the waves alongside them like a sheep dog herding its last recalcitrant lamb into the fold. Very soon they would be reaching Tokyo and as Adam stood at the taffrail with his hands clasped in his familiar stance now, he wondered what would be awaiting him there.<\/p>\n He turned as Soames joined him, a slight smile on his face, Adam raised an eyebrow,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman.\u201d Adam replied slowly. \u201cHow is she, by the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPositively blooming. She thinks it was the food, the confinement in a small room and the lack of fresh air. She wants you to let her take a walk around the deck once a day.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing. He looked thoughtfully at the Doctor and then turned to look once again at the sea. The last person he wanted to think about at that moment in time was Cassandra Pelman. The Marine opened the door to the cook\u2019s boy and made some comment that caused some laughter between them. He stepped into the cabin and as he approached the table to pick up the tray, he placed a bundle of clothes on the floor. Then he picked up the tray, nodded at her, and quickly left the cabin. The door opened and closed behind him.<\/p>\n It was done so quickly, so easily and simply that Cassandra hardly had time to realise it had happened. But there were the clothes, and she quickly examined them, smiled and nodded in satisfaction. She now walked over to her bed and from under the pillow produced a two edged surgical knife, a lancet, that she had carefully stolen from the medical bag Soames had left open during the time of his earlier visit. She tested the point against her thumb, it drew blood instantly.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n There is nothing as lovely as a clipper ship with her sails billowing as the winds caught her, nothing lovelier than when it dipped into a black black sea with the light of many stars tipping each wave with silver and a moon shedding down her light to make the sails shine ghostly white against the blackness of the sea and sky. Sometimes a shaft a light would beam through the clouds, silvery bright, speckling the ship and sending her like a phantom over the waves.<\/p>\n The Shenandoah was not the size of the Ainola, but she was beautiful. Adam passed his hand over the smooth wood, and raised his face to the air and spray. It was evenings like this that he dreamt about when he was home on the Ponderosa, when he would be on the cattle drives curled in his bed roll, a saddle at his head. He would think of the evenings when his ship would look like something from a fairy story, dipping into a black sea and rising among silver tipped waves. Stars studded the sky here as brightly as at home, and the moon broke through clouds with the same regal splendour, but the sight and sounds of his ship breaking through the waves could never be replicated anywhere else.<\/p>\n He glanced about the deck, nodded over at the helmsman, Laurensen, and walked slowly around the decks. The men who were standing watch saluted as he passed, before resuming their soft chatter. Kenney paused to say a few words, interspersed with the sound of the sails and masts creaking, the swoosh of water as the ship dipped and rose up again, and then he walked on. Myers stopped to speak to him, they discussed a matter quietly in order not to disturb anyone close by, then he turned and made his way to his cabin.<\/p>\n He passed her cabin, the Marine saluted and he asked him if everything was alright, and the Marine nodded and confirmed that all was well.<\/p>\n \u201cA good night, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, indeed.\u201d and he walked on.<\/p>\n The Marine sighed and wished he could go to bed. He was bored and he saw no beauty in the night because his feet ached. He suffered from fallen arches and no one seemed to sympathise with him one bit. He walked over to the side of the ship and looked down \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright disrobed slowly. He folded his clothes and set them down in reverse order so that in a hurry he could reach out and pull everything on without having to fumble around. He slid into his bed with a gratefulness indicative of his weariness. A candle glowed behind its glass shutter but his eyes were already closing before he could blow out the flame.<\/p>\n He slept deeply. He was quite unaware of the time when the door creaked open very slowly and someone entered the room. Light shone from the window, soft silvery light that gleamed upon the blade of the lancet held tightly in the intruder\u2019s hand as with soft feet she approached the bed.<\/p>\n He stirred slightly, raised an arm to cover his face and then let it fall back against his side. She looked down at him, at the high cheekbones, the finely shaped mouth and strong stubborn chin. The flutter of eyelashes indicated that he could be near to waking so what had to be done, would have to be done swiftly. She leaned down closer to him, closer and raised her hand.<\/p>\n Chapter 74<\/p>\n Why was she hesitating? Her hand clutched the knife but trembled, her mind urged her \u2018Go on, go on, why wait, do it now.\u2019 but still she hesitated. She stepped back a pace as though to distance herself from the man in the bed who now stirred, black hair, tousled and curled, contrasted sharply with the paleness of the pillow upon which he rested his head. He sighed and upon his doing so, she lowered her hand.<\/p>\n Was it possible that the man she hated so much, and had hated for so long, was the one man whom she desired more than any man she had ever known in her life before? Could it really be that rather than plunge that knife into him, she wanted only to lean towards him and kiss his lips, and hear his voice speak words of love to her?<\/p>\n \u201cFool -\u201d she told herself, \u201cFool.\u201d and she moved back again and as she did so the glass shade that protected the candle hit against her hand, its heat burned and she gave a cry of startled horror as she dropped the knife upon the floor and clutched at the scorched flesh.<\/p>\n Before she could turn a hand had grasped her wrist, and another was at her throat and she was looking into the dark very alert eyes of the man she had just considered murdering.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing here?\u201d he growled in a voice that sounded like the rumble of an enraged lion and the grip around her throat tightened so that she had to bring up her free hand in an attempt to claw herself away from his grip. When that didn\u2019t work she brought her hand up and struck him across the face, bringing her nails down to rake across the flesh of his cheek.<\/p>\n He shook her now, shook her until tears sprung to her eyes and she was pulling at his hand to release her, even though she couldn\u2019t tear her eyes away from staring into his face. The grim mouth, the bone of the nose whitening against the flesh, the wide angry eyes and the strength of his fingers around her throat, all created within her a whole confusion of emotions, emotions over which she no longer had any control but were now so bound up with this one man.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease – please -\u201d she whispered and she felt the grip on her loosen, so that she was able to pull herself free and retreat several paces while she dragged in great gulps of air.<\/p>\n Before either could say a word the door opened with a crash, and the room filled with men, Armstrong, Sergeant of Marines, Myers and Kenney crowding in behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cTake her away, put a padlock on the door, find out what\u2019s been going on and who\u2019s her accomplice.\u201d Adam yelled as he started to pull on clothing.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know her accomplice, Captain, one of them anyway.\u201d Myers murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, keep him under observation for the next few minutes and then bring him in here.\u201d<\/p>\n He watched them take her away, her face ashen white and her hair a mass of golden coils that framed her tragic appearance to perfection. The rough seaman\u2019s clothing did little to conceal her femininity, and when she turned pitiful eyes towards him he could only shake his head in disbelief and anger. He buttoned his shirt slowly, forcing his fingers to do the job carefully, while Myers stood waiting to speak to him. Hathaway lit several lamps, and stood at attention by the door.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened?\u201d Adam snapped, \u201cAnd how did it happen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe had outside help.\u201d Myers said slowly, \u201cSomeone sent her in some clothing and somehow they arranged a plan to get her out of the cabin. The Marine on duty was – is – dead. There\u2019s no sign of him, we can only assume they pushed him overboard after – er – afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere was enough blood to indicate he put up a struggle, but was overpowered. There\u2019s no hope of finding his body now.\u201d Hathaway said quietly.<\/p>\n Adam nodded, he poured some brandy into a glass, and drank some before pulling out a chair and sitting down. Now fully dressed and booted, he waited for Armstrong to bring in Pelman\u2019s accomplice. Myers and Hathaway waited nervously, the lack of an offer to share a drink with the Captain an indication of his anger.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir, I should have heard something sooner, but was on the other side of the ship.\u201d Hathaway stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Hathaway, I don\u2019t want excuses. I want to know how she could have got those clothes, that knife, and be able to cross the deck after murdering one of our Marines with the intention of despatching me.\u201d he glared at them both, dark eyes smouldering and both men knew that they had failed in his estimation of them.<\/p>\n The door opened and Soames stepped into the cabin,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve just heard. Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Adam dismissed the question with the same brevity with which he would dismiss his father and brothers concerns had he been tossed from a horse, \u201cThere\u2019s something over there that belongs to you, Doctor.\u201d and he pointed to the lancet the tip of which was struck into the wooden floor by the bed where she had dropped it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh – I – er – wondered where that had gone.\u201d Soames pulled the blade free and examined it carefully, \u201cThere\u2019s blood on it. You haven\u2019t been -\u201d he paused at seeing the look of exasperation pass over Adam\u2018s face. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. Really sorry. I didn\u2019t notice it was gone until about an hour ago \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman had it, that\u2019s where it had gone, Doctor.\u201d he straightened his shoulders and quirked one eyebrow, \u201cThe blood you see isn\u2019t from me, but from one of our Marines -\u201d he stopped speaking, the thought of the lone man battling to live, being cast into the sea, lost among the waves with no one to know or assist him caught at his throat.<\/p>\n He glanced away now and bit down on his lip, drew in his breath and when the door opened to admit Armstrong and three other men, he dismissed the doctor and Hathaway. Myers, as his first lieutenant, sat down and quietly picked up a pencil and paper in order to write down what was about to be said. Although this was not customary at the time, it was a procedure that Adam had already discussed with Myers, and one that was to be proven expedient and providential.<\/p>\n Armstrong led the way into the room, and behind him came the accomplice flanked by two armed Marines. After saluting his Captain, Armstrong swallowed hard, and then, staring ahead of him as though already facing judge and jury, he announced that he had brought in Mrs Pelman\u2019s accomplice. The man had made no attempt to escape once he had realised Mrs Pelman had been caught and taken to her cabin. Adam turned his eyes to the accused while at the same time wiping away the blood from his cheek with his handkerchief.<\/p>\n Phillips stared back at the other man with his eyes bright, almost fever bright. His face was ashen although two bright red blotches coloured his cheeks. He was biting his lips but when he realised Adam was looking at him he stopped and raised his chin defiantly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Mr Phillips, you – again?\u201d<\/p>\n Phillips said nothing, he remained silent even when Armstrong ordered him to answer.<\/p>\n Adam raised his hands and clasped them together, leaned back in his chair and looked at the young man thoughtfully. He didn\u2019t think the man had acted out of passion, there had been too little time, but then, he was still a youth and she was beautiful. Her presence, the whispered conversations through the wooden planks of the door could have aroused some emotion for her. He sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cMr Phillips, you\u2019re in serious trouble, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Still no answer, a flush of colour mantled the pale cheeks and the Adam\u2019s apple jerked convulsively. Adam frowned, stood up and walked to the table where he poured brandy into a glass, and then handed it to the prisoner. Phillips sat and shifted uncomfortably in his chair, before accepting the glass and drinking what was in it.<\/p>\n \u201cSergeant Armstrong, take your Marines and wait outside, if I need you I shall call you. Mr Myers, you may leave. Return in an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather disconcertedly the four men did as they were told, glancing back over their shoulders as they finally closed the door behind them, leaving the two men along in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cNow then, Mr Phillips, why don\u2019t you explain exactly what\u2019s going on here and who else is involved.\u201d Adam was leaning now against his desk, his long legs straight out and his arms folded across his chest. He was not looking angry nor aggressive in any way, but rather more kindly and brotherly, and Phillips wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed nervously, as though he wanted to talk but fear prevented him from doing so.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve given you one chance, Mr Phillips, if you don\u2019t help me now, I may not be able to help you get out of the mess you\u2019ve got yourself into \u2026\u201d his voice was deep, warm and comforting.<\/p>\n Phillips looked up, looked into the Captain\u2019s face and swallowed again.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s – well – it\u2019s a long story.\u201d he mumbled.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright, we\u2019ve plenty of time. There\u2019s no hurry.\u201d and Adam pulled out a chair and sat down opposite the younger man in much the same manner as he would have done had he been about to discuss some problem with Joe.<\/p>\n Chapter 75<\/p>\n For a few moments Phillips remained sitting very still, his facial muscles twitched and contorted as though indicative of some inner turmoil that was going on inside him. He glanced up at Adam every so often but the calm patient exterior of the other man eventually seemed to put him at ease, for he took a deep breath and began to speak<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019d consider me as a traitor for what happened tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, a murderer anyway, if you were the one who killed the Marine.\u201d Adam replied gently, but looking with some sympathy at Phillips, and he did feel sympathy for him, for this was a promising cadet, a man with his future ahead of him and all of it ruined. He had nothing more than the hangman\u2019s noose waiting for him now.<\/p>\n Phillips sighed and shook his head, then wiped sweat from his face with one hand which he then wiped down his jacket. He nodded as though he had made up his mind about something and continued.<\/p>\n \u201cIt started during the war. I\u2019d best tell you right now that I was born and raised in Atlanta.\u201d he stared at Adam as though those words should mean everything and really needed no explanation, the Captain nodded once but made no comment. \u201cI was just a kid when my Father and elder brother went off to fight for General Lee. They fought for the Confederacy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo on,\u201d Adam sighed, and half closed his eyes while at the back of his mind he already realised what was going to come and why this story was going to lead to something so familiar.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, my Father never came back from the war, and Jimmy returned minus a leg and not looking much like Jimmy any more. He told us a lot about the fighting, the killing, but he said that the man he admired most of all, and to whom he owed his life, was a doctor. Dr Jeffrey Metcalfe.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam released his breath but didn\u2019t reveal his thoughts to the other man, he just felt like a lead weight had been strung around his neck. Phillips cleared his throat and continued.<\/p>\n \u201cJimmy talked a lot about Dr Metcalfe, how the man had tried to save our Father, and others, countless others. How he\u2019d done everything possible to save him. We got to hear about it a whole lot because Jimmy couldn\u2019t really talk about much else, it was like his mind was trapped in those battles, as though he were fighting them over and over again all his waking hours.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, not long after Jimmy had come home Sherman razed Atlanta to the ground. Guess everyone knows about it, but not many experienced it first hand. I did. I was a kid and I was terrified, and more than anything else I hated them Yankees. My Ma and I got out of Atlanta safely but Jimmy, he thought it was another fight he had to get himself involved in, and he just went right into the thick of the fires \u2026 we never saw him again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr Phillips.\u201d Adam cleared his own throat now, and after some seconds of silence asked the young man to continue with the story.<\/p>\n \u201cWe struggled about for a while, like hundreds of others. Then my Ma married again, a man who had known Dr Metcalfe. We moved to California and settled down there. He adopted me as his son and I took on his name. When I was at Military College I met some men who knew \u2026\u201d he paused and then raised his eyes to look into Adam\u2019s face \u201cI can\u2019t break my pledge to them, sir. I\u2019m sorry.\u201d he swallowed \u201cIf I say anymore I\u2019ll be a double traitor, to them and – and to this uniform.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019No man can serve two masters-\u2019\u201d Adam murmured, he leaned forward, \u201cLet me continue for you, shall I? You met with a group of people who wanted to restore the Confederacy? You signed a pledge to support them and do what you could to bring down the Grant administration. You were told that by serving as a Marine you were in a privileged position to serve the cause. You met Metcalfe, and he convinced you that you were an honoured member of the group.\u201d he looked at Phillips, saw how the eyes had dilated, the colour faded and then flooded back into his face, \u201cEventually you met others, influential people. You probably met Commodore Pelman and his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes, I did \u2026\u201d he stammered, \u201cHow did you know all that? Are you -\u201d he shook his head and then in an undertone as though speaking to himself he murmured, \u201cNo, that\u2019s not possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t possible for me to be part of any of these illicit groups. Pelman and Metcalfe were just two of many men and women who want to bring down the Grant administration, and not always for the sake of the Confederacy, sometimes just so that they can restore an order of their own. Self seeking, ambitious men will always find men like yourself, Phillips.\u201d he sighed and bit down on his bottom lip, before passing his hand across his mouth and then slowly lowering it back into his lap. \u201cWhat was your father\u2019s name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes that matter?\u201d his eye lids flickered, he licked dry lips.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m assuming that Metcalfe suggested that you signed your pledge in your real father\u2019s name, after all, your father died a hero for the Confederate cause, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d he nodded, \u201cYou\u2019re right. My father\u2019s name was Max Shankley. Major Max Shankley.\u201d his eyes flickered with pride then, and for the first time his voice resonated with something like pride.<\/p>\n Adam leaned back, bowed his head and recalled to mind that fateful list of names that had caused so much misery all those months before, misery and death. Mentally he went down the list, one by one the names rolled down and then his eyes looked up and into the Cadet\u2019s and he nodded. Shankley had been a name on the list.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, did you come on board the Shenendoah with the intention of causing trouble?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr Metcalfe arranged for me to get on board\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd who else helped you in all this? I presume you\u2019re not the only person on board with the same allegiances as yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s only one other person, Captain. He wasn\u2019t exactly willing to help either, he has a lot of respect for you but I had to put the pressure on him in order to help Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo coming to her assistance was for duty alone -?\u201d Adam smiled grimly, although he discreetly kept his hand covering his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI owed it to Dr Metcalfe, for what he had done for my family and for me. I know we can\u2019t achieve what had originally been planned, all that went wrong when Commodore Pelman died and members of the rebel cells got rounded up. But I still had to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this other assistant?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Cook, Doug Sweetman \u2026 he was the one who passed on my messages to her, he got his assistant to take the clothes into her. The boy wasn\u2019t involved, he was just asked to do something and he did it because he\u2019s used to taking orders from the cook.\u201d he licked his lips and shrugged, \u201cWe were going to get into the boat and make our way to the French ship, La Dauphine. She hadn\u2019t sailed much before you so wouldn\u2019t be that far ahead, and I knew her co-ordinates because I got them from one of the Frenchmen\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you killed the Marine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201c he shook his head, and for a moment looked rather confused, he looked at Adam as though perhaps the Captain would be able to provide the answers that would put his own mind at rest, \u201cMrs Pelman had got out of the cabin, I was waiting for her in the shadows nearby. It just happened by chance that the Marine spotted her so she -\u201d he winced \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have thought it possible for a little thing like her to have so much strength, but she just slashed out at him, and he fell, holding his throat. Blood went everywhere. I caught his rifle so that it didn\u2019t make a noise falling to the deck, and we just toppled him over the side. He was dead \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Again Adam released his breath, almost unaware that he had actually been holding it in. He bowed his head and frowned, clasped his hands tightly together and then rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a crazy idea. You\u2019d never have got past the Baltimore.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI think her main reason for getting out of the cabin was to get in here -\u201d Phillips whispered, \u201cThat\u2019s when I realised that I had just been used by her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s any consolation, Cadet, you weren\u2019t the first.\u201d Adam said as he passed him, he placed a friendly hand on his shoulder and then opened the door, \u201cSergeant Armstrong, we\u2019re ready for you now.\u201d<\/p>\n Armstrong came in, rather hot under the collar, followed by the two Marines.<\/p>\n \u201cTake Cadet Phillips and lock him in the brig. Also the cook, Sweetman. Make sure there\u2019s a padlock on Mrs Pelman\u2019s door and two Marines on guard. No one is to go into the cabin alone \u2026\u201d he turned to Phillips, \u201cIf there are any other members of your group on board ship, try and remember who they are, for your own sake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are no others.\u201d the young man said slowly, he wiped his face free from perspiration once again as he slowly rose to his feet, \u201cI had to do what I did, I owed it to her brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that but stepped aside to let the four men go by, and then, very slowly, he closed the door behind him. Again he released his breath, walked to the table and poured himself another brandy. Just for a moment he remained perfectly still, the decanter in one hand and the glass in the other as he stared out of the window, Jeffrey Metcalfe, it seemed, even in death, perhaps more so in death, was going to haunt him for the rest of his life.<\/p>\n Chapter 76<\/p>\n Daniel O\u2019Brien whistled through his teeth as he listened to what Adam was telling him. It was a quiet and still morning, the sun was still in the splendid state of rising, shedding orange and golden rays across the calm waters. Both ships had anchored and Daniel had come over in the Baltimore\u2019s skiff to take on those members of his crew that were well enough for duty, as well as breakfast and some association with his friend. The crew that had rowed over were men from the Shenandoah who were anticipating returning to their own ship and were even now in the seamen\u2019s quarters being regaled with the news of what had happened.<\/p>\n Soames, rather sombre and quiet, was seated by the stove nursing some of Adam\u2019s good dark coffee, Myers, Hathaway and Kenney were also present listening to what had taken place that night, and what had taken place with the conversation between Adam and Phillips. The remains of breakfast were piled on a table awaiting the attentions of Mike Scott, the steward.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Kenney declared, mindful of his stomach, \u201cSweetman won\u2019t be any great loss as a cook, but I\u2019m surprised that he got involved.\u201d his mind became distracted from then on as consideration had to be given to who was going to replace him, The breakfast they had been served had been prepared by Scott himself, and to Kenny\u2019s mind, it wasn\u2019t up to ships standard.<\/p>\n \u201cLoyalties go deep,\u201d O\u2019Brien said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s almost a shame that flogging has been abolished -\u201d Kenney murmured, \u201cperhaps this wouldn\u2019t have happened if it still existed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve President Filmore to thank for that,\u201d O\u2019Brien smiled, \u201cNaval Appropriations Bill signed 28th September 1850\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd thank goodness for it,\u201d Adam said sharply, \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have allowed it anyway -, \u201cIt would have made anybody else thinking of doing such a thing think twice about doing it.\u201d Soames answered before Daniel had even opened his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough -\u201d Myers nodded and the others murmured agreement.<\/p>\n Daniel looked thoughtfully at his friend, at the deep scratches on his face, a trace of weariness around the eyes. He recalled how he had once looked at Adam Cartwright and discussed the merits of being a Cape Hornier, how they had laughed together at that, and he had looked at the older man and thought how he would be prepared to go to the ends of the world for him, \u201cCaptain oh my Captain\u201d had been the words that had swelled up in his heart to overflowing, and since then there had been the horrors of that time in Alaska, San Francisco and what had befallen him in the Kuril Islands. He shook his head, and leaned forward,<\/p>\n \u201cBut you were lenient on him, Adam? He could have been an accessory to your murder. He IS an accessory to the murder of Isaiah Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam leaned back in his chair as though to get more comfortable, he raised one shoulder and then quirked an eyebrow, Soames poured more coffee into everyone\u2019s cup, and sunlight shone through the window. During the silence in the room Scott came and efficiently cleared away the remnants of the meal.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact is that they are both an accessory to treason now. That takes the punishment out of my jurisdiction. It\u2019s for a court martial to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n An uncomfortable silence settled around them, Soames sighed and put his cup down, it rattled noisily in the saucer. Scott returned with a fresh pot of hot coffee and set it down upon the tray and took away the few remaining soiled dishes in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cOh well,\u201d Adam shrugged and dismissed it, \u201cTime to talk of other things.\u201d he turned to Soames, \u201cAre any of the men well enough to return to the Baltimore, Doctor? If so, perhaps you could give them a clean bill of health before leaving us, and returning with Captain O\u2019Brien. If you still require the help of our men, Daniel, then by all means retain them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about your prisoners? Would you like us to take the responsibility of Phillips and Sweetman from the Shenandoah? We have a good sturdy brig that is going unused on the Baltimore you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you have,\u201d Adam smiled, and walked alongside his friend to the door which he opened slowly, \u201cBut the Shenandoah\u2019s brig hasn\u2019t been used before and still smells sweet, although I would never admit that to Mrs Pelman in case she decides it\u2019s better than Myers cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n They emerged into the full light of a splendid new day, Adam raised his face up to the sun and smiled, before looking over at Daniel who had turned to look over at him. In another twenty four hours they would be in Tokyo. He pursed his lips into a pout, narrowed his eyes and turned to walk to the binnacle. Just another twenty four hours and he could say goodbye to Cassandra Pelman at last.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson walked down the gangplank of the Mojave, an excellent ship that had brought him safely from San Francisco to Tokyo. He stood there for a moment and looked about him to observe the differences in culture and tradition that were now exposed to his sight. Those first few moments of observation settled his mind, he drew in his breath and holding tightly to his extremely bulky bag, made his way to the nearest vehicle.<\/p>\n For some reason he had expected to see Adam Cartwright waiting for him, but news of what had taken place had been slow in reaching him. He could only hope that Adam was safe, and that no harm had come to him. He watched the people as he passed, the women in their Kimono\u2019s who flashed dark eyes over at him in curiosity, and the men who wore the male equivalency to the Kimono, and some who chose to wear western garb .. It was all fascinating, busy and very noisy.<\/p>\n The rickshaw deposited him outside the hotel at which he was going to stay. Again he took a deep breath before mounting the steps to the door, the bag weighed down his left side it was so heavy. He was glad to be able to drop it upon the floor of his room and then sit down on the bed. The air was heavy and humid. He wanted to open the window but was too tired. Instead he stared up at the ceiling until his eyes closed and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Candy and Ann Canady were, in Hoss\u2019 estimation, one of the handsomest couples he had ever known. Both had thick black hair and brilliant blue eyes, they smiled easily and gave their friendship warmly. When they entered the Ponderosa\u2019s grand room, with the coloured Chinese lanterns and banners and streamers they were warmly welcomed by the three Cartwrights, and then Joe introduced Victoria Shannon with a pride that made Ben\u2019s heart swell with an emotion that only a father could feel at that time.<\/p>\n \u2018This one,\u2019 Ben told himself, \u2018this is the one for Joe. He really loves her, this is no mere flight of fancy on his part, like in the past. Well, it\u2019s time the boy settled down. Yes, it\u2019s time.\u201d<\/p>\n He broke off his musings as someone jogged his elbow and he turned to find himself looking at Candy, who was smiling at him with his blue eyes looking mischievously bright.<\/p>\n \u201cSeems like you\u2019ll be gaining a daughter in law very soon, Ben.\u201d Candy handed a glass of punch to the older man, and smiled, \u201cShe\u2019s a very pretty woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, she is -\u201d Ben agreed, \u201cShe\u2019s also charming, intelligent and generous. Far too good for him, in fact.\u201d and he laughed good humouredly as they both turned to watch the young couple as they strolled around the room, arm in arm, meeting and talking to various neighbours and friends who had gathered there to celebrate the occasion with them.<\/p>\n \u201cI never thought he would get over Little Moon,\u201d Candy said softly, \u201cit\u2019s taken a while, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, for a while I thought he would never be able to let go of her memory. Perhaps it was because -\u201d he paused, shook his head, perhaps it was better not to say anything more, he sipped some more punch, \u201cthere was so much going on at the time, it may have added to the romance and tragedy of it all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I do understand, Mr Cartwright -\u201d Candy smiled his broad smile, and then looked at his wife and his face gentled, the eyes softened and followed her as she went to talk to Hoss, \u201cLife takes some odd turns, doesn\u2019t it , sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt does, Candy, and -\u201d he looked at the man who had been friend and foreman for some years \u201cdon\u2019t you think you should call me Ben now? We are neighbours after all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think Hoss has any intention of settling down yet, Ben?\u201d Candy asked and using the name so comfortably that Ben had the uneasy feeling that he had been practising it for weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think so -\u201d Ben glanced over at Hoss who was nodding and smiling at Ann Canady, \u201cShe\u2019d have to be a very special person. I\u2019d want – oh well, who am I to say who I would want for Hoss. He\u2019s all heart and the person he\u2019d need to marry would have to understand that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Candy nodded, \u201cYes, I guess she would.\u201d and he emptied his glass slowly, his eyes watching his wife as she chatted to Hoss while the music played and couples began to dance.<\/p>\n Noise, laughter, singing and music playing. Victoria in Joe\u2019s arms, being spun round and round, laughing, smiling, and happy. Joe felt giddy from the noise, from the dancing and the talking. His hand was aching from the numerous hand shakes, his back stung from the many slaps it had received in good natured congratulations. And really, all he wanted to do was to take his beloved girl to a quiet spot and take her in his arms and kiss her, remind himself that he was well blessed in finding her, and kiss her some more.<\/p>\n Hoss clambered onto the seat of the Canady\u2019s buggy and carefully manoeuvred it through the yard, carefully avoiding getting wheels snagged and various other obstacles that were determined to get in his way. It hadn\u2019t unduly bothered him when Ann had asked him to go back to her house and try and persuade her cousin to join them at the party.<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, Hoss, she felt that she couldn\u2019t possibly come without having been invited. Besides which she doesn\u2019t know anyone here yet, least of all Joe and Victoria. I\u2019ve told her all about you and your family, of course, but that\u2019s not the same, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, no, ma\u2019am, no, it ain\u2019t.\u201d he had replied, and nodded in sincere agreement. He was getting over warm as it was, what with the crowd of folk squeezed into the room, and all that dancing and noise only added to the heat he was feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cYou won\u2019t mind then, going to persuade her to come? You could say you were extending a personal invitation, couldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDawg gone, Ma\u2019am, that\u2019s sure a good idea. You sure she won\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course she won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but if she ain\u2019t expecting to be coming to a party, she might be doin\u2019 something else, like washing her hair, or – something like that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue enough, but you could wait for her to get ready, couldn\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess so.\u201d his brow had crinkled and he shook his head, \u201cWhat if she don\u2019t want to come?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen just say, \u2018Goodnight, pleased to meet you. Perhaps some other time \u2026\u2019\u201d Ann had smiled encouragingly, her blue eyes had fixed insistently upon his face, as he had nodded and repeated the words to himself.<\/p>\n Now he let the horses get into a canter while he thought over what had taken place. He nodded to himself,<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ma\u2019am, pleased to meet you, perhaps some other time \u2026\u201d he muttered, and sighed, \u201cNow, that ain\u2019t right. Dangblast it, I forgot to ask Ann what her cousin\u2019s name was \u2026 shucks, ain\u2019t that jest plain stupid, how\u2019d I manage to forget that?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 77<\/p>\n Of course, he dropped his hat. He had knocked on the door, removed his hat and mumbled under his breath what he was meant to say, but it came out wrong again so he raised his hand to his head to scratch his scalp and dropped his hat. As he bent down to retrieve it the door opened very slowly, and as he equally slowly straightened himself up, he observed the full green skirts of a woman\u2019s dress, then the nipped in waist that led to her \u2018upper\u2019 regions. He gulped, and felt flutters of nerves in his stomach as he clutched his hat closer to his own chest.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2018t I know you?\u201d she said, with a note of relief in her voice, and she pulled the door open more welcomingly, \u201cIt\u2018s Mr Cartwright, isn\u2018t it? We met the other day in town.\u201d<\/p>\n He gulped harder and realised his mouth was dry, drier than the Mohave desert. He nodded and stared at her face as though he couldn\u2018t really believe who he was looking at. \u201cCome on in, Mr Cartwright. I\u2019ve just brewed a new pot of coffee, and there\u2019s a fresh batch of cookies just made. It won\u2019t matter if we have some now, I can always make more.\u201d<\/p>\n He hemmed and hawed, bumped into a table and sent the lamp rocking back and forth so that he had to make a quick grab at it, then he tripped over a foot stool and landed rather heavily and awkwardly in a chair by the fire.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me take your hat,\u201d she was still smiling and placed the hat carefully on the bureau by the door, \u201cHow do you like your coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n He watched as she turned to a glass panelled cupboard from which she took another cup, and placed it beside her own. She was a neat shape, he liked the back view every bit as much as the front. She wasn\u2019t at all skinny or scrawny like some women could be, in fact, she was a good sturdy shape, with out being in any way hefty. She was tall, for a woman, but most of all she was – well – to Hoss\u2019 mind she was lovely. When she turned round to smile at him her blue eyes were as blue as the forget me knots that were painted on the cup, and her cheeks dimpled, and he noticed that her lips were generous and full.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Ma\u2019am, that would be fine.\u201d he blinked and stretched his eyes, and then shook his head as though to make sure he wasn\u2019t dreaming, after all, he had had several dreams in which she had featured since they had met and it was just possible that during the ride from the Ponderosa he could have dozed off.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s very kind of you to come and visit, especially this evening when your family has arranged this party for your brother.\u201d she looked over at him now, and frowned, the smile replaced with a look of concern, \u201cshouldn\u2019t you be there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, no, I mean, wal, I guess so.\u201d he took the cup and the smell of the coffee was rich and bitter, he nodded, \u201cSmells real good.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, here, have one of these.\u201d and as he leaned forward to carefully take one she smiled, \u201cBest take two -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, ma\u2019am, don\u2019t mind if I do.\u201d<\/p>\n They sipped the coffee and she nibbled a cookie while he chomped on both his, and neither of them said a word, although they kept glancing over at one another, always careful not to get eye contact. Eventually he cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cActually, ma\u2019am, I rode over to ask you to come to the party. Of course, if\u2019n you wanted to wash you hair instead, that\u2019s jest fine by me, but I know the folks would love to meet you an\u2019 all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re very kind. How thoughtful. Did my cousin put you up to this? She did say that your family wouldn\u2019t mind my coming even though I had no invitation, but -\u201d she frowned, \u201cWell, to tell you the truth, I\u2019m not very good with parties and meeting people. I never know what to say, and as I wouldn\u2019t know anyone there -\u201d she went a little pink, and lowered her head, \u201cIt\u2019s difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know jest how you feel.\u201d Hoss nodded, \u201cI know all them folks back there and I still feel awkward not knowing what to talk about -\u201d he put his cup down and nodded gratefully when she indicated a willingness to refill it. \u201cI didn\u2019t know Miss Ann had a cousin, or rather, I didn\u2019t know you were her cousin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I would come and visit, help during her confinement and see how things work out here.\u201d she smiled and automatically raised the plate towards him, taking it for granted that he would take another two, \u201cIt\u2019s been a little difficult for me for a while, and when Ann suggested that I came for this visit, I grabbed at the chance.\u201d she smoothed out her skirts, and turned her face to the fire. \u201cWill you call me Hester, Mr Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr – why – sure I will, ma\u2019am, if you don\u2019t mind calling me Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you called Horse?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, ma\u2019am, not Horse. My Ma was Swedish, and in her country it means a gentle friendly man. Fact is, she didn\u2019t realise that I was going to grow to this size, so most folk just kinda think – well – it means \u2018that big guy over there\u2019\u201d he blushed a little then, and buried his face in his cup.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I suppose they would think that, but I like the real meaning of the word best, it suits you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa called me Erik, but my brother Adam said how I should be called Hoss because that was what my Ma had promised to call her first son to her brother, Gunther. Pa said to call me both and see which one sticks\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad the right name for you stuck, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHester \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yes, of course.\u201d he nodded and frowned a little, stretched out his legs a little, \u201cIt\u2019s a long journey, from New York to here.\u201d he said suddenly, just as they had settled into another shy silence and his voice made her jump a little, then she nodded, a curl of golden red hair sprung loose to coil over her shoulder,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, it was a long journey, and an interesting one.\u201d and she told him about some of the things she had seen during her journey across the states, by train, by stage coach, and as she talked Hoss sat and stared at her, and thought he would never grow tired of hearing her voice, not in a hundred years or more.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Noise seemed to reverberate around and through the timbers of the ship into her cabin, and slowly she roused herself from her bed to pay more than the usual attention to it all. She now made her way to the port hole and looked out through the glass, wiping away the condensation that had formed on it. There was land appearing now, a thin line of land along which the ship seemed to be taking so that it ran parallel to it. It was still far away enough for her to be unable to distinguish much in the way of dwellings, but it appeared lush and green.<\/p>\n She heaved in a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Tokyo \u2026 they were approaching Tokyo. Then what? She rubbed her face with her hands as though to rub life into it, to stimulate the blood and bring her brain back to its former sharpness. Since her attempt on Adam\u2019s life she had felt numb, and had lain in a torpor upon the bed feeling desolate and alone. Any help that Jeffrey had arranged for her protection had been used, and even though Phillips had not been man enough or intelligent enough to think of a way out of the situation, he had been there as someone associated with her brother and their organisation. As for Sweetman, she dismissed him without a thought.<\/p>\n She opened the window wide, as wide as it would go and then pulled over the table to climb upon it to look out even further. She was now able to actually look outside of the window, at the waves that formed the wash as the ship cut through the water, at birds that bobbed up and down with black beady eyes and no interest in her whatsoever. She could hear voices above her, and glanced up, but whatever was being said was not of interest to her. She stepped back and pushed the table away, then paused in doing so, glanced back at the window and was about to return the table beneath it when the door opened and Adam Cartwright stepped into the cabin.<\/p>\n Chapter 78<\/p>\n Just for a moment she stood where she was as though frozen, her hand still on the table. He walked further into the room and leaned down to pull the table away and while he did so she stood up and walked to the bed.<\/p>\n With the slanting sunlight from the window falling across her now she resembled some Grecian statue that had suddenly sprung to life, trailing listlessly into the shadows. Adam sighed and shook his head, such beauty and such evil, what a powerful combination. He raised his eyebrows slightly as he walked to the window and closed it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat were you thinking of doing? Throwing yourself out of the window? Not a very dignified way to go, Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing to that but hung her head down, folded her hands in her lap and sat down on the edge of the bed. She could see his feet and legs from there and didn\u2019t look up at him, it was better to play this part as she had decided for she felt that she had the measure of him now. She licked her lips and waited for him to speak, while her heart hammered beneath her ribs for to win him over she knew that she really had to be convincing in the role she was going to portray now. Adam Cartwright, she surmised, would do a lot to protect a defenceless woman alone in the world with no man to champion her.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be in Tokyo in a few hours. You do know what that means, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head, still keeping her head down, somehow she conjured up a tear to fall and splash upon her gown leaving a dark stain. The consummate actress she raised a hand to brush away another, and sighed, a shuddering miserable sigh.<\/p>\n Adam cleared his throat and looked out of the window. Buildings were coming into view, boats of all shapes and sizes were surrounding the vessel as though welcoming it to the land of the rising sun. Noises from outside permeated the cabin and yet she remained untouched by it all. He pulled out the chair and sat astride it, crossed his arms on the top of it and leaned his chin upon them while he observed her thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, you\u2019re in a lot of trouble right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know \u2026\u201d she whispered, and clasped her hands together even more tightly, as though in supplication to a higher power, although the only one she recognised in that room at that moment was Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cSo – were you thinking of throwing yourself out of the window?\u201d his voice contained a trace of amusement, as though he could read through the play acting and wasn\u2019t prepared to take any of it seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cNo – perhaps – I don\u2019t know.\u201d she looked up into his face, saw the dark eyes looking intently at her, the weals upon his cheek, and then dramatically closed her eyes before looking down again, \u201cI just wanted to get away from this situation, to get back to what I was before -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBefore what? How far would you have to go back in time?\u201d<\/p>\n She could sense the wry smile on his lips, and bit hard down upon her own, while at the same time she shook her head and allowed another tear to fall.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, Mrs Pelman, why did you come to my cabin and try to kill me? Phillips had the boat ready, it would have taken no time at all for you to go down the Jacobs ladder and leave here.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head again, looked up and then cast her eyes down again.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, you killed one of my Marines, seduced Phillips into a ridiculous escape plan that couldn\u2019t possibly have worked, came to kill me and didn\u2019t. What stopped you from cutting my throat, Mrs Pelman? It would only have taken one swift move, as you had already proven.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t kill him, the marine\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPhillips says that you did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause he didn\u2019t want to be charged with murder. It was easier to blame me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo then he handed you the knife, and then you decided to come to murder me – is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe said it would make more sense if I did, I just wanted to leave the ship and get away, Adam. Please believe me ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe you, Mrs Pelman, and I never gave you permission at any time to call me Adam. I\u2019m Captain Cartwright to you, remember that -\u201d his lips narrowed, while at the back of his mind he remembered a time when he had to tell someone else the same thing, ironically, Jeffrey Metcalfe.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we\u2019ll leave it at that then, you changed your mind about killing me because in your little head you were already thinking up another plan. I dread to think what it is.\u201d he sighed, and rose to his feet and pushed the chair aside. \u201cWhen we reach Tokyo, I\u2019ll notify the authorities and they will take you from here under escort to some place of detention to await trail, or deportation back to America. I -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t kill you,\u201d she rose to her feet, and drew herself upright, tall and graceful, slender and tragically beautiful, \u201cI couldn\u2019t kill, Captain, I – \u201c she stopped, shook her head and turned away. No acting in the world would convince him of how she had felt that night, looking down at him and feeling such a strong emotion, such a longing to be loved by him, she knew that even to say the words would bring to that cold, stern and judgemental face only disgust. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, really sorry for what happened to the soldier, I know he was only doing his duty.\u201d<\/p>\n He was already turning to leave, his back to her, the broad shoulders shrugging off her presence, her voice, and she followed him, hurried after him, and clasped at his arm,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – please – don\u2019t let them take me away. They\u2019ll kill me, I know they will.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMadam, after all you have done, don\u2019t you think that they have a right to do so?\u201d he frowned, and pulled his arm away from her clasp, \u201cYou\u2019re a traitor, a murderess -\u201d he looked into the deep anguished eyes that had filled again with tears, and he sighed, pity softened his face and again her hand clasped at his arm, and again he pulled his arm free. He closed the door and she heard the key turn in the padlock. Had she won him over, even just a little? Or was it just too little to matter? She returned to the window and stared out at the sight of the country they were approaching.<\/p>\n Outside, feeling the air on his face again, Adam shook his head. It was a pity, and a pity that he couldn\u2019t help but feel, that such beauty was wasted, that a woman could turn to evil, and that her death was as certain as the rising of the sun in the morning. It was a feeling that related to any woman, however, not just to her and as he crossed the deck to mount the ladder to the bridge to observe entry into Yokohama bay all thoughts of Cassandra Pelman left his mind.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Adam<\/p>\n It\u2019s late. There\u2019s a huge moon up there in the sky tonight, it\u2019s got a ring around it so I guess perhaps we\u2019ll have rain tomorrow.<\/p>\n I had to write. Well, like I told you, Joe got engaged to little Victoria and they had a party here tonight. Guess it was a real good one at that, guess we sure know how to throw a party. Anyhow, I didn\u2019t get to be at it very much because Miss Ann, that\u2019s Candy\u2019s wife, the one expecting a baby, well, she has a cousin staying at their home, and she asked me to go and brung her over for the party.<\/p>\n The reason I had to write was to let you know that I found her. That lady I told you about several letters ago. The one with the big blue eyes and the red hair. Adam, I done found her. She\u2019s Miss Ann\u2019s cousin. I bet you wouldn\u2019t have guessed? I just kind of stayed there and we sat and had coffee and we talked. I can\u2019t recall all that we talked about, but time went by and before I knew it, it was time for me to go and get the buggy back to the house for Candy and Miss Ann to come back.<\/p>\n Her name is Hester. I already know that she\u2019s going to be my wife. You may think I\u2019ve gone crazy, perhaps I have, but I don\u2019t feel crazy. I don\u2019t feel like whooping and hollering, nothing like that, I just feel that this is the woman I love, and the woman I\u2019m going to marry. Sure, she could say no, I guess, but I don\u2019t think so. It feels like we\u2019re cut from the same cloth, you understand what I mean, don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n Pa and Joe didn\u2019t ask too many questions, and to be honest, I didn\u2019t tell \u2019em much. I didn\u2019t want to tell them about Hester just yet. You\u2019re the very first to know, Adam.<\/p>\n I wish you were here. I wish I could be standing in the stables grooming Chubb and you there grooming Sport, and we were standing back to back and talking, like we used to do when you was here. I want to talk about her, to you. That\u2019s all. I just wish I could talk to you about her, and I know you\u2019d understand exactly what I mean, and how I feel, ain\u2019t I right?<\/p>\n Good night, brother\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 79<\/p>\n The Shenandoah slid elegantly into her berth at the harbour, following in the wake of the Baltimore. As Adam surveyed the work being carried out by the crew in preparing the ship for docking, and the noise and chatter of the men working on the quayside, he felt a surge of relief rush through his body that left him gripping the taffrail in as near a state of exhileration that it was possible for a body to contain.<\/p>\n Tokyo, at last. His assignment over, the Baltimore and Captain O\u2019Brien safely delivered, the loss of Mr Hampton duly mourned, and the capture of Cassandra Pelmore fulfilled. He allowed himself a brief moment for prayerful thanks, a lingering thought of his Pa and the anticipation of letters from home, and the pleasurable hope of a long hot bath.<\/p>\n As he made his way across the deck he glanced quickly at the door of the cabin flanked by the two Marines as though to confirm that she was really there, his prisoner, and soon to be safely delivered to Mr Bingham and the Embassy staff as per instructions. The men were gathered to pipe him off the ship, he gave a snappy salute to his Officers and was soon walking smartly down the gangplank onto terra firma.<\/p>\n He turned as O\u2019Brien hailed his name, and with a smile waited for his fellow Officer to join him, before they walked side by side to the waiting carriage. Once settled inside O\u2019Brien looked over at Adam and grinned,<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Adam, I\u2019m really proud of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed, slightly embarrassed and slightly puzzled, as his friend surveyed him from the seat opposite,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy so?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause you have come through this little adventure without a bruise, bump, or broken limb. It\u2019s wonderful, almost a miracle.\u201d and he laughed himself at his own joke, although Adam did point out to him that where injuries were concerned, the honours certainly went to O\u2019Brien this time.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Bingham rose to his feet at the entrance of the two Captains into the large room, and without any pomposity at all walked quickly towards them, halving the distance they would have had to walk to reach the desk over which he presided.<\/p>\n He shook their hands enthusiastically, pumping them up and down with a vigour more usual from a younger man, and ushered them to where his secretary had placed two chairs.<\/p>\n \u201cSit down, I\u2019ve arranged some refreshments.\u201d he looked thoughtfully at them both, and then nodded slowly, his face losing its pleasure at seeing them and being replaced instead by a thoughtful contemplation, \u201cSo? Hampton isn\u2019t with you, Captain O\u2019Brien? I know you will have your reports -\u201d he glanced briefly at the port manteaux both men carried with them, \u201cand documentation of events there, but – what happened to him?\u201d<\/p>\n As succinctly as possible O\u2019Brien explained the events as they had befallen them, how Hampton and men from the Baltimore had died in the Kurile Islands, bravely, unnecessarily.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be greatly missed.\u201d Bingham murmured with genuine sympathy, \u201cHe had a great mind, not the strongest personality of course, but as a diplomat here in Japan his services would have been greatly appreciated. He had a fine future ahead of him.\u201d there was a pause long enough to be considered decent with regard to Mr Hampton before he turned to Adam, \u201cWell done, Captain Cartwright, you brought back the Baltimore safely and also Commodore Pelman\u2019s widow.\u201d he paused now and looked at Adam thoughtfully, \u201cNo doubt you must have wondered why exactly she was being brought here, and not taken directly to America for trial?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was puzzled about that, after all her crimes go back a long way. Of course, she could hide behind the fact that the Commodore and her brother were mainly responsible but in the end she was the one that directed matters as far as the theft of the Baltimore was concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell me what happened, Captain Cartwright, in your own words. Then when I get to read your report I will be able to recall the \u2019flesh and blood\u2019 aspect behind the words.\u201d he smiled, and sat back in an attitude of elegant anticipation of what Adam had to tell him.<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t waste time on unnecessary fancy words to dress up the matter, but laid it out before the diplomat as sparely as possible. Bingham nodded thoughtfully, paid careful attention to what was said, and eventually, when the flow of words ended, he exhaled, as though he had been holding in his breath for fear of interrupting the dialogue.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cYes, you did very well. Both of you .. And this Willoughby, an artist did you say?\u201d he looked at O\u2019Brien who nodded and added that he owed his life to the man, Bingham smiled, \u201cMr Willoughby is well known to us, yes, he is an artist and a very skilled one at that, but he works for the British Government and was on the same trail as yourselves after one of their own ships had been stolen. Sadly his brother, Archer, was killed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, and chose to look down at the floor rather than look in O\u2019Brien\u2019s direction. All these twists and turns, he pondered, at the end who can trust whom? Every road had a fork in it, and who was to know which was the right way to go. He glanced up to see Bingham looking at him with a faint smile on his lips, and a kindly expression in his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cYou are disillusioned with life, Captain – or should I now call you – Commodore Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas it that obvious?\u201d Adam replied with a life to the eyebrows and a quirk of a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, perhaps not, but at my age I have gone through life studying men, and for all your intelligence and native cunning, you are still an idealist at heart. Why else would you have turned down your promotion?\u201d he smiled and touched Adam\u2019s arm gently with his hand, as a father would pat his child\u2019s arm in consolation, \u201cNow, let me answer the question with regard to Mrs Pelman. It was considered too dangerous to take her to America for her trial, I doubt very much that she would have arrived there alive, as we have been informed there are threats against her life. Unfortunately, Mrs Pelman knows too much about too many to be considered safe. Even in her own circles she is now considered a loose cannon, unreliable, and a threat to their security.\u201d he looked at Adam again and shook his head, \u201cYes, I can see what you are thinking, Commodore, politics is a dirty business, and no one stays clean in it for long. Your enemies last week are your allies today, your friends tomorrow, and in your bed next week. Who can tell what they will be in a year to come.\u201d<\/p>\n A young Japanese woman with the most beautiful kimono and sweetest smile entered the room at this point and placed upon the table some refreshment. Without a word she poured out tea and carried each cup to the men, food was carried to them, again in silence, then she bowed low and made her exit, even the doors closed silently behind her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen Pelman\u2019s little organisation began to unravel, it fell upon Metcalfe and his sister to continue with what resources they had at their disposal. Well, the fact is that their original focus shifted, it became a perfectly personal business between the two of them to rake in as much money and gold as they could in order to – well, just live well. Their ideals alienated them from what was left of Pelman\u2019s group. Those names on that famous list that you guarded so well all that time ago, Captain, may be far fewer, but there are still some quite formidable names still existing and surviving who have now changed their focus also \u2026 they have now chosen to become our allies and work along with us. At the same time they want Mrs Pelman handed over to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam put down his now empty cup and frowned, he stretched out his legs and shook his head thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cAnd they\u2019re waiting in America to \u2018deal with\u2019 Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe word is that they\u2019ve already decided how to \u2018deal with\u2019 Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible for them to have arrived here, in Tokyo?\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve not heard of anyone coming here from that group. Metcalfe had his contacts here of course, but they have all been rounded up, as the saying goes.\u201d he smiled, \u201cNo, you have no fears on that score. Mrs Pelman will be held here for trial. The embassy is American soil, and she will be tried here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen your staff will make arrangements for her to be brought here from the Shenandoah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly. Cadet Phillips and Mr Sweetman, the two men who were also involved will also be brought here for trial.\u201d he rose to his feet and extended his hand, \u201cCongratulatons, Commodore.\u201d he smiled, \u201cYou won\u2019t turn down your promotion again, will you? You must feel that you deserve it by now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve come to realise that what I feel or think on a matter really has little bearing on what happens anyway, Sir.\u201d Adam smiled slowly, and his dark eyes looked sombre for an instant, \u201cMay I ask whether or not Captain O\u2019Brien may take some leave?\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, he glanced from one to the other and walked to his desk, where he took two envelopes from a folder, these he handed to the two men.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are your orders. Thank you, Commodore, Captain. I daresay that we shall see you again soon.\u201d he shook hands again and then stepped aside to allow them to leave the room. As the door closed behind them he exhaled once more, then slowly, wearily, made his way back to the chair behind the desk.<\/p>\n The Japanese woman came and took away the tray, her feet made barely a sound upon the floor. Bingham stared at the door through which the two men had left the room, and allowed his mind to wander back over the stories he had been told, then he slowly picked up the papers from the portmanteau left by O\u2019Brien and began to read.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The two men walked side by side along the crowded sidewalk and it was Adam who hailed a rickshaw to take them back to their ships. Neither spoke and neither of them had opened the envelope that contained their orders. No leave – . Their hearts had sunk. Daniel thought of his wife and the amount of time he had spent away from her, and Adam thought of his home, of his father and brothers. He wanted to saddle up Sport and go riding again, to look down upon Lake Tahoe, to go and visit those places he so loved and longed to see.<\/p>\n He had one foot on the step to jump into the rickshaw when he heard their names being called. He looked at O\u2019Brien and then back over his shoulder, to see Jeffrey Jamieson hurrying through the crowded street towards them. The memory of when he had last seen Jeffrey flooded back into his mind, and he turned away from the rickshaw to greet his old friend with a warm and hearty hand shake.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson was thinner than when they had last met, there were shadows under his eyes and a feverish look about him, he shook their hands with a distracted air and then smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been looking out for your ships. When I saw them in harbour I found out from the crew that you were both safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Jeffrey? You look ill.\u201d O\u2019Brien observed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh don\u2019t mind me, sir, I\u2019ll be alright, I\u2019m just not climatised to Japan yet.\u201d he placed a hand within his jacket and withdrew from therein several letters which he held out to them, \u201cI was going to bring them to you on board ship but my hotel is near by if you would prefer to come back with me there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Jamieson, but we are still under orders, so had best return to our berths. Would you care to join us?\u201d Adam smiled and was pleased when the other man smilingly accepted the invitation.<\/p>\n Now all three clambered aboard their vehicle. The traffic around them throbbed with life, the voices of many men and women shrilled above their heads drowning out the sounds of the birds that flew above their heads. It smelt like a city, and Adam, after so many days at sea with the fresh clean air, wondered why it was that a mass of humanity thrust so close together could not find some means by which to prevent fouling the air so thoroughly.<\/p>\n Chapter 80<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Jamieson, sit down and let\u2019s have something decent to drink to celebrate being all together again.\u201d Adam rubbed his hands and headed towards the tantalis, having almost casually cast down his letters upon his desk, he turned with a smile \u201cWhiskey? Brandy? Port?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien was happy to take the whiskey, and Jamieson naturally agreed with the choice. Golden sparkling whiskey all the way from Scotland, a truly grand Glenfiddich. He pulled up a chair but it was Daniel who spoke first,<\/p>\n \u201cJamieson – before we discuss anything else, have you any news about Maria, about my wife?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, indeed, sir. She\u2019s well and safe and being cared for by the Frobishers until your return.\u201d Jamieson replied, \u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019s a letter from her for you among those I brought along with me.\u201d he turned now to Adam, \u201cYou have no doubt heard that Metcalfe is dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, do you know what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed I do, sir, I was the one shot him.\u201d and he related the story with the gusto of a born raconteur which amused Adam although he made sure that his amusement did not interfere with his concentration, \u201cFact is, sir, his hatred of you shifted his focus. If he had just got on with what he was supposed to do, perhaps the Baltimore would be in Russian hands now, and he and his sister safe in France.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo why are you here, Jeffrey?\u201d Adam asked quietly, swirling the whiskey round and round in his glass, and watching the way the light caught at it and reflected golden beams within it, \u201cYou\u2019re not here just to play post man, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir. Although the Metcalfes were initially out to steal the Baltimore right from under everyone\u2019s noses, Mr Hampton wasn\u2019t quite as innocuous as would initially seem. Forget about anything you were told about him in the past, the fact was that he was essential to the diplomatic balance here in Japan. There\u2019s not much I can tell you, expect that with his death there could be problems with the Japanese over certain issues about which only he knew about – not that any of that makes much sense to me but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust tell us why you\u2019re here, Jeffrey.\u201d Adam asked, \u201cI\u2019m not interested in the politics, in fact, I\u2019m sick of hearing about politics and diplomacy \u2026 just say, as briefly as you can, why you\u2019re here in Tokyo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s to do with Mrs Pelman, sir. I have orders to take her back to America.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien and Adam looked at one another, and then at Jeffrey; Adam shook his head<\/p>\n \u201cThat can\u2019t be possible. We were given orders to bring her here to stand trial. Mr Bingham has explained why that was necessary -\u201d he paused, \u201cIs that the only reason?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd to persuade you to take her back to Washington, Commodore.\u201d there was a grimness now to Jeffrey\u2019s voice, the friendly tones were being replaced by the more determined ones of a man having to carry out his duty.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder whose orders?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone with more authority that Mr Bingham, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Both Adam and Daniel looked once again at one another, pulled out the envelopes from their pockets and ripped them open. Adam was the first to read through the orders it contained, he looked up at O\u2019Brien, who was still scanning through his, and then he turned to Jamieson,<\/p>\n \u201cMy orders are to stay in Tokyo in order to stand as a prosecution witness against Mrs Pelman.\u201d he said, and his voice was incredulous, he looked at O\u2019Brien, \u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMine are the same -\u201d Daniel replied quietly, he folded the letter and returned it to the envelope. \u201cI would have to see written orders from the authority for whom you are acting, Jeffrey, before I disobey these.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamieson nodded, and expressed the opinion that he quite understood what was happening. \u2018Mr Smith\u2019 had obviously not informed Mr Bingham of the latest steps in this particular arrangement, once they were received, then obviously Adam and Daniel\u2019s orders would be rescinded, and brought up to date.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Bingham gave us good reasons why the trial was to be held here -\u201d Adam replied, tapping the envelope thoughtfully against his knee.<\/p>\n \u201cI can imagine what those reasons were too, sir.\u201d Jeffrey chewed on his bottom lip, and shrugged, \u201cThere are people back in America who want to see Mrs Pelman dead before she gets to trial, she knows too much about too many – isn\u2019t that the case, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo on? You know more about this than we do, so if you can convince us then we\u2019ll go and see Mr Bingham.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was Metcalfe who let on about contacts here in Japan. Before he died, he said too much. We thought we had caught most of them, but it didn\u2019t happen like that, unfortunately. There\u2019s always one or two that slip through the net, and these particular people were very pleased when they knew Mr Hampton had died, now they just want to make sure that Mrs Pelman doesn\u2019t go to trial.\u201d he cleared his throat, \u201c\u2019Mr Smith\u2019 isn\u2019t bothered one way or the other about getting her to trial, he wants to know everything she knows, he\u2019d prepared to – talk things over with her and come to some amicable agreement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean he\u2019ll pay her for information and let her get away with treason and murder?\u201d Daniel cried in amazement.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s politics, sir. On a small scale, try and think of it as a game of chess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to think about it in any way.\u201d Daniel cried, \u201cThe woman is guilty of heinous crimes, she and her brother are responsible for the death of my men, the theft of my ship, of treason and \u2026 and it\u2019s all going to be a case of slate wiped clean for information? For goodness sake, Jamieson, you can\u2019t even trust a single word the woman says!\u201d<\/p>\n He was striding up and down the cabin now, arms waving from side to side, and his eyes blazing with anger, while Adam remained very still, his head down staring at the floor. After a moment or two he told his friend to calm down, to sit down and to start thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cJamieson – did you receive written orders from \u2018Mr Smith\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI received my orders from my usual source, Commodore.\u201d Jamieson replied, \u201cThey came direct from the Pres – Mr Smith himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rose to his feet, and picked up his orders which he slipped back into his pocket before turning to collect his hat, he looked at Daniel,<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need to go and see Mr Bingham, and put the matter to him. Will you come too, Jeffrey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will, sir.\u201d Jamieson stood up, finished his whiskey and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve.<\/p>\n They had reached the gangway and were about to descend to the quayside when a carriage drew up alongside the Shendandoah. A man of middle years, respectable to look at and well attired, stepped out of it and with a smile made his way up to the deck where the three men were observing him. As he neared the deck a platoon of blue jacketed Marines appeared in marching formation and came to attention behind the vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright?\u201d he put out his hand \u201cI\u2019m Harold Worthing. I\u2019ve written authority here to take Mrs Pelman to jail.\u201d he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Adam, who read it before he passed it to Daniel to read.<\/p>\n Chapter 81<\/p>\n It was Jeffrey who stepped closer to Daniel and put out his hand towards the paper,<\/p>\n \u201cMay I see this, please?\u201d<\/p>\n Worthings eyebrows shot up in surprise and he darted a look over at Adam, anticipating some reaction on his part, but Adam only nodded and watched as Jeffrey scanned the directions on the paper and then handed it back to the Captain.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr Worthing, I didn\u2019t mean to cast doubt on the veracity of your orders, but I\u2019m afraid that I have orders of my own that must negate yours,\u201d he looked thoughtfully at Harold Worthing before producing papers of his own which he handed over to the other man.<\/p>\n There was a silence among the four men that drew the attention of the crew, one by one they stopped their work and turned to observe their Captain and the other three men. The Sergeant of Marines, Armstrong, stepped forwards with his hand close to his rifle, and his eyes sending signals to the Marines who stood prepared for action at any time on board ship. They seemed to close ranks even though they didn\u2019t move a muscle.<\/p>\n Adam rubbed his chin with one hand, and narrowed his eyes as Worthing took his time to scrutinise Jeffrey\u2019s papers, particularly the signature at the bottom. Slowly he handed it over and then shook his head, as though confused,<\/p>\n \u201cThis places me in rather an awkward position,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019m not in a position to disobey what my superiors have ordered me to do\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate that,\u201d Jeffrey replied, \u201cCommodore Cartwright was about to visit Mr Bingham to clarify the matter with him. Perhaps you would like to come with us?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam bit his bottom lip rather, the way Jeffrey consistently referred to him now as Commodore was grating on his nerves. At the back of his mind he felt as though President Grant was pulling invisible strings and manoeuvring him into taking on the promotion whether he wanted it or not. He shook his head slightly, as though to cast off any misgivings he had, and looked at Worthing<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure that we can clarify the situation with Mr Bingham quickly enough, Mr Worthing. You are certainly most welcome to come with us -\u201d<\/p>\n Worthing sighed and shook his head in obvious irritation. He was a handsome man, somewhat florid and obviously of a bilious nature. He threw his hand up in a gesture of annoyance<\/p>\n \u201cNo, there\u2019s no point. I shall report back to my superior and leave him to clear up the mess. He will, no doubt, make an appointment to see Mr Bingham himself and – \u201c he shrugged, \u201cwell, it\u2019s better for him to deal with it. Perhaps I shall see you again, sir.\u201d he nodded his head curtly in Adam\u2019s direction, cast a quite hostile look at Jeffrey, and turned to disembark from the ship.<\/p>\n \u201cI think,\u201d Jeffrey said slowly, \u201cthat it may be better if I stayed on board here, sir. You can present these orders to Mr Bingham without my being present. I just feel that gentleman was testing the waters, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think it may have been one of Metcalfe\u2019s associates?\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured anxiously.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m suspicious by nature, Captain\u201d Jeffrey smiled, his wan face creased and formed deep wrinkles under the eyes, \u201cIt was just that his coming now was just too opportune. It made me feel uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Cassandra slowly closed the window and leaned against the wall of the cabin. It seemed to her that not only was the cabin closing in on her but that life itself was very slowly creeping in a deadly confinement of its own. She had realised some while back that it was possible to hear the conversations of the men when the window was open. That was one of the ways she had been able to communicate with Phillips and Sweetman during the journey from the Kurils. But now, however, she found herself wondering why the conversation between the four men had affected her so adversely, she was breathing hard, her hands were clammy, and her heart beating too fast.<\/p>\n She couldn\u2019t leave the security of the wall. It\u2019s rough timbers against her back seemed to have a will of their own in keeping her pressed against them. Adam\u2019s voice, she had heard that clearly, her ear was well attuned to every nuance of his voice now. O\u2019Brien\u2019s voice was slightly muffled but she could recognise it still, the other two men who seemed to have her life in their hands, she had not recognised at all.<\/p>\n She put one hand to her brow and ran her fingers through tousled hair, and then down over her face. She had told Adam that there were people who would kill her, that she didn\u2019t want to die, but had she explained clearly enough to him what exactly it was she had meant? No, no, of course she had not, because she knew he would never believe her, never.<\/p>\n She felt a pressure building up around her, as though all the threads of her life were being tweaked and pulled together to form one strong rope, and that eventually, sooner or later, that rope would be put around her neck.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to die, I don\u2019t want to die -\u201d she moaned to herself and pulled herself from the wall to hurry to the safety of the bed. She pulled the sheets around her, up to her chin, swathed like a child in swaddling bands, and then lay down, \u201cNo, no, I don\u2019t want to die.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a light tap on the door and like a frightened cat she started up, her eyes round and overlarge in her face, her hair looking as though it were standing on end. A thin man stepped into the cabin, followed by Armstrong and the boy from the kitchen who brought her some food and fresh water to drink.<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d she peered forward to look more closely at the figure approaching her, \u201cDo I know you?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson paused and looked at her thoughtfully. Was this really the beautiful Cassandra Pelman? The few times he had seen her, always from a distance, she had been so magnificent a figure, so immaculate and always resplendent with jewels. Now she sat on an unmade bed with a sheet wrapped around her, her face, stripped of its paint and powder, was pale and her cheeks were sharp angles to the largeness of her eyes. In some ways she was more lovely stripped down like this but Jeffrey had enough sense to remember that when a rat is cornered, that was when it could be most dangerous. He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, my name is Jeffrey Jamieson.\u201d he waited a moment to see if there was any reaction, but she only inclined her head to the left a little more as though to catch a better look at him in the light, perhaps she had not yet been told about her brother\u2019s death or given the name of the man who had killed him?<\/p>\n \u201cYes? Jeffrey Jamieson?\u201d her voice was slurred and for a moment he wondered whether or not she were drunk or ill, she lowered her head, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, I\u2019m just so tired, I\u2019ve not been able to sleep for so long.\u201d she raised her head now, blinked rapidly and seemed to focus better on him \u201cWhy are you here? Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m an emissary from the President. I just wanted to inform you that you will be travelling to America for your trial.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat difference will that make to me?\u201d her voice held more strength now, as though having the opportunity to cross swords with anyone strengthened her will, \u201cIt\u2019s all the same in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot necessarily.\u201d Jeffrey said, \u201cThere may be ways where you can avoid what you may well feel to be the end.\u201d<\/p>\n She raised one shoulder in a gesture of contempt, and then turned away. So far as she was concerned the audience was over. Jamieson also felt that it was time for him to leave. He had put forth the position as he had seen fit and promptly left the cabin.<\/p>\n Armstrong came out with him, turned the key in the padlock and nodded over to the two men who were guarding it. Jeffrey walked over to where the gangway had been placed and leaned against the rails there. He scanned the quayside with his eyes, and wondered how Adam and O\u2019Brien were getting on with their task, for some reason he had a feeling that Bingham would not be too pleased to have been pre-empted by Grant. He looked again at the people going about their business on the ground and for a moment his eyes lit upon a face that looked familiar. He looked again, but apart from the movement of a man with his back to him, and then, suddenly, gone, there was nothing, no one.<\/p>\n He rubbed his eyes, and leaned upon his hand to watch the comings and goings below. There was no doubt about it, he told himself, he should have stayed longer at the Ponderosa and recovered better from his injury for it had left him weak, very weak, and ill.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Bingham put down the paper, and sucked in his breath. He looked at Adam and then at O\u2019Brien, shook his head and spread out his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to remember that there is over a days difference in time between Japan and America. Orders, statements and such never seem to arrive as quickly as one would wish, or if they do, they never seem to get to my desk as promptly as they should.\u201d he rose to his feet \u201cI had a foreboding earlier, when you left, that something would go wrong in connection with this woman.\u201d<\/p>\n He walked around the desk and came to stand between both men, placing a hand on an arm of each of them, and then walked slowly towards the door with them,<\/p>\n \u201cIn some ways I am relieved to be honest. I met Cassandra Pelman and her husband years ago, and she made me feel very uncomfortable, very ill at ease. Beauty like hers can be a very dangerous thing, and considering the things she has done, I don\u2019t feel that that theory is far wrong. Commodore, will you undertake this assignment?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never yet refused any request the President has asked of me,\u201d Adam said in a voice that was cold and formal, it certainly lacked the warmth of zeal and enthusiasm.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I can understand how you feel, my boy.\u201d the older man sighed, \u201cYou\u2019re in a difficult position, aren\u2019t you?\u201d he frowned, \u201cThe Shenandoah will be too slow, you will need a faster ship.\u201d he looked thoughtfully at O\u2019Brien and then, seeing that they had now reached the doors of the room he stopped and released their arms, \u201cI shall have to consider a few things, make some alterations to previous arrangements. Captain O\u2019Brien you will be needed as a witness at her trial -\u201d he nodded in confirmation of some thought \u201cI shall send you your orders within a few hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and O\u2019Brien saluted the diplomat, then walked quickly from the building, hailed a rickshaw and made their way back to the ship. Neither one of them spoke a word, both had retreated into worlds of their own, after a moment or two had elapsed O\u2019Brien said with a lightness in his voice<\/p>\n \u201cIf I am allowed to return with you, Adam, then I shall be able to see Maria again.\u201d and he smiled, a smile that shone from his eyes at the thought of his little wife in his arms once again.<\/p>\n Chapter 82<\/p>\n They approached the harbour in silence and as they passed the ships that were berthed along the way, Adam began to take particular note of their names and their countries of origin. He seemed so engrossed in this occupation that O\u2019Brien leaned forward to observe his friends attention and then glanced over at the ships, before he settled back into his seat. He waited, in time he knew that all would be disclosed, but for the present moment Adam was engrossed in some scheme, O\u2019Brien\u2019s only fear was that it would be too foolhardy to risk.<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien, can you spare me some of your time still? I want to discuss something with you and Jamieson before you go back to the Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n They had stepped from the rickshaw now, and Adam had paid their \u2019driver\u2019 with a reasonable extra few coins and O\u2019Brien smiled, he would have rubbed his hands with glee if that wouldn\u2019t have aroused Adam\u2019s suspicions that some of his thinking processes were now becoming as familiar to O\u2019Brien as they were to his brothers. Jamieson was waiting for them at the top of the gangplank, where the gangway provided an opening in the bulwark.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain boarding \u2026\u201d and the whistle was piped to welcome the Officers back on board, which was acknowledged by a swift salute.<\/p>\n Adam beckoned to Jamieson and together the three men made their way to the Captain\u2019s cabin, Myers and Hathaway watched a little enviously knowing that they had never quite made it in their Captain\u2019s estimation or affection as these two men obviously had over time.<\/p>\n As Adam passed Scott he requested coffee, hot and strong, and then closed the door. He looked at the two men, indicated that they sat down, and then frowned, bit his bottom lip and tapped his fingers upon the top of his desk,<\/p>\n \u201cJamieson,\u201d he spoke so suddenly that Jamieson actually jumped, \u201cI need to retain the orders that President Grant gave you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, sir, they\u2019re yours to keep. You may well have need of them.\u201d Jamieson smiled.<\/p>\n Adam nodded at that, and paced the length of the cabin before turning to come to a stop in front of them,<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien, how much do you want to see your wife again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have to ask?\u201d O\u2019Brien laughed, and a slight blush mantled his cheeks.<\/p>\n \u201cIs the Baltimore at full strength now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I lack a First Mate, a Doctor, I have only one engineer and need several good crewmen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow many crewmen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt least four.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good.\u201d he sat down, stretched out his long legs and steepled his fingers together before tapping them gently against his chin. \u201cNow, I believe I really feel it is time I put my authority as a Commodore – I am a Commodore, aren\u2019t I, Jamieson?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, indeed you are, sir.\u201d Jamieson retorted, \u201cIn fact, Mr Smith -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll leave Mr Smith out of this for the moment, Jeffrey. As Commodore of the fleet here in Tokyo Bay, I propose that Captain O\u2019Brien, due to health problems incurred as a result of his loyally defending the American naval interests here in Japan, should take several weeks leave. This leave begins as from now. Captain O\u2019Brien will hand over his responsibilities to myself. I shall take over the command of The Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh – well – it\u2019s true that Mr Smith -\u201d Jamieson paused at the stern glance from the Commodore, and glanced at O\u2019Brien who had leaned forward slightly in order to get the full benefit of Adam\u2019s \u2018orders\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, having read through the orders of our superior, President Grant, I note that he wants his ship returned and the person who stole it in the first place taken to Washington. I believe that we should proceed to do this immediately – \u201c he paused as there came a knock on the door and Scott entered with refreshments.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien was chewing his fingernails now and Jamieson was studying the colours of the rug on the floor with such attention that he was in danger of going cross eyed. Adam rose to his feet, thanked Scott who left the cabin, and then proceeded to pour them out coffee. He smiled \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cI can see that you\u2019re confused \u2026\u201d and his eyes twinkled, \u201cbut, really, all we are doing is obeying orders. There\u2019s no need for us to hang around here waiting for Mr Bingham\u2019s permission to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo we actually need his permission?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked in a voice that held the tremor of a chuckle, and he glanced over at Jamieson who was frowning slightly although nodding as though he could see the plausibility of the idea but whether or not it was actually a good idea had yet to surface.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether we do or not is irrelevant, \u201cAdam dismissed Mr Bingham with a shrug of his broad shoulders, \u201cthe point is, O\u2019Brien, that we get a full complement of men on board the Baltimore, plus Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about Phillips and Sweetman?\u201d Daniel asked with a slight lift of the eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cI noted there were enough American ships here to supply the required number of Captains to hold a court martial with regard to their misdemeanours. Obviously their main witness won\u2019t be there – Jamieson, you\u2019re looking like my brother Hoss when there\u2019s no supper, what\u2019s the matter with you? Don\u2019t you think it\u2019s a grand idea?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s – well – not strictly ethical.\u201d Jamieson replied slowly, but with a smile, \u201cbut I do agree with you, it is a good idea.\u201d he looked thoughtfully at them both, \u201cI think you should follow it through as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, that\u2019s good, we\u2019re all agreed then? Daniel, this is what we\u2019ll do -\u201d he paused and glanced again at Jamieson \u201cJamieson, I get the impression that you know something that I don\u2019t? Has something happened while we were away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI saw someone I thought I recognised -,\u201d Jamieson replied slowly, \u201cIn fact, I know I saw him. That\u2019s why I think you should follow through on your plan as soon as possible. This situation with the Pelmans and Metcalfe, go far beyond anything you both realise, I\u2019m afraid. Mrs Pelman is a link in a chain, at the moment her enemies, here and in America, consider her the weak link. She needs to be removed from here immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey know she\u2019s here -\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured, \u201cdo you think the person you saw was checking the ship out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, he\u2019ll know the inside and outside of this vessel by now, sir.\u201d Jamieson smiled pleasantly, \u201cIt would be just a matter of time before they\u2019d have some strategy in place to get her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps they\u2019ve already tried,\u201d Adam said quietly and Jamieson looked into the other mans eyes and nodded, \u201cYes, I thought so, our Mr Worthing wasn\u2019t quite as bona fide as he tried to make out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, they weren\u2019t too clever about it, rushed it a bit I\u2019d say,\u201d Jamieson rose to his feet, and looked as though he were standing to attention, \u201cThis is where we part company, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not coming with us, Jeffrey?\u201d Adam looked surprised, puzzled and shook his head, \u201cI thought you\u2019d prefer our company to staying here -\u201d and his face softened into a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as I\u2019d like to, sir, I have to stay here. There\u2019s a lot of clearing up to do. I wish you every success on this journey, sir. Mrs Pelman – well, all I can say is watch your back with that one, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n They shook hands firmly, and nothing more was said as Jeffrey Jamieson quickly left the cabin. For a moment the two Officers stood in silence, almost as though in mourning, and it was O\u2019Brien who spoke first<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, we\u2019d best get this plan into motion. If Jeffrey thought we should act fast, then we should do exactly as he suggested.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced over at his friend, his eyes lit up as though he were readying himself for a battle. He smiled and nodded, and with a last regretful glance at the closed door, began to give O\u2019Brien the necessary details.<\/p>\n Jamieson hurried down the gangplank and made his way through the quayside, pushing past various workmen until he came to the alley down which the man he had seen earlier had gone. He walked quickly, looking anxiously around him, from left to right. When he reached the fork in the road he paused; for a moment he stood still as he looked around him but only the local people passed by, looked at him in curiosity or ignored him dismissively. He had left it too late, the trail was already too cold.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cMr Bingham, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n The great statesman glanced up from the letter he was writing, and observed his secretary and several other men waiting for his attention. He sighed, put down his pen and leaned back in his chair,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, what is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright has left, he has taken the Baltimore and gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Bingham let the words settle into his brain for a second or two. Commodore Cartwright had gone and taken the Baltimore with him. He frowned, picked up his pen and moved back into a more comfortable position in order to continue writing.<\/p>\n \u201cMr Bingham – did you hear what I said?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course. Since when did I go deaf?\u201d he scowled at them, \u201cWell? What am I supposed to do about it? Did he take the woman with him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood.\u201d he paused a moment, and raised his head to look at the other men, all wearing shocked expressions and looking anxiously at one another, \u201cGood, I\u2019m glad that someone here can still act on their own initiative. I\u2019m more than pleased to hear it. I had a hunch that Commodore Cartwright was still the maverick I\u2019d heard about so much. Thank you for letting me know. Now, please go away -\u201d<\/p>\n It took them some moments to clear the room but when it was finally silent and quiet, Bingham got to his feet and walked to the window. From there he could see far out to the harbour and bays, to the ships so tall and proud docked along the quayside, and out to the ocean. He smiled slowly, his eyes searching for a black speck that could have been the Baltimore. He looked out to sea and out further, back into his past when he was a young man, fighting for his country, fighting for survival. There were times when politics and superior officers cornered him as well, and sometimes the burden of them was crushing and frustrating, but there were the times when he broke loose and acted on his own initiative. Battles were won by the brave, and he felt, just for a moment, young again.<\/p>\n Every day life in politics was a battle, a game of chess, move and counter move. Just for a fraction of time someone had made an unexpected move and changed things according to how they saw it, and as a result Bingham felt he could breathe easy again.<\/p>\n Chapter 83<\/p>\n The mist settled so finely that it was more like baby\u2019s breath that kissed one\u2019s cheek and then passed on by. Adam stood on the bridge of the Baltimore and allowed a slight smile to touch his lips, a smile of triumph as his dark eyes watched the coastline of Japan slowly slip into the distance. There was no one there to caution him that victory had not yet been achieved; there was no one there to remind him that there was still time and distance to cover before he could claim the victory was won.<\/p>\n As it was he felt an excitement that had been missing from the moment he had first sailed into Yokohama Bay. Even though he was not on board one of his beloved clipper ships with the sails unfurled and glowing white against the sky, he felt a release and joy in life again. The Baltimore was heading homewards, and at the thought he had to clench his fists tight behind his back to suppress the exultant yell that was building up within him.<\/p>\n \u201cAll\u2019s well, sir.\u201d the helmsman said and smiled. Perhaps the Commodore\u2019s mood was catching, perhaps everyone on board ship – bar one – was feeling this joie de vivre now that they were sailing back home. Adam turned towards him, he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cVery good, helmsman.\u201d<\/p>\n He glanced around the ship again and watched for some moments as the men went about their work. It was different, this ship being a steamship and not a clipper. There was something lacking, something that irritated him merely because it lacked the familiarity and beauty of the clipper ship, but even so he watched and observed, and nodded approval when a man glanced up to see his watchful eye upon him.<\/p>\n It had all worked well. Soames and Scott had come aboard with him, O\u2019Brien\u2019s doctor having been only too pleased to remain in Tokyo and exchange places with him. Adam\u2019s steward was happy enough to work alongside O\u2019Brien\u2019s steward and Hathaway had come along as First Mate. The six men required to make up a full complement had been taken from the Shenandoah\u2019s men, all happy to return home. Myers had agreed to act as temporary Officer in charge of the Shenandoah, hoping that doing so would assist his climb up the ladder to its becoming a permanent placement.<\/p>\n As Adam made his way from the bridge to his quarters he thought back to the method employed in leaving the Shenandoah. Appreciating Jamieson\u2019s warnings and aware that the ship could well be under observation every attempt had been made to lull the observer into a false sense of security. Adam and O\u2019Brien strolled to the gangway, chatted, shook hands and parted. O\u2019Brien walked down the gangplank of the Shenendoah and re-boarded the Baltimore while Adam seemed to do little else but observe the quayside for a while before resuming his place on the bridge of his ship.<\/p>\n Groups of seamen came to work on the starboard side of the ship, the ship that could be seen from the harbour and the buildings thereby. Some lounged against the bulwark of the ship, some gathered in groups to talk and share jokes, others worked, climbing the rigging and checking the lines. At the same time on the portside a boat was lowered in which Mrs Pelman was seated with the men from the Shenandoah who carefully rowed to the portside of the Baltimore and boarded her by means of a Jacob\u2019s ladder.<\/p>\n Adam went to his cabin, retrieved some papers, made a final entry in the logbook of the Shenandoah along with a letter to Mr Bingham. Everything else of his of a personal nature had already been taken by Scott. As he watched the Baltimore glide away from the harbour side he would have been seen by any observer to salute O\u2019Brien as he stood at the bridge. Less than five minutes later his skiff had taken him to the other ship and he was bidding farewell to Myers and Kenney who had accompanied him. It had taken so little time, and whether or not the subterfuge was necessary, he felt that it had been a success.<\/p>\n Now he closed the door on his cabin, not so pleasant as his berth on the Shenandoah by any means, far more functional in fact, but his things were there, Scott had got most things in place, and best of all, he now had the time to read his letters. He loosened the top button of his shirt, and took his seat, picked up his letters and released his breath. All he had to worry about was a ship coming out to order him back, but he smiled again, he had the orders from the President in his pocket and his rank as Commodore would outrank any Captain who insisted they turn back.<\/p>\n His father\u2019s handwriting – it had been so long since he had had a letter from home. He ripped open the envelope and took out the paper, and, as he always did, he held it close to his nose and smelt it. Yes, over all the distance and time it had taken to travel here, there was that indefinable smell that brought to his mind the image of his father seated at his desk, pipe clenched between his teeth, carefully writing the words to his son. Adam swallowed a gulp, the thought of his father, the big room, that desk \u2026 too evocative, too much to dwell upon \u2026 he shook his head in order to throw off the lingering memories and began to read.<\/p>\n \u201cDearest son, Adam \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He read on, frowned, and then checked the date and remembered. Of course, McGarthy and his greedy plan to turn the Ponderosa into a checkerboard of open cast mines. It seemed such a long time ago, and here was his father talking about how they had lost the Ponderosa only to have regained it again by the generosity of a stranger.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, at least, I\u2019m assuming it was a stranger.\u201d Ben had written \u201cGod bless him, whoever he was or is \u2026 I love him as a son.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled. The old fox, that was his way of telling \u2018his son\u2019 that his ruse had been rumbled, by him, anyway.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s letter was next. It was full of Jamieson and Metcalfe\u2019s duel, how Peaches had been involved, that Roy was, thankfully, sheriff again. They had taken Jamieson back with them to the Ponderosa where he had been really ill, but had insisted on leaving when getting a letter from Mr Smith. \u201cWho the heck is Mr Smith?\u201d Joe had said with heavy underlining of the words and Adam chuckled and longed to put his arm around his brother\u2019s neck and give him a hug.<\/p>\n Hoss\u2019 letter was full of his concerns about losing the Ponderosa, he told his brother how sick at heart he had felt \u201cShucks, Adam, I couldn\u2019t eat \u2026\u201d and the relief when they knew the Ponderosa was safe, safe from anyone who would ever think of taking it from them again, \u201cFact is, though, I was so relieved I still couldn\u2019t eat \u2026 I was fair vanishing away, Adam, from lack of food.\u201d<\/p>\n Such a long time ago or so it seemed. Adam folded the letters back into their envelopes and put them away. He leaned back in his chair and thought about his family, about the Ponderosa, and then his mind trickled back to Jeffrey Jamieson. He\u2019d been ill, and he had certainly looked ill when they had parted. It was obvious that his connection with the Baltimore affair was at an end. Mrs Pelman, the stolen ship – that was all Adam\u2019s responsibility now. Jeffrey Jamieson had his orders, and that was – well – Adam didn\u2019t know what that was, although he had a feeling, an instinct, that he would probably never see Jamieson again.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman stood at the bars of what was now her lodgings for the duration of the trip. No comfortable cabin now, no port hole through which she could eavesdrop on conversations or listen for footsteps passing her door. She was firmly ensconced in the brig, the bars reached from the ceiling to the floor, the lock was padlocked, and a Marine was positioned at the entrance to the deck. What she did not appreciate was the fact that she was it\u2019s first tenant, and the Baltimore being a new vessel meant that the brig was clean and unsoiled.<\/p>\n She had entered the place like a woman in a trance, a sleep walker that moved through life in a constant dream. Her few possessions were placed by her bed. She had stood by and watched them as though she were floating from the ceiling and seeing it all happening to someone else. She could, in fact, see herself standing there in her pink dress and cloak, hair dishevelled and face pinched and grey. There was the bed, a blanket and pillow neatly folded at its foot, and there at its side were her trunks, the few that she had been able to take when she left the Kuriles.<\/p>\n Was this now what was going to be her life? This prison? She stood there quite dumb, her hands by her sides staring out into nothingness. She tried to remember what her life had been before all this had happened, but she couldn\u2019t find the place where she wanted to start so she just stood and stared into space and saw nothing.<\/p>\n Chapter 84<\/p>\n Throughout time immemorial the world of politics have had their trained rats that scurry through the sewers of an underworld that are of no concern to the majority of humanity until they would inevitably be drawn into that world by the decisions made by those in power to use, abuse, manipulate and control the information their rats gleaned for them.<\/p>\n Elizabeth 1 of England was said to be the first monarch to actually have an organisation set up specifically for such machinations, but it was all going on long before her advent, and continues so even to this modern age.<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson was just such a hired rat. He scurried about on behalf of those to whom he was loyal and if, by chance, he came across a man of particular worth, his loyalty would also be extended to him, so long as there were no conflict of loyalties. Commodore Adam Cartwright was such a man, and fitted the criteria Jamieson desired as the maverick seaman was equally obedient to the same person as Jamieson himself.<\/p>\n He had watched with some bemusement as Harold Worthing and his militia descended upon the Shenandoah some time after the Baltimore had disappeared over the horizon. He was further amused by the reaction of Bingham who seemed not only unconcerned at the departure of the ship, the prisoner and the Commodore but rather proud of such actions taken on the part of Grant\u2019s favoured Officer.<\/p>\n But as an obedient and hard working rat, Jamieson had his work to do. There were various threads that needed to be tied up in and around Tokyo to secure a precarious situation that had arisen from Hampton\u2019s demise and which had nothing to do with the adventure of Mrs Pelman and Adam Cartwright. During several days of toil, however, Jamieson did come across one thread that led back to the Commodore and this he diligently followed through until there was nothing left for him to achieve.<\/p>\n On a cool day he sat in his room and wrote out a list of names along with some detailed information about each. None of this had any connection to Adam at all, but Mr Bingham would find it of considerable interest, and President Grant would slip it into a file and seal it, before locking it away. He then delivered the paperwork to Mr Bingham who smiled, accepted it and was about to bid Jamieson goodbye when the other man paused,<\/p>\n \u201cMr Bingham, I need you to do something for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Such as what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need you to contact Commodore Adam Cartwright and warn him not to go to Washington but to proceed to San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this to do with that infernal woman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes – sadly so.\u201d Jamieson moved from one foot to another, he was never comfortable in the company of men like Bingham although he could talk over a cup of coffee or glass of whiskey with President Grant with great ease.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall certainly do what I can -\u201d Bingham smiled, \u201cBut you have to remember, Jamieson, Commodore Cartwright does appear to have more lives than a cat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am aware of it, sir, but all cats have only nine lives\u2026\u201d Jamieson smiled dourly.<\/p>\n \u201cI take it – some form of reception committee, huh?\u201d Bingham held the papers Jamieson had given him tentatively between his fingers while he looked at Jeffrey and thought to himself that the man was ill, needed to see a doctor, what if he were wrong \u2026 but then he knew that Jamieson was never wrong, his reputation was of the best, of his \u2018kind\u2019 he was second to none and, on top of that, it was said he had a good relationship with Grant. That was enough to elevate any man in Bingham\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019They know that Mrs Pelman is a danger to them, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you get something through to the Commodore yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir,\u201d Jamieson shook his head slowly, \u201cNo. I\u2019m already under observation by -\u201d he nodded towards the papers in Bingham\u2019s hands, \u201cWhen you read that you\u2019ll understand what I mean. Good bye, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeffrey Jamieson stood on the steps of a grand Shinto temple and observed the bustling streets around him. Tokyo was going to grow, and Japan would one day be a great power in the world. He didn\u2019t speculate, the information he had gleaned over the past weeks already guaranteed that as a fact.<\/p>\n He walked away from the temple into the fading sunlight of the day \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations, Joe, I never thought to see the day\u201d Frederick McGee extended his broad hand and shook Joe\u2018s with such vigour that Joe\u2019s teeth ached, \u201cI saw your little lady yesterday, my, a pretty little gal and no mistake. So? When\u2019s the big day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoon,\u201d Joe gave McGee the benefit of one of his generous smiles and his eyes twinkled, he turned to Hoss, \u201cHow about a beer, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, he glanced at McGee and nodded, and walked alongside his brother towards the Sazarac. Joe paused before they entered to look at his brother anxiously,<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, is something bothering you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Hoss\u2019 blue eyes looked innocently vague.<\/p>\n \u201cI noticed you ain\u2019t been eating proper just these past few days. It ain\u2019t like you to be off your food.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more to life than food, Joe.\u201d Hoss said quietly and in such a firm tone of voice that Joe blinked, cleared his throat and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me? Is this Hoss Cartwright I\u2019m listening to?\u201d he raised a hand to feel Hoss\u2019 brow but Hoss smacked the hand away, \u201cShucks, Hoss, you are sure you ain\u2019t ailing, ain\u2019t\u2019cha?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m jest fine. Quit your jawing, Joe, and let\u2019s git this beer you promised me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou ain\u2019t paying, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shrugged and together they entered the saloon, draped themselves over the counter and ordered two cool beers. Joe glanced up into the mirror to observe his brother anxiously, and then chewed a while on his bottom lip while he tried to work out just what was wrong with Hoss. Hoss meanwhile stood with a blank look on his face and a vague look in his eyes, the same look that had been there for – well – Joe wasn\u2019t sure for how long except that it was for too long.<\/p>\n Hoss took his beer and sipped it. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and followed his brother to a table. He listened as someone came to congratulate Joe on his engagement, another came to shake his hand, a rather ribald comment came from the corner of the room which Joe fended off with a laugh. Hoss sighed, in his heart he felt a strange detachment from it all. He had felt like this since that evening he had met Hester. Detached and yet complete, complete in himself. Just as Joe had met the girl he loved, and was now happy to have her life conjoined with his own, so did Hoss feel about the woman he had just met.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t want to share it with anyone just yet, not until he had met Hester and words could be spoken and how he felt, how she must surely feel, could be confirmed and plans discussed and made. He wanted to keep this wondrous feeling and containment entirely to himself just for now. He finished his beer and rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cGoing already?\u201d Joe asked, surprised at the swiftness at which his brother had dispatched of his drink.<\/p>\n \u201cYep, I got things to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see you back home then -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure – see you there.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head and watched his brother leave the saloon. He had an uncomfortable feeling that something was seriously wrong, really, seriously, wrong.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Ben thumbed tobacco into the bowl of his pipe and then struck a match, waited for the flare to die a little before taking it to the tobacco. He looked over at Joe who was flicking through the pages of a book,<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve been mighty quiet this evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking -\u201d Joe sighed and put down the book which, to Ben\u2019s surprise, was one of Adam\u2019s books of poems, \u201cPa, I\u2019m mighty worried about Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, so you\u2019ve noticed too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he sick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not said so, just very quiet and not eating as much as usual. Hop Sing noticed it as well.\u201d Ben frowned and puffed out a perfect smoke ring which considering how concerned he was about his middle son was quite a surprise, one would have expected a far from perfect cloud of smoke from a worried father.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all been since the night of my engagement to Victoria. Pa, I think he\u2019s jealous. I think he\u2019s in love with Vicky himself and -\u201d he broke off as the door opened and Hoss stepped into the room, brushing rain drops from his hat which he hung on a peg, \u201cHi, Hoss, where have you been?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I had to check out the saplings, remember?\u201d Hoss frowned over at Joe, who nodded and remembered that he was supposed to have been with his brother checking saplings as well, \u201cPa, have you heard from Adam at all lately?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d the answer was quick, sharp, adamant. Mentioning the non arrival of mail from Adam was equivalent to waving a red flag in front of a bull.<\/p>\n Hoss dropped himself into a chair and stretched out his legs, he mentioned the fact that it was raining, not much, not heavy rain. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared into the flames of the fire \u2026 her hair was like that, he mused, like flames around her face, and her eyes, why, they shone like sapphires. Perhaps he should buy her a sapphire ring when they got engaged.<\/p>\n Ben and Joe glanced at one another, concerned anxious eyes turned to Hoss who remained oblivious of them as he spun his own castles in the air.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The light knock on the cabin door preceded Soames\u2019 entry into the cabin which was greeted by a smile from Adam as he looked up from the book he was reading. He had only returned to his quarters a brief while earlier having spent the morning on the bridge.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong, Soames?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m concerned about Mrs Pelman, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Help yourself to coffee -\u201d Adam indicated the refreshments and glanced back at his book before reluctantly placing it back on the table. He sighed and tried to find some enthusiasm for the conversation that was about to come,<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s hardly eating. She\u2019s feverish and has taken to her bed. It\u2019s as though she\u2019s willing herself to die.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe won\u2019t .\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWon\u2019t what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe won\u2019t die,\u201d Adam uttered the words coldly, bluntly, then he shook his head as though surprised at his doctor\u2019s concern for their prisoner, \u201cPeople like Cassandra Pelman don\u2019t die, Soames, they exist, they continue to live and breathe even if on the fringes of existence, merely to make as much of a problem of themselves as they can, and in that way, they impinge on your every waking hour so that you are inevitably drawn into their lives again. If you\u2019ve never read the stories of Brer Rabbit I recommend that you do so, starting with the story of the tar baby \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re very hard on her, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s my prisoner and my responsibility, Soames, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a woman, a sick woman. Show some compassion if only for that reason.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam cast a long thoughtful look at Soames, and grimaced, he picked up his book and turned some pages, before looking over at Soames once again,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the doctor, you have a responsibility to her as well, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, that\u2019s why I\u2019m here now.\u201d Soames sipped at his coffee and then turned to look at the books on the shelf as though to find the stories of Brer Rabbit about to fall into his hands, he sighed, \u201cHowever you feel about her, she\u2019s just a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong.\u201d Adam replied with a sigh, \u201cCassandra Pelman is your modern day Medusa, as you may very well discover for yourself one of these days.\u201d he stroked his upper lip with his fingers, and then rose to his feet, \u201cVery well, doctor, I\u2019ll go and see what she wants -\u201d and he turned, picked up his hat and quietly closed the door behind him.<\/p>\n Chapter 85<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman recognised the firm tread of Adam\u2019s footsteps as he approached the brig. She pulled at a curl of hair and wound it pensively around her finger with her head a little to one side as she concentrated as to where the footsteps were leading him and when it became obvious that they were coming towards her she drew away from the shadows, arranged her dress to appear a little more modest, and knelt upon the floor, her elbows on the seat of the only chair in the cell, and her face buried in her hands.<\/p>\n Adam paused a moment at the sight of her and as he approached Adam\u2019s side Soames cast a look over at the other man as though of reproach. Adam could almost hear the man\u2019s thoughts and none of them very positive about himself. He looked at Cassandra and firmed his mouth into a thin line of frustration, while the only thing he could think about was what game was she playing now.<\/p>\n She raised her head from her hands, and gazed at them both with piteous moist eyes, heavy with recent tears. For a moment she allowed herself to gaze upon Adam\u2019s face as though searching for some softening pity and compassion<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m told, Mrs Pelman, that you are ill. I\u2019m sorry to hear it,\u201d Adam paused, and frowned, \u201cIt would appear the doctor is taking good care of you though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he\u2019s a good man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs the food not to your liking?\u201d Adam glanced at the bowl of food, half eaten, by the bed, \u201cWe have a new cook now, you know?\u201d he added sarcastically and was rewarded by another glowering look from the doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t eat.\u201d she whispered, raising her head, \u201cI can\u2019t -\u201d she paused, \u201cI can\u2019t stop thinking of those poor men who died -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhich ones are you thinking about today, Madam?\u201d the cold voice intoned.<\/p>\n \u201cThe men on the Kuril Islands of course.\u201d she lowered her eyelids slowly and observed the floor, \u201cI know you don\u2019t believe me but I knew nothing about their conditions, and how badly they were being treated. I wish,\u201d she drew closer, one hand clasped one of the metal bars, \u201cI wish you would believe me, Commodore, I was just a pawn in this business. My brother and husband were the instigators of it, I never knew what was going to happen.\u201d she let a tear drop upon her cheeks, \u201cI was just told to go and do the deal – a ship for some gold. No one told me what was going to happen to the crew.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably because you hadn\u2019t enough interest to ask \u2026\u201d Adam drawled and he glanced over the cell, paid attention to the fact that it was clean, the bed unsoiled. He did notice, however, that her gown was limp and shabby, clinging in a far too provocative fashion to her body. \u201cWould you like to have a bath?\u201d<\/p>\n The question caught her unawares, she looked surprised, pleased and relieved and she smiled, while trying vainly to keep a small glint of triumph out of her eyes. Adam waited for her reply and then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll arrange for that to be done, then you can change your clothes into something more decent than what you have on now. Doctor -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI forgive you -\u201d<\/p>\n The three words were a mere whisper but sounded louder than an explosion for Adam turned, stared at her with a look of disgust upon his face,<\/p>\n \u201cYou WHAT?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI forgive you -\u201d she replied, and her eyes rounded into those of an innocent childs, \u201cfor not believing me, for being cold and cruel, and for blaming me for things over which I had no control.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked away and for some moments she remained exactly as before, head bowed down, her hair tumbling over her shoulders. It was only when the doors clanged shut that she smiled, a long slow smile that made her eyes gleam with malice and hate.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cYou are not to go there again -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? You can\u2019t do that, Adam, she\u2019s my patient.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd she\u2019s my prisoner. As such I\u2019m forbidding you to go there again. I shall give the Marines guarding her orders not to have you admitted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what if she were dying?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s unlikely to happen, but if it does then send one of your orderlies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor Soames, don\u2019t defy me. On this ship I give the orders, do you understand?\u201d Adam\u2019s eyes darkened and his lips were near to trembling with anger, he had to swallow hard in order not to say more than he had already, to hold back the anger that was hot inside of him.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand, Commodore, but you\u2019re making a very serious mistake. Why don\u2019t you just listen to what she has to say?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd is that it? Have you listened to what she has to say?\u201d he turned round to look at the Doctor now, a man he had trusted and liked, fallible as all men are, but trustworthy. \u201cDid she look at you with big eyes, and weep? Did she ask for forgiveness and ask you to pray for her? For pities sake, man, wake up to the fact that she is playing you for a fool, and attempting to play us one against the other -\u201d he looked at the rigid disbelieving face and shook his head sadly, \u201cDoctor, you seem to be a religious man -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am – I believe in a God of mercy and compassion.\u201d Soames replied rather pompously.<\/p>\n \u201cThen show some compassion to her victims, Doctor, the ones who have survived, and spare a thought for those who did not.\u201d Adam half turned his head and raised an eyebrow, \u201cGood day, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames gulped back any words he had intended to say, instead he slowly opened the door and left the cabin.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben jerked his head up, hoping as he did so that his son would not have realised that he had been about to drop off to sleep over the ledgers, he cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe buggy\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGone? What do you mean, the buggy\u2019s gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gone, been harnessed and taken out. I needed it for this afternoon. I was going to take Vicky out for a picnic.\u201d<\/p>\n A shuffling from behind them and they turned to see Hop Sing smiling at them, cloth in hand, dark eyes twinkling,<\/p>\n \u201cPicnic? You say picnic?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. I was going to ask if you wouldn\u2019t mind preparing a hamper for two, because I\u2019d planned to take Victoria out while the weather was still holding good.\u201d Joe scowled, his fine mouth twisted into a grimace and the hazel eyes were wide with his confusion and concern.<\/p>\n \u201cWait a moment, Joseph,\u201d Ben put out a hand and placed it as a restraint upon Joe\u2019s arm, \u201cHop Sing, what do you know about all this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot much,\u201d came the honest laconic reply, \u201cMister Hoss come in looking very happy and smiling much. He say to Hop Sing \u2018Fix picnic, back in moment\u2019. I fix picnic like I know him really enjoy and he come back look r-e-a-l smart\u201d he winked one eye and nodded to emphasise the words, \u201cthen he go with hamper.\u201d he shrugged, \u201cThat all.\u201d then he turned and returned back to the kitchen.<\/p>\n Joe turned morose eyes to his father and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is it, Pa. Hoss is making a last ditch attempt to steal Vicky from me \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it, Joe. He\u2019s not shown any interest in her at all. I think you\u2019re letting your imagination run away with you.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe ran his fingers through his hair, shook his head and sunk down upon the arm of the settee, while he stared mournfully at the rug<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m not, Pa. If he loved anyone else he\u2019d have told us by now, wouldn\u2019t he?\u201d and to this Ben nodded in agreement, \u201cBut he hasn\u2019t said a word, the reason being because he doesn\u2019t want me to know it\u2019s Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI still think you\u2019re wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ll soon find out.\u201d he jumped up and headed for the door, \u201cI\u2019m going to find them and get the truth out of them before – before I – I kill him.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 86<\/p>\n Hester Verlaine glanced out of the corner of her eyes and then returned her gaze to the lake. She bit into an apple, and sighed. It was a perfect day and the fact that she was sharing a blanket with Hoss Cartwright didn\u2019t worry her one iota. The picnic hamper was large and took pride of place between them, although it was considerably emptier than when they had arrived.<\/p>\n She glanced out of the corner of her eyes again and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do you keep looking at me?\u201d she turned her full gaze upon him now, smiled and raised her eyebrows, while Hoss stared down at the blanket as though it were the most fantastic combination of colours that side of Virginia City.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Ma\u2019am, I – I don\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you do.\u201d she said and her eyes crinkled at the corners at the smile she gave him, \u201cEvery time I look round you\u2019re looking at me. Why is that ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess it\u2019s because I can\u2019t believe you\u2019re actually sitting there as real as can be, and I\u2019m right here beside you – kinda.\u201d he grimaced, went just a little red around the neck, and picked up an apple which he began to absent mindedly polish on his shirt.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m here alright,\u201d she laughed, \u201cand really glad to be here too. I love my cousin Ann, but there are times when it\u2019s good to be able to get out of the house and go somewhere else. I couldn\u2019t believe it when I saw you this afternoon. Thank you, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing to that, just lowered his head and smiled before biting into his apple.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d been thinking about you a lot since you came round that evening of the party.\u201d she said slowly, and a faint pucker of a horseshoe frown appeared between her eyebrows sending a ripple effect of furrows over her smooth brow. \u201cThat was very kind of you, Hoss. I mean, coming to spend some time with me that evening. Then today, for some reason I wasn\u2019t really surprised when you drove into the yard, I couldn\u2019t believe my eyes, but I wasn\u2019t surprised. Don\u2019t suppose that makes much sense, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it does,\u201d he replied shyly, \u201cI didn\u2019t think you\u2019d come today, what with it being so sudden like, but then when you said you would, I wasn\u2019t surprised niether \u2026\u201d and he smiled at her and blushed a little at the way she smiled back at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou said this was one of your favourite places on the Ponderosa.\u201d she turned to look around her, her eyes dwelling upon the lake, and the wide sweep of land that curved into the hills, \u201cIt is beautiful, Hoss. Thank you for bringing me here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI used to come here with my brothers, it\u2019s where I taught Joe how to swim.\u201d he stood up and turned to her, holding out his hand and when she gripped hold he felt almost giddy with the feeling it evoked, as it was he said nothing but hauled her up onto her feet, \u201cHere, let\u2019s go down to the shoreline.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t let go of his hand immediately, but when she did he felt a sense of loss and wondered if she would think to take hold of it again. As it was she followed him through the grass and wild flowers until they reached the boulder strewn beach, and here they both paused to gaze around. Hoss picked up a smooth pebble and sent it speeding across the water, it jumped, skimmed and hit the water, skimmed again and three more times until it sunk,<\/p>\n \u201cThe water\u2019s as clear as can be,\u201d she cried and stooped down to put her hand into it, \u201cIt\u2019s cold,\u201d she laughed and quickly withdrew it again, wiping the water off her hand onto her skirt.<\/p>\n \u201cThe water comes down from the mountains.\u201d Hoss said quietly, \u201cIt\u2019s here we found out how we were sitting on a whole heap of gold.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u201d she looked at him curiously.<\/p>\n \u201cYep. Me and Adam. It was before Joe was born, we were paddling here, trying to catch fish I think -\u201d he creased his brow in an attempt to recall the incident, then shook his head, \u201cAnyhow, we found these shiny stones and filled our pockets with \u2018em. When Pa found them he couldn\u2019t believe his eyes, there it all was, gold right under our noses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose it came from the mountains too,\u201d she observed looking up at the vast towering guardians of the Ponderosa, \u201cYes, I\u2019ve read of that happening before.\u201d<\/p>\n They turned to go back, there was still food to eat and cool cordial to drink. He had turned to make sure she was alright when she caught the heel of her boot against a stone, twisted and would have fallen had he not grabbed at her arm in time, and then swung her into his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright?\u201d he asked, holding her as close as he dared and feeling more than just the hero of the hour when she put her arms around his neck and thanked him with a smile.<\/p>\n He carried her all the way back to their sitting area, where he placed her very gently down upon the blanket.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t hurt your ankle, did you?\u201d he asked, kneeling down at her feet and placing a gentle hand upon her booted foot.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think.\u201d she leaned over to feel around her foot and her hand brushed against his, \u201cNo, I\u2019m sure you caught me in time to prevent any damage.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should have realised -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s these stupid boots, the heels are too high -\u201d<\/p>\n They looked at one another and laughed together, soft laughter, with no real point to it and Hoss blushed again. Hester patted a curl into place, aware that some things were starting to come adrift, her hair was constantly shedding pins no matter how carefully she tried to ensure their lasting captivity. Hoss watched her for a moment before turning to look away, the picture of her fussing about her fiery golden red hair would stay in his mind forever.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ma\u2019am.\u201d he turned and looked at her, then his smile faded at seeing the seriousness of the look on her face, \u201cIs anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, nothings wrong. Well, I don\u2019t think so -\u201d she paused and bit her bottom lip, \u201cI\u2019ve really enjoyed this afternoon, being with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I\u2019ve enjoyed it too, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just have to tell you something -\u201d she looked at him then, her face calm and serious, her blue eyes scanned his face, could see that her words worried him, she could see that in his eyes and the expression on his face, \u201cI think you should know that I was married.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarried?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I want to tell you this now, before it comes out at some later time, as things have a habit of doing. He was a very nice man, someone you would have liked actually. He was a journalist for a New York newspaper.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded slowly, the past tense in her sentences, delivered rather jerkily, reassured him a little, but he waited with baited breath to find out just exactly where they stood in relation to this marriage now.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a kind man, like you in that way.\u201d her voice softened, the eyes moistened, \u201cHe – that is – we were very young when we married. He wanted to go and fight in the war, you see.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd did he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. He did, he sent in reports to the paper about the fighting. He was what they called a War Correspondent.\u201d she frowned, \u201cthen the reports stopped being sent, and I didn\u2019t get any more letters -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t come back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d she sighed, and twisted some threads from the blanket round and round her finger, \u201cNo, he never came back. Just another body lying out there somewhere, buried with so many others, blue or grey uniforms – at that time – what did it matter, they were all blood stained anyway, and covering shattered bodies.\u201d she lowered her head, and a tear made its way down her cheek, Hoss longed to lean forward to wipe it away but it fell from her chin with a plop.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019d you know -\u201d he paused, it was an unkind question, insensitive, he could have bitten his tongue and lowered his eyes, \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had a letter from one of his friends, a very close friend. He wrote to tell me what had happened and when the war was over he came to visit me and James\u2019 parents. He\u2019d lost a leg in the same shell blast that killed James. He\u2019d have come to see us sooner but they had taken him prisoner.\u201d she raised her chin then, and stared out once again across the mountains as though she could see him now, walking towards her, a one legged handsome young man bearing bad news.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat side was he – James – fighting for?\u201d Hoss asked gently.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it matter?\u201d she replied and looked at him as though not really seeing him, seeing instead her husband and perhaps a thousand others who had died that same day with him. \u201cThey all ended up either dead and buried in some hole in the ground, or a victim in some other way when they declared peace. All those lives snuffed out, changed forever.\u201d \u201cNo, Ma\u2019am, not at all. Nor my brothers – \u2018cepting that they had their own sides but I never did, I was just -\u201d he shrugged, \u201cthe man in the middle, I guess. Leastways that\u2019s what some man called me once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad,\u201d she smiled, her face softening, \u201cI felt the same way, even though James had made a choice, I never could. Afterwards, looking back on the futility of it all, I was glad that I hadn\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo\u2019m I.\u201d Hoss said and seeing her hand resting upon the ground took hold of it in between his own, she didn\u2019t resist, and he held it gently, like a child would when a butterfly had settled in the palm of his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, I think you\u2019re one of the kindest men I have ever known. I could tell that about you the first time I saw you -\u201d Hester folded her fingers gently around his and smiled, her blue eyes looked earnestly into his face.<\/p>\n \u201cMiss – Ma\u2019am -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHester -\u201d she laughed, \u201cOh Hoss, please call me Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n He laughed then and they leaned towards one another \u2026 \u201cHOSS CARTWRIGHT!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDangblast it -\u201d Hoss groaned and turned towards his brother who was rapidly dismounting from Cochise and striding towards him. He slowly stood up, the bulk of his body shielding Hester so that all Joe could see was the colour of her skirts<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, what are you doing here -\u201d Joe\u2019s voice was shrill and then there was a pause as his eyes beheld the woman peering shyly from behind his brothers shoulder. \u201cOh, Ma\u2019am,\u201d he touched the brim of his hat and his eyes stared at her and then swivelled to look at his brother who was looking anything but pleased to see him.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, this is Miss – I mean – Mrs Hester Verlaine. She\u2019s Miss Ann\u2019s cousin.\u201d Hoss gallantly introduced her, and she stepped forwards with a smile and an extended hand which Joe grasped and shook gingerly, looking like a man who had just been struck by lightning.<\/p>\n \u201cPleased to meet you, Mrs Verlaine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHester – please call me Hester,\u201d she smiled, and a curl of golden red hair drifted over her face, this she hastily attempted to tuck behind her ear.<\/p>\n Joe grinned, and looked at his brother and then at the detritus of the picnic, he pursed his lips, and raised his ever mobile eyebrows,<\/p>\n \u201cSeems I interrupted you – I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you want exactly, Joe? All that hollering and such, anyone would think the Ponderosa was on fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – no, nothing like that,\u201d Joe said abashed now at his wrong assumptions \u201cI\u2019ll just get on by – carry on with the chores -\u201d he nodded again at Hester and retreated, avoided tripping over his feet and remounted his horse.<\/p>\n So that was it, he mused, Hoss was a-courting. No wonder he was keeping quiet about everything, her a married woman -. Joe bit his bottom lip, Pa wouldn\u2019t approve of that, not one bit. But, he smiled slowly, she was a good looking woman, not lovely like Victoria, more homely than not, but that hair and those eyes – he started whistling to himself, softly – yes, she was a good looking woman, just a pity she was married.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam did a half turn on the bridge as he heard a light step from behind him, he turned and faced Soames. Both men looked at one another and it was Adam who inclined his head as an invitation for the other man to speak first. Davies, the helmsman for that shift, was out of ear shot. It was only the rustling of the maps on the table, and the slight whisper of the breeze that could be heard now. Soames stepped forward and glanced over at Davies to make sure the conversation wouldn\u2019t be overheard,<\/p>\n \u201cI just came to apologise.\u201d he said quietly, and he sighed and shook his head \u201cMrs Pelman is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life and for a moment, I mean, for a while I even forgot how she had stolen that knife from me, that she could have killed you -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded again, and looked at the man thoughtfully. How many chances does a man get? He sighed and swept his hand up and down against the burnished metal of the ship,<\/p>\n \u201cThe order still stands -\u201d he said quietly, \u201cyou are not to approach the brig unless you are with me or O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand that, and glad of it.\u201d Soames replied humbly.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good.\u201d Adam nodded, \u201cThank you, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames said nothing, but didn\u2019t walk away immediately. He stood close to the younger man, his own hands clasped behind his back. Adam watched the waters, he remembered a man who had seemed good enough, a man who had saved his life and yet stolen from him, and he, Adam, had ignored the bad, chosen to see only the good. The man had died, shot, swept down the river but before dying had raised his hand and said \u201cThanks for everything, friend.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, as he thought of that man, Tom, Adam reminded himself of how easy it was to be blinded by what appeared to be good. Particularly if one wanted to be \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cO\u2019Brien and I are having dinner together tonight, Soames, why not join us there?\u201d he murmured as he passed the man to return to his maps. He just caught a glimpse of the look of relief on Soames face and as he leaned over to pick up the sextant he heard the doctor mumble his thanks before his feet bore him away.<\/p>\n Chapter 87<\/p>\n Joe hesitated at the door, looked at his father and frowned slightly before he pushed the door shut and slowly began to unbuckle his gun belt. Ben glanced up from some papers he was checking over, took one look at his son\u2019s face and smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t kill him then?\u201d he asked with his dark eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour brother. Or weren\u2019t you able to find him? After all the Ponderosa\u2019s a big place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah,\u201d Joe nodded, \u201cYeah, I found him.\u201d he carefully put his hat onto his peg and frowned, \u201cPa, have you heard of a woman called Hester Verlaine?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben looked thoughtful, shook his head and smiled slowly,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t. Who is she? The latest singer at the Sazarac?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Pa.\u201d Joe sighed and slid into the corner of the settee, began to lift his feet to put on the table and thought twice about it, \u201cI just wondered if you had happened to meet up with a MRS Hester Verlaine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joe, I can\u2019t say that I have.\u201d Ben shook his head again and rose to his feet, \u201cNow, then, Joseph, what are your plans for your wedding to Victoria. I\u2019m going to write to Adam tonight and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think he gets our letters?\u201d Joe interrupted sharply and pushed his fingers through his hair, a sure sign that he was nervous or worried about something, \u201cWe never seem to get a reply.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, well, I\u2019ve explained all about that before,\u201d Ben said slowly, \u201cIs anything wrong? Have you changed your mind about getting married?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo -\u201d Joe shook his head and rose to his feet, \u201cNo.\u201d he repeated and made his way to the stairs, \u201cI\u2019m just going to clean up before supper.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben said nothing but watched with an anxious look on his face as his son mounted the stairs. Then he shook his head, and was about to turn back to his study when the door opened and Hoss stepped into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cHi Pa,\u201d Hoss grinned, compared to his brother Hoss looked positively radiant, he removed his gun belt and hat with a big smile on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cHave a pleasant picnic?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did, Pa, thanks. Hop Sing did us proud.\u201d he rubbed his hands together and sat down in the place just vacated by his brother, \u201cJoe back yet?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Ben nodded slowly, and looked thoughtfully at his son, \u201cSo – who was the picnic with, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPa – I\u2019ll tell ya as soon as Joe gits on down here.\u201d Hoss rubbed his hands together again, and his smile only widened as Joe came down the stairs, \u201cHi, Joe. You got your chores done okay then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah, sure, I got them done.\u201d Joe said in a non-committal tone of voice, \u201cHow\u2019d the rest of your day go?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBetter than I thought it would.\u201d Hoss stood up proudly and thrust out his chest, \u201cPa. Joe. Miss Ann\u2019s invited us all to dinner on Saturday. She wants us all to meet her cousin.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben and Joe looked at one another, \u201cHer cousin?\u201d Joe murmured slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you know, Joe, her cousin, Hester. You met her this afternoon.\u201d Hoss prompted, and Joe stared at his brother as though he was missing something, then he looked at his father who was just looking at them both as though he wasn\u2019t too sure which of the two he should be paying attention.<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, Mrs Verlaine ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s right – Hester. That\u2019s her name. Hester Verlaine.\u201d Hoss looked at them both and then frowned, \u201cAnything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a married woman.\u201d Joe replied darkly, and darted a quick look at his father, who raised his eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, she ain\u2019t.\u201d Hoss dismissed the comment with a shake of the head and a sigh, \u201cShe\u2019s a widder woman. Her husband got killed during the Civil War.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe stared thoughtfully at his brother and Hoss stared equally thoughtfully at his brother, then Ben stepped in between them, smiled and put an arm around both their shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, Saturday we had better be on our best behaviour, hadn\u2019t we?\u201d he said quietly and whether he had the desire to knock two heads together only he could say.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cWell, here we are -\u201d O\u2019Brien smiled, and glanced over at Adam, \u201cHawaii.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll not stay over long.\u201d Adam said as he leaned heavily against the ship\u2019s side. \u201cWe leave before sunset. Hathaway -\u201d he turned to the First Mate, \u201cmake sure that every man who goes on leave is accounted for, if they\u2019re not on board ship when we are ready to leave they\u2019ll be left behind. Make sure there\u2019s plenty of fresh water and fruit taken on board ship. Do you want to go on shore, O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t mind, if I have your permission, sir?\u201d he gave a quick salute which make Adam smile, \u201cI\u2019ll check in and see if there\u2019s any mail waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think the men would appreciate knowing there was some mail from home for them.\u201d Adam replied, and stepped back slightly to watch the ship as she slowed and entered the harbour.<\/p>\n In the brig Cassandra sensed the ship was slowing down, and heard the rattle of chains as the great anchor was slowly lowered. Confined in her windowless barred room she listened intently to the sounds all around her. Through her feet she felt the ship slowing down until she had stopped, the noise of the anchor chain ceased, feet thudded above her head on the boards that formed the upper decking. She leaned against the bars<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you -\u201d<\/p>\n The Marine at the door beyond turned to observe her, and asked her what she wanted. He was young, but had had it drilled into him to avoid her like the plague, so he addressed her across the distance, keeping as much distance between them as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we? What\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re docking, we\u2019re in Hawaii. Going to take on some fresh provisions before we get on our way to America.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTell the doctor I need to speak to him.\u201d she lowered her voice and he called out to her to repeat the question. \u201cI need the doctor.\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Miss, but if you need to see the doctor he can\u2019t come, the Commodore\u2019s orders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen let me see the Commodore.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t answer to that, but stood at attention as he watched the Commodore striding towards him. Cassandra, hearing the familiar footsteps, clung to the bars and listened as closely as she could to what was being said, the low deep drawl of Adam\u2019s voice seemed to permeate the walls and she barely dared to breathe in case she missed one word<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s the prisoner today, Sharp?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe says she wants the doctor, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she ill?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe seems not, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas she eaten her meals?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMost of them, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a pause, she held her breathe, was he coming into the brig to see her? No, the footsteps led away and disappointed she released her grip on the bars and began to pace the floor. She was so deep in concentration that when she looked up and saw him there, just beyond the bars, her knees went weak with shock and she drew back as though he were some apparition.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? I – you here – but -\u201d she watched his face, the dark eyes slightly narrowed as they watched her, looked around the room, before coming to rest upon her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI hear you\u2019re ill? What\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n Without saying a word she approached the bars and thrust out her arm. Without getting too near he stepped forward and looked down at it. Upon the smooth white skin were raised red spots that looked like pin pricks, in some places there was the obvious evidence of her scratching at them for the skin was red and sore.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all over my body.\u201d she said quietly. \u201cI told you, I need the doctor.\u201d she stretched out her hand to take hold of his but he withdrew it quickly, \u201cPlease, Adam, please – be kind to me for a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re flea bites.\u201d he said coldly, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mrs Pelman, they may be unpleasant but they won\u2019t kill you. I\u2019ll get some men to come in and remove your bedding with new,\u201d he paused and observed her again, the clean gown, the long hair that now fell loose down her back due to the lack of a maid to help with her toilette, he muttered something that sounded like \u201cOh dear \u2026\u201d and walked away.<\/p>\n Flea bites! She looked at her arms, at the red marks that were all over her limbs and torso. As Adam walked through the door and heard it lock behind him he could hear her screaming, and what she called the fleas, and him, would have made any member of his crew blush for shame.<\/p>\n Chapter 88<\/p>\n Hawaii and the sun beat down upon them as they slid into their berth in the harbour. Adam watched as O\u2019Brien entered the skiff and the seamen bent their backs to the oars. He leaned against the taffrail that ran the length of the bridge and smiled with satisfaction, while he looked over the decks to watch as the men went about their work.<\/p>\n Two boats had gone with crewmen from the Baltimore. Those due leave numbered some men who had been victims of the cruelty in the Kurils and now appreciated being given precedence over others in the crew for some shore leave. O\u2019Brien was among them and hoping for a few hours relaxation, as well as being courier for the ship\u2019s mail. He looked back at the bridge and raised a hand, in time to see Adam taking off his jacket and folding it over the rail.<\/p>\n The Islanders were not slow in taking advantage of an American ship coming into harbour. The crew on board would be given the opportunity of some pleasures as men and women loaded themselves into their canoes and began to approach the Baltimore with the aim of selling trinkets, carvings, food in the form of fresh fruit and newly baked Hawaiin dishes, flowers in gaudy colours fashioned into lei\u2019s and Hawaiin beverages.<\/p>\n They sang as they came near to the ship, shrill voices made melody and harmonised with deep bass tones, song intermingled with laughter which enticed the crew to look over the ship\u2019s sides to watch the approaching flotilla. Their gaity and song lifted the mens hearts, and on the bridge Adam smiled again, feeling more relaxed now than he had in a long time.<\/p>\n His darkly tanned shirt and black hair contrasted sharply with the whiteness of his shirt and cravat, the broad shoulders strained against the material as he leaned forwards and watched the approach of the Islanders. He could sense the excitement rising in the blood of the crew and anticipated a rowdy few hours to come. It did no harm, he mused, the voyage so far had been tedious and boring for them and the pleasures to come were not to last long.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d Sharp asked the Marine who had come to relieve him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Islanders are coming out with their stuff. You\u2019ll enjoy it, Sharpie, but don\u2019t drink too much. The rum they brew here is heady stuff.\u201d and he winked and laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t drink rum.\u201d Sharp replied thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s the lady?\u201d the Marine jerked his head towards the locked door and upon receiving only a shrug of the shoulders laughed again.<\/p>\n Sharp hurried off to join with several other marines thronging over the side to get the first glimpse of the Islanders. Dusky maidens stood up in their grass skirts offering up the lei\u2019s and laughing<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Hi, American sailor, I see you \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican, you buy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou want buy I sell – you want you have – buy cheap?\u201d<\/p>\n Happy faces, white toothy smiles and so much noise. Up the sides of the ship they swarmed, helping hands held theirs and hauled them aloft. Men were garlanded with the floral tributes and hip swaying women mingled with their swarthy near naked men to ply the sailors with drink and food.<\/p>\n Scratching furiously at her arms and feeling dejected and miserable, Cassandra heard the sounds of the Islanders, their voices and thud of their feet were muted but nevertheless clear enough and she paused to raise her head and listen.<\/p>\n Were there an artist to paint the picture they would have delighted at the sight. A beautiful woman dressed in a pale cream and pink gown that was soft to the curves of her body, eyes uplifted to the ceiling as though offering up prayer, an image of a woman that could well be imagined as a modern martyr about to be offered to the lions, or perhaps a modern Joan of Arc seeking divine guidance in order to route the enemy.<\/p>\n As she stood there in grave and solemn stillness, the doors to her cell opened and two seamen entered followed by one of Soames orderlies. Without speaking to her they began to pull away the bedding, even the mattress from the bed and after bundling them up took them away. The orderly, now alone with her, was sprinkling some kind of dust over the frame of the bed, all the while making sure not to get eye contact with her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we? Is it Hawaii? The islands?\u201d her voice was soft, very gentle.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. But we\u2019re only here for a few hours. Commodore Cartwright wants us off again before sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a shame. You must have liked to have gone on shore yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, not really. I\u2019ve been before, best for someone who hasn\u2019t had the experience to go.\u201d he turned, met her gaze and lowered his eyes.<\/p>\n As he did so the door reopened and the seamen returned, a fresh mattress, clean bedding. The orderly pointed to the bed and the mattress was flipped down, the bedding set down upon it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere y\u2019are, missus. We don\u2019t get the problem seeing how we stick to our own hammocks, but you should be alright now.\u201d he turned to where she had been standing but now, there was only emptiness. Seeing her chance, Cassandra had taken hold of it, and gone.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Someone grabbed at her arm and laughing swung her towards someone else, a lei was cast around her neck, and another. A woman came, offering bracelets of coloured beads in one hand, a carving of a fertility god in another. Cassandra pushed her away, scanned the crowd, glanced up and saw Adam standing on the bridge, his back towards her as he talked to several of the Islanders, he held a lei of red and creamy pink flowers in one hand, and as he half turned she could see the smile on his face.<\/p>\n She had reached the side of the ship now and glancing down saw the canoe just below one of the ladders. Two children were sitting in the frail vessel, guardians of the treasures entrusted to them. Without a thought she was over the side of the ship and struggling down the ladder, cursing as the skirt wound around her legs, trapped her feet, made her progress slow and clumsy.<\/p>\n Overhead she heard shouting intermingled with the gaity of the islanders. It all sounded very far away as she concentrated on descending down the ladder, now the canoe was far nearer, now she could see freedom within her grasp.<\/p>\n \u201cStop – stop or I shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n She glanced up, she saw the face of a young marine looking down at her, strained and wide eyed, and then another marine came and looked down, a rifle aimed down at her. She couldn\u2019t stop, she turned her head and saw the children staring at her, laughing, white teeth dazzled against the dusky brown skin of their faces. She took another step, and another.<\/p>\n \u201cI order you, stop or I shoot.\u201d<\/p>\n Adrenalin and fear drove her onwards. Another rung down the ladder, her hands were sweating, slipping on the metal guard of the ladder. A shot rang out and buzzed like a bee before it hit the water.<\/p>\n Adam was leaning against the bulwark now, he saw her, looked at the children and placed a hand against the rifle to prevent the Marine from firing again. He took a moment to pull off his boots and then mounted onto the side of the ship and dived instantly into the water. The canoe bobbed up and down from the waves he created in entering the water, and Cassandra, who was about to step into it, now found herself having to hold onto the ladder with one hand while struggling to reach for the canoe with the other.<\/p>\n Adam surfaced, and Cassandra on seeing him swimming towards her made another attempt to reach the boat only to find that as her fingers touched the sides so two hands gripped hold of her, pressed her hard against the ladder while a wet body pressed against hers.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, you\u2019re becoming a nuisance.\u201d Adam hissed between his teeth as he grabbed at one rung of the ladder and held her wrist with his other hand, \u201cNow, get back up this ladder to the deck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what if I don\u2019t -\u201d she cried, pulling as hard as she could to free herself from his grasp and the weight of his body against her.<\/p>\n \u201cThen I\u2019ll let you drop,\u201d he replied, \u201cAnd leave you to drown.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to find out.\u201d<\/p>\n For a moment their eyes met, their faces were inches apart and Cassandra floundered, how she longed for that moment to last forever, how she wished that she didn\u2019t see the disgust in his eyes, that there could be warm reconciliation and love. Realisation dawned, she lowered her head and turned towards the ladder.<\/p>\n Each step she took was another step towards oblivion, imprisonment, loss of freedom. She found her hand slipping on the rungs, only for his hand to replace hers and fold her fingers over them, implacable, unyielding. When her foot caught in the hem of her skirts his hand roughly pulled her foot free and forced her foot back down upon the ladders rung.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she whispered in so low a voice that she didn\u2019t think he would hear her, but then he murmured, \u201cYou don\u2019t know the meaning of the word.\u201d<\/p>\n By the time she had reached the top and was being swung back onto the deck with the help of the marines, she felt as though she had never hated anyone as much as she hated Adam Cartwright at that moment. She turned just as he swung himself back onto the deck and swept back his black hair, a strand of which fell across his face. He looked at her then, dark eyes with long lashes, dark brows slightly frowning, the white shirt wet against his tanned body. She saw his lips slightly open as though to speak but before a word could be uttered she had swung the rifle around and fired.<\/p>\n Chapter 89<\/p>\n The impact of the bullet at such close range flung his body back against the ships bulwark, and as he slid down to the floor blood streaked like a crimson ribbon down behind him, marking his passage to the deck.<\/p>\n Davies, who had been laughing with some young woman and incongruously garlanded with a multi layer of lei\u2019s, was the one to turn and grab at her arm, wresting the rifle from her and finding, to his surprise, that for a weak looking woman she had more strength in her than anyone could have imagined. The rifle went off again, but the bullet passed harmlessly skywards. The Marine who had one moment been watching Adam and Casandra\u2019s reboarding of the ship and the next found his rifle plucked neatly from his hands stood rooted to the spot with his eyes distended, his face white and his knees weakening.<\/p>\n There was a moment when it seemed time froze, one of those moments when everyone afterwards would be able to remember exactly what they were doing and where they were standing at the moment that Adam\u2019s body hit the deck and blood puddled upon the well scrubbed boards. Cassandra\u2019s screams as two Marines came and hauled her away floated high above any other sound, and was immediately followed by the loud keening cries of the native Islanders who now turned and scampered over the sides of the ship and back to their canoes.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien had heard the shots just as he had stepped back into his boat, a mail sack under one arm and a slight smile on his lips. He had ordered that several men remain by the boat to return with him, promising that they would be able to go back to the island once he had been deposited on board. Now, as he watched the ship and saw the islanders swarming down to their canoes he felt a sinking, sick feeling in the pit of his gut,<\/p>\n \u201cRow harder, boys, put your backs into it\u201d<\/p>\n What was it he had said to Adam only days earlier? Had it not been congratulations on coming through this \u2019adventure\u2019 without mishap? What an irony if those shots signified what he dreaded most of all. But it couldn\u2019t be possible, not now, not here in these peaceful climes, and en route to home at last. Surely there could be nothing that could have gone wrong. Surely those shots could mean anything, anything -.<\/p>\n Soames had run across the deck, sick panic, guilt, fear, anger – so many emotions tumbling one after the other, Saunders, one of the orderlies, followed behind him, a medical bag in his hands and when Soames knelt down by the Commodore\u2019s side Saunders was already pulling open the bag and waiting to hand over the necessary implements.<\/p>\n Now men were crowding around, not a word spoken by anyone of them. The Sergeant of Marines, J.F. Hinkley had signalled to two of the Marines to take Marine Blakeson into custody for future questioning, his apparent ineptitude being the cause of the calamity that had taken place.<\/p>\n Men stood in various attitudes of shock, men who were hardened to sea life, to seeing death take any one of them at any time, now stood with hands to mouth, or with eyes closed as they prayed, with hands clasped and wrung and when Soames signalled for help in lifting the body and carrying it to the Commodore\u2019s quarters there was a sudden surge forwards as every man there willingly put themselves forwards to the task.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien stepped onto the deck as the convoy disappeared into the corridor towards Adam\u2019s room. The men stood about, looking anxiously at him, as though in some way his appearance on deck could improve matters. His eyes roved from face to startled face, saw the blood and raised his eyes to the bridge \u2026 his throat constricted and tightened, the voice in his head said \u2018No, don\u2019t let it be -\u2019 but before he could speak Hinkley was standing in front of him, saluting and speaking, telling him what had happened, sparing no details and he heard every word but could make no sense out of them whatsoever.<\/p>\n Scattered broken flowers were strewn over the deck as the men, one and all, had pulled off the sweet smelling floral garlands, and thrown them aside. Scarlet, pink and cream blossoms wilted in the sun, petals mingled with the blood that had splashed the sides of the ship and splattered onto the deck.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the Commodore?\u201d he heard himself saying and Hinkley, surprised at the question, replied,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, that\u2019s what I\u2019ve been saying \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at the Sergeant and nodded, and then with a voice he barely knew to be his own ordered the \u2018mess\u2019 to be cleaned away, and then hurried into the direction of his commanding officer\u2018s cabin.<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman sat on the edge of her bed and clasped her hands together. Every bone in her body ached as though she had performed a marathon feat, her body shook so much that the bed was creaking beneath her, every so often she had to open her mouth wide in an attempt to drag air down into her lungs. Breathing was a fight, what had been a natural instinctive thing was now a battle. Just to breathe \u2026 her hands were cold, her feet frozen, her head ached and was on fire, when she put her hands to her face it was burning and the ice of her fingers upon the hot flesh sent shivers down her back.<\/p>\n What had she done? Repeatedly she asked herself the same question \u2026What had she done? Killed a man, she told herself, killed a man. How did she do it? How could she have done it? Why had that stupid Marine been so lax in allowing her to take that rifle? What had she done? She had killed a man, she had killed more than a man, she had killed Adam Cartwright, Commodore.<\/p>\n Chapter 90<\/p>\n As Joseph Cartwright pulled off his tie and rather casually flung it over to the chair his thoughts naturally trickled back to the evening he had just spent with his family, Vicky and the Canadys. He remembered the uneasiness he had felt earlier, so much so that when he was helping Vicky into their buggy she turned to him with a slight frown on her pretty face,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Joe? Are you worried about something?\u201d<\/p>\n He had sighed, picked up an armful of her skirt which had trailed over the edge of the vehicle and tucked it in around her, then had said, as he had clambered in beside her,<\/p>\n \u201cOh, just Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust Hoss? What do you mean? Is he ill?\u201d she had slipped her arm through his and leaned her head against his shoulder, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, he\u2019ll be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah -\u201d he had heaved a sigh and set the horses trotting forward, then into a canter once they were out of town.<\/p>\n \u201cHe isn\u2019t ill, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n He had looked down at her fact as it had been upturned to look at him and had kissed her, she had looked so sweet, so concerned for that big galoot of a brother of his.<\/p>\n \u201cNaw, he isn\u2019t ill.\u201d<\/p>\n Now Joe sighed and rose to his feet and walked to the window. They had reached the Canady\u2019s house all at the same time, but it had been Hoss who had got to the door first, and then, when it had opened and revealed the woman standing to greet them, he had turned with a smile as wide as Millers Creek and introduced her to them.<\/p>\n \u201cPa, Joe, Miss Vicky, this is Mrs Hester Verlaine.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe recalled the way Ben had blinked, rather more rapidly than usual and not because of Mrs Verlaine, more because of the way Hoss had introduced her, and with such – well – what was the word? Verve? Gusto? Ben had not been slow in realising what was going on, he had cast a quick glance over at Joe, raised his eyebrows and smiled slowly as he had taken hold of Mrs Verlaine\u2019s hand, raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers.<\/p>\n Joe stood at the window of his bedroom and very slowly unbuttoned his shirt, one by one, and each time he unfastened a button he paused to dwell on something else that had happened that night.<\/p>\n Ann and Candy had been so excited at receiving them as their guests in the house that Adam had built. They had made a grand job of it, Ann had put little female touches here and there, and that had made Joe wonder if Laura would have done the same, which had made him think of Adam, that catastrophic fall – and he had missed his introduction to Hester and had to be reintroduced, but Hester had laughed nicely and said how they had already met. That comment had received another significant look from Ben.<\/p>\n Ann had stressed how Hester had cooked the meal, all of it. Candy had produced wine and poured it as well as any butler could have done, and Ben had laughingly asked if it were a special occasion.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no,\u201d Candy had chuckled, \u201cwell, not that I know of – just good to have friends around this evening to meet Hester.\u201d and his hand had, somehow, rested on Hoss\u2019 shoulder and squeezed it warmly.<\/p>\n The meal had been excellent. Vicky had relaxed and enjoyed female chatter that was of no interest whatsoever to the men, although Hoss had hung about the peripherals of their company until even he had got bored and retreated to the more familiar topics of cattle, water rights and timber.<\/p>\n Joe pulled off his shirt and tossed it along with the tie. He was about to pull off his pants when there came a knock on the door and his father entered the room,<\/p>\n \u201cYou alright, Pa?\u201d he crooked an eyebrow, and Ben smiled, \u201cYou liked her, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Verlaine? Yes, I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss likes her too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, he does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s only been here a few weeks -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long does it have to take, Joe?\u201d Ben smiled and came to stand beside his son, he put an arm around his shoulder, \u201cFeeling protective of your brother, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve no right to be, after all, he\u2019s big enough to take care of himself.\u201d Joe grinned then, and his eyes twinkled.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she\u2019s not a gold digger after his money,\u201d Ben said quietly, \u201cShe\u2019s got enough of her own, she\u2019s not struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I think any woman who takes an interest in Hoss would be after his money?\u201d Joe sounded peeved, and turned away from the window, leaving Ben to let his arm drop to his side. \u201cTo be honest, Pa, I think she\u2019d be good for Hoss. She\u2019s – she\u2019s a strong woman, gone through a lot already in life – hasn\u2019t she?\u201d he glanced slyly over at Ben, knowing that concern for Hoss would have led his father to have a quiet little chat with either Ann or Candy about Mrs Verlaine.<\/p>\n Ben sat down. He folded his hands together in his lap. His mind wandered back to when he had first seen Hester Verlaine. He had noticed the way Hoss had so exuberantly introduced the woman to them, but he had also noticed the way she had looked at him, as though proud of him, surprised by the warmth of the introduction, but genuinely proud of him.<\/p>\n He had watched her carefully during the evening and noted that she had pleasant manners, beautifully shaped hands, a wedding ring on one finger that she made no attempt to disguise. Her face was not pretty, not beautiful, but her eyes were brilliantly blue, and her hair, the abundance of hair, gleamed like burnished copper red gold. No, she was not one of your classical beauties, but there was strength in her features, in the strong stubborn chin, the fine high arch of a nose and those eyes \u2026 and for some reason he thought of Inger and felt a lump rise in his throat.<\/p>\n For obvious reasons he had then turned his attention to Joe\u2019s intended wife. A pretty young woman, with an almost fragile beauty. But she also had proved herself to be stronger in character than most would have thought, her life at home had not been easy and she had carved out a career for herself, caring for the blind as she did. No, one could not dismiss Victoria Shannon as a giddy girl, and it was plain to see that she adored Joe. He also recalled to mind how she had made sure that the money she had found in her father\u2019s safe, Cartwright money so far as she was concerned, had been returned to them. That had certainly shown she had integrity and had earned his approval.<\/p>\n Now as he waited for Joe to speak, he turned his mind back to the conversation he had had with Hester, outside in the garden, where he had excused himself for a few moments because being in the house had reminded him too much of a son who was no longer with them. She had come out with some coffee for him, and smiled at him thoughtfully as she had offered it to him,<\/p>\n \u201cHoss tells me that you\u2019re a widow, Mrs Verlaine?\u201d he could have bitten his tongue off, an unkind introduction, impolite and discourteous, he accepted the cup and saucer and shook his head, \u201cI\u2019m sorry, that was very rude of me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, Mr Cartwright. It\u2019s always best to get everything out in the open as soon as possible, that way, everyone knows exactly where they stand.\u201d<\/p>\n She had stood then, with her face towards him, and the moon had shone down and he had realised then how tall she was, that she was no slender slip of a girl, and he had smiled, thinking of a scripture that had forbidden the Israelites to yoke an oxen and an ass together, for one would be stronger than the other \u2026 not that she was an ass, and he had smiled again as he had bowed his head to drink his coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss tells me that you had a son from each of your wives -\u201d she said quietly, \u201cand that your eldest son is a seaman?\u201d<\/p>\n He was going to say Touche, but realised that she was making an observation, not an accusation. He had nodded and spoken about his wives, but he hadn\u2019t been able, for some reason, to talk about his son, his eldest son who was a seaman.<\/p>\n She had then told him about her husband, how short their marriage actually was, how she loved him still which was why she couldn\u2019t remove her wedding ring, and she had looked at her hand and sighed, twisted the ring round her finger with her other hand.<\/p>\n \u201cSome people never have the chance to be that happy, do they?\u201d she had said quietly and taken the empty cup from him and returned to the house.<\/p>\n Ben had been left with the feeling that he had been carefully vetted, perhaps found wanting, but he had returned home with a feeling that in those lovely hands, his son, Hoss, would be quite safe and well loved.<\/p>\n In his room Hoss had disrobed quickly and got into bed. He lay awake staring up at the ceiling with his arms folded behind his head. He knew he wasn\u2019t the most handsome man in the world, and to some people he was often seen as a bit of a joke, but he knew himself, he was comfortable with himself, and he knew that his heart was full of love for that woman. He thought of her now as she had been that evening, capable and efficient, laughing, putting people at ease, and a good cook too. Perhaps not to Hop Sings standards, but certainly a good cook.<\/p>\n He closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep. The only thing missing, he thought before sleep stole him away, was Adam not being there to share it all with them. He had sighed at the thought and promptly gone to sleep.<\/p>\n Ben closed Joe\u2019s door behind him and made his way to his own room. The sound of Hoss\u2019 snoring drifted down the hall and Ben smiled. Whatever concerns Hoss had felt for the evening were obviously not going to stop him from getting a good nights sleep.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Soames had succeeded in staunching the blood, and located the wound. He was pleased to see that the bullet had passed right through Adam\u2018s body, which had accounted for so much blood splattering from behind him, it also meant he didn\u2019t have to go through the lengthy and dangerous procedure of trying to locate a bullet in an area which involved various internal organs. He was sweating, continually bringing up his arm to wipe his face on his sleeve, Saunders, standing beside him, had done his best to clean around the wound which was located in the lower abdomen. If there had been no damage to the internal organs then the worse fear he had was that the loss of blood could induce shock and some organs would start to shut down as a result. But if there were any damage to the internal organs then it could only mean death, and Soames, trying to see to things of such imperative importance in a claustrophobic cabin felt more than a faint flutter of fear that his attempts would not be successful.<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked for probably the tenth time and Soames stood up, straightened his back and glared at the Captain with a face that had lost all the colour in it.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s alive -\u201d he muttered, \u201cHe\u2019s alive and there\u2019s a pulse, it\u2019s steady, a little too fast, but steady.\u201d he wiped his face again, \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien, do you mind leaving us? This is a small room and too many people in it are making it even smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien left quickly, and hurried to the bridge of the ship where Davies was standing at the wheel just staring blankly into space.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not dead.\u201d O\u2019Brien said quickly, before Davies could ask and the big man nodded, said nothing and took a deep breath. They stood there together on the bridge for some moments, both staring at nothing in particular while their minds went round and round the same facts, the same outcome. Eventually O\u2019Brien left the bridge and made his way to the brig, if nothing else, he could confront that woman, and tell her what she had done, and ask her why. He wiped sweat from his brow as the door opened, and he stepped into the corridor and made his way to the barred off room.<\/p>\n She stood up and turned towards him, he could see her breathing quicken, and her eyes widen, and he knew that she was afraid, afraid of him? Afraid of the news he was bringing? He didn\u2019t care, he just felt some measure of satisfaction at knowing that he had been able to instil that fear in her and for a moment just stood there, watching her. \u201cYou can thank whatever god you believe in that these bars are here for I swear I\u2019d wring your neck if I had the chance -\u201d<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman looked down at the floor, she saw a beetle make its slow progress around the leg of the stool and for a moment watched as though by doing so she could blot out the events that had taken place earlier. When she raised her eyes he was still there, his body tense and his breathing erratic. He stepped closer so that now the bars touched his body and she involuntarily stepped back<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? Why did you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head. How could she answer him when she barely understood why herself. She wrung her hands together and shook her head<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. The rifle was there, and suddenly it was in my hands and I fired – I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d actually shot him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t believe you.\u201d he replied coldly and turned away, he had reached the door and rapped on it for the sentry to open it before he turned, \u201cYou haven\u2019t even asked if he\u2019s alive or dead \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head, and watched as he stepped out of the brig and the door closed behind him, and she heard the key grate in the lock.<\/p>\n She sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around her body. Suddenly it seemed to her that her whole world had shrunk to the size of this one tiny cell on a ship and she was merely nothing, nothing at all.<\/p>\n Chapter 91<\/p>\n First Mate Hathaway peeled himself away from the wall upon which he had been leaning for some time and saluted as O\u2019Brien approached the door to Adam\u2019s compartment. The anxiety the other man obviously felt was so close to his own feelings that O\u2019Brien could have wept. They both entered the cabin, receiving a dark look of disapproval from Soames who was just putting some sutures in the wound. O\u2019Brien looked at Adam\u2019s face while Hathaway made the mistake of watching Soames and had to turn his head away. Saunders leaned forward every so often to swab the area with wadding doused in iodine so that the torn flesh, swollen, bruised and bloodied, was beginning to resemble so many black spiders swimming in a pool of yellow dye. It all looked wrong to Hathaway\u2019s thinking, that their Commanding Officer could be lying in such a condition while that woman – he bunched his shoulders taut, and clenched his teeth – that woman was still causing trouble in the brig.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien glanced around the room, his nerves were on edge, he saw the mail sack where he had left it and picked it up, handed it to Hathaway<\/p>\n \u201cSort these out, Mr Hathaway, if you please. It\u2019s not fair that the men be kept waiting for news of their families and friends. It\u2019ll give you something to do as well, and – and keep their minds occupied on other things apart from this,\u201d and he cleared his throat noisily, knowing that his speech was revealing too much of how he was feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Hathaway heaved a deep breath and glanced once more at Adam, \u201cHe seems peaceful, doesn\u2019t he, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes -\u201d O\u2019Brien glanced over at Soames who scowled, \u201cIf there\u2019s any mail for me or the – the Commodore would you bring them here, please?\u201d<\/p>\n Hathaway nodded, a wink they say is as good as a nod to a blind horse, but he knew better than to outstay his welcome and took the mail sack and left the room. O\u2019Brien stayed near the door in order not to obscure the light from the window and to allow Soames as much freedom of movement as possible. Soames cut the thread and put the needle into a recepticle which Saunders promptly removed. Once again he wiped his brow on the back of his sleeve, while Saunders now leaned forward to wipe around Adam\u2019s face and neck with a wet cool cloth.<\/p>\n \u201cAmazing -\u201d Soames said as he doused his hands in something that smelt like alcohol, he rubbed them together and nodded over at Adam \u201cwho would have thought under that pristine white shirt there was such a battle scarred body. See this one -\u201d he pointed to one fading scar \u201cThere\u2019s a scar on his back as well which indicates that at some time or other an arrow went in and came out here – for the life of me, how does an arrow – but then perhaps – I don\u2019t know -\u201d he mumbled, shook his head, and O\u2019Brien realised the man was talking rubbish merely to keep his mind focussed on his job.<\/p>\n \u201cHave you finished now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve cleaned out the wound, done the best I can to make sure it hasn\u2019t damaged any other organs, and I\u2019ve sewn the edges back together – back and front! It won\u2019t be the tidiest of scars though -\u201d he glanced around as the door opened and Scott appeared, white faced, red rimmed eyes and his arms bearing a clean nightshirt, Soames nodded and pointed to a chair.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he going to die?\u201d Scott whispered, a sob caught at his throat which he manfully attempted to disguise with a discreet cough.<\/p>\n \u201cNot if I can help it.\u201d Soames growled, as he pulled out wadding and bandages from his bag, \u201cAnd he\u2019s an old war horse, by the looks of it – he\u2019ll recover.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien winced, the comment smacked a little too frivolous to him, but once again he reminded himself that a doctor\u2019s mind worked in different furrows than minds of the normal person. He caught Scott\u2019s eye and nodded his thanks for his help and suggested that the man made them all some good strong coffee.<\/p>\n Soames and Saunders were skilled in their profession, in no time at all the bandages were wrapped around the wadding that held the stitches and jagged wounds together, Adam was swiftly stripped down and the nightshirt put on. In an efficient manner Saunders had stripped away the soiled bed linen and replaced it with new. The soiled mattress had been covered with the heavy orange\/red rubber sheeting that always looked revolting and made O\u2019Brien\u2019s stomach turn.<\/p>\n Soames made immediately for the decanter of brandy and poured an ample amount into a glass which he tossed back in two gulps, his generosity with the Commodore\u2019s liquor didn\u2019t stretch to Saunders who was busy collecting up the soiled sheeting and glancing rather enviously at his superior medical officer.<\/p>\n All the hustle and bustle was over, Saunders left the room and no doubt, O\u2019Brien thought, would grumble all the way there about the Doctors levity in helping himself to the brandy and not sharing it with others who had worked equally as hard, namely, himself. Soames sunk down on a chair, put the glass down and buried his face in his hands,<\/p>\n \u201cI feel so ashamed -\u201d he whispered, \u201cSo ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien had approached the bed now and was looking down at Adam, watching the even rise and fall of the sheet that covered him, at the pale immobile features. He looked back at the Doctor with a slight frown<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? What have you done wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn trusting her – that woman.\u201d Soames looked quickly at O\u2019Brien and realised that he had no idea what he was talking about, he shook his head, \u201cI sympathised with her, tried to help – thought I was doing some good – but Adam was so hard, so cruel towards her that I thought, surely someone that beautiful doesn\u2019t deserve this? I tried to mediate between them but – but it all ended with this happening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that why you were forbidden to see her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Adam felt she was going to corrupt my soul -\u201d he laughed, a trifle bitterly, and O\u2019Brien cast an anxious glance at the decanter of brandy and wondered just how much the Doctor had already had before he came into the room. \u201cI should have known better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you should have done.\u201d O\u2019Brien replied coldly, \u201cAdam has good reason to feel the way he has about that woman, as do I.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd – I apologise.\u201d Soames gulped out the words and then looked over at the man on the bed, the proud profile, the dark hair that made the face seem whiter than it actually was, he sighed deeply, \u201cI hope I have done enough, O\u2019Brien, I prayed all through the operation, but he\u2019s lost a lot of blood.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, as you said earlier, he\u2019s an old war horse, he\u2019ll survive.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t mean that in any derogatory sense of the words, except that the scars on his body are clear evidence that he\u2019s a survivor, a fighter. He\u2019s a healthy man in all other respects and his mind is strong, he\u2019s stubborn, proud – unless his body betrays him, or I\u2019ve failed to notice something that should have been done – I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll survive.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien was about to speak when the door opened and Scott entered with refreshments, it seemed odd, but O\u2019Brien was suddenly reminded of the Cartwright\u2019s cook, Hop Sing, and just for a moment he wanted to laugh. Hysteria, he told himself, calm down, drink the coffee and then start praying.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Where he was he didn\u2019t know. It was fathomless and devoid of light. Words and voices floated about in his hearing but meant nothing. A snatch of memory perhaps. He was only aware of pain, intense pain, and weakness. Incredible weakness. The effort to raise an arm, to lift a finger, even to open his eyes were too much, just too much. He didn\u2019t want to fight, he just wanted the pain to go into the dark void that was pulling him down.<\/p>\n There was no light there, no shining stars to direct him. All thought and sensation was ebbing away. Perhaps, just perhaps, if he allowed the darkness to suck him down into its very depths he could be at peace. Totally at peace.<\/p>\n Chapter 92<\/p>\n Hathaway knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open, paused at the entrance and glanced quickly at the bed where Adam lay with the sheet pulled up to his chest, and the sharp profile of his face clearly outlined against the pillow. O\u2019Brien stood up at Hathaways appearance and gave a quick bleak smile, which encouraged the other man to step into the cabin<\/p>\n \u201cHow is he?\u201d Hathaway whispered figeting slightly with the letters that were in his hands and which he passed quickly over to O\u2019Brien, \u201cThese were in the mail sack for you and the Commodore.\u201d he explained hastily, and glanced once again at the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHolding his own, I think -\u201d O\u2019Brien frowned, and passed a hand over his unshaven jaw, \u201cThanks for bringing these, Aaron.\u201d he smiled again, \u201cDid – did you get any mail from home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d Aaron Hathaway nodded, \u201cDr Soames isn\u2019t looking none too positive about things, Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Dr Soames is very sure of the outcome, but I\u2019ve known Adam Cartwright for some years now, he\u2019ll pull through.\u201d<\/p>\n They stood at the doorway, whispering. It seemed to Daniel that everything was muted at that present time, even the sound of the seabirds that usually cawed raucously overhead seemed faraway and in the distance<\/p>\n \u201cA representative of the Hawaii\u2019n court came earlier,\u201d Aaron lowered his voice even more, so that Daniel had to lean forward to catch the words, \u201cit was while the doctor was operating and I didn\u2019t like to disturb you. He said that they have good doctors on the island should you need them.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel raised his eyebrows and looked into Aaron\u2019s eyes, then shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cVoodoo and witchdoctors, no, I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlso -\u201d Aaron frowned, \u201cAdam – the Commodore – ordered the ship to leave the islands before sunset. Do you want that order to stand? I\u2019m presuming, of course, that you are resuming command of the Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTemporarily -\u201d Daniel nodded, then glanced over as a groan came from the bed and sounds of movement, he bit his bottom lip and then told Hathaway that it would be better to belay the previous order. \u201cI think it would be better to wait until tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery good.\u201d Aaron nodded, took a deep breath and looked as though he were about to say something, but thought better of it, he left the cabin and Daniel to resume his duties while Daniel closed the door and took his seat beside the bed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n In the recesses of some dark shadows of his mind Adam could remember feeling like this once before when he was sitting on the edge of a wall, a low wall that formed part of a well. He was sitting there facing a man who had been his friend for years, a man who had a gun levelled at him and was about to fire. There had been the same feeling of relief and weariness and unreality then as there was now.<\/p>\n He raised a leg in order to shift and relieve the pain, but the effort was too much and created only more agony that seared through his lower body and up his back and between his shoulders until it reached his head and he thought it was going to explode. He struggled to hold back the cry of pain but his body betrayed him and Daniel was hauled from his silent meditations by the groan of pure agony that was wrenched from his friend. Now Adam sighed, a deep moan of a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his lungs, his back arched and perspiration began to bead and trickle from his brow.<\/p>\n Scott, close by in his own cabin adjoining the Commodore\u2019s, was already speeding down the corridor and across the deck for the Doctor. As the crew on deck watched the sight of the two men striding back to the cabin they formed little groups, worried and concerned, about their officer\u2019s well being.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cassandra welcomed the shadows, she retreated further into them and then crept into her bed. Not so long ago she was wishing that there was a someone in her life, a someone who would tell her how lovely she was and reassure her of her beauty. In her life there had always been \u2018a someone\u2019 to reassure her and that would give her confidence and the power to do whatever she willed to be done.<\/p>\n She closed her eyes and drifted into a sleep that brought her no respite from her fears and troubles. A face from her past would loom towards her, and she would cry out in recognition, reach out vainly only to have it slip and fade away to be replaced by another, and another.<\/p>\n A man who looked at her with a twisted face, eyes begging for help, mouth twisting to one side, the noise of people all around and a Marshall saying \u201cI think he\u2019s dying, you\u2019d best send for a doctor\u201d and she had walked away with her purse full of jewels and money and left Andre Eugene dying among strangers while she had walked to freedom.<\/p>\n \u201cNooo-\u201d she groaned and twisted in the bed, pulling her covers around her to block out that twisted face of a man she had betrayed and who had died because she just kept on walking and given no help in his dying moments.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, go away, go away\u201d she pushed away the face and another came with dark eyes and oily skin, and gave her papers and a smile and told her she was free to do what ever she wanted but his eyes told her something different and when Jonas Thayer had slipped out of her vision another face drifted towards her, a fat jovial sweating face of a man who had connived and thought of so many ways to destroy Grants administration and had in the end only succeeded in destroying himself. She screamed as his leering face and fat hands reached out towards her, and she screamed again when a hand touched her shoulder and Commodore Pelman\u2019s fat lips moved forwards to touch her cheek.<\/p>\n She was still screaming when she woke up and when she flung herself from her bed her foot rolled over the fat body of a rat which had earlier had the stupidity to climb up on her shoulder and sniff around her hair. Falling heavily to the floor she screamed once again and crawled on all fours to the security of a corner where she huddled over into a tight ball, her arms folded around her legs and her knees drawn high to cover her face.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Daniel leaned forward and lit a lamp, Scott put a jug of water and a glass close to Adam\u2019s bed, and a tray of food on the table for O\u2019Brien. Wistfully he stayed at the bedside and looked down at the man now so well drugged that he lay perfectly still in the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cSir, he will recover, won\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien looked at him and the memory of another man who had been steward to Adam flashed into his mind, the name eluded him but the manner of his death, did not. He forced a smile<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe does look peaceful there though, doesn\u2019t he, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Dr Soames gave him some stronger drugs.\u201d and he chewed on his bottom lip and thought how this was like what people call d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu, only last time it was Metcalfe doing the ministering, and everything had been horrifically messy.<\/p>\n Once alone he started to eat, but found his appetite lacking and eventually put the tray away. Soames came in and nodded over to him, and he knew it was time to leave Adam to the Doctor\u2019s care while he went about his duties.<\/p>\n A shuddering sigh broke through the injured man\u2019s lips and ended in a groan. Soames wiped away sweat with a cool cloth and felt the pulses, checked the bandages and groaned at the amount of blood that stained them.<\/p>\n Deep in the abyss in which some part of Adam now resided there came a ship sailing towards him, sails glowing with a luminescence that was unearthly, unreal. He was the watcher, from somewhere up on high he was seeing this ship drifting towards him through a sea of molten silver. A man was standing at the stern, arms folded and eyes dark as he stared about him,<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you looking for?\u201d he asked from on high and the man looked up,<\/p>\n \u201cA man.\u201d he replied<\/p>\n \u201cA man? What kind of man?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking for you.\u201d came the reply and when Adam looked closer he realised he was Chapter 93<\/p>\n \u201cOver there, sir\u201d Myers pointed south of the harbour, \u201cLooks like another ship -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d O\u2019Brien nodded slowly, \u201cFrom the lights she\u2019s showing not a very large one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSeems to me they\u2019ve anchored out at sea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBest thing if unsure of the territory,\u201d Daniel said and moved away from his position on the bridge. \u201cLet me know if it comes closer, see if you can find out her identity, and where she\u2019s from.\u201d<\/p>\n It was dark and it seemed as though no moon was prepared to peek out tonight. He made his way down to the lower deck and to the Commodores\u2019 quarters and opened the door. Soames had just changed the bandages, the soiled ones heaped untidily on the floor.<\/p>\n \u201cHow does it look?\u201d O\u2019Brien approached the bed and looked down at the recumbent figure, just as Soames pulled up the sheets to cover the injured mans body, \u201cIs it healing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo early to say,\u201d Soames said quietly, \u201cI thought he would have come out of this unconscious state by now, but it won\u2019t hurt him to be like this for a while longer I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve done my shift, Doctor, you can go and rest now if you wish, I\u2019ll stay here.\u201d<\/p>\n He unbuttoned his jacket and let it fall open as he spoke, and watched as Soames cleared away the soiled things, he paused when the doctor reached the door<\/p>\n \u201cI hear Mrs Pelman is having fits of hysteria. She may need something to calm her down.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames turned, looked thoughtfully at Daniel and then glanced quickly over at Adam<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been forbidden to enter the brig.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I\u2019m just telling you what I\u2019ve heard, Doctor, you can deal with it how you think best.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel paced the floor for some moments, paused long enough to pour himself some brandy, and then walked to the desk upon which were several letters. He rubbed his brow, and frowned, how could he have forgotten those, just showed, he told himself, what a state his nerves were in. He picked them up and found several addressed to himself, one, in particular, made his heart leap into his mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cMaria -\u201d with that one word so much excitement welled up within him, and he quickly tore open the envelope to extract the letter within. Then with the glass of brandy in one hand, he sat down beside the bed and carefully smoothed the letter over his knee in order to read it.<\/p>\n The lamp was too dim, so he turned up the flame, and by its light began to read:<\/p>\n \u201cDarling Daniel<\/p>\n What a terrible time it has been here, and worse of all was not knowing where you are or how you are. Nothing is worse than being so far away from you, my darling.<\/p>\n As you can see from the address above I am staying with friends of the Cartwrights, a couple called Frobisher. It\u2019s a long and complicated story, dear, and one that we can talk about sometime when we are together again. It had something to do with the letters you gave me for Adam ,and a horrible man called Metcalfe, only he pretended he was someone else. Anyway, that is over now, but, my dear, I have been ill and as a result our baby died. I am sorry, more sorry than I can say, but if it had not been for the kindness of the Nuns I would have died as well.<\/p>\n It has taken a while for me to recover my strength, Daniel, and for a while I did not trust anyone enough to leave the Nuns, but the Frobishers have been exceptionally kind and since being here with them I have become much better.<\/p>\n Mr Cartwright was here on business recently and he told me that Captain Cartwright is now a Commodore, and that he has gone to Tokyo, but he has not heard anything from him in a long time. It is worrying, Daniel, everyone being so far away from one another.<\/p>\n Hurry home, darling, hurry home, I can\u2019t wait to hold you in my arms again and to feel your arms around me It\u2019s the only place on earth where I feel safe now. How I love you, He put down the letter and leaned back in the chair, sighed and closed his eyes. If he could just think hard enough, perhaps he could see her face, hear her voice again in his mind.<\/p>\n With a great effort of concentration Adam forced open his eyes. He could see a shape close by his bed, dark and in shadow. He closed his eyes again. So, everything was going to be alright, Pa was there, as always, waiting for him to speak. He released a deep sigh and a light groan, pain niggled and ate into his abdomen, he waited and tensed in order to fight it\u2019s trickling agony through his limbs, up his back and into his head. He clenched his teeth together and clenched his fists and then, as expected, the pain exploded and despite all his efforts he couldn\u2019t hold back the cry of a man mortally wounded, and he arched his back, flung an arm across his chest and then fell unconscious onto the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you had given him some medication while you were here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had -\u201d Soames whispered, \u201cbut obviously not strong enough. I thought he was too far gone to give him more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe needs help, not hindrance, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t try telling me my job, Captain O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel stepped back and waited for the Doctors ministrations to proceed, another orderly stood by with the medical bag and waited patiently, handing various items to Soames as they were requested. Eventually the Doctor stepped away from the bed and looked at Daniel, shook his head and pulled a face that said nothing positive<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve given him as much as I can -\u201d he nodded over to the orderly, and they left the room with no other word than that, leaving Daniel watching the door close behind them.<\/p>\n An hour drifted by, and he had dozed in the chair. When he woke up he found Scott had been in and left some food and drink for him, but had obviously left him to sleep on. Adam remained as he had last seen him, the rise and fall of his chest was shallow but regular. A slight perspiration dewed Adam\u2019s brow and his face felt clammy to the touch of O\u2019Briens hand. Daniel rinsed out a cloth and carefully wiped around Adam\u2019s face and neck, and it seemed as though there was some response for a soft sigh slipped through Adam\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien returned to his chair and picked up the other letters, he had recognised Ben\u2019s distinctive writing earlier, and for a few minutes he sat there, tapping the corner of the envelope against his knee while he wondered whether or not he should read it out to his friend or whether there would be something written down that Adam would prefer to remain private to himself and his family.<\/p>\n Taking the bull by the horns he carefully opened the letter and smoothed it out, pulled his chair closer to the lamp and cleared his throat \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cMy son,<\/p>\n It\u2019s quiet here now, shadows are falling across the room, and your brothers have gone to bed. It rained earlier today so we were more than pleased to come home to see a fire in the hearth. The flames have died down now, the logs are falling into white ash and red embers.<\/p>\n Looking at it now reminded me of that evening when you sat on the table and stared into those flames wondering whether or not you had made the right decision about Bill Enders. I remember watching you staring into those flames and it was as though you felt yourself to be the only person alive in that room. Your thoughts were so deep that they had even excluded me – but then we talked and I realised that you really believed that I doubted you, along with everyone else. But, as I say, just looking into the fire now reminded me of that time and it now makes me wonder, where are you now? Are you well? Are you safe?<\/p>\n The shadows are creeping more darkly into the room now, and the logs have collapsed onto themselves. I can hear Hoss snoring already, it\u2019s strange how it disturbs me now while I am writing this to you, yet I can shut my ears to it when I get into my bed.<\/p>\n Joe is going to be busy tomorrow, we have some new horses to break in. He\u2019s doing well, but he\u2019s still too reckless for my liking. Anyway, you know all about how I feel over Joe and his horse breaking, I\u2019ve never liked it. Perhaps it\u2019s because of Marie\u2026 I don\u2019t know, perhaps it\u2019s because I can sense too much danger when he\u2019s in that ring. Candy still helps as well, he\u2019s steadied down a lot since he and Ann married and, of course, expecting their first child.<\/p>\n I have to close this letter now as there is a chill in the air. On Friday night there\u2019s the Town Hall Social, and I think Joe is hoping to meet with Victoria Shannon, remember her? Well, perhaps I\u2019m wrong, I\u2019m only his father, and may have misread the signs. But – you know Joe.<\/p>\n Well, Goodnight, my son. Sleep well. I pray each night that God keep you safe, and each morning that he blesses you and protects you.<\/p>\n Your father – with love.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel\u2019s voice trailed away, and he sat with the letter in his lap, and his eyes heavy with sleep. Adam remained as he had been, perhaps his eyelids had fluttered, perhaps his lips had formed some words, but Daniel hadn\u2019t noticed as he had continued to read through the letter. When the last word was ended and had faded into the silence of the cabin, there really was nothing more to be heard but the sound of his shallow breathing and every now and again, a deep sigh.<\/p>\n Chapter 94<\/p>\n Daniel woke up with a start, a shudder of shock trickled down his spine as he realised he had fallen asleep while on watch over Adam, and he turned to wards the bed, the letters he had been reading spilling from his lap, he made a vain attempt to grab them before they reached the floor and when a hand touched his he instinctively recoiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Captain, it\u2019s only me.\u201d Scott whispered, \u201cI came in to see if you were alright? Everything was so quiet. Dr Soames has been in as well, he checked the Commodore over. He thinks there\u2019s some improvement -\u201d Scott smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically, which prompted Daniel to straighten himself up and look over at Adam and see if he could see this improvement for himself.<\/p>\n Certainly Adam\u2019s breathing was less shallow, and when Daniel touched Adam\u2019s face it was no longer clammy or sweaty. He nodded slightly as though to himself and looked at Scott, and asked for the time.<\/p>\n \u201c2 a.m., sir.\u201d Scott paused, \u201cWould you like something hot to drink? I could rustle you up something if you would like, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – thank you.\u201d Daniel took the papers from Scott\u2019s hands and smiled, \u201cJust get yourself some sleep, Scott, and thanks again.\u201d<\/p>\n He settled himself back into the chair, and picked up the papers. He read a letter addressed to himself from the Frobishers and felt that he had nothing to worry about with Maria, that she was in safe hands. As he folded the letter back into the envelope he thought over the fact that they had lost their hoped for baby. Despite a pang of sympathy for Maria he had to admit that time and distance had separated him from the reality of that hope for so long that its loss made no deep impression upon him. Perhaps, when he saw Maria, he could share in the sorrow of loss then.<\/p>\n He was a deep and caring man, and a passionate one when it came to his little wife, but the loss of the child, unborn, could not impact upon him the way it would Maria, there had been just too many miles and months separating them for the hope to have even cemented itself into his heart as a reality. He sat for a moment contemplating exactly how he felt, the letters in his hand, and a frown upon his face.<\/p>\n The bed creaked, and Adam whispered something incoherent and confused which prompted O\u2019Brien to turn his thoughts to his friend once more. He listened and found that what Adam said made no sense, it was total babble, but the rinsed out the cloth and wiped around the dark face, and poured a little water through the dry lips. Perhaps he had imagined it, but had there been a faint smile on those lips ? He sighed and sat back with the letters in his hand and opened the last one,<\/p>\n \u201cHi brother -\u201d he smiled, and glanced down to the bottom for the signature, it was from Joe. He cleared his throat and began to read aloud, leaning close to Adam so that his words could be heard by him.<\/p>\n \u201cHi brother<\/p>\n I finally got time out to sit down and write to you. You know how I am with letters, Adam, thank goodness, so you won\u2019t be too annoyed at the fact that I\u2019ve not written to you sooner. I noticed that Pa had written to you some days ago so thought I would dash one off as well.<\/p>\n Did Pa mention that Candy was – or rather – Ann is having a baby? They are like two clucking mother hens, \u2018Sit down, dear, here\u2019s a cushion for your back, dear, have a rest, don\u2019t pick that up, it\u2019s too heavy, dear.\u2019 and that\u2019s just Ann! No, seriously, they are just so happy about life, their life, being together and having a future together.<\/p>\n You sure did a generous thing letting them have that house you had built for yourself and Laura. But they\u2019ve made it their home now, and Ann has her little buggy, and goes visiting, and Candy puffs out his chest and acts like no one ever got married and had kids before \u2026<\/p>\n Still, that\u2019s how things are with them. As for me – well, lately I\u2019ve been thinking about things. You know, Adam, how much I loved Little Moon? Even writing her name here makes me stop to think about her, my heart does something odd – inside of me – . Well, I\u2019ve still got the flowers she gave me from her hair the last time I saw her, and the ear rings. But, Adam, I can\u2019t live my life loving someone who is dead, can I? I mean, I could, but I need to live my life with someone living too.<\/p>\n I think of Pa and how he loved your Ma, and Inger, and then my Ma. He didn\u2019t stop loving them, did he? So, what I mean really is, that I want to fall in love and marry someone again. I think I\u2019ve met her too, Victoria Shannon. She\u2019s Caleb Shannon\u2019s daughter and I know what you\u2019re probably thinking, but the sins of the father ain\u2019t those of the daughter, are they? I sure think she\u2019s pretty, and she\u2019s kind and generous too.<\/p>\n Say, this letter IS long! I\u2019m surprised myself – bet I\u2019ve surprised you too, huh? Tomorrow I have more horse busting to do. I\u2019ve done nothing all week but break horses. There\u2019s some fine beasts in this batch and the last one will be the black one with the white stocking. A real beauty. I\u2019ll have him broken and tamed before you get back home, you see if I don\u2019t. You can have him as a present from me, Adam.<\/p>\n Sure hope you\u2019re alright, brother, I still can\u2019t imagine you being on a ship somehow. It worries Hoss like crazy, I see him looking at the maps and shaking his head over how much sea there is \u2026 he reckons its too easy to lose boats in so much water.<\/p>\n Looking forward to seeing you back home very soon Daniel cleared his throat again and smiled, \u201cThe signature\u2019s in a big fancy flourish, Adam,\u201d he said and carefully folded it back into the envelope.<\/p>\n A hand touched his leg and, startled. he looked over at the man in the bed. Adam barely had his eyes open, the effort to open them further than they already were was costing him too much as it was, his mouth worked as though he was struggling to speak and then finally he managed to get the words out<\/p>\n \u201cTell Joe not to break in the black horse -\u201d he whispered, \u201cAnd -\u201d but there was no more, except a sigh, and the eyes closed.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n A light knock on the door and Hathaway stepped into the cabin, glanced, as usual, at the sleeping man, and then at O\u2019Brien who had completed his ablutions and had hoped at the end of them, that he looked tolerably alert.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain, that ship we saw last night? They\u2019ve berthed and a courier has arrived on deck to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA courier?\u201d O\u2019Brien frowned, \u201cTo see me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, as you\u2019re standing in for the Commodore, sir -\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien nodded and followed his fellow Officer out of the cabin, passing Soames who was on his way to check on Adam.<\/p>\n The courier was a tall man, pleasant to look at but with a concerned look on his face as he turned to confront the Captain who emerged from the corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cJerome Atkins -\u201d he extended his hand to O\u2019Brien, a civilian, dressed smartly and with bright clear eyes, \u201cI\u2019m sorry to hear about Adam Cartwright\u2019s injury? Is he going to be alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope so, sir. Captain O\u2019Brien at your service -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know -\u201d Atkins smiled pleasantly, \u201cI was told you would be with the Commodore.\u201d he placed his hand in his jacket and withdrew a heavy envelope, which he passed to O\u2019Brien, \u201cMr Bingham\u2019s compliments -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Bingham?\u201d O\u2019Brien looked startled, \u201cFrom Tokyo?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d Atkins smiled more broadly, \u201cManaged to get a ship coming to Hawaii and leaving Tokyo not long after you left. Had to put a bit of a rush on -\u201d he raised his eyebrows, \u201cAnyway, Mr Bingham felt it needed urgent attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoes he require a reply?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, he never said so.\u201d Atkins frowned slightly, \u201cI\u2019ll be here for a few more days yet, business to talk over with the Government here. If you wish to send a reply, I won\u2019t be far away.\u201d and he indicated the ship berthed near them, \u201cI\u2019d like to stop and chat, but have business to attend to. My best wishes to the Commodore. I wish him a speedy recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mr Atkins.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you\u2019re leaving today?\u201d Atkins had turned, halfway to the gangway, to address O\u2019Brien who was weighing the letter upon two fingers of his hand,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we are, otherwise, sir, you would be most welcome to join us for a meal.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, would have had to decline, too much to do.\u201d and with a merry wave of the hand Mr Atkins departed down to the walkway in the harbour.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien raised his eyes and met those of Hathaway, who was standing close by, together they returned to O\u2019Brien\u2019s cabin where he carefully opened the envelope, breaking Bingham\u2019s seal in doing so.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – I have reason to believe that arriving at Washington with Mrs Pelman as originally arranged would be a dangerous procedure. I am making no contact with anyone about this matter in order to protect yourselves, and the ship. It has cost a good man, Jeffrey Jamieson, his life to bring me this information.<\/p>\n My recommendation is that you take the Baltimore, and Mrs Pelman, to San Francisco, and make all necessary arrangements from there for her immediate transportation and trial.<\/p>\n Sincerely, and with best wishes\u201d<\/p>\n The scrawl of a signature identified the writer as being Mr Bingham, and after re-reading it through O\u2019Brien nodded slowly, and was about to speak when the door opened and Dr Soames peered in, his weary face broke into a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cThe Commodore is making good progress. He\u2019s conscious – and asking for you, \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s head was raised by a number of pillows, supporting his back so that he was almost in a sitting position. The clean bandages contrasted greatly with the tanned skin and black hair on his chest, the sheets covered the rest of his body, the long legs drawn up a little towards his chest. He seemed to be breathing normally, although every so often he would pause to gulp down a lungful of air as though it were going to be his last.<\/p>\n He greeted O\u2019Brien with a slow rise of the hand and wan smile, the eyelids heavy over dark eyes, giving the impression that at any given moment he would fall back to sleep. Soames closed his medical bag carefully, nodded at O\u2019Brien who stepped back to let him pass, before stopping him as he reached the door<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor, about Mrs Pelman -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen to her, Captain. You were right she was hysterical. She\u2019s been given a sedative and is now sleeping.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope it was a strong one -\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured beneath his breath and approached Adam with Binghams letter in his hand, this he handed over to Adam who waved it to one side, \u201cIt\u2019s from Bingham.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s he say?\u201d the voice was slightly slurred, but stronger than O\u2019Brien had expected and the dark eyes showed some interest for the eyelids were lifted slightly higher, and the pulse beat more rapidly at his temples<\/p>\n \u201cJeffrey Jamieson\u2019s dead -\u201d<\/p>\n A slight constriction of the eyebrows, a tightening of the mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cGo on -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe died getting information to Bingham – that we should avoid Washington and disembark at San Francisco instead.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a pause for a moment and then Adam nodded, very slowly, almost as though he were afraid that his head would roll off his shoulders if he moved any faster.<\/p>\n \u201cThat make sense, and it\u2018ll cut down on time as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you want us to leave Hawaii now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes – give the order to leave as soon as everything is ready.\u201d he heaved in a deep breath and winced, placing a hand gingerly over the bandages<\/p>\n \u201cAre you in much pain, do you want the doctor back?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright -\u201d another slow smile, \u201cO\u2019Brien -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEarlier on – it was dark -\u201d a pause, the eyelids were closing down, \u201cWere you reading something to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLetters from home. From your father and your brother, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I thought for a while that I was back home and it was Pa – my father – sitting there\u201d a sigh, his head rolled back into the pillows, the eyes closed, \u201cJoe was going horse breaking?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right. He was talking about breaking in a black horse -\u201d O\u2019Brien put his hand on the door handle, \u201cYou said that he wasn\u2019t to try breaking in the black horse -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid I?\u201d the eyes opened and there was a slight frown puckering the tanned brow, a very brief smile drifted over his lips, \u201cYes, that\u2019s right – a memory from way back – I thought I was back home with my father and telling him not to let Joe break in the black horse. I remember now -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd did he? I mean – did he ride that particular black horse?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course.\u201d a dry laugh that ended in a cough and a groan, \u201cOf course, this is Joe we\u2019re talking about -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas it any good?\u201d O\u2019Brien opened the door, \u201cThe horse I mean -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt nearly killed him.\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cI\u2019ve been wary of black horses and Joe ever since.\u201d he managed to turn his head and look over at O\u2019Brien, \u201cThanks, Daniel – for reading those letters, they took me home for a while .\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien nodded and gave a shy smile, then closed the door behind him. Adam drew in his breath, groaned and raised his knees higher in an attempt to stem the pain.<\/p>\n By the time the Baltimore had turned out of the harbour and was heading for open sea, the Commodore was sleeping once more, caught up in a whirl of pain and memory, riding a black horse through the waves of a blood soaked sea.<\/p>\n Chapter 95<\/p>\n Hester Verlaine slowly brought the brush down through her hair, while at the same time looking thoughtfully into the mirror. Every so often she would pause, lean slightly forward as though to make a closer inspection of her face, and then resumed her brushing. After a while she began to braid her hair and fasten it carefully around her head so that the braid formed a frame for her face.<\/p>\n As she set down the brush her hand instinctively picked up the photograph on the dressing table. This she brought up towards her so that she could take a closer look, although the subject was more than familiar to her, having been looked at more often during every day of the year that she would look at her own face in the mirror.<\/p>\n The young man in the picture stared back, a proud tilt to his head, his uniform smart and neat, his eyes dark and stern. She recalled to mind the day he went in to have the photograph taken, it had been hot and he had gone with his cousin. They had posed together but the photographer said it would be better to do single shots of each one of them, so they had separated and Mark had struck what he had thought was a very military pose and stared at the photographer and thought, well, who knew what his thoughts were, perhaps of how much he loved his young wife, or perhaps that he would find fame and fortune in war.<\/p>\n Now this was all she had left to remember him, apart from her wedding ring. She looked at it and frowned slightly as she replaced the picture. She couldn\u2019t bear to remove it, not after so long, it was as though she were breaking faith with him. She was still staring at it when there was a knock on the door and Ann peered into the room and came to sit beside her cousin.<\/p>\n She put her arm around Hester and drew her close, their cheeks touched and smiling they looked into the mirror and then Ann laughed<\/p>\n \u201cRemember how we used to do this when we were little girls, before we went to bed. Your mama or my mama would have put our hair up in rags, and we would pull faces in the mirror and then jump into bed.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMama always tied them too tight.\u201d Hester sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cMy Mama always did them just perfectly,\u201d and Ann laughed again, before her eyes looked at the picture, \u201cDo you still miss Mark so much, Hester?\u201d<\/p>\n Hester didn\u2019t answer immediately. She couldn\u2019t really explain how she felt now. Love, yes. Sadness, yes again. But it was more remote now. The nights she dreamt about him, she would wake up depressed and sad but those occasions were very seldom now.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s different to how you felt when your father forced you to annul your marriage, Ann. You knew your husband was still alive – and your search for him kept your love burning hot, didn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n Ann frowned now and gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, she leaned forward and picked up Marks picture and smoothed her finger down the glass.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes I thought I should give up my search, and every time I thought that, something would happen to motivate me to continue on. I don\u2019t know if it was love or whether it was because once I set out to do something, I have to see it through to the end. I remember once arriving in one town and thinking that Candy would never have come here, and seriously thinking of turning back and going home. First though, I had to have a drink so I went to a small restaurant in the town and asked my usual questions – it was like reading a script – have you seen such and such a man, when, where, etcetera. But this woman said yes, she had seen him and not so long ago. She spoke so positively about him that I was almost jealous that she could talk about him so familiarly. If it wasn\u2019t for the fact that she was 50 and fat, I would have hit her.\u201d she laughed then, her light tinkling laugh that Candy loved so much. \u201cBut it set me off for my next leg of the journey ..\u201d<\/p>\n They were silent for a while, each thinking their own thoughts, then Ann returned the picture of Mark to the dressing table and picked up a rose from a vase, she broke the stem and pinned it carefully onto Hester\u2019s dress.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t keep the flame of love burning passionately all the time, sometimes the flame has to be turned down a little, to smoulder a while. Otherwise it could burn out completely.\u201d she twisted a curl of hair over Hester\u2019s ear and smiled in approval, \u201cAnd you can\u2019t feel guilty if the flame while smouldering, is extinguished by another flame, Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what you mean?\u201d Hester frowned, her pale skin, so common with red headed women flushed and she turned away her head.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you do\u201d Ann took hold of her cousin\u2019s hand and pressed it close to her own heart, \u201cMy dear, if you have feelings for Hoss, don\u2019t feel guilty about them. He\u2019s such a good, kind man -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know.\u201d Hester snapped the reply back, and raised her chin, looking away from her cousin, \u201cI don\u2019t want – I mean -\u201c then she paused and lowered her head, \u201cwhat if he does love me in time, Ann? What if I find I can\u2019t love him back? It\u2019s because he is so kind, good, gentle – all those things – I wouldn\u2019t want to hurt him, it wouldn\u2019t be fair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss Cartwright is like all the Cartwright men,\u201d Ann said very quietly, \u201cThey always know what they want, and that includes women too. They don\u2019t hang around – will she, won\u2019t she – they look, love and marry -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hadn\u2019t noticed.\u201d Hester laughed, \u201cSeeing how we have 3 men in that house, all unmarried. I think you have your analogy a little wrong there, Ann.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they would marry if the woman -\u201d Ann paused, \u201cthe woman felt the same way, perhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I don\u2019t know, Ann\u201d Hester groaned and put her face in between her two hands and looked at her reflection again, \u201cYou make me feel like a packet of tea in the General Stores.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re not a packet of tea, you\u2019re my cousin, my dear Hester, and you\u2019re off now for a lovely evening with a wonderful man. Believe me, Hester, Hoss is just what I said – a wonderful man. The only man alive that I know I would consider worthy of you.\u201d she smiled and then looked at Marks picture, \u201cMark would approve, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know.\u201d Hester whispered and slowly removed her wedding ring, looked down at it, and placed it on the ring finger of her right hand instead.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cDangblast it, Candy, why does it take women forever to git themselves ready?\u201d Hoss mumbled as he paced the floor, twisting his hat round and round between his fingers, and getting more nervous as every minute ticked by.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be down in a minute, Hoss.\u201d Candy laughed and stretched out his legs and folded his arms behind his head, \u201cThe longer a woman takes to get ready means the more she likes the man and wants to be attractive for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that so?\u201d Hoss frowned, women were a total mystery to him, he eyed Candy suspiciously, and tried to think over the situations he\u2019d been in when involved with other women, he couldn\u2019t recall any of them taking this long before, and scowled, probably explained why he never won them over.<\/p>\n A creak on the stairs and he looked up and his heart swelled with pride. If a heart could swell with pride, of course, he wasn\u2019t too sure about that as a fact, but something certainly had made his heart beat a whole lot faster – she stood at the half landing now and smiled at him, a vision in pale ivory and green with a pretty blush pink rose pinned to her blouse.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Miss Hester, you look -\u201d he had to take a big gulp of breath, \u201cYou look beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t reply to that, but smiled and went a little pink, then came down the rest of the stairs to join him. Candy had risen to his feet and smiled at her, given her a wink as Hoss took her hand and led her to the door, he cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cNow then, you two, don\u2019t be late now. I want that buggy back here before ten!\u201d and he smiled at their laughter before the door closed and cut off any further sound.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d Ann came to his side and hugged his arm close to her side, \u201cWhat do you think? Does he like her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s hooked, Annie,\u201d Candy chuckled, \u201cWhat about Hester?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, she\u2019s taken off her wedding ring -\u201d and she smiled, raised her face and received his kiss with a happy feeling floating up inside of her.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman drank some water and swallowed the pills that Soames held out to her. She scowled and looked up at him<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you weren\u2019t allowed to visit me any more, Doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever mind that for the moment, Mrs Pelman, just take these pills.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPills?\u201d She took another and looked at it before raising her eyes to his face, \u201cDear Doctor, good Doctor, what exactly are these pills for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo help you sleep, of course.\u201d Soames replied impatiently.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps I don\u2019t want to sleep.\u201d she shrugged her shoulders, and turned her face away from him, \u201cPerhaps I want you to stay here, and talk to me. Perhaps I would like you to read to me a little -\u201d she laughed then, and reached up to pick up the bible that he had given her some time ago, \u201cLook, you could read to me from this. Why not? Why not indeed, I ask myself.\u201d and she laughed again and tossed the bible down onto the floor, and he leaned down to pick it up and hold it close to him, \u201cOh dear, I\u2019m so sorry. Dear me, I dropped it. Dear Doctor, dear Doctor Soames \u2026 do read me something from your bible. How about something from The Song of Solomon? Now, why not take a few verses from there -\u201d she laughed, leaned forward, and blew him a kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, I think you should take the rest of your medication. It\u2019s clear that you\u2019re far from well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFar from well? Ridiculous.\u201d she stood up, swayed and sat down again upon the bed, \u201cIt\u2019s just that this room keeps moving. Up and down, up and down. It makes me feel sick.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlease take your medication -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr else -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr else what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll tell the Captain – oh no – I mean the Commodore.\u201d she clapped her hands, \u201cLe Commodore \u2026 how grand! Go away, dear Doctor, tell your Commodore that I need to see him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I can\u2019t do that,\u201d Soames sighed and stepped forward, the pills in the palm of his hand, \u201cYou know very well why I can\u2019t do that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh – of course – now you\u2019re going to tell me what an evil person I am and that I should hang for trying to kill your oh so wonderful Adam Cartwright. Well, I don\u2019t care -\u201d she hit his hand away and the pills scattered onto the floor, \u201cI don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames remained silent, he turned around and left the room, the door slammed behind him and the lock turned, grinding slowly. As he left the brig he could hear her screaming at the top of her voice<\/p>\n \u201cI DON\u2019T CARE \u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 96<\/p>\n The buggy rolled along at a comfortable speed, and both Hoss and Hester felt little need in talking. The air was warm and sultry, birds sang to one another or just for the sheer joy of singing, trilling and warbling as though their little lungs would burst. A few clouds still drifted across the sky and the very lightest breeze was blowing from behind them to make the journey even more pleasant.<\/p>\n He had noticed the removal of the ring. As he had taken her hand to help her into the buggy he had noticed the white mark that long years of wearing a ring would leave upon its removal. He made no comment about that either, just noticed and considered its significance. He was still considering it when she began to speak<\/p>\n \u201cTell me what it was like when you were little, Hoss. Candy told me you and your father and eldest brother travelled all the way from Illinois by wagon, and he told me about how your mother died when you were so little.\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned a little, furrows in the tanned skin, the blue eyes seeming to disappear as he crinkled up his face wondering what story she would particularly like to hear,<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a whole heap of things I could tell you, Miss Hester. Not that I remember as much as all that really, being so small an\u2019 all, but things my Pa and Adam told me over and over so it sticks more in my mind, kinda.\u201d he cleared his throat, \u201cIt was Pa and Adam travelled with my Ma from Illinois and I was born out on the plains of Missouri. Pa always said that I didn\u2019t like all the travelling. When we got any place and stayed awhile in order for Pa to git more money, I\u2019d be wanting to stay put right there, it was Adam always was glad to git moving agin. I remember the nights in the wagon, when Adam would git inside the cot beside me and tell me stories. I don\u2019t reckon I ever heard the ending of any one of them as I allust used to fall asleep as soon as I knew he was there beside me. Then, in the morning we would wake up, almost nose to nose. Guess I can remember that more than anything else – his breath on my face, and trying to count his freckles. Yeah, I guess I remember that most of all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess you were great friends?\u201d she looked up at his face and smiled as he glanced down at her, his blue eyes clear and gentle,<\/p>\n \u201cAlways. He was the one taught me my first steps, picked me up when I fell, and he taught me words and such. Adam was always there for me when I needed him.\u201d his voice trailed away and he turned his attention back to the road, and dragged in a sigh, except, he thought to himself, he ain\u2019t here now, when I need him.<\/p>\n She must have realised that now was not the best time to discuss his elder brother, so after a moments silence she started speaking once again,<\/p>\n \u201cThen your father remarried, what was she like? Can you remember your step mother?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMarie? Sure I can. She was the first real mother I had. I think I fell in love with her to be honest, she was just like – well – she was a real special lady. Then of course we had Joe.\u201d he chuckled \u201cThat changed a whole lot of things. He was a firecracker from the moment he was born.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused then, and hauled on the reins, looked down at the valley below them where a herd of wild horses were grazing.<\/p>\n \u201cSee there?\u201d he pointed over to them, \u201cThat\u2019s what I was wanting to show you.\u201d<\/p>\n She turned her head and looked at them with slightly narrowed eyes. There were about fifty horses, some in small groups, some standing aloof from the herd; young horses slept as though exhausted, flat out upon the grass and their doting mothers stood in silent protection with their heads hanging , cropping the grass occasionally, but mainly very still. Some young horses were playing chase, and she laughed softly and commented that it was like watching a kindergarten of children, and then she had to explain what a kintergarten was and he nodded, smiled and wished he could hold her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful, Hoss. Aren\u2019t they just the loveliest creatures? Look at that one over there -\u201d she pointed to a stallion, silhouetted perfectly against the blue sky as he stood in an almost regal stance above the others, his head turned towards the herd, the large black eyes watching them jealously.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2018s the leader alright. Joe\u2019s been angling to catch him several times now, but he\u2019s an intelligent beast, knows how to avoid the rope every time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope he never gets caught -\u201d she said softly, and she watched the horse carefully as it tossed its great head sending the golden mane flying as he reared back and kicked out with his forelegs, \u201cDo you think he knows we\u2019re watching him, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t put it past him.\u201d Hoss grinned, \u201cAdam marked him down as a horse too spirited to capture, a horse that should be allowed to stay free.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree with him, Hoss. Don\u2019t let Joe catch him, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n She turned to him in appeal, her brilliant blue eyes dilated so that the black iris seemed to swamp the blue, and he had to choke back the lump in his throat, an emotion that he had seldom felt so forcibly. He could feel his heart pounding beneath his shirt and decided that perhaps it would be a time to have his hands occupied so he picked up the reins again and gave a sharp flick to send the horses moving on.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me about yourself, Miss Hester. About your family?\u201d<\/p>\n Now it was her turn to wrinkle her brow, so she told him about her parents who were both now dead, about her brother, Marlowe, who was in Europe with his wife and two children, and her younger brother, Milton, who was recently married and living in the family home in New York. The significance of her brothers name went right over Hoss\u2019 head!<\/p>\n \u201cThat was another reason why I came out here. Ann has been like a sister to me, so I thought I would visit her, especially as she is soon to have the baby. Milton is a kind young man, has always been a good brother, but being newly wed he needs – and she needs – time together without a widow sister hanging around the place.\u201d<\/p>\n She went to twist her ring then, but realised that it was gone but before she could move her hand Hoss had taken hold of it, and held it captive within his own. She didn\u2019t move her away, it seemed perfectly content to remain there, resting within his, upon her lap.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I say something, Miss Hester?\u201d he asked suddenly, just before the ranch house loomed in front of them.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, Hoss .. On condition you just call me Hester.\u201d and she laughed a little and was pleased to see him smile.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I\u2019ve not known you long -\u201d he stopped there and counted back how many weeks it had been and then frowned when he realised it really wasn\u2019t very long at all. \u201cShucks, jest how long does it take for a man to know he cares a dang heap about a gal? Fact is, Miss – I mean – Hester, I really like you a whole lot.\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded and looked into his face, the sincerity in the way he looked at her, the blush of his cheeks, confirmed to her that this declaration was not an easy one for him, but it was the only way he would be able to say it, and it was honest, and humble.<\/p>\n \u201cI know, Hoss. Thank you, I do understand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think it\u2019s possible for a man to care about a woman in so short a time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you mind that I – shucks – I sure do care about you a whole lot, Mi- Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad you do, Hoss, I sure do care a whole lot about you as well.\u201d and she put her other hand over his, and smiled.<\/p>\n Somehow, everything went so perfectly well, no fumbling, no nonsense. He put his arm around her shoulders, another arm around her waist and drew her towards him. She did not resist, rather she gave herself willingly, folding her arms around him and sharing that first kiss as though nothing and no-one else existed in all their world.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien smiled, stretched out his legs and nodded in approval, then picked up the book and resumed reading,<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019There she weaves by night and day He paused, raised his eyebrows and looked over at Adam who, propped up by pillows in the bed looked back at his friend, furrowed his brow and sighed. O\u2019Brien felt his throat constrict slightly as he waited for Adam to pick up the following verse, an exercise they had taken to doing as far back as their days on the Albatross. But the Commodore was in pain, and he was tired, he had found it difficult to eat, and wished only to sleep. His eyes, usually so dark and alert were now drained of colour, and they were sunken in their sockets making his face appear haggard and shadowed by his pain.<\/p>\n He cleared his throat and gave O\u2019Brien a lop sided smile, raised his dark eyebrows and began to quote:<\/p>\n \u201cAnd moving through a mirror clear Adam glanced up at the clock, and sighed. Of course, time for the shifts to change. O\u2019Brien to resume his duties and Soames to take his place here. He smiled and waited for the two men who mumbled their greetings, before one left and the other took over his seat, placing the heavy medical bag on the floor.<\/p>\n Soames would never admit it but he was quite jealous of the comraderie that was shared between the two Officers. A friendship borne of hardship, tribulation and time was not easily understood by others who desired a similar recognition from the men they admired.<\/p>\n \u201cI think,\u201d he said in a quiet voice, Soames usually spoke in a quiet voice, Adam often had to lean forward to catch the words, \u201cthat our lady in the cells is going quietly mad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow quietly?\u201d Adam asked, thinking how impossible it was for Cassandra Pelman to do anything quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, not that quietly I suppose – a figure of speech.\u201d Soames tugged at his ear and shrugged, \u201cShe screams a lot, throws things -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds more like what I would expect from her. Is she feigning or really going mad?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d Soames replied blankly, he shook his head, \u201cIt\u2019s hard to know with her.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cOut flew the web and floated wide; Soames leaned forward now to catch the words, and then slumped back into his chair. He was not a literary man, he could not place the poem nor the poet, but he could see the significance of what Adam quoted and nodded thoughtfully in some agreement. Adam, with a sigh, had allowed sleep to recapture him and now he drifted himself, slowly into the arms of Morpheus.<\/p>\n Chapter 97<\/p>\n The big room in the Ponderosa ranch house was warm and mellow, and in the evenings, with the fire burning and the lamps glowing there was always a feeling of home, of a welcome embrace. It seemed as though the whole room was reaching out to hug the person who stepped over the threshold. Even the old clock ticking out the hours of their lives sounded just like a heart beat which would at times hic-cough and make everyone hold their breaths – just for a second.<\/p>\n The fire light made Hester\u2019s hair gleam every bit as much as a halo around her head, and Hoss found himself fascinated by it. Every so often he would steal a glance over at her and then his stomach would turn over, his heart would throb and he would ask himself \u2026 \u2018Did I really kiss her? Did she really kiss me?\u2019<\/p>\n Joe sat on the settee with his hand holding that of Victoria Shannon. He also would every so often steal a glance over at Hester, and then at his father who was looking thoughtful and slightly preoccupied.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you ladies mind if I smoked?\u201d Ben asked, and smiled his charming smile.<\/p>\n Neither lady objected, so he began to pack the bowl of his pipe with tobacco and listen to them talking. It was about horses, and Hoss was telling them how he had taken Hester to see the herd of wild horses that they had been tracking down over the past few weeks. They had first seen them and cut them out from a larger herd months ago, when Adam had been here, and as he listened to them Ben got to thinking about his son, and wondering what Adam would be doing. He struck a match and put it to the tobacco,<\/p>\n \u201cMy father used to smoke a pipe,\u201d Hester said suddenly, just as there had been a lull in the talking, \u201cHe used to be a seaman -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally?\u201d Ben gaped, took his pipe from his mouth and stared at her thoughtfully.<\/p>\n Joe and Hoss turned to look at her with even more interest and Victoria shrunk back a little, everyone, after all, knew all about her father, and she sighed, and perhaps her misery was picked up by Joe who turned to her and smiled, squeezed her hand, and winked.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, my grandfather was French, Verlaine is a French name.\u201d Hester replied, \u201cHe was in the French navy, and sometime or other he sailed to America and liked what he saw, so he resigned from the navy and emigrated here. My father and Ann\u2019s father were brothers, they both went to sea for some years, but eventually my Uncle went into Banking, and my father became a lawyer. He still enjoyed his pipe though, and had quite a collection of them, all on a rack in his study.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo wonder Ann\u2019s father didn\u2019t like Candy then.\u201d Joe observed, \u201cBeing a banker he\u2019d not have wanted his daughter mixed up with a cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCandy wasn\u2019t always a cowboy,\u201d Hester said quietly, and lowered her eyes as though to avoid being asked more about that subject. \u201cVictoria, is it right that you play the piano?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I do -\u201d the younger woman nodded, and smiled shyly, \u201cNot very well. Do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all. I would love to play though, would you teach me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would like that very much.\u201d Victoria replied and felt herself relaxing, knowing only too well that the other woman was attempting not only to draw away attention from herself, but also to involve her more into the conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cHester liked the stallion, Joe.\u201d Hoss declared just as the clock struck the hour, \u201cShe don\u2019t reckon you should try taming it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree.\u201d Victoria said, not so much in consideration of the horse as in consideration of Joe, the thought of him being tossed about by a horse terrified her.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Adam felt the same way about it,\u201d Joe replied quietly, a slight frown settled across his brow and he pushed his fingers through his hair, \u201cIt\u2019s just such a challenge -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to confront every horse as a challenge, Joe, you can let one or two of them just run free.\u201d Victoria laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, guess I had better be taking Hester back home.\u201d Hoss said getting to his feet, and he smiled over at her, \u201cOtherwise we\u2019ll be in trouble with Candy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get back by ten o\u2019clock or we shall change into a pumpkin.\u201d Hester laughed and picked up her shawl, \u201cGood night everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the door closed behind them, Joe leaned forwards towards his father and winked,<\/p>\n \u201cPa, I\u2019ve a feeling that there\u2019s a romance blossoming there, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben smiled slowly, \u201cYes, I really do, Joe. To be honest, I couldn\u2019t think of anyone better than Hester Verlaine for Hoss. Well, well \u2026\u201d he puffed heartily, and sent two smoke rings floating ceiling wards.<\/p>\n Joe looked at Victoria and together they rose to their feet, excused themselves and left the house to stroll in the garden; arm in arm they walked along the pathway between the roses that had been planted long ago by Marie, she leaned over and settled her head upon Joe\u2019s shoulder,<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, sometimes I feel so gauche.\u201d she sighed.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s head went into a bit of a spin as he tried to think of what the word could possibly mean in relation to his beloved fiancee, he stopped and turned her gently towards him,<\/p>\n \u201cYou are not at all gauche, Vicky, and if anyone says that you are, I\u2019ll challenge them to a duel, or – or give them a good thump.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want you to be involved in a duel,\u201d Vicky laughed, \u201cand I doubt if it would come to a good thump for anyone. It\u2019s not really important, just how I feel sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked on a little further, then sat down at a bench, he reached out a plucked a rosebud from a bush for her,<\/p>\n \u201cOuch, doggone, why do roses always have thorns?\u201d he moaned as he handed her the rose with one hand but the other he put to his mouth to draw out the thorn.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, let me see ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too dark -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know -\u201d<\/p>\n He began to laugh, she giggled, and then he held her closer, so close that the little rosebud was squashed between them and if there had been a chaperone present at the time she would have blushed.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s get married soon\u201d he breathed in her ear softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe, yes, as soon as you wish.\u201d and then they melted once again into each other\u2019s arms, whispered promises, smiled, laughed softly together, their breath mingled along with their kisses. Overhead the stars twinkled and the earth did not stand still, it just seemed to them, that, just for a moment, it had, indeed it had.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Daniel leaned forwards towards the bed and touched Adam\u2019s shoulder in an effort to rouse him from his dream. He had wondered for a moment whether some fresh bout of fever had struck him, but realised that it was nothing more than a dream, a dream that was causing the Commodore some distress as he murmured beneath his breath, and once cried out, jolting awake and as quickly, succumbing back into sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam, wake up -\u201d he whispered urgently, \u201cWake up.\u201d<\/p>\n The injured man forced open his eyes and looked up at Daniel, he struggled a moment in order to gain his breath, and then coughed, shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Daniel, did I wake you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were having a bad dream. You kept calling out in your sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d Adam frowned and settled back against the pillows, \u201cI often dream this particular dream.\u201d he accepted a glass of water and drank some, \u201cIt\u2019s Rostov and Lawson. I keep dreaming about them, about having left them there in the ice and snow. It haunts me -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat I left them there, of course. In my dreams I see them with their eyes open, frozen, staring up at the sky and accusing me -\u201d he shook his head, \u201cI know it isn\u2019t logical. In times of war \u2026 or times that we were encountering then, there really was nothing more we could have done. But it distresses me a lot, to be honest, Daniel.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen let me put your mind at rest, Adam,\u201d Daniel lowered the wick in his lamp, \u201cThe Inuit guide that helped us so much, promised to see that they were properly buried. There\u2019s no need for you to be anxious about that matter again. I wished you had mentioned it earlier.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I preferred not to even think about it, to be honest with you.\u201d Adam smiled, \u201cThank you for putting my mind at rest. You could have done that a bit sooner too, you know.\u201d and he chuckled.<\/p>\n Daniel settled back into the chair, and in the near gloom of the cabin waited for Adam to fall back into sleep. There was a slight turbulence in the sea, waves hit against the sides of the ship and sometimes, when one wave was a little more vigorous than another, some things rattled and shook on the shelves. He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.<\/p>\n Chapter 98<\/p>\n Mrs Prendergast and Miss Lowe stopped talking when the little bell over the door of the General Stores tinkled and Victoria Shannon stepped inside, smiled over at them and walked towards them with the obvious intention of passing the time of day with them. The curt nods that she was greeted with, the stern unsmiling faces and the way they turned their heads were, however, enough to make her realise that they would prefer her not to bother. Rather confused at such a rebuff she made her way to the shelves to collect what she needed and waited at the back of the store until the bell tinkled again and she it was safe for her to approach the counter.<\/p>\n Sally Cass smiled and took the items she handed over,<\/p>\n \u201cHow are you, Vicky?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright, thank you, Sally.\u201d she glanced around the store and noticing that it was empty of customers leaned forwards, \u201cSally, have I done anything wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWrong?\u201d Sally looked surprised, then embarrassed, \u201cNo, of course not, Vicky.\u201d she smiled, \u201cDon\u2019t take any notice of those two, they\u2019re just jealous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJealous? What have they got to be jealous of?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, your engagement to Joseph Cartwright.\u201d Sally said, and put the items – two books, a yard of red silk ribbon, a thimble, and a reel of red silk thread – into a bag.<\/p>\n \u201cBut why should they be jealous?\u201d Victoria shook her head, paid for everything and left the store, leaving the bell tinkling behind her.<\/p>\n Several ladies nodded but averted their eyes as she passed them, one young woman with whom she had been on friendly terms walked across the road rather than speak to her, and another smiled but was \u2018too busy, sorry, must dash\u2019 to stop.<\/p>\n She was feeling decidedly miserable by the time Hester Verlaine stepped from the dressmakers and bumped into her. They looked at each other a little startled and then laughed,<\/p>\n \u201cOh Hester, I am sorry -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, it was my fault, I wasn\u2019t looking. Are you going home now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think I shall.\u201d she frowned and looked a little uncomfortable, then smiled as Hester remained standing in front of her with that kindly smile on her face, \u201cWould you like to come back for some tea and cake?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould you give me just a little while?\u201d Hester answered and after taking a peek at a list from her purse she looked up and nodded, \u201cJust half an hour?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Mrs Verlaine,\u201d Mrs Snelling passed, nodded a greeting at Hester, looked severely at Victoria and barely acknowledged her, \u201cMiss Shannon\u201d she said rather coldly.<\/p>\n If Hester noticed she said nothing, but Victoria walked away from the encounter feeling red in the face and certainly very uncomfortable. She walked quickly to her home, but had to slow when several men, lounging outside the Bucket of Blood saloon, took up the sidewalk and she had to skirt around them, she heard one man laugh and another said loudly enough for her to hear<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a clever little girl then, more like her old man than you\u2019d think, getting her hands on a Cartwright – and his share of the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n Was that what they thought? She shivered, clutched at her purse and hurried along the sidewalk. Could they really be thinking that of her? These people in town, women she had known for so long, girls with whom she had been at school? And the men – making her a topic of conversation in the saloons!<\/p>\n She was nearly in tears when she collided into a man who had stepped from the alley, she could feel the reek of alcohol on his breath and stepped back quickly, but not before he had grabbed at her arm and laughingly pulled her towards him in the drunken belief that he could grab a kiss from the fine lady.<\/p>\n The more she struggled to get free of him the tighter he held onto her. He could hear the other men laughing, jeering, and that encouraged him to be bolder and he pulled her roughly into the alley, pawing at the buttons of her jacket while she pushed and fought to be free of him. Evil smelling rank beer fumed odours from a mouth that looked like a foul pit lounged towards her and with all her force she swung an arm at him, the books in the bag hit him on the side of the head and helped in loosening his hold on her, and as she screamed and pulled away so she heard the sound of tearing and ripping, and was horrified to find that the sleeve of her jacket had been torn away and hung down her arm.<\/p>\n She shrieked again, kicked and hit out at the man whose grip on her arm seemed to be getting tighter. Panic was overwhelming her, so much so that she was beginning to struggle to breathe, her head was spinning, her legs weakening. She wasn\u2019t even aware of Joe appearing, she didn\u2019t see the flash of green jacket that seemed to fly between her and the drunkard, and by the time she had fainted Joe had sent the man sprawling backwards into the filth strewn alleyway. Anger raged in Joe, he grabbed at the mans shirt and hauled him up, smashed his fist into his face and was about to do so again when his own wrist was seized by a firm strong grip and Hoss\u2019 voice was saying,<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s enough, Joe. Victoria needs your help -\u201d<\/p>\n Joe turned, saw Victoria in Hoss\u2019 arms, and looked up into his brothers\u2019 face, and then together they walked the rest of the way to the Shannon\u2019s house. The men who had earlier been littering the sidewalk had disappeared upon Joe and Hoss\u2019 sudden appearance.<\/p>\n When she regained consciousness Victoria burst promptly into tears, and seeing Joe sitting by her side, rubbing her cold hands between his own and his face a mask of Greek tragedy proportions, she could only weep more.<\/p>\n \u201cHere, Vicky, drink this -\u201d Hester was saying and placing a cup of tea on the table by her side.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, darling, it\u2019s going to be alright,\u201d Joe was whispering and as she continued to cry, he swept her up into his arms and held her tightly, \u201cHush now, it\u2019s alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s not alright,\u201d she whispered, and shook her head, \u201cJoe, it isn\u2019t alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course it is,\u201d Joe replied, looking now into her face and wiping away the tears with a surprisingly clean handkerchief, \u201cHe won\u2019t bother you again,\u201d and his lips firmed, and eyes narrowed to signify that he would make sure of that matter.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, I don\u2019t understand what\u2019s happening in town,\u201d she sobbed, dabbing at her face and eyes, \u201cPeople have been so unfriendly -\u201d and she told him of what had been happening all morning, and then repeated what the cowboy outside the saloon had said, \u201cWhy are they being so unkind, Joe? Is it true? Do they really think that what my father couldn\u2019t get, I would by marrying you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what they think, darling, and I don\u2019t care -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI care though, Joe. I don\u2019t want to start my married life with people pointing their fingers at me and calling me a gold digger, like my father.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe sighed, and shook his head, he gently brushed curls of blonde hair from her face, and looked at her with so much love in his eyes that most girls would have gained some degree of comfort and strength from that alone, he bit his lips and held her hands,<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a newspaper item in the Enterprise. It was about McGarthy and Matt Thompson.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has that to do with me and you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve been moved from Yuma Territorial Prison to another prison. It\u2019s news, so it was printed, and the reason why they\u2019re in prison is because they killed your father and tried to frame my father for the murder. I guess it just reminded people that – that there\u2019s a connection between Caleb and yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why should they be so unkind, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause, sadly, small minded people often are unkind, sweetheart, by being unkind it makes them feel important. But don\u2019t think about them, Vicky, there\u2019s so much more to life than small talk in a small town. When we\u2019re married it won\u2019t matter, and they\u2019ll soon forget.\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head slowly and dabbed at her eyes, she leaned forwards and kissed his cheek, caressed his face gently, and shook her head again,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Joe, that\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong. They won\u2019t ever forget who I am, who my father was and what he did -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, it still won\u2019t matter.\u201d Joe caught at her hand, kissed her fingers, \u201cWe\u2019ll have one another, and my family, the Ponderosa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she shook her head again, and tears started afresh, \u201cNo, Joe, the Ponderosa isn\u2019t the answer to everything, my dear, not now.\u201d<\/p>\n Hester stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Joe\u2019s shoulder, he looked up into her face and read her meaning in her eyes, so slowly withdrew from the frightened young woman on the settee and went to stand by Hoss, while Hester took her place by Victoria\u2019s side. She turned, smiled at them,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you two go about what you were going to do, and leave this to us -\u201d and the meaning couldn\u2019t have been clearer, this was female business, time for them to bail out.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t marry Joe, Hester, with the whole town believing such lies.\u201d she whispered as she clutched at the cup of tea.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the whole town, Victoria, only a small minded minority.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s all it takes. A small minded minority.\u201d she gulped back a few sips of tea, and shivered, \u201cOh, I was never so frightened in my life. That horrible , horrible man, and no one came to help me – what if Joe hadn\u2019t come when he did?\u201d<\/p>\n Hester snorted slightly down her nose, the contempt she felt for people at that moment of time was enough to make her inarticulate for a moment, she just rubbed Victoria\u2019s hands and stared at the white face with the huge frightened eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t let this kind of thing stop you from marrying Joe.\u201d she said eventually, \u201cIf you truly love him, nothing should stop you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSurely, if I truly love him, I should do everything I can to protect him from what these people could do to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t start make rash decisions based on what a few silly people did today. And that man was drunk, he didn\u2019t know who you were -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThose other men did though, they said – they accused me of being like my father, after Joe\u2019s money.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHush, now, come on, stop that crying and drink your tea.\u201d she spoke mechanically, remembering how her mother had said the same things when news about Mark had come to her, and the total devastation she had felt.<\/p>\n Chapter 99<\/p>\n The town hall looked at its best when the town was having one of its dances. Coloured lights festooned the building making it appear in far better condition that it really was, as they obscured the peeling paint and the rather rusty nails holding it all together.<\/p>\n Music could be heard by everyone as they made their way to the social. Buggies and wagons and buckboards crowded the lots around the hall, and townsfolk walked to the hall along the road, chattering and laughing, the ladies in their party gowns and the men in their stiff suits, all looking very formal and uncomfortable.<\/p>\n Trestle tables groaned with food and drink was plentiful. The doors were opened wide to let the warm evening air freshen the rather hot and sticky air inside the building, and the breeze made the streamers and banners rustle and flutter in the roof space. The band comprised of a banjo, guitar, piano, two fiddles and a double bass player. They were the regular musicians at such occasions and knew all the tunes inside and out. The \u2018Caller\u2019 for the dances was Amos Huggins who hailed from Kentucky and really got into the swing of things because he reckoned there was nothing better than to see those ladies petticoats going a -swishing in the air.<\/p>\n It went without saying that Victoria dreaded the occasion since the problems arose in town, but Joe had assured her that she had nothing to worry about, he wouldn\u2019t leave her side and Hester and Hoss would be close by. It was now taken as an agreement in the family that Hester and Hoss were – good friends.<\/p>\n When the Cartwrights arrived the music didn\u2019t stop and the dancing continued, but there was a definite hiatus as people turned to observe them. Ben strode in, looking handsome in his suit and grey silk vest, there were quite a few widows and single ladies who thought him to be not only a good catch but a very good looking one as well. Behind him came Hoss and Hester. Although they were not arm in arm, nor even holding hands, the fact that she was with the Cartwrights prompted heads to incline together, and ladies to whisper and dart thoughtful and curious glances at them. Then came Joe and Victoria, who stood hesitantly at the doorway before following Ben to the table where the punch bowl resided.<\/p>\n \u201cGood evening, Mrs Prendergast,\u201d Joe stopped where Mr and Mrs Prendergast were sitting, and he bowed his head towards the lady and smiled at her husband, \u201cMrs Prendergast, I believe you know my fiancee, Victoria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy, yes, of course -\u201d Mrs Predergast fluttered and a smile was offered the younger woman, although it didn\u2019t reach her eyes, \u201cHow are you, Victoria? I hear you had a bad experience the other day?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust one among several,\u201d Victoria answered without returning the smile, \u201cHello, Mr Prendergast, how is your foot now? Is the gout still painful?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sure is, Miss Vicky, good to see you here this evening. How\u2019s things, Joe? Heard from that brother of yours lately?\u201d<\/p>\n They drifted on, circulating the room, stopping to talk to every person who had snubbed Vicky in town, Joe\u2019s mouth ached with the false smiles he plastered onto his face, and his eyes were as hard as stones. Vicky, by the time they arrived at Ben\u2019s side, felt more in need of a glass of punch than at any time in her life, her legs were shaking, and Joe folded a hand over hers affectionately and smiled at her, leaned over to kiss her cheek,<\/p>\n \u201cYou see, just face them down, they\u2019re just bullies out to make you miserable, but face them and they soon back down.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled and said nothing to that, she didn\u2019t like to remind him that she didn\u2019t have his courage and ability to bounce back, having lived with one bully had been enough to intimidate her for life. Ben smiled and passed a glass of punch over to her,<\/p>\n \u201cHere, drink this, Vicky, you\u2019ll feel better afterwards.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben could feel her fingers shaking as she accepted the glass from him, and he wondered for a moment if perhaps she was really going to be able to handle being Joe\u2019s wife. He turned away from the couple and looked at the dancing, and smiled as he watched Hester and Hoss laughing their way through one of the dances. It occurred to him then that he had not seen Hoss was relaxed with a woman for many years, and that Hester Verlaine was already doing his son a whole lot of good.<\/p>\n \u201cWho is that woman?\u201d Old Mrs Smeaton asked her daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cWhich woman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe one dancing with Hoss Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Ann Canady\u2019s cousin, she\u2019s a widow, comes from New York, I\u2019m told.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNew York, huh?\u201d Mrs Smeaton sniffed, as far as she was concerned nothing good came out of New York.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Adam leaned against the window and watched the sea. He stood with his shirt loose, hanging over his pants, unbuttoned. His wound was healing slowly and he could feel less pain, but staying in the bed, in the cabin, was beginning to make him feel like a man in prison. He knew there was a word to describe it, but couldn\u2019t be bothered to rack his brains to find what it was. The window was just slightly ajar and he could smell the freshness of the sea, taste the salt, and feel the energizing power of the clean air as it drifted into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t be out of bed,\u201d Soames reproving voice came from behind him, and he closed the door.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t stand another moment in it,\u201d Adam replied without turning around but still looking at the sea. \u201cI wanted to get to the desk so that I could write some letters, but then realised I wouldn\u2019t be able to get there without falling down.\u201d he grimaced, a wry downward turn of the mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not surprised, here take my arm -\u201d Soames came forward and offered his arm which Adam accepted, and allowed the doctor to help him to a chair by the desk. \u201cDon\u2019t do too much too soon, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, now you sound like an old friend of mine,\u201d Adam smiled, and opened a drawer to pull out writing paper and pen, \u201cPaul Martin, the town doctor. I suppose you\u2019ve come to give me some more medication?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, accepted the dose manfully and then picked up his pen and dipped it into the inkwell, he looked down at the paper before looking back up at the doctor,<\/p>\n \u201cSo how is Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSaunders tells me that she\u2019s very unwell.\u201d Soames replied, skirting around the fact that he had been in to see to her several times himself.<\/p>\n \u201cReally? And you\u2019ve not checked to find out for yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you recall rightly, Adam -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI recall perfectly, Doctor. If you remember the circumstances I had every right to do so at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAm I to take it that your orders have changed now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoames, for goodness sake,\u201d Adam passed his hand across his face, and shook his head, \u201cI have to get Mrs Pelman safely to America in order to stand trial. Now go and check on her, and come back with a report when you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames nodded, stood up and left the cabin before Adam could change his mind, leaving the Commodore looking thoughtfully at the empty chair, then, with a sigh he recommenced his letter, noting with a slight surprise, how long ago it had been since he had written the last sentence.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Hester grabbed at Vicky\u2019s hand, she was breathless and hot, and her hair had began to unravel, and she whispered to Vicky that she really did need to get out to cool down. Together, and arm in arm, the two young women left the hall and sauntered out to the yard. It was much cooler now, and once seated Hester asked Vicky to see if she could deal with the back of her hair,<\/p>\n \u201cJust stick a few pins in for me, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere now,\u201d Vicky curled some strands of hair and pinned them securely into Hester\u2019s the rest of the curls, they both laughed when a pin went beyond the curls and into the scalp, \u201cThey were talking about you in there-\u201d she said quietly once the job was completed and Hester, patting a few stray bits into place, turned round,<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome of the women in there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh.\u201d Hester pulled a face, and shrugged.<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Why should it? Although I supposes it does depend on what they were saying. Hopefully it wasn\u2019t anything unpleasant or unkind.\u201d she looked thoughtfully at the other girl, \u201cDid it bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I mean, I don\u2019t know -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPeople gossip. That\u2019s what people do, Vicky. They see a stranger sauntering into the town hall with one of the Cartwrights and want to know all about her. It\u2019s only natural. In New York Society it is just the same \u2026 no doubt I would be saying \u2018Look at that hussy dancing with Hoss Cartwright and she\u2019s only been here five minutes!\u2019\u201d and she laughed softly, \u201cIn a short while they will talk about someone else, until it\u2019s my turn again. Life is too short to worry about it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s because you don\u2019t come from here, and they don\u2019t know every bit of your history.\u201d Vicky plucked at the ribbons on her skirt, and was about to say more when the sound of male voices were heard coming from close by, being seated in the shadows close to the building it was not easy for anyone beyond the shadows to see them, but the two women could clearly distinguish Joe with several other young men.<\/p>\n Vicky was about to call out to him, but it was Hester who pulled at her hand and made her stay in her seat, realising from the tone of the mens voices that now was not the time for her young friend to be getting involved.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, Joe, I\u2019m not saying this out of spite, you know -\u201d Jonathan Wilson said with a scowl on his face, he put out a hand to rest on Joe\u2019s arm, as though to confirm that he meant well, but Joe pulled his arm away, \u201cFor Pete\u2019s sake, why do you have to be so stubborn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a case of being stubborn, Jon, more a case of plain not liking what you\u2019re saying.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJon doesn\u2019t mean no harm, Joe.\u201d Mark Wilson, Jon\u2019s brother spoke up, his voice kindly, \u201cLook, we\u2019ve been friends for a long time, why can\u2019t you just accept what we\u2019re telling you as a friendly piece of advice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see what you\u2019re saying as being friendly or advice.\u201d Joe\u2019s voice trembled, and upon hearing it Hester rose to her feet and pulled at Victoria\u2019s hand so that they could slip, unnoticed, back into the hall where she intended to get Hoss to go out and check that matters didn\u2019t spiral out of control. \u201cVicky -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria Shannon is her father\u2019s daughter, Joe; just think back awhile and remember this, you nearly lost everything, the Ponderosa, everything your Pa slaved for all those years, nearly gone just like that -\u201d Mark clicked his fingers, and in the shadows the girls froze, pressing their backs against the walls in order not to be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and your family weren\u2019t the only ones he was fleecing, shucks, Joe, if\u2019n McGarthy hadn\u2019t got Shannon killed your fiancee\u2019s pa would be in prison himself by now.\u201d<\/p>\n Vicky pressed her fingers to her mouth to suppress a sob, while in the yard Joe grabbed at Jon\u2019s jacket and swung a fist which collided hard against the other mans jaw. Pulling at Victoria\u2019s hand Hester made for the hall, but even before they reached the door Hoss and Candy were already coming out,<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, over there -\u201d she squealed grabbing at his arm and pointing in the direction of the tussle that had become a full fledged fight, and leaving it to the two men she hurried Victoria into the hall, and round to the back where the other rooms were located.<\/p>\n \u201cVicky, look at me -\u201dshe pushed Vicky down into a chair and leaned towards her, \u201cPlease.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I want to go home, Hester, please let me go home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not like this, Vicky, not while you\u2018re upset like this.\u201d she pulled out a lace trimmed piece of handkerchief and dabbed at the other girls eyes, \u201cDon\u2019t let Joe see you like this, dear, he loves you so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know he does, and it isn\u2019t fair, Hester. I love him, but I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m really the kind of person he should marry. My father\u2019s ruined my life, as a child, as a woman. I won\u2019t ever be able to get away from him. What he\u2019s done, what he\u2019s been will follow me wherever I go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen, dear, why go anywhere? Just stay here, marry Joe, and settle down. In time this will all blow over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it won\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n Hester sighed, she crouched down and looked up at the other girls face, then took her two hands in her own and held them tightly,<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria, everything blows over in time. Don\u2019t break Joe\u2019s heart just because of this. Prove to these people that you are – not only your father\u2019s daughter, but also your mothers. She was a wonderful woman, wasn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but that\u2019s not the point -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is so,\u201d Hester dabbed at the tears again, \u201cI know you could easily leave here, and get your teaching position back at the blind school, but you would never easily be able to forget Joe, would you? You would never be happy anywhere else, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know – not anymore.\u201d Victoria whispered, \u201cThose two men went to school with us, with Joe and I, they\u2019d been friends for years and if that\u2019s what they say about me, what do others say? Joe could get to hate me after a while, and -\u201d<\/p>\n They turned at the sound of someone breathing hard behind them, and Hester stepped back as Joe came, stepped forward and took Victoria into his arms,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Vicky, no, I would never grow to hate you, never in a thousand years. I love you too much.\u201d and he held her close, and kissed her damp cheeks and held her hands in both of his own.<\/p>\n Hester stepped away, looked at Hoss, and together they slipped out and back into the hall to join with the dancing and laughing and chattering, neither of them spoke a word, but both of them were thinking more of the young couple in the back room than the steps of the dance into which they had been whirled Soames looked at the woman huddled in the corner of the cell, and wondered how it was possible for the beautiful woman who had stepped on board ship to have become the wretched shadow of her self that she was now.<\/p>\n Food was strewn across the floor, her clothing was filthy, stained not only with the detritus of food but with other natural elements that indicated that she either no longer had control over her bodily functions or she just didn\u2019t care any longer. Her hair was a tangled mass, some of which seemed to stand on end like some great bush, while the rest fell over her face.<\/p>\n He walked towards her, being careful where he put his feet as he did so,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman -\u201d he whispered gently, \u201cIt\u2019s I, the doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t move, except to hug her arms more tightly around her legs,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, I\u2019ve come to give you something that will help you sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to sleep -\u201d her voice was ragged, she did not look up.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you get some sleep it will help you feel much better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey come to me in my sleep. Pelman – Eugene – that ghastly ghastly man Jonas Thayer – I want my brother. Please. Please find Jeffrey? Where\u2019s Jeffrey? I want my brother.\u201d her voice broke on a sob, then she raised her head, and her eyes fixed upon his face, and she smiled \u201cMrs Pelman met a doctor She bowed her head and her voice trickled into silence, although several sobs shook her shoulders and Soames, tempted to put out his hand to comfort her, had to force himself to step back and away from her. He closed the bars behind him quietly and turned to look at her just before he reached the door to the brig, but she was still rocking back and forth, in the corner of the room.<\/p>\n Chapter 99<\/p>\n Adam looked up as the door opened and with a slight frown, he put the pen down, wondering as he did so whether he would ever get to finish the letter before arriving in San Francisco. Leaning back against the chair he looked at the Doctor with raised eyebrows, and waited for the man to sink into the chair opposite and speak. Soames said nothing, and it was only when Adam prompted him by saying \u201cWell?\u201d that he eventually sighed and looked up to face his Commanding Officer<\/p>\n \u201cI – I think she\u2019s gone mad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean really mad? Not acting at all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, really mad.\u201d Soames shook his head and rubbed his brow in perplexity, \u201cI didn\u2019t realise she was so close to the brink, but she\u2019s well and truly gone over the edge now.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam eased his long legs away from the desk and rose to his feet, paused a moment to make sure he had the strength in his legs to walk, and did so, going to the closet and taking out his jacket which he shrugged himself into, Soames watched with some alarm and then stood up, put out a restraining hand<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you can\u2019t go out there, Adam, you\u2019re still too weak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll lean upon your arm then, if you wouldn\u2019t mind?\u201d he smiled his most charming smile, and raised an eyebrow, slowly buttoning up his jacket and then running his fingers through his hair, he frowned, \u201cShe\u2019s my responsibility, Soames, I wouldn\u2019t want to feel that it is due to my negligence that she has got into this situation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor goodness sake, man, you\u2019ve been ill yourself, thanks to her -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat bears heavily on my mind,\u201d Adam replied his smile widening, \u201cshot in action is one thing, but shot by a woman on my own deck -\u201d he shook his head and turned towards the door, \u201cYour arm, Doctor, if you don\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cassandra was sitting cross legged on the floor now, and had taken time to braid her hair. To say Adam was shocked at the sight of her was a slight understatement, he paused in his stride and stared at her in both dismay and sympathy, before urging Soames to help him towards the barred door.<\/p>\n She had her eyes shut, firmly shut, and her hands over her ears. A strange humming noise came from her mouth, and she rocked back and forth slowly. Adam\u2019s dark eyes looked at her from head to foot, took in the soiled chemise that she wore, the food and excrement on the floor, the dirt on her face. He could see that her hands were equally as dirty, her nails broken and the dark stain of something or other under the remains of them. He sighed and looked at Soames thoughtfully, then back at Cassandra.<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re there,\u201d she said suddenly, before he could speak, \u201cI recognised your footsteps. I listen for them every day, but it\u2019s been a long time since you came to see me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been unwell, Cassandra.\u201d he said quietly and his deep voice trembled slightly, the pity he felt for her affected even his tone of voice and detecting it she looked up, opened her eyes and stared at him.<\/p>\n \u201cUnwell?\u201d she said softly, \u201cSick and ill?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou look unwell, Cassandra. Don\u2019t you like the food they give you, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFood?\u201d she frowned, and glanced down on the floor, \u201cDid you know that when the peasants revolted in Paris Queen Marie Antoinette said \u2018Let them eat cake.\u2019 Personally I don\u2019t believe that, I don\u2019t think she did \u2026 she liked cake, you know, she would have wanted them to have had something nice to eat as well. Yes – \u201c she paused and frowned, \u201cCake. Let\u2019s bake a cake?\u201d she clapped her hands together and smiled, her face immediately looking impish, childish and innocent.<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra – do you remember why you\u2019re here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere?\u201d she frowned, looked up at the ceiling and looked thoughtful, \u201cI hear people\u2019s footsteps overhead all the time. Bang, bang, bang .. No thought of people who live beneath them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know who I am, Cassandra?\u201d<\/p>\n She drew nearer and involuntarily he stepped back, the smell of her was pungent, and he coughed and put a hand to his mouth and nose; she came and leaned her brow against the bars pressing her face against them and staring at him,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know who you are.\u201d she nodded, \u201cWhere\u2019s Jeffrey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho am I?\u201d<\/p>\n She stared, licked her lips and looked thoughtful,<\/p>\n \u201cBake me a cake as fast as you can, Soames pulled gently on Adam\u2019s arm, and having gained his attention indicated that they should leave; Adam raised a hand in a gesture indicating \u2018not yet\u2019 and stepped forward a little closer<\/p>\n \u201cTell me what your name is?\u201d he asked softly, and his dark eyes stared into hers, and she looked away, down at the floor<\/p>\n \u201cOh my, what big feet you\u2019ve got, Mr Wolf.\u201d and she laughed, her hands came up and gripped the bars, both men instinctively stepped back, as though well aware that an unpredictable woman could well lash out at those she perceived to be invading her territory. Cassandra shook the bars, and her face fell, became plaintive, tears welled up in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks, forming pale runnels through the dirt<\/p>\n \u201cLet me out of here, please let me out of here.\u201d she whispered with a sob in her voice and she thrust out one hand, her fingers just brushing the lapel of Adam\u2019s jacket, \u201cI don\u2019t like it here, it\u2019s cold and dark and the floor is never still, it moves.\u201d<\/p>\n He wanted to tell her it was because she was on a ship, but the smell and the sound of her was taking its toll on his exhausted reserves of emotional as well as physical strengths, he turned and with Soames to support him, walked away from her.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t leave me, I don\u2019t like it here, please let me out?\u201d her voice trailed behind them and he turned to look back at her, at the thin wasted figure in the stained chemise and braided greasy lank hair, \u201cLet me out, please, pretty please?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien was in the cabin when Soames and Adam returned. He looked from one to the other of them with a frown,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019ve you been?\u201d he sniffed, \u201cYou smell awful.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s mad, didn\u2019t I tell you so?\u201d Soames cried as Adam slowly took off his jacket and threw it across the back of the chair.<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, he sunk down in the more comfortable chair and asked O\u2019Brien to pour out something to drink for them all, then he put a hand to his brow, and closed his eyes. When O\u2019Brien gave him the glass he took it like a man roused from a dream, then looked at Soames<\/p>\n \u201cTonight, when it\u2019s dark, take her and get her bathed. Find some clean clothes for her to wear, and get some men to clean that cell. She should never have been allowed to get to that condition, I wouldn\u2019t leave my horse to get into a mess like that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Who do you mean?\u201d O\u2019Brien demanded looking from one to the other of them, and Soames mouthed silently \u201cMrs Pelman.\u201d \u201cOh, Mrs Pelman, I had heard that she was crazy.\u201d he chewed on his bottom lip, and looked at Soames.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, crazy or not, she deserves better than that -\u201d Adam replied and looked at Soames, \u201cMake sure you do as I say.\u201d<\/p>\n When the cabin was empty and Adam alone once again, he lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling and thought of Cassandra Pelman. He thought of her eyes and how they had stared into his own, wild eyes, the pupils of them so large that it was almost impossible to see the colour of them. He shivered at the memory of the stench from the cell, and guilt brought along with it a sense of shame. No man had a right to degrade a woman to such depths, he thought, and he covered his eyes with his fingers to try and shut the image of the woman from his mind.<\/p>\n Chapter 100<\/p>\n Soames was more than pleased with the system he had rigged up for Cassandra\u2019s bath. He had been rather irritated by Adam\u2019s suggestion that he, the Doctor, should supervise such a proceeding, but then realised that in all honesty there was no one else to whom the task could have been allocated.<\/p>\n The crew were all rather intrigued by the cloak and dagger methods that the doctor undertook to deprive them of a peek show. There were a few grumbles and elbows nudged in ribs, and the men who had quite eagerly volunteered for various tasks in the proceedings soon regretted it. There were elbows dug into ribs and sly winks and cackles as these men went with brooms, buckets of water and clothes to clean out the cell, followed by Saunders with clean bed linen. When the bath, which was really no more than the largest barrel in the stores, was trundled down the crew were quietly impressed and crowded round the door rather, craning their necks to see as much as they could hope to see, but promptly pushed aside by several orderlies who bustled down to the brig with various poles, sheets and buckets of hot water.<\/p>\n It seemed that most curious of all was Cassandra herself. She stood in one corner of the cell and watched everything happening around her with round eyes, pulling at her hair and constantly scratching at her arms. When any man approached near her she would cringe against the wall and wail until they were gone. When Soames came to her she stared at him blankly and scowled,<\/p>\n \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Soames, the doctor. Are you going to come along with me?\u201d he smiled, hopefully a pleasant smile, one that would tempt her to go along with him.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I want to stay here. I itch. Why do I itch so much?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s because you\u2019re dirty and need a bath. Would you like a nice clean bath, my dear?\u201d<\/p>\n She scowled more ferociously at him than ever at this patronising tone of voice, and for a moment he imagined that he saw a hint of the old Cassandra flash before him, her lips had tightened and the eyes had hardened and the head tilted in an arrogant manner.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s my brother? He\u2019s the Doctor, not you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf he were here he would want you to have a bath, so why not come with me and see for yourself what we have for you down the corridor.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs Jeffrey there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome and see \u2026\u201d he held out his hand but she didn\u2019t touch him, instead she clutched her hands tightly together against her chest and followed him in a cautious fearful manner out of the cell and into the corridor.<\/p>\n Halfway down there were sheets hanging from a pole, and he led her to this, parted one and indicated that she stepped through to her \u2019bath\u2019. He had remembered reading how Catholic Nuns bathed with their chemises on, as it was forbidden to remove their garments in case the sight of their own nakedness would inflame wrong and unclean thoughts in their heads, so with this in mind he thrust a bar of soap into her hands and hoped that she would have enough sense to know what to do with it. After which he dropped the \u2018curtain\u2019.<\/p>\n He could hear her stepping into the water, her sighs of pleasure and the slap of water sloshing over the sides, soon apparent by the amount of water that trickled from beneath the curtain over the floor towards him. After sufficient time had elapsed he thrust his arm through the opening between the curtains bearing a clean garment, this was snatched immediately from his grasp.<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman had surveyed the bath, or rather the barrel, with some disdain. She sniffed at the soap and was surprised to find that it was in fact an expensive perfumed piece of soap, a familiar smell as it had been taken from her belongings some while previously. She had stepped into the water rather carefully and relaxed into it. Not being a Catholic Nun she stripped off her soiled garment immediately and set to work on cleaning herself.<\/p>\n As she washed her body and her hair Cassandra thought of her options now. The fact that Adam had shown her some compassion, even some sympathy in providing this bath indicated to her a weakening in his disposition towards her. As she lathered the soap on her arms and around her neck and body she remembered how he had looked at her, and the memory of that look brought a wider smile of satisfaction to her face.<\/p>\n So, by playing the mad woman, humiliating herself to the degree that she had, by soiling herself, well, that had appeared to work to some degree. She began to rub the soap into her hair, and then sunk down deeper into the barrel to rinse it out, before re-emerging with a triumphant gasp. Yes, a mad woman, someone he would see as vulnerable and who would need to be protected. At the same time it would make him feel guilty, anxious – it would prompt him to come again, and again – just to make sure of her welfare in the future.<\/p>\n She stepped out of the bath and dried herself slowly, making the most of this time of sanity, this time of knowing she was unobserved and could think freely her own thoughts about how to proceed further in entangling Commodore Adam Cartwright into her life.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Adam allowed himself the luxury of a light groan as he settled back onto the bed. His wounds pained him, and his weakness alarmed him. When Scott came to shake his arm he was amazed to find that he had fallen asleep, and that from the time he had slowly lowered himself back onto the bed and Scott\u2019s awakening him over an hour had actually passed. He rubbed his face with one hand and placed his other hand across his stomach where the pain hurt most. He sat up slowly and looked at Scott<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter? Has something happened?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, sir. I\u2019ve brought you some beef broth.\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded and watched his steward set everything out very neatly on the tray, he took a deep breath and the pain trickled up his back and across his groin, he tried to suppress a moan but it slipped through his lips, and when Scott turned to observe him, he was biting down on his lips and had his eyes closed tightly in an attempt to stem the pain.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll get the Doctor -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019ll pass.\u201d Adam shook his head, brushed the suggestion aside, \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Scott, I do know what I\u2019m talking about. Where is the Doctor by the way?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEr – giving the lady a bath.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam repeated the words soundlessly, his lips moved but no sound passed through them.<\/p>\n \u201cYour orders, sir. You told him to make sure she had a bath because she stunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course, I remember -\u201d he rolled his eyes comically and then picked up a chunk of freshly made bread, he raised it to his nose and smelt it, it didn\u2019t compare to Hop Sings, fresh from the oven, but it still smelt good, he tore some off and dipped it into the broth.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Captain O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the bridge, sir.\u201d Scott smiled, \u201cWe should be in San Francisco in a few days time, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Chapter 101<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me -\u201d Soames entered and smiled, he nodded to Daniel and approached the Commodore\u2019s desk, \u201cJust to let you know that the mission has been accomplished. Mrs Pelman survived her bath.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised his eyebrows, his face went blank and then he nodded and winked over at Daniel, while his face softened into a smile, the dimples in his cheeks were deep as he looked up at the Doctor and lounged back into his chair,<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how did the lady respond?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe lady responded very well.\u201d Soames replied, \u201cTo be honest, I\u2019m quite pleased with the whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n The other two men looked at one another, raised their eyebrows and didn\u2019t dare to surmise exactly what it was that could have made the Doctor so happy, so they patiently listened to his explanation of his modesty curtains and how things had proceeded very well judging by the great disappointment of any crew member that happened to be in a position to see what was happening. Both Adam and Daniel began to laugh then, at themselves for their misjudgement of the wretched Soames, and at the situation in general. Soames laughed along with them, although he wasn\u2019t sure exactly why.<\/p>\n \u201cTell me, then, Doctor, how is her ladyship now? Has she calmed down any? Eaten the soap? Thrown the water over the orderlies?\u201d Adam chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cGoodness me no,\u201d Soames replied rather primly, \u201cShe left the area and returned to her cell very calmly, very quietly. I left her combing her hair.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s approaching time for her mid day meal, perhaps she\u2019ll revert to type then,\u201d Daniel muttered, tapping his fingers against his knee and wishing the doctor to leave so that he could discuss more serious matters with Adam.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a question and a half,\u201d Adam murmured in a slow deep drawl of a voice, \u201cJust exactly what type will she revert to, one wonders?\u201d he sighed, and nodded over to Soames, \u201cThank you, Soames, let me know what happens, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n The Doctor nodded, glanced at the two men and felt excluded once again for their friendship, without a word he left the cabin. For a moment Adam\u2019s eyes stayed fixed on the door as though his thoughts had followed the doctor, then he sighed, and returned his attention to the letter and to Daniel.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes that man worries me,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cHe makes me think of a gigantic moth who can\u2019t resist the flame, he tries, but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean Mrs Pelman?\u201d Daniel shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t think you need worry about Soames, not after what happened to you. He won\u2019t be fooled by her again.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam darted a sharp look over at his subordinate and then lowered his gaze, the thought crossed his mind that, yes, Daniel was very much like Joe.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Victoria Shannon approached the door to the house belonging to the Canadys with some slight hesitation. It had taken a considerable amount of self examination and honest criticism to reach the decision she had come to earlier, and now here she was, about to knock on the door of Ann Canady\u2019s home and discuss the matters so intimate to her own heart with Hester Verlaine.<\/p>\n Even as she brought her clenched fist to knock on the door it was pulled open and Hester stood there, not the calm Hester she knew, but a wild eyed, panic stricken young woman with hair all awry and face quite devoid of colour,<\/p>\n \u201cThank goodness it\u2019s you, Victoria. Come inside quickly,\u201d and she seized hold of the other young woman\u2019s wrist and pulled her into the house. \u201cTake your jacket off, see that sheet, tie it around you or find an apron \u2026 anything will do so long as it is clean .. Hurry now, hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut why – Hester, why?\u201d Vicky slowly unbuttoned her jacket and began to pull it off, as she reached for an apron that had been slung over the back of a chair a cry came from up stairs, a cry so long and drawn out in its agony that she shivered and the small hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. \u201cOh my word, what\u2019s happening, what\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the baby. It\u2019s decided to come early. There was only me here with Ann, and Candy is out and won\u2019t be back -\u201d she ran to the bottom of the stairs, \u201cI\u2019m coming, Ann, I\u2019m coming\u201d then she turned to Vicky \u201cGet hot water, towels and – and some soap. Can you make some coffee?\u201d all this flung from over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs.<\/p>\n \u201cCoffee? What do you want coffee for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo drink, of course. I\u2019ve been awake for hours – please hurry -\u201d she disappeared from view and Vicky heard her calling out \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Ann, it\u2019s alright, Vicky has come to help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Vicky has come to help\u2019 – with knees knocking together Victoria walked as though in her sleep to the large kitchen, a big bright room that Adam had hoped would be the centre of his own home, now the centre of someone else\u2019s world. She saw the pans bubbling with hot water and carefully lifted them, poured the water into bowls, pulled out towels and then stood wondering how she was possibly going to carry it all upstairs. How was she going to do it? She looked from one pan to the other, too many pans, too much water and all of it scalding hot. She shook her head in dismay and filled a kettle with cold water which she put on the stove, hopefully it would do for coffee when she came down.<\/p>\n Carefully, praying that she wouldn\u2019t spill any, she carried one bowl of hot water up the stairs with a towel tucked over one arm and soap in her pocket.<\/p>\n The room she stepped into smelt like something she had never experienced before, stale with the rank smell of perspiration and blood. She closed her eyes and then opened them again to look in the direction of the bed. She couldn\u2019t look, she had to turn her eyes away and carry the bowl and set it down close to Hester who very carefully took the soap and towels and began to wash Ann\u2019s face and hands, around her neck, around her body,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m dying ..\u201d Ann whispered<\/p>\n \u201cNo, no, you\u2019re not dying, my love, just hang on there, the baby\u2019s coming. Just take -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I can\u2019t, I can\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can, Ann, you can.\u201d Hester took hold of her cousin\u2019s hand and the fingers tightened and squeezed as the body arched, and the woman shrieked and screamed on the bed and pushed and pushed and then flopped back, exhausted, perspiration trickling down her face and around her neck and body.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s Candy \u2026 please find him \u2026 oooh, here it comes again \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria turned away, she ran out of the room and down the stairs with her hands over her ears to close off the sounds of the woman on the bed. She wanted to forget the sight of the blood on the white sheets, and the mess \u2026 she reached the haven of the kitchen and leaned over the sink, pumped water into a glass and gulped it down.<\/p>\n She filled a jug with hot water, snatched at another towel and hurried back up the stairs, her legs were like lead, and when she opened the door she glanced over at the bed where Hester was cradling Ann in her arms, at the same time supporting her body while Ann panted like a dog who hadn\u2019t drank water for hours during the hottest day in the year.<\/p>\n \u201cVicky, take hold of her other hand \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI – I -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTake hold of her other hand, please. Rub her back and put some of this camphor oil on her temples. Gently now, Ann, gently.\u201d<\/p>\n Victoria turned her head away and stared out at the view from the window. She took Ann\u2019s hand and winced at the strength of the womans grip which tightened and tightened as she gave a long shuddering shriek.<\/p>\n \u201cShe should have a doctor -\u201d Vicky cried accusingly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, she should, but where will she get a doctor hereabouts in time to deliver this baby?\u201d Hester replied sharply, \u201cThis isn\u2019t back East, remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t let me die don\u2019t let me die\u201d Ann intoned amid wild puffing and panting and then a low keening wail that seemed to last for so long that Hester could have cried and Vicky was near to fainting when it ended and Ann fell back into her cousins arms, her eyes rolled up into her head, the eyelids closed.<\/p>\n A little wailing noise and both women looked at the baby\u2019s head, dark hair, bloodied though it was, and Hester said softly to Ann<\/p>\n \u201cJust another push -\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman brushed her hair slowly, and then carefully braided it into one thick plait that fell across her shoulder. She kept her eyes cast down, and watched as a mouse scurried across the room.. There was a time when she would have screamed at the sight, but not now. She wasn\u2019t sure why the sight of the mouse no longer caused her to scream, she just accepted the fact.<\/p>\n The ship was creaking. It was like a woman in labour pains and she raised her head to listen, a frown on her brow.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is the ship moaning and creaking like that, is it going to sink?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe anchors are down. The Captain says we\u2019re stopping here awhile.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at the marine\u2019s back, he never turned his head to look at her, just threw the words at her, with his eyes straight ahead of him. She looked down the corridor and watched as Soames approached the cell, a tray of food in his hands and an odd expression on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery chain has a weak link,\u201d Jeffrey had told her once, more than once, and it was true, Henry Eugene had been their weak link when they needed to find those papers, and then there was Vacek Krizanic and so many others.<\/p>\n Soames stopped at the door which the marine opened and he took the food into her and placed it on a table. He stepped back and observed her as she sat there on her bed, her fingers still twisting around her hair.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are we stopped?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptains orders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are we now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not for you to know -\u201d he removed the cloth so that she could see the meal set out for her, \u201cCome and eat something. You need to build up your strength.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre they going to hang me now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course not.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at the food, and realised she was really hungry. But do mad women know that they\u2019re hungry, she wondered. She reached out and picked up some meat and nibbled daintily at it, then looked at him,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re the doctor , aren\u2019t you? Do you think I\u2019m mad?\u201d<\/p>\n He gulped, and stepped away from her, then he forced a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, you\u2019re very lucid today, Mrs Pelman.\u201d he replied slowly.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t answer, she was hungry, and mad or not, she wanted to eat. She turned to the food and gave it her full attention and feeling that he had been dismissed, Soames left the cell.<\/p>\n Chapter 102<\/p>\n Scott had brought in a tray with fresh coffee, so that when O’Brien returned to the cabin Adam was already pouring out the beveridge into two cups, one of which he handed to his fellow Officer with a smile,<\/p>\n “Tell me what you have in mind, O’Brien?” he eventually asked when both men had settled back into their seats.<\/p>\n “You don’t have to ask that, surely?” O’Brien replied with a rather short smile, “You know I’d follow you into the jaws of death if asked.”<\/p>\n Adam gave a gave deep chuckle and shook his head<\/p>\n “No, I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” he frowned then and sipped his coffee, “We’ve been following the co-ordinates from Hawaii to San Francisco, isn’t that right?”<\/p>\n “Yes, you were wounded in Hawaii, the letter arrived from Bingham, so I just directed a course straight through to ‘Frisco. I’m sorry if -”<\/p>\n Adam raised his hands to stop him from saying anymore, and gave a slight shrug of the shoulders, he drank a little more coffee before stretching out his legs,<\/p>\n “If we were to change course now for Washington it would mean adding days to our journey, going through Cape Horn – and even though we are both Cape Horniers, Daniel, I wouldn’t wish to go that route at this point of time.”<\/p>\n “So, what are you saying?” Daniel asked quietly<\/p>\n “Well, despite my best instincts I think we should continue on to San Francisco and take what comes. Sergeant Armstrong’s a good man, and we have a good crew, whoever Mrs Pelman’s friends or enemies happen to be, I’m sure that we shall be more than a match for them.”<\/p>\n ……………..<\/p>\n “When do we raise the anchors and get moving again, Captain?” the helmsman looked over at O’Brien who had returned to the bridge wreathed in smiles and lookiing far happier than he had on his previous trip.<\/p>\n “Before daybreak tomorrow, Davies. In the meantime the Commodore thought the men would enjoy extra grog with their rations, and an evening to relax. I’m sure no one will object to that now, will they?”<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, you can be sure of that.\u201d Davies nodded, and gazed out to sea, frowned a little and looked at O\u2019Brien, \u201cHow is the Commodore now, sir? Is he recovering only we don\u2019t see much of him on deck.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s -\u201d O\u2019Brien nodded thoughtfully, \u201cHe\u2019s recovering slowly.\u201d<\/p>\n Davies sighed and said no more, it wasn\u2019t for him to comment and he turned his attention to his work. O\u2019Brien walked to the taffrail and looked down at the sea, he smiled slowly, and thought over the brief discussion in Adam\u2019s room and how relieved he had felt when Adam had affirmed the decision to continue on to San Francisco. He glanced up as Soames approached him,<\/p>\n \u201cI hear we\u2019re going to change course, Captain O\u2019Brien?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou heard wrong, Doctor.\u201d O\u2019Brien smiled at the Doctor, \u201cWe are maintaining our course for ‘Frisco. Are you alright, sir, you look tired?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m well enough, O\u2019Brien,\u201d Soames replied, \u201cAre you turning doctor now?\u201d and he laughed, a short laugh, one without merriment and O\u2019Brien wondered if he were being chided for his concern.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think we need look for any other doctor on board this ship, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames said nothing to that but joined O\u2019Brien at the taffrail and looked down at the waters. The Baltimore was still anchored, the orders were not to resume the journey until the dawn of the next day.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we get there, what will happen to Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be taken to prison,\u201d O\u2019Brien replied quietly, without looking at the other man although he felt a slight uneasiness at the mention of her.<\/p>\n \u201cShe needs hospital attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat may be your opinion, Doctor, and you may be correct, but our orders are to take her to a place of detention. They\u2019ll decide what\u2019s best for her there.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames said nothing more, he stayed a moment or two longer before making his excuses and returning to sick bay. O\u2019Brien watched him and then hurriedly left the bridge to go to Adam\u2019s quarters, where he found the Commodore at his desk marking out a route on some charts. Adam looked up, frowned slightly and put down his pen,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing I suppose -\u201d O\u2019Brien paused by the door and then closed it, \u201cIt\u2019s just that Soames was asking about Mrs Pelman, and it made me feel uncomfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pursed his lips slightly, raised one shoulder in a shrug, and then looked back down at his maps,<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a doctor, he\u2019s probably worried about her mental condition.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think she\u2019s mad or just acting?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a doctor, I wouldn\u2019t know.\u201d Adam replied off handedly, and O\u2019Brien walked further into the room and looked at his friend rather anxiously,<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you care?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam looked up now, sharply, and looked at O\u2019Brien as though surprised at such a question, he quirked an eyebrow , and O\u2019Brien glanced away, found a chair to sit upon, and looked back with a thoughtful expression on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cIs there something wrong, Daniel? Are you worried about something?\u201d Adam asked in a softer, kinder tone of voice, and he walked, rather stiffly and with a hand clutched to his side, to a chair opposite O\u2019Briens. He sat down carefully and sighed, \u201cAre you concerned that I questioned your orders?”<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien flushed a little, Adam\u2019s question had been asked in such a kindly manner that it embarrassed him, and he shook his head, smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I have never had any reason to doubt your instincts, Adam, you should know that by now.\u201d he cleared his throat, \u201cIt\u2019s just this matter of Mrs Pelman. It sticks in my craw that we could be delivering her up to her death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? Because she\u2019s a woman or because she\u2019s a beautiful woman?\u201d Adam asked with a smile, and his eyes twinkled, \u201cDon\u2019t let her fool you, Daniel. She\u2019s responsible for the deaths of some of our friends, remember?\u201d he leaned forward, \u201cWhen you look at her again – remember Gibbs, and young Makepeace. They made that journey with us to Alaska, shared our dangers \u2026 and died in San Francisco because of Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel nodded, stretched out his legs and looked at Adam thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cSoames thinks she should be put in a hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a doctor, it\u2019s only right that he should think so. Once the authorities see her and check her over, no doubt that\u2019s where they\u2019ll put her – if she\u2019s really ill or mad, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think she\u2019s acting, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, his eyes looked momentarily troubled, concerned, and he drew in his breath in a deep sigh,<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel, I don\u2019t rightly know.\u201d the furrows in his brow deepened, he tugged at his ear rather self consciously, \u201cLet me put it this way – sometimes a person can act a part so well, so realistically, that eventually the part becomes the person.\u201d he looked directly at his friend now, the dark eyes shadowed by heavy lids, \u201cDo you understand what I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps that\u2019s what worries Soames as well, after all, he\u2019s a good doctor and a caring man.\u201d Adam leaned back against his chair, and rubbed his thumb slowly round and round the carving in the wood, \u201cI would say that if we had gone on to Washington, Mrs Pelman would most definitely be mad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Hester Verlaine turned to look at the man who threw open the door of the bedroom, and put her finger to her lips<\/p>\n \u201cCongratulations, Candy -\u201d she whispered, \u201cYou have a daughter. They\u2019re both asleep at the moment, but come and look at her.\u201d<\/p>\n Candy heard the words but they didn\u2019t register for a moment as his eyes devoured the sight of his beloved wife, satisfied himself that the gentle rise and fall of the covers indicated that she was indeed asleep, and then very quietly tip toed over to the little crib and peered down to look at the infant nestled within,<\/p>\n \u201cDid you say – a daughter?\u201d he breathed and leaned forwards to touch the fingers that lay like petals upon a pillow, he swallowed, a gulp, half sob, half laugh, \u201cA daughter?\u201d he looked at Hester, a smile creased his face, tears stood out in his eyes, \u201cAnd Ann? Is she alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnn\u2019s very well, she\u2019s tired but well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I – can I hold her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, she\u2019s your daughter,\u201d Hester laughed quietly, and leaned down to pick the baby from the crib and place her in Candy\u2019s arms, \u201cIsn\u2019t she beautiful?\u201d<\/p>\n Candy wasn\u2019t sure about that, his heart cried out yes, but his eyes saw a crumpled red face with black hair, a flat nose and a gummy mouth. He frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s very red, is that normal?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s – um – very light.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout 6 pounds in weight, I got the kitchen scales up here to check on that \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s very wet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll have to get used to that -\u201d<\/p>\n They smiled at one another over the baby\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Ann is alright?\u201d he asked again, just as the baby stirred, opened one very blue eye, glared at him, and gave a little whimper, \u201cThank you, Hester, thank you for all your help.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, it wasn\u2019t just me, Victoria helped as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria? Is she here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo – er – she left a while ago.\u201d Hester smiled and then turned to the bed as sounds of Ann waking could be heard, \u201cI\u2019ll leave the three of you by yourselves now, give you time to get to know one another.\u201d<\/p>\n Candy nodded, his eyes turned to Ann who smiled dreamily, and gestured for him to approach, as Hester closed the door upon them, she saw Candy pass the child to her mother, before folding them both into his arms.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Victoria Shannon closed the door to her house and leaned upon it. She closed her eyes just for a second or two to reassure herself that she had actually reached home without falling out of the buggy, or being sick. This was it, she thought, decision made, there was to be no turning back. It was strange, she hadn\u2019t even had to discuss it with Hester after all, everything had been revealed so clearly that there was no doubting what she had to do now. No, no doubting at all. She untied her bonnet and tossed it onto a table, before turning to the stairs and making her way to her bedroom.<\/p>\n Chapter 103<\/p>\n As the moon rose through the clouds to beam down upon the Baltimore, Adam Cartwright opened the window of his cabin to listen to the sounds of the men on the lower decks. Music was playing, not the rowdy loud music from earlier in the evening, but soft music, someone who obviously felt close to home and as a result wanted to convey his feelings through the song that lilted over the evening air.<\/p>\n A man with a rich baritone voice began to sing, and Adam listened for some moments before realising that he was not alone, he turned his head and smiled as Soames came into the room,<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Doctor, sit down. Would you like a drink? Have some coffee?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, I wouldn\u2019t mind if I do.\u201d Soames accepted the drink and smelt the aroma before taking some, then he looked at Adam, \u201cI really came to check your dressings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Adam nodded, and closed the window, wincing slightly as he had to stretch to do so, \u201cSomeone has a good voice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, the men have been grateful for this brief interlude of relaxation, they know they\u2019ll be home soon and are glad of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what about yourself? Will you be glad to be home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m a long way from home, Adam, once I get to San Francisco I\u2019ll just sign up on another ship to go someplace else.\u201d he sighed, and looked down into the muddy brown liquid which he swirled around and around the cup, \u201cI wanted to discuss the matter of Mrs Pelman -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d rather not -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Doctor, don\u2019t push the point, I said I\u2019d rather not discuss Mrs Pelman.\u201d Adam rose to his feet, winced and placed a hand to where the wound pained him, \u201cYou know, I had a wound here once before, a Cheyenne shaman gave me some revolting herbs to take and stuffed it with moss, it seemed to heal pretty well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo doubt, but the wound you received this time was pretty close range -\u201d Soames rose to his feet also and helped Adam remove his shirt so that he could unwind the bandages. \u201cIt does make a difference, the closer the bullet hits its target the more damage to the flesh. Here now, let me see -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stared at the far wall and let his mind wander onto other things, like telegrams to his Pa and brothers, a ride on Sport as soon as he got home, while Soames gently prodded around the wounded area. It wasn\u2019t healing quite as well as he had hoped, but there was enough healthy tissue to prove that there was no serious infection. He took out clean lint and after dusting it over with zinc powder he began to redress with clean bandages.<\/p>\n \u201cThat should keep it from getting any worse although I would advise you see another doctor as soon as your reach \u2019Frisco. What time do you think we should arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSometime in the afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames nodded and slowly rewound the soiled lined as though needing to do something to pass the time, he glanced at Adam and wondered why the man couldn\u2019t, wouldn\u2019t, talk about the prisoner. He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think she\u2019s mad, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor Soames, I -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just wanted you to know that, which means that she\u2019ll go on trial, whereas if she were mad, certified as mad, she would get hospital treatment.\u201d he looked at Adam and sighed, \u201cIt\u2019s just hard to think of a woman like her being executed for treason and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not for us to decide, Doctor, it\u2019s possible there will be other fools like you on the jury who will be swayed by a pretty face and whatever act she\u2019ll put on for their benefit, and if so, it\u2019s possible that she\u2019ll be freed and allowed to commit other atrocities.\u201d Adam leaned forward, and grabbed the Doctor by the wrist, \u201cIf you have such a short memory, Doctor, just try and keep in mind that she twice tried to kill me, she has killed a man on board ship since we left the Kurils, and she was responsible for the deaths of many others. If I have to keep reminding you of that, sir, in order for you to stay clear of her, and to quit feeling sorry for her, then I\u2019ll do so until you leave this ship.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames shook himself free of Adam\u2019s grip, and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI know you\u2019re right, of course, but -\u201d<\/p>\n The silence hung in the air between them, Adam\u2019s dark eyes seemed to grow darker as he looked into the other man\u2019s face, Soames gulped<\/p>\n \u201c- but I can\u2019t help but feel for her. You see, I have a daughter of her age, a pretty girl too, and – and I don\u2019t know where she is or what became of her – when I see Mrs Pelman and the way she looks at times, it reminds me of my own girl, and I can\u2019t help but wonder what happened to her, and if she is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoames, I can understand, believe me I\u2019m a man who can understand how you feel, but you place yourself and my crew in great danger if you let your feelings take over from your common sense. Do I have to forbid you to go to the brig again?\u201d<\/p>\n Soames said nothing, he shook his head and picked up his bag and without another word left the cabin.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Hester looked over at Hoss and met his eyes, and the look on her face made the big man blush a little and feel fidgety inside. He lowered his eyes and looked away, and grinned rather sheepishly at Joe who was watching them with a smile on his face,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, big brother, looks like you\u2019ve made yourself a conquest there.\u201d Joe whispered and nudged his brother with his elbow while he nodded over at Hester, Candy and Ann.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I reckon so,\u201d Hoss replied and grinned slowly, \u201cI\u2019m going to ask her to marry me, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are? Hey, congratulations. Perhaps we can fix up a double wedding?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou think so?\u201d Hoss\u2019 eyes opened wide, \u201cSay, that sure would be something, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d he chuckled a little, soft and deep in his throat, \u201cSure would be a surprise for elder brother, huh? Both of us hitched during his trip away?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, and -\u201d Joe paused as he saw Ann picking up the baby and he saw how Candy\u2019s face softened at the sight of his two girls, he sighed, \u201cCould be you in a years time, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr you.\u201d Hoss gave his brother a jab in the ribs, before approaching the circle sitting close to the fire, unsurprisingly he sat in the chair next to Hester.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you going to call her, Ann?\u201d Ben asked, his deep voice low and gentle as he leaned forward to peek at the little face swaddled in blankets,<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to call her Rose.\u201d Ann replied without raising her head from gazing at the infant, \u201cThat was Candy\u2019s mother\u2019s name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt suits her.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a mumble of voices all in agreement, and Joe smiled knowing that had they chosen to call the child by any other name, they would have all agreed just the same.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, where\u2019s Victoria? I thought she would be here this evening with us all?\u201d Hester looked at the younger man, an anxious frown on her brow, and a suspicion niggling in her heart.<\/p>\n \u201cShe couldn\u2019t get here, I think she was a bit – er – um – I think the birth kind of upset her a little,\u201d Joe replied and blushed a little for the note he had received from his beloved had been brief, briefer perhaps than he would have expected or wanted.<\/p>\n \u201cI shall go and see her tomorrow,\u201d Hester said quietly, \u201cShe\u2019s very young -\u201d and she allowed her voice to trail off a little, although it seemed to leave a lot of unanswered questions in Joe\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cAnn said you helped her so much, Hester -\u201d Hoss murmured as they strolled together later that evening in the little garden at the back of the house.<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria helped as well.\u201d Hester snapped a twig from a shrub and twirled it between her fingers, and looked up at the moon, \u201cDon\u2019t you ever look up at the sky, Hoss, and realise how very small and insignificant we all are?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI sure do, ma\u2019am, Hester I mean.\u201d he frowned and chewed on nothing as he realised he had made a mistake, why would she be interested in a fool like him, he asked himself, and he sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong, Hoss? Are you alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u2019m. I mean, shucks, I can\u2019t even get to say your name right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, you do.\u201d she laughed, and took hold of his hand in hers, then gave it a gentle squeeze, \u201cOh, Hoss, I love it when you say my name -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, but I don\u2019t, do I? I just mumble and bumble about – the thing is, Hester, I jest feel so much for you that I jest can\u2019t seem to think straight when I\u2019m around you.\u201d<\/p>\n Hester didn\u2019t say anything to that but looked away, then tossed the little twig to one side and drew her shawl closer around her shoulders for the nights were cooler now, she sighed, and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cI guess that\u2019s kind of a compliment, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, I didn\u2019t mean it to be – \u2018ceptin\u2019 that it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m glad of it,\u201d she looked at him, and her face was soft, \u201cbecause I kind of get a little bit light headed when I\u2019m around you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY\u2019do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d she nodded and then looked away although they now were walking much closer together, so much so that their elbows were knocking into each other so that she quite naturally slipped her arm through his, she could feel his body tremble when she did so, and looked up at him, \u201cHoss, you\u2019re a very unusual man, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am?\u201d he frowned, and grimaced slighty, \u201cWal, I guess so, I\u2019m big and clumsy, I ain\u2019t clever and intelligent like Adam, and I ain\u2019t handsome and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to talk about your brothers, Hoss. I just want to tell you that you have so many wonderful qualities that so few men possess. You\u2019re kind, honest, and loyal. You\u2019re one of the most -\u201d she didn\u2019t say anymore but on impulse turned in towards him, stood slightly on tiptoe, and kissed him, full on the lips.<\/p>\n \u201cDoggone it, Miss Hester, we\u2019ll have to git married now.\u201d Hoss whispered as he slipped an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, \u201cWon\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Hoss, I reckon we will\u201d she said softly and cupped his face between her hands and kissed him again.<\/p>\n Chapter 104<\/p>\n Hoss basked in the pleasure in which the announcement of their engagement was received. Warm embraces from Ann to Hester and himself, cheers and congratulations, slaps on the back from Joe and Candy, and Ben\u2019s warm smile, hand on the shoulder, dark eyes smouldering with that look that always made him feel proud, as though nothing else in the world mattered except for the fact that his Pa was happy for him.<\/p>\n \u201cHester, I can\u2019t tell you how pleased I am that I shall have you as a daughter in law,\u201d Ben smiled as he took Hesters hands in his own and then kissed her cheek, but that wasn\u2019t enough for her, she wrapped her arms around him and held him close and when they parted there were tears in her eyes.<\/p>\n Candy looked over at Joe and caught the younger mans eyes, he wondered if he was mistaken in seeing a pensiveness in the green hazel eyes, a slight furrow of the eyebrows that indicated concern perhaps, or confusion. Candy wasn\u2019t sure, but the look worried him, he turned away and looked at Ann, saw the joy on her face, and tried not to dwell on the expression he had caught in Joe\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m real pleased, big brother,\u201d Joe placed a hand on Hoss\u2019 shoulder, \u201cSomehow you two just seemed made for each other.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Joe.\u201d Hoss wrapped his arm around his little brother\u2019s shoulders and hugged him close, nearly lifting him off his feet, \u201cThe only thing that would make this perfect was if Adam were here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s for sure -\u201d Joe grinned, his eyes twinkled and then his smile faltered, and he looked away, it seemed no one had thought to include Victoria.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Rain had blown in from the east and fell as though not sure how to vent its temper, one moment gently pattering down and another as though gathering up its venom and lashing down upon the decks of the ship. The sea became tumultuous in its turn and tossed the Baltimore roughly too and fro, as though a giant baby were having a tantrum and kicking his toys out of his cot.<\/p>\n Adam left his bed and pulled on his clothes, his boots and his outer jacket. He pulled open a drawer of the desk and pulled out a pouch which contained some herbs given him a long time ago. He opened it and raised it to his nose, inhaled the aroma and closed his eyes. He had been dreaming but all he could recall of the dream was that he had been building wooden blocks, one on top of the other, higher and higher. The tower was wobbling, and he was wondering how to keep it all together when Joe had appeared, a child, a little boy, freckles on his nose and large eyes gazing at the tower.<\/p>\n \u201cFall down, fall down\u201d he had cried<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I want to build it higher.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, fall down, fall down bang on floor\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPut this block on the top, Joe – gently.\u201d<\/p>\n But the child didn\u2019t want to put the block on the top of the tower, he had swung his arm and the tower had toppled, and he had clapped his hands and looked up at his brother for approval. Adam remembered a pang of resentment and then the pleasure at his brothers joy, he had leaned forwards to pick the child up and that was when he had woken, to the pain and a fading dream lingering at the back of his mind.<\/p>\n He took a pinch of the herbs and wondered if, after all this time, they would be still effective. He chewed on them mechanically and then closed his eyes for the out of body feeling he expected from them. Their potency was not diminished with age or neglect. He had to lean against the desk for some moments until the feeling had passed.<\/p>\n Rain splattered against the window of the cabin and he turned away from the sight, after a momentary pause he decided the feeling of rain on his face would be more refreshing that staying in the stuffy confines of his room.<\/p>\n Laurenson was taking his trick on the wheel, although only for a dog watch during the night, he was already waiting for Davies to come and relieve him. He watched as the tall figure of the Commodore appeared as a dark shadow within the shadows of the ship, and instinctively raised a hand to his brow in salute. Adam acknowledged this with a nod of the head and a brief smile, before descending the ladder from the bridge to the lower deck and going forewards, (towards the bow of the vessel), while the rain washed down upon his uncovered head.<\/p>\n The dream had made him feel restless. It often happened when he dreamt of home. Sometimes he woke from the dreams feeling the same way he would have done years ago, when a child, and when home consisted of a wagon, his Pa and Hoss. He paused now and leaned against the side of the ship and looked down into the dark waters. There was niether wash nor wake to disturb the ship although she rolled from side to side as the rain fell and the seas simmered. She was stationary and therefore permitted such indignities upon her vast hulk with a patient temperance.<\/p>\n His thoughts turned now to Soames and then swung to memories of Stanley Phillips, which, in turn, took him to Jack Lawson. All victims of that terrible war where brother had taken weapons against brother, and father against son. How long before the hate died along with the fighting? All these broken fragments of humanity expected to live their lifes alongside their ghosts as though nothing had happened. He raised his face to the sky and the rain streamed down, plastering his hair against his scalp, upon his brow.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman raised her knees against her chest and hugged them closer by wrapping her arms around them. She stared out into the gloom of her prison and tried to think beyond the nightmares that kept seeping into her brain. The faces of men, and some women, from her past came and drifted before her, mouths opening, mouths closing. All trying to convey something to her, but the silence was confusing. She closed her eyes, and tried to remember why she was feeling so frightened.<\/p>\n Jeffrey would know, of course, Jeffrey always understood. He had arranged for her marriage to Pelman all that time ago, a loveless marriage, but a profitable one for the two men. She was already numb to love, love had died in her heart a long time ago, apart from that which she had felt for Jeffrey.<\/p>\n Now another face came to her memory, a new face, a face that did not belong to that endless stream paraded before her mind to torment her. This face was of a man with large expressive dark eyes, who with a single lift of the brow could signify so much. She thought and thought so hard to try and remember the name of the man whom she knew could be her saviour. She wasn\u2019t sure what was involved anymore, just that this one man could save her from – well, whatever it was that threatened her.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Joe leaned forwards and lit the lamp, he turned up the flame and set the lamp down upon the chest of drawers in his room. Somehow he had come out of the evening feeling a weight upon his heart, as though a dark cloud had settled over his head and was pressing down upon him.<\/p>\n He pulled open the drawer and took from the corner what his fingers had sought \u2026 a small box covered in green velvet. He had bought the box from the jewellers in Virginia City some years ago, and the man had queried his buying an empty box, expecting him, no doubt, to wish to buy something pretty to put into it. But he already had something pretty, something precious, to put in it and now, as he opened the lid, he knew what it was he was going to see.<\/p>\n The lapiz lazuli ear rings were just as he had left them all that time ago, and with them was the now dry and fragile remains of some white flowers that Little Moon had worn in her hair and given to him before they had parted. They didn\u2019t smell so sweet now, just a musty dry smell, but he could remember how sweetly they had smelt when she had pressed them into his hand.<\/p>\n He took the box and sat down on the edge of his bed and stared down at its contents. Little Moon. Hair so black like a ravens wing, it would fall across her face like a curtain and he would fold it back and curl it around her ear, and she would look at him out of the corner of her eyes, teasing, laughing. He remembered how they had first met, silent Little Moon, unable to speak, no words from those sweet lips until he had gone and the first words she had said was \u201cJoseph -\u201d<\/p>\n He closed the lid as their came a light tap on the door and Ben peered into the room, paused awhile and then stepped inside, closed the door gently behind him and walked to his son. The bed creaked as Ben sat down beside Joe, looked at the little box his son held and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s worrying you, son?\u201d<\/p>\n The deep voice was so gentle, so kind. Joe sniffed, how many times had his fathers voice been like that last straw on the camels back, broken it, broken him? He could withstand anger, fight back against heated words, but the tender word spoken by this man could break his heart.<\/p>\n \u201cI – I was just thinking of Little Moon, that\u2019s all, Pa.\u201d he couldn\u2019t believe it of himself, he was on the verge of tears? Why? Oh, but he knew why \u2026 of course he knew why. He sniffed again. \u201cI just wish I had found her, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n That faint lift of the voice, that doubtful quaver, it made Ben\u2019s heart ache and he put his arm around his sons shoulders and held him close.<\/p>\n \u201cI keep thinking, even now, that perhaps she is out there still, alive. Perhaps Adam was wrong when those girls told him about her being killed. They could have been wrong and he got it confused somehow. I keep going over it in my head and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe, why are you tormenting yourself with this now, when you\u2019re about to marry someone else?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe licked his lips, he was surprised at how dry they were, he was surprised at how dry his mouth was \u2026 he licked them again and then looked up at his father,<\/p>\n \u201cHoss and Hester – they seem like two parts of a whole, don\u2019t they?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t wish for Hoss to have found a better person, yes, you\u2019re right, that\u2019s the impression I get as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben didn\u2019t look at Joe, he turned his eyes towards the door, he had heard Hoss\u2019 footsteps on the landing out side and wondered if he would also come in to see Joe, but the steps passed on and he heard the door of Hoss\u2019 room open and close, very quietly, as though anticipating that his father and brother were already sleeping.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been writing to Adam -\u201d Ben said softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you trying to tell me, son?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Pa. I guess I\u2019m too afraid to say it even to myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see -\u201d Ben nodded and hugged Joe closer before standing up and leaving the bedside, his body diminished the light from the lamp, casting shadows, \u201cWell, son, you\u2019ll have to find the courage to face up to it some time or other, won\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t answer. He couldn\u2019t find the answer. He could only lick his lips and wish for a glass of water and, for some strange reason, wish for his brother Adam to be downstairs so that he could go down and talk the matter over with him. Somehow he knew that if he could have talked to Adam the matter would be so much easier to resolve.<\/p>\n \u201cGood night, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, g\u2019night, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cHi, Adam,<\/p>\n This is only going to be a short letter this time because I can\u2019t seem to stop feeling itchy and fidgety inside myself which makes it doggone difficult to write.<\/p>\n Well, I dun (done?) it, Adam, I dun (he crossed that out as well and wrote done) proposed to Hester. It was the easiest thing in the world to do because she makes everything easy for me. I ain\u2019t never understood about love and such notions before but it sure makes a man feel like life is worth living.<\/p>\n I wish you could have been there tonight. Candy and Ann have their little baby, Rose, and Joe, Pa and me, with Hester. Shucks, there was such a lot of good feeling there. And Pa said Hester was just the kind of daughter in law he had ever wanted. Guess I coulda bust my britches at that \u2026 Hester cried \u2026 Adam, sure wish you had been there.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to bed now, being in love sure is exhaustin biziness, ain\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n The Marine on duty outside the door that led to the brig snapped to attention when Adam passed by, the Commodore paused and stopped,<\/p>\n \u201cHow is she?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery quiet, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas the Doctor been to see her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, sir, no one has for some hours now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHas she eaten?\u201d<\/p>\n The Marine frowned, then shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cShe said the food was poisoned. It was still on the tray when they came to clear away, but she had all the water from the jug, and asked for more.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing more, he glanced up at the sky, the rain still fell, gently now and in a way soothing. He heard, rather than saw, the Marine salute as he walked away.<\/p>\n When he returned to his cabin and took off his outer jacket he was surprised at just how wet his clothing had become, even his shirt was soaked through. He slipped the clothing off, tentatively put a hand against where the wound still ached and felt the bandages rough to his fingers. With a sigh he slipped back into bed. He heard the bell toll. The dog watch was over, another had begun. He closed his eyes and imagined the helmsmen changing shifts up on the bridge \u2026<\/p>\n Chapter 105<\/p>\n \u201cPa, would you mind if I went into town this morning instead of checking the timber with Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Joe, I was going to ask Pa -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuieten down, the two of you -\u201d<\/p>\n Ben cast a wary eye at both his sons. He hadn\u2019t slept well and had a crick in his neck and a niggle in his back right in the lumbar region. He glared at Joe who was scowling back at him, indicating that he also had had a bad nights sleep, and then glanced at Hoss who looked as though he were still in dreamland and blissfully unaware of the fact that anyone could have woken up grouchy and grumpy on such a perfect day.<\/p>\n He poured out coffee into three cups and mumbled thanks to Hop Sing when a plate loaded with food arrived, then he raised his eyes to look at Joe and nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cSure, Joe, the timber can wait.\u201d at the back of his mind he thought \u2018There\u2019s something worrying the boy, not that he is a boy and he won\u2019t thank me for interfering – I just hope he doesn\u2019t do anything stupid that he\u2019ll regret later on\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Pa.\u201d Joe nodded his thanks although there was no smile on his lips, no warmth in his words, and his eyes looked heavy with misery, he stared down at his plate of food and muttered something to Hop Sing who didn\u2019t notice anyway as he was busy putting food in front of Hoss,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Hop Sing, you sure loaded this plate up high.\u201d Hoss surveyed his breakfast with a look of amazement on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you mean? You eat all time this much? Why you say plate loaded too high?\u201d \u201cI think Hoss has other things on his mind other than food today, Hop Sing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d Hop Sing stepped back, \u201cYou have other thing, what other thing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Hop Sing, didn\u2019t I tell you? I\u2019m goin\u2019 to git married.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh -\u201d Hop Sing nodded, \u201cMarried?\u201d he looked at Joe, frowned, then looked at Hoss again, \u201cWife not want you skin and bone – you eat food, no more complaint\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat tells you, Hoss -\u201d Ben smiled at his son, while Hop Sing bustled back to his kitchen from where the clanging of saucepans and skillets could be heard. Anxiously Ben glanced over at Joe, and sighed, this was the kind of jesting around the table that Joe would normally delight in, but obviously not today.<\/p>\n After swallowing several mouthfuls of breakfast and drinking his coffee, Joe rose from the table, tossing his napkin down as he did so<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ll excuse me, Pa, Hoss?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you goin\u2019 into town already?\u201d Hoss mumbled, \u201cIf\u2019n you can jest wait I\u2019ll come keep you company, I want to go git something special in town for Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben winced on Joe\u2019s behalf. If what he thought was about to happen was on Joe\u2019s mind the last thing he needed was to be reminded of his brother\u2019s joy in life at the moment. He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy don\u2019t you just get on with your breakfast, Hoss, you\u2019ll disappoint Hop Sing if you don\u2019t finish it all.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded, crammed some ham into his mouth and looked up to survey Joe who was already pulling on his gun belt,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll look out for you in town, Joe.\u201d he then smiled over at his father, \u201cI\u2019ll be able to post off my letters to Adam. Dang it, must be about ten at least -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are sending them all in one envelope, arn\u2019t you, Hoss?\u201d Ben asked, more in the hope of keeping Hoss in his seat than for any other reason although when the door closed his heart dipped in misery.<\/p>\n It was getting cooler now during the days, although the sun was still pleasant to his back. He rode with his head down, struggling to go over and over the words that he had memorised during the night. The few snatches of sleep he had achieved had not brought him rest, only dreams that caused him to wake up with even greater concerns than previously. He now felt tired and emotionally weary.<\/p>\n The journey to town never seemed so long. He passed several friendly neighbours either going or coming from Virginia City, all who seemed to want to stop and talk, but he just acknowledged them with a tip of the hat and a jab of his heels in Cooch\u2019s flanks.<\/p>\n The Shannon house glowed in the sun, it was in a perfect spot to catch the sun all day long, and as a result the garden produced sweet smelling plants to induce the passer by to linger a while and enjoy the perfumed air. Joe dismounted and tethered the reins of his horse to the obligatory ring on the gate, removed his hat and pushed his fingers through his hair, then after clearing his throat he walked up the path and knocked tentatively on the door.<\/p>\n It was Victoria who opened the door to him. For a matter of seconds they stood there and looked at one another before she stepped aside and asked him in.<\/p>\n \u201cWould you like something to drink, Joe. It looks like the road was dusty -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Joe set his hat down on a table and glanced down at his jacket which he thought wasn\u2019t actually that dusty but his throat certainly was dry. He walked into the room and wished he had kept hold of his hat just for the sake of having something to hold onto for a while.<\/p>\n \u201cHere you are -\u201d she handed him a glass of water, and indicated a chair, \u201cI\u2019ve got coffee on the boil, if you would like some in a minute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWater\u2019s fine, just fine – thank you, Victoria.\u201d<\/p>\n Her brow furrowed slightly, and she glanced down and looked at his boots thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t come last night -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright. Hoss and Hester are engaged now -\u201d he delivered the news as though announcing that someone in the family had died.<\/p>\n \u201cAre they? Oh, well, I think we could all see that coming, couldn\u2019t we? They make a lovely couple, don\u2018t you think?\u201d she clasped her hands together in her lap, fingers twisting into each other,<\/p>\n \u201cPeople said that about us too -\u201d Joe murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cThey still do, don\u2019t they?\u201d she raised her chin and looked at him anxiously, licked her lips and then sighed, \u201cYes, they did.\u201d and she nodded her head without looking up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking – Vicky – that there\u2019s no shame in slowing down a little, I mean, perhaps our courtship went too fast and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss and Hester\u2019s courtship has gone faster, and at least, we\u2019ve known each other longer.\u201d she looked at him again now, and he could see the flutter of her heart making the lace on her blouse quivering, \u201cJoe, I\u2019ve loved you for a very long time, ever since you were a little boy and we were at school together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d he looked at the glass of water in his hand and raised it to his mouth, then lowered it again, still untouched, \u201cVicky, I care about you so much and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think we should get married, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps just post pone the arrangements for a little while, that\u2019s all.\u201d Joe put the glass on the table and rose to his feet, he stepped towards her and then knelt down on one knee by her side, \u201cI care so much about you that I don\u2019t want either of us to make a mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you feel that getting married now will be a mistake, is that it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt this moment I do -\u201d he took hold of one of her hands, surprised at the slight resistance she put up, \u201cIt\u2019s my fault, Vicky, I\u2019m just so plagued with doubts.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout my love for you?\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t answer, mainly because he didn\u2019t know how to answer without hurting her feelings more than he had already, and he wasn\u2019t surprised when she pulled her hand free from his and clasped them tightly together again in her lap. She took a deep breath,<\/p>\n \u201cI shouldn\u2019t make it hard for you, Joe.\u201d she said slowly, and looked down at him, then, rather shyly, she put her hand out and placed it gently upon his arm, \u201cI do love you, more than I could ever think possible, but – but I know that I can\u2019t marry you, not unless you were prepared to move back east with me. I\u2019ve thought it over and over in my mind, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want to live here? On the Ponderosa with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou know how I was feeling after all that happened with my father? All that talk -\u201d she placed a firm hand on his mouth, preventing him from saying anything as she took a deep breath to say what she had been wanting to say, \u201cthe way people think I\u2019m like my father, and only after your money. Well, Joe, I don\u2019t care about money, yours or anyone else\u2019s. But I don\u2019t want to live in a town where people are watching everything I do, and talking about every purchase I make. It won\u2019t be fair to either of us -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t matter to me -\u201d Joe mumbled, and then sighed, and hung his head.<\/p>\n \u201cBut then when I went to see Hester the other day, and she dragged me in to help deliver that baby -\u201d she shuddered then, he felt the tremble of her body against his, \u201cJoe, it was horrible. It was like a living nightmare from which I couldn\u2019t wake up. Oh, I know child birth is hard, anywhere in the world it is hard. But in those conditions – no doctor, no nurse. It was primitive, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2019s how it is out here, Vicky.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cExactly. And I don\u2019t want it like that in my life. Hester had never delivered a baby before in her life, and neither had I! I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever want to have a baby of my own, not ever. But I especially wouldn\u2019t want one here. Joe, it made me realise that life here isn\u2019t my kind of life – \u201c she paused then and looked at him, and during the pause Joe rose to his feet and returned to his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I sensed that you were withdrawing from me some time ago, especially after the dance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t meaning to, not from you, Joe.\u201d she leaned forward, closer to him, \u201cIt\u2019s just that we\u2019re from two different backgrounds entirely, my culture, yours -\u201d she tried to soften the words with a smile, but her anxiety only made the words come out cold and hard, \u201cI want to go back east, take up my career again and teach at the blind school. I felt useful there and appreciated. Here I would be – just a housewife, in a place I would hate after a while, and I don\u2019t want to live my life like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, she had said it, she had said what she had rehearsed for days now and when the words had finished she sat back in the chair and waited. Joe rose slowly to his feet, his mouth drier than ever but the glass of water untouched. He leaned slightly to the table to pick up his hat, and then looked at her,<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t live back east, Victoria, my life, my whole life, is here on the Ponderosa. I tried to change my life once before for someone I loved. She was my wife for such a short time, and when she said -\u201d he paused, something in his heart tightened, as though squeezed tight, he swallowed so that his heart would return back to normal, \u201cwhen she said that our cultures were too different for us to be happy I could understand why \u2026 she was Cheyenne and I was a white man, our nations and cultures were at war, and even though I wanted so much to be part of her world, she knew that I would not be able to find happiness there.\u201d<\/p>\n They were both silent, both embarrassed and feeling awkward, he twisted his hat around and round for a while,<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t think leaving cities and such would be such a big deal to you, Vicky, after all, you were raised here -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I know that, but I\u2019m Caleb Shannon\u2019s daughter and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat didn\u2019t matter to me. I do love you, Vicky, I loved Little Moon too and I let her ride away from me, and I lost her. If you leave -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stay, Joe. If you can\u2019t come with me then it\u2019s best that we part now. I can\u2019t stay here, I\u2019m sorry, I can\u2019t.\u201d she paused and frowned, \u201cRemember that you were the one who came here today to post pone the wedding. Perhaps it\u2019s because you don\u2019t love me as much as you thought -\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned now, he thought over what she had said, and then shook his head<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t for that reason, Vicky. It was because when I watched Hoss and Hester last night I realised that they had something that we did not. It made me wonder why that was so -.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re different people, at different stages in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we are -\u201d he agreed softly, and lowered his eyes to stare down at his hat band, he ran his tongue over his lips, \u201cI can\u2019t leave the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stay.\u201d<\/p>\n The note of finality in her voice surprised Joe, he glanced up, saw a gleam of steel in her eyes that he had not seen before, and that confirmed it for him. He nodded, leaned forward and kissed her cheek,<\/p>\n \u201cGood bye, Vicky. I do love you -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t say goodbye to him, but followed him to the door and stood there until he had remounted his horse. By the time he had turned Cochise in the direction of the main thoroughfare, and looked back for a sight of her, she had already closed the door.<\/p>\n Chapter 106<\/p>\n The rain fell much heavier as the evening progressed and by nightfall it had become a positive storm. The ship heaved and tossed, and O\u2019Brien ordered that the anchors be raised in order for the ship to fight the forces of nature. Davies and Laurenson took to the wheel in the bridge with O\u2019Brien. In his cabin Adam paced the floor and eventually put on his heavy duty cloak to go out to the upper deck.<\/p>\n He stood back in the shadows, and held back from speaking a word, as though in some tacit manner he and O\u2019Brien had come to agree that in some ways no ship should have two Captains at the helm. As O\u2019Brien gave grave and direct orders Adam listened, watched and observed.<\/p>\n Every so often he would turn his eyes to where tall masts should have been, and where the rigging and ropes to the great sails would have been swelling out against the wind. But not now, not on the Baltimore, and he pulled his cloak closer to shield himself from the elements and from the realisation that times had changed, the Baltimore was not his kind of ship after all.<\/p>\n \u201cYou miss the Ainola, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, and the Shenandoah, the Redoubt -\u201d he murmured as O\u2019Brien came and stood close by his side. \u201cThis ship doesn\u2019t speak the same language, not even in a storm.\u201d he smiled slowly.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, no man will freeze to death anymore climbing the ropes, and unfurling the sails. Nor fall to their deaths in storms like this one -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, you\u2019re right.\u201d Adam sighed, and nodded, \u201cBut they\u2019re down below instead, in some kind of hell, shovelling coal for all they\u2019re worth to get up speed and who knows what injuries they have to suffer. I\u2019d rather face the sky and feel at least halfway to meeting my Maker than down there, wondering if the next place I\u2019m destined is just a degree or two hotter than the hell I\u2019m already in.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien merely smiled and stood silently by his friends\u2019 side. The boat creaked and groaned, and Adam imagined all the metal rivets straining at their seams and the men below decks feeding the boilers. Engineer though he was, it seemed to him a disagreeable step in the name of progress.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The young woman crouched in the corner and struggled to remain there. One moment she slid one way and then the other. She had to reach out to hold onto the bed at one stage, and then roll away from it as the bed detached itself from the corner as though attempting to share hers.<\/p>\n The lamps hanging in the area between the cell and the door to the brig swayed alarmingly, and she kept her eyes fixed on these in fear that if she did not then they would be extinguished and she would be left alone in the dark with no hope of surviving the storm.<\/p>\n Something crashed from the little table, the sound followed by the rolling of something like a heavy marble, up and down the floor in such a continuous manner that she lunged forward on her knees groping for it with her hands just so that on finding the object she could stop it from annoying her any more. Her fingers finally closed upon a circular fob watch, one that Jeffrey had given her years earlier. She held it close to her ear and listened to the steady ticking, while she closed her eyes and instead of looking at the lanterns struggled to recall Jeffrey\u2019s face to her mind.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The storm blew itself out within an hour of daybreak, leaving the men the multitude of tasks left to them to clear up debris and damage. The cook created a fuss over the damage to his galley and the stokers made some attempt to create order out of disorder in their quarter while at the same maintaining the amount of pressure in the boilers that would keep the ship at the speed required of them.<\/p>\n Adam had spent some time reading and re-reading the letters from home, and the note from Bingham. When O\u2019Brien joined him for breakfast, a rather meagre affair, served with great apologies by Scott, he passed the note to the Captain<\/p>\n \u201cDaniel, do you remember what Jamieson told us, when we queried about the change of orders regarding Cassandra Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, when we discovered that we were to bring her here from Tokyo, instead of her standing trial there?\u201d O\u2019Brien frowned, while at the same time occupying himself with the coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d Adam nodded, \u201cI\u2019ve been thinking about it quite a bit in view of what this note from Bingham says. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if she doesn\u2019t stand trial at all -\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien said nothing to that, his brow constricted and his lips narrowed, but he wasn\u2019t sure what Adam wanted him to say so remained silent.<\/p>\n \u201cJamieson said the President wanted to get information from her, but at the same time we\u2019re warned that there are people who want her dead -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd some who are her friends who wouldn\u2019t want her to be cosying up to Grant and talking too freely, yet at the same time wouldn\u2019t want her dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose that latter would depend on how fierce their loyalties were to her – or to their supposed cause.\u201d Adam accepted the coffee and put the note down, \u201cI hate politics, how can their be true justice and law when politics interfere with it so much.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou may be wrong -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJamieson seldom was, and he seemed quite sure about things, after all, he was a close confidante of Grants\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d O\u2019Brien sighed and glanced out of the window, \u201cwe\u2019ll be in San Francisco by late afternoon, early evening. We\u2019ll find out exactly where we stand then.\u201d he smiled slowly, a dreamlike smile and lowered his head. It wasn\u2019t hard for Adam to know what his friends was thinking, or rather, of whom he was thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re thinking of Maria?\u201d he said softly<\/p>\n \u201cYes. It seems such a long time since I saw her.\u201d O\u2019Brien admitted, and sighed, \u201cSo much has happened since then – to us both.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded thoughtfully, and decided that now was the time to leave O\u2019Brien to his thoughts and dreams while he contemplated what lay ahead for them both \u2026 as well as their prisoner.<\/p>\n Chapter 106<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re unusually quiet, Dr Soames.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, well -\u201d Soames frowned deeply, his eyes looked earnest and anxious, but he continued with the task of carefully pulling out the sutures from Adam\u2019s wounds. He placed a padding over the wound in Adams back and sighed, \u201cWell, this is healing very well. No problems at all, I\u2019ve had to leave several of the stitches in place though where the flesh needs a little more time to heal together. I\u2019m leaving this alone -\u201d he lifted the padding to the wound in Adams abdomen and nodded, \u201cYes, best for you to get this checked over when you get on land.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd is it my wounds that are causing you this anxiety, Soames, or something – someone – else?\u201d Adam raised his arms slightly for the bandages to be rewound around him, and waited for the Doctor to reply.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be arriving in a few hours time, won\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but it\u2019ll take a while longer to get a berth and actually dock.\u201d<\/p>\n Soames nodded and indicated that Adam could now lower his arms and his shirt. He began to put away his various bits and pieces and snapped shut the medical bag,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m concerned about Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? Yesterday you thought she was just pretending to be ill, aren\u2019t you so sure today?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest I don\u2019t know what to think -\u201d he picked the bag up and glanced around the cabin as though to make sure that nothing of his was left behind, assuming, naturally, that this was to be his last visit to the Commodore\u2019s quarters.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has she done?\u201d Adam asked in a resigned tone of voice as he buttoned up his shirt and tucked its tails into his pants, \u201cMade a mess of her cell again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps you should come and see for yourself.\u201d Soames replied quietly and sighed again as he stepped towards the door.<\/p>\n \u201cVery well.\u201d Adam pulled on his jacket, and followed the Doctor from the room while still buttoning up.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien watched from the bridge with a thoughtful expression on his face. Seeing his friend descend the ladder down to the lower deck tempted him to follow but he had his duties on the bridge to handle, and not so far off now was the coast line of the San Francisco bay. He forced himself to turn his attention to his maps, to consider hidden shoals, reefs and to circumnavigate where necessary.<\/p>\n Cassandra was sitting on the chair facing the bars. She didn\u2019t look up although she must have heard the sound of their footsteps approaching her, instead she continued to turn a golden fob watch round and round between her fingers while all the time her lips moved as though talking to someone. Soames glanced at Adam with a \u2018There you are, see what I mean?\u2019 expression on his face, and Adam approached the bars to look at her more carefully.<\/p>\n She still looked reasonably tidy and clean. Her hair was braided, a thick plait over one shoulder, and her gown was clean. She wore some jewellery, having found, no doubt, her little jewellery case which had been previously emptied by Sophia, and returned by Adam.<\/p>\n \u201c \u2026 so I told him, Jeffrey, that I couldn\u2019t do it but he said I could so I did. Did I do wrong, Jeffrey. You have to tell me, my dear, because I can\u2019t remember without you being there to tell me. Did I do wrong? He gave me a diamond ring and said I was to tell no one, but I can tell you, because I tell you everything. Are you giving me more medicine, now, Jeffrey. I would like to have more medicine now, Jeffrey. My head aches and my throat is sore. I don\u2019t want to sit here any longer but my legs won\u2019t let me stand up. Do I have to go now, my dear, my dear Jeffrey. Don\u2019t leave me will you , you won\u2019t leave me ,don\u2019t don\u2019t leave me, Jeffrey, you always said that you wouldn\u2019t leave me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Every word spoken in a monotone voice, words spoken fast and at speed, flat tones. Adam cleared his throat and the voice paused, she clutched the watch in her fist tightly against her chest,<\/p>\n \u201cNo they won\u2019t take it, I won\u2019t let them take it from me, Jeffrey, you gave it to me didn\u2019t you? You said to keep it and I have even when Pelman said it was cheap rubbish but you gave it to me ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked up, and even Soames looked in surprise at Adam Cartwright, at the softening in his voice, the gentleness of it.<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra? What have you got there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s mine. Jeffrey gave it to me a long time ago, it\u2019s mine, not yours, I keep it not you it\u2019s mine not yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI understand. It\u2019s alright, I won\u2019t take it from you. What medicine did Jeffrey give you? Do you want some medicine now? The Doctor could get some for you?\u201d<\/p>\n She shook her head and looked from one to the other of them, then lowered her head and began to rock back and forth in the chair, mumbling incoherent words and clutching the watch in both hands.<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra, if you need medicine because you are sick, Dr Soames can give you some to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSoames? Doctor, Doctor, give me a pill \u201cDoes Jeffrey always give you medicine when you\u2019re ill or when you\u2019re just tired?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTired and weary \u201cI know you-\u201d she pointed to Adam, \u201cJeffrey told me about you. He said you killed Pelman. You had the letters – all those names on a list.\u201d she paused, put her head to one side and stared thoughtfully at Adam, \u201cWho are you though? I know your face, but I can\u2019t remember who you are? Can Jeffrey give me some medicine so that I can remember?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you tell us what medicine it is we can get you some.\u201d Adam replied quietly, his eyes narrowed slightly to catch more closely the expressions on her face and the way her own eyes moved, one moment shining and another moment dead like someone already in the grave.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, \u201c she raised a hand and scratched her head as though having to think deeply on the question, \u201cJeffrey would know. Pink pills, make me happy, green ones make me sleep.\u201d she shook her head, \u201cOr is it different ones ? I can\u2019t remember. Ask Jeffrey.\u201d<\/p>\n She sat down again now, and bowed her head, the mumbling continued and while they stood there she began to sing, snatches of verses from a song she had sung before.<\/p>\n Adam nodded at Soames and together they turned and walked away, the words of the song followed them, but not a single note showed that she had noticed their departure or cared at their going.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Soames asked as they reached the clean air on the upper deck and walked towards the port side.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not the Doctor, Soames.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs a layman though, your opinion could be of value.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see how. So far as I can see she isn\u2019t really – well – she isn\u2019t really lucid, is she?\u201d<\/p>\n Soames ran a hand over his brow,<\/p>\n \u201cI think Jeffrey was giving her drugs, and that she has become so dependent on them that she can\u2019t function sensibly without them. She obviously had a good supply of them before she came on board but has ran out now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo if that\u2019s the case, what are you actually intimating, Soames?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s not mad, but -\u201d<\/p>\n They paused as O\u2019Brien walked towards them, he smiled at them both, his eyes, handsome and large in an attractive face, shone<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re approaching San Francisco now – we\u2019ll be there in only a few more hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, excused himself and joined company with O\u2019Brien, as they walked towards the ladder leading to the bridge O\u2019Brien asked what was the matter<\/p>\n \u201cIs there a problem with Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsn\u2019t there always?\u201d Adam replied with a sigh of such weariness that O\u2019Brien couldn\u2019t help but glance over at Soames who was watching them from the lower deck.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be someone else\u2019s problem soon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank goodness for that -\u201d Adam murmured and took his position on the bridge, his hands clasped behind his back and his face in the direction of land.<\/p>\n Chapter 107<\/p>\n The Baltimore was anchored some distance from the harbour and Hathaway was despatched to consult with the harbour master to ensure a berth and to send notification to the proper authorities that they had arrived.<\/p>\n Watching the launch being rowed to the harbour both O\u2019Brien and Adam watched from the starboard side with mixed feelings. Certainly both felt relief and pleasure at the thought of seeing loved ones again, but for Adam was also the concern over his prisoner. He pulled himself away from the ship\u2019s side when he noticed Soames stepping out of the sick bay, and having beckoned the doctor over asked him if he had attended upon Mrs Pelman since their last visit.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir, I\u2019ve given her a sedative. I thought it would be better, in case she got a little bit hysterical.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHysterical?\u201d O\u2019Brien turned now, his eyebrows raised, \u201cWhy should the woman become hysterical?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, women do tend to become a little strange in their fancies at times, sir.\u201d Soames replied rather blandly, before turning once again to Adam, \u201cIs there anything else you need, Commodore?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, no.\u201d<\/p>\n The two Officers watched as the Doctor left them, O\u2019Brien shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cA strange man, Adam, one can never be sure what\u2019s going on inside his head.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI agree, but I think a lot of it has to do with his concern over his patient. After today he won\u2019t be seeing her again.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien said nothing to that but cast another concerned look over at Soames who was talking to one of the Marines. He turned back to look over at the harbour, and smiled slowly, his thoughts on his wife, and then he shivered slightly when he remembered their last meeting together at that very same harbour once before, he turned to Adam,<\/p>\n \u201cAnother d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu moment, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think so -\u201d Adam replied slowly and his eyes swept over the view before him, searching, as he always did, for the mountains and imagining the journey from there that would take him home.<\/p>\n They talked in quiet tones, sharing memories and future intentions, while they watched as the launch reached the harbour and Hathaway mounted the steps to the harbour masters offices. The seamen in the boat waited with the oars in the upright position.<\/p>\n Adam turned his head slightly to glance up at the bridge to where Davies was standing at the helm. He wondered if the big man had his own memories of that dreadful day when the Ainola was destroyed and nine lives snuffed out as a result. He turned back to O\u2019Brien and listened to his friend before making his excuses and returning to his cabin.<\/p>\n Now in the cabin Adam found himself wandering to the window and this he pushed open. The sounds of the gulls, the yelling of seamen and the noise of feet above his head, the smell of the sea, seaweed, tar oil and smoke – all combined to evoke within him memories of that previous time and he found himself wishing more than ever that he had been able to take the ship to Washington after all.<\/p>\n He walked slowly to the desk and began to remove personal items, letters, various oddments, the black leather gunbelt and holster with the gun still there. He held it in his hands and balanced it carefully there for a moment before placing it down on the desk. There would be his books, and his clothes and he ran his hand across the spines of the books on the shelf, turning as the door opened to admit Scott.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you need anything, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, thank you, Scott.\u201d<\/p>\n The man nodded, and as quietly as he had come, closed the door behind him. Adam resumed pacing the cabin, his head bowed and hands clasped behind him. If only Jamieson had written to him himself, if only things were never left so cryptic, and if only the whole conundrum of Cassandra Pelman could be resolved there and then. He shook his head, patience, he told himself, patience.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Hathaway returned with a smile and a look of relaxed pleasure about him. The kind of look one assumes when knowing that a duty had been fulfilled and was near to ending. He reported to O\u2019Brien that a berth had been allocated and could be taken up immediately. To the Commodore he reported that he was expected, with the lady, at the Naval base within two hours. An escort would be sent to meet them.<\/p>\n Whether or not this was the news Adam wanted to hear he himself was not sure. He nodded and saluted Hathaway, dismissed the man and looked over at O\u2019Brien who asked if he was permitted to attend the little jaunt as well, to which question Adam answered in the affirmative.<\/p>\n The Baltimore slipped neatly into her berth at the pier, and the ropes were cast down and tethered to the bollards. The crew were assembled on deck and told the time when the purser would pay them their salaries but until then normal duties were to be continued.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t look too happy at seeing the end of this adventure, Adam?\u201d O\u2019Brien said quietly as they watched the gangplank being lowered to the pier, and Adam shrugged slightly, raised an eyebrow,<\/p>\n \u201cI just wish it was the end. I don\u2019t think one can assume that until Mrs Pelman is off the ship and I\u2019m heading home to the Ponderosa and you – \u201c he smiled, deep dimples creased his cheeks, \u201chave your wife safely in your arms again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo be honest, the next few hours are going to drag -\u201d O\u2019Brien murmured and he smiled in his turn at the thought of his wife.<\/p>\n A closed carriage pulled up alongside the gangplank, a man on horseback dismounted and after glancing up at the ship as though to make sure he had the correct vessel, quickly headed up to the gangway and onto the deck. He accepted the direction of a Marine and approached both Officers warily,<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain O\u2019Brien, Commodore Cartwright?\u201d he smiled, not a young man but pleasant and amiable, \u201cSaul Carpenter -\u201d he extended a hand which was shaken warmly, \u201cI\u2019ve come to escort you to the proper authorities, and Mrs Pelman, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you any papers on you?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked politely and quirked an eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course -\u201d Carpenter pulled out some papers with some significantly heavy seals attached and placed them in the Captains hands while glancing thoughtfully over at Adam. He remained silent as the papers were passed over to the Commodore who looked them over and returned them.<\/p>\n \u201cSergeant Hinckley, will you bring the prisoner on deck, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n Hinckley saluted and did a smart about turn, flanked by two marines he made his way to the brig. He returned within minutes, saluted and rather red in the face, reported that the prisoner was missing.<\/p>\n \u201cMissing?\u201d Carpenter cried in dismay<\/p>\n \u201cMissing?\u201d O\u2019Brien went pale, \u201cHow could she possibly be missing?\u201d<\/p>\n Hinckley went pale now and shook his head, denied all knowledge as to how the prisoner could go missing, and in compliance to the Captain\u2019s orders sent his marines to search through the ship.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s Soames,\u201d O\u2019Brien hissed, \u201cHe\u2019s behind all this -\u201d and with a curt word of command he sent Hathaway to bring the Doctor to his cabin.<\/p>\n Adam had remained to one side all this time, his hands behind his back and his head lowered. He barely lifted his head as Soames passed him to follow O\u2019Brien and Carpenter to the Captains berth.<\/p>\n As they left he turned to Hathaway who had remained standing close by his side,<\/p>\n \u201cIs my launch ready?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCome along then \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n It took no time to descend the Jacobs ladder down to the launch waiting on the far side of the ship, and to take their seats. The crew applied themselves to the oars and slowly the launch widened the gap between itself and the Baltimore. At Adam\u2019s feet, lying between the thwarts was a well wrapped bundle which didn\u2019t stir, except for a strand of golden hair when the wind caught at it, it drifted too and fro in the breeze like golden threads waiting to be woven into the dark cloth upon which it lay.<\/p>\n O\u2019Brien smiled, gestured to the Doctor and to Carpenter to sit. Scott knocked on the door and pushed it open, balancing a tray of coffee and refreshments which he placed upon the table. Neither Carpenter or Soames said a word but waited for O\u2019Brien to speak, when he did it was to ask them if they preferred their coffee with or without milk.<\/p>\n Chapter 108<\/p>\n Rowing with practised skill and discipline the launch made good headway to the destination Adam had selected and in no time at all it was nosing in among some other vessels some distance from the Baltimore.<\/p>\n Adam was the first to step out onto the bank, for where they had gone was well pass the built up area of the harbour. Hathaway was next and then both men leaned forward to have the well covered body lifted into their arms.<\/p>\n \u201cWait for me here,\u201d Adam\u2019s voice was a low whisper and every man there felt such a tension trickle through them that they didn\u2019t dare to nod or shake their heads. They raised their oars in the waiting position and hoped that they didn\u2019t appear too conspicuous.<\/p>\n A hansom cab stopped at Adam\u2019s signal, and the driver made no comment at all as Adam gave him directions, he did scowl slightly and wonder what was happening when what was obviously the body of a woman was bundled into the interior but he decided that two Officers, one of high rank, would have be the ones answerable for any misconduct and flicked the reins for the horse to move on.<\/p>\n The hansom stopped outside a tall building overcrowded by others, where smells of a different odour permeated and people hurried by with their heads down, as though it was instinct not to look up to see what their neighbours were doing. Here Adam stepped out of the cab, told Hathaway and the driver to wait for him, and then lifted the body into his arms.<\/p>\n Behind the red painted door watchful eyes had seen his approach and whispers had trickled up and down the halls and through the rooms so that when he rapped on the door it was swiftly opened by the very person he wanted to see. The tall thin man nodded, bowed and smiled<\/p>\n \u201cHa – you come in,\u201d he gestured swiftly, and closed the door immediately, glanced at Adam and then at the woman in his arms, nodded, \u201cYou come, follow Sung Lee\u2026 how Cousin Hop Sing on Pondawosa? You smart, velly smart in uniform, Mr Cartlight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t talk so much, Sung Lee – I need to see your father. Is there anywhere I can put her?\u201d he indicated the woman in his arms with a jerk of the head<\/p>\n \u201cIn here. Venerable father come.\u201d Sung Lee frowned, and turned quickly from the room he had indicated to Adam.<\/p>\n Very carefully Adam placed the woman down on a bed covered with exquisite silks and satins, gaudily decorated with dragons and lotus flowers. He lifted her feet upon the bed, and then removed the cloak that had covered her. When a movement came from behind him, he turned and with a sigh of relief extended a hand to Sung Lee\u2019s father, who was the Uncle of Hop Sing.<\/p>\n \u201cI need your help,\u201d he said quietly and told Lee what they had discerned about Cassandra, the drugs, the delusions, the so called madness, \u201cI need her to be in her right mind when I see the Government ministers who will be wanting important information from her. Can you help me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot in five minutes -\u201d came the gentle reply, and the old man\u2019s eyes turned to the Commodore and looked at him, saw the pallor, the clamminess of his skin, and the shadows under his eyes, \u201cYou also need help, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at the moment.\u201d Adam waved such considerations to one side, \u201cHow long will it take?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps longer than you think -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut would you be able to do something for her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy you not take her to hospital in the city, get doctor to see how she is?\u201d the black eyes were inscrutable and he shuffled his hands into the wide sleeves of his inner garment.<\/p>\n \u201cI – I can\u2019t trust them. They may put her into an asylum for mad people\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is in danger?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n The old man raised his shoulders as though danger was nothing to him. He stepped closer to the bed and took the womans pulse, felt her skin and then raised an eyelid to look into her eyes. He nodded<\/p>\n \u201cShe has had drugs a long time, perhaps, maybe, she is mad now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long before you would know?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman on the bed stirred, sighed deeply, and one arm dropped by her side to touch the floor. Again the old man nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen she wakes up I will know. You will come back for her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Don\u2019t let her out of your sight, Zi-Ling Lee, and don\u2019t let anyone take her from here unless I\u2019m here to permit it, do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n The old man bowed, his braid fell across his shoulder and he closed his eyes as though to emphasise his agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cYou return – when?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat will be good.\u201d<\/p>\n The red door closed behind him and he hurried to the hansom, clambered in and looked at Hathaway,<\/p>\n \u201cEverything alright, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo far -\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Sergeant Hinckley saluted the Captain and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, sir, but there\u2019s no sign of the lady anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho was the marine on duty, Hinckley?\u201d O\u2019Brien asked in a tone of voice that carried less urgency than Carpenter liked for he rose to his feet, only to have Soames place a hand on his arm and pull him back down into his chair, \u201cSend him into me, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is ridiculous,\u201d Carpenter cried, \u201cI demand to see Commodore Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut Commodore Cartwright isn\u2019t on board ship,\u201d O\u2019Brien replied looking as though surprised at the man\u2019s request, \u201cSurely you must have realised that he couldn\u2019t keep your superiors waiting?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWait a moment -\u201d Carpenter put out a hand as though grasping the air for facts, he then brought his hand to his brow, and rubbed it, \u201cWait a moment, there\u2019s something wrong here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr Carpenter,\u201d Soames said quietly, \u201cDo you know the condition of the lady you are looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCondition?\u201d Carpenter looked startled, \u201cCondition, sir? Are you telling me that she\u2019s dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, that remains to be seen -\u201d O\u2019Brien muttered and turned his gaze to the door which opened to admit a rather gangly youth with a spotty face and rather myopic eyes, \u201cAh, step inside, young man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Admiral James Barlow looked up and smiled. There was no doubting the sincerity and warmth in his eyes as he saw Adam striding towards him, and he rose to his feet and walked around his desk to offer his hand, which Adam accepted and shook before sitting down in the seat offered him,<\/p>\n \u201cAn interesting voyage, Captain? Or is it Commodore now?\u201d his voice held a chuckle in it, and when Adam confirmed that he was now considering himself a Commodore, Barlow chuckled outright. \u201cSo, you came here instead of going to Washington?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had news from Mr Bingham that there were too many people interested in my passenger.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d Barlow frowned, \u201cBingham knew that, did he?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam made no reply but kept his eyes fixed on a picture just above Barlow\u2019s head, it was interesting, he thought, that although Pelman had been replaced nothing in the office had changed. He lowered his gaze to meet the inquisitive gaze of the Admiral,<\/p>\n \u201cMy report on everything that has taken place is here,\u201d he placed a leather bound wallet on Barlow\u2019s desk, \u201cI\u2019m afraid Hampton died, Captain O\u2019Brien nearly died, but he and the Baltimore are safe. Of course, you would know that already -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, we know that.\u201d Barlow nodded. \u201cWhere is Mrs Pelman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs she to stand trial?\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow frowned, raised his eyebrows and then released his breath, he shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s going to be granted amnesty if she agrees to tell everything she knows about what has been happening, since her husband had the power to – \u201c he made a gesture with his hands which was self explanatory, \u201cthe President has already despatched people here to see her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you rely on them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, one of them is the Secretary of State himself.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised his eyebrows as though doubtful himself, but said nothing. He clasped his hands together, and frowned,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen will they arrive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall bring Mrs Pelman here then, tomorrow, mid -day.\u201d he stood up and looked at Barlow, \u201cWill this amnesty cover everything she has done – even a murder, and two attempted murders since boarding the ship?\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow looked amazed, he stared at Adam as though in disbelief and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cMurder? But – I don\u2019t know -\u201d he frowned, \u201cI should imagine it would, Adam. The Government really wants this information, and it\u2019s imperative that they get it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about justice for the men she\u2019s killed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere are different forms of justice that are administered, some are for those who have died, and some are to protect others who may die. Do you understand me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWould it matter if I didn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow sighed deeply, he extended his hand and when Adam took it in his own, Barlow gripped him by the wrist with his other hand,<\/p>\n \u201cThere is a higher form of justice, Adam, that she will never be able to evade. Have faith.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, but looked unconvinced. He took his hat and placed it smoothly over his head, then paused and turned<\/p>\n \u201cBy the way, Admiral, who is Saul Carpenter?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 110<\/p>\n When Adam returned to the Baltimore he went immediately to O\u2019Brien\u2019s cabin where he found Soames reading a book and smoking his pipe, and O\u2019Brien checking the accounts in order to proceed with paying the crew. They both looked up at Adam with innocent expressions on their faces, which broke into wide smiles,<\/p>\n \u201cEither that man is the stupidest man in all of San Francisco or he just didn\u2019t know how to call us liars to our faces -\u201d O\u2019Brien said as he rose to his feet, \u201cHow did you get on? Was the package safely delivered?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes, she was,\u201d Adam lowered himself into the vacated chair, \u201cHow long did you manage to keep him here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout an hour.\u201d Soames replied, closing his book slowly and looking thoughtfully at Adam, \u201cDid you get to see the Admiral?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI did.\u201d Adam ran his fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck, he closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply, before opening them again and smiling at them both, \u201cMr Carpenter is a man with a florid complexion, of middle age, grey haired and bald.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d O\u2019Brien laughed, \u201cThat\u2019s not quite how our Mr Carpenter was at all, was he, Doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly not.\u201d Soames frowned, \u201cI hope that the original Mr Carpenter – and I\u2019m presuming that you got the description from the Admiral himself – but I hope he hasn\u2019t come to any injury.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to get back to Sung Lee\u2019s and see how Zi-Ling is getting on with Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay I come with you, Adam?\u201d Soames got to his feet and smiled amiably, \u201cOut of professional curiosity if nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to pay off the men,\u201d O\u2019Brien muttered rather regretfully, \u201cWhen do you see the Admiral again, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have to deliver the package tomorrow – mid-day.\u201d Adam smiled, shook O\u2019Brien\u2019s hand and quickly left the cabin, followed by Soames who glanced at Daniel and raised an eyebrow before giving a brief nod of the head.<\/p>\n Hathaway was ready and waiting, and after a quick glance around to make sure they were unobserved the three men descended the Jacob\u2019s ladder into the launch. Once again the men rowed their way to the part of the harbour that would take them to the Chinese quarters of the city. This time Hathaway was given orders to return to the Baltimore.<\/p>\n For a moment Adam didn\u2019t move as he watched the launch make its way across the waters, the moon was shining now, a day had passed and the black waters of the harbour were patterned by a myriad spangles of light from that silent witness in the night sky. Then he turned quickly, hailed a hansom and both men were soon on their way to Sung Lee\u2019s home.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Zi-Ling Lee bowed low when introduced to Soames, he felt it a privilege when a man of medicine from the western world presented himself, whether out of curiosity or a sincere desire to learn from him, didn\u2019t really matter. They were men cut from the same cloth with the same desire, and that was to heal those who were sick.<\/p>\n They followed him towards the back of the house where, upon approaching a door, he paused and turned to them,<\/p>\n \u201cIn China we say \u2019Yuan Mu Qiu Yu\u2019 – climbing a tree to seek for fish -\u201d he looked at them, realised there was no comprehension in their faces and sighed, \u201cThe woman you bring here, she has taken drugs for many, many years, to cure her now is like climbing a tree to seek for fish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, it\u2019s not possible?\u201d Adam said with a sincere note of disappointment in his voice.<\/p>\n \u201cNot possible to cure in few hours or few days.\u201d The heavily hooded eyes rose to meet his, \u201cShe walks on a tightrope -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFrom which she could fall either way at any time?\u201d Soames murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Doctor, that is the case.\u201d Zi-Ling bowed, then turned to Adam, \u201cYou need her to be sensible for some time? I have done what I can for her -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean, you\u2019ve given her more drugs?\u201d Adam said quietly<\/p>\n \u201cI have given her what she needs if you wish her to be a sensible woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it won\u2019t last?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam rubbed his chin anxiously before glancing at Soames who kept as professionally bland an expression on his face as possible, Adam\u2019s eyes turned to Zi-Ling and then to the door, which the old man pushed open.<\/p>\n Cassandra was seated at a table eating some fruit, and upon their entering the room she frowned, then sighed and put the peach she was eating down onto the plate, before leaning against the back of the chair with a slight pucker of the lips,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what game you\u2019re playing, Commodore, but it\u2019s becoming rather boring.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought you would enjoy your change of scenery , Mrs Pelman,\u201d Adam smiled and sat down on a chair opposite her, he picked up a grape and began to eat it, he nodded, \u201cGood fruit, better than when you were on board ship.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe old man, he gave me some medicine. It\u2019s made me tired, I don\u2019t want you here for long, so just tell me why you\u2019ve come?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI came to tell you some good news.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good, I like the idea of some good news.\u201d some colour flushed into her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going to be tried for treason, or for anything else in fact. The President is prepared to grant you an Amnesty. Do you understand what that means?\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed, put her head to one side and looked at him,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you really believe that, Adam Cartwright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSadly, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n She frowned, raised her eyebrows and shrugged,<\/p>\n \u201cWhy \u2018sadly\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I wanted you to go on trial – and to face the consequences of what you\u2019ve done, it seemed the just thing to do, but -\u201d he shrugged, \u201cYou have an Amnesty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what conditions?\u201d she looked from Soames to Adam, and then smiled, \u201cThere are always conditions attached, no one gets something like that for free.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m to take you to the authorities tomorrow, they\u2019ll ask you some questions and expect honest answers from you. That\u2019s fair, isn\u2019t it?\u201d he looked at her, deep dark eyes searched her face for some sign of the madness that was there just hours earlier, but in the candlelit room there was no sign of anything but Cassandra Pelman as he had always known her.<\/p>\n She picked up the peach and turned it over and over between her fingers, her lips pouted and she smiled,<\/p>\n \u201cWill Jeffrey have a pardon too?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJeffrey\u2019s dead.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, then, one of those post – post what do you call them things then.\u201d she frowned and put the peach back down, \u201cIt\u2019s hardly fair to him if I – I talk about things.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay be not, but he\u2019s not to know, is he, but you – you have a chance to start life all over again.\u201d<\/p>\n The words hovered in the air, she pushed the plate away,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired, I need to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Adam rose to his feet, \u201cGood night, Mrs Pelman,\u201d<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t say anything but followed them out of the room with her eyes. When the door closed, she folded her arms upon the table, placed her head upon them and wept.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Zi-Ling was waiting for them, he nodded agreement to what Adam requested of him, and then led them both to a room near by, which contained two beds and very pleasant surroundings. Adam took from his outer jacket pocket a gun, which he set down upon a table, he smiled at Soames look of amazement,<\/p>\n \u201cIn case we were followed,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cAlthough I doubt if anyone could get in, Zi-Ling and Sung Lee will see to that -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if Mrs Pelman tries to escape?\u201d Soames glanced around the room, peered through a blind that was draped across the window, \u201cI didn\u2019t notice any lock on the door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe won\u2019t escape.\u201d Adam\u2019s deep voice reassured him, and he carefully removed his jacket which he folded across the chair.<\/p>\n For a moment he had to grip the back of the chair while trying to pretend he was listening to the Doctor, but waves of dizziness, vague feelings of faintness, wafted over him. \u2018Stupid, did you really think you could get away with doing no harm to yourself ? You\u2019re not Hoss Cartwright, you know\u2019 and he wasn\u2019t sure whether he thought the words or whether someone else h ad said them to him.<\/p>\n When he opened his eyes again light was coming through the window and Zi-Ling was smiling down at him with sparkling dark eyes that looked like black pools.<\/p>\n \u201cYou sleep well, Adam Cartlight?\u201d he said in his lilting voice and nodded as though answering his own question.<\/p>\n Chapter 111<\/p>\n Familiar smells that reminded him of home. Hop Sings cooking and laundry were foremost and a faint smile drifted across his lips, while he closed his eyes and slipped back into sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long will he sleep like that?\u201d Soames whispered to Zi-Ling who only moved to the window to look out into the street where already there came the sounds of a community awakening and preparing for the new day. \u201cAnything out there we should be concerned about?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Zi-Ling turned and shuffled his hands into his wide sleeves, he looked like a venerable monk, which, at one time, he had been. He now returned to Adam\u2019s bedside and nodded, \u201cHe needs to sleep so that his body can heal, but he won\u2019t, soon he will tell himself he has to do something and his mental powers now are stronger than his physical. This woman worries him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole situation worries him.\u201d Soames sighed, and turned slightly at the opening of a door through which Sung Lee appeared to join them at the bedside of the sick man, he nodded at them and raised his arm to display the crisp clean clothing for the Commodore to wear, this he placed on the back of the chair before leaving the room.<\/p>\n \u201cThis one always searches for new ways – always was restless – he reaches one goal only to stretch out his hand for another.\u201d Zi-Ling sighed, and shook his head slowly from side to side, \u201cWhy is this woman so important to the – situation?\u201d he eked out the last word as though there was something more significant in its meaning.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know all the background, goes back a long time apparently. She caused his previous ship to be destroyed, men were killed.\u201d he frowned, perhaps, by relating the story it was at last becoming real to him, the beast that lurked behind the beauty revealed and tangible to him at last, he now walked to the window and looked out, \u201cShe was involved in some corrupt deal with Russia, a diplomat was killed as a result, along with some seamen, and others. Then she murdered a man, and tried to kill Adam, twice.\u201d he glanced sidelong over to Zi-Ling who was standing with head bowed and in deep contemplation, \u201cCould it have been the drugs? You said she had been using drugs for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I think so. But -\u201d he paused and shook his head, \u201cSome people are born seeking that to which they have no right, she is one. Her brother it seems, from what she has said, was another. Together they walked a road that has led her here, for him – it led to death.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs there any hope for her?\u201d<\/p>\n Zi-Ling shrugged and before he could say anything more the man in the bed stirred, opened his eyes and with a slight frown furrowing his brow stared at the ceiling with that intense look a person assumed when waking in a place totally unfamiliar to them.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam Cartlight?\u201d Zi-Ling leaned forward and smiled, \u201cYou wake? Have much to do, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stretched his eyes, rubbed his face and nodded. He saw Soames in the background and raised a hand, nodded, then looked at Zi-Ling<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened to me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat you expect? You have hole in body, bleed all time, carry woman long way \u2026 you think you not suffer, you think you walk away unharmed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow I know where Hop Sing gets it from -\u201d Adam muttered and rubbed his face a bit more, \u201cMy head aches -\u201d<\/p>\n Soames decided to wade in with his share of the scolding, explaining that Adam was fortunate to have only a head ache to complain about, he\u2019d sustained a serious injury, obviously far more serious than Adam appreciated.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s my clothes?\u201d Adam cut through the rhetoric from the doctor on realising he was naked, and his wound well bound with clean bandages again. He pulled on various articles of clothing before asking Zi-Ling about his other patient,<\/p>\n \u201cWoman sleep well. She will be able to do what you wish of her.\u201d came the quiet and rather irritated reply, which caused Adam to pause and look at the old man with a frown,<\/p>\n \u201cYou disapprove?\u201d he asked, pulling on his pants and hurriedly buttoning things up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not for me to approve or disapprove.\u201d Zi-Ling sighed, \u201cThere are things that have to be done for the good of many which is not always to the good of the one.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, a slight frown still on his face, as he more slowly buttoned up his shirt,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if she has ever done any good for anyone else in her life,\u201d he murmured, \u201cthis will be quite a novelty for her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt happens that sometimes a person is born with an evil heart.\u201d Zi-Ling stepped aside for Adam to reach out for his jacket<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going so far as to say that about her, just that she\u2019s selfish to the core, and wouldn\u2019t dream of doing anything unless there was an advantage in it for her.\u201d he rubbed his face again, \u201cZi-Ling, did I smell something cooking?\u201d<\/p>\n Zi-Ling\u2019s face creased into smile, he nodded, bowed and indicated that his visitors followed him.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n The crew had been paid off and only a few retainers remained on board the Baltimore. O\u2019Brien woke to the new day and walked up to a deserted deck. The bridge was empty, no one stood at the wheel, and no men yelled over to one another as they worked on the decks below.<\/p>\n Scott had prepared a breakfast, and O\u2019Brien had eaten it hurriedly, but now, on deck, he wondered why he hadn\u2019t taken it more leisurely. There was nothing to do now but wait. He glanced at the sky, he pulled out his watch, it was still early morning and hours to go before mid-day.<\/p>\n He paced the deck and pulled out his watch again, then paced the deck a little more. Hours to go yet, he told himself and without a second thought grabbed at his hat, and hurried down to the pier. A hansom cab was hailed and he quickly snapped out an address and then settled inside. Once there, and without a qualm of anxiety or conscience he allowed himself to dwell on the one person who occupied his mind now, his dearly beloved Maria.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Hester stood at the stage depot and looked from the valise, the carpet bag and then to the young woman standing by her side.<\/p>\n \u201cI wish you would stay, Victoria.\u201d she said and bit her lip because she had resolved not to say it again, having repeated it almost a hundred times since she had been told Victoria was leaving that morning.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t stay.\u201d Victoria replied with a strength in her voice that Hester hadn\u2019t realised she possessed, \u201cI\u2019ve explained to you, to Joe and to everyone else who has asked, the reasons why I can\u2019t.\u201d she turned now, and relented a little, she took hold of Hester\u2019s hands and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek, \u201cLook, Joe needs someone much better than me. I\u2019m wrong for him, Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he loves you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe thinks he loves me, but he doesn\u2019t really. He loved Little Moon, that was real love, what he feels – felt – for me was a mere shadow of that love. Perhaps it was just a feeling he had because he wanted to be in love \u2026\u201d she sighed, \u201cI\u2019ve loved him since he was a small boy and we were in school together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut you don\u2019t love him now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do, that\u2019s why I\u2019m leaving. Hester, believe me, this isn\u2019t easy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou make it seem as though it were -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d Victoria\u2019s mouth shut into a stubborn narrow line and the eyes hardened, she shook her head again, \u201cIt isn\u2019t – I do love Joe, but not enough for him to love me like he loved Little Moon.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re jealous of a dead woman?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all. I\u2019m just being realistic. It would dawn on him one day that he didn\u2019t love me, he\u2019d feel trapped, miserable – something inside him would just shrivel up and die, that something that makes Joe all the wonderful things that – that makes him – oh Hester, I don\u2019t want to leave here with you thinking I don\u2019t love him.\u201d and a tear trickled down her cheek and the grip on Hester\u2019s hands tightened, \u201cPlease don\u2019t ever think that – \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll write to you, Victoria.\u201d Hester replied, pulling her hands free for the stagecoach driver was yelling for his passengers to board now, \u201cI\u2019ll write and tell you what\u2019s happening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe happy, Hester, I know you will be -\u201d<\/p>\n Hester allowed a small smile to play around her mouth, it wasn\u2019t fair to smile and feel happy when her friend was so sad, but she couldn\u2019t help herself. Victoria stepped into the coach, glanced around the depot in the hope and equally in the dread of seeing Joe, and then settled against the back of the seat.<\/p>\n Familiar sights flashed by, houses, stories, saloons .. All became a blur as she viewed them through tears and the inevitable dust thrown up by the stagecoach. This then was goodbye and she knew, deep in her heart, that it would be forever.<\/p>\n Chapter 112<\/p>\n Hester waited until the stagecoach was out of view and the little white handkerchief could no longer be seen before she turned to walk away. It seemed, to her, a shame that Victoria hadn\u2019t enough confidence in Joe\u2019s affections to stay and fan them into a true love.<\/p>\n \u201cHer-hum -\u201d<\/p>\n A firm hand gripped her elbow and startled she turned, only to relax when Hoss came into view, a smile on his face and that tender look in his eyes that always had the effect of melting something inside of her,<\/p>\n \u201cRascal, you made me jump.\u201d she laughed and her hand slid easily into his own, she could feel the warmth of his fingers as they curled around hers, and she squeezed them as though to let him know how she loved him.<\/p>\n \u201cYou looked as though you were halfway to Reno -\u201d he chuckled and they walked along together to where she had hitched her buggy, \u201cWas she alright when she left?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA little tearful, but determined to go. I doubt if she will ever return here, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWal, Joe ain\u2019t thinking on moving back east, that\u2019s fer sure.\u201d his brow creased, he sighed, \u201cShucks, I had it all figgered out on how you\u2019d have some female company at the Ponderosa and wouldn\u2019t feel too lonesome there when I\u2019m away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI won\u2019t be lonesome, Hoss.\u201d she said quietly, \u201cSo long as I know you\u2019ll be coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, you couldn\u2019t keep me away -\u201d he blushed then, the ardour of his feelings had shown through what he considered to be a respectful distance, verbally anyway, \u201cAnyhows, I guess you got Ann nearby. Adam built the house close on by the Ponderosa so\u2019s they\u2019d be right near to us all.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing to that, her mind still dwelling on Victoria and Joe and how things just hadn\u2019t worked out right. She stopped at the buggy and looked at Hoss, how she longed for him to tell her right now how he felt for her, because – she sighed – because she needed the reassurance of knowing.<\/p>\n He cupped her elbow in one hand and helped her up into the buggy,<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure look pretty today, Mi-Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be sad over Miss Vicky, \u2018cos she done what she thinks is right after all -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I just do though, Hoss, I just do feel sad for her, and for Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJoe\u2019s tough, he can take it. She\u2019ll be alright -\u201d he looked at her then, saw something in her eyes that reminded him of a frightened anxious fawn waiting for its Ma to come along and give it a nudge, he took hold of her hand in his, and kissed her fingers \u201cHester, I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n She wanted to hold him tight then, hold him and not let go, but decorum forbade such displays in the high street, she leaned forward, kissed his cheek, whispered something in his ear and drove away.<\/p>\n She had never believed that she could have found love so easily, so quickly, and feel so passionately. Her heart was singing as she drove towards Ann and Candy\u2019s home, singing with the pure pleasure of being loved.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Maria O\u2019Brien still couldn\u2019t believe that she was sitting beside her husband. She held his hands so tightly that it was almost painful.<\/p>\n \u201cPinch me,\u201d she said playfully after a short while had elapsed, \u201cPinch me so that I know this isn\u2019t a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan I kiss you instead -\u201d he had laughed, and leaned forwards, taken her into his arms and kissed her, then stroked her hair, smelt it a lock of it, wound it around his finger, kissed her again.<\/p>\n To think, Maria closed her eyes, to think that this morning she had awoken and felt such despair. How quickly things can change, how quickly. One moment she was unable to eat her food from misery, and then Mr Frobisher was saying , \u2018Maria, you have a visitor here to see you\u2019 and she had turned and Daniel had walked in.<\/p>\n Daniel – thinner and wearier – and she had knocked over a little side table to reach him before he vanished, like a mirage, from her view, and even the tinkling of breaking china hadn\u2019t stopped her from leaping into his arms and holding him tightly.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe you\u2019re here,\u201d she whispered now, \u201cI still can\u2019t believe it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t either, to be honest, I sneaked away. Adam will no doubt guess where I am, but may well wonder.\u201d and he laughed, because even Adam Cartwright couldn\u2019t stop him from being here, and he kissed her wrist, \u201cMaria, I was so sorry that I got you involved in all this and – and for what happened to you, and our child.\u201d<\/p>\n She leaned forward, put a hand to his mouth and shook her head although her eyes filled with tears now,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s done, darling, there\u2019s nothing we can do now to change it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt least the persons responsible for what happened are met up with justice – divine justice.\u201d his voice was lowered, and he sighed \u201cWhen I received your letter to tell me what had happened, I couldn\u2019t really feel inside me – the loss – I could only think of you, and what you had suffered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t speak about it any more, Daniel.\u201d she whispered, and a tear did trickle down her cheek, which he brushed gently away, \u201cI try to think of it as a bad dream, and now that you are here again, I know it will be easier to believe it so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI should have left you in France, but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHush,\u201d she leaned forward, if words wouldn\u2019t stop him, then perhaps a kiss would, better still, more than one kiss.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cassandra raised her head as the door opened and Adam stepped inside with a faint smile on his mouth, as though anticipating trouble but hopeful that he may be wrong. She stood up, and looked at him thoughtfully,<\/p>\n \u201cI want to apologise, Commodore, I was quite rude to you yesterday evening.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cApology accepted, Ma\u2019am\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, this is better than that stinking ship you kept me holed up in for so long. The food\u2019s been good, in fact, the service has been very good. I actually slept well, without dreams.\u201d she frowned then, as though something had just occurred to her, \u201cThat\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve slept without dreams for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n He said nothing, but stood at the door way and watched her as she picked up a cloak and carefully put it around her shoulders, then her gloves, pulled on slowly, methodically, as though her thoughts were far away elsewhere and all this was purely mechanical, a means to preparing herself for outside.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve a hansom waiting for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust the two of us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Doctor Soames will be coming as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, but he\u2019s so dour.\u201d she sighed and stepped forward, then paused, \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m doing the right thing or not. I don\u2019t think Jeffrey would approve.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhether he would or not is hardly the point, Ma\u2019am, the fact is that you only have one life to live, and if you don\u2019t want to live it in a cell -\u201d he paused, frowned, and stepped aside to let her pass him by.<\/p>\n Soames was there by the door of the hansom and assisted her into the cab, he then stepped into it followed by Adam who closed the door behind them. As he sat down he took from his pocket his revolver, which he placed upon his lap, his hand upon its handle.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you expect to use it?\u201d Soames asked anxiously,.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly if I have to,\u201d came the slow reply in the Commodore\u2019s deep clipped voice.<\/p>\n Cassandra looked from the gun to the man, she saw the stern set of his face, the dark eyes, noticed the glint of silver threads among the thick black curls of his hair and frowned thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels as though you have been doing all my thinking for me over the past few weeks, Commodore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it, Mrs Pelman. It certainly wouldn\u2019t have been in my plans to have you shoot me.\u201d his lips parted in a grimace, downturn of the handsome mouth, a turning away of the dark eyes as though he didn\u2019t particularly enjoy her company.<\/p>\n She, in turn, looked over at Soames who had been regarding her steadily ever since they had boarded the cab, now he looked away and out at the street. She thought back to that time as she was hanging onto that ladder from the ships side, she wondered now how she had ever had the strength to do such a thing, and she remembered how on the way back up the ladder Adam had been behind her, forcing her feet onto each rung, helping her hands find the next hold. How had she repaid him ? It had happened all in a flash of panic and fear, when her mind suddenly seemed so full of noise and emotional turbulence that she couldn\u2019t think straight. She put a hand to her head now and shielded her eyes from them.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you feeling alright, Mrs Pelman?\u201d Saomes asked kindly, leaning forward and touching her arm,<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am just a little confused, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sighed, the sigh was audible, as though he were impatient to get the matter over and done with, and she felt a sudden feeling of fear as she looked at him, the fear of wondering if she would ever see him again.<\/p>\n Each one of them lapsed into silence. The sound of the horses hooves on the road echoed in their heads, each one of them deep in thoughts of their own.<\/p>\n Chapter 112<\/p>\n As they neared the doors of the large building before them, Adam slipped the gun back into his jacket pocket so subtly that Soames wasn\u2019t even aware that it had disappeared until he had looked for it. Flanking either side of the woman they entered the building and when a guard approached, Adam murmured something in his ear, at which the guard inclined his head and indicated that they followed him.<\/p>\n Their steps upon the marble floors echoed sharply in the vastness of the building. Occasionally a door opened and someone would drift out, glance at them and continue on their way. Everyone occupied knowing what they were doing, where they were going – Cassandra felt her throat going dry, her legs began to tremble and she reached out to touch Adam\u2019s arm. Immediately he looked down at her and raised a dark eyebrow<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to be frightened about -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know where I\u2019m going, what I\u2019m to do or say -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust do as your told and answer the questions they ask of you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to be here.\u201d she stopped, planting her feet firmly together in protest, \u201cI want to go now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have nowhere to go to, Mrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him, the appeal in her large eyes, always so lovely and luminous, shone out at him. He looked over her head and at Soames, who, embarrassed, looked away.<\/p>\n The guard had turned and approached them,<\/p>\n \u201cThis way, Ma\u2019am, if you\u2019d just follow me.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked on in silence. Soames looked from right to left of him and wondered what on earth he was doing there, while Cassandra summoned up some reserves of stubborn pride and decided to face up to whatever came. Adam, staring at the back of the guard, kept his mind as blank as he possibly could for he knew that once he started asking questions about the foreseeable future for the wretched woman, he could well find himself on very shaky ground indeed.<\/p>\n The large double doors at the end of the corridor opened up for them and Admiral Barlow stood up, walked around the side of the desk and approached them. He saluted in response to Adam\u2019s salute, and then turned to Cassandra<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman, as beautiful as ever. I remember you that time several years ago when you held a party for that English couple, Lord and Lady Lutyens,, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was some time back, Admiral, what a wonderful memory you have -\u201d Cassandra smiled, she fluttered her eyelashes, she was transformed into the Cassandra Pelman of the past and the nervous timid woman of just seconds ago had gone; Adam pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows while Soames just stared and remembered, in time, to close his mouth before the Admiral was introduced to him.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you would come this way -\u201d Barlow said, folding Cassandra\u2019s arm through his, \u201cDoctor, if you would like to take a seat here, someone will bring you something to drink. Commodore, if you would come with us.\u201d he smiled down at Cassandra \u201cIf I recall rightly you were wearing the most charming fox fur stole, I remember it because my wife insisted I found her one exactly the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced at Soames, rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly, before he turned to follow Barlow and Cassandra out of the room, and into a corridor that led to another less formal room. Here several men were obviously awaiting their arrival, and all rose to their feet at their entrance in accordance to the etiquette required of them. A tall man approached and looked at her thoughtfully, took her hand and bowed politely over it,<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir.\u201d she smiled coquettishly, and glanced at the assembled men, \u201cMy goodness, what memories of past days this brings to mind.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it does, Madam.\u201d he led her further into the room and to a chair, \u201cNow, do sit down, we shall have some refreshments very soon.\u201d he glanced over at Adam who was standing at ease with his hands behind his back, very much as though he were standing on the bridge of his ship. \u201cBut, if you\u2019ll excuse me, for a moment, I have something private to discuss with Commodore Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n She gave a slight twitch of the shoulders as though it hardly mattered and turned her attention to the other gentlemen who were now coming towards her. The Admiral, Adam and the other man now left the room and entered a small ante-chamber,<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSir -\u201d Adam straightened his back, he wasn\u2019t exactly sure who this person was but recognised the tone of authority when he heard it, for some reason it had the resonance of his father\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n \u201cHenry Wilson at your service, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, there was a vague nebulous memory of the name from somewhere in the back of his mind, but it vanished even as he shook the other mans hand, then the memory flooded back. There had been the scandal of the Credit Mobilier that had rocked the Grant administration in the early months of the year, and Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson had replaced Schuyler Colfax as Vice President and Secretary of State, with Schuyler leaving under a cloud.<\/p>\n Wilson was well built man, clean shaven and his hair thinning, he was a man with friendly almost paternal features, a pleasant smile and a firm handshake. During the Civil War he had devoted enormous energy to the destruction of slavery and the politics behind such evil. He had been voted by fellow Republicans to office even though he was already a sick man.<\/p>\n \u201cPresident Grant speaks very highly of you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Mr Wilson – Mr Vice President -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmmm, you must be wondering why exactly I\u2019ve come this far to meet up with a woman like your Mrs Pelman -\u201d Wilson smiled slowly, seeing from the steel in Adam\u2019s eyes that such a description wasn\u2019t exactly pleasing to the younger man, \u201cWell, I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m not at liberty to give you much in the way of details except to say that she does have some very important information that it is essential we get to know. We\u2019re very much in your debt for bringing her safely here.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing to that, but waited, wondering whether this was all he was going to be told, that this was, at last, the end of the assignment. Wilson took his elbow and led him further away from the door, as though anxious that anyone close by could overhear them,<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve read your report throughout,\u201d he said in hushed tones, \u201cYour doctor is of the opinion that she has been under the influence of narcotics?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cProbably for many years. Her brother, Jeffrey Metcalfe, was a doctor. He probably introduced her to them when quite young. She\u2019s entirely dependent on them.\u201d Adam frowned, and looked at Wilson, at the kindly, concerned eyes that looked patiently at him.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I read that she fired a rifle at you, from close range, I believe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot my most illustrious hour,\u201d Adam admitted with a slight grimace, and self depreciating smile.<\/p>\n \u201cSo – in fact – a woman with whom we must exercise extreme caution?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would say so, yes, most definitely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Commodore.\u201d Wilson extended his hand and shook Adam\u2019s warmly, \u201cI\u2019ll leave you with the Admiral now.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam inclined his head and watched as the Vice President withdrew, then he looked at Barlow,<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the end of my assignment then, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as Mrs Pelman is concerned, yes, it is, Commodore.\u201d Barlow beckoned towards a window to which they both strolled, it overlooked lawns and a garden, blue sky and the backs of expensive properties, \u201cYou\u2019ll be glad of some leave, I\u2019m sure, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n A slow smile drifted over Adam\u2019s lips and he nodded, \u201cIndeed yes, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow pulled two envelopes from his pocket, and handed them to the Commodore.<\/p>\n \u201cFor you and Captain O\u2019Brien.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Barlow said nothing for a moment, it was as though he were at a loss for words, he sighed, and took hold of Adam by the hand,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, young man, I should be saying to you, thank you, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 113<\/p>\n The tall young man running up the steps to the building drew up short as Adam approached him, slowly, one step at a time with a slightly wry smile on his lips. Daniel pulled off his hat and looked slightly flushed with embarrassment,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – I\u2019m sorry – I know I should have been here -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Daniel, nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but -\u201d he turned to descend the steps, matching his stride to that of Adam\u2019s, and turning towards the hansom cabs, \u201cI lost track of time -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam sniffed, cleared his throat, lightly brushed his nose with a finger<\/p>\n \u201cPerfume, Daniel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerfume?\u201d Daniel frowned, the flush turned ruddier, \u201cOh yes, perfume. I – I went to visit Maria. I couldn\u2019t wait, Adam, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI told you before, there\u2019s nothing to be sorry about. You weren\u2019t under orders -\u201d he looked up at the sky, \u201cAt least I don\u2019t think you were. Anyway, the main thing is that Mrs Pelman is with the people who need her information, and she\u2019s safe and sound. Dr Soames is discussing her medical history with a very eminent doctor who\u2019s come all the way from Pennsylvania, so he\u2019s as merry as a cricket.\u201d he smiled and placed a hand on Daniel\u2019s shoulder, bringing him up short just as they reached the sidewalk, \u201cAnd this is for you, courtesy of Admiral Barlow.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel grimaced, accepted the envelope and looked at Adam, who tapped his breast pocket to indicate that he had also received just such a letter.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, our assignment is over?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I\u2019ve not opened the envelope yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you intend to do now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I hope to be able to send a cable to my family and prepare them for my return home.\u201d Adam\u2019s smile widened and the dark eyes brightened, he looked at Daniel and winked, \u201cBut first I\u2019m going to finish off that bottle of whisky in my cabin on the Baltimore. Do you want to join me or would you prefer to rejoin your wife?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel laughed and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if it\u2019s an order -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all, I wouldn\u2019t dream of ordering you to do any such thing. You must do as you wish.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve my own personal things to collect anyway – so I\u2019ll help you with that bottle of whiskey, Adam, and then rejoin my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam hailed a cab and once inside took out the envelope, looked at Daniel and raised an eyebrow<\/p>\n \u201cOn the count of three?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure -\u201d Dan held his envelope on the ready<\/p>\n \u201cOne – two – three -\u201d<\/p>\n The envelopes were torn open and the orders removed and smoothed open. The smiles faded momentarily as they read what was written and then rather sheepishly they glanced at one another,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat orders do you have?\u201d Adam asked Daniel quietly as carefully folded his back into the envelope.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo weeks leave and then to take the Baltimore to Washington.\u201d he smiled, and looked at Adam, \u201cWell?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA months leave, then to report back here for further orders.\u201d he frowned slightly, and sighed, then looked at the houses as they passed them by, \u201cWell, a months a good amount of time, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were hoping for an indefinite leave ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI had that allowed last time, after Alaska.\u201d he smiled, and slipped the envelope back into his pocket, the cab rocked to standstill and he pushed open the door, \u201cCome on, let\u2019s go finish that whiskey.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Cochise cropped at the grass and even though there was some distance between his rider and himself, the sound of his chomping on the grass was loud, it seemed to go round and round in Joe\u2019s head until he had to put his hands to his ears in an attempt to shut the noise out.<\/p>\n He liked to come here, a quiet spot, he could see the waters of the lake through the trees, and watch clouds scud through the sky. Then he could reach out his hand and touch the words on the gravestone \u2026 he did that now, his fingers caressing the carved words, chiselled out all that time ago and smoothed by the light touch of their fingers over the years, for his were not the only ones that came to linger there.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t feel any need to speak, not like he once did, he just liked to sit there and feel that he was with someone who understood, would be familiar to the needs and wants of his heart, and would be – would have been – ready to console and comfort.<\/p>\n \u201cJoe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,, hi, I didn\u2019t hear you coming.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can be quiet when I need to be -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, I know that, I guess I was too deep in thinking about things to pay any attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn Indian could have had your scalp by now -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI guess.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss came and sat down beside his brother, not before he had gently caressed the name on the gravestone, smiled a gentle remembering kind of smile. He sat down and his hip touched Joe\u2019s they were that close.<\/p>\n \u201cDid – did she get away alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, sure she did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, well , I see -\u201d Joe lowered his head and plucked out a blade of grass, he shrugged slightly, because their shoulders touched Hoss was aware of the action even though he was looking out at the lake.<\/p>\n \u201cHester tried to get her to change her mind, Joe, but she said it was the best for you both if she went back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess she\u2019s right at that.\u201d he tossed the grass away, \u201cThere must be a curse on us Cartwrights, Hoss, we never seem able to get a woman, and when we do -\u201d he paused, remembered Hester and winced, then turned to Hoss, \u201cExcept you, brother, you deserve the best and looks like you got her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Hoss grinned, he looked shy and blushed a little, \u201cYeah, doggone, looks like I have at that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you set the date yet?\u201d Joe sniffed, and rather hastily ran the cuff of his sleeve across his nose,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? For getting married? Shucks – no, I haven\u2019t. But it\u2019ll be soon, soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis weekend?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cD\u2019you reckon it could be this weekend? Sure would be cutting it fine, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t see why not, Hoss.\u201d Joe smiled, and wrapped his arm around Hoss\u2019 shoulders, \u201cIt won\u2019t take that long to set up a wedding party, would it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, but – I sure would have liked it for Adam to have been here.\u201d Hoss sighed and his shoulders slumped, \u201cIt\u2019s a special time, he should be here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well -\u201d Joe pursed his lips, grimaced and shrugged, \u201cHe ain\u2019t, is he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Daniel, I hope my next command isn\u2019t a tin tub like this -\u201d Adam leaned back in his chair and stretched out his legs, resting his feet upon the table and lifting the glass of whiskey towards the ceiling, he squinted at it, as though to catch the reflection of light upon the amber liquid.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with the Baltimore.\u201d Daniel declared, unloosening his jacket by several buttons,<\/p>\n \u201cNo, except that she isn\u2019t a clipper ship -\u201d Adam frowned, narrowing his eyes and wrinkling his nose, \u201cThe times I\u2019ve stood on the deck of this ship and looked up to see billows of smoke and steam, getting covered in grit and soot -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAw, come on, you never did -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid too -\u201d Adam smiled and took a sip of whiskey, swilled it around his mouth and swallowed it, \u201cBut on a ship like the Ainola, for instance, when the sails were full and she was catching the full glow of the setting sun on the sheets, you have to admit, there\u2019s nothing like that for grace and beauty on the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was a special ship, alright.\u201d<\/p>\n They nodded agreement at what had been said, and Adam leaned forward to pour out some more whiskey into their glasses when there came the sound of feet pounding upon the boards in the corridor.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone sounds in a hurry.\u201d Adam observed slowly, and out of habit, put his hand to the jacket pocket wherein he had his gun.<\/p>\n A quick rap on the door and before either man could speak it was thrust open,<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright, Admiral Barlow sends his compliments to you, sir, but requests that you come with me immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith you?\u201d Adam rose to his feet suspiciously and then relaxed, recognising the Admiral\u2019s adjutant, \u201cOf course.\u201d he looked at the empty glass, frowned and put it down on the table, looked over at Daniel, \u201cI\u2019ll see you later, Daniel.\u201d he said, and smiled.<\/p>\n Chapter 114<\/p>\n It occurred to Daniel O\u2019Brien that it was strange the way Adam had taken his gun belt from the desk and carefully buckled it around his waist, tied the holster against his thigh and then slipped the gun into it as calmly as though donning an outer jacket. It was all, Daniel remembered, part of Adam\u2019s personna, of what he was and had been, but for a seaman strange and indicative of a change in the wind.<\/p>\n His first instinct was to stay where he was, collect his things together and return to his wife, but putting that aside he had risen to his feet and followed the Commodore who had walked with long strides towards the carriage awaiting them on the pier.<\/p>\n Soames was standing in the entrance hall with the marble floors, high ceilings and looked nervously at everyone who happened to enter through the doors, when he saw Adam and Daniel he hurried towards them as quickly as he could,<\/p>\n \u201cThis way -\u201d he said urgently, \u201cthey\u2019re waiting for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam didn\u2019t bother to ask exactly who they were, but followed the adjutant and the doctor without question. As the doors of the big office opened up the Admiral and Vice President rose to their feet,<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore, we\u2019ve hit a problem.\u201d Wilson said slowly, gesturing to a chair which Adam declined by remaining on his feet.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs Pelman?\u201d he asked although it was more statement than question.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Mrs Pelman.\u201d Barlow\u2019s brow furrowed into deep gullies of anxiety, \u201cWe felt it was better to take her somewhere that held less memories for her than here, after all, her husband have oversight for some years and -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo cut it short,\u201d Wilson interrupted, \u201cwe took her down to the vehicle that was to take her, and us, elsewhere, and while we were getting things arranged here – when we went to step into the vehicle she had gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam said nothing, he looked at Soames and raised his eyebrows, but Soames just shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cShe was perfectly fine, Adam, perfectly.\u201d Soames said quietly and looking plaintively at the other men as though he felt the burden of blame was being pushed onto his shoulders.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was very courteous,\u201d Wilson volunteered the information freely, \u201ccharming in fact, and she answered some preliminary questions perfectly well. Then I realised that she was beginning to talk more about social events, memories attached to when her husband was here. It was my decision to move her from here to a safer and more congenial place.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe went willingly enough -\u201d<\/p>\n Adam just looked from one to the other, before asking them what exactly he was expected to do about it.<\/p>\n \u201cMy assignment was to bring her here, which I\u2019ve done. I didn\u2019t expect to be called upon to locate her again now that you\u2019ve lost her.\u201d<\/p>\n Wilson gave a slight shrug of the shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cWho else knows her as well as yourself, Commodore? We don\u2019t want to involve the authorities more than we need, it has to be contained between ourselves, the fewer the better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have any idea of whether she was alone when she left the vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe was quite alone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one came to her side of the coach and helped her out, and then into another vehicle?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, not at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou must have left her on her own quite some time then for her to feel confident about getting down from the coach, and then – \u201c Adam shrugged, \u201cwalking the length of the drive to the hansom cabs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, she couldn\u2019t have done that,\u201d Wilson said quietly,\u201dshe would have been seen.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam walked to the window and looked down upon the gravelled paths and lawns,<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ve looked everywhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo what do you want me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFind her, of course, and bring her back here.\u201d Wilson replied with a touch of arrogance in his voice. The cool tone and bearing of the other man touched his pride and being the man with the highest authority in the room he was beginning to feel like he was the inferior of the two, and he didn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n Adam passed his hand over the lower part of his face, and rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one just disappears.\u201d he said quietly, he turned to the adjutant, \u201cGet me a horse, would you, the quicker the better. Soames, are you sure she was -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, she was just fine, and when I saw her, she was quite happy and relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam raised his eyes to heaven and then turned to the Vice President and Admiral, he saluted them both and without a word left the room leaving the two men looked at one another in bemusement.<\/p>\n Outside once more, Soames led them to where the coach stood in the drive, it was obvious that no other vehicle had passed although there was sufficient room for one to have done so. Adam glanced at the gravel, and then at the lawned area that led to a shrubbery.<\/p>\n \u201cYour horse, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n The deep voice of the groomsman broke the silence, he took the reins and without hesitation mounted into the saddle, then with a twist of the wrist he turned the animals head, paused only when Soames stepped forward to prevent him from riding off,<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know where she\u2019s gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve a fair idea. I may be wrong, I\u2019ll let you know when I get back\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cYes, but where -\u201d Soames cried but there was no answer as Adam urged the horse into a canter and by the time he had reached the main road he was riding low in the saddle at a good gallop through the traffic.<\/p>\n Wilson and Barlow watched him as he finally disappeared from sight, then turned away, Wilson shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cGoodness, Admiral, what has the navy done to deserve someone like that\u2026\u201d and his tone of voice was not one of admiration but one of despair.<\/p>\n \u201cCommodore Cartwright is one of our best officers, sir,\u201d Barlow replied slowly, taking his seat behind the desk and wishing that the President himself had been there instead of this ponderous Vice President, \u201cI have the utmost respect and admiration for him, as does the President.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve heard -\u201d Wilson replied dourly, and he returned to the window in an attempt to trace the horseman, when he was unable to do so he shrugged, \u201cWell, I guess beggars can\u2019t be choosers.\u201d<\/p>\n To that comment Barlow declined to answer.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Ben Cartwright gave his prospective daughter in law a quite spontaneous and warm hug, and then kissed her on the cheek<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure, Hester? We don\u2019t want you to feel that we\u2019re stampeding you into taking on this young man, after all?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, even though we\u2019ve been trying to for years now -\u201d Joe quipped, pouring out a glass of fine Madeira wine into some very expensive looking glasses.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure, quite sure.\u201d Hester replied and took hold of Hoss\u2019 hand so that she could feel his steadying grip on her fingers, \u201cI – I\u2019m quite overwhelmed really, to be honest. I never thought I could love someone and feel that getting married so quickly could be so right.\u201d she gave a little laugh, rather shaky though it was, \u201cBut if everyone is happy about it -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re very happy about it,\u201d Hoss replied, \u201cAin\u2019t that so, Pa? Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, in that case, if it can be arranged so quickly -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, you\u2019d be surprised how quickly the Cartwrights can arrange a wedding party.\u201d Hoss laughed, and handed her a glass of the wine, he smiled and leaned forward to kiss the young woman gently, \u201cIt\u2019ll be the happiest day of our lives.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n She smiled, said nothing but held his hand more tightly. It was hard to believe that she would be Mrs Eric Cartwright by the time the weekend was over.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam couldn\u2019t have explained to anyone why he had decided on the route he was taking now. Years of acting by instinct probably would have meant nothing to them. He turned the horse through the wide gateway and down a broad drive to where some stables were set behind a big house. A stable boy came out and caught the horse by the bridle as Adam dismounted,<\/p>\n \u201cIs your master home?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe so, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned quickly and walked to the imposing front door which opened before he had had time to knock. He nodded, one look at the white face confirmed his suspicions,<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is she, Henry?\u201d he asked as he stepped into the hall and glanced about him, \u201cUpstairs?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – I didn\u2019t do anything, I promise you – she just arrived out of the blue half an hour ago. She said that she had to get something from her room.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHer room?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d Henry Eugene nodded, \u201cShe had her own private room when she stayed here.\u201d he followed Adam into the vast hallway and lowered his voice, \u201cShe said that Jeffrey was dead?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, that\u2019s right, he is.\u201d<\/p>\n Henry licked his lips and gripped hold of Adam\u2019s arm, and drew in his breath<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t even know she was here in San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t you work at the Admiralty anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood heavens no, after what happened with Pelman and Andre, I decided to clear out of the whole thing. I\u2019m doing well in business -\u201d he paused, \u201cAdam, don\u2019t let this ruin things for me now, not when things are looking so good for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam stepped further into the room, put a finger to his lips for silence and then pointed with a finger to the upstairs, which brought a nod of the head from Henry.<\/p>\n \u201cGet a carriage ready for when we leave -\u201d he whispered and very quietly began to mount the stairs.<\/p>\n He could remember the last time he had been here, not the most welcome of visitors and he remembered the time with a shudder. He had reached the half landing and paused to listen for some sound of movement from one of the rooms but there was nothing, just a deep pervading silence.<\/p>\n Up more steps to the main carpeted landing where portraits of various people glowered at him from their gold frames as he walked pass them. Slowly he opened one door after another, all empty until he finally came to one from where he could hear the sound of movement. Silk rustling upon a carpeted floor, a drawer opening, closing, a sigh, a woman\u2019s sigh.<\/p>\n He pushed the door open very slowly and quietly, and for some seconds watched her before he leaned against the door frame and folded his arms across his chest, his lips slightly pursed and his dark eyes sombre.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t realise he was there, she was too absorbed in searching through the drawers of various closets in the room. Her hair was untidy, falling in scattered coils across her face, and down her back, the hem of her gown was soiled with grass stains and mud from where she had ran across the lawn into the shrubbery, and her face was flushed from nerves and excitement. Suddenly she gave a little cry of delight as she produced from a drawer a small gilt box which she placed upon the bureau, heaved in a deep breath and then raised the lid.<\/p>\n \u201cLeave it, Cassandra, just leave it.\u201d<\/p>\n His voice, deep and clipped, authoritative and yet kind, broke the silence. She turned and stared at him as though she had seen a ghost, and stepped back several paces. The little gilt box whirred, a tinny tune trickled into the room and the tune was that of a song she had once sung \u2026 Greensleeves.<\/p>\n Chapter 115<\/p>\n Adam glanced at the box and then turned his dark eyes to look at her as she stood there, frozen in situ. She withdrew her hand which was still outstretched towards the box, and turned to face him, the proud, haughty look on her face that had once been her trademark staring out at him,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d she raised her chin as she spoke, her eyes fixed upon his face, \u201cWho told you I was here ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo one told me anything, Mrs Pelman, I just followed my nose.\u201d he replied quietly and stepped further into the room, \u201cNo -\u201d his voice deepened, became more authorities, \u201cJust leave it where it is -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow dare you speak to me like that,\u201d she stepped once again towards the box, her hand about to close the lid down when his fingers tightened around her wrist, \u201cLeave me, do you hear, leave me alone.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned very slightly, all this fuss over a music box? It seemed hardly credible. He pulled her hand away from the box and reached out for it,<\/p>\n \u201cLeave it alone, leave it – it\u2019s mine -\u201d and she brought her free hand up to wards his face, but he now caught at her wrist and holding tightly to both of them forced her backwards towards the bed, \u201cLeave it,\u201d she hissed, \u201cLeave it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s so important about it, Mrs Pelman, tell me that ?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJeffrey gave it to me.\u201d she replied raising her face in that challenging way she had, and taunting him with a flash of her eyes. She tossed her head and her hair fell loosely across her shoulders, \u201cJeffrey gave it to me a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo -\u201d he released her slowly. They had stepped so far back that the freeing of her hands left her with no place to go but to fall back upon the bed, \u201cNo, I don\u2019t think you came all the way here just to collect a musical box your brother gave you.\u201d he turned and walked quickly to the little box and picked it up.<\/p>\n It was just a little metal box with figures that spun round and round to the music. He looked at it, and frowned. Then he looked over at her,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s in it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a music box, that\u2019s all.\u201d she rubbed her wrists, \u201cYou hurt me -.\u201d<\/p>\n He ignored that complaint to look more closely at the box. He also had a musical box at home, something he held dear for the memories it held, but sentiment could only go so far, and, it seemed to him, that Cassandra Pelman was far from being a sentimental lady.<\/p>\n The turn of her head made him look behind him to where Henry was standing in the doorway. He was staring at the music box with something like disgust on his face, and when he saw Adam looking at him, he nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cIt isn\u2019t just a musical box. If you take off the -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBe quiet, Henry -\u201d<\/p>\n But Adam didn\u2019t need Henry to say anymore, he removed the figures and lifted away the velvet floor upon which they danced and there all was revealed. He grimaced, glanced at Cassandra and shook his head,<\/p>\n \u201cIs this all you can think of? What is it? Opium? Cocaine?\u201d<\/p>\n He held the box at arms length, at an angle, the white dust was slowly slewing out, drifting down upon the carpet, and as she ran towards him he threw the box across the room sending the powder spiralling through the air. She stopped, froze, stood there as though her world had fallen apart before looking at him as though she had never hated anyone so much in all her life.<\/p>\n \u201cHe used to give it to her,\u201d Henry said quietly, \u201cEver since she was young. He said it made her sparkle, so he got the best quality of it that he could and she would hide it away in the box for when he was away, so that she would always have some close at hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know that?\u201d she asked, sullen now, scowling at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d he laughed, a laugh that contained no warmth, no joy, \u201cBecause I used to watch you through a crack in the door all those times Andre and I visited your home, or when you were here. Of course, I was never allowed in to join with the \u2018elite\u2019 members of the family, I was always sent off on errands, \u2018do this, Henry, do that, Henry\u2019 but I\u2019d go and then watch through the crack in the door. They both loved you, Andre and Jeffrey.\u201d he turned to Adam, \u201cThey were that much older, you see, and she came into their lives like something special, because, as a child, she was special. She was beautiful and lovely, and she would do anything they asked of her – for a reward.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam just put the box down and looked at her, imagining the sort of child she had been, and yes, he could see that she would have been everything Henry said she had been, and she had grown up lovely, proud, selfish, and always out for a reward.<\/p>\n \u201cI hate you, Henry. We all hated you, all of us.\u201d she clenched her fists and turned her back on her cousin, as though the sight of him repelled her.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that, you all made it very obvious every day of my life.\u201d he shook his head, \u201cI don\u2019t know why I kept this room here for her, it\u2019s my family home, not hers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright, Henry,\u201d Adam said quietly, \u201cI\u2019ll take her away with me now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going anywhere with you -\u201d she snarled and turned around, looked at the door and then at him, \u201cI\u2019m not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCassandra,\u201d Adam stepped towards her and carefully reached out for her hand, \u201cYou\u2019re all alone now, there\u2019s no one here to help you, except myself. You either accept that help or -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr -?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLose every chance you have of making a real life for yourself. Look, Jeffrey is dead, you\u2019re alone. The Government has granted you amnesty, they\u2019ve wiped out your past, they\u2019re prepared to give you a chance of a life, a new clean start, Cassandra.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn their terms,\u201d she exclaimed.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, of course, on their terms. They\u2019re taking a risk with you, Cassandra. But, don\u2019t you think it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a moment of silence, each one of them stood as though frozen in time in that small room, she shrugged, and turned her head, so Adam tried again,<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the alternative?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe alternative?\u201d her voice faltered, she glanced at Henry who stood resolute, and she knew there was no hope of her finding a place in his home now, perhaps there never had been. She looked at the powder that was sprinkled upon the carpet, the powder that had always made her feel so strong, powerful and yet – and yet she knew that there had been a price to pay for all of that, and her dependence upon it was stronger, stronger than ever. She could have wept at its loss, and she knew that had Henry and Adam not been standing there she would be on her hands and knees now licking it up. She shivered,<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know \u2026\u201d she said quietly. \u201cdo you?\u201d<\/p>\n He nodded, his eyes on her face, and his own face drawn, as he thought of the alternative future she would have, and she could see it in his eyes, in the way pity and disgust fought a conflict upon his face and she lowered her head,<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, if you know so much, tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do more than tell you, I\u2019ll show you -\u201d he said and he took her by the elbow and led her from the room.<\/p>\n The carriage was waiting, the horse had been tethered to the back. If the driver was surprised by Adam\u2019s request he didn\u2019t show it, well, not much.<\/p>\n They left Henry standing at the front door of his home, and slowly left the row of houses upon Nobs Hill. It didn\u2019t take long before the driver was threading the carriage through narrow streets, where hovels and shanty cabins huddled close together. Here were the women who plied for trade, and the goods they sold were their bodies and the wages were any form of drug they could get their hands upon.<\/p>\n Bodies too thin to be beautiful anymore, too emaciated by lack of food because their only nourishment were the drugs they craved. Pale, haggard, greasy faces, with lustreless hair, clinging to door frames, hanging out of brothel doors, lounging at the windows.<\/p>\n Adam sensed when she had had enough of the sightseeing tour, he rapped on the roof of the vehicle and the driver turned it carefully, and then very smartly urged the horses to get out of the area as fast as possible.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t speak. He helped her from the carriage and stood by her side as they mounted the steps to the building. When they went through the doors he turned to her,<\/p>\n \u201cDoctor Soames is a good man, Mrs Pelman, he\u2019ll do everything he can to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n She said nothing to that but bowed her head and walked by his side as he took her through the marble floored corridors to the office where Vice President Wilson and Admiral Barlow, with the various other people who held high office, waited for her.<\/p>\n It was the end of a journey. Cassandra Pelman raised her head, arched her eyebrows and gave a little shrug of the shoulders,<\/p>\n \u201cGentlemen, my apologies for keeping you waiting.\u201d she said and she even had the audacity to smile at Barlow in a way that made him blush.<\/p>\n Chapter 116<\/p>\n It was Admiral Barlow who finally approached Adam and O\u2019Brien after some hours had elapsed since Cassandra\u2019s return to their \u2018delicate\u2019 attentions. Up to that time both Officers had been left in the ant-room kicking their heels and wondering why exactly they had been asked to remain in the building. Both men were wary about speaking openly in a room that seemed full of echoes and where people seemed to walk in and out looking very officious and important.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry you had to wait for so long here.\u201d Barlow said with that ease of familiarity which meant he wasn\u2019t really sorry at all, in fact, he had no idea as to how much inconvenience it was to them. Time for him has passed swiftly enough for him to assume it had passed equally as swiftly for everyone else, \u201cThank you both for all you\u2019ve done -\u201d he looked at Adam and extended his hand to him, smiled, \u201cAdam, I\u2019m really grateful for your help. When she disappeared like that I couldn\u2019t think of anyone else to call upon who could have helped so readily. You\u2019re a true credit, sir, to your commission.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, gave a slow dry smile, and returned the Admiral\u2019s handshake with a warm one of his own.,<\/p>\n \u201cI hope you find she was worth having, sir.\u201d he said quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cThe information she has is invaluable -\u201d Barlow replied in a very low voice, \u201cI can\u2019t tell you -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would rather you didn\u2019t, sir,\u201d Adam straightened his back, and picked up his hat, \u201cMake sure that you can tell the wheat from the chaff, sir, I\u2019m afraid Mrs Pelman is a well practised liar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI believe you,\u201d Barlow laughed, although he looked rather embarrassed at doing so, \u201cEnjoy your leave, gentlemen.\u201d<\/p>\n He returned to the other room, and the two men watched the doors close behind him and then glanced at one another. O\u2019Brien raised his eyebrows and Adam pursed his lips into his customary pout,<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s collect our things, Daniel -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd finish that whiskey -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere must be Irish in your blood, Daniel -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith a name like O\u2019Brien how could you ever doubt it?\u201d<\/p>\n They shares a companionable chuckle, and if O\u2019Brien noticed Adam\u2019s hand move quickly to where the bandages covered his wounds, he never referred to it. The door of the house opened wide and Martha Frobisher gave an exclamation of delight at seeing Adam standing at her doorstep. Like a great moth she fluttered over to him and enveloped him in a hug that was so warm that O\u2019Brien laughed and said, jokingly, that he hoped his wife would greet him as warmly.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on in, oh, what a lovely surprise. Are you staying in San Francisco for long?\u201d<\/p>\n She pulled him into the house, where instantly Julian appeared and with a smile approached the Commodore and shook his hand warmly, while in the background Maria ran from a side room and threw herself into her husband\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n \u201cNot for too long, overnight if that is alright?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright? My dear boy, it\u2019s a pleasure, a pleasure.\u201d Julian always repeated himself for emphasis, and looked at Adam with twinkling eyes, \u201cCome along in, my boy, we have things to catch up on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell cook to prepare for an extra one.\u201d Martha called out as she scuttled down the hallway and disappeared through another door at the hall\u2019s end.<\/p>\n \u201cAdam? Do you remember me?\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to look at her, and smiled. Gallantly he bowed over the hand she offered him, and then kissed her cheek, before looking thoughtfully into her eyes,<\/p>\n \u201cI hope I\u2019m forgiven for causing you so much grief, Maria?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, for goodness sake,\u201d she blushed a little and shook her head, \u201cAs though it was your fault at all. It\u2019s so good to see you here, you and Daniel .. Safe and well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow much leave do you have, my boy?\u201d Julian interrupted, anxious that time with Adam wasn\u2019t wasted on woman\u2019s silly talk, and glad to notice Daniel taking his wife into the other room.<\/p>\n \u201cA month only.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam followed the old family friend into the warm and comfortable room, and sat down at the chair indicated for him. He cleared his throat<\/p>\n \u201cWell, Julian, how are things on the Ponderosa? Are my family well?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo far as I\u2019m aware, perfectly well. Ben may or may not know just who redeemed the mortgage, but your brothers have no idea at all. I think it took Hoss a few days to realise the Ponderosa was really safe, despite the low price they paid for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam smiled, and leaned back carefully,<\/p>\n \u201cI had a feeling that my Pa would realise it was me, but I had hoped that he wouldn\u2019t have done so.\u201d he sighed and stretched out his long legs, \u201cI\u2019ll be glad to see them all again. It always seems to be so far away when I\u2019m at sea.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Ponderosa? Oh yes, I\u2019m sure it is \u2026 do you think you could resign and leave the sea altogether?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam frowned, stared thoughtfully at a framed picture of a ship rearing out of a frosty blue sea,<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s strange – it\u2019s like a man who has a wife but keeps a mistress. While with his wife, he longs for the passions of his mistress and while with her, all he desires is the comfort and security of being with his wife.\u201d he sighed, smiled a little wryly at his own words and looked at Frobisher, \u201cDoes that make sense?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerfectly, although I have to add a rider to that by assuring you that I have never, personally been in the position of having a mistress.\u201d and he chuckled but in a way that strengthened Adam\u2019s conviction that for all his charming ways, the older man had a true and abiding marriage.<\/p>\n Chapter 117<\/p>\n When he awoke in the morning he had a slight fever, and after rummaging about his belongings he eventually located the small pouch containing the herbs he sought. He took a pinch of them, and then leaned against the dressing table for the effect to eventually take place. As he stood there, his eyes closed and head down, he wondered just how close he and Cassandra Pelman were at that precise moment in time. She, addicted to her drugs, and he – well – he gave a slight snort of self contempt at the fact that he had so eagerly sought for the relief from these herbs. Herbs, drugs … what difference?<\/p>\n The light headedness that came to ease the pain trickled through him and for a moment he thought he was going to fall, but managed to keep upright. He looked down at the pouch with a slight frown, and then heaved himself away from the dresser and towards the ewer and bowl that the girl had filled with warm water for his ablutions.<\/p>\n As he glanced at his reflection in the mirror he saw Daniel standing in the room behind him; he reached for his shaving gear and as he did so wondered how long the other man had been there, he crooked an eyebrow<\/p>\n \u201cAm I late for breakfast?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that I know of -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood -\u201d he lathered up the brush and met Daniel\u2019s eyes through the mirror, \u201cWhat?\u201d he asked<\/p>\n \u201cThat wound of yours isn\u2019t healing right, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s healing, just taking time that\u2019s all. That horse ride yesterday didn\u2019t do much good.\u201d he applied the soap to his jaw, working the soap well into the stubble, but his eyes kept flicking over to where Daniel remained standing, until he put the brush down and turned to face him, \u201cWhat?\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should get a doctor, get a second opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNonsense.\u201d Adam shook his head, and resumed his lathering up, \u201cI\u2019ll be leaving after breakfast. What will you be doing?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought I should come with you, make sure you get home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m sure Maria would love that, you\u2019ve only just got back to her and now decide to take a trip to the Ponderosa instead of staying with her here. No, I don\u2019t think so, thanks all the same.\u201d he dabbed some soap under his nose and surveyed his reflection again, although his eyes flicked over to look back at Daniel.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t want me to accompany you, Adam, at least let me get Soames back here, or another doctor to just check that everything is alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverything is alright. Look, it may have failed your notice, Daniel, but I have had more wounds of this kind than most, and the only thing that really hurts just now is the fact that Cassandra Pelman was the reason I got this one. Now, go away and let me get on -\u201d he picked up his razor and flourished it in the air \u201cThis is serious business \u2026 go and look after your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel said nothing more to that, he gave his friend a worried glance and left the room, leaving Adam to sharpen his razor on the leather strop and wonder why the young man had entered the room in the first place. Breakfast was over and in the big comfortable study where Julian liked to retire with a book and coffee when not working, Adam listened to Julian\u2019s description of the day Ben found that his beloved Ponderosa had been sold. He was a wonderful host, and an excellent raconteur, and knew just how to embellish the tale enough to make Adam laugh or become concerned, and when the tale ended Adam wasn\u2019t really sure whether he should be crying or laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, apart from Pa, whom you suspect has guessed who purchased the Ponderosa by redeeming the mortgage, no one else knows.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnly myself and the Bank Manager. But such matters are confidential. I don\u2019t expect Ben to ask you directly, but -\u201d he put a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder, \u201cdon\u2019t be surprised if he does.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam glanced up at the clock, and rose to his feet, he winced a little, just a little, but enough for Julian to notice,<\/p>\n \u201cAdam just before you leave here, I was wondering if you would do me a favour.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, if I can -\u201d Adam turned to his father\u2019s old friend with a smile,<\/p>\n \u201cWould you see my doctor, just for a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, why? What\u2019s wrong with him?\u201d Adam\u2019s smile tightened a little and the dark eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s a good doctor, it\u2019s just that Martha and I noticed that you were not looking too well, and then Daniel mentioned that you had been shot -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome time ago now. It\u2019s healing. Believe me, Julian, it\u2019s nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMartha\u2019s concerned. You know what women are like, Adam, and Martha loves you dearly. She asked me especially to try and persuade you to see Doctor Clements.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam fidgeted and glanced to the door as though measuring out how many steps it would take to escape, but even as he thought such a thing it opened and an elderly man entered, with the familiar black bag in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDr Clements, this is Commodore Adam Cartwright – Adam, Dr Clements.\u201d<\/p>\n Introductions having been made, Clements approached with the determination of a dog hunting out a bone, he smiled, a friendly smile to be true, but with intentions of steel behind it. Adam had no choice but to acquiesce to Clements examination.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cWe could both go with him -\u201d Maria said in a low voice as she sat beside her husband in the Frobishers comfortable sitting room.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure? It won\u2019t be the most pleasant journey and the way station is a lot different to a boarding house or hotel.\u201d he took hold of her hand and smiled into her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, darling what would that matter, so long as I was with you and if you think -\u201d she paused as a loud \u2018ahem\u2019 intruded upon their conversation, and together they turned to observe Adam standing at the door, he smiled at them,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, children, are you being good?\u201d his tone was slightly mocking, a little sarcastic, Maria gave her husband an anxious look to see his reaction to such a question.<\/p>\n Daniel rose to his feet,<\/p>\n \u201cWe were just discussing coming along with you, Adam , it would be just great for Maria to see the Ponderosa, we\u2019ve spoken about it so much, and she\u2019s just itching to see it for herself, aren\u2019t you, Maria?\u201d he prompted, nudging her slightly with his foot<\/p>\n \u201cYes, certainly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s very good of you both, and you know you are both welcome at any time. However\u201d he glanced over at the clock and raised his eyebrows in mock horror \u201cLook at the time, I shall miss my connections if I don\u2019t hurry now \u2026\u201d he grabbed Dan\u2019s hand and shook it warmly, \u201cTake care, Daniel, no doubt we shall meet again soon. Enjoy your leave. Maria -\u201d he kissed her cheek and looked into her eyes, smiled, \u201cTake good care of yourself, and of him -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAdam -\u201d Daniel stepped forward<\/p>\n \u201cNo, Daniel \u2026\u201d he turned and left the room, \u201cGoodbye, Captain, Mrs O\u2019Brien, see you again soon.\u201d<\/p>\n They heard his steps going quickly down the stairs, the murmur of voices as he bade farewell to Martha and the sound of a door closing.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think he wanted us to go with him, Daniel, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Daniel was already at the window staring down at the street, he saw the broad shouldered body of his friend enter into a hansom cab, his face at the window glancing quickly upwards and a brief smile, a wink and the lift of a hand, and then he was gone.<\/p>\n Chapter 118<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, will you stop pacing the floor like that, you\u2019re making me nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m making YOU nervous? How\u2019d ya think I feel ? I AM nervous. Ain\u2019t that why I\u2019m pacing the floor.\u201d Hoss ran his hands through what little hair he had left, thanks to the skill of the local barber and genetics, and turned to his father, \u201cPa, is it natcheral for a guy to feel this nervous before he gits married?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben calmly lowered his book and surveyed the two brothers thoughtfully, then nodded,<\/p>\n \u201cVery natural\u201d he looked with sympathy at them both and resumed reading, until Hoss put a finger in the middle of it and lowered it down again, he sighed and closed the book, \u201cWell, I can remember when I was getting married to Elizabeth. I was so nervous I nearly wore a hole in the floor, just like you are now, Hoss\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDid you ever think of running out on her?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d Ben paused for thought and then narrowed his eyes and looked at his son thoughtfully, \u201dWhy? Are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, no, Pa. It\u2019s just that I sure wish that I could just go down and collect Hester in the buggy and bring her right back here without all that thar shenanigans -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve made it as simple as we can, Hoss. What more do you want?\u201d Joe chuckled, and looked over at his father before continuing with his task of giving his social best shoes an extra good polish.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. I know.\u201d Hoss flapped his hands up and down a little like an oversized canary attempting an escape break out of its cage.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be a wonderful day,\u201d Ben said quietly, hugging his book close to his chest, \u201cWhen Elizabeth and I got married it was slightly overcast, cloudy, but the sun shone through from behind the clouds just at the right moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWere you married in church there, Pa?\u201d Joe asked, inspecting his face in the shine of his shoe and then picking up the next one.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a small chapel there, some of her friends had decked it all out with flowers. I remember -\u201d he paused and frowned, and then sighed, \u201cElizabeth was always surprised at the kind things people did for her, she never realised just how many friends she had, nor how easily she made them.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe and Hoss glanced anxiously at one another, Ben didn\u2019t talk often of his wives nowadays, and the last thing either of them wanted now was for their father to become maudlin.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess it was different with my Ma.\u201d Hoss said before realising he had just dug the hole deeper.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yes, well, everything was different in connection with Inger. Adam was there \u2026\u201d his voice drifted off, he sighed again at the memory of the earnest little boy who had done all he could to smooth down his black curls for the special occasion, a bit of spit did wonders, or so he had been told.<\/p>\n Another lull in the conversation and Hoss began pacing again, Joe brushed his other shoe more vigorously before looking up at Hoss and grinning,<\/p>\n \u201cGood thing elder brother ain\u2019t here, huh? Guess he\u2019d -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019d what?\u201d Hoss scowled<\/p>\n \u201cNuthin\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you was about to say something, Joe, so you had better say it right hereon in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was just thinking of those other times we nearly managed to get you married off and then elder brother comes along and puts his word in and everything falls apart at the seams. That\u2019s all -\u201d Joe shrugged and tried to look innocent as he swivelled his eyes from his father to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cDadgum it, Joe, you sure are making me more nervous than ever now – how\u2019d you expect me to get any sleep tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, talking about sleep -\u201d Ben stood up and stretched, \u201cTime for bed ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, think I\u2019ll get to bed too,\u201d Joe put down his shoes, and polish, \u201cBest get a good nights sleep behind ya, Hoss, it\u2019ll be the last time you git to have that bed all to yourself now.\u201d and he grinned, winked and slapped his brother on the back before following his father up the stairs.<\/p>\n Hoss gulped. He looked around the room and noticed the few changes that Hester\u2019s coming into the family had already made, then he relaxed, smiled, and slowly turned to the stairs as the old clock struck the hour. He couldn\u2019t believe it, tomorrow would be his wedding day.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Ben prepared himself for sleep but found it elusive. His mind had got set into a furrow that it seemed determined to follow \u2026 Elizabeth, Inger, Marie. He thought of them, he visualised the days he had married them, he could imagine the smell of the flowers in the chapel where he had married Elizabeth, he could sense the touch of Inger\u2019s hand upon his arm and see the wide eyed expression of joy in Adam\u2019s eyes, and then there was Marie with her wide smile and the perfume she wore.<\/p>\n He sighed and pushed aside the covers of the bed. For a moment he stood beside the bed as though wondering what to do next but then turned, picked up a lamp and left the room, to push open the door into Adam\u2019s room. Despite Hop Sing\u2019s care of the room, it had that smell of disuse. After only so many months, he thought, what if he never came back home? He swallowed hard on that thought and raised the lamp to look around it as though to familiarise himself with the contents and with the person who had occupied it for so long.<\/p>\n Perhaps, one day, Hoss\u2019 children would occupy this room – he shook his head – no, not while he lived. He walked to the bedside table and placed the oil lamp down in order to pick up the music box. He just held it gently in his hands and rubbed his thumbs over the little cherubs. Elizabeth – Adam –<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to observe Joe standing in the doorway, a candle dripping wax on the floor. He nodded, and put the music box down.<\/p>\n \u201cI just wish your brother wasn\u2019t so far away, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s odd, how we ain\u2019t heard no word from him for so long. Usually something comes through by now, don\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s what I said.\u201d Joe grinned, and he looked at the room, at the shadows in the corners that crept closer towards him, \u201cI miss him too, Pa. It\u2019s going to be different, isn\u2019t it? Having a woman in the house again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, yes, it will be different.\u201d Ben glanced now at his youngest son, and smiled slowly, then put his hand on his arm, \u201cI\u2019m sorry about Victoria, son.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Pa. She was a very perceptive young woman though, she probably knew me better than I know myself.\u201d he turned, glanced at Ben again, \u201cGoodnight, Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Hester Verlaine brushed her hair carefully, thoughtfully, and smiled at Ann who was folding away a very pretty night gown into her case.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel more nervous than I did when I was marrying James.\u201d she said quietly,<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew James far longer than you\u2019ve known Hoss,\u201d Ann walked towards her and then began to carefully braid the thick hair while she watched her cousins reflection in the mirror, \u201cBut you don\u2019t have any doubts at all, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what is so strange, I have fewer doubts about marrying Hoss than I ever had when marrying James. I think I am just worried about how I will fit in there, I mean, those men have been together for so long, and Hop Sing keeps giving me some very strange looks \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it will all be a journey, won\u2019t it? You\u2019re all going to discover new things about your lives, and, anyway, you could always get Hoss to build you a house of your own if it doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s working out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMmm, it was obvious the eldest son had no intention of living cheek by jowl with his family once he had married whatsername ..\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s true.\u201d Ann laughed, \u201cBut then we don\u2019t know what she was like, do we? Perhaps she insisted on a house of their own.\u201d she turned her head at the sound of Rose crying and shrugged, \u201cI\u2019ll have to go. Good night, Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n She sat in front of the mirror for a little longer to stare at her reflection, she wasn\u2019t beautiful, and no one had ever said she was, but Hoss had found something beautiful about her, and his love had already healed a myriad aches in her heart. She sighed, stood up and extinguished the candle flame.<\/p>\n Chapter 119<\/p>\n Hoss was awake early that next morning. He remained in bed to listen to the sounds that had woken him for more years that he cared to admit to, and knew that as from now he would be hearing things differently. He heard the cockerels crowing, the sounds of horses in the corral, the sound of his father walking along the landing to go down to the main room.<\/p>\n He gulped slightly and spread out his arm to one side of the bed to feel the customary coolness of space. The thought that next time he did that he would feel another body beside him gave him a little shivery feeling that forced him to get out of bed and prepare himself for the coming day.<\/p>\n He walked to the window and peeked outside, and then sighed contentedly. There was no doubt about it, this was going to be a very special day. Hop Sing was already loading a wagon with hampers of food and various items that would be needed for the wedding feast, and Hoss licked his lips and rubbed his hands together at the thought of all the food Hop Sing had prepared. That Hop Sing, did he never sleep?<\/p>\n It had been agreed that the wedding was to take place near the river not far from the Canadys home. This was the site that Adam had chosen for a woman he had thought to be his wife, but which afforded, in Hester\u2019s opinion, the prettiest view for the ceremony, and, as it was customary for the bride\u2019s family to host the occasion, Candy and Ann had insisted that the wedding feast be held there.<\/p>\n There was a rap on the door and Joe peered inside to check on his brother,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hoss, ain\u2019t\u2019cha going to start getting ready. This is the big day now, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss let the words sink into his brain. The Big Day. He turned from the window as though in a dream and smiled at Joe,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe, ain\u2019t no need to git all so fired up hurrying an\u2019 all, there\u2019s plenty of time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, but Pa wants you to see to the fencing down at the north pasture first.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFencing? He ain\u2019t said nothing about any fencing to me!\u201d Hoss screwed up his nose, wrinkling his face up as a result.<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t say anything more but closed the door to his laughter, Hoss heard him as he went along to the stairs. Joe and his jokes. He sighed, fencing, on today of all days.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n It was amazing where the flowers came from – garlands and bouquets hung in elaborate festoons from the banister rails, around the doorways, and were even draped around the buggy. Nothing could have looked more colourful, more natural. When Ann and Hester looked around at it all they couldn\u2019t help but feel dazed by how much it resembled something out of a fairy tale book.<\/p>\n Now men were appearing to help Candy set up the trestle tables, and Hop Sing came in the wagon and took white table cloths from a basket which fluttered in the air for momentary seconds as he flipped them out and over the tables. More flowers appeared and the white table cloths were soon arrayed with nosegays and posies.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d Hester sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s what you deserve,\u201d Ann whispered and put her arm around her cousin in a warm embrace.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam had his hat over his face and stayed resolutely in the corner by the window. He had known no other passenger, and they, after a brief salutation had not pursued any conversation.<\/p>\n At the start of his journey he had spent a while watching the countryside go by, and as he had done so he fleshed each scene with a memory of old friends, past adventures, his youth, Hoss and Joe, Marie. In the late afternoon they had arrived at a way station where he had eaten his meal, sought his own company, before finally taking to the rather uncomfortable bed.<\/p>\n The day had started early and there was still a very long way to go before they reached Virginia City. His fellow passengers remained each one of them an island unto themselves. After several attempts at conversation no one seemed to have enough interest in the others to pursue it any further, each succumbed to their own thoughts and when Adam retreated to the corner by the window no one commented or thought it strange at all.<\/p>\n Beneath the hat his brain ticked over relentlessly as he pondered on what he would find at home. What changes? What differences? Why had there been such a lack of letters and news. Had Joe actually got round to courting that Victoria Shannon? Had he tamed the black stallion? What was Hoss doing? Would Hop Sing have gone, finally said \u2018I quit\u2019 once too often and actually done so?<\/p>\n He did doze off after a while, the suspension of the coach was hardly the best, but no worse than a ship in a gale.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Ben slowly buttoned up his grey silk vest with the delicate embroidery that Marie had particularly loved. He could remember how her fingers had traced out the patterns and she had smiled and told him how handsome he looked in it. He had been pleased that it still fitted so well, and shrugged himself into his jacket.<\/p>\n Well, there he was – he observed himself in the mirror and smoothed down his hair – white now, no longer iron grey or just silver winged, but white all over. He sighed. He was getting old, no doubt about it. No one was immortal, thank goodness one of his sons was getting himself a wife, perhaps he would live long enough to see a grandson or grand daughter around the place.<\/p>\n He glanced down at the framed picture of Inger and picked it up,<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d be proud of him,\u201d he said very softly and tried to remember the way she would smile up at him.<\/p>\n Hoss fought with his shirt buttons and had to call Joe in to help him.<\/p>\n \u201cNew fangled things,\u201d he moaned, and held out his hands to his brother as though waiting for Joe to slip the handcuffs on him, \u201cThem buttons are pearls, and they jest won\u2019t go into the button holes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, alright, calm down.\u201d Joe sauntered into the room still tying his string tie, and he shook his head, \u201cCarry on like this and you\u2019ll start sweating, and then you\u2019ll stink like a skunk.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe, jest git on will ya\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n No doubt about it, he was sweating. He dabbed at his face with a handkerchief, before tucking it back in his pocket.<\/p>\n \u201cSure wish I could jest have ridden over and got Hester and not have all this fuss -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShush, Hoss, here, let me fix your tie.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFeels more like a noose -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re going to create a fuss now -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI ain\u2019t creating nothing. Jest git on with it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow you are creating.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I ain\u2019t -\u201d<\/p>\n Joe squinted and concentrated and finally got the tie fixed just right. Then he helped Hoss into the smart new jacket that fitted perfectly, he flicked off an imaginary speck of dust and stepped back, smiled and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHoss, you look the perfect bride groom.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you sure do.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss ran his finger around his collar, it was tight, but not that tight. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, he couldn\u2019t wait to see Hester \u2026<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Adam removed his hat and straightened himself up, glanced at his fellow passengers and then out of the window. He had judged rightly, they were now just a few miles out of Virginia City. He felt a glow of pleasure in the pit of his stomach, in a few hours he would be home.<\/p>\n Chapter 120<\/p>\n Adam looked thoughtfully around the livery stables and gave a wry grimace. Nothing much had changed here since his departure. He scratched at the back of his neck and leaned slightly towards the interior of the building as he heard the sound of someone approaching,<\/p>\n \u201cOh – isn\u2019t Gil here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope – Gil left some time back.\u201d<\/p>\n So, some things had changed after all. He straightened his back and slightly flexed his shoulders, stiff from sitting cramped up against the window in the carriage for too long. He sniffed as though there was a bad smell close by, and sighed,<\/p>\n \u201cWell, are you the proprietor?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI am, took over the bizness a few months ago. What can I do for you, Mister?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll hire a buggy -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure, come along in and take your pick.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam followed the proprietor into the murky interior of the livery and looked at the two buggies for hire, he selected the newer and cleaner of the two and stood back as the rather taciturn owner began to harness up the horses to the vehicle; he chewed steadily on a wad of tobacco, moving it noisily from one side of his mouth to the other, something that caused Adam to curl his lip in disgust.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere you headed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTo the Ponderosa.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow long you want to hire it out fer?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust for the trip out and back – I\u2019ll get one of the ranch hands return it before sunset.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYah, you do that, otherwise you pay for another days hire -\u201d he spat a glob of tobacco juice onto the ground, just missing Adam\u2019s boot by inches, \u201cThat your gear over there?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is -\u201d Adam glanced at the valise and carpet bag as though they had somehow arrived by accident without his prior knowledge.<\/p>\n He handed over the due hire fare and tossed his \u2018gear\u2019 onto the seat before taking his place next to it. Without looking at the proprietor he flicked the reins and set the horses galloping from the stables and through the town.<\/p>\n He smiled to himself now as he felt the power of the horses coming through the reins to his fingers, he steered them round other vehicles all the time looking from left to right to make sure that he didn\u2019t pass by a certain black and white horse that would mean his brothers were in town. His smile broadened as he imagined their surprise when he walked in through that front door. By the time he had got out of town and was back on the open road he was whistling to himself, and enjoying the feel of the warm air brushing against his face.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it alright? It isn\u2019t too tight is it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, that\u2019s perfect, just perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n Hester smoothed her hands down over the corset that Ann had laced up, she smiled, and took the long white stockings that she unrolled carefully and attached by the lace trimmed suspenders. Next came the first petticoat, stiffened and wired at the bottom to make the skirts of the dress stand out. Then she tied on the stuffed rolls of muslin that would sit on her hips, over that came the final petticoat.<\/p>\n \u201cNow -\u201d Ann could barely breathe for excitement and her voice held a slight tremor, \u201cNow, for the dress.\u201d<\/p>\n Mrs O\u2019Shaughnessy had worked hard to produce this dress, having had such short notice, but all the admiration and respect she had held for the Cartwrights over the years had been poured into the dress that Ann now carried towards her cousin, every stitch had been sewn down each seam with loving care.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, Ann, isn\u2019t it beautiful?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so soft – so smooth -\u201d Ann ran her fingers down a length of the skirt and sighed, then she turned to Hester, \u201cCome on, we\u2019re running out of time -\u201d<\/p>\n They giggled together like two school girls as the dress was very carefully placed at Hester\u2019s feet for her to step into and then inched up over the petticoats, tweaked over the corset and then arranged over her shoulders and breasts. Button by button was nimbly positioned into place while Hester stood patiently waiting for Ann to finish. Then they both looked at the reflection of the bride in the cheval mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cOh Hester – its lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n For just a moment they just stared at the figure dressed in the ivory silk gown with its sequins and ribbons sewn into the bodice and the heavily laced sleeves that fell from elbow length. It was a dress that emphasised all of Hester\u2019s physical assets without being immodest or flamboyant, it was elegant, perfect.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, the veil -\u201d Ann lifted the tulle from its box and carefully placed it over Hester\u2019s rich copper gold hair, after which she placed a hoop of silk flowers – pink, blue, cream and ivory, to hold the veil in place. \u201cWho would have thought it, Hester?\u201d<\/p>\n Hester just couldn\u2019t speak, she wasn\u2019t even sure what Ann meant, she could only stare at herself in the mirror and wonder who indeed was that reflected back looking at her.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Carriages and coaches, buggies and horses, all were rolling along the road to the Canady\u2019s house. Laughter, giggles, shouts and halloo\u2019s wafted too and fro as people congregated together, dismounted from their horses or their vehicles, and walked along the path towards where the wedding was to take place.<\/p>\n The sun shone and in the back ground the hills rose soft and undulating towards a blue sky, the river gleamed and sparkled as the sun light caught its surface, and every so often a bird could be heard singing. Petals of flowers drifted in the air, their perfume rose to greet the guests as they made their way chattering to one another, greeting old friends, shaking hands with new ones.<\/p>\n Paul Martin tweaked at his tie and thought that he should have loosened his collar but accepted the sad fact that it was too late now. He shook Ben\u2019s hand and mumbled something that he hoped was appropriate. Roy Coffee had had his hair trimmed for the occasion, along with his moustache, and wore his Sunday best suit with pride.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Ben,\u201d he murmured, \u201cthe day would be perfect if Adam were here.\u201d<\/p>\n He regretted saying it immediately when his friend turned his head aside as though to look over at Joe and Hoss who were standing talking to Candy, the lack of response spoke for itself. He cleared his throat and looked over at Paul who was still tweaking his collar.<\/p>\n It was odd, Ben thought as he watched his sons and Candy, but more than anything in the world he longed for Adam to be standing by his side now. A fear, like a cold hand, clutched at his heart and he felt a weakness trickle through him as though, as the saying goes, someone had walked over his grave.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, Ben?\u201d Paul asked quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fine \u2026 perhaps nervous at the thought of having a daughter at last.\u201d he grinned, his handsome mouth conveying a pleasure that belied the fears, not of having Hester at the Ponderosa, but that something had happened to his son, something and far away, so far away that perhaps it would be years before he would ever even get to know about it.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n Adam clambered down from the buggy, hauled down the luggage and then paused to look at the place. There was another buggy hitched to the rail, a lone horse nodding over towards the hired pair. He looked at it thoughtfully and with a slight frown walked to the house. The buggy was new, slick as paint, and he speculated on who his family would be entertaining – perhaps, he thought to himself as he stepped foot on the porch, it was the young lady Joe had written about, this Vicky Shannon.<\/p>\n He straightened his jacket, suddenly self conscious and oddly shy, he wondered if he should have put on some civilian clothes rather than kept his uniform on, he wondered if he should knock or just walk in, he wondered if they were home and so he pushed open the door and stepped into his home.<\/p>\n He put his hat on the bureau and glanced around. Everything was quiet. His eyes went to left to right, and he noticed some changes that seemed oddly out of character with what he remembered. An upright piano where a bookcase had once stood, a bunch of flowers on a table he had never seen before, a landscape painting where once had hung a rather ugly relic of Ben\u2019s time at sea. He cleared his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cHey – anyone – ?\u201d<\/p>\n Nothing except a soft rustling sound, and then a whimper –<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone there?\u201d<\/p>\n He had lowered his voice slightly, and walked slowly towards where the sound had come from the settee, and he looked down to find an infant blinking up at him.<\/p>\n Man and child stared at one another. The man scowled, pursed his lips and shook his head. The child stared wider and then opened its mouth and howled.<\/p>\n Whose?<\/p>\n What had Joe done now?<\/p>\n For heavens sake, how old was this child anyway?<\/p>\n He stepped closer and leaned down closer, he prodded it very gently in the tummy with his forefinger and the baby, eyes now beguiled by the glitter of brass buttons stopped howling in order to reach out and grab at the top button of Adam\u2019s jacket.<\/p>\n \u201cWell now, who are you, hey?\u201d<\/p>\n The baby tightened its grip on the button, so much so that Adam was forced to pick it up and hold it in his arms well aware that any attempt to detach fingers from button would have produced even louder howls. The baby smiled a very gummy wet smile<\/p>\n A skirt rustled and Adam turned, blinked, and nearly dropped the child back on the settee,<\/p>\n \u201cBarbara?\u201d<\/p>\n She stood at the bottom of the stairs looking at him, a man in naval uniform, a man with broad shoulders and black hair and dark eyes holding her son, a blue eyed infant who was totally captivated now by the number of shining buttons on the jacket. She forced herself not to think beyond her instinctive first thought which started with \u2019It could so easily have been \u2026\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cAdam – I can\u2019t believe it\u2019s you. You here – today of all days -\u201d<\/p>\n He frowned, looked around the room, wild thoughts flashed through his mind, she had come from upstairs, why? Was Pa ill? Where was everyone?<\/p>\n \u201cMy son -\u201d she walked towards them and smiled, \u201cCome on, now.\u201d she held out her hands and the baby reached out to her, looking longingly back at the buttons but knowing he was better off with mother, \u201cHe\u2019s quite a handful already.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did you say – today of all days – what\u2019s going on, Barbara? Where\u2019s my Pa?\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at him then, her serious face took on the appearance of someone who was puzzled, a small frown furrowed her brow<\/p>\n \u201cYou mean you don\u2019t know?\u201d her eyes widened at the look of anxiety and, incredibly, fear on his face, \u201cYou don\u2019t, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor heavens sake, Barbara, know what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss is getting married – today -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHoss?\u201d he eventually stammered after a momentary silence as he absorbed the information and tried to reconcile himself to the fact, \u201cHoss? But I thought that it was Joe who was courting ? And what are you doing here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere were some things Hester wanted brought to her -their – room. Look, Adam, the wedding will be starting any moment.\u201d she hurried to the door, and then turned to look at him as he stood there, as though rooted to the floor, \u201cAre you coming?\u201d<\/p>\n Chapter 121<\/p>\n He quite naturally took the driver\u2019s seat while she sat by his side with the child in her arms. He flicked the reins and turned the horse slowly in an arc around the yard until facing the track when he slapped the reins down upon the horse\u2019s rump and set it off to wards the Canadys place<\/p>\n The Canady\u2019s place, that was what she had said. A frown had settled on his brow as though a permanent fixture as he stared between the ears of the horse at the road ahead. The Canady\u2019s place – the building that was going to be his home, his home and Laura\u2019s and Peggy\u2019s. The building that had began upon a dream and had nearly been the end of him. Hoss\u2019s wedding, his marriage, on the very site that was to have been the place where he, Adam Cartwright, had imagined himself and his wife and his future children living, playing, growing old.<\/p>\n \u2018Let go of it,\u2019 he whispered inside his head, \u2018Let go of it before you talk yourself into something too big to get out of.\u2019 he glanced at her, at the infant in her arms who was now sleeping. Then he returned his dark gaze out to face the road ahead.<\/p>\n Hoss getting married. Why hadn\u2019t they told him? No note, no cable, but then how would they know where he was, had he contacted them? He gripped the reins more tightly, and clamped his teeth together so that his jaw line contracted, tightened. Hoss getting married – not Joe – ? He glanced at Barbara again, but she was looking away from him, thinking of other things no doubt. But then he didn\u2019t want to speak to her, he wanted only to think and prepare himself for the moments ahead.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t know, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n Her voice made him jump, startled him, he had been so immersed in memories and he shook his head, she sighed and held the child closer as the buggy bounced over a rock.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long have you been back – on land, I mean?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few days. I got back in town this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t cable them to let them know you were here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I wanted – \u201c he smiled in self mockery \u201cI wanted to surprise them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInstead you got the surprise?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou could say that -\u201d he was still frowning, his profile was stern, remote. His eyes merely flickered towards her before returning to observe the road.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry you had to find out like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, at least I\u2019ll not miss the occasion -\u201d he replied but with no warmth in his voice.<\/p>\n Barbara said nothing to that but sat by his side and stared ahead of her, every so often she bowed her head and kissed the top of the baby\u2019s fuzzy head. She looked at him again and felt a tug at the heart, here he was driving them to the house that he had built with the hope of living in it with a wife and child, and driving beside him was a woman whom he had presented with a ring and marriage proposal. Life, she thought, must seem like a mass of contradictions for him, and in some ways, it was almost cruel.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n Everyone stood up when the whisper trickled through the assembled congregation that the bride was coming. Heads turned and smiles were on every face that she saw as she passed between them down the grassy aisle towards the arch of flowers and the little platform where the Pastor waited for her. She glanced at Candy and smiled, receiving a smile in return, for as her closest relative, even if only by law, he had been the one asked to give her away to her prospective husband.<\/p>\n Joseph looked over at her and felt a lump well up inside of him, an emotion he could not describe threatened to overwhelm him but all he could do was touch Hoss\u2019 elbow and nod his head in the direction of the bride. Hoss, feeling as though he were in a dream and real life had yet to touch him upon his shoulder and awaken him, turned and watched as she approached him.<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Joe,\u201d he whispered, \u201cAin\u2019t she jest about the most beautiful sight you\u2019ve ever seen?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe sure is, Hoss, she sure is -\u201d Joe whispered in reply.<\/p>\n Ben watched her as she walked towards his son and knew that he was watching a woman about to marry the man she truly loved. If he had ever doubted the way she felt for Hoss, watching her now put any such doubts out of his mind. His near black eyes turned to his son, and his heart beat slightly faster as he saw the look on Hoss\u2019 face. He\u2019d seen it before, that look of wonderment and awe – he\u2019d seen it on Hoss\u2019 face when a foal was born and the act of birth had overwhelmed the young man, he\u2019d seen it on Hoss\u2019 face when he had first set eyes on his baby brother, now he was seeing it as he looked upon Hester, his soon to be wife.<\/p>\n Ben cleared his throat. Standing where he was watching, for some reason he had never felt lonelier. Joe and Hoss, standing together, turned to face the Parson and then Candy was answering the question, \u2018Who gives this woman to be wed -\u2019; he had stepped back and rejoined Ann. Ben licked dry lips, cleared his throat again and raised his eyes to the heavens in order to prevent the moisture in them from slipping from his eyelids.<\/p>\n Hoss looked into the face of this woman, looked into the most brilliant blue eyes and saw the freckles that now dusted her skin, the lips that smiled at him and his throat went dry. Joe had to nudge him in the back so that he could repeat the words after the Parson<\/p>\n \u201cI, Eric Cartwright, take thee \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Hester listened to the words and could feel her heart beating so hard against the bodice of her dress that she thought she was going to faint, she had his hand holding hers, his eyes looking down upon her, and she just wanted to tell him \u2018I love you.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n The buggy came to a halt behind the rows of other vehicles, and Adam clambered down, and hurried to the other side to help Barbara. They strode through the throng of buggies, and wagons, and surreys, until they had reached the open grassland beyond which they could see the congregation of friends witnessing Hoss\u2019 wedding. She looked at him,<\/p>\n \u201cAre you coming with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cI\u2019ll watch from here.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked into the dark eyes, then nodded before she turned and quickly made her way down the aisle to join her husband. She said nothing about the man in the naval uniform who walked quickly to the side of the group of people and watched the proceedings standing in the shadow of a large tree.<\/p>\n He could just about hear their voices from where he stood. He saw Joe hand Hoss the ring, and heard Hoss\u2019 voice<\/p>\n \u201cWith this ring \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n He saw Paul and Roy, Mrs O\u2019Shaughnessy, and Hop Sing, he saw old friends whom he recognised, and strangers whom he did not know. All there witnessing the marriage of his brother to a woman called Hester Verlaine. His eyes glanced down the rows of people, there was Candy and his wife, holding a baby in her arms. There was Barbara and her husband, who was now holding their son. There was his Pa \u2026<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s throat tightened at the sight of his father standing there in his best suit, straight backed, proud. Standing on his own before this assembled crowd of friends and neighbours. What must he be thinking now, Adam wondered. One of his sons getting married and life about to change, not just for Hoss and Hester, but for them all.<\/p>\n He had stayed at the back of the crowd not only in order to watch unobserved, not only because of the emotions that could betray him for he loved Hoss more than words could say, but also because he recognised that this was Hoss\u2019 day, a special day, and he, the missing brother, had no right to stroll down the aisle and take any attention away from the bride and Hoss.<\/p>\n And yet, his father was standing alone.<\/p>\n He walked quickly now down towards where his father stood, not down the centre aisle, but pass all those who stood now with their backs turned away in order to observe the couple taking their vows. Unobserved he made his way to the front and then stood silently by his father\u2019s side as though he had been there all the time.<\/p>\n Ben smiled slowly when the Parson said \u201cYou are now man and wife \u2026\u201d and then leaned forward to whisper \u201cYou can kiss your wife now, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n The crowd laughed, cheered, clapped and Ben sighed again, and half turned as though aware that someone stood beside him. He looked at his son, smiled as though he had known Adam had been there \u2026 all the time.<\/p>\n Chapter 122<\/p>\n As the newly wed couple were surrounded by well wishers to congratulate them, Joe searched for his father. Standing at his brother\u2019s side during the wedding ceremony had caused a great wave of emotion to well up in the younger man\u2019s heart, and thoughts of what he had once had and lost trickled like a refrain through his mind. The first people to approach Hoss and Hester had not included his father, and Joe felt that of all the people there, his father should have been the first to stand at Hoss and Hester\u2019s side.<\/p>\n The fact that Ben was not soon became apparent when Joe saw him talking to a tall dark haired man who looked just like his brother Adam, so much so that Joe gave a whoop and a holler and elbowed his way through the throng of well wishers to get to him, to take his hand, to know, yes, know for sure that he was there. His throat was tight, but he managed to mumble \u201cSorry\u201d \u201cExcuse me\u201d to various people when his elbows connected in rather sensitive areas.<\/p>\n Adam was smiling, his eyes looked rather vague and dreamlike, as though somehow behind them something else was going on entirely, but the smile was there, just the same as always. Ben was holding onto one hand in a firm grip, while his other hand rested on Adam\u2019s arm, and he was talking with a look on his face of such pleasure that Joe had to slow down his approach in order not to intrude on what was an obviously very private moment between the two men.<\/p>\n \u201cAh, Joe -\u201d it was Adam who saw him, the eyes brightened and looked alert, the smile widened, and Joe bounded towards him as though he were the little boy welcoming big brother back from college.<\/p>\n He wanted to embrace him, hold him close, but a slight awkwardness in body posture prevented him from doing so, instead he found himself shaking Adam\u2019s hand with both his,<\/p>\n \u201cWhen did you get here?\u201d he asked, his hazel eyes fixed on Adams face and noticing that his brother had stubble, his clothes were crumpled and dusty, and he looked not just tired but, well, kind of crumpled as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI got off the stage this morning. If I\u2019d known that Hoss was getting married -\u201d he paused, no, there was little point in saying anything more, even had he known he would have been unable to change anything, he lifted one shoulder and grimaced, \u201cI didn\u2019t know, it was just by chance that Barbara was at the house when I got there and she told me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t know?\u201d Joe frowned, and glanced at Ben, who was standing like a protective sheep dog at their side, \u201cDidn\u2019t you get our letters? Hoss was practically writing a journal to you \u2026\u201d he laughed at the memory of Hoss\u2019 letter writing and the packages that were posted off diligently every week.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was only one mail drop, and that was when we were in Hawaii \u2026\u201d Adam sighed, \u201cI guess they\u2019re all floating out there somewhere. Last letter I had from you , Joe, was about a black horse, and you trying to get to know a Miss Shannon more intimately. When Barbara said about a wedding today, I thought you had got yourself hitched.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head, and slapped Adam on the arm as though to dismiss the subject, he was about to speak again when Paul Martin and several others came to welcome back the Commodore, and Joe, with a last proud look at his brother, stepped away and found himself standing next to Ben, who indicated that they should go and welcome the newly married couple into the family.<\/p>\n But now Hoss had seen his brother, he bellowed the one word \u201cADAM\u201d and gripped Hester by the hand, towing her along in much the same manner as a tug boat hauls along a reticent yacht. Adam had raised his head to look over at his brother and smiled, he excused himself from the friends who were surrounding him in order to reach his brother before his brother could launch himself at him with one of his famous bear hugs \u2026 his eyes smiled at Hester, then turned back to Hoss.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, brother, what have you been up to while I\u2019ve been gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDidn\u2019t\u2019cha know?\u201d Hoss beamed, he turned to Hester and drew her gently forwards, \u201cHester, my love, this is my brother, my big brother \u2026 Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pleased to meet you,\u201d she smiled, her blue eyes searched his face, and his eyes looked down at her as warm as burnt treacle, her smile widened, there was nothing to fear from this man, despite his uniform and handsome looks, her blue eyes were every bit a match for his brown, \u201cHoss talks so much about you, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d he took her hand and shook it, held it just long enough to signify that they were not just friends, but brother and sister now, \u201cI\u2019m afraid I never received any mail from Hoss -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, but -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201calthough I\u2019m assured that when it reaches me I shall have volumes to read about you. It\u2019s good to meet you, Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Adam -\u201d Hoss threw open his arms \u201cCome and let me give you a big hug, shucks, I missed ya, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam laughed and stepped closer to Hester, he raised a hand to ward off the hug,<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you big lug, you just keep to hugging your wife -\u201d he smiled down at her, \u201cWelcome to the family, Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n She lowered her eyes now, and looked over at Hoss and smiled. Ann came now to kiss the bride, kiss the groom and welcome Adam home, she was closely followed by Candy, who displayed his daughter to Adam with such pride that Ann was almost embarrassed enough to apologise for him.<\/p>\n Joe watched with a bemused smile on his face and turned to his father,<\/p>\n \u201cGood timing, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, excellent.\u201d Ben replied, and put his arm across his youngest sons shoulders, and hugged him close, \u201cIt\u2019s like an answer to prayer, Joe. I can\u2019t describe to you the feeling I had when I realised he was standing there beside me.\u201d his voice trailed away, and a sadness fell like a shadow over his features, \u201cLife is going to change now, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know, Pa. But it\u2019ll be fun, won\u2019t it?\u201d and Joe laughed, because that\u2019s what he wanted to see ahead in life, fun, happiness, blessings. \u201cThey\u2019ll be happy, Pa.\u201d he looked at Ben who had found his smile again, \u201cHoss and Hester.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben drew in a deep breath, and nodded. Yes, he was quite sure that Hoss and Hester would be happy, they were two of a kind, the kind with whom love would grow, continuously, throughout their lives together.<\/p>\n \u201c – let\u2019s hope it\u2019s a long one\u2026\u201d he murmured and Joe glanced at him, frowned slightly without understanding. \u201cI meant, I hope their lives will be long , and happy.\u201d Ben said quickly.<\/p>\n Joe nodded, he looked over at the group around them, at Adam laughing along with Candy and Ann, holding little Rose in his arms, and at Hoss and Hester who now seemed oblivious to anyone else there, staring into one another\u2019s eyes. Oh yes, he thought, yes, let them have a long and happy life together.<\/p>\n Chapter 123<\/p>\n \u201cSo?\u201d Adam leaned against a tree trunk, glass of wine in hand, and smiled at his brother who had released his wife\u2019s hand so that he could talk to his big brother, and she could go and be sociable with the neighbours, \u201cAt long last, one of us actually managed to get married. How\u2019d you do it, Hoss?\u201d his eyes twinkled and he gave that familiar husky chuckle from deep in his throat,<\/p>\n \u201cShucks, Adam, I\u2019m still tryin\u2019 to figure it out myself.\u201d Hoss glanced over his shoulder to track his wife down and once he could see where she was, he relaxed, and turned his attention back to his brother, who found all this rather amusing for the smile on his face had broadened, and his face had taken on a gentle, tender expression as he had watched, \u201cI done wrote you so many letters, Adam, I even wrote and told you about Hester before I told Pa and Joe, probably -\u201d he paused, and frowned, \u201cprobably before I even realised myself just how much I cared about her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I wish I had received them, Hoss, I would have enjoyed reading them.\u201d he glanced over at Hester and observed her for some moments as she smiled, chatted and generally strolled around the grounds of the house stopping to talk to everyone she met, Barbara\u2019s little step daughter trailed beside her, no doubt caught up in the fairy tale fantasy she was creating in her own mind, \u201cYou realise that she\u2019s far too good for you, of course?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know it\u201d Hoss nodded gravely, \u201cI know it, Adam.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wish I had known, Hoss, I would have got you some gift -\u201d he paused and sighed, bowed his head and then gulped down some of the wine, \u201cWhat happened to Joe\u2019s romance?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, wal, that was a sad tale,\u201d Hoss sighed, \u201cCaleb Shannon\u2019s reputation kinda rubbed off on her and she felt it would cause problems between \u2018em, so she quit town.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that all? She couldn\u2019t have loved Joe very much then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she did, I think she realised that he didn\u2019t love her, not enough anyhow. I reckon he\u2019s still hankering after -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c- Little Moon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt figures.\u201d he gulped the rest of his wine down and straightened up, winced, and leaned back against the tree.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, what\u2019s the matter?\u201d Hoss came to stand closer, shielding Adam\u2019s body from anyone who was looking on, \u201cYour hurt or something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI got shot -\u201d Adam replied quietly, \u201cParting gift from a lady.\u201d he smiled enigmatically, and glanced at his brother, \u201cDon\u2019t worry, Hoss, it\u2019s improving. Probably the travelling didn\u2019t do me much good -\u201d he sighed deeply and raised his dark eyebrows in a quizzical manner, then looked at his brother and smiled, \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he repeated, \u201cIt\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cQuite sure.\u201d he glanced around and saw Ben striding towards them, he nudged Hoss with his elbow, \u201cDon\u2019t say anything to Pa.\u201d<\/p>\n Hoss nodded and looked as relaxed and unconcerned as he could, while Adam straightened himself up and smiled at his father, then turned to Hoss<\/p>\n \u201cWill you and Hester be coming back home with us this evening?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNope – I\u2019m taking my wife someplace away from you for a few days\u201d Hoss blushed a little and both Ben and Adam exchanged a wink between them, and then laughed a little at Hoss\u2019 discomfiture.<\/p>\n \u201cWal, a man has to have some privacy – with his wife, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d Adam chuckled and excused himself to track down his youngest brother.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Cassandra Pelman sat in the carriage and watched the city slip away. Under half hooded eyelids she watched and then turned to look at the men in the carriage with her, she sighed, and shook her head. Days had passed and she had answered so many questions that her head reeled. Questions that went back so far that she was amazed at how much her inquisitors actually knew and how much they were guessing. It was like a gigantic puzzle where they expected her to pick up and fit in the missing pieces.<\/p>\n She smoothed a hand over her skirts, and felt soft silk beneath her fingers. She was wearing the best of clothes, had eaten the best food and slept at the most expensive hotel, but at her door there had been a Marine on duty. When she went into the gardens then two Marines walked several paces behind her. She was, and she knew it, a prisoner every bit as much as when she had been on board Adam Cartwrights ship.<\/p>\n She wondered what he was doing now and glanced up to see Dr Soames watching her. She forced a smile to her lips,<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking about Adam Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally? How strange, so was I.\u201d he smiled back at her, but his eyes did not, and she shrunk back in her seat, \u201cI was wondering if I would ever see him again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I was wondering what he was doing.\u201d she sighed and looked away, \u201cWhy do you think they treat me as a prisoner? Am I one? Am I going to be tried? Adam said I was being granted amnesty, but surely that would mean I was free?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOnce they have all the information from you that they feel they need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInformation – always the same – questions, and answers, and then – more questions.\u201d she clenched her fists tightly together in her lap, tightly so that no one would notice how much they were trembling, but then her knees were shaking too, so that in the end she could only let out a little moan and bury her head in her hands, \u201cI can\u2019t go on like this -\u201d she cried, \u201cI need something to help me through this -\u201d<\/p>\n The Marine sharing the carriage as her guard looked over at Soames<\/p>\n \u201cIs she sick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn a manner of speaking – \u201c Soames replied and he leaned forward and took hold of her hand , \u201cMrs Pelman, I can give you something that will help you to calm down, if you could just wait -\u201d he opened his bag and rummaged around for the sedative that usually had worked on her, but as he reached out for the phial her hand had pushed his away, and her fingers had tightened around the neck of a small green glass bottle, \u201cNo -\u201d he leaned forward, \u201cNo, not that one -\u201d he cried, \u201cGuard, stop her -\u201d<\/p>\n She laughed at them, threw back her head and laughed. Her hand moved, too fast, the contents were swallowed until she choked, unable to swallow anymore, the Marine pulled her hand away and then looked with frightened eyes at Soames as Cassandra Pelman collapsed back in her seat, while the effect of the poison she had ingested began to take its destructive course.<\/p>\n \u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n Ben stood between his eldest and youngest sons and raised a hand in farewell to Mr and Mrs Eric \u2018Hoss\u2019 Cartwright.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know where they\u2019re going?\u201d Adam murmured, a smile aching on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cHis place – he built a cabin there some time back.\u201d Joe replied, his eyes twinkled, he knew Adam would remember what was meant and where it would be, no further explanation were necessary. He put a hand on his father\u2019s shoulder and grinned, \u201cHey, Pa, you could be a Grand-daddy this time next year -\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a thought -\u201d Ben replied turning now towards the house, the Canady\u2019s house, following along behind those guests who still remained to wave off the happy couple.<\/p>\n Adam sighed, and looked wistfully at the house, then turned away, a beautiful view was still a beautiful view, nothing could change that, nothing at all.<\/p>\n The End<\/p>\n Next Story in the Captain Cartwright Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n Invictus<\/a> Reviewer: Chavel 47 Anonymous Normally one submits a review after reading the entire story. \u00a0Since I saw you were posting a series of stories, I went back to find the first one. \u00a0I wanted to read them in sequence. \u00a0As you can see, I am on #4, Chapter 95. \u00a0I find your stories captivating. \u00a0It takes all my will power to put down the iPad and do the other tasks like “work”. \u00a0I enjoy reading Adam’s adventures and at the same time seeing what is happening back home on the Ponderosa. \u00a0You have so many twists and turns. \u00a0Thank you for such a fascinating read and something to look forward each time I get to take a break from my other obligations.<\/p>\n Author’s Response: Chavel 47, I do so apologise for being so late in replying to your review, I tend to forget to check to see if there are any new ones. I was very, very touched by what you have written here, Chavel, thank you. What you have said means a great deal to me and I can’t thank you enough for letting me iknow what you think of the stories. I do hope that you continue to read the others and enjoy them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Believe me, they are a labour of love. Thanks again, best wishes, Krystyna<\/em><\/p>\n **********<\/p>\n
\nTo Fly with Eagles<\/a>
\nCaptain, Oh My Captain<\/a>
\nThe Commodore<\/a>
\nInvictus<\/a>
\nCarpe Diem<\/a>
\nA New Command<\/a>
\nA Duty to Live<\/a>
\nAll Those Tomorrows<\/a>
\nWritten in Stone<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n
\nSylvia was adept at picking locks. She\u2019d been doing that for a long time and now she merely smiled when she found the door of her room locked. A hair grip, a few minutes, and the door swung open. Merry the maid who had been stationed there to ensure that she remained in her room just stared, opened her eyes as wide as could be and then winked. She stepped back for Sylvia to hurry down the stairs and out of the house.<\/p>\n
\nJoe replied thoughtfully, \u201cIf they haven\u2019t a dead body, they can\u2019t keep Pa in jail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n
\npieces of confetti, \u201cHave I come at the wrong moment?\u201d he asked innocently.<\/p>\n
\n*
\nThe Mayor of Virginia City, Lewis R. Bradley, listened attentively to Roy Coffee, and read through the statements, glancing every so often up at the two deputies who stood behind the older man.<\/p>\n
\ndeliver a tray of food to a prisoner – or was he being fanciful. Jamieson shook his head, he had been trained to observe, and with good training one developed instincts. A woman supplying food to a prisoner wouldn\u2019t be in a state of near collapse afterwards, wouldn\u2019t cast those nervous guilty looks about her. A woman who had done something against their nature, something wrong – yes, a woman then would do such a thing.<\/p>\n
\nKal\u0101kaua had met the previous year, were extolled. The King\u2019s brother William Pitt Leleiohoku* was particularly obsequious towards Adam, and the Queen Dowager, Emma, who was known as the Kaleleokalani*, was so attentive and pro-American that her speech was utterly endearing to them all.<\/p>\n
\nThe ships sails began to fill and the great vessel groaned and sighed and creaked. The Hawaii\u2019ns who had paddled out to rendez vous with the ship stopped their paddling and watched as the \u2018Great bird\u2019 seemed to lift up out of the water momentarily, before beginning to carve her way through the waves. With cries and chants they bade their farewells to The Shenandoah and her crew, some of the women cast lei\u2019s upon the water so that the colourful wreaths floated alongside the ships\u2019 hull until they were eventually left far behind.<\/p>\n
\nAnd far from eye or ear
\nWan waves and wet winds labour,
\nWeak ships and spirits steer;
\nThey drive adrift and whither,
\nThey wot not who make thither
\nBut no such winds blow hither,
\nAnd no such things grow here.<\/p>\n
\nNor any change of light,
\nNor sound of waters shaken,
\nNor any sound or sight:
\nNor wintry leaves nor vernal,
\nNor days nor things diurnal;
\nOnly the sleep eternal
\nIn an eternal night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAlexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov*<\/p>\n
\nCassandra stood at the window and watched the rain falling, slipping down the glass like so many thousands of tears. She was so angry that if it had been possible she would have thrown something through the glass and felt some delight in seeing the whole thing crash into pieces. They were not going to pay for the ship until further inspections had been carried out. The ship, the Count had said politely, had to be perfect and how could they present to the Czar a less than perfect gift from such a pretty lady? It would offend him and be an insult to her. Pah! She ground her teeth in fury and reached for a cigarette.<\/p>\n
\nknew nothing about life out here, and back then, it was a whole lot wilder than it is now. Shucks, she couldn\u2019t shoot a barn, let alone a barn door. Pretty good with the epee\u2019s though -\u201d his smile softened as he spoke, memories of his mother although softened his mood, whatever the mood happened to be at the time.<\/p>\n
\nAll\u2019s right with the world.\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n
\nHe stifled a sigh. There were times when the confines of cabin and ship became practically claustrophobic leaving him feeling depressed and as Joe would put it, definitely grumpy. His body at times ached with the longing to be in the saddle and galloping across the Ponderosa on Sport, feeling the fresh wind in his face and the rich scent of sage and pine. He longed for Hop Sing\u2019s cooking, the smell of his father\u2019s pipe and the sound of his father\u2019s voice. Sometimes he dreamed that he was sitting in the big room, a book in his hand, his father talking, the flames of the fire snapping in the hearth, Joe and Hoss engrossed in a game of checkers.<\/p>\n
\nThan all the valleys of Ionian hills.
\nThe swimming vapour slopes athwart the glen,
\nPuts forth an arm, and creeps from pine to pine,
\nAnd loiters, slowly drawn. On either hand
\nThe lawns and meadow ledges midway down
\nHang rich in flowers and far below them roars
\nThe long brook falling thro- the clov\u2019n ravine
\nIn cataract after cataract to the sea.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNikisch\u2019s voice was low, sibiliant and the eyes glittered in some perverse triumph.<\/p>\n
\nZhukov said quietly.<\/p>\n
\nThy beauty’s form in table of my heart;
\nMy body is the frame wherein ’tis held,
\nAnd perspective it is best painter’s art.
\nFor through the painter must you see his skill,
\nTo find where your true image pictur’d lies,
\nWhich in my bosom’s shop is hanging still,
\nThat hath his windows glazed with thine eyes.
\nNow see what good turns eyes for eyes have done:
\nMine eyes have drawn thy shape, and thine for me
\nAre windows to my breast, where-through the sun
\nDelights to peep, to gaze therein on thee;
\nYet eyes this cunning want to grace their art,
\nThey draw but what they see, know not the heart.<\/p>\n
\nThe voice mumbled and Scott mumbled something more, and then she recognised the footsteps that approached, stopped, and the dark voice asking what was going on.<\/p>\n
\nTo cast me off discourteously
\nFor I have loved you well and long,
\nDelighting in your company.<\/p>\n
\nGreensleeves was my delight
\nGreensleeves was my heart of gold,
\nAnd who but my lady green sleeves.<\/p>\n
\nA heart of wanton vanity
\nSo must I meditate alone
\nUpon your insincerity.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOh why did you so enrapture me?
\nBut my heart remains in captivity ..\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n
\nwhat would that really have achieved?\u201d Adam replied with a rather puzzled expression on his face as he looked at his friend, as though surprised that he would even think of such a thing.<\/p>\n
\nShe laughed and leaned forward, taking hold of his arm as she did so,<\/p>\n
\nThere were shouted commands, feet thudding over head on the upper deck that formed her ceiling, the murmur of voices close to her door. She crept closer and leaned against the wood panels in order to hear what was being said, but there was just too much noise.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cPrepare yourself and your things for leaving the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nShe looked at him, \u201cYou didn\u2019t fight in the war, did you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNeither spoke but stood on opposite sides of the bars and stared at one another. She, beautiful and tragic, and he, handsome and distraught. Eventually he took a step closer<\/p>\n
\nLooking at himself.<\/p>\n
\nYour everloving wife
\nMaria.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nYour brother – Joseph F Cartwight\u201d<\/p>\n
\nCaptain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nA magic web with colours gay.
\nA curse is on her if she stay
\nTo look down to Camelot.
\nShe knows not what the curse may be,
\nAnd so she weaveth steadily,
\nAnd little other care hath she,
\nThe Lady of Shalott\u201d\u2019<\/p>\n
\nThat hangs before her all the year,
\nShadows of the world appear.
\nThere she sees the highway near
\nWinding down to Camelot;
\nThere the river eddy whirls,
\nAnd there the surly village churls,
\nAnd the red cloaks of market girls
\nPass onward from Shalott.
\nSometimes \u2026 \u201c he stopped, frowned and was about to speak when the door opened and Soames stepped into the room.<\/p>\n
\nThe mirror crack’d from side to side;
\n“The curse is come upon me,” cried
\nThe Lady of Shalott.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n
\nGoing to the fair
\nHere\u2019s a pill
\nIn case you\u2019re ill\u201d and she laughed, laughed shrilly, and rocked back and forth, back and forth, \u201cWhat comes next then? What comes next? Jeffrey can tell you. He\u2019s the doctor. Take a pill to make you ill .. Make you ill \u2026\u201d and the laughter came again, then caught on a sob, \u201cHe\u2019s the doctor, Jeffrey, gives me pills.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nPat it and prick it and mark it with C
\nPut it in the oven for Cassandra and me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThe irate cook scowled belligerently at Hoss and then turned to Ben as though to appeal for help from him, Ben smiled,<\/p>\n
\nGive me a pill
\nBecause I\u2019m ill
\nJeffrey\u2019s the Doctor
\nJeffrey\u2019s the Doctor, he\u2019ll give me a pill.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nTired and weary
\nTake a pill
\nDon\u2019t be ill
\nJeffrey\u2019s the Doctor \u2026 the Doctor.\u201d she was whispering the words now, her eyes turning from one corner of the room to the other, from one man\u2019s face to the other. The she stood up and walked towards the bars, involuntarily both men stepped back.<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n
\n\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n
\nCarpe Diem<\/a>
\nA New Command<\/a>
\nA Duty to Live<\/a>
\nAll Those Tomorrows<\/a>
\nWritten in Stone<\/a> <\/p>\n
\nDate: 25 Jan 2013 12:46 pm Title: Chapter 1<\/p>\n