Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (135 page)

             
Ferghal
chuckled.
"
Better
fare
than
any
we
have
ever
seen,
Master
Harry,
but
I
suggest
the
goose
breast
yonder,
perhaps
with
some
of
this,
"
he
indicated
a
platter
of
small
fishes
dressed
with
fragrant
herbs
and
slices
of
lime.
"
And
these
Quail
eggs
may
find
favour
as
well.
"

             
Harry
quickly
selected
several
items
and
presented
this
to
the
waiting
attendant.
With
a
small
bow
he
said,
"
My
thanks
to
his
majesty
and
I
hope
he
will
find
these
dishes
to
his
taste.
"

             
This
was
quickly
translated
and
the
servant
made
his
way
to
where
the
Sultan
sat
with
the
Captain
and
the
Company
'
s
diplomat.

             
Mister
Bell
joined
the
two
midshipmen
as
the
Sultan
accepted
the
platter
and
acknowledged
Harry.
"
Well,
well,
Mister
Heron,
quite
the
diplomat
I
see.
"
He
smiled,
"
Gentlemen,
it
is
now
open
season
on
the
dinner
–
I
see
you
are
quite
starving,
Mister
Tanner,
best
eat
before
you
waste
away
entirely.
"
He
moved
on
to
speak
to
several
important
looking
Omanis
who
had
come
with
the
Sultan,
the
local
agent
accompanying
him
and
translating
on
his
behalf.

             
"
Phew,
"
breathed
Harry.
"
I
did
not
expect
that.
Here,
what
happened
ashore
while
I
was
running
errands
to
the
palace?
"

             
"
I
don
'
t
have
the
full
story,
"
Kit
answered,
checking
that
Midshipman
Barclay
was
elsewhere.
"
But
it
seems
they
were
more
or
less
pushed
away
from
the
market
they
were
supposed
to
be
in
and
set
up
for
capture.
Though
whether
as
hostages
or
something
else,
no
one
seems
to
know.
The
Sultan
'
s
spies
got
wind
of
it
–
or
expected
it
–
and
sent
to
the
ship
inviting
the
Captain
to
send
the
Bullocks
to
fetch
them
home.
He
sent
some
of
his
own
soldiers
with
them
–
but
the
word
is
that
he
used
it
as
a
diversion
while
he
dealt
with
other
matters
within
his
own
court.
You
may
notice
that
the
battery
on
Al
Minari
has
been
moved?
"

             
"
I
hadn
'
t,
"
Harry
said.
"
But
I
am
not
surprised.
I
am
willing
to
wager
that
it
was
the
Sultan
'
s
uncle
–
who
does
not
appear
to
be
present
–
and
his
French
friends
who
were
behind
that.
"

             
Ferghal
approached
as
they
talked
and
Harry
asked,
"
What
passed
in
the
Souq?
Where
were
you
when
the
Bullocks
found
you?
"

             
"
I
think
they
intended
to
take
at
least
some
of
us
as
slaves,
Master
Harry,
"
Ferghal
replied.
"
One
at
least
had
his
eye
on
me
in
the
manner
of
the
slavers
we
fought
on
the
voyage
from
Gibraltar
and
I
could
near
enough
feel
the
slave
irons
on
me.
Mister
Tanha
tells
the
Fourth
that
we
were
next
the
Slave
Market
and
the
dungeons
they
holds
them
in
for
sale.
"

             
"
A
good
place
then
to
hide
those
you
have
seized,
"
said
Kit.
He
spied
Midshipman
Barclay
making
his
way
toward
them
and
said,
"
Batten
down,
Harry.
Here
comes
our
senior,
spoiling
for
a
fight
if
I
read
his
expression
right.
"

             
Eamon
Barclay
was
indeed
spoiling
for
an
argument.
But
Harry
refused
to
give
him
that
satisfaction
and
ignored
his
barbed
comments
and
thinly
veiled
insults,
steadfastly
refusing
to
allow
himself
to
be
baited.
It
took
all
Harry
'
s
willpower
not
to
punch
his
antagonist
or
to
lose
his
temper.
However,
in
the
effort
this
cost
him
he
did
inadvertently
crush
a
rather
fine
pewter
tankard
he
had
been
holding.

             
Seeing
this
and
reading
the
murder
lurking
in
Harry
'
s
eyes,
Eamon
sensibly,
for
once,
left
him
to
join
his
crony
Midshipman
Peterson
further
along
the
table.

             
"
Phew,
"
breathed
Kit
rejoining
Harry.
"
I
thought
I
'
d
see
you
call
him
out
or
drive
your
dirk
though
him
–
well
done
on
holding
yourself
in
check.
He
'
s
insufferable!
"