Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (55 page)

             
Harry
was
on
watch
as
they
drew
abreast
of
the
famous
Cape
and
the
lookout
spied
Virago
and
her
charges
leaving
False
Bay
on
its
other
side.
Looking
eastward
himself,
he
noticed
the
manner
in
which
the
two
oceans
seemed
reluctant
to
mingle
and
exclaimed
in
surprise.

             
Next
to
him
Mister
Wentworth
chuckled.
"
Aye,
look
well
on
it,
Mister
Heron.
The
Indian
Ocean
and
the
Atlantic
meet
here
–
see
the
waters
are
dark
on
our
side
and
lighter
where
Virago
stands
onward.
There
the
waters
of
the
tropics;
here
the
water
of
the
Southern
ice.
"
He
pointed
to
the
south
west
and
added,
"
See
that
line
of
dark
cloud?
It
foretells
hard
weather
and
we
are
standing
down
toward
it.
Our
course
from
here
will
be
through
hard
winds
and
seas
that
do
not
forgive
mistakes.
"

             
They
were
interrupted
by
Midshipman
Peterson
'
s
voice.
"
Swallow
is
signaling,
sir,
"
he
reported.
"
She
seeks
permission
to
detach
herself
and
the
Indiamen
and
join
Virago
.
"

             
"
Lucky
devils,
"
Mister
Rogers
commented,
"
Not
for
them
the
southern
route,
they
go
east
and
north
to
Madras.
"
He
nodded
to
the
waiting
midshipman.
"
Very
well,
acknowledge.
Permission
to
proceed.
"

             
"
They
'
ll
not
escape
the
blow
those
clouds
predict,
"
the
Master
told
Harry,
his
attention
on
the
slowly
closing
transports.
"
At
least
they
will
have
the
warmer
weather
sooner
than
we
but
the
coast
they
must
pass
toward
Ile
de
France
is
a
treacherous
one
in
wild
weather.
"

-

             
Commander
Valerie
Petrocova
was
not
satisfied.
There
was
a
malfunction
somewhere
in
her
target
location
and
tracking
system
and
it
was
proving
elusive.
The
change
in
management
of
the
Dock
Platform
and
the
project
had
had
an
unforeseen
side
effect.
Now
all
the
civil
servants
played
strictly
by
their
"
rules
"
and
refused
to
allow
anything,
no
matter
how
trivial,
unless
it
was
first
requested
using
an
endless
and
time
consuming
set
of
forms.
She
stabbed
at
her
tablet,
completing
yet
another
"
case
"
for
a
change
that
would
make
the
unworkable,
work.

             
"
It
'
s
bloody
obvious
the
damned
thing
can
'
t
work
in
this
configuration
–
but
that
moron
in
the
Installation
Office
refuses
to
allow
me
to
do
what
is
needed,
even
though
it
won
'
t
cost
a
single
cent
–
unless
I
have
filled
in
this
damned
form
yet
again
so
he
can
cover
his
fat
backside.
Even
then
he
'
ll
find
reasons
why
I
haven
'
t
completed
it
to
his
satisfaction
and
will
want
it
rejigged
and
then
refer
it
to
another
bloody
meeting!
"
She
was
angry
and
her
fellow
Commanders
sympathized.

             
"
They
'
re
all
the
same,
supposed
to
be
here
to
make
our
jobs
easier
'
and
allow
you
to
focus
on
your
specialty
'
.
"
Commander
Grenville
mimicked
their
least
favourite
bureaucrat.
"
Interesting
that
–
I
seem
to
end
up
filling
in
endless
requests
for
the
services
they
are
supposed
to
be
delivering
so
I
can
do
my
job
–
yet
more
than
sixty
percent
of
my
time
is
spent
asking
for
the
things
I
need
to
get
on
with
it.
"

             
"
Bloody
waste
of
space,
"
snapped
Mary
Allison.
"
At
least
we
'
ve
now
got
the
right
kit
for
our
reactors.
Damned
fool
could
have
killed
the
lot
of
us
with
his
substituting
inferior
equipment.
"

             
"
Relax
team
and
learn
to
play
their
game.
"
Richard
Grenville
seated
himself
in
the
group.
"
It
'
s
all
about
control.
If
they
can
make
you
jump
through
hoops
it
makes
them
feel
important
and
of
course
means
their
job
becomes
indispensable.
Learn
to
beat
them
at
their
own
game
–
every
time
they
ask
for
something
like
this,
put
your
request
to
them
in
writing
with
copies
to
Fleet,
the
Captain
and
the
Admiral
Constructor.
Then
include
a
statement
in
your
submission
to
the
effect
that
the
delay
in
providing
whatever
it
is,
is
costing-
'
x
'
per
day.
"