Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (80 page)

             
"
Indeed
he
shall,
for
I
shall
convey
you
to
his
residence
myself
and
make
my
complaint
to
him
in
your
presence,
"
snapped
Lieutenant
Rae.
"
We
did
not
risk
our
lives
to
snatch
these
women
and
their
children
from
certain
death
so
that
you
and
your,
"
he
raised
his
chin
in
disdain,
"
roughians
could
use
them
as
you
please.
Their
sentence
to
this
God
forsaken
place
is
sufficient
and
if
you
'
ve
a
mind
to
object
to
my
naming
your
troop
greater
felons
than
those
we
have
conveyed
here,
then
I
am
content
to
name
my
seconds.
"

             
For
a
moment
there
was
silence.
Then
the
captain
looked
away,
"
Oh
very
well.
Sergeant!
See
that
these
convicts
are
housed
–
and
do
not
take
liberties,
or
you
will
feel
my
displeasure
and
that
of
the
Major.
"

***

             
There
were
repercussions
from
this
confrontation,
though
they
were
not
direct.
Food
suddenly
became
more
expensive
or
unavailable
as
soon
as
the
Purser
attempted
to
secure
fresh
supplies.
Requests
for
assistance
in
other
matters
also
met
with
excuses
or
went
unanswered,
the
usual
response
being
that
this
or
that
officer
had
to
give
approval
and
the
officer
concerned
was
never
available.
Finally
Captain
Blackwood
had
had
enough.
He
demanded
an
interview
with
the
Governor
and
named
names.
He
also
pointed
out
that
all
of
the
obstructive
behaviour
would
form
a
part
of
his
reports
and
would
be
copied
to
Madras,
Bombay,
Calcutta
and
most
importantly,
London.
Governor
King
was
incensed;
himself
a
Post
Captain
in
the
Royal
Navy
he
knew
full
well
what
this
meant
for
the
ships
and
the
matter
was
very
swiftly
resolved.

             
As
a
conciliatory
gesture,
Captain
Blackwood
invited
the
Governor
and
his
senior
officers
to
dinner
aboard
Spartan
and
there,
for
the
moment,
matters
were
left.
A
pragmatic
man,
Captain
Blackwood
had
no
doubt
that
the
abuse
of
the
convicts
continued
unabated.
As
he
told
his
lieutenants,
"
There
is
little
we
can
do
gentlemen,
however
we
may
feel
on
this
matter.
Nor
must
we
forget
that
the
courts
have
determined
that
this
is
a
suitable
punishment
for
the
felonies
these
convicts
were
charged
with.
"
He
held
up
a
hand.
"
Do
not
mistake
me,
our
own
people
have
as
harsh,
if
not
harsher
life
in
some
circumstances,
at
least
these
felons
have
a
future
here
to
look
forward
too.
Harsh
as
it
may
be,
they
do
have
the
right
to
settle
and
even
to
send
for
their
families
once
their
sentence
is
expired.
"

***

             
Ferghal,
now
a
regular
member
of
the
barge
crew,
watched
as
the
banks
drew
inwards
toward
the
head
of
the
great
harbour.
The
boat
was
now
making
slower
progress
as
the
current
was
against
them
nosing
into
the
river
that
disgorged
itself
into
the
headwaters
of
the
vast
sea
lough
as
he
and
Harry
thought
it.
Reed
banks
marked
the
shallows
and
insects
buzzed,
swarmed
and
bit
in
the
almost
stifling
heat
of
the
day.
Aft,
a
party
of
officers,
including
Captain
Kriesler
of
the
Royal
Marines
sat
at
their
ease.
The
wealthier
among
them
carried
sporting
guns,
Captain
Kriesler
having
a
fine
Purdy
Rifle
as
well
as
a
brace
of
pistols
from
the
same
manufacturer.
Others,
Lieutenant
Bell
among
them,
made
do
with
a
solid
'
Brown
Bess
'
albeit
that
these
were
somewhat
modified
and
refined
to
their
use.
A
small
cove
opened
to
the
north
and
the
boat
swung
in
toward
the
muddy
beach.

             
"
Standby
in
the
bows
there,
Fergie
lad,
"
called
the
Coxswain.
"
She
'
ll
take
ground
a
ways
out
hereabouts.
"

             
Ferghal
acknowledged
the
instruction
and
prepared
to
jump
overboard
to
steady
the
boat
and
ensure
it
did
not
become
stuck.
He
recalled
that
this
river
was
named
by
the
natives,
so
he
was
told
anyway,
as
the
place
to
catch
eels.
A
strange
name
he
remembered
vaguely,
something
with
a
'
P
'
.
As
he
judged
his
spot
and
swung
himself
over
the
side,
the
name
came
to
him
–
Parramatta!
With
that
his
feet
hit
the
muddy
bottom
and
he
yelped
as
the
mud
seemed
to
erupt
with
eels
swarming
from
beneath
his
feet
and
round
his
legs.
He
lost
his
balance
and
fell
with
a
splash
as
the
boat
almost
rode
over
him,
only
his
desperate
grip
on
the
stem
saving
him
from
being
forced
beneath
it.