Read Online Galleon by Dudley Pope - Free Book Online Page A

and seven, too. And we’d better start looking for a bigger council chamber, too. I’ve got barns better than this hutch.”
    Luce looked startled. “Well , Mr – ah…”
    “Fraser,” the man said uncompromisingly, and spelled it out for good measure.
    “Well, Mr Fraser, it all seems straightforward to me, I can’t see any reason to delay the Convertine .”
    “There’s no reason to delay the Convertine ,” Fraser agreed. “You’ll need something bigger than a frigate to carry the minutes of this meeting to London after we’ve talked about the items on the agenda.”
    “To what items are you referring?” Sir Harold asked, not bothering to keep the chill out of his voice.
    “Three, four and seven, of course!”
    “Ah yes,” Luce said, as though talking to a child. “But of course item number ten is the important one.”
    Fraser’s finger ran down the list. “What, the one that says ‘To hear the new constitution’?”
    “Yes. I intend reading it to you.”
    “Why is that so important?” Thomas asked suspiciously, his eyes narrowing as he realized that Fraser had not caught the significance of the triumphant tone in Luce’s voice.
    “Ah yes,” Luce said, and Thomas noted that he would hate that phrase before many more hours had passed, “the constitution gives the Governor power to dissolve the legislative council.”
    For a few moments the rest of the members did not grasp the meaning, but Ned asked at once: “What happens then?”
    “Ah yes,” Luce said innocently, “then the Governor rules the island by decree.”
    “You just give orders without being accountable to anyone, that’s what you mean?” Fraser demanded.
    “That’s a crude way of describing governing by decree, but certainly–” Luce hesitated a moment and then decided to try to placate the men staring at him, “–certainly it means governing without the help and advice of you gentlemen.”
    “Well, let’s get on with it,” Fraser growled.
    Luce nodded, and began reading from a paper in front of him: it was the King’s commission establishing him as Governor of Jamaica, and conveying the King’s greeting to the island’s people. As soon as he had finished, Luce rolled up the scroll with a flourish and gave it to his secretary, who handled it as though any sudden movement might change the wording.
    “Now,” Luce told the seated men, “your names have been suggested to me as suitable members of the legislative council. You will appreciate,” he said casually, “that few of you are known to me personally at this stage, so I might later suggest that certain of you resign to make way for – er, replacements.”
    “The naughty boys will be sent out of the room,” Thomas commented to no one in particular. “Quite right too: can’t have teacher upset, can we.”
    Luce tried to squeeze a smile to show that he could appreciate a joke, but obviously he suspected that Sir Thomas Whetstone was not joking. “Well, now you all have the agenda for this meeting. As you see, I have already dealt with the first item, reading my commission. The second item simply says, as you can see, ‘Agreement to serve’. As I have not yet received written acceptances from all you of my invitation to serve on the council, I will assume that anyone not now withdrawing from the room is in fact accepting. Yes? Good, I am sure we shall work well together.
    “Now we come to the third item, ‘Paying off and disbanding the Army’. Yes, Mr Fraser,” he said holding up a hand, “I know you want to speak on the subject, but first please allow me to describe my instructions from the King–”
    “From the Secretary for Trade and Foreign Plantations, more likely,” Thomas growled.
    “Ah yes,” Luce said. “The Secretary was speaking in the King’s name, of course.”
    “Of course,” Thomas agreed. “Please go on…”
    Hurriedly, fearing more interruptions, Luce repeated what he had already told Ned and Thomas: he had brought out