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

£12,247 to share among the 2,073 soldiers, representing their overdue pay and a gratuity.
    “A total of less than six pounds a man,” Fraser commented.
    “That’s the pay due to them, and a gratuity – what more can they expect?”
    “Mr Fraser wasn’t thinking of that,” Thomas said, “he was thinking that £12,000 is a small price to pay for the defence of the island.”
    “Ah yes,” Luce exclaimed brightly, “but four hundred infantry and one hundred and fifty cavalry will be kept as long as I think necessary.”
    “Five hundred and fifty men and a few score spavined nags?” Ned asked. “That works out at one man for every three miles of coast – providing that none is sick, and no horse has gone lame.”
    Luce shrugged his shoulders elaborately and held up his hands. “Gentlemen, gentlemen, I’m afraid all this is out of my hands. This was decided in London and these are my instructions.”
    Fraser sniffed contemptuously. “Just means that we still have to rely on the buccaneers to protect us.”
    “Oh no, it doesn’t,” Ned said quietly. “Read the next item on the agenda.”
    Fraser read aloud: “Item four ‘Commissions and letters of marque’.” He stared at the Governor. “What exactly does that mean?”
    “Wait until we come to it, Mr Fraser,” Luce said impatiently. “We must approach these matters in the correct order.”
    Thomas began laughing, a deep laugh which started in his belly and erupted like spasmodic explosions. “The correct order! Your Excellency has a splendid sense of humour.”
    “I fail to see any joke,” Luce said stiffly.
    “No, I suppose not,” Thomas said sadly. “But these gentlemen will think you are teasing them. First you tell them they no longer have an Army – which, with respect to General Heffer, was a polite name for a rabble. Then, in the next item on the agenda, you are going to tell them you’re sending away the very men who in the past have brought them guns, food, gold and silver. I can’t speak for the rest of the council, but as far as I can see you’ll have ruined the island long before you hand it over to Spain!”
    At once several of the men jumped up, yelling at Luce, asking if Jamaica really had been promised to Spain.
    White-faced, Luce stood up, forgetting the gavel lying on the table, and started to shout back, more from fright than because he had any answers. Thomas glanced at Ned and winked, and then saw Heffer watching and obviously struggling hard to keep the satisfaction showing in his face.
    Finally the shouting men sat down, out of breath, but Luce remained standing, apparently dazed by his councillors’ violent reaction and uncertain what to do. The skin covering his narrow face was even more shrunken and his yellowed teeth were bared, as though he knew he was cornered. His eyes flickered from left to right, as if he was looking for a bolt hole.
    Finally Heffer came to his rescue, picking up the gavel and tapping the table. “Gentlemen, we are still discussing item number three, the disbanding of the Army and the formation of a militia…”
    Luce, like a man suddenly coming from darkness into a well-lit room, sat down and numbly took the gavel proffered by Heffer. “Ah yes, number three. That does not call for any decision by the council, since I have my instructions: I was merely reporting to the council. The same goes for number four, so we move on to–”
    “Surely Your Excellency is going to report to the council your instructions concerning item number four?” Ned asked quietly.
    “You’d better,” Fraser told the Governor harshly. “If the damned Dons had captured this island, I reckon they’d be singing the same song as you!”
    “There’s nothing to get excited about,” Luce muttered, obviously fighting hard to keep the despair from his voice. “You gentlemen must understand that we are no longer at war with Spain. The two nations must live together peacefully–”
    “Aye, try telling that to the