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a Union flag break out and flutter lazily in a gentle breeze. Four men now in irons on board the flagship would have heard that gun—it would be only a few feet from where they were under guard—and they would know they were soon to stand trial for their lives over something that happened more than two years ago.
    Will Stafford put down the telescope, picked up the slate and wrote: “7 o’clock, flagship fired one gun and hoisted Union at mizenm’head.” He glanced up but decided to wait before adding the rest of the entry: “Captain & First Lieutenant left ship to attend court martial.”
    He saw that both officers looked drawn: the skin on the Captain’s face was taut, and the light from the sun, still low, emphasized his high cheekbones and deep-sunk eyes. He was tanned, but Stafford saw the strain was there. And the First Lieutenant—Mr Aitken never took a tan, and now he was even more pale, and nervous too, fiddling with his sword, his eyes glancing round the ship. Anyone would think they were on trial, Stafford thought, instead of the two pair o’ murderers.
    Ramage saw that the boat was waiting at the starboard gang-way, the painter being held forward and the sternfast aft. He patted his pocket to make sure he was carrying his commission and saw Southwick had noticed the gesture and knew what it meant. The Master obviously had in mind discreetly checking that he had not forgotten it.
    The
Calypso
was the farthest from the
Invincible,
yet already a boat was on its way from one of the other frigates. Southwick raised an eyebrow and Ramage nodded, whereupon the Master bellowed: “Man the side!” Two seamen ran to the gangway and swung over the side to hold out the manropes for the two officers to grasp as they climbed down the ship’s side, treading carefully on the battens that formed narrow steps. Ramage gestured to Aitken, who swung his sword round, jammed his hat firmly on his head and went over the side into the boat. Ramage followed, and when they went alongside the
Invincible
the sequence would be reversed: the senior officer was the last in and first out of a boat.
    Jackson soon had the men rowing briskly, but Ramage told him to slow down. The court martial began at eight, and within the limits of obeying orders—which meant obeying the seven o’clock gun—he had no wish to waste time on board the flag-ship in idle chat with the other captains. The Admiral, for once, could sleep in late at his house in the dockyard: he would not appear on board the flagship until the trial was over, because no doubt his great cabin would be used, with refreshments served in the coach.
    The boat was a pistol-shot from the
Invincible
when a Marine sentry shouted “Boat ahoy!” and Jackson bellowed back
“Calypso!”
—the traditional way of indicating that the boat carried the captain of the ship named. Ramage heard shouted orders and sidesmen appeared to hold out the two manropes.
    Edwards was on deck to greet him, bulky and cheerful, sword-hilt gleaming in the early sunlight, the picture of a competent and confident flagship captain. He gestured to two captains standing behind him. Like Ramage, both were wearing epaulets only on their right shoulders, showing that they had less than three years’ seniority.
    â€œYou’ve all met?” Edwards asked. They had not and Edwards introduced them: Edward Teal of the
Anita,
a thin man of perhaps forty, sad-faced and probably embittered that it had taken him so many years to be made post, and John Banks of the
Nereus,
plump and red-faced, and four or five years older than Ramage, a man as cheerful as Teal was melancholy. Ramage then introduced Aitken.
    A Marine sentry hailed again and a third captain came on board and was introduced to Ramage. John Marden wore epaulets on both shoulders and, Ramage was told, had commanded the
Wasp
frigate in the West Indies for more than two years. Marden was