The Horizon (1993) Read Online Free Page B

was little compensation to most of B Company’s new recruits, who were sick for much of the time, and no threat from the toughest N.C.O. could shift them. For this was the Bay of Biscay, angered perhaps by the battle-cruiser’s invincible thrust as she parted each wave like some giant cleaver.
    Jonathan waited, expecting to see some maps, hear proposals for the immediate future when they reached Port Said.
    Lieutenant-Colonel Waring bit his lower lip so that his dark, sprouting moustache seemed to put an edge to his displeasure.
    ‘I am not satisfied, gentlemen. I am in overall chargeand
you
are my senior officers. And yet every day I find the marines wasting valuable time with things which are not our concern. I discovered some of them practising seamanship, and up with the boats in their davits. And yet on Sunday at Divisions I should imagine that even the padre was sniggering behind his Bible!’
    It had been quite rough at the time, and whereas the lines of seamen and stokers had swayed easily with the rolling hull, their voices roaring out, ‘
For those in peril on the sea
 . . .’ the Royal Marines had reeled against their rifles as if they had been paraded immediately after leaving a dockside pub.
    ‘I will not have it, d’you see?’
    Jonathan saw
Reliant
’s R.M. captain watching him, despair in his eyes. It could not be easy to have over a hundred extra marines pushed into this limited space, and then to have Beaky Waring venting his wrath in this way.
    He said, ‘May I comment, sir?’
    Waring eyed him calmly – or was there a glint of triumph there? ‘Do so.’
    ‘It was largely my idea. I thought the constant repetition of rifle and bayonet drill was a bit pointless. These men will eventually have to know how to handle boats, to move weapons and stores with tackles . . .’He got no further.
    ‘Of course! I was forgetting, Captain Blackwood, you have had experience of land warfare – I mean, should they decide to let us loose on the Turks.’ He paused, and Jonathan thought later that it had been like an actor making the most of his lines. ‘Three weeks, was it not?’
    Major Livesay said bluntly, ‘More than any of us, sir. The last enemy I shot at was a Chinese pirate off Kwangchow.’
    ‘How interesting.’ Waring gave a cold smile. ‘May I suggest that your wretched company would do well to learn instant obedience, so that in the unlikely event they are asked to prove themselves they will have loyalty and discipline enough to provide what some of their officers obviously lack!’
    They sat in grim silence, the sea sounds and the creak of steel through
Reliant
’s great length intruding, as if the ship herself were listening.
    ‘So arms and bayonet drills will continue.’ His head jerked round. ‘
Well
? I said I was not to be disturbed!’
    A small midshipman, with water streaming from his cap and teeth chattering, gasped, ‘The Admiral’s compliments, and would you join him on his bridge?’
    The lieutenant-colonel glanced at his three officers and remarked casually, ‘Of course. Always a pleasure.’ As the youth turned to flee he snapped, ‘Is anything happening?’
    The midshipman swallowed. ‘The second escort is leaving us, sir. Trouble in her engine room. We are proceeding alone.’
    Waring nodded, satisfied. He said, ‘Double the sentries around the ship, Major Livesay, your best marksmen. Captain Seddon, rig two additional machine-guns where you think best. Unlikely to be a periscope about in this weather, but be ready at all times. I shall be along later to see how you have arranged things.’ He strode from the office, his words still hanging in the damp air like a threat.
    Jonathan imagined the small destroyer, tossing about as her engine-room crew tried to put things right, while their great consort vanished in a squall. No wonder they said destroyer men were the best. He was reminded suddenly of
Reliant
’s captain, who had been in destroyers for some of his