Read Online The Flag of Freedom by Seth Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Seth Hunter
Ads: Link
ramparts facing out to sea. On this occasion they appeared to be firing blanks, almost certainly in salute to some important government or foreign vessel approaching the harbour. Spiridion shielded his eyes from the glare off the water and was rewarded by the sight of two vessels under a full press of sail at the very outermost of the series of reefs which extended from the harbour mole far out into the bay.
Even without the glass, he was able to identify the first of these by its fore-and-aft rig as the
Meshuda
, the flagship of the Pashaâs fleet. The other was ship-rigged and, despite the evident gunports, almost certainly a merchant vessel which the
Meshuda
had taken as prize. Lest there be any doubt about this, the flagship fired a rippling broadside in the familiar
feu de joie
that announced a profitable voyage and a triumphant return.
Spiridion took up his glass and focused it upon the captive. There were two flags at her masthead, and though they flapped limply in the scant wind, he was able to identify them as the flag of the Ottoman Navy, also usedby the Pashaâs corsairs, and beneath it, denoting its surrender to the forces of Islam, the flag of the United States of America.
Spiridion closed the glass, his expression thoughtful. He knew what would happen next and was thankful it was none of his business. Though he had represented British interests in various parts of the Mediterranean, Spiridion had no official function in Tripoli. As far as the authorities were concerned â and anyone else who enquired during his frequent trips to the port â he was a ship-owner of Greek origin with trading interests in the Levant, currently staying at the British Consulate as the guest of the Consul-General, Mr Lucas. Unofficially, however, he was here on behalf of the British Admiralty to keep an eye on the French, whose recent activities in the region had given their lordships cause for concern. The capture of an American merchant vessel by the local corsairs, while deplorable, could have no possible bearing on this.
But then he thought again.
The arrival of a foreign prize in Tripoli invariably triggered a meeting of the Pashaâs Council â the Divan â under the supervision of the Pasha himself, to congratulate the victorious Captain and divide the spoils. All the foreign consuls were expected to attend, either to represent the captives and begin the laborious process of agreeing a ransom, or to remind the Pasha of his obligations to release those whose governments had had the foresight to pay in advance, as it were, with an annual subsidy. Even if the carrying vessel was American, some of its cargo might be owned by British merchants or some of its passengers subject to King George. In which case, the BritishConsul-General would be expected to make a powerful representation on their behalf, backed by the threat of force.
Mr Lucas, however, was ill and abed with one of the mild stomach upsets to which he was prone, and he would no doubt take kindly to an offer from Spiridion to represent him. Not least because the prestige of the British Crown, and therefore its representative in Tripoli, had been considerably diminished by the enforced absence of the British fleet from the Mediter ranean. If there was a humiliation in store, much better to confer it upon a relatively unknown Greek, rather than the representative of His Britannic Majesty.
Besides which, it was always useful to know the current mood at the castle. Who was in, who was out; what were the current state of relations with the Great Sultan in Constantinople. How much the French had increased their influence since the British withdrawal. It would give Spiridion an official pretext to do some nosing around. All he would need was the Consulâs authority in writing, and the services of his dragoman, that particular functionary of the region who acted as translator and guide and general mediator with officialdom.
Spiridion suddenly
Even without the glass, he was able to identify the first of these by its fore-and-aft rig as the
Meshuda
, the flagship of the Pashaâs fleet. The other was ship-rigged and, despite the evident gunports, almost certainly a merchant vessel which the
Meshuda
had taken as prize. Lest there be any doubt about this, the flagship fired a rippling broadside in the familiar
feu de joie
that announced a profitable voyage and a triumphant return.
Spiridion took up his glass and focused it upon the captive. There were two flags at her masthead, and though they flapped limply in the scant wind, he was able to identify them as the flag of the Ottoman Navy, also usedby the Pashaâs corsairs, and beneath it, denoting its surrender to the forces of Islam, the flag of the United States of America.
Spiridion closed the glass, his expression thoughtful. He knew what would happen next and was thankful it was none of his business. Though he had represented British interests in various parts of the Mediterranean, Spiridion had no official function in Tripoli. As far as the authorities were concerned â and anyone else who enquired during his frequent trips to the port â he was a ship-owner of Greek origin with trading interests in the Levant, currently staying at the British Consulate as the guest of the Consul-General, Mr Lucas. Unofficially, however, he was here on behalf of the British Admiralty to keep an eye on the French, whose recent activities in the region had given their lordships cause for concern. The capture of an American merchant vessel by the local corsairs, while deplorable, could have no possible bearing on this.
But then he thought again.
The arrival of a foreign prize in Tripoli invariably triggered a meeting of the Pashaâs Council â the Divan â under the supervision of the Pasha himself, to congratulate the victorious Captain and divide the spoils. All the foreign consuls were expected to attend, either to represent the captives and begin the laborious process of agreeing a ransom, or to remind the Pasha of his obligations to release those whose governments had had the foresight to pay in advance, as it were, with an annual subsidy. Even if the carrying vessel was American, some of its cargo might be owned by British merchants or some of its passengers subject to King George. In which case, the BritishConsul-General would be expected to make a powerful representation on their behalf, backed by the threat of force.
Mr Lucas, however, was ill and abed with one of the mild stomach upsets to which he was prone, and he would no doubt take kindly to an offer from Spiridion to represent him. Not least because the prestige of the British Crown, and therefore its representative in Tripoli, had been considerably diminished by the enforced absence of the British fleet from the Mediter ranean. If there was a humiliation in store, much better to confer it upon a relatively unknown Greek, rather than the representative of His Britannic Majesty.
Besides which, it was always useful to know the current mood at the castle. Who was in, who was out; what were the current state of relations with the Great Sultan in Constantinople. How much the French had increased their influence since the British withdrawal. It would give Spiridion an official pretext to do some nosing around. All he would need was the Consulâs authority in writing, and the services of his dragoman, that particular functionary of the region who acted as translator and guide and general mediator with officialdom.
Spiridion suddenly
Similar Books
