King's Ransom. William Speir

the room, surrounded by several chairs covered in a deep red fabric. Egerton poured and handed both men a glass of sherry before pouring himself a glass.

      “Gentlemen, the king,” Egerton said, raising his glass.

      “The king,” they intoned before draining their glasses. Egerton refilled the glasses and motioned for them to sit down.

      The two men had just returned with the Blue Squadron from its normal patrol duties when the king’s riders arrived and summoned them to London. Both men quickly issued orders to the squadron’s captains and arranged for a carriage to be prepared for the journey. They made good time up to London but were fatigued from the bouncing of the fast-moving carriage.

      Both men sat down as stewards brought in food and wine. Once they were alone, Egerton closed and locked the conference room door before joining them at the table.

      “Gentlemen, I know you’ve had a hard journey, but I need your help with something. We have a lot of work to do and painfully little time to get it done.”

      “Is there a problem, my Lord?” Shovell asked.

      Egerton leaned back in his chair, sipping his sherry. “Not so much a problem as you mean it, but rather an opportunity to prevent a problem. However, the opportunity will present several challenges that we have to work out before we leave this room. By the time you two return to Portsmouth, we have to have a plan finalized and ready to implement immediately.”

      Egerton paused a moment before continuing. “Now before we go any further, I need to tell you that this comes directly from His Majesty, and he’s depending on us. We have his full support and trust, but he demands that we conduct this business in total secrecy. No one outside the specific individuals directly involved may have any knowledge of this plan. Shovell, you will have the overall command of this… this venture. You will take orders regarding the venture only from me, my successor, and His Majesty. I am giving you complete discretion in how the venture will be carried out, but with that comes complete accountability for its ultimate success or failure. This will be very dangerous – not only for the men selected, but for the country if the plan is ever uncovered. Understood?”

      Both men nodded in agreement.

      “Very well. Let me lay it all out for you.”

      Two days later, the carriage carrying Shovell and Leicester back to Portsmouth turned onto the London-Portsmouth road as the sun rose over the palace. The two men sat in silence – deep in thought. Shovell’s mind was working out detail after detail for the fifth time to make certain that nothing had been overlooked.

      After an hour, Shovell looked over to his subordinate with a wry grin. “We’ve been handed an interesting one, haven’t we, Charles?” he asked.

      “Yes, sir.” Leicester replied. “Have you decided on the ship yet?”

      Shovell nodded. “Yes, the Peregrine Galley. She should have been delivered by the time we arrive. She’s a 22-gun 6th Rate 3-masted frigate that’s the first of two of the new “runner class” ships being built at Deptford. Her sister ship won’t be finished for another few months. She’s fast, maneuverable, and not so large that she’ll attract the wrong kind of attention.”

      “Has she been assigned a captain yet?”

      Shovell shook his head. “Not yet. I wanted to put her through her sea trials before deciding if she’s to be assigned to the fleet or used for escort duty. That would have helped determine the captain best suited for her.”

      “Do you have someone in mind for the mission?”

      “Yes I do. The entire crew will be selected from the Blue Squadron, so it’s a good thing the squadron’s in port right now. I agree with Egerton that every member of the crew needs to be handpicked for his skills and talents. They also need to be unmarried with no children. They’ll be gone for several years, assuming they come back at all. We need men on this mission who have no family to leave behind. They also need a captain who’s a competent seaman, superb leader, brilliant strategist, and ruthless warrior – someone who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, but someone who won’t lose sight of what the mission is and what’s expected of him. He needs to be someone who knows how to be discreet, has a flair for the unconventional, is fearless, and can handle being out of touch with the chain of command for years without going completely dodgy and forgetting that he’s an officer in His Majesty’s Navy.”

      “It sounds like you’re talking about Hastings, sir,” Leicester commented.

      Turning to look at his subordinate, Shovell smiled. “I am. Our young Captain Henry Hastings is the perfect man for the job. He’s one of the most gifted warriors I’ve ever seen. He’s a quick thinker, he’s unpredictable, he’s creative – everything the French and Spanish would never expect and someone they wouldn’t easily be able to defeat.”

      Leicester nodded. Then he said, “Do you think it’s wise to let the ship keep her name, given what her service is going to be?”

      “I’ve been thinking about that,” Shovell replied. “I think we’re going to have to give her another name – one better suited to her mission and the reputation she needs to earn where she’s being sent. Peregrine Galley can go to her sister ship when she’s completed.”

      “What name do you have in mind, sir?”

      “I’m thinking of rechristening her the King’s Ransom.”

      Admiralty Orders

      “Captain Henry Hastings reporting as requested, sir,” Harry said, using his proper given name.

      “Come in, Captain, and sit down,” Shovell said to the young officer standing in the doorway of his cabin onboard the squadron’s flagship.

      “Thank you, sir,” Harry said as he placed his hat on the side table and sat down. Even though Harry was in the presence of a much senior officer, the customs of the English Navy led to generally polite interactions between officers unless the situation demanded something different.

      Shovell handed a piece of paper to Harry. Harry took it and read it.

Admiralty Orders1 April 1700To: Captain Henry Hastings HMS Peregrine Galley You are ordered to take immediate command of the HMS Peregrine Galley and carry out the orders of your Commanding Officer to the best of your ability using any and all means at your disposal to do so. You will not discuss your orders with anyone apart from your crew and the others specifically designated as having knowledge of your orders and of your mission.

      “What do you think?” Shovell asked when Harry looked up from reading the paper.

      “Vague, sir. I’m to be given a new ship?”

      “Yes, a new kind of ship known as a Runner Class Frigate. She’s the first one ever built. She’s fast, maneuverable, and carries twenty 9-pounder and two 6-pounder guns. She’s being assigned a hand-picked crew of 161 plus 26 Marines.”

      “A 6th Rate, sir? Am I being demoted?” English Navy officers were conscious of the rating of their ships, and being removed from a 34-gun ship to serve on a 22-gun ship wasn’t considered a good sign for a captain’s naval career.

      “Not at all, Captain. You’re one of the best captains in the squadron; nothing about that has changed. No, you’re being selected for a specific mission, and we think this ship’s the best one for the job.”

      “What mission, sir?” Harry asked. In spite of being given command of a smaller ship than he was accustomed to, a specific mission meant the opportunity to gain the attention of the Admiralty and advance his career.

      Shovell held up his hand and walked over to the window. After a minute, he turned and smiled. “Everything will be explained shortly. We need to wait for one more person to join us.”

      Three minutes later, there was a knock