Battlecruiser (1997) Read Online Free PDF Page B

fighting ship. But his duties encompassed far more. The promotion or selection of key ratings for advancement or courses ashore, which would improve their own skills but weaken the ship’s self-dependent team, matters of discipline and punishment, or recreation and training, all fell on his shoulders. It was like being the mayor, quartermaster and magistrate of a small town. But know him? That was something else.
    He turned, his train of thought disturbed as somebody came to an empty chair and asked, ‘This taken, sir?’
    Onslow contained an angry retort. This was the new boy. Wavy Navy, wings on his sleeve, and the innocent good looks which would soon get him into trouble.
    He relented. ‘Take the weight off your feet. Settling in?’
    Lieutenant Rayner looked at him, perhaps warily.
    ‘Getting the hang of it, sir.’ He shook his head. ‘All that spit and polish, though. I thought that was over for the duration.’
    Onslow grinned. ‘In the navy, it’s never over. The war is just a bloody inconvenience!’ He chuckled. ‘Have a gin. On me.’
    Rayner smiled. ‘Juice, please.’
    Onslow waved to a hurrying steward. ‘You would! Costs twice as much as gin!’
    The commander walked over to the Club, and raised an eyebrow.
    ‘I’ll join you, Chief.’ His eyes said,
you must be slipping.
    ‘What did the God-bosun want this time?’
    Frazier smiled. ‘One of your stokers, actually. Lucas. His wife’s having a baby.’
    Onslow snorted. ‘Doesn’t know his arse from his elbow! I’m surprised he managed it!’
    Frazier took a glass. ‘Wants the kid to be baptised in the ship’s bell.’
    Onslow tapped the young Canadian’s knee. ‘Told you.’
    Rayner stood up and excused himself. ‘My observer has just arrived.’ He smiled gently. ‘Another foreigner, I’m afraid. From New Zealand.’
    Onslow sighed. ‘Take it off your back, son. They mean no harm. You’ll see.’
    As he left, Frazier said, ‘Are you giving him a hard time?’
    Onslow ignored it. ‘How’s the Old Man?’ Then hegrinned hugely. It seemed ridiculous to call Sherbrooke that.
    Frazier hesitated. ‘He’s . . . different.’
    ‘How so, John? From Cavendish? Don’t keep it a secret!’
    Frazier leaned back, his face relaxed, but his mind buzzing with details, lists, people to see, work to be completed before they left the Firth of Forth.
    ‘Something’s driving him. I can’t explain. But I could feel it.’
    ‘So long as it’s not revenge. When I first went to sea, I was with a skipper who’d lost his ship.
I’m out for revenge
, he told us.’
    The long curtain was drawn aside; officers were making their way to the tables, pausing to collect a napkin from the rack by the entrance, watched closely by the chief steward, as if he expected one of them to steal something.
    They downed their drinks, and Frazier asked, ‘And was he?’
    Onslow grinned. ‘Christ, we were blown up ourselves within a week!’
    Frazier sat down. It was hard to accept that the Chief had served in that other war. He must have been just a kid, like some of the midshipmen and junior ratings in this ship. He glanced over the bobbing heads and thrusting soup spoons.
Reliant
had been there, too. All those years, all those miles. It was surprising what he had learned about this ship in the eighteen months since his advanced promotion. He had even heard about the most important day for any captain: when his ship, new from the builders, had been commissioned. He had discovered that
Reliant
’s first captain’s wife had waited for that particular day to announce that she was leaving him. Just like that.
    And what about Cavendish? A tragedy, Beveridge hadcalled it. Well, possibly. But an accident? It didn’t ring true.
    And now a new captain, as screwed up as everybody who had preceded him. What was it about this ship?
I’m a fine one to talk.
    He turned and saw a midshipman, his face red with cold, standing self-consciously behind his chair.
    ‘The