The Gathering Storm Read Online Free PDF

his
silence.
    'No – I wish to speak of it. I have not spoke with anyone
but Harkness in many days – and he is a busy fellow, with
other duties, and has not time to listen.'
    'Then – I am here.'
    'It is the sound ... the sound in my head.' Quietly.
    'Sound?'
    'The sound of a handful of earth, falling on the lid of
the coffin. Just a brief rattle, you know, a light sprinkling
rattle – and yet it echoes in my head like a horrible thunderclap
– over and over again. I cannot rid myself of it.'
    'It will pass, in time.' Not knowing what else to say.
    'Often, you know, I fear that I shall go mad. It is there
every day, all the time.'
    'Perhaps your physician could give you a potion—'
    'I asked him for something to aid sleep. It provoked a
worsening of the sound – crash, crash, crash, in my head.
I cannot rest, I cannot find a moment's respite but the
damned abominable noise returns.'
    'You have been under a great strain. Your nerves are
frayed.'
    'Nerves? Hah!' Bitterly.
    Rennie looked across at his friend, took a quick, deep
breath, nodded, and:
    'Listen now, James. I will speak, after all. The moment
Catherine is well enough you must take her to your father's
house at Shaftesbury, and then come on to Portsmouth and
take up your duty of getting Eglantine ready for the sea.
That is the cure, James. That must be your course—'
    'No! Will no one listen to me, in God's name! I am not
fit to command! I have turned my back on the sea for ever!'
Vehemently, standing up and walking away from the fire.
    Shocked into silence Rennie stared at his friend's back,
at the tensed shoulders and rigid neck, and saw a man at
breaking point. At length:
    'You are not yourself, James. I shall go away now to the
inn in the village, and return on the morrow.'
    He put down his glass, and stood up. James now faced
him again, and lifted a hand to his head to push back a
lock of hair.
    'I beg your pardon, sir, I shouted at you. You will return
to Portsmouth, did y'say? Tomorrow?'
    'Nay, I shall return here, to Birch Cottage.'
    'Ah. Yes?' Distractedly.
    'Yes, indeed.'
    'Well, as you wish. I will – I must go to Catherine now,
and see if she needs anything.'
    'Of course, very good. I'll see myself out, James.'
    'Thank you, sir.'
    And James left the room, with a half-turning, sidelong
glance as he reached the door and went out.
    Rennie stood still a moment, in genuine dismay. 'The
poor fellow.' He shook his head. 'Poor dear fellow.'
    *
    'No, sir, I could not persuade him.'
    'Persuade him?' Admiral Hapgood was contemptuous. 'I
did not ask you to persuade him, Captain Rennie. I gave
you an order to bring him back.'
    'He would not come.'
    'He read the letter? You are certain he read it?' Admiral
Hapgood stood at the window, and looked bleakly at the
world.
    'He read it in my presence.'
    'It is beyond reason.' Returning to his desk. 'What is the
matter with him? Has he gone mad?'
    This was so nearly the truth that Rennie was obliged to
look away lest his eyes betray him.
    'I – I do not believe that he has, sir, no. As I have said,
his family—'
    'Yes, yes, fever.' Over him. 'He lost a son, and his wife
was ill. Such things are not uncommon in England, Captain
Rennie. Typhus is a curse everywhere, from time to time.
But good heaven, sea officers of all men must face these
things and continue to do their duty. We cannot allow
private difficulty to interrupt the king's service.'
    'I am very sorry, sir, but Captain Hayter has made his
decision. Naturally, I attempted to dissuade him. He is my
valued friend, and we have sailed three hazardous commissions
together. Nobody could more greatly regret his
departure from the service than myself, and I said so to
him very sincere. However, he was adamant. It would have
been ungentlemanlike to press him further, under the
circumstances.'
    'You think that, do you?'
    'I do, sir.'
    'Ungentlemanlike?'
    'Just so.'
    'You are a bloody fool, Rennie. You have allowed him to
hoodwink and bamboozle you.'
    'Eh?'