She
kissed him quickly. 'Then mark what I have t' say, on y' life, Thomas. On y'
very life, I said!'
He mumbled, she kissed him again.
'This is what ye must say th' very instant y' steps into the court. Don't ask
any questions — just say it. For my sake, darlin'. Are y' ready?'
Davis appeared at the door,
unbowed, and said, with a laugh, 'Aye, well, death o' course, I never doubted
it.' His irons were clamped on and he shambled off to the condemned cell. They
were accelerating the pace.
'Bring in the prisoner
Thomas Paine Kydd.' A plunging fear seized him, but only for a second. His
future was ordained: there was no mercy through those doors, he would leave as
a condemned felon. He would therefore face his fate without flinching.
Light patterned
prettily through the mullions of the sternlights in the Great Cabin. The room
was filled with figures in blue and gold lace, grim faces.
'You may stand there.'
An officer indicated with a sword.
'You
are Thomas Paine Kydd?'
'I
am, sir.'
'You
stand charged, that—'
'I claim Cap'n Hartwell
t' speak f'r me.' He heard his voice, weak but firm.
'You'll have your
chance later, my man. Now, on the twelfth day of May 1797, you did—'
'Sir!
I claim Cap'n Hartwell—'
'Silence! Silence in court! If you do
not keep silence, I will see you gagged, sir!'
'Oh,
yes. Ah, er, I do believe we have a rather nice point here.' Kydd's eyes
focused on the speaker. 'Might I crave the court's indulgence, sir, and ask the
court be cleared?'
'Do you indeed, Cap'n Hartwell? At
this stage to be toppin' it the lawyer, dammit!'
'Sir, I have to insist.'
The president of the
court glowered. Then, seeing Hartwell's quiet obstinacy, he agreed. 'Clear the
court — prisoner can go to the officers' waiting room, but keep a damn close
eye on the villain, sir.'
There was a general
shuffling about the court: all save the sitting captains and president left the
room. Kydd was taken under close escort to the admiral's sleeping quarters,
temporarily a waiting room.
'Now, sir, what is this infernal
matter that it must so inconvenience the court?'
Hartwell spoke in a low
voice, but forcefully. 'Sir, this Kydd is one of the most courageous young men
I have known. His loyalty to Crown and country was such that he deliberately
sought out the friendship of Parker and the so-called Parliament and, in
appalling danger, passed us vital intelligence — warning about the blockade and
the best chance for Trinity House to play their part is only some of it. Sir,
we can do no more than sympathise with his terrible ordeal, and instantly set
him free with a full pardon.'
Rumbles of approval
came from around the table, but the president remained unmoved. 'How do ye know
it was this man? Did you go out t' the ship an' ask for him?'
'Sir, a good question, if I may
remark. It was in fact through the loyal services of a Queenborough merchant
that the information was passed.'
'I shall want t' see the merchant
identify this man. Is he at hand?'
'He
is on deck at this moment, sir.'
'Pray
find him - an' make haste if you please, Captain.'
'Sir, this is the merchant in
question. He wishes to resume trading at Sheerness shortly and therefore begs
for your discretion in the article of naming. He will answer to "Mr
X".'
'Harrumph! Well, Mr X,
we will bring in a prisoner. You will identify him as your informant, and if it
is, you will declare to the court, "This is the man," or "This
is not the man," accordingly.'
'I understand,' said
Renzi, his high voice raising eyebrows.
'Bring
in the prisoner.'
Kydd returned and stood
facing the court, swaying slightly.
'This
is the man,' Renzi said.
'Very well. Remove the
prisoner.' When Kydd had been led out, he resumed. 'You are asking me to
believe that you boarded a ship in active mutiny to interview this Kydd?'
'No, sir, I wouldn't dare\
Those were desperate men—'
'Quite.
Then, if I may ask .. .'
'I secured the offices
of his — his paramour, if you will excuse the indelicacy, sir. She it was who
regularly passed between, utterly without suspicion.'
'Then it only needs the young lady
to be produced to identify both parties and th' link is complete. Is she ... ?'
'She
is nearby, sir. I'll ask her to attend immediately.'
Kydd entered the court for the
second time. 'Kitty!'
"This's the man,
so please y\ sir,' she said, avoiding Kydd's eye.
The
prisoner was taken away.
'And
this man, do you know him?'
'Yes,
sir, I do indeed.'
'Then the court thanks
you, m' dear, for your assistance.' The president waited for them both to
leave, then sat back.
'I find the identity
proved and, in the light of what we have heard, find the man Kydd exonerated of
all culpability. Are there any to gainsay? Then I rule that the prisoner
receive a full and general pardon. This ruling is made in camera without
prejudice to the prerogatives of the court and, for the protection of the
individual concerned, is entered without record. These proceedings will not be
discussed outside this court now or at any future date. Bring in the prisoner.
'Thomas Paine Kydd,
this court finds that, for reasons not for record, you have been exonerated of
culpability in the matter of the charges brought against you, and that the
gracious pardon of His Majesty be deemed to extend to you. You are hereby
freed. You may go.'
Utterly confused, mind
a-swim, Kydd had to be helped to the door. It opened, and there were Hulme,
Fearon and the others looking up at him. 'P-pardoned,' he said hoarsely, and
the manacles were struck off.
Chapter 11
‘For pity’s sake tell
me!’ Kydd pleaded. Snuggled deep into Kitty's bed he was still feeling woozy
after a deep sleep and the draught she had slipped into his negus.
She fussed at his
coverings and replied, with a sigh, 'I've told ye before, m' dear, not until Mr
Renzi comes. I promised him he'll be th' one t' tell you.' Lowering her voice
she added wistfully, 'You are s' lucky, Tom, t' have such a friend as will do
this f'r you.'
As consciousness
returned, the past galloped back to crowd his thoughts, bringing with it all
the desperate feelings of the last few weeks. He had to know why he had been
spared, if only to be sure that he wouldn't in some way find himself back there
again.
He dressed and looked
out of the gunport window at the ships at anchor in Sheerness and further
away, still where they had fled after escaping the mutineer fleet. The sight of
them brought back dark memories that tugged at his sanity — but for now
Cockburnhe
let the enfolding warmth of Kitty's caring soothe his soul.
Kydd sat in the
armchair staring at the miniature of Ned Malkin, the simple patriotic Toby jugs
and souvenirs of far voyaging, and let his thoughts drift.
A knock at the door
shattered his reverie. Renzi entered diffidently, his hat in his hands. 'My
dear fellow.'
'Nicholas.' Kydd was
unsure how to treat a friend he'd last seen when on a riotous procession and
who apparently had contrived to spare him the gallows.
'I
pray I find you in good health?'
'With
Kitty t' care f'r me, how can I not be?'
Renzi found another
chair, and sat delicately on it. 'I'm wondering if you might be up to a
little—'
'Why
am I pardoned?' Kydd demanded hotly.
'Shall we—'
'I need t' know now,
damn you, Nicholas. I have t' think, sort it out.'
They climbed silently up the hill
to Minster and from the top looked out across grey, wanly sparkling sea and
dreary saltmarsh. Kydd sought out the Sandwich, the largest black ship in the
Medway, nearly lost among scores of other craft. Then his eyes focused on the
desolate scatter of dockyard buildings at the end of the island and, next to
it, the huddle of hulks that was Kitty's home.
They sat down on a
grassy ridge. Kydd was first to speak. "Then tell me, Nicholas.'
Renzi plucked a grass stem. 'I remember,
years ago it was, in a place very far from here.' Kydd waited impatiently. 'The
Great South Sea it was, on an island to which I was, er, particularly fond,' Renzi
continued, 'and there you had the gall to thwack me on the calabash, so to
speak, rendering it impossible for me to continue there. And, might I remind
you, you have never once since begged pardon for the presumption.'
'God preserve me! Nicholas, be damned t'
the history, this is m' life we're about.' Kydd snorted, then added, 'Aye, I do
remember, but I recollects as well, while we're discussin' it, that if I hadn't
you'd be cannibal scran b' now.'
'My point precisely.'
Renzi smiled back, waiting. Kydd kept his silence.
'We each of us have our principles, some
dearly held, some of which are of the loftiest motivation, some mere rank
superstition. I rather believe that in both our cases principles were informed
by the purest of motives, but were not necessarily grounded in strict
practicality. My position is that I have merely redressed the balance, perhaps
achieved a measure of revenge.'
'Nicholas, I have to
know! What did ye do, tell me, that th' court thinks to pardon me so quick,
like?'
'Oh, nothing but the judicious exercise
of family patronage, the shameful deployment of interest among the highest on
your behalf. Do you know, I met Grenville, the Foreign Minister, in Hatchard's
the other day? Delightful fellow, much attached to Grecian odes.'
'Spare me y' politics,
Nicholas,' Kydd threw at him. 'Do y' really mean t' sit there 'n' tell me it's
by corruption that I'm delivered?'
'It was my decision to use any power
within my reach to preserve for the service a high-principled and gifted
seaman. I do apologise if I offended,' Renzi said, with the utmost politeness.
'And, of course, the deed is now in the past, all done,' he added. 'No prospect
of winding back the clock.'
Kydd's eyes burned. He
raised a fist. 'God damn ye for a bloody dog, Renzi. I have t' live with this
now.'
'Just
so.'
'I
was in insurrection agin my king an' country.'
'This is true. You have also been given
the chance to atone — I'd hazard your loyalty to the sea service from now on
will be a caution to us all.'
'You cold-blooded
bastard! There are men I know over there in chokey waitin' t' be led out t' the
fore yardarm, an' all you can do—'
'Mr Kydd! At some point you will put all
this behind you, and step out to your future. It may be a week, a year or even
half your remaining days, but it will come. The rational thing is to accept it,
and make it earlier, rather than filling your days with regrets. Which will it
be for you?'