The Corvette by Richard Woodman

unicorns, Captain,’ added Harvey.
    ‘Unicorns? Come sir you haze me
    ‘
    ‘A name given to the Narwhal or Tusked Dolphin, Captain Drinkwater, after which my own ship is named. He may be hit from the masthead where a shot from the deck will be deceived by the refraction of the sea.’
    ‘Ahhh
    Your boat, Captain Harvey.’
    Harvey’s ugly face cracked into a grin and he held out his hand. ‘If a King’s Officer won’t.take offence from an old man, may I suggest that excessive concern will have a bad effect on you. Whatever heated air may have been blown about back in Hull, no-one expects the impossible. While we don’t want to be attacked by plaguey Frenchmen we are more anxious to hunt fish.’
    ‘I fear I cut a poor figure.’
    ‘Not at all, man, not at all. You are unfamiliar with our ways and your zeal does you credit.’
    ‘Thank you.’
    ‘And I’ll go further and say, speaking plainly as a Yorkshireman, you’m a damned sight better than that bloody Palgrave.’ Harvey went over the side still smiling. Drinkwater turned to say farewell to Sawyers. The Quaker was staring aloft.
    ‘Thou woulds’t oblige thyself, Captain, by constructing a similar contrivance aloft.’
    ‘Crow’s nest? But it would incommode the striking of my t’gallant masts in a gale, Captain Sawyers.’
    Sawyers nodded. ‘Thou hast a dilemma, Friend; to keep thy lofty spars in order to have the advantage in a chase, or to snug thy rig down and render it practical.’
    Drinkwater looked aloft and Sawyers added, ‘Come, Friend, visit the Faithful tomorrow forenoon and familiarise yourself with the workings of a whaleship.’
    ‘I am obliged to you, Captain.’ They shook hands and Sawyers clambered down into his boat. Drinkwater watched him pulled away, across the steel-grey waters of the Sound.
     
    Immediately after Lieutenant Germaney had seen the captain over the side the following morning he returned to the gunroom and kicked out those of its occupants who lingered over their breakfasts. He took four glasses of blackstrap in quick succession and sent for the Reverend Obadiah Singleton.
    ‘Take a seat, Mr Singleton. A glass of blackstrap?’
    ‘I do not touch liquor, Mr Germaney. What is it you wish to see me about?’
    ‘You are a physician are you not?’
    Singleton nodded. ‘Can you cure clap?’
    Singleton’s astonishment was exceeded by Germaney’s sense of relief. The wine now induced a sense of euphoria but he deemed it prudent to restrain Singleton from any moralising. ‘I don’t want your offices as a damned parson, d’you hear? Well, what d’you say, God damn it?’
    ‘Kindly refrain from blasphemy, Mr Germaney. I had thought of you as a gentleman.’
    Germaney looked sharply at Singleton. ‘A gentleman may be unfortunate in the matter of his bedfellows, Singleton.’
    ‘I was referring to the intemperance of your language, but no matter. You contracted this in Hull, eh?’
    Germaney nodded. ‘A God da
    a bawdy house.’
    ‘Were you alone?’
    ‘No. I was in company.’
    ‘With whom, Mr Germaney? Please do not trifle with me, I beg you.’
    ‘Captain Sir James Palgrave, the Lord Walmsley and the Honourable Alexander Glencross.’
    ‘All gentlemen,’ observed Singleton drily. ‘May I ask you whether you have advertised your affliction to these other young men?’
    ‘Good God no!’
    ‘And why have you not consulted Mr Macpherson?’
    ‘Because the man is a drunken gossip in whom I have not the slightest faith.’
    ‘He will have greater experience of this sort of disease than myself, Mr Germaney, that I can assure you.’
    Germaney shook his head, the euphoria wearing off and being again replaced by the dread that had been his constant companion since his first intimation of the disease. ‘Can you cure me Singleton? I’ll endow your mission
    ‘
    ‘Let us leave it to God and your constitution, Germaney. Now what are your symptoms?’
    ‘I have a gleet that stings like the very