Devil's Due (Destroyermen #12)(173)
“Yes,” Greg declared unequivocally, eyes narrowing at Willis’s tone. “And come to find out, she was looking for us all along, to keep us from meeting you. We’ve got about fifty of her people aboard, and Matarife’s surviving crew is secured below her decks. I’d ask if you might take custody . . . if I knew what would happen to them.”
“Sank her,” Willis mused, shaking his head, disbelief swept away by Greg’s straightforward manner and the mention of prisoners. “How . . . ?” He stopped himself. “That is to say, may I ask how you accomplished that?” He took a long breath, realizing he may have offended, and reproduced his engaging smile. “Answer or not as you please. I didn’t mean to question you. It seems Mr. Reynolds and Miss Faask,” he said, bowing to Kari, “actually understated your resourcefulness. Not that I doubted them, in all honesty.” He seemed to shake himself. “In answer to your request, I’m afraid I can’t commit my government in regard to your League prisoners. They’re not our enemies, and please God that remains the case.” He frowned. “I suppose we might harbor them, as a neutral.” His expression brightened once more. “But the Doms we’ll certainly take. Their officers will be exchanged, if they desire. It’s the only way to save any of ours in enemy hands, though it’s fairly unusual and difficult to arrange. And their desire for exchange often passes upon reflection. The ordinary seamen are usually decent fellows, wholly ignorant of anything beyond the duty they’re raised to perform. And quite amazingly, beyond their fear and its representatives and capricious brutalities, they know little about the abominable cult that rules their lives. Once they recover from the shock that we won’t mistreat or kill them, they often find employment in our fisheries or merchant marine. A few even join our navy, though they know better than most what will happen if they’re captured.” He looked at Matarife once more. “What will you do with your prize?” he inquired. “I only ask because I can imagine several ways she might be wonderfully useful, and I’m sure my government would be delighted to purchase her.”
“She’s not for sale,” Greg replied, “but I’ve had a few ideas myself. Between us, I bet we can come up with something interesting to use her for.”
Captain Willis smiled, recognizing that Greg knew he might sail both ships without assistance, but couldn’t fight either if he did. At the same time, he wanted to keep a controlling interest in his prize. After a lifetime dealing with the bureaucracy of his own navy, he could only applaud the young officer’s prudence.
“So, what now?” Greg asked, eager to proceed.
“If you please, we’ll steer for Santiago. Commodore Semmes awaits you there, and we look for Admiral Duncan to arrive any day with the entire Caribbean squadron.” He glanced fondly at Kari. “Your countrymen have convinced us that a golden opportunity lies before us, to crush the evil Dominion at last, and the consensus of my navy, sir—finally, I must say—is that there is not a moment to lose.”