Chapter 17

"Navy radar, this is "Shriek' at the hyper, for the harbour, request clearance, over."

""Shriek", clearance denied, you are to proceed directly to the navy yard, call control on 4315 for onward clearance stat, clear."

"Aggy, why do I think we are knee deep in the stuff?"

"Alan, I have no idea why you might even contemplate such a thing? Let's see what happens."

"Navy control, this is "Shriek", at the hyper, request clearance to the navy yard, over."

""Shriek" you are cleared direct to the yard, one hundred gravs, call harbour on 4547 approaching the outer marker, over"

""Shriek" direct to the yard, one hundred gravs, 4547 at the outer. Clear."

"Suits, Alan, take us in."

"Navy harbour, this is "Shriek", at the outer, request clearance and direction to berth, over."

""Shriek" cleared direct to berth two, twenty gravs; be advised papa golf sierra pinnance is for the captain, over."

""Shriek", berth two, twenty gravs, clear."

"Hello Rupert, why am I not surprised?"

"Commodore McCock, Her Majesty commands you attend upon her, immediately. The pinnace, Sir."

"Rupert, I am experiencing a déjà vu event except last time it was a Marine Ensign."

McCock, with his escort, had entered the Palace entrance to the Royal Office and approached the doors when loud voices echoed down from the PGS office,

"Let me at him. Get off me, you great oaf."

"For Diety's sakes, Boss, stop her jumping around while we get her arms."

"I want his guts to feed them to him raw; I want his balls for ear rings."

"Tommy, stop that arm waving around, ladies her legs please."

"Let me go you fools, I just want to kill him."

Edward, resplendent in full livery, appeared at this point from the side corridor, looking serene, to change to deliver a most pitying gaze towards McCock and inform them,

"Commodore, you no doubt recognised the screech? Yes, Slow. Colonel Mulcahy managed to tackle her before she got out the door; having to open it slowed her down just enough. Sergeant Wheeler has her right forearm pinned to the floor and Corporal Tomlinson the left. Commander McGraw is sitting on Captain Gort's legs and I think the Duchess of Western Hove is holding the ankles. Four of our largest troopers are convincing Captains Denholt and Kowalski not to tear you apart. You appear to have very seriously upset your friends in addition to a considerable number of important people." nodding at the Office. He turned to the doors, opened them and stood to one side announcing,

"Commodore McCock and Major Logan."

McCock straightened and marched to the front of the desk. He stamped to a halt and executed a perfect Grenoble Defence Force salute, which so happened to have been incorporated into "The Queen's Own" ritual. The Queen was not amused but acknowledged the salute with a stern nod of her head. From the side of his eye, McCock saw Milligan and Rowan on one side but could not identify those on the other side as he had not got a good view of them.

"Commodore, where have you been?"

"Ma'am, I have been on leave; I enjoyed a short cruise in "Shriek" with your consent."

"Where did you go?"

"Ma'am, I claim privilege."

"I ordered you not to proceed higher than the alpha bands."

"Ma'am," said McCock resignedly, "you gave that order in the context of crewing "Shriek" for Operation Greenhouse. Outside that context, that order was senseless and unenforceable; I command a Naval force in your Service and I am required to sortie from point A to B, for example Maureen's Moon to New Leige and return, and to perform these duties it is accepted Naval practice to move in the high hyperspace layers."

McCock did not recognise the signs but the other listeners did and the tension in the room was palpably apprehensive as the Queen's temper approached critical,

"McCock, you are ... are ... a ... a lower deck lawyer. You have totally disregarded my wishes. You are insubordinate and I will not have it. You are dis..."

The shuffling of booted feet had been increasing and at this point a voice which in the days of the wet navies would have been described as "a quarterdeck voice" thundered from behind McCock,

"Majesty!!" and in the pause that ensued, it went on at a lower volume,

"McCock, outside; Admiral Cunningham and Admiral Rowan, above your pay scales, please wait outside. Major Logan."

McCock turned and saw the tight faced First Lord, standing beside his seated wife, the Home Fleet commander, and the seated First, Second, Third and Fourth Space Lords. 'The full Navy Board', McCock sighed quietly to himself and left the office, follwed by the others named.

Virginia Cunningham confronted McCock,

"What in Diety's name did you do to get her so angry, Aggy?"

"I just took a short leave, combined business with pleasure and took the most effective means of travel. Major, I need a place to write."

The Major looked hard at McCock, and then said softly,

"You need to think carefully, Aggy."

"I have, ever since we came out of hyper."

After inspecting the FURS, McCock had submitted a formal request for leave to visit old friends and stated he intended to use "Shriek". He was also intending to confirm some thoughts he had regarding the collecting of electronic information. He had delegated temporary command to Slow telling her he was visiting old friends.

He arranged for the Avers who had accompanied him to Helena to be the crew for "Shriek". He had used "Infamous'" pinnace to commute to R1 and boarded "Shriek" which had been handled out of "D" and moored alongside.

The hatches had cycled closed and McCock was moving to his command chair to be met by a familiar voice; that of Sir Henry Bollinger,