Hornblower: Loyalty Page #5

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But then i shall

change my mind.

When i signal,

you are to run the jib up

And flat it out to

starboard. Understood?

Aye, aye, sir.

Stand by to go about!

Standing by, sir.

Now, mr. Prowse, keep

an eye on that frenchman.

I want to know

exactly what he does.

Aye, aye, sir.

Helms alee!

Matthews:

helms alee!

He's following

us, sir.

Avast!

Brace all back again!

Rrgh!

Mr. Orrock!

Aye, aye, sir!

Set the headsail!

Hard aport!

Matthews:

hard aport, sir!

Orrock:

drop the headsail!

Hang the headsail!

Volley fire!

Make ready!

They tried to follow us, sir,

but he's been taken all aback!

He's helpless!

Present!

We'll render passing

honors, mr. Bush.

Aye, aye, sir.

Gunners, hold your fire until

the mainmast is in your sights!

Run out!

Matthews:
run out!

Run out,

mr. Hammond!

Styles:
thought you might

use a hand with the guns, sir!

Good man,

styles.

Rather see you on the

gundeck than the galley.

Come on, sir, unless you want

to get your leg blown off!

Stand by!

Fire!

Man:
fire!

Damn!

She's coming

round, sir.

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Wolfe:
oh, god.

Reload!

Man:
powder monkey!

Over here!

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Shut your face!

Shut it, damn you!

Waah!

Come on. You're all right.

It's not your blood, sir.

What is it, matthews?

Aah! Mmph!

It's all

under control, sir.

One more peep out of you,

and no one can save you.

You'll be going over

the side with that lot.

Do you understand?

Do you understand?!

Come on, you bugger.

Aah! Aah! Aah!

Hooray! Yay! Hooray!

Do we come to the wind,

sir, and finish her off?

Let's not overplay our hand, mr. Prowse.

We'll have drifted in range of

those batteries within 5 minutes.

Every shot tolled, sir,

every single shot.

Indeed they did,

mr. Bush.

I think we've overstayed

our welcome here.

Mr. Prowse,

plot a course for home.

Pellew:
you had no business

to take on the loire, man!

She might have blown

you out of the water!

It would have been

folly not to, sir.

Oh, there's folly and

foolhardiness on the one side

And daring and calculation

on the other, eh?

Something

like that, sir.

Very good.

You made

the right choice.

I'd like to know

what the loire

Was doing there

in the first place.

One french ship

outside a french port?

That's hardly rotten.

At the exact hour and

place as our rendezvous

With the duke

of montreuil?

Well, the only one privy to

that information was myself

Or major cotard or some

good men of the admiralty.

Perhaps you should talk

to those good men, sir,

Or major cotard.

I will not doubt major cotard

because he's a frenchman.

God, he risked his life

for england, damn it.

Nevertheless,

I feel we must

doubt someone, sir.

Indeed, if we have agents

familiar with our enemies' plans,

It seems reasonable to assume

that the enemy has, too.

Hmm.

I'll make some

discreet inquiries.

In the meantime,

I want you back

watching brest

Until i get the channel fleet to sea.

You sail on the morning

tide first of the ebb.

Aye, aye, sir.

Well, there's hours, yet.

Come on. Finish your wine.

I, uh, beg

your pardon, sir.

I had hoped to visit a

friend before i embarked.

A friend?

A lady friend?

You do know,

hornblower,

That in time of war,

a captain may not

Sleep out of his ship without

his admiral's permission.

I hadn't intended

to sleep, sir.

Oh, well-

I didn't mean

- Well, permission granted.

Thank you, sir.

Well, maybe you won't sleep ashore

for the next couple of years,

Maybe more if bony

fights it out.

I certainly think

he'll fight, sir.

In that case,

we'll meet again

All flushed.

Victorious war...

And beauty ashore.

You, sir,

what are you doing?

What does it look

like i'm doing?

Oh, sorry, sir.

Well, they're

bankrupt, sir.

Seems the old girl

drank the rent.

Mrs. Mason:
well, well...

If it isn't

the grand sea captain

Come to sneer

at our misfortune.

Mr. Hornblower, sir.

Maria.

I'm ashamed, sir,

That you should

see us like this.

Oh, don't be,

i beg you.

It happened

so quickly.

I didn't know

we were in arrears,

And the bailiff

did not listen,

And now we can't

earn our release.

We wouldn't have been in arrears

if he'd paid his rent.

I did pay my rent,

madam.

I can see what

you did with it.

I never thought

i'd see you again.

You were my friend in

the time of need, maria.

Allow me to be yours.

Maria:
no, mr. Hornblower. You mustn't.

It's too late, maria.

It's been done.

I don't know

what to say.

You could ask him what

he wants in exchange.

Mother!

Say nothing.

Just go and pay

your debts.

Thank you,

mr. Hornblower, sir.

If mr. Mason

were here,

He would not

accept your charity.

But he is not here and seems

conspicuous by his absence.

He died, sir,

Fighting for king

and country.

He served in hannibal

at gibraltar.

I will not allow

my maria

To suffer as i

have suffered, sir.

Oh, you may be

heroes to your ship,

But then you are but

dead men to your women.

I can assure you-

Oh, you can

assure me, sir.

Can you assure me

that come the morning,

You will not be back at

sea fighting death itself?

Can you

assure me of that?

No, madam, i cannot.

There goes the signal tower again, sir.

I'd pay good money

to know what they're saying.

Lookout:
deck there!

Sails, sir!

A whole crowd of them

on the starboard beam!

That's what they're saying, mr. Bush.

Bush:
the fleet.

Hornblower:

flagship signaling?

Mr. Hammond?

Sir?

Bush:
the flagship

is signaling, sir?

Hammond:
yes, sir.

It's, um-

It's our number

followed by-

Followed by 2-1-3,

Which is-

Which is, um...

Mr. Orrock.

That's captain report

aboard flagship, sir.

Learn your signals,

you little...

Gentleman.

The book is useless

in a battle.

A fair and a fine dinner awaits

a man aboard the talon, sir.

Fine food

and fine wine...

But not that you're there

to enjoy yourself, of course.

Planning a little surprise

for bony, no doubt.

And-

Wolfe...

Why must you speak when

you have nothing to say?

Sorry, sir.

Hornblower:
the french fleet are

at anchor in the outer harbor,

And the entrance is protected

by the battery here,

And all our movements

are immediately reported

By the semaphore here.

And thanks to

captain hornblower,

We now know that bonaparte

has 50,000 men encamped here

Ready to embark at

a moment's notice.

And should the weather turn foul

and our fleet be dispersed...

The french will need less than

two days to cross the channel.

So despite all

of hornblower's heroics,

Bonaparte will be issuing his edicts

from windsor castle instead of versailles.

Not without

his fleet, he won't.

Without ships, he can't

launch an invasion,

Which is why i intend to

make a preemptive strike.

Tomorrow i will lead the

squadron into brest harbor

And destroy the french fleet at anchor.

We will have to do something about the

semaphore and the battery first, sir.

May i volunteer

the hotspur for-

God save us

from young men

Eager for glory.

Sir, i must insist that you

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