Free For King or Commonwealth by Richard Woodman

and, if he thought of her with Charles at all it was as a victim, trapped by the man’s power and his arbitrary abuse of it. But there were other matters to distract him. The King’s summons kept him kicking his heels overlong at The Hague when the repair and revictualling of the
Phoenix
required his attention, though he heard no news of it. He accomplished the refitting of the
Phoenix
with what remained of his slender means, but was obliged to attend Mainwaring in his visits to the money lenders of Amsterdam in order to raise funds for the underwriting of his next cruise. True, his stock had never been higher; the news brought by pigeons or plain conjecture had been confirmed by the outraged tracts that finally spewed out of the London presses about ‘Acts of Piracy’ by the ‘Malignant’s successor’s pretensions to naval puissance’.
    As for the Malignant’s successor, the uncrowned, unanointed King Charles II failed to summon the only naval commander available to him in Dutch waters who accomplished the refitting of the
Phoenix
with what remained of his private funds. Instead Faulkner was sent an order to expedite his departure on a second cruise ‘in order that His Majesty’s cause might be furthered by the utmost exertions to annoy His Majesty’s enemies on the part of his Most Trusty and Well-beloved Captain Christopher Faulkner’.
    Conscious of the burden laid upon him, Faulkner tossed the letter aside. The circumstances under which he would undertake his next cruise were very different from those that had attended his earlier venture. The year was sufficiently advanced for the Commonwealth navy to have fully commissioned the Summer Guard, and while Rupert might be active in the far west, the trade of the nation focused attention closer to home. The outrage felt in the City of London and the accusations against the men-of-war in the Medway who had failed to interrupt the raider overcame any reticence and were soon leaked to the exiled court. They encouraged Charles, profligate of the lives of commoners after his father had paid the ultimate sacrifice, to urge Faulkner to greater efforts, but Faulkner himself was only too well aware that while the Commonwealth’s power grew daily, the King’s weakened by the moment.
    It was clear that Faulkner, should he fall foul of the Parliamentary authorities, would pay dearly for his insolence and these considerations, grasped only partially by himself, nevertheless made him plan his next cruise with great care, for he had no desire to lose his head like the martyred King.
    Despite his congratulations at Helvoetsluys, privately Mainwaring was even less happy than Faulkner himself, for he thought that the exploit of the Nore had already compromised any compact either of them might in the future make with the Commonwealth. Any further successes could only worsen the situation. The old pragmatist grew daily wearier of the world in which he found himself but Faulkner, heady with Kate’s loving, cast off Mainwaring’s worst predictions.
    â€˜â€™Tis me they will be after, Sir Henry. I mean no offence but your name is not noticed.’
    â€˜You have become too much the cavalier,’ Mainwaring said, bristling. ‘I am in no wise satisfied that the King’s cause prospers to the extent of offering me the quietude to which – in less clamorous times – my years entitle me.’
    â€˜Then abandon the notion,’ Faulkner advised, revealing an increasing irritation with Mainwaring. ‘Settle for being here.’
    â€˜I cannot settle here. I am not a Dutchman.’ Mainwaring sighed. ‘You are too young to understand.’ Mainwaring paused and then added, ‘You owe me something, Kit, and I cannot go alone.’
    â€˜I owe you what you intended, that I should become a King’s sea officer. If I accompanied you to London they would take my head for payment of lost cargoes while