Chapter 112: Return of the Heroes
Chapter 112 – Return of the Hero
On the deck of the Conqueror, General Codrington pointed to the city floating on the coastline ahead and enthusiastically introduced Arthur to its long history.
That was none other than Portsmouth Naval Base, the home of the Channel Fleet and the oldest naval base in all of Great Britain.
As the birthplace of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth Naval Base carries an excellent tradition of foreign operations.
As early as the Roman Empire, Portsmouth has been established as a castle, in the harbor on the north side of the ancient fort of Portchester is also one of the traces left by the Romans.
Later, during the Viking voyages, it was used as a frontline fortress against the Viking invasions.
In the 14th century, during the Hundred Years’ War, Portsmouth served as the base of operations for the Canaries against France.
Portsmouth’s naval heritage began with the establishment of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1496, and the Royal Navy was officially declared in 1540.
Arthur’s view of Portsmouth from the deck was dominated only by the red brick buildings and white lighthouse that are so characteristic of the Royal Navy.
Beyond that were the fortress walls and defensive batteries with coastal guns that stretched across the entire city.
Not far from the sea, you can also see the figure of the Royal Navy’s legendary battleship ‘Victory’.
This was the flagship of Admiral John Jervis and Horatio Nelson, and witnessed the victory of the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1812, the ship was withdrawn from the Navy, but was saved from being scrapped by special permission of the Admiralty.
In addition, the Admiralty made a special grant to allow the aged HMS Victory to be partially refurbished and refitted at the Portsmouth Shipyard so that she could continue to serve as the flagship of the Commander of the Portsmouth Base.
Accompanied by the afterglow of the setting sun, the Conqueror and the Reckless respectively towed the largely incapacitated Beagle and the Blackthorn into the harbor.
On the harbor pier, there were many sailors of the Royal Navy and British journalists who flocked to the harbor after getting the news from somewhere.
The Conqueror slowly rolled up its sails and sank its anchor, and the sailors stood in front of the ship’s side rail, with serious expressions and heads held high.
As soon as the Conqueror had come to a standstill, the garrison sailors who had been waiting on the shore immediately lifted up the boards and built a long ladder for the Conqueror to disembark.
The sailors on the ship also took out the red carpet that they had prepared earlier, and they grabbed one end of it and let the other end roll down the board.
General Codrington, who had put on his red cloak, came to the board and swept it twice, always feeling that something was missing from his side.
He turned his head and realized that Arthur was standing behind him with Captain Fitzroy, the captain of the Beagle.
Codrington smiled and shook his head, then reached out and put his arm around the pair, pushing them into a position alongside himself.
Colonel Fitzroy was flattered, “General ……”
Codrington smiled helplessly, “I have nothing to look forward to, but you guys are still young. Besides, this is supposed to be an honor you guys deserve. Young people, what you should fight for is what you should fight for, but you can’t just shrink back from everything. In the Royal Navy, people won’t think that you’re being modest, they’ll only think that you’re a person who can’t use your brain.”
Arthur said, “Your words are true for Colonel Fitzroy. But Your Excellency, I am not attached to the Royal Navy.”
Codrington held up a finger and shook it as he smiled at Arthur.
“I have just heard all about you from Fitzroy. I can tell you with certainty that the Royal Navy is very honored to have an outstanding general of pickup warfare. But the crux of the matter is that Sir Peel has persuaded Thomas Hardy, the First Sea Lord.
If one day Sir Peel is willing to let go, then I can assure you that the Royal Navy is always welcome to you. My promise to you still stands, for I do lack a scientific secretary with both brains and strength.”
No sooner had Admiral Codrington finished his words than a neat jog was heard from the docks.
Two columns of sailors in full uniform lined up along the pier, and at the end of the pier was an old man with gray hair, leaning on a cane, wearing the full uniform of a high-ranking officer, with medals on his chest, and slightly stooped, so that even his walk was a little wobbly.
It was the Commander of the Portsmouth Naval Base-Admiral Edward Pellet.
Only to see the old man leaning on his crutches, in the sound of clinking medals clashing, he took slow steps to the bottom of the Conqueror.
He looked up slowly, the sea breeze ruffling his white eyebrows.
The old man took a deep breath and tremblingly lifted his cane, then slammed it downward.
Immediately after, the pale but middle-aged voice spread throughout the harbor.
“Congratulations to the Royal Navy Channel Fleet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on their triumphant return!”
At the old man’s command, the roar of cannons came out from the battery forts in Portsmouth Harbor in turn.
The sailors on the docks followed suit, shouldering their muskets in unison and firing their salutes into the sky.
Codrington patted Arthur and Fitzroy slightly from behind, and they understood.
As countless people watched, three white gloves stretched out from the deck of the Conqueror, “For Nelson!”
Then, with General Codrington leading the way, Arthur and Fitzroy stepped off the trestle board, followed by the Beagle’s marines and the rest of the Beagle’s decorated crew.
General Codrington stepped in front of General Pellet and saluted before speaking, “Channel Fleet, without dishonor.”
General Pellet nodded slightly as he patted Codrington on the shoulder and said, “I am almost of age, and from now on, Portsmouth will be in your hands.”
As soon as Pellet finished saying this, the reporters who had been waiting for a long time surged up, and they all scrambled to be the first to want to interview General Codrington.
“Lord Codrington, can you talk in detail about the occurrence and passage of this diplomatic incident?” “Who exactly is that person wanted by the French government?”
“After your folding of the Ottoman, do you think you will be given the opportunity to be re-instated by the Admiralty? I’ve heard that the Atlantic Fleet seems to be considering a change in command.”
However Codrington just shook his head at the sight.
He didn’t like dealing with these reporters, as he had been heavily attacked by this group of journalists a few years ago for being court-martialed by the Admiralty.
Faced with their requests for interviews, General Codrington refused all of them, he just rushed at them and said, “As you journalists said before, I am just a second-rate general who ‘won but lost’.
So I didn’t get too involved in this incident, I just opened fire on the Ottomans like I always do.
If you want to ask, you’d better ask Sergeant Arthur Hastings and Captain Robert Fitzroy of the USS Beagle, who are organizing the case behind me. They are the real heroes behind the scenes in this case of diplomacy against France.”
With those words, Codrington assisted General Pellet to board the harbor carriage under the cover of the guards.
The reporters, who had lost their target, immediately shifted the focus of their attention to Arthur and Fitzroy.
At that moment, suddenly a reporter tapped his head, and he looked like he remembered something.
“Arthur Hastings? Isn’t that that Scotland Yard’s strongest voice?”
“Is he the one who worked on this case again?”
“Don’t you forget, he supervised that last big murder and body theft case as well.”
“Hastings? May I ask which one is Mr. Hastings?”
Arthur heard this and quietly shrank back.
Unexpectedly, just as he took a step back, Elder’s voice sounded behind him.
“Damn! Arthur, how come you’re the one who stands out every time? Even General Codrington has heard of you for a long time. Do you have any special know-how in this area? You must teach me some day.”
Arthur looked up at Codrington, who was already drowned in reporters, and shook his head at Elder, “Are you envious of this kind of treatment?”
Elder cursed under his breath, “Of course! Who doesn’t like to be in the limelight? But whenever I try to make a splash, something always happens to keep me out of the limelight.”
Arthur nodded slightly at his words, “Fine, then I’ll fulfill you today.”
Elder sniffed, “Satisfy me how?”
Arthur didn’t say anything, he just pressed Elder’s back and then pushed him forward with force.
He then pointed at him and shouted, “Arthur Hastings is here!”
“What?!”
“Where?!”
The reporters sniffed and turned their heads, each of them like sharks sniffing for blood, turning on Elder in an instant.
Arthur fished his pipe out of his pocket and gently lit it, he flung his hand out to extinguish the match, then took a deep breath with the pipe in his mouth.
The smoke rose up and all that could be heard behind him was the terrified voice of Elder yelling.
“Don’t crowd! Don’t crowd! What? What questions are you asking me? How did I get here, step by step, from an ordinary little cop?
It goes back to my friend Mr. Elder Carter who inspired and taught me. Do you guys know the great name of Elder Carter?
What? No? Then let me tell you that he is a senior student of the Classics Department of the University of London, very cultured and level-headed, currently single and unmarried, and therefore in desperate need of a lady of the right age to fill his deep soul and empty heart ……”
Arthur couldn’t help but shake his head when he heard this.
Just as he was about to step away from here, suddenly, a hand reached out from behind and tugged at his sleeve.
Arthur turned around and it was surprisingly a familiar face.
It was Dickens, who had resigned from his job as a court clerk and was now specializing in interview reporting work.
Arthur joked, “Why are you here too? Want to go to dinner with me and have a cup of tea on the way?”
Who knows that Dickens just gently lowered the brim of his hat when he heard this, and he whispered, “Arthur, I’m so thankful to see you here.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You don’t know yet, do you? Something big happened at the opening of the Manchester-Liverpool passenger railroad!”
(End of chapter)