The obviously composed and recopied letter now abandoned its original and improvised, grew far less coherent, far less legible. He had just made out the words 'you left her bed and came into mine' when he was called on deck.

Trouble at home and trouble at sea.

he and the amazed foremast hands saw a blue and gold coach and four, escorted by a troop of cavalry in mauve coats with silver facings, driving slowly along the quay with their captain and a Swedish officer on the box,

This way for Jack Aubrey, Mr Martin, Gedymin Jagiello, his fiance, Countess Tessin and generally everybody who is not Stephen and

'Hands?' exclaimed the Admiral, as though this were the first he had ever heard of the matter. 'What do you expect me to do about them? I can't bring men out of the ground, you know. I am not a goddam Cadmus.'
'Oh no, sir,' cried Jack with the utmost sincerity, 'I never thought you were.'The naval side - Jack, Heneage Dundas, Pullings, Allen, the ( Read more... )

There's so little Jack and Stephen together that I'm going to divide it differently for the moment, FoW-style

'The question is, would a man of your seniority accept such a command ( Read more... )

Chapter 6 discussion post for Jack Aubrey and his little circle: Herapath père, the officers who visit him, the other Asclepians, Jahleel Brenton.

Presently the Emperor of Mexico joined him, and they pranced and sparred together; but not for long. Captain Aubrey's madness, his savage grunting as he lunged, his red and sweating face, frightened most ( Read more... )

Our heroes, the opium addicted exorcist, and the voice of God.

He glanced at Jack, and said, 'Surely, my dear, you are not so weak as to believe in ghosts?'
'Not at all. I wonder you should make such an uncalled-for suggestion. But it so happens that tonight my time is much taken up; and in any case it occurs to me that since this is a medical ( Read more... )

Ch 5 discussion post of Jack Aubrey and beard-man.

"When we meet tomorrow I have little doubt that our eyes will match, like those of a pair of albino ferrets; for although my copies and my letters to Sir Joseph in duplicate may have been longer, I am more accustomed to the act than she. I do not have to count on my fingers for my code, blot and ( Read more... )

Everyone knew I was going to quote this:

'You too, Stephen?' cried Jack, colouring. 'By God, I -'
'Do not mistake me, Jack, I beg,' said Stephen, drawing his chair close and speaking into his ear. 'These are not carnal words.'

... these are carnal actions. *pounce*

*cough* Sorry, sorry.

It was some years since Stephen had heard Jack reprove one of his officers, and he was much struck by the remarkable advance in efficacity, by the impersonal, God-like, severe authority that could not possibly be feigned or assumed by any man who did not naturally possess it. It was the kind of wigging that Lord Keith might have delivered, or Lord ( Read more... )

Chapter two discussion post about Jack and Stephen.... probably more Stephen than Jack this time around.

Deep in toast and marmalade, he demolished Mellowes root and branch; and noticing the indignation with which his hand had underlined the whole claptrap peroration, he observed, 'I am not dead.'

Oh Stephen. D: