'Morning, sir. D'you know where we're going?'
'Haven't the vaguest notion. The Menelaus is the boss, and will get the orders. She may tell us when we get outside.'
'How long are we likely to be away?'
'Don't know. Last time we left in a hurry we didn't come back for a fortnight. The time before, we were away for six weeks.'
'What'——
'If you ask me any more questions I shall be peevish,' Wooten interrupted. 'It's high time you knew that I'm not fit for polite conversation at this unholy hour of the morning.'
'Sorry, sir. I forgot.'
Half-an-hour afterwards, by which time steam had been raised, and the fact had been reported, Wooten climbed the ladder on to the bridge.
'Signal for destroyers to slip, sir,' came from Rosser a minute or two later, as a lamp winked frenziedly in and out in the darkness about a mile away. 'Form single line a'ead; speed ten knots.'
'Let go forward!' went the order to the first lieutenant on the forecastle.