Middy and Ensign

At sunset HMS Startler carried sailors, four companies of soldiers, and the British Resident's party toward Campong Allee. Everyone has spent the heat under awnings, yet Tom Long buttons his coatee as if discipline can cool the air. You step into this one-chapter preview with Dick Dunnage at the center, where choices turn on the people, promises, and pressure already in the room. The Startler steamed onward while Tom's vow remained unanswered. The chapter closes on a continuation question rather than resolving the novel's larger arc.

Chapters

1. The Wrong Order on the StartlerHMS Startler · 5 min

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