Odyssey Part Seven

 

The wind lashed rain the size of rocks off the barely visible figures of the Rangers 90s Squad Marines as Ian Ferguson negotiated HMS the Walter Smith through waves higher than our mast. All lights and engines were off so that no sound could attract the attention of Lawwell's agents as we approached the Clyde but if you ask me we could have been blasting down river all engines full on and playing Kanye West on the loudspeakers and no one would have heard us above the storm. I mentioned this but Andy Goram just smirked and suggested that since all we had on board was the Billy Boys and if we played that then no matter how loud the storm, someone somewhere would hear it, be offended and call the police.

As I clung on to a rail, I could see Gough in his white fighting coat standing proud at the front of the ship, Ian Ferguson straining at the wheel, Andy Goram covered in oil and sweat and rain, running from deck to engine room and back, and behind me was Stuart McCall keeping a silent eye on yours truly for some reason. We'd made it safely past the advance pickets of the Port Glasgow Fenian Navy and were passing Dunoon on our port side when I thought I saw movement ahead near Hunters Quay and put a telescope to my eye and shouted, 'Devine, it's Devine!'
Gough came running to me asking where and I pointed through the dark rain but although he scanned the horizon, he could see no sight of them.
'Can't see a thing Spiers, are you sure?' he bawled above the wind.
'I'm sure, I'm sure, I swear I saw my wife waving from a porthole.' I shouted back, offering him my own telescope as if this would make a blind bit of difference. He continued to gaze through his own glass but shook his head, 'Still nothing Spiers, I can't risk it.'
'Please Richard,' I begged, 'She's my wife, I saw her. Oh I know the boat's probably out of sight now but I swear I saw her!'
Gough glanced over at McCall who shook his head, then looked at Ferguson but he was too busy to notice our little commotion then Andy Goram passed and Gough asked him his thoughts and with an oath, Goram told him that if it'd been up to him he'd have had me overboard on the first day.
'This man's wife's honour is at stake, hard to port Fergie, we still have time for one last attempt - we chase Devine!' and I breathed a sigh of relief as Gough strode again to the front of the boat to stand ready then we changed direction and headed away from Glasgow up the Firth of Clyde between Blairmore and Cove.

'Can't see a damned thing skipper,' shouted Ian Ferguson through the wind as he struggled to keep us on course, the weather worsening.
'I can! Spiers, is that her?' shouted Gough as we spotted lights through the clouds. I took a peek through my telescope and saw line upon line of Lawwell's heavily armed war frigates. 'Yes, that's her,' I shouted back and we headed into the eye of the storm.