come

assaults against that horrid American artillery.
"Thank you, Lieutenant. Please pass along my regards to Captain Houston and Mr. Monroe. I take it the secretary of state is in the Capitol also?"
"Yes, sir. Oh." The young militiaman looked chagrined. "I shouldn't have said that."
Ross would have laughed, except for the pain. "You may set your mind at ease, Lieutenant. I assure you I have no intention of launching another assault with the sole purpose of seizing Mr. Monroe, estimable gentleman though he is. But do pass along to him a request from me, as well as my compliments."
"Sir?"
"I'd appreciate it if he'd give your fine captain a promotion. He well deserves it, anyway, and it would do wonders for my self-esteem. Driven off by a captain. No, no, it won't do! A major, I could live with. A colonel would be better still."
"Do it," Joshua Barney growled, after the militiaman returned and conveyed Ross's words. "And make it 'colonel.' "
Monroe, sitting on a chair next to Barney's settee, shook his head. "Commodore, you know perfectly well I don't have the authority to promote army officers."
"Make it a brevet rank, then."
"I can't do that, either. Secretary of state, remember?"
Barney closed his eyes. "It's a pity Washington, D.C., isn't a state. We could haul the governor out of his bed and get Houston a fancy rank in the state militia."
Smiling, Monroe started to respond, but the same militia lieutenant was coming back into the chamber. Looking more worried than ever.
"You'd better come see, sir." The youngster swallowed.