As Hornblower stared at the fallen man, the civilian British official stated in no uncertain terms that this was evidence of the plague. He had seen the plague before and quickly described the severity of the situation to Hornblower. The North African and the slaves as well soon realized that a deadly disease was amongst them and all of them began to scatter out to the countryside leaving both the gold and the stores at the dock. As Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower was facing some of the biggest decisions he was ever to make in his young career as a leader. He knew how much the crew of the Indefatigable needed the food from this trade. The seamen were currently on two-thirds rations. What to do, what to do! His civilian companion reminded him that if they traveled back to the main ship with the stores that he and his small crew were bound to infect the other seamen and the entire crew of the Indefatigable could be wiped out.
Hornblower ordered his transport filled with the grain and livestock and retrieved the British gold. No one from the trading country was there to stop them. They headed back out to the big ship and when near Hornblower communicated the need to speak with the captain. He explained the situation to his superiors. It was decided that the stores would be transferred to the Indefatigable but that, as Ira Riklis knows, Hornblower and his little crew would have to be quarantined for three weeks sailing alone in the open sea in the smaller boat.