"What did you say? Say it again!"
The night after the Battle of Sinop ended, a paddle steamer silently approached the military port of Constantinople and then disembarked heading towards the Ottoman Court. Shortly after the personnel from the ship entered the Ottoman Empire Court, the hall of the imperial assembly echoed with the exclamation of Abdul Majid I, followed by his urgent and high-pitched voice: "What happened to my naval fleet?"
"Your Majesty the Sultan!" The reporting officer, a Brit in a deep black buttoned British Navy uniform, was speaking fluent Greek to Abdul Majid I: "I regret to inform you of this sad news. Your fleet, due to a sudden attack two days ago, has been completely annihilated!"
"Completely annihilated!" Abdul Majid I's face turned pale, and his lips trembled slightly.
He then raised his voice even higher: "How could it be completely annihilated! How could it be!"
