The Baroque Cycle - The Confusion Part 17

"EVEN IF THAT D DUKE STARED me full in the face, I doubt he would recognize me," Jack said. "My face was covered most of the time that I was in his house-otherwise, he never would have mistaken me for Leroy. I only let the scarf fall at the very end-" me full in the face, I doubt he would recognize me," Jack said. "My face was covered most of the time that I was in his house-otherwise, he never would have mistaken me for Leroy. I only let the scarf fall at the very end-"

"But if there was any truth whatsoever whatsoever in your narration," said Dappa carefully, "it was a moment of high drama, exceeding anything ever staged in a theatre." in your narration," said Dappa carefully, "it was a moment of high drama, exceeding anything ever staged in a theatre."

"What is your point?"

"In those short moments you may have made a vivid impression in the Duke's memory."

"I should hope so!"

"No, Jack," Moseh said gently, "you should hope not. not."

Only Moseh, Dappa, and Vrej knew that the Investor had for some years been combing every last fen, wadi, and reef of the Mediterranean for the man identified, by Muslims, as Ali Zaybak. Moseh and Dappa had followed Jack to the dress-up sack to fret and wring their hands. Vrej was completely unconcerned, though: "In those days Jack had long hair, and a stubbled face, and was heavier. Now with his head and face shaved, and a turban, and with him so gaunt and weather-tanned, I think there is little chance of his being recognized-provided he keeps his trousers on."

"What possible reason could there be to take them off?" Jack demanded hotly.

THE LONGBOAT CAME OUT. Jack and the Jack and the rais rais climbed in. Dappa came, too, as interpreter-for they had agreed that it would be unwise for Jack to let it be known that he spoke Vagabond-French. The longboat took them not to climbed in. Dappa came, too, as interpreter-for they had agreed that it would be unwise for Jack to let it be known that he spoke Vagabond-French. The longboat took them not to Meteore Meteore after all, but to a part of the harbor where no fewer than half a dozen war galleys of the French Navy were tied up on either side of a long stone pier. The longboat was tied up at the pier's end by a couple of barefoot French swabbies. The tide was quite low, so Jack, Nasr al-Ghurab, and Dappa took turns ascending a ladder to the pier's sun-hammered top and there met the same young officer who had earlier brought them the letter. He was a slender fellow with a high nose and an overbite, who bowed slightly, and greeted them without really showing respect. Introductions were made by an aide. The officer was identified as one Pierre de Jonzac. after all, but to a part of the harbor where no fewer than half a dozen war galleys of the French Navy were tied up on either side of a long stone pier. The longboat was tied up at the pier's end by a couple of barefoot French swabbies. The tide was quite low, so Jack, Nasr al-Ghurab, and Dappa took turns ascending a ladder to the pier's sun-hammered top and there met the same young officer who had earlier brought them the letter. He was a slender fellow with a high nose and an overbite, who bowed slightly, and greeted them without really showing respect. Introductions were made by an aide. The officer was identified as one Pierre de Jonzac.

"Tell Monsieur de Jonzac that he has the smallest nostrils of any human who ever lived," Jack said in the most vulgar Sabir he could muster, "which must serve him well in his dealings with his master."

"The Agha of the Janissaries greets you as one warrior to another," Dappa said vaguely.

"Tell him that I am grateful that he has personally taken responsibility for getting us and our cargo to Egypt," the rais rais said. said.

French was exchanged. Pierre de Jonzac stiffened. His pupils widened and his nostrils shrank at the same time, as if they shared a common drawstring. "He understandeth little, and resenteth much," Dappa said out of the side of his mouth.

"If we do not take our time, here, and pick out a good complement of slaves, why, we will fall behind the convoy, and Dutch or Calabrian pirates will end up with our cargo-" began the rais. rais.

"-of whose nature we are ignorant," added Jack.

"-but which the Duke appears to value highly," finished Dappa, who could see for himself how this was going. When he said all of this in French, Pierre de Jonzac flinched, and looked as if he were about to order them flogged. Then he seemed to think better of it.

De Jonzac spun on his heel and led them down the pier. The hulls of the French galleys were low as slippers and narrow as knives and could not even be seen from here, but each one had-as well as a pair of masts-both a fore-and a stern-castle, meant to carry her pay-load of cannons and Marines as high above the foes' as possible. These castles-which were all decorated, gilded, and painted in the finest Barock style-seemed to hover in the air on either side of the pier, bobbing gently in the swell. It was a strangely peaceful scene-until they followed de Jonzac to the edge of the pier and looked down into one of the galleys: a stinking wood-lined gouge in the water, packed with hundreds of naked men, chained by their waists and ankles in groups of five. Many were dozing. But as soon as faces appeared above them, a few began to shout abuse, and woke up all the rest. Then they were all screaming.

"Rag-head! Come down here and take my seat!"

"You have a pretty a.s.s, n.i.g.g.e.r! Bend over so we can inspect!"

"Where do you want to row today?"

"Take me! My oar-mates snore!"

"Take him! He prays too much!"

And so forth; but they were all all shouting as loud as they could, and shaking their chains, and stomping the deck-planks so that the hull boomed like a drum. shouting as loud as they could, and shaking their chains, and stomping the deck-planks so that the hull boomed like a drum.

"Je vous en prie!" said Pierre de Jonzac, extending a hand. said Pierre de Jonzac, extending a hand.

It came clear that they were expected to take a few slaves from each galley. A rite soon took shape: They'd cross a gangplank from the pier to the sterncastle and parley with the captain, who would be expecting them, and who would have helpfully culled out a few slaves-always the most miserable tubercular specimens on his boat. Nasr al-Ghurab would prod them, inspect their teeth, feel their knees, and scoff. This was the signal to begin haggling. Using Dappa as his intermediary, al-Ghurab had to reject galeriens galeriens one by one, beginning always with the most pitiable, and these would be sent down into the ever-boiling riot of Vagabonds, smugglers, pickpockets, deserters, stranglers, prisoners of war, and Huguenots chained to the benches below. Then it would be necessary to pick out a replacement, which involved more haggling, as well as endless resentful glares, verbal abuse, bluffing, and stalling from the petty officers-called one by one, beginning always with the most pitiable, and these would be sent down into the ever-boiling riot of Vagabonds, smugglers, pickpockets, deserters, stranglers, prisoners of war, and Huguenots chained to the benches below. Then it would be necessary to pick out a replacement, which involved more haggling, as well as endless resentful glares, verbal abuse, bluffing, and stalling from the petty officers-called comites comites-who controlled the oar-deck, and tedious un-chaining and re-chaining. The longboat could only ferry ten or so slaves out to the galleot at a time, so five loads, and as many round trips, were needed.

Al-Ghurab's strategy had been that he would wear the French down by taking his time and choosing carefully; but as the day went on it became obvious that time was on the side of the captains of the galleys, who relaxed in their cabins, and of Pierre de Jonzac, who sipped Champagne under a giant parasol on the pier, while Jack, Dappa, and al-Ghurab toiled up and down the gangplanks smelling the bodies and enduring the curses of the galeriens. galeriens. They picked out perhaps two boat-loads of reasonably good slaves before they began to lose their concentration, and after that they were more concerned with getting to the end of the day with some vestiges of dignity. Jack led many a They picked out perhaps two boat-loads of reasonably good slaves before they began to lose their concentration, and after that they were more concerned with getting to the end of the day with some vestiges of dignity. Jack led many a galerien galerien down the aisle that day. Some of them had to be prodded down the entire length of a one-hundred-fifty-foot s.h.i.+p to be offloaded. Each of those who was staying behind felt bound to say down the aisle that day. Some of them had to be prodded down the entire length of a one-hundred-fifty-foot s.h.i.+p to be offloaded. Each of those who was staying behind felt bound to say something something to the one who was being taken off: to the one who was being taken off: "I hope the Mohametans b.u.g.g.e.r you as often as you've whined about your wife and kids in Toulouse!"

"Send us a letter from Algiers, we hear the weather is very nice there!"

"Farewell, Jean-Baptiste, may G.o.d go with you!"

"Please don't let the Corsairs ram us, I have nothing against them!"

It was on the very last trip of the day that Jack-standing in the aisle of a galley while the rais rais argued with a argued with a comite comite-was dazzled, for a moment, by a bright light shone into his eye. He blinked and it was gone. Then it was back: bright as the sun, but coming from within this galley. The third time, he held up an arm to s.h.i.+eld his eyes, and squinted at it sidelong, and perceived that it was coming from the middle of a bench near the bow, on the starboard side. He began walking towards it-creating a sensation among the galeriens, galeriens, who had all noticed the light on his face and were screaming and pounding their benches with amus.e.m.e.nt. who had all noticed the light on his face and were screaming and pounding their benches with amus.e.m.e.nt.

By the time he'd reached the forward part of the oar-deck, Jack had lost track of the light's source-but then one more flash nicked him again, then faded and shrank to a little polygon of grey gla.s.s, held in a man's fingers. Jack had already guessed it would be a hand-mirror, because these were commonly found among the few miserable effects that galley-slaves were allowed to have with them. By thrusting it out of an oar-lock, or raising it high overhead, the owner could see much that would otherwise be out of his view. But it was cheeky for a galerien galerien to flash sunlight into the eyes of a free man standing in the aisle, because this was most annoying, and might be punished by breakage or confiscation of the mirror. to flash sunlight into the eyes of a free man standing in the aisle, because this was most annoying, and might be punished by breakage or confiscation of the mirror.

Jack looked up into the eyes of the insolent wretch who had been playing tricks on him, and recognized him immediately as Monsieur Arlanc, the Huguenot, whom he had last seen buried in s.h.i.+t in a stable in France.

Jack parted his lips; Monsieur Arlanc raised a finger to his, and shook his head almost imperceptibly. Then he swiveled his eyes in their sockets, leading Jack's gaze over the gunwale and across the choppy black water of the harbor, off in the general direction of Sicily. Jack's attention rolled aimlessly about the harbor, like a loose cannonball on a pitching deck, until it fell into a hole, and stopped. For he could clearly see a sort of heathen half-galley riding the swells at the harbor's entrance, but obliterated, every so often, by a flash of light just like the one that had come from the hand-mirror of Monsieur Arlanc.

The half-galley was none other than the Cabal's galleot.

Jack's first thought was that the new slaves must be staging a mutiny and that his comrades were signalling for help. But the flashes emanated not from the quarterdeck, where the Cabal would make their last stand in a mutiny, but from a point down low and amids.h.i.+ps: one of the oar-locks. It must be one of the new galeriens, galeriens, probably chained safely to his bench by now, but reaching out with a hand-mirror to flash signals to-whom, exactly? probably chained safely to his bench by now, but reaching out with a hand-mirror to flash signals to-whom, exactly?

Jack turned around to face the pier-side, which had fallen into deep shade as the sun had swung around over the high crags and castles of Malta. By blocking the sun's glare with his hand he was able to see a vague spot of bluish light prowling around the pier's shadows. The mirror was held in an unsteady hand on a rocking boat far away, and so the spot of light frequently careered off into the sky or plunged into the waves. But it would always come back, and work its way carefully down the pier, and then dart upwards at the same place. After this had occurred several times, Jack raised his sights to the top of the pier and saw Pierre de Jonzac sitting there at a folding table with a quill in one hand, staring out to sea. Each mirror-flash lit him up with a ghastly light, and after each one he glanced down (his wig moved) and made a mark (his quill wiggled).

"I suppose you think this was all predestined to happen, monsieur," said Jack, "but I like to believe you had some say in the matter, and therefore deserve my thanks."

"There is no time to talk," Arlanc said. "But know that the men they have sent you are very dangerous: murderers, conspiracists, phanatiques, looters of bakeries, outragers of women, and locksmiths gone bad."

"I would rather have a Huguenot or two," Jack mused, scanning the other four members of Monsieur Arlanc's team. The headman, who sat on the aisle, was a Turk.

"It is a n.o.ble conception, Jack, but not destined to happen. They will never agree to it-it is not part of their plan."

"What about G.o.d? Doesn't He have a plan?"

"I believe only that G.o.d preserved me until now so that I could show you what I have showed you," said Monsieur Arlanc, glancing up towards de Jonzac frozen in another pallid flash, "and thereby repay you for your generosity in the stables. What on earth are you doing, by the way?"

"It is a long story," Jack said, taking a step away-for al-Ghurab had finally picked out the last slave, and was calling to him. "I'll explain it when we reach Egypt."

Monsieur Arlanc smiled like a saint on the gridiron, and shook his head. "This galley will never reach Egypt," he said, "and my mortal body is, as you can see, one with it." He patted the chain locked round his waist.

"What, are you joking? Look at the size of this armada! We'll be fine."

Arlanc closed his eyes, still smiling. "If you see Dutch colors, or English, or-may G.o.d forbid it-both combined, make for Africa, and stop not until you have run aground."

"And then what? Go on foot across the Sahara?"

"It would be easier than the journey we begin tomorrow. G.o.d bless you and your sons."

"Likewise you and yours. See you at the Sphinx." Jack stormed off down the aisle. For once, the galeriens galeriens did not hound him the whole way. They seemed sober and deflated instead, as if they had all guessed at the subject of Jack's and Monsieur Arlanc's conversation. did not hound him the whole way. They seemed sober and deflated instead, as if they had all guessed at the subject of Jack's and Monsieur Arlanc's conversation.

THE VOYAGE FROM M MALTA to Alexandria was a rhumb-line a thousand miles long. The Dutch hit them halfway, five days into the pa.s.sage, somewhere to the south of Crete. Jack supposed that if he were G.o.d watching the battle from Heaven it might make some kind of sense: the onslaughts of the Dutch capital s.h.i.+ps, the stately maneuvers of the French ones, and the slas.h.i.+ng zigzags of the galleys would form a coherent picture, and seem less like an interminable string of dreadful accidents. But Jack was just a mote on a galleot that was evidently considered too small to be worth attacking, or defending. to Alexandria was a rhumb-line a thousand miles long. The Dutch hit them halfway, five days into the pa.s.sage, somewhere to the south of Crete. Jack supposed that if he were G.o.d watching the battle from Heaven it might make some kind of sense: the onslaughts of the Dutch capital s.h.i.+ps, the stately maneuvers of the French ones, and the slas.h.i.+ng zigzags of the galleys would form a coherent picture, and seem less like an interminable string of dreadful accidents. But Jack was just a mote on a galleot that was evidently considered too small to be worth attacking, or defending. Now Now they understood why the shrewd Investor had never insisted on having the loot taken off the galleot and loaded into a man-of-war: He must have suspected that half or more of his capital s.h.i.+ps would end up on the bottom of the Mediterranean. they understood why the shrewd Investor had never insisted on having the loot taken off the galleot and loaded into a man-of-war: He must have suspected that half or more of his capital s.h.i.+ps would end up on the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Every time a French frigate was struck by a Dutch broadside, a vast cloud of spinning planks, tumbling spars, and other important materials would come flying out the opposite side and tear up the water for a hundred yards or more. After this had happened several times the s.h.i.+p would stop moving and a galley would be brought in to tow it from the line of battle, somewhat like a servant scurrying into the middle of a lively dance-floor to drag away a fat count who had pa.s.sed out from drink.

The galleot, for its part, wandered about aimlessly, like a lost lamb searching for its mother in a flock that was being torn apart by wolves. Van Hoek spent the day up on the maintop, cheering for the Dutch, and occasionally shouting explanations-so cryptic and technical as to be useless-of what was going on to the others. Very early the Cabal had met to discuss surrendering to the Dutch forthwith. But there was much that could go awry with that plan. At the very best it would mean surrendering all of the gold, and many in the Cabal did not share van Hoek's natural affinity for the Dutch side of things anyway.

The galley to which Monsieur Arlanc was chained survived most of the battle without serious damage. Then (according to van Hoek) she was called in to ram a certain Dutch s.h.i.+p. Along the way she came under fire from others, and a bomb apparently went off in her sterncastle, starting a fire that, a few minutes later, detonated her powder magazine and essentially blew open her stern. Very quickly her bow began to point up in the air, her ram sweeping relentlessly upwards like the hand of a clock. The galeriens galeriens in the forward half of the s.h.i.+p-presumably including Monsieur Arlanc-let go their oars and hooked their arms over their benches, though some of them broke loose, so that skeins of slaves dangled and swung like strings of trout hanging before a fishmonger's stall. in the forward half of the s.h.i.+p-presumably including Monsieur Arlanc-let go their oars and hooked their arms over their benches, though some of them broke loose, so that skeins of slaves dangled and swung like strings of trout hanging before a fishmonger's stall.

"Let us row in that direction," Jack said, "because it is no more dangerous than what we are doing anyway, and because it is good form."

There was profound apprehension on the faces of other members of the Cabal. Vrej Esphahnian opened his mouth as if to lodge an objection but then a large cannonball hummed past, a couple of yards over their heads, confirming Jack's point and sparing them many tedious deliberations. So Nasr al-Ghurab brought the tiller around and they made for the sinking galley.

Meanwhile Jack went down among the oar-slaves-but not before asking Yevgeny to fetch a certain large hammer, and an anvil.

On the night before their departure from Malta, when most of the fleet's ordinary seamen had been ash.o.r.e carousing and/or receiving Holy Communion, and most of its officers attending formal dinners, the Cabal had armed themselves with blunderbusses and then worked their way down the aisle, unchaining one pair of slaves at a time and searching them. Turbans, head-rags, and loincloths had been shaken out and groped, jaws and b.u.t.t-cheeks pried apart, hair combed through or cut off. Jeronimo had scoffed at this-more so after being told it was all because of a warning from a "heretic Frog slave." But he went silent as soon as he saw a complete set of fine lock-picks being drawn out through the a.n.a.l sphincter of a stocky middle-aged galerien galerien named Gerard. And he remained silent as an increasingly astounding variety of hardware was produced, like conjurors' tricks, from diverse orifices and bits of clothing. "If I see a granado coming from some man's nostril I will be no more surprised than I am now," he said. Finally a mirror was found, and then another-confirming Jack's story. Nyazi was uncharacteristically pensive, and said: "Honor dictates that we send the Investor to h.e.l.l forthwith, along with as many of his clan as we can get our daggers into." But El Desamparado flew into a rage that did not abate until he had ranted for the better part of an hour and made many trips up and down the length of the galleot flailing away with a named Gerard. And he remained silent as an increasingly astounding variety of hardware was produced, like conjurors' tricks, from diverse orifices and bits of clothing. "If I see a granado coming from some man's nostril I will be no more surprised than I am now," he said. Finally a mirror was found, and then another-confirming Jack's story. Nyazi was uncharacteristically pensive, and said: "Honor dictates that we send the Investor to h.e.l.l forthwith, along with as many of his clan as we can get our daggers into." But El Desamparado flew into a rage that did not abate until he had ranted for the better part of an hour and made many trips up and down the length of the galleot flailing away with a nerf du boeuf. nerf du boeuf.

Now these galeriens galeriens were no more impressed by Jeronimo's prowess with the whip than they were by his Cla.s.sical allusions. were no more impressed by Jeronimo's prowess with the whip than they were by his Cla.s.sical allusions.* At the height of his rage Jeronimo was no more or less prepossessing than any At the height of his rage Jeronimo was no more or less prepossessing than any comite comite of the French Navy. It was, rather, the odd comments he made when he calmed down that convinced them all that El Desamparado was a madman, and scared them all into silence and submission. of the French Navy. It was, rather, the odd comments he made when he calmed down that convinced them all that El Desamparado was a madman, and scared them all into silence and submission.

In any event, the French padlocks that had secured the slaves when they'd been brought over had been tossed into the bilge, and their chains heated up in the galleot's portable brazier and hammered shut, just in case any lock-picks had escaped the search.

Now, as the galleot rowed through the wreckage of the French flotilla with clouds of grapeshot and lengths of smoking chain flying overhead, Jack fished one of those padlocks out of the bilge. As Yevgeny parted the chain of Gerard with a few terrible hammer-blows, Jack worked his way through the giant key-ring that the French had handed over to them, and got that padlock open. Then Jack, Yevgeny, Gerard, and Gabriel Goto got into the skiff and rowed the last few yards to the slowly sinking galley.

Hundreds of chained men had already been pulled below the water, and perhaps two score remained above it. The bench to which Monsieur Arlanc and his four companions were joined by a common chain, and from which they'd all been dangling for the last quarter of an hour, was only a couple of yards above the water now, and their legs were washed by every wave. Jack clambered onto that bench holding one end of the chain that went around Gerard's waist, then wrapped Gerard's chain around Arlanc's and padlocked them together. He threw away the key and, for good measure, smashed the body of the lock with a hammer to make it unpickable.

Gerard's eyes went immediately to the chain that went round the waists of Monsieur Arlanc and his four comrades, and terminated at the end of the bench along the aisle, where it was padlocked to a stout loop of iron.

Jack jumped back into the skiff; handed Gerard his set of lock-picks; and threw him overboard, saying, "Go and redeem thyself."

Of course there was much more to it than that, and when Jack told the tale afterwards he would give the full report, with all due embellishments: the hysterical blubbering of some galeriens, galeriens, the pious praying of others, the many strong hands that shot up out of the water to grip the gunwales of their skiff and were cut away by Gabriel's sword. The officers and French Marines still clinging to the galley's forecastle, trying to buy pa.s.sage on the galleot, or failing that, to fight their way aboard, only to be beaten back by Jeronimo and Nyazi and van Hoek and the others. The banks of powder-smoke drifting by overhead, and the bodies of the drowned the pious praying of others, the many strong hands that shot up out of the water to grip the gunwales of their skiff and were cut away by Gabriel's sword. The officers and French Marines still clinging to the galley's forecastle, trying to buy pa.s.sage on the galleot, or failing that, to fight their way aboard, only to be beaten back by Jeronimo and Nyazi and van Hoek and the others. The banks of powder-smoke drifting by overhead, and the bodies of the drowned galeriens galeriens below: pale blurred forms in strings of five, like pearls. below: pale blurred forms in strings of five, like pearls.

But at the time Jack took little notice of this ambience ambience and concentrated on the matter of the lock and the chain almost as intently as Gerard. At the moment that the galley pulled Gerard under water he still had not got the lock open, and Jack began to think his plan had failed. The Turk who sat in the aisle was pulled under crying "Allahu Akbar!" and then the man who sat next to Monsieur Arlanc went down intoning "Father into your hands I commend my spirit." Then it came to the point where Monsieur Arlanc's face was only visible in the troughs of the waves. But then the head of Gerard re-appeared, followed by that of the Turk; they were clambering uphill, using the galley as a ladder even as it slid deeper. Gerard reached a temporarily secure place, turned around, hefted the opened padlock in one hand, and flung it at Jack's head. Jack ducked it and laughed. "There is your redemption, Englis.h.!.+" screamed Gerard, weeping with rage. and concentrated on the matter of the lock and the chain almost as intently as Gerard. At the moment that the galley pulled Gerard under water he still had not got the lock open, and Jack began to think his plan had failed. The Turk who sat in the aisle was pulled under crying "Allahu Akbar!" and then the man who sat next to Monsieur Arlanc went down intoning "Father into your hands I commend my spirit." Then it came to the point where Monsieur Arlanc's face was only visible in the troughs of the waves. But then the head of Gerard re-appeared, followed by that of the Turk; they were clambering uphill, using the galley as a ladder even as it slid deeper. Gerard reached a temporarily secure place, turned around, hefted the opened padlock in one hand, and flung it at Jack's head. Jack ducked it and laughed. "There is your redemption, Englis.h.!.+" screamed Gerard, weeping with rage.

NOW THEY MADE direct for the Mouths of the Nile, sailing by day and rowing by night. Every few hours they sighted remnant s.h.i.+ps of the French fleet, now scattered across fifty miles. Several times they saw direct for the Mouths of the Nile, sailing by day and rowing by night. Every few hours they sighted remnant s.h.i.+ps of the French fleet, now scattered across fifty miles. Several times they saw Meteore, Meteore, which had survived the battle with the amputation of her mizzenmast, and she signalled to them with mirror-flashes. which had survived the battle with the amputation of her mizzenmast, and she signalled to them with mirror-flashes.

"A group of two, then a group of three," said Nasr al-Ghurab.

"According to the Plan, this is a signal that we are to curtail the voyage, and put in at Alexandria instead of going on to Abu Qir," Moseh said.

Al-Ghurab rolled his eyes. "That would be as good as going direct to Ma.r.s.eille. In El Iskandariya, El Iskandariya, the French are almost more powerful than the Turks." the French are almost more powerful than the Turks."

"There is no point in making it easy easy for the Investor to b.u.g.g.e.r us," Jeronimo scoffed. for the Investor to b.u.g.g.e.r us," Jeronimo scoffed.

"Then we shall go to Cairo and make it slightly more difficult," said the rais. rais.

"Cairo I like better than Alexandria," Jack said, "but I do not like Cairo much. much. It is a cul-de-sac-the end of the line." It is a cul-de-sac-the end of the line."

"Not so-we could row up the Nile to Ethiopia!" Dappa said.

Nyazi, viewing Dappa's jest as a challenge to his hospitality, declared that he would gladly sleep naked in the dirt to the end of his days in order to provide the Cabal with comfortable beds-providing they could get as far as the foothills of the Mountains of Nuba.

"The entire point of choosing Cairo was that it is as far East as Mediterranean vessels can go," Moseh reminded them, "and so our cargo should have the highest value there, at the reputedly stupendous bazaar of the Khan el-Khalili, in the very heart of that ancient city, called by some the Mother of the World. And this is as true now now as it was as it was before." before."

"But once we go in we cannot come out-the Investor needs only to post s.h.i.+ps before the two Mouths of the Nile, at Rosetta and Damietta, and we are bottled up," van Hoek pointed out.

"Nonetheless, this half of the Mediterranean is yet Turkish. Turks control every harbor," said the rais, rais, "and word has gone out, on faster boats than ours, that if a galleot should appear, with a crew of mostly infidels, and such-and-such markings, it is to be impounded at once, and the crew put in irons. Going to Cairo and trading our cargo for a vast array of goods in the Khan el-Khalili is not such a miserable fate compared to the alternatives-" "and word has gone out, on faster boats than ours, that if a galleot should appear, with a crew of mostly infidels, and such-and-such markings, it is to be impounded at once, and the crew put in irons. Going to Cairo and trading our cargo for a vast array of goods in the Khan el-Khalili is not such a miserable fate compared to the alternatives-"

"One, being b.u.g.g.e.red by the Investor in Alexandria," said Jeronimo.

"Two, being thrown into a dungeon-pit in some flyblown port in the Levant," said Dappa.

"Three, running the s.h.i.+p aground in some uninhabited place and trudging off into the Sahara bent under the weight of our cargo," said Vrej.

"Ethiopia sounds better every minute," said Dappa.

"I shall distribute my wives equally among the nine of us who still have p.e.n.i.ses," proclaimed Nyazi, "and Jack can have my finest camel!"

"Jack, fear not," said Monsieur Arlanc, taking him aside. "I know one or two negociants negociants in Grand Caire. Through them, I can help you sell your share of the goods, and get a bill of exchange, payable in Amsterdam." in Grand Caire. Through them, I can help you sell your share of the goods, and get a bill of exchange, payable in Amsterdam."

Jack sighed. "I do not predict any of us will sleep easy in Cairo."

So they made no response to messages from the Investor's jacht, jacht, and used their (now) superior speed to stay well clear of her. And yet they did not attempt to pull away and vanish during the night-times, as there was no advantage in throwing the Investor into a rage. and used their (now) superior speed to stay well clear of her. And yet they did not attempt to pull away and vanish during the night-times, as there was no advantage in throwing the Investor into a rage.

High sere country, veiled in dust, began to appear off to starboard. The water took on a brown tinge and then became polluted with mud, sticks, and straw, which Nasr al-Ghurab called sudd. sudd. He said it had been washed down out of Egypt by the Nile. The river, he said, would be at its fullest now, as it was the month of August. He said it had been washed down out of Egypt by the Nile. The river, he said, would be at its fullest now, as it was the month of August.

Then one midday they spied a hill with a single Roman column rising out of its top, and a city jumbled about its base. "It looks as if a movement of the earth has shaken the whole city down into rubble," Jack said, but the rais rais said that Alexandria always looked that way, and pointed to the fortifications as proof. Indeed a square-sided stone castle rose from the middle of the harbor, at the end of a broad causeway; it seemed orderly and showed no signs of damage. One or two of the faster French s.h.i.+ps had already dropped anchor under the shelter of its guns. Gazing for a few moments through a borrowed spygla.s.s, Jack could see men in periwigs going to and fro in longboats, parleying with the customs officials, who here as in Algiers were all black-clad Jews. said that Alexandria always looked that way, and pointed to the fortifications as proof. Indeed a square-sided stone castle rose from the middle of the harbor, at the end of a broad causeway; it seemed orderly and showed no signs of damage. One or two of the faster French s.h.i.+ps had already dropped anchor under the shelter of its guns. Gazing for a few moments through a borrowed spygla.s.s, Jack could see men in periwigs going to and fro in longboats, parleying with the customs officials, who here as in Algiers were all black-clad Jews.

"The French pay three percent-merchants of other nations pay twenty," Monsieur Arlanc commented, "probably thanks to the machinations of your Investor, and of other great Frenchmen." Since his being rescued from the galley, he had been accepted as a sort of advisor to the Cabal.

"Once the Turks see how the French fleet was mangled by the Dutch, perhaps they'll change their policy," van Hoek said.

"Not if the Duc d'Arcachon bribes them with a galleot-load of gold bars," Jack put in.

Most of the French fleet, including Meteore, Meteore, set their courses direct for the harbor of Alexandria proper. Nasr al-Ghurab, however, pointed them straight up the coast; raised all the sail he could; and put the set their courses direct for the harbor of Alexandria proper. Nasr al-Ghurab, however, pointed them straight up the coast; raised all the sail he could; and put the galeriens galeriens to work, driving them at a blazing speed of nine knots for two hours. This brought them to a cusp of land called Abu Qir. From here Alexandria was still plainly visible through dust and heat-waves, and presumably the reverse was true; no doubt some French officer had watched every oar-stroke through a spygla.s.s. to work, driving them at a blazing speed of nine knots for two hours. This brought them to a cusp of land called Abu Qir. From here Alexandria was still plainly visible through dust and heat-waves, and presumably the reverse was true; no doubt some French officer had watched every oar-stroke through a spygla.s.s.

There was no city at Abu Qir, other than a few huts of Arab fishermen surrounded by spindly racks where they put fish out to dry in the sun. But there was a solid Turkish fort with many guns, and a customs house below it, having its own pier. Moseh and Dappa went in using the skiff while the rais rais and the others managed the ticklish job of bringing the galleot alongside the pier. Out of the customs house came the Jew who was in charge of the place, followed by Moseh, Dappa, and a couple of younger Jews-his sons-who carried sticks of red wax, bottles of ink, and other necessaries. The Jew was speaking a queer kind of Spanish to Moseh. He spent a couple of hours going through the hold, putting a customs-seal on each of the wooden crates without actually inspecting them, and without exacting any duties-this, of course, had all been pre-arranged on the Turkish side, by the Pasha working through his contacts in Egypt. This customs house at Abu Qir was the only one in the Ottoman Empire, or the world for that matter, where they could have done it. and the others managed the ticklish job of bringing the galleot alongside the pier. Out of the customs house came the Jew who was in charge of the place, followed by Moseh, Dappa, and a couple of younger Jews-his sons-who carried sticks of red wax, bottles of ink, and other necessaries. The Jew was speaking a queer kind of Spanish to Moseh. He spent a couple of hours going through the hold, putting a customs-seal on each of the wooden crates without actually inspecting them, and without exacting any duties-this, of course, had all been pre-arranged on the Turkish side, by the Pasha working through his contacts in Egypt. This customs house at Abu Qir was the only one in the Ottoman Empire, or the world for that matter, where they could have done it.

The inspector made it clear to everyone within earshot that he was not happy with any part of the arrangement, but he did his part and departed without creating any obstructions or demanding any baksheesh baksheesh above and beyond what he was getting anyway: a purse of pieces of eight, handed to him by Nasr al-Ghurab after the "inspection" was complete. above and beyond what he was getting anyway: a purse of pieces of eight, handed to him by Nasr al-Ghurab after the "inspection" was complete.