Disorderly Knights - Dorothy Dunnett [36]
‘The Chevalier said “Christ” several times—he was exceedingly overwrought,’ said the Receiver apologetically. ‘Exceedingly. He reminded the Viceroy that, contrary to all standing treaties, the Emperor—with the assistance of all the knights, French, Spanish, Italian, German, English—had seized the Sultan’s possessions in North Africa and had mortified the corsair Dragut to such a pitch that Dragut has not only petitioned but tried to pay for the privilege of launching an attack to exterminate the knights of Tripoli and Malta from the earth. He said that the Sultan was fully as angry as Dragut, and that when the Emperor excused himself on the grounds that he was, with the knights, simply clearing the seas of worthless corsairs of no concern to the Ottoman lords, the Sultan answered by heaping official appointments on Dragut and his friends, and by gathering them publicly within the framework of his fleet.… He was most convincing,’ said the Receiver doubtfully. ‘Hard as it is for us to believe on this island, so close to Italy, that so great an infidel fleet could be built and commissioned simply to demolish a rock—’
‘Was the Viceroy convinced, sir?’ said Jerott’s hard young voice. ‘Since you clearly are not?’
The Receiver, who was merely doing his best in a state of some shock, said, ‘I—there are difficulties in accepting the whole of M. de Villegagnon’s premise, but I do so—I am prepared to do so. His Excellency has done the same. He has promised Tripoli two hundred soldiers from Naples, to be sent to Malta as soon as levied.’
‘Under me,’ said Jerott Blyth instantly, and in the ensuing babble of voices cut his way by sheer lung power. ‘Under me … and if anyone objects, they can argue with steel.’
‘Since we are all to die together on our rock,’ said Lymond’s voice, pleasant as ever, silencing the argument, ‘is there not one simple precaution we may take? The Turkish mind, after all, is far more subtle than ours. Our cruder subterfuges might even succeed. I take it that however near to Malta the Sultan’s flotilla approaches, Charles is unlikely to release Imperial ships to help you?’
‘He will never leave Sicily and Naples unguarded,’ said the Receiver with simple conviction. ‘Never. And without Prince Doria’s fleet, our own galleys are useless against this monstrous navy of Sinan Pasha and Dragut.’
‘And there is your one frail hope, surely,’ said Lymond patiently to the circle of brown and bearded faces, shining with sweat in the lamplight. ‘For although you know this for certain, Dragut does not. Say, if Malta were attacked, that the Turks intercepted a boat arriving from Sicily with ostensible news for the Grand Master that Doria was back in Messina, and that couriers had been sent abroad, to Naples, to Genoa, summoning ships and troops to help raise the siege. It wouldn’t be true, but the Turks couldn’t depend on it. They might take fright. They might retreat …’
They discussed it, the young men’s voices rising in their excitement. The Receiver was doubtful. Could such a ruse mislead the Turks? How would he know that Malta had suffered attack? Whom could he send to Malta with a spurious message? And how ensure that the Turks would intercept it?
They argued a long time without reaching a conclusion, but Lymond, watching them, did not add to his point. Buckled to his fine belt was the thick purse, chiming with gold pieces, that Jerott Blyth silently passed to him. For though the Knights Hospitallers were not a gambling Order, they had their pride.
It was then two hours to dawn. As the sun rose, innocent on the innocent sea, the Chevalier de Villegagnon with his retinue, among whom Francis Crawford was modestly one, set sail in the Viceroy of Sicily’s fastest brigantine for Malta, island fortress of Holy Church in the Middle Seas, and destined prey of Dragut.
II
The Tongue of Gabriel
(Maltese Archipelago, July 1551)
‘UNTIL you have smoked out this nest of vipers, you can do no good anywhere.’
The words, long ago, had been the corsair Dragut’s, speaking of Malta. And soundlessly Francis Crawford