Pawn in Frankincense - Dorothy Dunnett [288]
Jerott let out his breath very slowly as the two moves were accomplished and stood, his heart like a drum in his chest, for Gabriel’s following move.
His next ones were also attacking, and Lymond’s defensive. Gabriel’s Rook moved up the board, harmlessly, and Jerott himself moved down, towards Gabriel’s end of the files. It was while he was there that, suddenly, he found himself under attack from an unexpected quarter. Gabriel had moved up one of his Pawns.
It was the Queen’s Pawn, Kuzúm. He had no wish to go, and stood crying in the middle of his square until Philippa lifted him and carried him bodily to the one next to Jerott. Where, thought Jerott, he threatens me, if he only knew it, with death. And looking round for his succour, saw suddenly, standing guard at the end of the line, Lymond’s Queen Marthe looking at Lymond.
He had only to order the move, and Gabriel’s Pawn would be swept off the board. Lymond smiled at his Queen and said, ‘Rather a drastic way to end two-year-old tantrums.… Jerott, you’ll have to get out of it. Knight to Queen’s Bishop’s fifth …’ and the moment was over.
For the time being, Jerott found himself left alone after that. There was a move by Gabriel’s Queen which forced Lymond on to a white square but otherwise didn’t do any harm. Then there followed some play between Marthe and Gabriel’s Bishop, which brought Archie also into the game and gave the Bishop an anxious time until Gabriel sent his Queen over and, next to Archie, the Rook. Lymond’s answer was to send Archie straight down the board to check Gabriel’s King.
There was only one move Gabriel could make, and he made it. Lymond moved Jerott on one of his staggered moves forward, and said, ‘Check.’
Gabriel couldn’t resist it. By moving up, he threatened Jerott as well as moving out of check. Lymond let him do it, and then removed Jerott, neatly exposing Gabriel to attack by his Queen. Gabriel had a choice of two squares, and he chose the wrong one. On the eighth square Archie the Rook, alone and forgotten, confronted Gabriel’s Knight over four empty spaces, and Gabriel’s Knight was no longer protected. ‘Rook to Queen’s Knight’s eighth,’ said Lymond’s voice quietly. ‘Rook takes Knight.’ Except for Archie, everyone stood very still. Archie Abernethy walked along the four empty squares and, on reaching the fifth, laid his hand on the shoulder of the man standing there.
Even then, Gabriel’s Knight did not quite understand. When he did, he made the mistake of trying to run for it; and the mutes, surrounding him near the door, were not able to exercise their usual skill. He made a queer noise, within the circle of men, and the carpet rucked where his falling foot dragged it. The Kislar Agha said, ‘Take him away,’ and the mutes returned to their places, while the Janissaries saw to the body. They all stared after it, thought Jerott, as if no one until now had really believed it would happen.… It had happened. Philippa, he saw, was kneeling talking, her arms round the children. Lymond said, ‘Your move,’ his eyes very bright. Gabriel, his jaw firm, brought on his Pawn.
It was a little time before Jerott realized what he was doing. Until that, he saw the two pawns as a bitter obstruction. He had watched Lymond forgo move after move where he might have taken a piece except for the infinitesimal risk that Gabriel might attack first, throwing away his own man in order to make sure of Lymond’s. The lines of attack open to Lymond were therefore not many, and made even fewer by presence of the two sacrosanct Pawns. Whenever he made an opening, it seemed a Pawn stood in his way, a Pawn belonging