Race of Scorpions - Dorothy Dunnett [127]
‘My lord, no.’
‘It did not go into the Bank of Messer Niccolò himself?’
‘My lord, no.’
‘And was there any withdrawal from Messer Niccolò’s Bank that might account for the hiring, which he denies, of this piratical ship?’
‘My lord, no,’ said the Chancellor meekly. He turned and looked at Nicholas, and Nicholas knew what he was going to say. ‘But,’ said the Chancellor, ‘there is, and has been since the autumn, a record of a considerable and generous payment being made at stated intervals into Messer Niccolò’s own Bank in Venice. The payments are to his personal account, and they come from the agents of James de Lusignan in respect of a fief outside the town of Nicosia. This fief, it seems, belongs to the Knight standing before you. To Niccolò vander Poele who says he does not know, and has not met, the Bastard Zacco.’
It was a perfect small coup. Even dispersed by the high timbered ceiling, the comber of comment and exclamation was louder than was respectful in this, the inner court of the Knights. Nicholas saw that beside him, le Grant and Tobie were displaying adequate alarm and surprise. Astorre had to be kicked. Nicholas said, ‘I was afraid of that. I was offered some such bribe by the Bastard’s envoys in Venice. Queen Carlotta proposed a fee equally generous, I gave both a refusal. Only the Bastard, it seems, began transmitting the money as a form of coercion. Did you discover that any of it had been withdrawn and sent to me?’
‘Such a thing would be hard to prove,’ the Chancellor said, ‘You have certainly drawn on your account.’
Nicholas said, ‘Did you discover that my agents had notified me of this?’
‘No. But your agents are singularly discreet, Messer Niccolò,’ said the Chancellor. He had begun, in the last little while, to address him formally. Nicholas enjoyed the sensation.
Nicholas said, ‘Then it is simply my word against your interpretation in this instance. I have told you that I did not hire the ship that intercepted yours. I don’t know who did. But surely, the hirer had much in his favour? Some might think he was performing an act of justice.’
‘Justice?’ said the Grand Master. The Chancellor looked at his slippers.
‘After all,’ Nicholas said, ‘the sugar belonged to the Martini brothers in the first place. They bought the crop in advance. They paid the Knights twenty-five ducats a quintal to have eight hundred quintals of crystal sugar cased and ready for shipping each year. They were waiting at that very moment for the arrival of the Venetian sugar ship to take on the cargo. And instead, the Knights, in error of course, freighted a ship of their own and seemed to wish to take the sugar to Rhodes and even sell it again. So,’ said Nicholas diffidently, ‘despite the unfortunate means, you might say that the Martini brothers only obtained their rights, and the Knights their deserts.’ He paused. ‘I believe the Queen performed the same trick … made the same error two years ago, when she took the Martini brothers’ sugar to Bologna. Of course, I may be mistaken.’
This time, no one spoke. The Grand Master, rather slowly, shifted his gaze from that of Nicholas to the face of his Chancellor. The Chancellor said, ‘My lord, I shall look into it.’
‘Do that,’ said the Grand Master, even more slowly. One hand left the arm of his chair and rose to sink into the beard under his chin. He said, ‘We have still to learn, of course, how the robbers – whoever they were – knew the sailing time of the ship of the Order, and what it was carrying.’
‘How could they know, my lord?’ Nicholas said. ‘No doubt, as has been said, they were merest pirates, and simply took whatever of value they found. The Martini would happily take it off their hands, for a price that would still leave them a profit. My lord, I have heard these accusations, and I have replied to them as well as I might. But if this is all the substance of the complaints against me, it seems that you are depriving your cause of my soldiers for reasons that are as doubtful as they are slight.’
He waited. With the old Grand Master, he would have