Race of Scorpions - Dorothy Dunnett [295]
‘He knows of this?’ Nicholas said.
‘Not from me,’ said the physician. ‘I gave my word, and I have kept it. But someone close to the Palace knows that you have been in communion with Uzum Hasan over this matter. You may guess who it is. You remember who was present at that meeting at the Dominicans’. For his own ends, the same person has told Tzani-bey al-Ablak of the threat. If the power of the Mamelukes fails, then he loses his post and his life. He will do all he can to prevent it.’
‘By returning to Cairo?’ said Nicholas.
The physician smiled. ‘Do I appear as simple as that? I have been watching you. You know that Tzani-bey is out of favour in Cairo. He is here because, at home, he is a troublemaker. To advance, he needs a coup, a service that will dazzle his Sultan, reinforce the power of the Mamelukes, make it difficult if not impossible for Uzum Hasan to persuade Cairo it needs an alliance. The coup is the murder of James of Lusignan and all his officers.’
Nicholas stopped breathing, and then smoothly recovered himself. He said, ‘The emir has four hundred men.’
Abul Ismail nodded. ‘So, not enough for an open rebellion. He will seize control in Famagusta. He will come to Famagusta at night, seeking admission. Once into the castle, he and his men will massacre the King and all within, and then ride to take Nicosia. With no leaders, the island will fall into confusion. Then he will send to Cairo, and the Egyptian fleets will arrive. That is the plan.’
‘For when?’ Nicholas said.
‘Two days after the King enters the city of Famagusta, the attack will take place. They will kill James of Lusignan first. Then Markios, the Archbishop, the Chancellor. But not you.’
‘Why?’ said Nicholas.
And Abul Ismail had said in his prosaic fashion, ‘The emir Tzani-bey wishes to take his amusement with you. Cyprus is his prize. You are to be his entertainment.’
‘I see,’ said Nicholas. He said, after a while, ‘I don’t know why you have brought this news to me. There is no recompense worthy of it, except that which you will receive from God. But at least, you will not suffer for it: you must be protected. The person who told Tzani-bey of our meeting will have told him, perhaps, that you were present. You knew about Uzum Hasan, but failed to advise the emir of his danger. If he learns that, he will not be slow with his punishment.’
And at last the Arab had smiled. ‘Why do I do this? Because I find I am concerned, as are you, with the land that I occupy. There have been good men in my country. Not all Mamelukes have been decadent. But it is time they were checked; and even the threat of Uzum Hasan’s plans may be sufficient. On the other hand, this emir is a man of great power, of limited gifts, and of an evil nature. As for protection, who could save me, if he were to suspect? I am safest where I seem most in danger. I shall return today to his camp, and tend his sick, and tell him all he wishes to know of your defences. After that, it is for you and the Lusignan to keep him out.’
Nicholas said, ‘The man who betrayed the plan of Uzum Hasan to the emir may now betray the fact that the King has been warned. A later plot, and a worse, may emerge.’
‘No,’ said Abul Ismail dryly. ‘No. I think you are a better planner than that, my lord Niccolò.’
Now, telling the story to Zacco, Nicholas used the name of Abul Ismail. Without it, he would not be believed. But from that moment, Abul’s safety was in the King’s hands.
He could not tell, as he spoke, how Zacco was receiving it. The King listened unmoving, his wine forgotten, his eyes fixed on his as if he were courting him. At the end, he said, ‘I have been deceived more often than you. I think this is a trick.’
Nicholas said, ‘Abul Ismail is an old man, a wise man, and one who has dedicated all his days to the healing of the sick. He has returned himself to Tzani-bey’s camp. He has nothing to gain, and his life to lose. The only deception could lie in the form of his warning. The attack might come before he says or after, or might take a different form. The plan was made