Scales of Gold - Dorothy Dunnett [116]
None of the slaves, dead or alive, had been baptised, which had been another bone of contention. He was not a witch doctor, saving souls with a sprinkle of water. There was more to baptism than that, whatever the Order of Christ might expect. Instead he gave them his care and his time, those who were left; and Loppe stayed with them if they would have him. Most of them distrusted Loppe, and had no use for a priest. The person they welcomed was Bel.
This morning she had spent in another place, with the girl. The uncharacteristic outburst of yesterday had proved to have a common physical reason, as Godscalc had privately suspected. Its immediate handling had also been physical. Faced with an overwrought girl, Nicholas, the best-served apprentice in Bruges, had known what to do better than Godscalc. Godscalc wondered how he had decided to exploit it.
He found out soon, for the girl came up before noon to see the Fortado. Everyone came from time to time; even Diniz, leaving his horses. Diniz was here, Godscalc now comprehended, partly because of Simon’s treachery; partly to redeem his mother’s fortune; and partly, there was no doubt, because of Nicholas, alternately friendly and alienating. Godscalc wished from the depths of his heart that Gregorio and not Diniz had been allowed to come on this voyage. He had no doubt at all that it had fallen out according to plan. Loppe, of course, had suspected. And the Vatachino had been sure.
Nicholas had not, however, expected Gelis van Borselen to persist. Godscalc would have wished her safe at home too; growing to womanhood, setting the fate of her sister behind her. As it was, her obsession fed on itself. She risked her life for no good except the one she least wanted: that she might unwittingly bring Nicholas to his senses.
It seemed unlikely she would. Loppe had been given a free rein in this terrible experiment for a reason. For all Nicholas might claim, this so-called Christian expedition to Ethiopia was concerned wholly with gold, and depended upon the advice of someone who knew about gold. And for all he further claimed, the gold was not for his Bank or for Diniz, but to salve his own pride and the scars of his dreadful and personal losses. His very real losses; of course one gave Nicholas that. One understood much about Nicholas, but one could not excuse.
Godscalc was silent therefore when Gelis climbed the steps to the deck, Bel behind her, and after a word with the master joined Diniz at the rail looking aft. She said, ‘Is that the Fortado? The blue ship?’
‘You can see it’s blue?’ Diniz said. ‘No one could, early this morning. It got a better wind for a bit, and gained on us. You could see where the spar came down, if she was nearer. You could see where we shot right across her midships. Nicc– They say she must have carried out her own repairs. She can’t have stayed long at Arguim; just for stores. She can’t beat us, though.’
‘Who says?’ said Gelis.
‘Nicc– Everyone does,’ Diniz said. He had flushed. ‘Are you feeling better?’
‘Yes. Where is Nicc-everyone?’ she asked.
‘Behind you,’ said Nicholas. ‘Diniz is embarrassed, and so is his conscience. We are none of us particularly pleased with ourselves, if you’ll believe it.’
Gelis said, ‘My beliefs can’t matter very much at the moment. I wished to say that however right I was, and am, I chose the wrong time and place to say it, and for that I apologise. I have said as much to Lopez.’
‘Then you are braver than I am,’ said Nicholas. ‘But I’m glad you did it. You know we are putting off all but six at the Senagana? The Sanhaja have to find their way back up the coast, but speak Arabic, and will probably manage. Some of the blacks are Jalofos and swear they know where they’re going. The rest seem to be saying the same, but we don’t know their language. They may be killed. The alternative is to put them all in chains and take them to Portugal.’
‘You would do that?’ she said. She was wearing