Scales of Gold - Dorothy Dunnett [123]
‘I can hardly believe it,’ said Doria. ‘You discharged your cargo at Arguim, and yet today you could buy the entire Senagana stockpile with the exception of some baskets of pepper? How could you pay for it?’
Nicholas smiled. The delightful Negress, finding the end of the bandage, had begun, giggling and chattering, to unwind it. ‘Ye might well ask,’ said Bel of Cuthilgurdy. Another of the wives was touching his doublet.
Nicholas said, ‘We still had a few items to sell. Horses. A good load of wheat. Excuse me. If you untie the points … Is there an interpreter?’
‘Tati!’ called Mistress Bel. ‘Come and tell them. If they untie his points –’ She broke off. ‘She knows.’
‘I suppose she does,’ Diniz said. ‘I rather think the wives know as well. What are they saying?’
‘Excuse me,’ said Raffaelo Doria. ‘How could you possibly carry horses and all they require in addition to loading at – Ah! They were brought by the Ghost!’
‘The what?’ said Nicholas. ‘Excuse me, my hand. Don’t – What is she saying?’
‘I think,’ said the factor, coming over, ‘that the ladies are concerned that some wild animal has attacked you, Senhor Niccolò, when perhaps you were feeding it. There is food in the palm of your left hand.’
Diniz choked. Nicholas said gravely, ‘Tell her, Senhor, that it was more a case of verba injuriosa than wounds, and that I shall not feed the creature again. You agree, demoiselle?’
The girl lifted her eyes. ‘Why, of course. There are far too many already eating out of your hand. How disgusting.’
‘Bread and sheep’s tallow,’ said Nicholas. ‘Mistress Bel’s own private plaster. You were saying, my lord commander?’
‘I was merely saying – to bring the factor into our conversation – that the San Niccolò must be severely overladen, and even potentially in debt, if she hopes to assume today’s considerable cargo and also sail to trade in the Gambia. We, on the other hand, are well supplied with goods to barter, and intend to return to Lisbon forthwith. Why, then, do we not take care of your gold? Either as your carrier, or by buying it instead of you?’ And he bared his square teeth in a grin.
Nicholas looked at the factor, who had become very red and was edging away from one of the ladies. The factor said, in a hurried way, ‘It is a matter entirely between yourselves, senhores.’ All the wives giggled, and the one who had embarrassed the factor made the same gesture and shouted at Nicholas. All the wives giggled again.
Bel said, ‘They say the King can make ten children in two weeks and sometimes three in a night, and want to know if white men do better.’ She stopped while Tati went on translating; and then added, ‘And they ask whether the white will come off in the – in the act. Tati has told them it doesn’t.’
‘Bel!’ said Gelis, shocked.
‘Talking of ghosts –’ said Raffaelo Doria, ‘and in this country, they are sometimes closer at hand than you would think – you haven’t answered my question. As the factor has said, he need not be involved. I am sure none of us wish to trouble him, even Crackbene. And I needn’t mention my own experience with a revenant – yourself, my dear Messer Niccolò, who appear to have been in two places at once very recently. But we are mystifying everyone. Why don’t we retire – the King is eating, and happy – and work it all out?’
‘It’s the shellfish,’ said Bel of Cuthilgurdy. ‘I knew the moment I saw ye. But that’s a very good place down below, even though you’ve got all the bales sorted out just in front of it. That’ll be the cloth that the King wanted kept for him?’
‘Yes,’ said Raffaelo Doria. Oddly isolated, Jalofo hilarity continued to ring through the caravel.
‘Lovely stuff,’ said Bel of Cuthilgurdy, poking busily among the heap of her packages and heaving out a long roll wrapped in a woven palm mat like a fish. ‘Here’s what I mean, if I open one end. Do you see it now, Gelis? I don’t need to show ye, Signor