Scales of Gold - Dorothy Dunnett [54]
‘Surely not,’ the priest said, and then fell silent as Nicholas looked at him.
Nicholas said, ‘You’ve wanted to know my state of mind ever since I came back from Cyprus, so let me make you really happy and tell you. I’m sorry, of course, about the deaths of Katelina and Tristão Vasquez, but they’re over. Simon can do what he likes about Katelina’s child; I’m not going to hunt down a baby; it’s up to Simon to rear him. I’m angry that Jordan took away Tristão’s son, but Diniz is eighteen or more. If he wants to get away from his grandfather, he can presumably do it himself.’
‘Can he?’ said Godscalc. ‘Leaving his mother and her business to fend for themselves? From this moment on, you will be directly competing with St Pol & Vasquez on their own ground. What, in this storm of decision-making, are you going to do about that?’
‘What do you think?’ Nicholas said. ‘Withdraw from the contest and let the Bank fail? You know very well I’ve always kept my hands off Simon and his father, but their business has nothing sacred about it. And if the competition ranges Diniz against me, everyone ought to be pleased.’
It was too dark now to see his face. Godscalc said, ‘He may range against you and starve. Nicholas, they are blood of your blood, even though they repudiate you. You must take the first step. You must meet Simon at Lagos and make him see that there is no need to pursue this vendetta. If you were to combine your two businesses, there would be no one stronger to fight the Vatachino. Won’t you do that? I should come, if you wanted me. Simon would listen.’
In the darkness, Nicholas gave a soft laugh. ‘What do you wager? I don’t mind trying, provided I’m wearing my cuirass. But if they won’t be convinced, I’m not going to coy them for ever, or spare them the less gentlemanly aspects of common trade.’
‘Oh, I shouldn’t place any wagers on what might happen,’ said Father Godscalc. ‘Simon de St Pol is nearly your equal in stubbornness. But at least you would have tried, and I should be relieved of the black thought I have that you are truly the nameless child Simon thinks you are, and your mother a harlot.’
The vessel creaked. Below the curtain, a line of light showed where the lamps on deck had been lit, and there was a distant sound of men’s voices, and of the footsteps of crewmen in the leisurely tempo of harbour. Nicholas said, ‘That doesn’t draw blood any more.’
Doesn’t it? Godscalc thought.
He said, ‘I notice, sure enough, you are becoming an impervious man. So, Simon is ruined, his sister made destitute and the boy’s future put back in your hands. After that, you cannot claim any kinship.’
‘I wasn’t planning to,’ Nicholas said. He was speaking a little more slowly than usual. ‘I’m saying what Crackbene was saying, except that I’m giving due warning. That contract is finished. It was valid, but I’ve chosen to finish it. Now I’ve started another.’
‘Balderdash,’ Godscalc said. ‘Crackbene was talking of filling his purse. You speak of denying family ties – ties that you persuaded me, you persuaded Marian you would give your heart’s blood to have recognised. If this is the truth, you’ve made fools of us. And that isn’t all. How dare you dismiss Katelina like that, or the death of Lucia’s husband, or the fate of the lad Diniz? I can understand, heaven knows, why you leave Katelina’s child in Simon’s hands; it would never live otherwise. If he has wronged you, don’t you remember how he has been wronged?’
‘Only he doesn’t know it,’ Nicholas said.
‘That is despicable,’ Godscalc said. He found he had risen to his feet. He said, ‘You had a great gift: you could withstand almost anything because you tried to understand the other man’s mind. It would be a sad thing if the child Claes could accept blows, but the man Nicholas cannot.’
‘I have been accepting them for the last ten minutes,’ Nicholas said. ‘I understand perfectly. I disagree, that is all. Do you want to leave me?’
‘Yes,’ Godscalc said sadly. ‘But I dare not.’
He stayed