The covenant - James A. Michener [125]
He spent four days with the nervous Plons, carefully compacting the vines they brought him, and when he had three hundred and twenty he realized that they formed about as big a bundle as he could reasonably handle on the long journey back to Amsterdam, and the work ended. On the last night he talked openly with the Plons, who by now were satisfied that officials were not going to break down their doors for harboring a
Huguenot, and the old people told him, 'It's better now that the village is all one faith.'
'There are no Protestants?'
'None. Some ran away, like you and Marie. Most converted back to the true religion. And a few were hanged.'
'Did the priest escape to Geneva?'
'He was hanged.' Plon's wife interrupted: 'He offered to convert, but we couldn't trust him.'
Then Plon summed up the matter: 'Frenchmen were supposed to be Catholics. It's the only right way for us. A village shouldn't be cut down the middle. Neither should a country.'
'You'd like it much better here,' his wife agreed. 'Now that we're all one.'
But when Paul went to bed on that last night he realized that he could never turn his back on Calvinism; the cost of his emigration was modest in comparison with what he had gained by remaining steadfast. The quiet rationalism of Amsterdam was something the Plons would not be able to comprehend; he wished he were able to explain how content their daughter Marie was in her new home, but he judged he had better not try. He had come back to Caix for its good grape rootings, and he had them.
When he delivered the vines to Mijnheer van Doorn at the Compagnie offices, Karel paid him promptly, but Paul noticed that the sum was slightly less than promised, and when he started to complain, Van Doorn said crisply, 'We contracted for four hundred, you remember,' and Paul said, 'But it would have been impossible to carry so many,' and Van Doorn said, 'Contract's a contract. The solidity of Holland depends upon that.' And Paul dropped the subject, pointing to the large black bow resting on Van Doorn's left arm. 'A death?'
'My wife.' The chairman of the Lords XVII lowered his voice as if to say, 'That subject's closed,' but then he realized that Paul would be interested in what was about to happen as a consequence of his wife's death. 'She was a wonderful woman. Sailed to Java with me. Helped arrange matters there.' Paul wondered why the great man was telling him this, and then came the thunderbolt: 'I'm marrying Vrouw Bosbeecq next Saturday.' Lamely he added, 'At the Old Church. You'll be invited.'
'Which widow?' Paul asked.
'Abigael, the tall one,' and when he saw the incredulity on Paul's face, he explained, 'This way we can combine our two houses and save a good deal of money.'
'What of the other widow?'
'She moves to the Herengracht.. . with us. The other good part is that the seven ships will come . . . ' He hesitated, then said, 'Well, under my management.'
Paul wanted more than anything else at that moment to run out and find Vermaas, who might be able to explain this absurdity, a wealthy man over seventy conniving to get hold of a few ships, but Van Doorn wished to discuss news that was even more exciting: 'We're assembling a Compagnie fleet right now. They sail for Java within the week, and two hundred and ninety Huguenots will be aboard. It works out well, Paul, because when we close down the Bosbeecq house you and your wife won't be needed any further . . .'
Paul was disgusted. He had risked his life to find three hundred and twenty vines for an experiment, and while he was gone this tall Dutchman had sat in this office scheming, burying his wife and proposing to another before the earth on the grave had settled.
'Mijnheer van Doorn, my trip to Caix was possible only because my little boy Henri accompanied me. He's eight, and I wonder if you would like to make him a special present? For his bravery?'
Van Doorn reflected on this, then said judiciously, 'I don't think so. The contract was with you.' He showed Paul to the door, where he said warmly, 'I hope the boys will enjoy life