The covenant - James A. Michener [145]
'I think he just wants a good relationship. As he saidworking the fields as a single unit.'
'Marthinus, he's a peasant. A French peasant. And French peasants do not surrender their land easily. Never.' When her husband started to uphold the Huguenot, she interrupted: 'Remember how you defended your land when he proposed a partnership? "We'd never give up our land." What made you say that? Old Willem's sacrifices to get the land? Old Katje's long years of hardship here? Well, if you love your land, Paul de Pre worships his. And if he's willing to give us his, it's only because he thinks he sees a way to gain control over the whole estate later on.'
Marthinus pondered this. He and Annatjie were older than De Pre and would probably die sooner. But there were the three Van Doorn children to inherit Trianon.
'Don't count on that,' Annatjie warned. 'If Petronella has a dark husband, they won't try to hold the land. And I've had grave suspicions that Hendrik won't want to stay here. He's like his grandfather. Eyes to the east. One day he'll wander off and we'll see him no more.'
'There's still Sarel. He loves the soil.'
'De Pre is sure he can outwit Sarel. De Pre knows that Petronella and Hendrik don't count. It's him against Sarel, and he intends to win.'
'But he could well be an old man before this happens. You and I aren't going to die tomorrow.'
'De Pre himselfyes, he will be old, but his boys will be young. And able. And older than Sarel. Three determined Huguenots against one young Dutchman who's not . . .'
'Not what?' Marthinus asked aggressively, and the words she had sworn never to utter came forth: 'He's not too quick.'
'What do you mean?' He spoke in anger, for his wife had opened a subject he had for some time been trying to avoid, and he reacted defensively: 'There's nothing wrong with Sarel!'
The forbidden subject having been broached, she plowed ahead: 'He's a wonderful child and we both love him, but he's not too quick. No match for the De Pres.' And when she began slowly to recite the deficiencies which could no longer be masked, Marthinus had to admit that his young son was limited: 'Not a dull boy. I'd never confess that to anyone. But I do sometimes see that he's not. . . well, as you say . . . quick.' Then he voiced the hope that kept him working so hard at the vineyard: 'One of these days Hendrik will see the light. When the time comes for him to take command.'
'Hendrik has seen other horizons,' Annatjie said. 'He talked too long with old Willem. One of these days he'll be gone.'
'So how do we protect ourselves against De Pre?'
'I think we look first at the land,' she said. 'What's good for the land?'
Marthinus sat for a long time, staring at the flickering candle, and finally said, 'The sensible thing would be to join the two farms, operate them as one, and make some really fine wine.'
'I think we should do so,' Annatjie said.
'But you said you were afraid of De Pre?'
'I am, but I think that together you and I will prove a match for him.' So to De Pre's astonishment, the Van Doorns came to him and said that papers should be drawn combining the two holdings and that De Pre should go to the Cape to formalize the documents, for such joining of land would never be permitted without Compagnie sanction. And it was this trip which altered everything at Trianon, for when Henri and Louis had a sustained opportunity to see the bustling town, now with about a thousand inhabitants of myriad coloring, they were enchanted by it.
Malays in turbans, Javanese in conical hats, swarthy Madagascans in loincloths, handsome dark women from St. Helena, and high Compagnie officials in fine suitings with lace at the collarthese were the people that formed the Cape parade. While the elder De Pre arranged for the uniting of the farms, a French