The covenant - James A. Michener [92]
'I understand!' Van Riebeeck assured him. 'You've seen how I protect the smallest stuiver. We waste not a guilder at this post.'
'And you make not a guilder.' Van Doorn did not relax his stern gaze. 'When the Groote Hoorn sails we would like to take aboard a large supply of vegetables, mutton, beef and casks of wine. And as of right now, I expect that we shall be disappointed in all four.'
'Wait till you see our cauliflower.'
'The wine?'
'The vines do poorly, Mijnheer. The winds, you know. But we've planted a protective hedge, and if the Lords could send us some stronger vines . . .'
'I bring them with me.'
Van Riebeeck, an ardent gardener, showed his joy at this unexpected bounty, but he was brought back to reality by Van Doorn's insolent questioning: 'The mutton and the beef I'm sure you won't have?'
'The Hottentots trade very few beasts with us. Indeed, I sometimes wonder at the ways of the Lord, that he should allow such unworthy people to own so many fine animals.'
Karel rocked back and forth in silence, then stabbed at the items in his dossier. 'You have cauliflower, but nothing else.'
Van Riebeeck laughed nervously. 'When I say cauliflower, I mean, of course, many other vegetables. Mijnheer will be astonished at what we've done.' Without allowing time for the commissioner to rebut this enthusiasm, the lively little man said, 'And of course, Mijnheer, there's a fifth problem, but this is personal.'
'In what way?' Karel asked.
'My letters. My three letters.'
'Concerning what?'
'My assignment to Java. When I accepted this task, and it's not been an easy one I assure you, it was with the understanding that if I did good work here for one year, I would be promoted to Java. At the end of that year I applied for transfer, but the Lords said I was needed at the Cape. So I stayed a second and petitioned again. Same answer. I stayed a third, and now it's in the seventh year.' He paused, stared directly at the commissioner, and said, 'You know, Mijnheer, this is no place to leave a man for six years.' When Van Doorn said nothing, the commander added, 'Not when a man has seen Java. Please, Mijnheer. Most desperately I long for Java.'
'On this the Lords gave me specific instructions.' From a leather box made in Italy he produced a sheaf of papers, riffled through them, and found what he wanted. Disdainfully he pushed it toward Van Riebeeck, then sat with his lips against his thumbs as the commander read it a-loud:' "Your strong efforts at the Cape have been noted, as has your repeated request for transfer to Java. For the time being, your skill is needed where you are." ' In a hollow voice Van Riebeeck asked, 'How many years?'
'Until you produce enough meat and wine for our ships.' Van Doorn was quite harsh: 'You must remember, Commander. You and your men are here not to build a village for your own pleasures, but to construct a farm that will feed our ships. Every sign I see about me testifies to the fact that you are wasting your energies on the former and scamping the latter.' With that he reached for a new paper and began reading off the vetoes and decisions of the Lords XVII, none of whom had ever seen South Africa, but all of whom had studied meticulously the detailed reports sent them by Van Riebeeck:
'Item: Hendrick Wouters is not allowed to keep a pig.
'Item: Leopold van Valck is not to plant his corn in the field beyond the river.
'Item: Henricus Faber is to pay nineteen florins for use of the plow.
'Item: Rice imported from Java must not be fed to any slaves acquired from Angola, but only to those who became accustomed to it while living in Malacca.'
On and on went the instructions: the blacksmith could shoe the gardener's horse only if the latter was to be used on Compagnie business; the sick-comforter