The Spring of the Ram - Dorothy Dunnett [175]
“I told her,” said Julius, “perfectly civilly—this brat who had once been my inadequate pupil, who could barely spell her own name—I told her it was time to be done with this nonsense and come back to her family. I said I would wait while she packed. She refused to come. I told her Doria couldn’t harm her once she had our protection. She said she didn’t want our protection, especially as we couldn’t keep our own ship from going on fire. I told her that she was coming immediately, and if not, for her own good, I would remove her. And-and…”
“She flung the dolphin oil over you?”
“She ordered her servants to do it. They did it. Laughing. Then she shook the tree. She shook the tree so that the flowers…Laughing. Are you laughing?” said Julius.
“No,” said Tobie. Tears poured down his cheeks.
“I hope not,” said Julius. He glanced down at his clothes and then began wading methodically back to the pond edge where he stood over Tobie, who leaned back. A pool formed on the ground. The stench was still awful. He transferred his stare to Nicholas whose face, the reverse of Tobie’s, was pale.
“No,” said Nicholas.
“And so?” said Julius. His voice developed suddenly into a roar. “What do we do about it? Eh?”
“Nothing, you fool,” Tobie said. His face was still scarlet. “What did you expect? All you did was please Pagano Doria. He’ll love it when he hears. We’ll make a formal complaint of enticement and kidnapping, all done up in Latin.”
“I’ll send Astorre,” Julius said. “I’ll send Astorre and fifty soldiers to carry her—”
“No, you won’t,” Tobie said. “Will you get it into your head that they’re married? We’ll send Godscalc with a rude reply, also in Latin. Why did you want to make all that fuss? We know what’s going on in the Leoncastello. We know she’s all right. My God, you took enough trouble to plant Paraskeuas and his family in the compound.”
“It won’t do any harm,” Nicholas said. He sounded choked between anguish and laughter.
Tobie looked at him. “It won’t…? Oh, I see. That’s true. They’ll hardly suspect Paraskeuas with Julius making scenes all over the yard. Julius, I know you’re offended, but the smell is more than I can stand. What about a swim in the sea?”
Julius glared. “Judith and Holofernes!” said Tobie, suddenly losing control, and began to laugh in long, whooping cackles. Nicholas had stifled all sight and sound with one hand. Julius looked down at the back of his neck.
Julius said, “It’s your stepdaughter. Laugh, of course, if you feel like it. Be sure to send the story in your next little note to your wife. And, by the way, Paraskeuas managed to pass me some news. The snow has cleared on the passes, and the camel trains are on the way. That’s what you were waiting for, isn’t it? Now you’ll be able to go and laugh on the other side of the mountains.”
He walked off, streaming water, flowers, and pardonable anger. Tobie, who had no particular sense of shame, continued to express qualified glee but was not unaware of the uncommunicative hand beside him. Presently, he rose without haste and, strolling indoors, found where the black wine was standing. He lifted it and returned.
He found Nicholas wading out of the pool, bearing garments heavy with oil in each hand. Flowers clung to his calves. He dropped the clothes on the grass and took the cup Tobie gave him. Since he rose from his bed, it was the first service Tobie had offered him. Tobie said, “It’s time you were gone.”
“Yes. I know,” Nicholas said.
He left at the beginning of May, with a group of armed men and some servants. Beforehand, he spent a lot of time with Astorre and le Grant, clearing his mind about what ought to be done. Once he was committed to leaving, some of his freedom returned: he was able to consult whom