The Unicorn Hunt - Dorothy Dunnett [264]
John waited. Then he said, ‘You’ll have to stay with the girl?’
‘Until her uncle comes. After that, I don’t know.’
‘She looks well,’ John said.
Nicholas, bowing himself out of the quarrel, followed the girl solemnly into the pavilion and then, catching her eye, recapitulated the previous two minutes in mime. She had embarked on a spasm of laughter when she caught sight of Tobie and tried to look apologetic. There was someone with Tobie.
Nicholas said, ‘John?’
To Nicholas de Fleury, it was like a continuation of the mime. He spoke: Kathi vanished; Tobie changed expression and John le Grant said, unprompted, ‘I know about everything: ibn Said told me.’
‘Oh,’ said Nicholas. He looked about.
John said, ‘I’m not staying. But you’ll have to move. Adorne will come soon.’
‘Ha! Gand! Mauvais Gand!’ said Nicholas automatically. His chin itched, and he scratched it.
John said, ‘The house in Cairo is there. You can use it if you want to be quiet. The agency’s finished anyway. That clever bastard David de Salmeton got in before me. He guessed Negroponte would fall, and persuaded the Sultan to pin his faith on the Vatachino and the Pope and the Genoese. If I could find him I’d kill him.’
He looked as if he meant it. He had tinted his skin. Nicholas wondered where he got the dyes. It was quite a feat for a red-headed man to pass himself off as an Arab. Cairo would be hot. There was nothing he wanted in Cairo. Nicholas said, a little plaintively, ‘I was going to swim.’ He looked at Tobie.
There was a silence. John said, ‘Adorne will be here. It wouldn’t be fair to Katelijne.’ After a moment he said, ‘I have things to do. Think about it. I’ll have to leave in an hour.’
He walked out of the room, and Tobie followed him. Kathi had disappeared. Nicholas felt as if he had been given extreme unction and left to commune with his soul. Inspecting the contents rather of his mind, he was forced to the opinion that he couldn’t stay at Matariya. The Baron Cortachy, no doubt hourly approaching, would arrive in understandable fury and would immediately denounce Nicholas, in turn, as no dragoman. So he had to move on.
When they all reappeared, as they did, he had already assembled the few possessions he had and was ready to leave for Cairo with John. John’s response, learning this, was a deeply Aberdonian grunt. Tobie cleared his throat, then said nothing. Kathi regarded him. ‘How? Why?’
Nicholas said, ‘Skipping like a dove or a passing cloudlet. Why? Self-preservation. I told the Emir of Alexandria that your uncle was a rich pilgrim masquerading as a burjasi. A merchant.’
‘You did?’ she said.
‘And that, despite the Genoese credentials, the lord Anselm Adorne was really the sire de Cortachy, knight and baron of Scotland, that perfidious country whose soldiers helped to destroy Alexandria.’
She said, ‘That was a long time ago.’
‘Not to Alexandria. I also mentioned how the Genoese fondaco had penetrated the customs house next to it and retrieved half their taxable merchandise. They’ll get into terrible trouble. I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Nothing personal. I imagine your uncle and his party will be here fairly soon. Tobie had nothing to do with it.’
‘Thank you,’ said Tobie with anger.
‘And I thank you for your ointments, charms, and miraculous potions. What will you do?’
‘Wait for her uncle. Blame you,’ Tobie said.
‘That’s right,’ said Nicholas. ‘And Kathi?’
‘Wait for my uncle. Blame him and you,’ she said. Below the judicial lip, her chin had compressed like a biscuit.
Nicholas said, ‘What is it they say? Blessings are in the hands of the one who has power.’
He did not expect them to recognise the quotation. It was John who said, ‘Power is God’s, Glory is God’s, Dominion is God’s. Who do you think you are? Are you coming?’
Confounded, Nicholas looked at him, and then at the others. Tobie scowled. The girl looked downcast, but threw him a grimace. He smiled apologetically in return and, lifting his packages, obediently followed John out