To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [167]
He had to sober them up in the end, and they left thanking him and stuffing gifts into their jackets. They had to be reminded to appear on deck quarrelling, and to row away shaking their fists. Their faces were grinning, and Glímu-Sveinn, gesturing from the prow, revealed an astonishing pinch of pink silk between buttons. Fortunately the watchful Hanse boat was behind him. Then Nicholas ordered his own skiff to be launched, and stamped down into it with a great show of annoyance. He felt remarkably cheerful.
During all this time, in the cabin, John le Grant was obeying orders and enlightening his fellows, among whom he included the girl. ‘There’s only one harbour in the whole of the Westmanns, and the Pruss Maiden of Lübeck is in it. It came early from Bergen to trade. It’s licensed by Denmark. It came primed to buy the whole season’s dried stockfish. Now it hears the stockfish’s been sold and it’s sitting there brooding, because it’s sure no other ship beat it from Bergen.’
‘Will it know who we are?’ asked Father Moriz.
‘Its master’s acquainted with Crackbene,’ said John. ‘He kens the Svipa’s a pirate, but not that it’s bought all his stockfish. For a start, he’s sent his skiff to the cod banks to watch us. It’s the wee boat painted blue over there. If it sees fish coming aboard, it’ll turn tail and report to the Maiden.’
‘We have the guns,’ Robin ventured.
There was a silence. Then the engineer said, ‘Aye, son, we have the guns. But the Maiden has more. It’s a merchant ship, as big as the Unicorn, but packed with goods to sell rather than salt. It isna equipped for fresh fish. So it’ll make a real murdering hunt for the stockfish.’
‘Which is where?’ Moriz said.
‘On the Westmanns, in caves. They’ll not find it. But if we try to bring it on board, they’ll see us.’
‘Sink the blue boat,’ said the boy Dmitri.
‘Then the Maiden itself would come out and attack us. The Icelanders couldna help. They can risk unleeful trade: they canna fight against cannon.’
‘So?’ said Dmitri.
‘So put yourself in the other man’s place,’ said their female hostage, who was a very good mimic. ‘What do you know of the Pruss Maiden’s master?’
‘Too much,’ said John le Grant. ‘Kathi, I dinna think you want to hear this.’
‘I think I’d better,’ she said. ‘Who is it? Someone who doesn’t like the Vatachino?’
‘Someone who doesna like Cologners, anyway,’ le Grant said. ‘Moriz, the master’s Paúel Benecke of Danzig. They’ve hired the de’il to bring the Maiden to Iceland. And so long as we’re here, he’ll suspect us of trying to corner his stockfish.’
‘Until the Unicorn arrives,’ Kathi said. ‘You’re going to save yourselves at the expense of the Unicorn.’
‘Maybe not,’ the engineer said. ‘First off, we have to convince the Maiden that we don’t have the stockfish, and we dinna ken where it is. Nicholas is doing that now. Come and see.’
By the time they stood at the rail, the shouting had stopped and the big dogger was already far off, pulling hard. Nearer at hand, the Svipa’s skiff was also departing, but in a different direction. M. de Fleury stood in the prow in a threatening attitude.
‘He’s going to the blue boat,’ said Kathi, in a voice of discovery. ‘He’s going across to the Maiden’s blue boat, and he’s going to accuse them of stealing his stockfish.’
‘That’s the idea,’ said John. ‘He’ll claim he’s just been told there’s none left, and doesna ken who to blame first. They can even board us and check that we’re empty. Then they can start to wonder where else to look.’ His voice faded.
‘Not for long,’ Kathi said. ‘Do I have to keep mentioning the Unicorn?’
‘I think,’ said John, looking at Moriz, ‘that Nicholas might have a plan for all that. Why don’t I go down and find out?’
He and Moriz left the deck. Kathi returned to the rail. The Svipa’s cockboat was now further away. Robin said, ‘The