To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [172]
Martin took the advice. He had no one else to consult: Reinholdt had small wish to fight, and Sersanders had not returned from the Svipa: presumably he was now fast in irons. De Fleury must be scared, or mad, to trust the Pruss Maiden to keep to its bargain. This might be the end of the Unicorn; but very soon, according to Svartecop, the Svipa would find itself the next prey of Paúel Benecke. Martin of the Vatachino went forward bitterly to speak to his captors, but beneath the undeniable rage was some satisfaction. If he was to suffer, then so was de Fleury.
Outwardly placid, the Svipa, swaying at anchor, was corporately quite aware of the anomalies in the situation. It heartened Kathi to observe that M. de Fleury at least appeared inwardly placid as well; and sufficiently easy of conscience to take his stance on the deck with her, watching. The rest of the ship appeared plunged into activity.
Half the fishing-boats had now dispersed towards the south coast of Iceland, two hours away, and the Unicorn and the Pruss Maiden were linked together by grappling irons and cable. She couldn’t see the skiff that had carried her brother.
M. de Fleury said, ‘It’s all right. They stopped rowing when the trouble began, and Sersanders is being taken ashore by the fishermen. They’ll see he has shelter and food till it’s over.’
‘How did you know he would come to try and fetch me?’ Kathi said.
‘Because he’s touched, like his sister. But if he’d stayed on the Unicorn, he would just have been ransomed with everyone else. Benecke wants an intact vessel, and cargo and money. There wasn’t much danger.’
‘So you rather hoped he would stay,’ Kathi said.
‘Well, of course. Your uncle has plenty of money, and Sersanders would quite enjoy Lübeck. The beer is stupendous, they say.’
‘Lucky Martin,’ said Kathi, gazing to sea.
‘Yes. Well – I do have plans for him.’
‘Amazing,’ said Kathi. ‘And for me, I am sure. What did you tell the Maiden’s blue boat? That if the whole season’s stockfish had gone, then Martin must have it?’
‘More or less,’ M. de Fleury said.
‘And now that they see the Unicorn doesn’t have it, Benecke will know that you have?’
‘I have?’ said M. de Fleury.
‘Yes,’ Kathi said. ‘That was what you were taking on board every night you were waiting for Martin?’
‘You didn’t drink your drugged claret,’ said M. de Fleury.
‘I would have drunk it rather than the syrup Mick serves. So what are you going to do when the Maiden comes to make you her prisoner? You don’t think she’s going to leave you alone?’
‘No,’ said M. de Fleury. ‘But they’ll take an hour or two to fix up the Unicorn. Put their prize crew on board. Transfer the best of her cargo. Blacken Martin’s eyes if he’s cheeky.’
‘Lucky Martin,’ said Kathi again. ‘You can’t fly. Benecke would outsail you. You can’t sail in the dark: it’s too dangerous. And what’s going to happen to Anselm?’
‘You’re going to join him,’ said M. de Fleury. ‘Don’t tell me you didn’t guess that.’
‘On the south shore of Iceland. In Hell.’
‘Naturally.’
‘When?’
‘When it snows. Yuri says it’s going to snow in an hour. Blinding snow; the kind that will stop them moving themselves or the Unicorn. It usually lasts for two hours.’
‘How does he know?’
‘Ask him some time. Either the Unicorn will pick you up, or I will. In the Naglfar if I must.’
Then she stared at him. ‘I’m not going. Anyway, how in Heaven’s name could the Unicorn …’
‘You can’t guess?’ said M. de Fleury. ‘You deserve to be stranded. Kathi, get ready to go. Robin will help you with clothes for your brother. The Maiden has cannon. And if the oratory palls, there might be a scuffle on board. Heigh-ho, you know how it is with rough boys.’
She knew how it was. Of course, he wanted her out of the way. He even wanted her safe, and her brother. But transcending everything else