To Lie with Lions - Dorothy Dunnett [67]
‘We have both,’ de Fleury said. ‘The first thing you need, capturing ships, is a letter of marque, and the next thing is a bloody good lawyer. If you mean to meddle with fishing rights, you need the Archangel Gabriel. Who did you say we have, Mick?’
‘Tom Yare the agent. He knows about ships, he knows about fish, he knows about customs. And our man in Copenhagen is Eric Mowat of Orkney. Recommended by Lord Sinclair: he’s related.’
‘I know him. They’re all related,’ said John le Grant. ‘He’ll speak the language and keep his mouth shut. I thought I was coming to build for the King. What are you capturing ships for?’
‘Mick can’t help it: they give themselves up,’ said de Fleury. ‘You’ll still build for the King. There’s a small yard already at Leith, and Mick will tell you where else. You’ll need a foundry for your guns and your gear – Lamb can help you. But these are small ships: fifty tons, and doggers and balingers. We don’t want to be seen to have large ones.’
‘Because of the Baltic merchants?’ le Grant said.
‘And the Vatachino,’ Crackbene said. ‘Their man Martin has been all over Scotland this month.’
There was a silence. The Vatachino, merchants, brokers and ship-owners, were the Bank’s nearest rivals. And of their three principal factors, Martin had been in the Middle Sea recently with Anselm Adorne.
De Fleury said, ‘When is Adorne coming to Scotland? Does anyone know?’
Crackbene said, ‘Not for two months or perhaps even three, rumour says. He wants to bring away the Earl and Countess of Arran at the same time.’
‘But Scotland has refused to pardon Tom Boyd?’ de Fleury said.
‘That is so,’ Crackbene said. ‘They said they’d hang him. You didn’t see him to talk to?’
‘You speak of my soul-mate Tom Boyd?’ de Fleury said. ‘Of course I saw him. He was fighting for Burgundy: Astorre was giving him tips. I have strongly advised him to take his sweet wife and find shelter in England. As far as I know, he’s going to do it.’
‘That’s dangerous,’ John le Grant said.
‘I know. Do you think they’ll make him the next King of Scotland? It’s not going to make Adorne very popular either. Do we still think he’s helping to lead the Vatachino?’
‘I thought we were sure,’ Crackbene said. ‘He’s been looking for a ship.’
‘Has he?’ said de Fleury.
‘Are you surprised?’ said John le Grant. ‘He took shares once before in a voyage. You should remember that, if anyone does.’
‘I remember,’ said de Fleury. ‘So what kind of ship? And what master?’
‘Nothing yet,’ Crackbene said. ‘Martin isn’t a shipmaster and their second man, David, is in Cyprus while Egidius, rumour says, is in Rome. Adorne will have to hire. He’s got time. The sailing season doesn’t open until the New Year. You can get your own little ships built before then, and start on the drainage and mining. And the alum has come. And Govaerts is fairly itching to get you into a cellar,’
‘What it is to be loved,’ de Fleury said. ‘You realise what we are going to do?’
‘I’m trying not to realise it,’ said John le Grant. ‘Gregorio sanctioned this?’
De Fleury smiled. Crackbene said, ‘The bits he knew about.’
Later, embarked on their ship, Nicholas had cause, like Crackbene, to remember that meeting. Much depended on Crackbene; but though he drank with him after the wager, it was not to excess. Not on board ship. Not with Gelis there, and the child. Although he had not spoken to Gelis since that first day, when she had looked so shocked to find him beside her, with the child in his arms. She, too, had thought it advisable to treat the new proximity with caution; to remain apart in space and in time, only their thoughts touching, circulating. He knew Moriz had seen her again. He knew he would have told her to leave.
Now, gazing alone out to sea, he was thinking of nothing worth mentioning when the shadow moved, catching his eye by its very familiarity, for it had crossed his path before under hotter suns than this; darkening dust, darkening stone, darkening the colour and spray of a fountain. Gelis had come from her chamber and stood lifting her face to the sun,