The Princess and the Captain Read online

  One by one the members of the crew appeared on deck. Even Babilas had responded to the call. He looked pale as death, but Orpheus was grateful to see him.

  ‘I have bad news,’ he announced. ‘The Archont is close on our heels.’

  As he spoke, his eyes lingered on Malva. She stiffened, while the others exclaimed in despair.

  ‘I’m sorry, Princess –’ he began, then remembered the promise he had made and corrected himself. ‘I’m sorry, Malva.’

  He pointed to the triangular sail, which already seemed to have gained on them.

  ‘Let’s get moving, Captain!’ suggested Peppe.

  ‘Yes,’ Hob enthusiastically agreed. ‘Let’s hoist the foresail and the fore topsail! We’ll show him what speed the Fabula can make!’

  Malva, shattered, closed her eyes. ‘I used the foresail to repair the mainsail,’ she said gloomily. ‘We only have the fore topsail left.’

  ‘Hoist it,’ Orpheus told the twins. ‘I doubt if it will be enough, but we must try to keep a fair distance away.’ He turned to Babilas. ‘Can we count on you?’ he asked, a little uneasily. ‘If the Archont does catch up with us, will you be able to protect the Pri—to protect Malva?’

  The giant nodded. He straightened his back, placed himself behind Malva, and smote his chest with his clenched fist as if to show that he was vowing to keep her safe.

  ‘Good,’ smiled Orpheus, turning to Finopico this time. ‘I think it might be a good idea to collect anything that could serve as a weapon. What have you got in the galley?’

  The cook made a face, but thought about it. ‘Two iron casseroles, a pan, a large cauldron. And I think I still have two large ladles, some blunt knives and some forks.’

  ‘Find me anything you can,’ Orpheus told him.

  ‘Excuse me, Captain, but is there any point in this?’ Finopico protested. ‘What do we have to fear? Catabea told us that the Archont was alone on board!’

  ‘You don’t know him!’ Malva put in. ‘He’s wilier than an old monkey and more dangerous than a snake. He’s tried to kill me three times. He almost drowned me in the Sea of Ypree, he nearly strangled me in Temir-Gai’s harem before crushing my bones in the cage where you found me! His hatred is so powerful that –’

  ‘But you’re still alive!’ Finopico interrupted her. ‘You were alone those other times, but today there are seven of us to defend you.’

  ‘Yes, indeed,’ Malva admitted. ‘But the Archont has sworn to kill me, and he’s been intent on it for so many years that he’s capable of anything now.’

  Babilas suddenly laid his large hands on the Princess’s shoulders.

  ‘I know, Babilas,’ she murmured with a sad smile. ‘I know you aren’t afraid to pit yourself against him. But if only you knew how frightened I am!’

  She slowly went over to the rail and leaned on it to watch the progress of the Cispazian ship.

  ‘The Archont set his trap with such care,’ she went on. ‘First he won my father’s confidence by seeming to be a faithful servant of the Galnician crown. Then, when he was put in charge of my education, he began weaving his web like some evil spider. He knew that my parents planned to marry me young, but he said nothing at all about it to me. On the contrary! He did all he could to give me a taste for freedom and independence. He knew that when the day came, I’d rebel against the idea of my marriage. He made use of my rebellion. And when he felt that I was ready to risk my life, he opened the gates of the Citadel wide for me.’ She sighed. ‘The worse of it all is that I ought almost to thank him! But for him I’d never have set out on my journey. I’d just have let my parents shut me up, like a good girl …’

  She leaned a little further forward, hands clamped on the wooden rail, and her voice shook with anger.

  ‘Thank you! Thank you, Archont!’ she cried in sudden fury. ‘I owe it to you that I’ve come to see the world as it is: vast, magnificent, surprising, dangerous and cruel! I owe it to you that I know of the existence of Elgolia, and I owe some fortunate encounters to you too!’

  Spinning abruptly round, she turned her amber eyes on Orpheus, and made a sweeping gesture with her arm.

  ‘But for you, Archont,’ she went on, ‘I’d never have met Uzmir and the Baighur people, or Lei, or Babilas and his sad story, or those two rascals the twins, or Finopico and his clumsy honesty, or Captain Orpheus … or even that half-paralysed old dog! Yet all the same I hate and detest you, Archont!’

  She suddenly staggered and sat down on deck.

  ‘He’ll never forgive me for still being alive,’ she finished in a low voice. ‘I’ve become an obsession with him. As long as I’m alive he’ll resent me. Even if it’s impossible for him to seize power in Galnicia now. He’s after me because I represent his failure. Believe me, there’s no stopping a man like that.’

  She raised her eyes. Up in the shrouds, Hob and Peppe were gazing down at her, looking astonished and unhappy. Around them, the mainsail and the fore topsail were billowing in the wind.

  ‘You can’t die!’ Peppe shouted down to Malva. ‘That’s impossible!’

  ‘He’s right!’ Hob shouted in his own turn. ‘And do you want to know why?’

  Malva sighed.

  ‘Do you want to know why, Princess?’ Hob repeated, scrambling down from the rigging. He went up to her. ‘You can’t die here because it’s not your fate! We know your future, Peppe and I do!’

  ‘Oh, come on!’ laughed Finopico. ‘Those two idiots are making things up. Who can know the future? No one!’

  ‘Oh yes, they can,’ said Peppe indignantly. He had joined his brother. ‘In the city below the Citadel there’s a fortune-teller who –’

  ‘Oh, a clairvoyant!’ mocked Finopico. ‘I’ve already heard you lads say some silly things, but this is ridiculous!’

  Hob defended himself. ‘She warned us that the Archont had set off to look for the Princess. We told you so, didn’t we, Captain?’

  Orpheus had to agree.

  ‘Certain people have strange powers, but real!’ Lei added. ‘In kingdom of Balmun, we think visions can tell truth.’

  The twins nodded, delighted to find an ally in their argument with Finopico.

  ‘Well?’ said the cook, derisively. ‘So what did this fortuneteller predict about our Princess?’

  Peppe and Hob exchanged looks of annoyance. ‘We swore not to say,’ they said apologetically. ‘If we give the secret away it will all change, and some important things won’t happen!’

  ‘How very practical!’ laughed the cook. ‘The clairvoyant pockets your galniks and swears you to silence. A neat little swindle!’

  ‘Not at all!’ said the brothers indignantly. ‘The only thing we can tell the Princess is that she won’t die here. Her fate lies elsewhere.’

  ‘I believe you,’ said Orpheus, thinking it was time to put an end to this argument. ‘I feel sure that Malva has nothing to fear.’ He went over to her, holding out a hand to help her to stand up. When she was on her feet in front of him he said quietly, ‘Do the twins a favour, Malva. Don’t die!’

  She smiled. ‘I’ll try not to, Captain.’

  ‘And please don’t call me Captain any more. I’m Orpheus. Just Orpheus.’

  At that moment Zeph started barking. He had padded over to the fo’c’s’le, taking no notice of Malva’s dramatic account or Finopico’s cutting remarks. Now he had his front paws on the steps up to its raised deck and, nose in the air, was growling and barking vehemently. The crew of the Fabula looked up.

  ‘There!’ cried Lei, pointing to the east.

  A cloud had appeared on the horizon – a black cloud made up of small moving dots.

  ‘The Patrols!’ cried the twins. ‘They’re after us again!’

  ‘Not yet!’ replied Orpheus. ‘They’re looking for the sailors near the reefs where their ship sank.’ He made for the tiller, took hold of it and ordered, ‘All of you to your posts! Babilas and Malva to my cabin! The twins up to the crow’s nest! Finopico, collect anything we can f
ight with! And Lei, you go down to the sailors from Dunbraven. They mustn’t move, mustn’t say a word, mustn’t do anything!’

  He swung the tiller vigorously over to starboard, and the Fabula changed course. At the same moment an explosion was heard. A cannonball whistled as it flew through the air – and hit the water a little way from the ship’s prow. There was no possible doubt now: yes, the Archont had weapons.

  32

  Battles

  Shut up in the cabin, Malva and Babilas could hear salvos of cannon fire. A crash and then a whistle preceded the impact of the ball. Each time Malva hunched her head down between her shoulders, closed her eyes and pressed Babilas’s hand tightly. She didn’t take another breath until the cannonball had struck the water. The giant, feeling tense and nervous himself, was craning his neck and trying to see out of the porthole, but he couldn’t leave Malva. All he saw were foaming waves and scraps of blue sky turning above them.

  ‘What’s going on?’

  As if in reply, there was a sudden sharp sound followed by a jolt. Then came cries. More small shocks, long-drawn-out or sharp like the first one. Malva stood in front of the bunk, still clutching Babilas’s hand. She listened hard.

  ‘Captain!’ she heard someone shouting. It was the twins’ shrill voices. ‘Grappling irons!’ they called.

  ‘Grappling irons!’ Malva repeated. ‘The Archont! He’s going to board us!’

  On deck, Orpheus swung the tiller violently over to port, but the hooks of the grappling irons had dug themselves firmly into the wood of the deck, catching the handrail and pilasters at the stern. The Fabula was tethered like a dog on a leash.

  ‘Come down!’ Orpheus shouted up at the twins. He was afraid they might fall from their perch if there were more jolts. ‘Come on down and lend Finopico a hand!’

  The boys dropped to the deck and hurried to the catwalk where Finopico was standing ready to do battle, although the mingled assortment of artillery at his feet suggested that he was preparing for a cookery competition. Chin jutting, he was staring at the enemy ship as he brandished a casserole.

  ‘Come on, then!’ he shouted at the Archont. ‘I’m ready for you, you wicked pirate! I’m not afraid of you!’

  The twins picked up skewers, tin bowls and gherkin tongs. Thus armed, they marched forward, bravely hurling insults at the Archont.

  The Archont himself, standing in the prow of the Cispazian vessel, was clinging to the rope of one of the grappling irons. He still wore his richly embroidered robes, but his tunic was torn, and showed the muscles of his arms straining with effort. He was grimacing as he hauled on the rope. His smooth skull glistened with sweat.

  ‘Just let him get a bit closer!’ growled Finopico. ‘Then I’ll stun him!’

  ‘And we’ll skewer him!’ Hob assured the cook.

  ‘And tear his nose off!’ added Peppe, snapping the gherkin tongs.

  Meanwhile Orpheus had drawn his knife. Leaning over the rail, he was trying to cut the ropes of the grappling irons. The Cispazian junk was drawing closer.

  ‘Here goes!’ shouted Hob suddenly, and with all his strength he threw a fork, which brushed past the Archont’s face. The Archont did not flinch, but imperturbably went on pulling the rope, which Orpheus’s blunt knife had not managed to sever.

  ‘Again!’ ordered Finopico.

  He flung his casserole at the Archont. It fell at his feet with a clatter. The twins began bombarding him with anything they could lay hands on: fish knives, nutcrackers, pie dishes and spatulas flew through the air. A pewter tankard struck the Archont full in the chest. This time he grunted. Still holding the rope in one hand, he unsheathed the sword at his belt with the other.

  ‘And again!’ cried Finopico.

  Down in the cabin, Malva was huddling close to Babilas. The clinking noises she heard made her tremble. At one point she even thought there was a stampede in progress on the steps down from the hatch.

  ‘He’s coming!’ she cried, clinging to Babilas.

  But the footsteps stopped, and Babilas smiled reassuringly. It had probably just been Finopico and one of the twins coming down to look for more ammunition.

  A few moments later, however, Malva and Babilas heard more noise on the steps, accompanied by groans, and suddenly the cabin door shook.

  ‘No!’ cried Malva. ‘Go away!’

  ‘Malva!’ called a voice on the other side of the door. It was not the Archont.

  ‘Lei?’ asked Malva in alarm. She ran to open the door. The daughter of Balmun was lying on the floor, close to fainting. Malva took her under the arms and tried to lift her.

  ‘Dunbraven sailors,’ Lei breathed. ‘They … they hit me. They … escape!’

  Babilas straightened up, his face suddenly hardened. When Lei pointed to the steps to the hatch he ran from the cabin, leaving the two girls alone and stunned.

  Up on deck the situation had deteriorated. The Archont had succeeded in jumping aboard the Fabula. He was standing on the rail, clinging to the rigging of the shrouds with one hand, while in the other he was brandishing his sword, keeping Orpheus, Finopico and the twins at bay. The twins were still hurling various kitchen utensils, which the Archont did not always manage to duck. His forehead was bleeding, but not a word or cry emerged from his mouth. He was all hatred, a fighting machine. Orpheus, his knife extended ahead of him, watched him with terror. At close quarters, the man impressed him to the point of paralysing him.

  When Babilas finally emerged through the central hatch, he immediately saw the Archont. But the focus of his attention was the six Dunbraven sailors who had escaped from the hold.

  One of them had seized the Nokros.

  His companions were forming a ring around him, and in spite of their pitiful condition they seemed ready to do anything to defend the treasure they had stolen. The Nokros contained exactly six Stones of Life: it was their safety raft!

  Babilas did not hesitate. Without the Nokros, he knew that there was no chance of their own party’s survival. He made for the toothless man clutching the precious hourglass to his chest.

  ‘Balbh tafaod!’ snarled the man.

  The others twisted round and turned their bleeding faces on Babilas. Those who were blind took their bearings by sound alone. Those without fingernails raised their red hands, curving their fingers like claws.

  ‘Gwewyn pluchtar ahim!’ spat one of them, flinging himself at Babilas.

  The giant caught him in mid-leap. He felt such rage that his strength was redoubled, and he raised the man above his head like a piece of wood and flung him to the deck. Two more sailors made for him at once. Babilas punched, struck and repelled them. Heat went through his whole body; he didn’t even hear the cries of his companions as they fought the Archont. His fists fought him a way through to the man holding the Nokros, who had retreated to the mainmast in alarm. But just as Babilas reached for the Nokros, the man took another step back, stumbled and rolled over on the deck. As he fell, the Nokros made an odd kind of glassy noise. Babilas went pale. If it broke, they were done for!

  He fell on the sailor, pinned him to the deck and hammered blows down on him. Finally he got hold of the Nokros and rose up. One of the men from Dunbraven was clinging to his shoulders, trying to strangle him with one arm, but Babilas struck him with his elbow, began spinning round in circles and managed to shake him off. He was holding the Nokros above his head with his left hand.

  When he turned, he saw Malva and Lei appearing at the opening of the hatch. He made for them and thrust the hourglass into their hands. Over near the stern of the Fabula the Archont was making progress, and Malva uttered a cry when she saw him. The Archont raised his grey eyes to her, and the light of madness flared in his face. He waved his sword in the air and leaped forward.

  ‘Watch out!’ Orpheus shouted.

  Then everything happened very quickly. Orpheus blocked the Archont’s way, plunging his knife deep into the man’s arm. The shock made the Archont stop. At the same moment Orpheus felt a dreadful pa
in shoot through him.

  The sword … the Archont’s sword! As he leaped between Malva and the Archont to protect her, he had impaled himself on it.

  In the general panic no one else noticed what had happened. Malva and Lei had fled back into the ship with the Nokros, and while the twins and Finopico were gathering up their missiles Babilas was still struggling with the toothless sailors. Driven to despair, they were becoming more and more aggressive.

  Suddenly Babilas realised that he had no choice now: these men no longer deserved his pity. They were endangering the Fabula. At that he seized one of the sailors and with a mighty movement threw him overboard.

  ‘Lambrog! Eidath!’ the others howled. Terrified, they were crawling around everywhere and groaning, leaving bloody trails on the deck.

  Babilas caught them one by one.

  One by one, he threw them into the sea.

  When the fifth had gone overboard he went in search of the last; but the sixth had disappeared.

  ‘Babilas!’ the twins suddenly shouted in terror. They were clinging to the Archont’s legs as he struck them, while Finopico barred the opening of the hatch as best he could.

  Babilas struck the Archont like a cannonball. The twins let go, only just getting out of the way in time. Destabilised by the giant’s attack, the Archont fell on the deck, letting out a yell.

  Somewhere Zeph had begun to bark.

  Babilas seized the Archont, who struggled and howled with rage. He made his way to the ship’s side, intending to throw his adversary overboard, but the Archont managed to cling to the rail, his eyes shining with hatred. Babilas finished off the fight by punching him full in the face, and at last the Archont let go of the rail and tumbled down the side of the hull. As he fell into the water, Babilas opened his mouth and a strange, deep cry emerged from his throat.