Birds of Prey c-1

by Wilbur Smith

  "Not all the captured pirates are Christians," Kleinhans persisted. "I saw a number of black faces among them. Negro slaves are much in demand in the colony. They are good workers and breeders. Would it not be a most desirable compromise to sell them for guilders to please the Seventeen? We could then condemn the English pirates to lifelong hard labour. They could be used to hasten the completion of the works, also to please the Seventeen."

  Van de Velde grunted again, and scraped his plate noisily to draw attention to the fact that he was ready to sample the beef. He pondered these conflicting arguments while a freshly loaded plate was placed in front of him. There was another consideration to take into account of which no one else was aware. his bitter hatred of Colonel Schreuder. He did not want to ease his lot in life and, truth to tell, he would be delighted if the Colonel failed dismally in his new command and was ordered home in disgrace just as long as that failure did not redound to his own discredit.

  He stared hard at Schreuder as he toyed with the idea of refusing him. He knew, all too well, what that one had in mind and he turned his attention from the Colonel to his wife. Katinka looked radiant this evening. Within a few days of arriving at the Cape and moving into their temporary quarters in the castle, she was fully recovered from the long voyage and from the captivity forced upon them by Sir Francis Courtney. She was, of course, young and resilient, not yet twenty-four years of age, but that alone did not account for her gaiety and vivacity this evening. Whenever the bumptious Schreuder spoke, which was too often, she turned those huge, innocent eyes upon him, with full attention. When she spoke directly to him, which was also too often, she touched him, laying one of her delicate white hands on his sleeve, and once, to van de Velde's intense mortification, actually placing her fingers on Schreuder's bony paw, letting them linger there for all the company to see and smirk at.

  It almost, but not quite, spoiled his appetite to have this blatant courtship ritual take place not only under his nose but under the collective noses of the entire colony. It would have been bad enough if, in private, he had been forced to face the fact that the valiant Colonel would soon be rummaging around under those rustling petticoats. It was insufferable that he must share this knowledge with all his underlings. How could he demand respect and sycophantic obedience from them while his wife was set on publicly placing horns upon his head? When I packed him off to Amsterdam to negotiate my ransom, I thought we had seen the last of Colonel Schreuder, he thought sullenly. It seems I will have to take sterner measures in the future.

  And as he ploughed his way through all sixteen courses, he turned over in his mind the various alternatives.

  Van de Velde was so stuffed with good food that the short walk from the great hall of the castle to the council chamber was only accomplished with much heavy breathing and the occasional pause, ostensibly to admire the paintings and other works of art that decorated the walls, but in reality to recover his resources.

  In the chamber he settled with a vast sigh into the cushions of one of the high-backed chairs, and accepted a glass of brandy and a pipe of tobacco.

  "I will convene the court to try the pirates this coming week, that is immediately after I formally take over the governorship from Mijnheer Kleinhans, he announced. "No point in wasting any more time on this riffraff. I appoint Colonel Schreuder to act as attorney-general and to prosecute the case. I will take on the duties of judge." He looked across the table at his host. "Will you have your officers make the necessary arrangements please, Mijnheer Kleinhans."

  "Certainly, Mijnheer van de Velde. Have you given any thought to appointing an advocate to defend the accused pirates?"

  It was clear from van de Velde's expression that he had not, but now he waved a pudgy paw and said airily, "See to that, will you? I am sure one of your clerks has sufficient knowledge of the law to perform the duty adequately. After all, what is there to defend?" he asked, and chuckled throatily.

  "A name comes to mind." Kleinhans nodded. "I will appoint him and arrange for him to have access to the prisoners to receive their statements."

  "Dear GodP Van de Velde looked scandalized. "Why would you do that? I don't want that English rogue Courtney putting all sorts of ideas into the man's head. I will set out the facts for him. He need only recite them to the court."

  "I understand," Kleinhans agreed. "It will all be ready to hand over to you before I step down next week." He looked across at Katinka. "My dear lady, you, of course, will wish to move out of your temporary quarters here in the castle, and into the much more commodious and comfortable Governor's residence as soon as possible. I thought that we could arrange an inspection of your new home after the church service on Sunday. I would be honoured to personally conduct you on a tour of the establishment."

  "That is kind, sir." Katinka. smiled at him, glad to be the focus of attention once more. For a moment Kleinhans basked in the warmth of her approval, then went on diffidently, "As you can well imagine, I have acquired a considerable household during my term of office in the colony. Coincidentally, the cooks who prepared the humble little meal of which we partook this evening are part of my own span of slaves." He glanced at van de Velde. "I hope that their efforts met with your approval. When the Governor nodded comfortably, he turned back to Katinka. " As you know, very soon I shall return to the old country, and into retirement on my small country estate. Twenty slaves will be far in excess of my future requirements. You, Mevrouw, voiced your interest in purchasing quality slaves. I would like to take the opportunity of your visit to the residence to show you those creatures that I have for sale. They have all been hand-picked, and I think you will find it more convenient and cheaper to make a private acquisition than to bid at public auction. The trouble with buying slaves is that those who look good value on the auction block can have serious hidden defects. It is always comforting to know that the seller has sound and sufficient reasons for selling, is it not?"

  Hal set a constant lookout at the high window of the cell. There was always one of the men standing on another's shoulders, clinging to the bars, to keep a watch on the castle courtyard. The lookout called down all sightings to Hal, who in turn relayed these up the stairwell to his father.

  Within the first few days they were able to work out the timetable of the garrison, and to note the routine comings and goings of the Company officials, and of the free burghers who visited the castle regularly.

  Hal called a description of each of these persons to the unseen leader of the slave rebellion in the Skellum's Den. Althuda knew the personal details of every person in the settlement and passed on all this accumulated knowledge, so that within the first few days Hal came to know not only the appearance but also the personality and character of each one.

  He started a calendar, marking the passage of each day with a scratch on a slab of sandstone in one corner of the cell and registering the more important events beside it. He was not certain that anything was to be gained from these records, but at least it gave the men something to talk about, and fostered the illusion that he had a plan of action for their release or, failing that, for their escape.

  "Governor's carriage at the staircase!" the lookout warned, and Hal jumped up from where he was sitting between Aboli and Daniel against the far wall.

  "Come down, he ordered. "Let me up."

  Through the bars he saw the state carriage parked at the foot of the broad staircase that led up to the Company offices and the Governor's suite. The coachman's name was Fredricus, an elderly Javanese slave who belonged to Governor Kleinhans. According to Althuda, he was no friend. For thirty years he had been Kleinhans" dog, and he could not be trusted. Althuda suspected that he was the one who had betrayed him, and had reported his return from the mountains to Major Loten. "We will probably be rid of him when Kleinhans leaves the colony. He is sure to take Fredricus back with him to Holland," Althuda told them.

  There was a sudden stir as a detachment of soldiers hurried across the courtyard from the armoury and f
ormed up at the foot of the staircase.

  Xleinhans going out," Hal called, recognizing these preparations, and as he spoke the double doors swung open and a small party emerged into the sunlight and descended towards the waiting carriage.

  The tall, stooped figure of Kleinhans, with his sour dyspeptic face, contrasted sharply with the lovely young woman on his arm. Hal's heart tripped as he recognized Katinka but his feelings were no longer as intense as once they had been. Instead, his eyes narrowed as he saw that the Neptune sword hung in its chased and gold-encrusted scabbard at Schreuder's side as the colonel followed Katinka down the stairs. Each time he saw Schreuder wearing it his anger was rekindled.

  Fredricus climbed stiffly from his high seat, folded down the steps, opened the carriage door, then stood aside to allow the two gentlemen to hand Katinka up and settle her comfortably.

  "What is happening down there?" his father called and, with a guilty start, Hal realized that he had not spoken since he had laid eyes on the woman he loved. By now, though, she had been carried out of his sight. The carriage rolled out smoothly through the castle gates, and the sentries saluted as Fredricus shook the horses into a trot across the parade.

  It was a sparkling autumn day, and the constant sou'-easter of summer had dropped. Katinka sat beside Governor Kleinhans, facing forward. Cornelius Schreuder sat opposite her. She had left her husband in his office in the castle, labouring over his reports for the Seventeen, and now she felt the devil in her. She flounced out her skirts and the rustling crinolines covered the Colonel's soft leather boots.

  While still chatting animatedly to Kleinhans, she reached out one slippered foot under cover of her skirts and found Schreuder's toe. She pressed it coquettishly, and felt him start. She pressed again, and felt him respond sheepishly. Then she turned from Kleinhans and addressed Schreuder directly. "Don't you agree, Colonel, that an avenue of oaks leading up to the residence would look splendid? I can imagine their thick hard trunks standing up vigorously. How beautiful that would be." She opened her violet eyes wide to give the remark signicance, and pressed his foot again.

  "Indeed, Mevrouw." Schreuder's voice was husky with double meaning. "I agree with you entirely. In fact the image you paint is so vivid that you should be able to see the stem growing before your very eyes."

  At this invitation she glanced down at his lap and, to her amusement, saw the effect that she was having. upon him. He is putting up a tent in his breeches for my sake!

  Almost a mile beyond the forbidding pile of the castle, the Governor's residence stood at the mountain end of the Company gardens. It was a graceful building, with dark thatched roof and whitewashed walls, surrounded by wide shady verandas. Laid out in the shape of a cross, the gables at each of the four ends of the house were decorated with plaster friezes depicting the seasons. The gardens were well established, a succession of Company gardeners had lavished love and care upon them.

  Even from a distance Katinka was delighted with her new home. She had dreaded being lodged in some ugly, bucolic hovel, but this far surpassed her most optimistic expectations. The entire domestic staff of the residence was drawn up on the wide front terrace to greet her.

  The carriage rolled to a standstill and her two escorts hastened to help Katinka to earth. At a prearranged signal all the waiting manservants lifted their hats, and bowed so low as to sweep the ground before her with their head-gear, while the females dropped into deep curtsies. Katinka acknowledged their greeting with a cool nod, and Klein, hans introduced each of them in turn to her. Most were merely brown or yellow faces that made no impression whatsoever on her, and she glanced vaguely in their direction then passed on, hurrying through this tedious little ritual as swiftly as she could.

  However, one or two caught and held her attention for more than a few moments.

  "This is the head gardener." Kleinhans summoned the man with a snap of his fingers, and he stood bareheaded before her, holding over his chest the high-crowned Puritan Hat with its silver buckled band and wide brim. "He is a man of some importance in our community," Kleinhans said. "Not only is he responsible for these beautiful surroundings," he indicated the wide green lawns and splendid flower beds, "and for providing each Company ship that calls into Table Bay with fresh fruit and vegetables, but he is also the official executioner."

  Katinka had been on the point of passing on, but now, with a small thrill of excitement, she turned back to study this creature. He towered above her, and she looked UP into his strange pale eyes, imagining what dread sights they had seen. Then she glanced down at his hands. They were farmer's hands, broad and strong and calloused, the backs covered with stiff bristles. She imagined them holding a spade or a branding iron, a pitchfork or the knotted coil of the strangling cord.

  "They call you Stadige Jan?" She had heard the name spoken with fascination and revulsion, the way one speaks of a deadly, venomous snake. ja, Mevrouw." He nodded. "That is what they call me." "A strange name. Why?" She found his level yellow stare disquieting, as though he was looking at something far behind her.

  "Because I speak slowly. Because I never rush. Because I am thorough. Because plants grow slowly and fruitfully under my hands. Because men die slowly and painfully under these same hands." He held up one for her to examine. His voice was sonorous yet melodious- She found herself swallowing hard with a strange, perverse arousal.

  "We are soon to have a chance to watch you work, Stadige Jan." She smiled slightly breathlessly. "I believe that the dungeon of the castle is full of rogues awaiting your ministrations." She had a sudden image of those broad strong hands working on Hal Courtney's slim straight body, the body she knew so well, changing it, gradually breaking it down. The muscles in her thighs and lower belly tightened at the thought. it would be the ultimate thrill to see the beautiful toy of which she had tired being maimed and disfigured, but slowly and slowly.

  "We must talk again, Stadige Jan," she said huskily. "I am sure you -have many amusing stories to tell me, about cabbages and other things." He bowed again, replaced the Hat on his shaven head and stepped back into the line of servants. Katinka passed on.

  "This is my housekeeper," Kleinhans said, but Katinka was so engrossed in her thoughts that, for several seconds, she gave no indication that she had heard him. Then she threw an idle glance at the female Kleinhans was presenting, and suddenly her eyes widened. She turned her full attention on the woman. "Her name is Sukeena." There was something in Kleinhans" tone that she could not immediately fathom.

  "She is very young for such an important position," Katinka said, to gain time in which to allow her instincts to have play. In an entirely different manner, she found this woman as enthralling as the executioner. She was so exquisitely small and dainty as to seem an artist's creation and not flesh and blood.

  "It is a characteristic of her race to appear much younger than their years," Kleinhans told her. "They have such small childlike bodies you will observe her tiny waist and her hands and feet, like those of a doll." He broke off abruptly, as he realized that he might have committed a solecism in discussing another woman's bodily parts.

  Katinka's expression did not change to reveal the amusement she felt. The old goat lusts for her, she thought, and she studied the jewel-like qualities to which he had drawn her attention. The girl wore a high collar, but the stuff of her blouse was sheer and light as gossamer. Like the rest of her, her breasts were tiny but perfect. Katinka could see the shape and colour of her nipples through the silk. they were like a pair of imperial rubies wrapped in gossamer. That dress, although simple and of classical Eastern design, must have cost fifty guilders at the very least. Her sandals were gold-embroidered, rich raiment for a house slave. At her throat she wore an ornament of carved jade, a jewel fit for a mandarin's favourite. The girl must certainly be Kleinhans" pretty bauble, she decided.

  Katinka's first carnal fulfilment had been at the age of thirteen, on the threshold of puberty. In the seclusion of the nursery, her nurse had introduce
d her to those forbidden delights. Occasionally, when her fancy dictated and opportunity presented, she still voyaged to the enchanted isles of Lesbos. Often she had found there enchantments that no man had been able to afford her. Now as she looked up from the childlike body to the dark eyes, she felt a tremor of desire run down her own belly and melt into her loins.

  Sukeena's gaze smouldered like the lavas of the volcanoes of her native Bali. These were not the eyes of a subservient child slave but those of a proud, defiant woman. Katinka felt herself challenged and aroused. To subdue her, and have her, and then to break her. She felt her pulse quicken and her breath come short as she pictured it happening.