EXHILARATED BY COMMANDEERING THE GARGANTUAN IBLIS, DANTES realizes what he should have felt when he had first taken command as captain of the Pharaon. He feels a renewed sense of freedom, which brings back his youthful spirit of adventure. He wonders if he should live the life of a pirate, sailing around the world like an itinerant god, instead of being tied down as the Sultan of Albania.
As Dantes considers his options, the Zephyrus west-wind of the Mediterranean is giving off her refreshing salty, aromatic spray. Her waters turn magically from amethyst to hot azure to hazy purple at sunset, giving Dantes the inspiration to turn the Iblis into a small, though luxurious, floating city.
Dantes turns to his new crew of pirates and says, “Do I have your loyalty?”
“Yes!” shout the ruffians; Medusalocks had been a cruel master, and already they can see that Dantes treats his own crew with kindness and respect.
“Then you must take the following oath: ‘We, the crew of the Black Stygian Iblis, swear to Allah and on our reputation to protect, obey, and honor the majestic Sultana Haydee and her slave, Sultan Sinbad al Mahdee; and to follow all of their commands, edicts and orders faithfully, obediently and expeditiously.”
“Yeah!” each says in unison, as they repeat the oath verbatim, adding, “And we shall sacrifice our lives freely, if needed.”
Dantes’ first order is to prepare for a great feast. Haydee teaches the cooks new techniques for presenting a feast fit for Sultans. The sailors, still reveling in their freedom, spontaneously sing songs of liberation and gratitude, with joy and delight, all day and late into the night.
Satisfied with an enormous feast of fresh-fried whitefish, pita bread, and hummus, Dantes appoints a few members of his crew to watch the horizon, and returns to his bedchamber for more of Haydee’s charms. When they finally fall asleep, exhausted after the events of the day, they remain wrapped in one another’s arms, their hearts filled with peace and contentment.
Dantes awakens the next morning to a loud voice shouting in French, “You are surrounded by the French Navy. Surrender and save your lives!”
Dantes has suspected that a stronger naval fleet would attempt to capture what had for so long been a feared pirate vessel, but as always, he is prepared. Hurriedly arising from bed, Dantes dons his most pretentious admiral’s uniform, one he had designed for just such an occasion, with large gold braids flowing off its shoulders. He goes on deck and responds in an Albanian accent that he copies from Haydee’s own, “I, Sultan Sinbad Zahfan al Jihad Ghaffar bin Taqwa din Nushur Buri al Mahdee, admiral and sovereign of the Sultanate of Albania, propose a treaty with the navy of France.
“We have defeated the infamous pirate, Captain Medusalocks, and will deliver his satanic majesty to your custody today, as a token of our friendship. Our ships will aid France, when called upon, as a part of this proposed treaty.”
Dantes, hearing no reply, continues, “I await your presence on my master’s yacht, the Majestic Haydee’s Wanderlust, for inspection and the signing ceremony.”
Admiral Alexandre Jarre, commander of the French navy, replies, “How can we know this is not a trick of the devil Captain Medusalocks? We have been fooled by him before.”
“Monsieur Admiral Jarre, recall the reputation of the Iblis and use your common sense. We will send you the Gorgonic captain in advance of further negotiations, as a good faith gesture, on your word that such goodwill shall cease your hostility toward us.”
“So agreed!” shouts Admiral Jarre. “We are ready to receive the vanquished pirate.”
It humbles the French navy to see that a small crew of men could capture a pirate their own country had chased for decades, and upon conferring for a few minutes, they agree to sign the treaty. On board the luxurious “Majestic Haydee’s Wanderlust,” the Sultan and the Admiral set their hands and seals to the extraordinary treatise, subject to ratification by Paris’ Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The men celebrate their newfound alliance by indulging in two glasses of sweet port, and slices of Haydee’s delicious tiramisu.
“What a delightful dessert,” Admiral Monsieur Jarre says. “How is it made?”
Sultan Sinbad says, “That is a secret of Her Majesty, Sultana Haydee. Even I, her slave and first man, find it to be a mystery. And if Haydee has her way, it will be centuries yet before the secret is revealed.”
“I shall be delighted to have the honor of spreading the good news of your capture of the terrible Iblis pirate, making you the most famous and glorious foreigner in the mind of Parisian society,” Admiral Jarre says. “I also will arrange for your royal and diplomatic arrival to visit our head of state, at which time you will be received and accorded the highest honors, pomp and ceremony, sparing no cost.” Admiral Jarre is oblivious to the fact that Admiral Sinbad is already the most famous person in France, under the title “Count of Monte Cristo.”
After exchanging flowery words of friendship, Dantes jests in a serious tone of voice, “Always keep the Gorgon’s deadly dreadlocks trimmed.”
When the French ship has sailed, Dantes returns to Haydee and gathers her into his arms. “My love, you have proven a magnificent partner,” he whispers into her ear. He blushes with shame, when he realizes he has almost called her Mercedes; thoughts of returning to Paris have also stirred in his breast old emotions about his first love. As he pulls back from his new wife, he smiles to hide his guilt and says, “I have a surprise for you, my darling.” From the captain’s desk at which he writes his daily logs, Dantes pulls forth an elaborately decorated set of documents demonstrating proof of their marriage, documents that have been signed and sealed by his in-house Arabian Imam. Haydee is delighted by this creativity and claps her hands in a girlish display of glee. “We are officially married!” she cries, studying the documents and then clasping them to her heart.
Pointing toward the south, Dantes says, “I have still more for you, Sultana. Behold, on that yonder island, Lampedusa, Arabian horses from my stable await us for hunting pheasant with my falcons. This is for our honeymoon, a gift that my heart hopes will delight you.”
Haydee’s face lights up, and she says gleefully, “You are my heart. What your heart hopes makes my heart’s dream come true.”
When the ship draws as close at it can to Lampedusa, Dantes has Ali lower him and his bride down to the sea in a small rowboat, and Dantes proceeds to row his love to shore. On the desert island of the Mediterranean, Dantes introduces Haydee to Wajh, a falcon trained by the Maltese, and to Sabr, a falcon he himself trained in Arabia.
“Sabr is all yours,” Dantes says. “Command her as you desire, but first talk to her so she knows your voice, and observe how I handle Wajh. Both of these beautiful falcons’ names were inspired by the Koran, ‘Wajh’ meaning countenance, and ‘Sabr,’ meaning steadfastness.”
Their falcons catch four quail and one pheasant. The newlyweds roast two of the game birds on an open fire, leaving two raw quail for Wajh and Sabr. Haydee and Dantes eventually fall asleep on the sand, after a romantic evening.
Book II Count IV:
MERCEDES’ DISCOVERY
The Sultan of Monte Cristo: First Sequel to The Count of Monte Cristo Page 4
