Isabella Awakening Ch. 05

Suddenly, Simon's face was at the grating in front of her.

"We're gunner have a fight 'ere missus," he said, now excited rather than fearful.

"Tell me what is happening, Simon," she ordered.

"We's got a lanteen rigged galley about a mile of the port flank, marm, he said. "Sure to be pirates, in these waters," he added.

"But surely the lack of wind must mean they are as immobile as the Della?" she quizzed.

Simon laughed. "They hain't usin' their sails, marm. Got slaves to row they have. Fifty or sixty slaves on a dozen big oars can move 'em along at eight or nine knots. That's if they whip 'em o'course." He was clearly enjoying this, Isabella thought.

"But we'll give em hell, marm. One hit with a cannonball and that stickwood galley'll go to pieces and they'll all be shark food," he laughed and jumped clear of the grating, running over to the Captain.

Isabella watched the bridge intently. Simon occasionally checked the telescope and spoke quietly to the Captain while the first Officer stood apart from them, watching the crews at their cannon. As the minutes wore on, Isabella could feel a knot growing in her stomach and her heart pounding. She sipped from the water bottle.

Thomas took another long look through the glass and called to the Captain. Thomas handed him the spyglass and pointed to the approaching galley. The Captain took a look, folded the telescope and walked quickly to the first Officer who nodded while Bertrand gave his orders. The officer stepped forward and called "Cannon one and two, PREPARE TO FIRE!"

A sailor standing near to the grate cursed. She heard him comment to his mate "They's crazy, she's a good hunred feet outa range yet."

"FIRE!" the First officer roared and a second later two enormous explosions ripped through the ship, the shock and noise throwing Isabella to the floor.

By the time she recovered her footing and stepped up to the grate, the deck was covered in drifting acrid smoke and men were coughing all around.

The voice of the nearby sailor, calm but sarcastic, came through the grate. "Told ya, din I, Jim. A hundred yards short and just as wide. Never was a real fighting sailor amongst them cannon crews. Nor in the officers mess," he added, spitting onto the deck.

Hardly had the smoke cleared when she heard the First officer call, "Cannon one and two RELOAD AT THE DOUBLE!; Cannon three and four, PREPARE TO FIRE! -- AND AIM AT THE GALLEY THIS TIME!" Course laughter and further unsubtle suggestions from the crew followed his orders.

Amidst the running sailors, Isabella saw something she did not understand. The First Officer ran down the ladder from the bridge and took a position behind the third cannon, grabbing a long hooked spear from one of the men and hooking it the back of the cannon's wheeled carriage. He jostled and jogged the carriage, clearly, Isabella deduced, aiming it.

'CANNON FOUR!," he yelled, "STAND DOWN!"

The crew of cannon four looked perplexed, but backed away from their weapon. Isabella saw Thomas and Bertrand watching intently from the bridge.

The First Officer continued, calling "CANNON THREE, PREPARE TO FIRE ON MY COUNT. .....ONE .....TWO ...THREE!"

Isabella saw the wick touch the power tray on the top of the cannon. It fizzed and the crew turned their backs. The First Officer however, pulled hard on his hook and the cannon moved a few inches before it fired. The explosion was fearful and this time Isabella knew that something had gone wrong. As the ringing in her ears abated and the smoke cleared again, she could hear screams and could see sailors lying on the deck near to her grating. Just below her, the prone figure of the First Officer lay groaning in pain. She could see that the explosion had torn a large splintered hole in the ship's heavy railing and that the cannon itself was now lying its side. Men rushed around, some to check and comfort their injured mates and others to right the cannon. She looked for Simon who she feared had been nearby. She couldn't find him in the noise and confusion.

She suddenly realized that she could not see Thomas either. The Captain was still on the bridge, kneeling and calling for assistance. Then it hit her. He was kneeling over Thomas. Panic and sense of impending loss, greater than she had ever known, gripped her. She wanted to go to him and was about to jump down when she saw the Captain lift Thomas's head and call for water. Thomas was injured but alive. In fact, she could see that he was talking to the Captain even now and struggling to his feet. Isabella's relief was immense. Still the scene in front of her gave no reason for confidence. The pirates would still be attacking, she knew, and the ship was in turmoil.

She watched as Thomas stood with the Captain, holding his own left arm just below the shoulder. A dark stain was growing on the sleeve of his cassock. Isabella knew it was his blood. Thomas watched off the port side of the ship and said something to Bertrand, who immediately relayed a message or order to one of the remaining officers. A howl of protest, angry words and jeers, went up from the sailors nearby. Even those tending their wounded mates cried "No!". Isabella understood only when the second officer raised a white flag on the mainmast. The Della Virago was surrendering to the pirates. Her old fear was returning. Did this also mean that she would be given up to the Algerines? But as she watched the scene on the deck, she first felt, and then saw Thomas looking directly at her. He would not have been able to see her, yet their eyes met and she felt his love and total commitment to her well-being. She did not know why, but she felt a strange new strength flow through her veins and she relaxed and assumed the role of interested observer, rather than victim.

For the next few minutes, the sailors helped the injured -- no dead that Isabella could see -- and muttered amongst themselves. Simon.suddenly appeared at the grating. "You alright, missus?" he said breathlessly.

"Yes Simon, I'm fine. Tell me what happened?"

"Cannon ball hit the railing missus, splinters took out about five, First Officer took a worst one, to the chest, but he'll live, damn him, all 'is doin anyway. The Padre's been hit in the arm but no great harm done there either. Capn's surrendered to the fuckin...sorry! ...to the pirates, marm. Says enough harms been done and he'll negoshate summin to save the crew. Bugger the cargo he says." All of this poured out of Simon in a torrent, the he jumped up, "Theys alongside now, missus. Jesus and Mary save us!" and he crossed himself and kissed the talisman hanging around his slender neck.

The Second Officer was now cajoling and rounding up the crew, pushing and yelling at them to take up positions to her left, along the seaward raining. He was getting a lot of backtalk and insults, oaths and expletives that were new to Isabella's ears. She recognized that their real anger was directed at the Captain but that there was also an element of relief mixed in with their disappointment.

The Captain and Thomas descended onto the maindeck and stood together a few yards from her grating. She could clearly see both pain and determination in Thomas's face. The Captain's was stony. Just as they took up their positions in front of the crew the first of the pirates vaulted over the port railing. Five, ten, twenty, then whole gaggle of them, laughing and yelling and brandishing cutlasses, broadswords and knives. They were ugly and fearsome, mostly dressed in rags and of all possible colors, but mostly bearded, heavily scarred Arabs with straggly beards and dirty hair. Isabella shuddered but drew on the strength she had so recently received from Thomas's eyes to study the scene objectively. Neither the Captain nor Thomas spoke until one of the pirates, clearly a leader, approached them. This man was large and dressed in pantaloons and an open naval jacket. His beard was bushy and he carried a curved flat sword which he pointed at the Captain. He said a few words that Isabella could not understand and the marauders behind him laughed heartily. He then thrust his face into Bertrand's and yelled another string of unintelligible words. Bertrand flinched and glanced sideways at Thomas, who remained silent. The Captain began a hesitating response to his assailant.

"I...I..am...Captain Bertrand of the ....Della....Virago," he began, but the pirate shut his mouth with a slap delivered with the back of his hand. His men laughed again and brandished their weapons at the Della's crew.

It was then that Thomas spoke. Slowly, and without shifting his gaze from directly in front of him he uttered a string of words, calmly and clearly. Isabella did not know the language, but the pirate certainly understood. He stopped dead and starred at Thomas. A look of disbelief filled his eyes and he walked over to Thomas as if seeing him for the first time. The pirate crew fell silent.

He muttered something and Thomas responded. The pirate turned his back and muttered to himself for a moment before looking skywards and waving his sword while yelling what Isabella assumed was some sort of oath to the heavens. He then threw his sword to the deck and yelled angrily at his men before returning to stand eye to eye with Thomas.

They stood like that for nearly a full minute before Thomas spoke again, once more he was calm and spoke with quiet authority. This time the pirate grunted and turned to one of his men and barked an order. Thomas spoke to the Captain who called to the second officer and whispered something to him. The three men, Thomas, Captain Bertrand and the pirate, then walked over to the ladderway and disappeared down the hatch.

Nobody on deck seemed to know what was going on. The Della's crew mumbled amongst themselves and pirates did the same, only with greater venom and the occasional clash of swords. The second officer and the pirate's number two man stood between their men, eyeing each other suspiciously. Isabella heard curses and oaths in many languages, some of which she knew.

A full ten minutes passed in this state of uneasy standoff. Isabella was growing restless and remembered the earlier talk of negotiations. She understood that Thomas, by virtue of his language skills at least, was now leading the negotiations for the lives of the Della's crew. Bertrand's head appeared momentarily at the hatchway and he called for Simon and Ambrose to come to his cabin. A moment later the pirate's leader did the same, summoning two of his men to the lower deck.

Five minutes later Ambrose and one of the pirates emerged from the hatchway and spoke with the second officer and his opposite number. Neither looked happy with what they were being told, but both nodded on receiving their instructions and turned to address their men.

The Second officer's instructions made little sense to Isabella, mainly because of the obscure nautical terms he used. From what she did understand, she took it that a boat, one of those stored above the stern and normally used to ferry men and goods to shore, was to be lowered and several men were to follow Ambrose to the holds. Meanwhile a crane and net was to be rigged amidships for the unloading of cargo.

As the Della's crew scuttled across the deck, Isabella was startled by an angry banging on the little door to her storeroom hideaway. She jumped down from her box and grabbed her satchel and called, "Who is it?".

Someone on the side simply banged harder on the door, but then she heard Simon's voice call, "It's alright, missus. A deal's been done and the Padre says you should come out now." He sounded frightened again, although whether for Isabella or himself she couldn't be sure.

She unlocked the hatchway and opened it slowly. A gap-toothed bearded Arab crouched outside gave her a leery smile and barked an order. She understood that she was to accompany him, so she covered her head with the hood of the robe and bent herself through the hatchway with as much dignity as she could. Standing in the narrow passageway, she saw Simon, his red and swollen eyes refused to meet hers. The pirate grunted and pushed her down the passageway towards the Captain's cabin.

Isabella was surprised to hear laughter coming from the cabin. Simon opened the door and she entered. The three men sat at the captains table, the pirate sprawled in the Captain's chair and each of them holding large glasses of wine. Thomas gave her a quick, reassuring look and returned to his discussion with the pirate whose face was covered in a wide grin. She stood watching them for several minutes. It was the pirate who first addressed her.

"Holy Mother," he said curtly, bowing his head to her but not rising from the table.

Isabella responded with a quick bob and a "Senore Pirate".

He laughed and turned to Thomas, resuming his discussion in what Isabella thought to be Arabic.

Thomas listened and turned to her. "Isabella, may I introduce Agha Murad Benij, leader of the janissaries of the ship that has drawn alongside."

Isabella bobbed again but remained silent. The pirate rose now and, keeping his head bent to avoid the beams, took three steps towards Isabella. He was enormous, larger even than Ambrose. He peered at her and then threw back her hood and held her face in one enormous hand, studying her intently. Isabella maintained her silence throughout his examination. He let her go, laughed and turned to Simon and spoke. They both laughed and Simon made a further comment, glancing sideways at Isabella as if to say that translation was not appropriate at this time. The Agha waved his hand and Thomas rose and ushered Isabella to the door, taking her arm and giving her a comforting squeeze.

As he opened the door he whispered, "Go on deck now, keep your hood on and stay silent. Everything is all right. You are safe."

She nodded and replaced her hood. Climbing the ladderway to the maindeck, she noticed that little had changed, except that several of the Della's crew were busy lowering the small boat over the side and a crane and net were being rigged. She stood on the deck and the entire pirate crew looked in her direction. She could feel their eyes burning her. None of the Della's crew would meet her eyes. She decided that the now deserted bridge was probably her safest waiting place and climbed the steep stairway to the wheel.

Below her now, the main hatches were open and men were lifting barrels and wooden boxes onto the deck. She saw the great box containing most of her dowry being placed on the net. She also noticed Thomas's heavy packages from Palermo, still bound up in oilskins and ropes, being deposited in the net with barrels and crates. She watched as the first load was lifted high by the crane, seven crewmen pulling on ropes to raise it and swing it over the side. The straining net was then lowered to the Della's boat below and emptied by three crewman who stowed the crates and barrels as best they could. The net returned empty to the deck where more barrels and crates were loaded.

As the second load descended, Thomas, the Agha and Captain Bertrand returned to the maindeck. Simon followed. The pirate yelled orders to his men who immediately started to climb over the sides and down to their waiting galley. Thomas motioned for Isabella to join him.

Gripping her satchel, Isabella climbed down and stood silent and head bent next to Thomas. The Agha was clearly in a jolly mood and slapped Captain Bertrand heartily on the shoulder, nearly sending the poor man flying across the deck. This only made the pirate laugh louder. Isabella noticed that not one of the Della's crew even smiled.

Thomas said something to the Agha and moved with Isabella to the net, now empty and lying on the deck. A crewman brought a heavy plank and placed it in the net, adjusting the ropes to secure it. With Thomas's guidance Isabella stood on the plank and took hold of the main rope attaching the net to the crane. Thomas did likewise, wrapping his free arm tightly around her waist. The rope went taught and the plank rose slowly, carrying its human cargo up over the Della's rail and down to the pirate galley. Thomas and Isabella stepped onto the deck of the galley where the Agha and most of his men were already waiting. Isabella looked around at the crew and the strange, low, narrow ship; so different from the high, wide Della she had just left. Another pirate, clearly the senior sailor, who Thomas referred to as the Rais, came forward to greet them and usher them to the bridge. Hardly had she taken a few steps towards the raised bridge at the stern when her attention was called by a shrill, pleading voice above.

"Marm! Marm!" It was Simon, leaning over the Della's rail. "Don't worry marm! I'll come for you! I love you, marm!" Isabella looked up and held up a hand, to indicate to him that she was safe. Simon's small body suddenly rose above the railing. One of the pirates still on the Della had him by the back of his trousers and was laughing. Simon struggled, but to now avail, and the pirate swung him out over the rail and launched him into space. Simon's poor little frame, flailing wildly, described a graceful arc to the sea. He went down but it was only a few seconds before his head emerged, spluttering and cursing. Isabella heard laughter, both from above and around her, as Simon frog-stroked his way back to the Della's side.

The remaining pirates descended the larger ship's near vertical side and jumped the last ten feet onto the deck of the galley. The Rais called his orders and the oars, previously unnoticed by Isabella, on the seaward side slowly rotated and stroked the water, turning the galley towards the distant shore of Africa.

As all the oars came into play, the galley shot forward, towing the smaller boat full of the Della's booty. Isabella looked to Thomas and he smiled warmly at her.

"The journey begins," he said with great affection in his eyes.

"Indeed," said Isabella, moving towards him for comfort. He held her at arms length and shook his head imperceptibly, glancing up at the Agha and the Rais who were watching them intently. "Not yet, Isabella. We must maintain the pretense a few hours longer."

Isabella understood and stepped back, crossing herself for effect. The gesture brought a smile to Thomas's face once more and they moved to the bridge together.

The Rais had prepared a bench for them, out of the sun, which was now high in the sky and providing the type of heat Isabella had expected so close to Africa. They spoke little in the presence of either of the two senior pirates, but at one point, when both were off the bridge, Isabella turned to Simon and asked, "What did the Agha say when he held my face back in Captain Bernard's cabin?"

Thomas smiled and replied, "I could not possibly give you a literal translation, Isabella, but it was along the general lines of his feeling cheated by the amount of loot he had accepted as the price of our passage. He said you would have fetched twice as much in the slave market in Algiers, even after he and his crew had had their way with you. I have left out the lurid details, of course."

Isabella felt herself blush.

End Chapter 5