Voyage of Slaves

PANDEMONIUM REIGNED AS THE guards, with al Misurata and Ghigno at their head, charged into the refectory. Otto and the big convent dog hurled themselves into the midst of the guards. Nuns were screaming, running about willy-nilly.

Buffo and Mummo grabbed the two iron bars which the strongman had been using in his act. They met the foremost two guards, striking the long jezzails from their grasp. La Lindi had Mwaga wrapped in both arms, menacing the attackers as she called to Mother Carmella, “Get your Sisters out of here!”

Al Misurata and Ghigno stayed out of the fray, looking for Ben and Serafina. The pirate caught an anxious glance, toward the stairs, from Mamma Rizzoli. He nodded to the scar-faced Corsair. “Come on, they’re up there!”

Ben halted at the verandah door when he saw both his enemies, swords drawn, coming up the stairs. Slamming the door shut, he tried to lock it, but the bolt was rusted stiff from exposure to years of the sea air. Both men hit the door at once, knocking it wide open.

The boy reeled, cracking his head against the wall. He staggered forward, half-stunned. Ghigno and Al Misurata had hold of Serafina’s arms—she was struggling, trying to get loose of their grasp. Nightmare merged with reality for Ben: Vanderdecken was there, snarling in his face through frostbitten lips, his mad eyes red with fury.

The boy rushed forward, smashing blindly at the apparition with his fists. Ghigno’s sword pierced his shoulder, searing like red-hot steel. Ned hurled himself upon the Corsair, his teeth seeking the man’s throat as he blundered backward. Ben went down, his legs tangling with Al Misurata’s feet. It happened with mind-stunning speed.

Four bodies—the two men, the girl and the dog— crashed through the verandah rail. Ben lay flat on the floor, his mouth wide in a screech that was lodged in his throat. He heard the rail shatter, and saw the four of them vanish into the night. Down, down to the sea far below. The boy lay with his head over the broken verandah, seeing the four figures grow smaller in the darkness which engulfed his senses. Then he lost consciousness.

Like a massive pale flame, the sight of the angel filled his mind. The vision’s voice echoed out, encompassing Ben. It sounded as though it were the strings of a thousand harps, driven by hurricanes across all the seas of the world.

 

“Fate decreed that the Dark Angel would fall. Ye who are left on earth must travel on!”

Downstairs in the refectory the Rizzoli Troupe were putting up a valiant fight. Headed by Otto and the big dog, Sansone, they drove the guards of Al Misurata back, out of the building and into the courtyard. Leading a final charge, the German strongman vanquished the attackers, sending them scurrying through the main gate, out onto the road.

No sooner had Buffo and Mummo barred the gate, than a fusillade of musket shots tore into the woodwork. This was followed by men shouting, and the butts of jezzails pounding the gate. Otto called Sansone to his side, cautioning the clowns, “It sounds as if there are more of them outside. Be careful, stay away from the gate!”

More musket balls hit the gate, making the wood quiver and crack under their impact. Buffo acted promptly. “I’ll soon find out!” He leapt nimbly into a nearby tree, scaling it swiftly until he could see over the wall. Shots rang out, and the clown ducked, shouting, “Alle hoop!”

Both Otto and Mummo knew what he meant—they sprang forward with their arms outstretched. Buffo dived gracefully from his perch straight into their arms. “The Sea Djinn is here, in the bay! That’s the rest of her scurvy crew trying to break in!”

Another salvo struck the gate. This time some balls found their way through, whipping waspishly through the courtyard. Otto took charge. “Get Poppea out of the way, find some rocks or logs!” Seizing the shafts of the troupe’s cart, he pushed it single-handedly to the gate, shoring it up. Buffo and Mummo returned with a wooden gatepost and some rocks. They wedged the cart wheels as Otto set his shoulders against the back of the cart. The strongman felt a musket ball whiz by his cheek as it tore through the canvas covering. The clowns added their weight to his as the assault outside continued. Otto shook his big, shaven head. “We will hold this gate. Ja!”

Mummo gritted his teeth as the gate shuddered under fresh gunfire. “Aye, but for how long?”

Mother Carmella was the first to find Ben. She called down the stairs for help. “Come quickly, the boy has been hurt!”

The stairway was blocked by nuns as Augusto Rizzoli pushed his way through onto the verandah. “Mamma, Lindi, what is it, what’s happened?” He had to shout to make himself heard, for La Lindi was wailing at the top of her voice as two Sisters dragged her away from the broken verandah rail.

“Serafina! Serafinaaaaaaa!”

Mamma’s face was ashen with shock. “It’s Serafina and Ned—they’re gone!”