Voyage of Slaves

Mamma did nothing to disguise the satisfaction in her tone. “There, let that be a lesson, you bullying coward! Well done, Poppea, good horse!” She turned smiling to her two companions. “We girls have got to stick together, eh!”

All three broke into peals of laughter. The Corsair’s face was almost purple with pain and rage, his scar like a ragged, white lightning flash. When he finally regained his voice, he snarled viciously, “So, you think it’s funny? Well, I’ll give you some news to wipe the smiles from your faces. Your young friends, the boy and his dog, they’re dead. Now laugh that one off!”

Mamma Rizzoli folded her arms defiantly. “Liar, how could you know that? Neither you or your master are clever or fast enough to catch Ben and Ned. You are telling lies!”

Leaning heavily on the guard, Ghigno managed a malicious smile. “Then don’t believe me, but take the word of one I heard it from, a captain of the Greek navy. What reason would he have to lie, eh?”

Their tormentor knew by the shocked looks on the women’s faces that his words had the desired effect. He carried on his report with relish. “Plague it was, the cholera! Your Ben and Ned were aboard a merchant vessel that was overrun by infected rats. The whole crew were killed by the disease. It can run through a ship like wildfire, a horrible death, I’ve been told. We crossed paths with the navy craft, that’s why you were put down here, to keep your men from speaking out. Now do you believe me? The boy and his dog are both dead. What, no more laughter, ladies?”

He slammed the door. They heard him laughing as he was assisted up the stairs by the guard.

Mamma burst into tears. “Oh, my poor Ben, that wonderful boy, may the Good Lord rest his soul. And Ned, that lovely dog. Gone!”

La Lindi hugged Mamma as they wept for their two friends together. However, though Serafina stood stone-faced, she was completely dry-eyed. Mamma turned her tearstained face to the beautiful girl. “Did you not hear him, cara mia? It must be the truth—the Greek navy captain said so!”

Serafina put her arms around both her friends, her voice held an unwavering certainty. “No! Ben is not dead, neither is Ned. I don’t care who said what. They are not dead, I feel it here in my heart, I am sure they are alive!”

La Lindi wiped her eyes on the hem of Mamma’s shawl. She stared at Serafina, then nodded. “I believe you!”

26

THE TOWN OF PULA ON THE SLOVENIJAN MAINLAND.

IT WAS TEN O’CLOCK AT NIGHT WHEN Ben and Ned entered the Tavern of the Tipsy Hog, close to the harbour in Pula. They had left the ship’s boat tied up there. Kostas and Yanni went in first. Ned stopped at the door, looking up at the swinging sign. It depicted a hog, dressed in human attire, guzzling down a big pail of beer.

Ben sent his dog a thought. “If you were landlord here they could have called it the Tipsy Dog!”

The black Labrador huffed. “Oh, very droll, and if you were the owner I’d have named it the Boozy Boy. Now get in there, insolent youth!”

The tavern was packed, a welter of noise and music. The customers looked a rough lot, arguing and swigging at foaming flagons, hacking at roasted meat with daggers, singing, fighting and gambling. Kostas waved them to a table. “Sit here, I’ll order us some supper.”

A waiter served them with plates of fried beef and a mixture of mashed turnip and potato, plus a flagon of dark beer apiece. Kostas took a coin from his pouch and tossed it to the server.

Craaaack!

Before the man could catch the coin, it was whipped out of midair by a wild-looking woman wielding a long bullwhip. She caught the coin, and spun it back to the Greek. At the report of the whip, the place fell silent. The woman was only small and lightly built, but her voice was loud and commanding.

“No good friends of mine pay for supper here!” Craaack! The whip snaked out once more. Ben was surprised that it did not harm Kostas. It wrapped several times about his wrist. The wild-looking woman tugged Kostas toward her.

“Krimboti! When I saw that red mop of yours, I thought my tavern was on fire. Come here, you great Aegean shark!”

Roaring with laughter, Kostas ran at her, tossing her into the air and catching her before she hit the floor. “Hohohoho! Janos Cabar, how long is it since I last set eyes on your pretty face?”

Digging both hands into his mass of red curls, she tugged them in playful reproach. “Too long, Golden Jaw. So, who’s hunting you, or who are you hunting? I’ll help you—between us we’ll slay all your foes, and help ourselves to their gold!”

Kostas carried her to the table and sat her on his knee. “Ben, this is my friend, Janos Cabar!”

The boy regretted his words as soon as they slipped out. “Janos, I thought we were coming to meet a man!”

The woman took a long pull at Ben’s beer flagon. Wiping her lips on the back of her hand, she grinned. “Look at me, lad, what would you have called me, Caterina, Cecilia, or Collete Cabar? I named myself Janos—I like the name well!”