Voyage of Slaves

we’ll leave you at the Border mark,

at bella mi Italia!”

In the early evening they halted, in a grove just short of a town called Porec. Everyone got down to stretch their legs. The horses were given a rubdown, a light drink and a small measure of bran. Ben and Ned sat with the Istrani Wolves. They were given pieces of sausage, chunks of bread and wine heavily laced with water.

Janos Cabar cut off a bit of sausage with her long folding knife, nodding at the road ahead. “The Revenue have a garrison post at Porec, that’s where we might run into a spot of bother. The main thing is to do as you’re told and keep your head. Fear is the best weapon we have, so we use it. Those bumpkins at the garrison never learn, we’ve got by them every time so far. They’re badly mounted—most of them are on foot—and they’re used to dealing with fools like themselves. Watch me, and follow the lead of Katya and Magda, you’ll be alright. Our horses run better on their second wind, we’ve not pushed them too hard so far. Give it a short while yet, then we’ll take off again—but this time no shouting or singing. Understand?”

Ben saluted. “Right y’are, Cap’n!”

She flicked his earlobe gently with her bullwhip. “I thought you were going to call me marm just then.”

Ned nudged Ben with his head.

“Bet you wouldn’t have asked her what she’d do if you had?”

Ben gave the Labrador a wry smile. “Not likely. Why don’t you ask her yourself?”

Ned scratched his ear with a back paw, casually. “I’m not afraid of her, you know.”

When they set off again, the drivers kept their horses to a lively canter. Nobody spoke, sang or called out; all that could be heard was the creak of wagon wheels and the steady clop of hooves. It was a glorious evening, with the setting sun lighting the seaward horizon in scarlet, gold and a dusky blue-grey. Ben sat on the back of the rear wagon with Ned and Katya. The burly girl chewed on a straw, folding both hands behind her head.

“I like this part of the journey. Once all the jouncing about and shouting have stopped, it’s peaceful.”

Ned expressed a thought. “Like the calm before the storm.”

Keeping his voice down, Ben murmured to the girl, “It’s a bit too quiet for my liking, how far are we from Porec?”

Katya chuckled. “Soon be passing it now, that’s when the fun usually starts.”

Their driver, Magda, called back to them, “It’s about to start right now, look up ahead!”

A roadblock had been set up about a quarter mile ahead. It was nothing sophisticated, merely the trimmed trunk of a pine tree set upon two small columns of rocks and rubble. Behind the barrier stood a group of townsmen and the mayor of Porec.

Katya explained, “They’re not real Revenue officers, just volunteers. See, they’re only wearing armbands, not uniforms. If they catch any smugglers, they usually help themselves to the best of the cargo. Then they hand the rest over to the Revenue captain.”

Ben sized the distant men up, Katya was right, but the men were carrying pitchforks, staves and any implements they felt were handy in dealing with smugglers. “There’s about thirty of them, and they look like they mean business. What are we supposed to do now?”

The girl spat out the straw she was chewing. “Obey whatever orders Janos gives, and leave the rest to her. She’s good at this sort of thing.”

In the short time following, both Ben and Ned realised that good was an understatement where Janos Cabar was concerned. The chief of the Istrani Wolves was a whirl-wind of boldness and ferocity. She burst into action, setting the black stallion, Hari, full tilt at the barrier. Janos gave her wolf howl, cracking the bullwhip back and forth as she charged.

Crack! Crack! “Howoooooyaaaaah!” Crack! Crack!

The mayor of Porec lost his tricorn hat, flinging aside his warrant parchment as he dived for cover. The townsmen scattered to either side. Baying and flailing the long whip, Janos Cabar leaped her horse over the barrier. She lashed out, sending the whip curling round and round the pine trunk, and urging the stallion onward. The barrier was wrecked in an instant. She pulled it to one side, skillfully flicking her whip free.

“Howoooooyaaaaah!” Rearing the big, black horse onto its back hooves, she set about scattering the townsmen into further disarray.

Suddenly the wagons lurched forward. Ben and Ned joined the smuggling crew, howling like madbeasts straight for the opening. They shot through like cannonballs in a cloud of dust and reckless speed. The boy saw a man thrown high as he bounced off one of the horses’ flanks. Teeth bared, wind streaming around him and both fists clenched as he roared out the Istrani Wolf call, Ben caught a glimpse of Janos Cabar as he sped by her.