Loius L'Amour The_Walking_Drum_v1.0

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of this!"
Over the side they came, and into our hands. The surprise was complete. One
elected to fight, and Red Mark's sword spitted him like a pheasant over a
fire. Two others were seized, thrown down, and bound. One of the slaves raised
up and put an arrow into the neck of the boatman.
The ship was ours so swiftly that it worried me, yet the crew had been a
bunch of louts. The wonder was they had even thought of relieving the guards.
Half drunk, the returning crewmen had no warning, no readiness for what took
place.
The rest of my plan remained, yet each moment was an invitation to disaster.
Why not forget what I planned, divide the money, and let each go his way?
The Moors of Cadiz would not be friendly to escaped slaves, and Walther would
certainly enlist their aid in our recapture. "Use your wits," the pockmarked
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one had said.
Moreover, I had a score to settle. If my plan worked, I could send each slave
on his way a modestly rich man, and I should have taught Walther a needed
lesson.
"You are in charge," I told Red Mark. "I shall take Selim and go ashore. If
any of the crew return, make prisoners of them."
What I needed now was a beggar, a beggar with a certain face.
6
ONCE ASHORE I left the waterfront and proceeded to the narrow streets of the
city. The plan was one that must be quickly completed, and it was not the
Moslem habit to hurry in such matters.
Delay could mean disaster. Again, I hesitated. Why not simply free the slaves
and allow them to make their own way out of the country? Were they my
responsibility? They were not, yet well I knew that, freed and with gold to
spend, they would be lured by the fleshpots ofCadiz , would attract attention,
and in no time be discovered as escaped slaves and be in chains again.
My clothing had been carefully brushed and cleaned so that once again I
looked the young man of fashion. The scimitar was mine again, and I had
recovered my knife, yet to accomplish my purpose I appeared too young. What
was needed was an assistant of age and dignity whose appearance would command
respect. Selim, who accompanied me, was at once too fierce in appearance and
too piratical to inspire trust.
Cadizin this year of 1176 was one of the great ports of the world, and to her
bazaars came merchants with silks, spices, camphor and pearls, frankincense
and ivory. The wools ofEngland , the furs of Scandinavia, the wines ofFrance ,
the carpets of theLevant were here and exhibited for sale.
Among the crowds were men of all nations and every manner of dress. Merchants
mingled with pirates, soldiers, slave dealers, and scholars. Long hadCadiz
been famous for shipping and trade. My old tutor, of Greek-Arab family, told
me of a manuscript, left by Eudoxus, which described finding the prow of a
ship fromCadiz floating in the sea off the coast of EastAfrica , and that long
before Christ.
A beggar tugged at my sleeve. "Alms! Alms! For the love of Allah!"
It was a lean hawk's face into which I gazed, piercing eyes and a beak of a
nose, a face ancient with evil and shadowed by cunning, yet there was
something more, a touch of wicked humor, was it?
"Oh, Father of Lice," I said, "what claim have you for alms? You look to be a
thief and a son of thieves!"
His shrewd old eyes held a gleam of satanic amusement. "A thousand pardons,
Noble One! Pity, for my poverty and weakness! Alms, for the love of Allah!"
The face, the manner ... now if he were clean?
"Conveyor of Vermin," I said, "I give no alms, but if you would have a gold
piece, then we shall talk. A gold piece," I added, "or an edge of steel if you
betray me."
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"A gold piece?" His eyes gleamed maliciously. "For a gold piece I would
smuggle you into the finest harem in all ofSpain ! For a gold piece I
might ah, I know just the wench! A devil she is, a fiend out of Hell, but wise
in the ways of pleasure, and she has a "
"I said nothing of women. Follow me."
Outside a public bath we paused. A muscular Negro with huge gold rings in his
ears stood there. Gesturing to the beggar, I said, "Take this bag of fleas and
dip it, scour it, clip it, and comb it. I would have it resemble a gentleman!"
"By Allah." The slave spat into the dust. "Am I a djinn, to perform
miracles?"
The beggar leered at him. "O Master! With so many baths inCadiz why bring me
to this, which houses this stench in the nostrils of humanity? Why must I, in
my old years, be forced to listen to this Shadow of Ignorance?"
"Enough!" I spoke harshly, for we Kerbouchards know the way of command. "Get
him inside. Burn that hive of corruption he wears for clothing. I shall return
in less than the hour with fresh clothing!"
When at last he stood before me his beard trimmed, his hair clipped and
combed, dressed as befitted a man of dignity and means he looked a noble if a
crafty man, and such a one as I wanted.
His name, and I have no doubt the rascal lied, was Shir Ali, from Damascus, a
merchant in his time and later a dervish, who had fallen on evil days.
"You are a merchant again," I told him, "freshly arrived fromAleppo to
dispose of a cargo and galley with all possible speed. The cargo is of spices
and silk in bales. Dispose of it well, Shir Ali, dispose of it this afternoon,
and you shall be amply rewarded.
"If there is a false move or I am betrayed in any way, I shall" I put my hand
upon the knife "empty your guts into the dust!"
Selim leaned toward him. "And I will slice you to ribbons and feed you to the
dogs!"
At a small shop we drank wine together, and I showed him the cargo manifest
and measured the ship with words. He glanced at the manifest and nodded.
"Excellent! In a week's time "
"You have four hours," I said. "I am your impatient nephew fromPalermo ,
whose inheritance this is, and I must leave at once forToledo . You abhor
haste, but with such an impatient youth, what can one do? Besides, there is a
girl "
He raved, he protested it could not be done. We would lose money! We would be
cheated! It might be done in two days but&
"It is a pirate ship," I told him coolly. "The crew is in town getting drunk.
You will sell it now ... today."
His glance was unbelieving, then he shrugged. "You have courage," he said,
"or you are a fool."
"My blade cuts both ways, so be quick." Merchant he undoubtedly had been;
thief he had probably been, but he had a way with him, did Shir Ali. At every
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