Chapter 34
The group of Liza, John, Mary, Will, Moto, the General and the Colonel
made their way down the dock towards the looming mass of clouds. As they
approached the seemingly impenetrable bank, the white mist began to dissolve
and reveal a large group of Arawak Indians standing there. They were dressed up
in colorful bird plumage. Vivid greens, reds, blues and yellows stood in stark contrast
to the white of the clouds. A large man, somewhat taller than the rest of the Arawak,
walked to the front. He knelt down on one knee and bent his head.
“He is ritually offering himself to us as a sacrifice.” John whispered to
Liza and Mary, who were next to him. Mary let out a small gasp.
“Surely we are not expected…” Liza said.
“Oh no, it is symbolic. If we even twitch the rest would slay us on the
spot, but it is meant o assure us that they mean us no harm. I will need to do
the same, so please step aside.”
With that John copied the warrior’s pose and knelt with his head low. After
a second the warrior made a clicking sound and got up. It must have been a single
because John quickly did the same. The Warrior smiled and began to rapidly talk
to John in the same creole the Arawaks had used the day before. John turned briefly
and made a motion for the group to follow as he and the warrior began to walk,
seemingly into the mist. As Liza and Mary and the rest followed, the remaining
Arawak closed in behind them.
“No turning back now…” Mary said under her breath.
“Not in this life anyway…” Liza said with a forced smile.
After several minutes they came to a very tall wall of clouds. Liza marveled
as one by one, John, the warrior and then the rest of her group, disappeared into
the cloud bank. Hesitating only briefly, she took Mary’s hand and they walked
in together.
They emerged quickly into a large open area, free of clouds and brightly
lit with the sun. All around them was a large platform strewn with grass mats
and baskets, some with food, others with what looked like tools and clothing
and other goods.
The warrior stopped and made a motion with his hand that clearly meant
for them to take a seat on some of the mats. Liza and Mary hurried to
strategically place themselves on either side of John.
“What is going on?” Mary asked. John smiled.
“No worries. I think you will be happy with today. The man is the queen’s
son, Kabadaro. A funny name, it means Leopard, but he is not a leopard really,
very nice man.”
“John, honestly, I do not understand your people’s relationship with the Arawak,
the Dyab. One minute you are cutthroat enemies, the next-best friends.” Liza
said.
John did not respond right away, but appeared lost in thought.
“Perhaps you are right Liza. We have had good relations and bad. One
thing you learn when you are part of a people hunted by others, you take
friends where and when you find them, but always assume they will turn on you.”
“Who hunts you?” Mary asked.
“Who does not? If not the Dyab then it is the Haitians, the Dominicans,
the Spanish, the French, the Americans, even the English. We are Maroons no? So
everyone profits from our capture.”
“Maroons?” Mary asked.
“Runaway slaves” Liza said quickly. “But there has not been slavery in
the Caribbean in 50 years at least.”
“Has there not? Now is not the time, the queen arrives.
Coming through the wall of clouds surrounding the platform, from the
other side, the queen was carried in on a litter by four Arawak. She was like
the day before, outfitted in a bright green and gold headdress. In the bright
sunlight she glittered like a rare parrot in the rainforest. The carriers set
her down in front of the visitors and then sat down behind her.
She began to speak and John began to translate as best he could.
“She says that the man was saw on the dock was the same man who came with
their attack party yesterday. She says when they got back and she told him of
the surrender, he got very angry. He demanded that she return and destroy us
and our ships, but she refused. At this point he said that unless she attacked
us the deal was off. She reminded him that the deal did not include attacking
us, but he told her the terms had changed. So… she told him fine, the terms had
changed, and they took him prisoner.”
With this the queen became very animated, and even seemed to be angry.
John could not help but let out a short laugh.
“She is very angry. The man had a weak heart and died almost as soon as
they began to torture him. It ruined their whole evening.”
“That is hardly a laughing matter!” Liza whispered, but John waved her
off.
“Nevertheless, she is glad he is dead and that they learned the truth
before it was too late. She says that they owe you a debt Liza.”
“Oh, well, please tell her it was nothing…”
“On the contrary, I will tell her that you take this most seriously and
will hold her to it upon her life if she does not repay.”
“But I don’t!” Liza said. John smiled.
“They have offered you something they never offer anyone. If you are
casual about it, it will offend them greatly. Be gracious and fierce at the
same time…”
Liza sighed, then her face brightened. “Fine, tell them I will think
about accepting their offer, but I will need to hear what they will do punish
Ingellsdin first.”
“Hear, hear” Will said under his breath.
John conveyed Liza’s demand and to her surprise, the Queen’s face lit up
and she began to talk animatedly. John had trouble keeping up.
“This makes her very happy, that you desire to revenge the white devils,
no offense. She, uh, wonders if you mean to flay them alive or hang them by
their, uh, nether regions…” John trailed off as he saw Liza’s face darken.
“Perhaps we could tell her something different?” John asked. The queen
stopped talking, sensing Liza’s growing disapproval. Liza closed her eyes and
forced a slight smile.
“Please tell her majesty, that while those ideas do sound… promising,
that I am hoping for something different. I am not sure you can explain this,
but what I have in mind, what we have in mind, for Ingellsdin is far, far worse
than hanging. If there is one thing an Englishman hates more than being
suspended by his, uh, well, yes, that, it is being humiliated by a woman. I
have a plan that I think will make him think twice about messing with her
majesty. We will send word that the Arawak and the Navassa have joined forces
to sell their technology directly to the British government, by passing
Ingellsdin’s firm altogether. I personally guarantee that she will get a much
better rate than anything he was offering.”
“Liza!” The general said. “We cannot make promises like that!”
“Grandfather, do you really think that his Majesty will quibble over gold
coins when he sees what these people can offer us? What they have here will
revolutionize transportation, military defense, trade, everything. And we can ensure
England is at the forefront of this.”
“She is right, Sir.” Will said. “And denying Ingellsdin his share of this
will drive him mad.”
“It is still a gamble…” the General said.
“One I am willing to take.” Liza said. “Now John, if you please…”
John translated. Liza was surprised to see the Queen not get happy or
mad, but seemingly began to look sad. And when she replied, even though Liza
could not understand the words, she could understand the emotion. The Queen was
devastated. John turned back to Liza.
“Her Majesty begs, no, implores you to reconsider. To deny them of a
chance to battle the white devils seems awfully unfair.”
Liza thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose it would be churlish. But it
must be of Ingellsdin’s own doing, not just an attack. Tell her to offer terms,
he leaves, does not get anything, and return to him his gold. Tell him if he is
not gone within the hour they will attack. You can assure her he will not leave
and therefore they can attack.”
John translated and the Queen’s mood picked up considerably. Then the
queen snapped her fingers and large jugs were brought out. A stiff but sweet
drink was passed around and they toasted their new partnership.
Much later, as the sun began to slip into the western sky, John suggested
they make their way back home. As they walked back out of the cloud chamber and
down the long dock to their waiting airship, John kept up with Liza.
“Of course we will have to convince my father. He will not be brought off
by some gold coins.”
“No, I suspect not. The devil, as they say, is in the details.”
“Yes, although I do have to say, I will never want to be on the wrong
side of you, Miss Liza. You are quiet formidable.”
“Yes, and please, dearest John, do not forget it.”
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