Chapter 32
As the animal balloon with the blond and the three Arawaks drifted off,
another, much larger balloon and basket settled on the deck.
“What is going to happen, do you know John?”
“Yes, wait and see. The three Dyab we just saw were… diplomats, as it
were. They wanted to know why we surrendered.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, despite our animosity, we have never fought to the bitter end,
either the Dyab or ourselves back off. Yes, some may die, but usually very few.
Father was right to surrender. It sent a clear message that something was off.”
“But the guns-“ Liza said.
“Yes, well, from our point of view, but the Dyab did not understand that
advantage their guns gave them. They have had guns before, very few and often
only for a while, until they run out of bullets or the guns stopped working.
But it has been years.. At any rate, they figured something was amiss, a trap,
they feared. So they sent in diplomats to negotiate. I am pretty sure they
figured we would kill them. But my father told them what he knew.”
“But the man, the man from Ingellsdin, he said-“ Will started.
“Yes, I know. I suspect he will be disappointed, in more than one way,
before this day is done. Now, here is the king of the Dyab.” John said.
He pointed to the large basket that had now come to rest on the deck of
the ship. This time two Arawak came out and carried between them a small
folding stool. Then they went back and hlped out a much older Arawak decked out
in an elaborate feathered costume, with green and gold colors that seemed to
shimmer in the sunlight.
“Bow” John said as he bent down. Liza noticed that Henri had even bowed.
“Why?” Liza asked as she bent forward.
“Because it is we who surrendered, remember? Also, it is customary to bow
in front of the a queen no?”
Liza craned her neck to look up. It was a woman, she realized, a very old
woman with leathery skin. The woman had a very severe look to her. She stopped
just in front of Henri, who was on one knee, his head bent.
Suddenly the woman laughed and said something. Henri laughed as well and
stood up.
“They are old friends.” John said, smiling.
“But, just an hour ago, you were promising certain doom!” Liza said.
“Was I? Well, yes, I guess so. But here we do things differently. We are
eternal enemies with the Dyab, but that does not mean we cannot be friends
too.”
Liza stood for a moment, her mouth open. “Yes it does! Yes, it does,
actually, that is exactly what it means!”
John laughed. “Yes, I imagine it is confusing. But put yourself in our
shoes instead. We fight amongst ourselves, like a family. And we mean it, as I
said, people have been killed. But when outsiders come into the picture, all
bets are off. Both fo us know what it is like for us in the outside world.”
“But they said we would die!”
“Purely for the benefit of the white man, I can assure you.”
“All good and well John, but the Dyab, the Arawak, did make some sort of
an agreement with Ingellsdin, it seems.” Will said.
“Yes,” John said thoughtfully. “Yes, they did, and we must help them see
the error in that, but first we should find out what they did.”
Henri motioned John to come up, so John left Liza, Moto and Will.
“Ohhh, I hate being out of the loop.” Liza said.
Will gave a small gasp. “The General!” He said. “They must be very
worried. I should go tell them what has happened.”
“Not yet Will. Moto said, putting a hand on Will’s arm. “Wait until
things have cleared up. They will be fine.”
“I am sure the Colonel has found their rum supply…” Liza said.
After a good half an hour under the blazingly hot sun, Liza, Will and
Moto were duly wilted. Liza was about to give up and sat down on the deck in a
most undignified way, when John broke with the triumvirate he was in and came
back over.
“If the three of you will come with me please. Will, I need you to
explain what happened to you, I will translate to Father and the queen.”
They walked over to where Henri and the Queen were standing.
“This is her majesty Queen Imoro, her names means the emerald green of
the forests at dawn.”
He then introduced Liza Will and Moto to the Queen in the creole
language. Liza, Will and Moto did small bows to the queen, who eyed them from
beneath her elaborate head set.
“Will, please tell her what you know about this Englishman who has
offered her people so much riches.”
Will cleared his throat and gave a small smile. “If it pleases, uh, your
majesty, I know this man. And not by choice. Several weeks ago he kidnapped me,
took me by force, from my home. He tortured me, did horrible things to me that
I will not speak of so as to not offend you. But he managed to get from me the
location of your people.”
John quickly translated and then turned back to Will.
“How did you come to know of her people, no one has ever found them aside
from us?”
“Many years ago I was exploring this region with two other men. We landed
on… on.. your island? We did not know, we did not mean any harm, but some of
your people chased us. One of my m en fell to his death, the other…”
When John told this to the Queen she grew very animated.
“She says that she remembers this! But you do not explain why you think
the white man will cheat her.”
“Tell her he cheats everyone. He is notorious for cheating those he does
business with, even other white men. Ask her how white men treat the Arawak and
if she will do better than a white man.”
“I do not need to ask. But I will tell her, but tell me, how does he
continue. England is a place of law, is it not?”
“For those who are poor yes. But Ingellsdin, he is rich and… to be fair,
he delivers. He provides the British army with many weapons. He is an asset to
the crown, but he is not to be trusted.”
For some time John and the Queen spoke back and forth. John was quiet for
a moment, Henri nodded.
“How are we to trust you Will? Or others in your party? Is Liza’s
grandfather not a general in the British army? Perhaps you would like to steal
our technology instead of the other man-“
“Ingellsdin?”
“Yes, what a devilish name to pronounce.”
“I understand your questions” Liza said, stepping forward. “We can offer
nothing but our word. And as a woman, I offer the queen my word… and my life.”
“Easy to offer when no one is asking for it Liza.” John said, solemnly.
“Yes, I know, well, ask her this, ask her what will be the reaction of
the man with blond hair when he hears we have not been killed? I will offer my
reaction if she lets the blond man go unharmed- relief. I do not want him
killed, but see if he wants us killed. That should give her majesty some
insight as to who she is dealing with.”
“She will take that under consideration. But she also asks, what you are
offering her people. Ingellsdin promised great wealth.”
“Has he delivered?”
“100 gold coins so far.” John translated, he expression was one of shock.
“What has he promised?”
“To cover her majesty in gold coins.”
Liza could not suppress a laugh. She stopped and did a small bow.
“I am sorry to laugh, but while your majesty is not a large woman, there
is not enough gold in the Tower of London to cover you in gold. Go ahead, tell
Ingellsdin’s man you have spared us, see his reaction, then decide. I cannot
promise you anything except that I will negotiate on your behalf with the
British government to pay you a fair sum for your technology. If you would have
us use it!”
The queen nodded slowly.
“I hope, for your sake, Liza, you are right.” John said as the queen made
her way back to the basket. “The Dyab do not tolerate fools well. Death by
falling is better than what they will do to you if they suspect treachery…”
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