Patrick O'Brian - The Hundred Days

‘The Christian,’ said Greybeard, in a loud, official voice: he bowed very low and walked out backwards.

‘Good day to you, sir,’ said Stephen in French. ‘I have an introduction to His Highness the Dey from His Britannic Majesty’s consul in Algiers, but before delivering it to him and carrying out the rest of my mission, I thought it proper to pay my respects to you, and perhaps, if it is customary, to show you the letter. Since I have been told that you speak perfect French, I have left my interpreter behind.’

The Vizier rose, bowed, and said, ‘You are very welcome, sir. Pray sit down’ - patting the couch - ‘Like you, I do in fact speak French currently: it is my mother-tongue, since one of my father’s wives came from Marseilles. And it is indeed customary to show any document intended for the Dey to his chief minister. Pray smoke, if you feel so inclined, while I read it.’

Rarely had Stephen’s sense of politeness been put to such a test, but choosing the least worn of the hookah’s mouthpieces, he smoked away with every appearance of composure. Not for very long, however, for the Vizier skipped the opening formulae and the even more elaborate ending, and said, ‘The letter speaks of a private and confidential mission: since the Dey invariably discusses matters of this kind with me, perhaps it would save time and many weary journeys - for I am afraid you had but a strenuous ride of it today - if you were to tell me its general nature.’

‘By all means. But first may I beg you to accept this trifling token of my personal esteem.’

He laid the box within hand’s reach: the Vizier opened it, and his face changed: he carefully took the brooch out and carried it to a shaft of sunlight. ‘What a stone!’ he exclaimed. ‘I have never seen its like for perfection. Many, many thanks indeed, my dear sir. I shall wear it in my turban on Friday.’

Stephen made the proper belittling murmurs and gestures, and reverting to their day’s ride he said that although physically it was wearisome, as an amateur naturalist he was amply repaid by the plants, birds, and if not animals then at least the trace of animals, large animals, that he had seen.

‘Perhaps you are a hunter, sir?’

‘As far as my feeble powers allow me, yes, sir.’

‘So am I: though nothing in comparison with His Highness, who, as you may know, is at present hunting the lion in the Khadna valley. But perhaps, when we have discussed this matter and when you are rested, we might go shooting together. But now, sir’ - with a last look at his blue stone - ‘may we turn to the reason for your presence, your very welcome pres.ence, in this wilderness?’

‘Well, sir, in the first place I must tell you that it has come to the knowledge of the British Ministry that several numerous Shiite confederacies and brotherhoods along the Adriatic and lonian coasts and inland to Serbia who support Bonaparte have combined to intervene in his favour by doing all they can to prevent or at least to hinder and delay the junction of the Russian and Austrian armies on their march to join the Allies. But to make their intervention effective they need still greater numbers of armed men: the mercenaries are well-armed, formidable, and willing; but they will not act without payment. The very large sum of money necessary has been sought throughout this part of the world and at last it has been found. A Moroccan ruler is willing to lay down two months’ pay in gold, and messengers were sent to Algiers from Durazzo very recently, begging the Dey to have this treasure sent across so that they might take the field immediately. The weather has been of such a kind that they might not have arrived: but in any event His Britannic Majesty’s government would be very deeply grieved indeed if any help were given to these people.’

The Vizier gazed at him with a wondering benevolence. ‘Surely, my dear sir,’ he said at last, ‘a man of your egregious perspicacity cannot believe these wild tales? His Highness is a most orthodox Sunnite, while the agitators in Herzegovina and those parts, of whom I have heard quite often, are violent Shiites; and they have turned to a notorious Shiite sheikh in Morocco. For them to ask the orthodox Dey to help them at this point passes belief: it is as though a band of Calvinists were to beg for the assistance of the Vatican. Can it be supposed that our Dey would advance their cause, even if he had not hated Bonaparte ever since his vile conduct at Jaffa, Acre and Aboukir, and even if he were not an admiring friend of King George, whose Royal Navy has recently been so successful in the Adriatic - a King whom no Dey of Algiers would ever voluntarily offend? He will tell you so himself, when you see him; and I believe his bluff, soldierlike frankness will be even more deeply convincing than anything I can say. But come, let me call for a soothing bath and my own masseur to restore the suppleness of your limbs; and then when you are quite recovered we will have a simple meal and go shooting. I have two London guns, very beautiful, and there are plenty of palm-doves here, quite tame. Then early tomorrow I will mount you and your dragoman on decent horses and confide you to one of the Dey’s huntsmen, who will take you by His Highness’ private road across the mountain and down through the forest on the other side to the Arpad river that feeds the Shatt el Khadna, showing you all manner of birds, beasts and flowers, or their tracks. It is a vast game-preserve - no ordinary people are allowed into it without a pass; and those who do adventure are impaled. The last Dey had five youths and a hermaphrodite impaled in one session: he thought it a powerful deterrent.’

Very early in the morning Stephen and Amos Jacob rode southward across the oasis, following the very narrow paths between the crops (mostly barley, with some chick-peas). There were still many palm-doves, but this had been an exceptionally dewy night - the dawn itself was still hazy - and the birds preferred to sit tight, with their bosoms fluffed out. Still many, many doves, for the Vizier had no notion of shooting flying, and as soon as Stephen understood this, he too waited for the occasional bird to perch, peering and gazing down at the sportsmen.

The parting had been quite cordial, although it was so very early and although the Vizier looked so very worn (he had three wives, and an appiicant for high office had recently sent him a Circassian concubine). He told Stephen that he had given the huntsman particular instructions to show everything that might interest a natural philosopher, including ‘le club des lions’; and he sent the Dey all possible expressions of loyal devotion.

They rode on through the damp and even misty dawn, Stephen and Jacob on strong capable geldings, past mark of mouth, the young huntsman on a serviceable pony. At the beginning of the scrub country that came with striking abruptness immediately after the green of the oasis, a sparrow now flew from a thorn-bush. Ibrahim wheeled his pony and called out, ‘Bind! Bird!’

‘He says there is a bird,’ said Jacob.

‘It is unreasonable to expect him to know what is common to Arklow and Algiers,’ said Stephen. ‘Could you perhaps desire him to take notice only of reptiles, quadrupeds, and their tracks?’

This Jacob did, but very kindly: and before they were ten minutes from the oasis, young Ibrahim had shown them the footprints of several jackals, a hyena, and the trace of a very considerable serpent, five to six feet long. ‘I am almost certain that it was malpolon monspessulanus. I had one as a pet when I was a boy.’

‘Was it a satisfactory pet?’

‘There was a degree of recognition, and a certain tolerance: nothing more.’

The road grew steeper, winding up in curves laboriously cut into the rock and embanked: as the sun climbed the men and their horses tired, and at one particular left-handed corner pointed out by Ibrahim they were happy to turn off the road to a small platform where one of those improbable springs sometimes found in limestone flowed from a cleft, its water making a green stripe down the slope for a hundred yards and more. As they rested they saw another horseman, very well-mounted, toiling up where they had toiled; and while they were still staring, eating dates as they did so, they heard the sound of hoofs on the road higher up. The two riders passed the corner at almost the same moment: they shouted a greeting but did not draw rein. It was evident that they were the Dey’s messengers.