Patrick O'Brian: The Hundred Days

Stephen did indeed remember it: he had had his own battered second-hand copy rebound - a first edition - and he recalled that the binder had put the date of publication at the bottom of the spine: 1764.

As they all sat down again, Stephen, with his back to the light, looked at Mr Dee with discreet curiosity, as at one whose work had enriched his youth: Mr Dee’s face, alas, showed little but discontent and weariness. He did not see fit to open the conversation, so after a hesitant glance or so,William Kent it was who addressed himself to Stephen, saying, ‘Well, sir, since you have been windbound for so long - quite out of touch - perhaps it would not be improper to give a brief sketch of the present situation?’

Stephen bowed, and leant towards him. Kent’s summary was essentially the same as Lord Keith’s; but Stephen, being unaffected by considerations of rank, tact, ignorance or particular respect, had no hesitation in asking questions, and he learned that the Netherlanders were by no means happy about the presence of Wellington’s and Blücher’s armies; that the various rulers, commanders, and war offices were indeed at odds upon a very wide variety of subjects; that secrecy about plans, orders and appointed meetings scarcely existed in the Austrian army, with its many nationalities, rivalries and languages; and that as opposed to the effervescent sense of returning glory in France, there was a total lack of enthusiasm in many of the Allied regiments, and something worse, not far from mutiny, among the Russians, particularly the units from the wreck of divided Poland. Barclay de Tolly was doing all that a good soldier could do with his ill-equipped and discontented forces, but he could not make them move fast and they were already sixteen days behind the agreed timetable. They had an immense distance still to travel, and the rearguard had not yet even left its distant barracks. There was also mutual distrust, a fear of betrayal on the part of other members of the coalition or on that of some one or another of the many subject nations that made up the eastern powers.

Mr Dee coughed, and leaning forward he spoke for the first time, reminding Kent of an ancient Persian war in which a more numerous army made up of different nations had behaved in much the same way, being utterly shattered by the united Persian force on the banks of the Tigris: his account went on and on but as his voice was weak Stephen could not follow at all well - he was ill-placed for listening - and gradually he sank deeper and deeper into his own reflections, all necessarily of a kind as painful as could well

be imagined. From time to time he was half aware that Mr Campbell was trying to lead them back to the matter in hand by mentioning Carebago, Spalato, Ragusa and other ports on the Adriatic shore - if once the French were out they would represent a great danger - few sea-officers reliable, if any

He had some success, and in time Stephen was conscious that all three had in fact returned to naval matters; but much of his mind was still far down in the recent past when the voice of Kent pierced through with remarkable clarity. ‘...a very important point is that eventually one or another of these ships might protect or even carry the treasure.’

‘The treasure, sir?’

He saw the three faces turned towards him and at almost the same moment he saw their expressions of surprise, even displeasure, turn to the grave, unobtrusive consideration that now surrounded him - that must in decency surround him, like a pall, ever since his loss became public knowledge. It could not be otherwise: his presence was necessarily a constraint: levity, even good-fellowship, certainly mirth, were as much out of place as reproof or unkindness.

Kent cleared his throat, and the Admiral’s secretary, excusing himself, withdrew. ‘Yes, sir, the treasure,’ said Kent; and after a slight pause, ‘Mr Dee and I were discussing a scheme planned by Dumanoir and his friends - a scheme to drive a Muslim wedge between the suspicious, slow-moving Austrian forces and the lingering Russians, preventing their junction and thus disrupting the planned meeting of the Allies on the Rhine.’ Another pause. ‘You will recall that Bonaparte professed himself a Muslim at the time of the Egyptian campaign?’

‘I remember it, sure. But am I mistaken when I say that it was of no consequence at all, apart from damaging his reputation still farther? No Mahometan I ever met or heard of was much elated. The Grand Mufti took no notice whatsoever.’

‘Very true,’ said Dee, his old voice stronger now. ‘But Islam is a world as varied as our own miserable congeries of hostile sects, and some of the more remote did in fact hail the news of his conversion with delight. Among these were people as widely separated as the Azgar, on the edge of the desert, and certain heretical Shiite fraternities in European Turkey, particularly Albania, Monastir, and a region close to the northern frontier, whose interpretation of the Sunna, read without the usual glosses, points to Napoleon as the Hidden Imam, the Mahdi. The most extreme are the descendants and followers of the Sheikh-al-Jabal.’

‘The Old Man of the Mountains himself? Then they are the true, the only genuine Assassins? I long to see one,’ said Stephen, with a certain animation.

‘They are indeed; and although they are by no means so prominent as they were in the time of the Crusades, they are still a very dangerous body, even though the fedais, the experts, the actual killers, amount to only a few score. The rest of the mercenaries in the plan we are discussing, the rest of the potential mercenaries, though willing and eager to massacre unbelievers, are not moved by so pure a religious fervour that they will venture their skins free, gratis and for nothing. The three related fraternities throughout European Turkey all agree: the men are there, and as soon as they see two months’ pay laid out before them, they will move. But not otherwise.’

‘Is the sum very great?’

‘Enormous: in the present state of affairs, when gold is at such a very shocking, unheard of premium, and credit is virtually dead. Far beyond anything the French can put down immediately: for, do you see, this sudden incursion must be very well-manned, with former Turkish auxiliaries, bashi-bazouks, tribal warriors, bandits and the like, all members of the Muslim fraternities or provided by them - a very formidable body indeed if it is to succeed in its aim- if it is to wreck the Allied plans and to give Napoleon the chance of engaging the weakest of the opposing armies and destroying it, as he has done before.’

‘Certainly,’ said Stephen. ‘But am I right in supposing that the Assassins’ role is something more subtle than the wild impetuous assault of the bashi-bazouks?’

‘Yes: and a truly devoted band of fedais might do Napoleon’s cause an incomparable service by removing Schwarzenberg or Barclay de Tolly or an imperial prince or indeed any of the thinking heads. Yet even so there would have to be the massive intervention, preferably by night, and some truly bloody fighting for the full effect of panic, mutual distrust and delay.’

‘Where is the money to come from?’

‘The Turk reluctantly shakes his head,’ said Mr Dee. ‘The Barbary states will provide volunteers and one tenth of the total when they see the rest. Morocco wavers. Their real hope is the Shiite ruler of Azgar, in whom they put all their trust. It is reported on very good authority that the gold has been promised and that messengers are to be sent - perhaps have been sent - to arrange the transport, probably from Algiers.’

‘I speak as a man wholly ignorant of money-matters,’ said Stephen. ‘Yet I had always supposed that even moderately flourishing states like Turkey, Tunis, Tripoli and the like, or the bankers of Cairo and a dozen other cities could at any time raise a million or so without difficulty. Am I perhaps mistaken?’