Виктория Холт - The Captive

I had an unpleasant experience on the first night. It was dark and we were trying to sleep when I heard stealthy footsteps outside the door and then the sound of a key being turned in the lock.

I started up as the door quietly opened.

Two men came in. I believed they were two of those who had come ashore to take us in but I could not be certain at this stage as one looked very like another to me.

They had come to take me. They seized me. I screamed. Lucas and Simon were immediately awake.

The two men were trying to drag me out of the cabin, and I could guess by their grunts and expressions what their intentions were.

I cried: “Let me go!”

Simon struck one of the men. He was knocked across the cabin by the other. Lucas brandished his stick and hit out at them.

There was a great deal of shouting and others appeared at the door.

They were all laughing and chattering. Simon got up; he came to me, seized me and thrust me behind him. I saw that his hand was bleeding.

A terrible fear swept over me. I knew I was in great danger.

I dared not imagine what would have happened to me if the captain had not appeared. He shouted an order. The men looked sheepish. He saw me cowering behind Simon and Lucas beside me.

Simon seemed somehow to indicate that if any one of them attempted to harm me he would have to face him, and he was formidable. Lucas was equally protective but of course he was crippled.

The captain had clearly summed up the whole situation. He knew what the motive of these men had been. I was different; I had long yellow hair such as they had not seen before. Moreover, I was a woman, and that was enough for them.

The captain bowed to me and his gesture suggested an apology for the crude behaviour of his men.

He indicated that I must follow him.

Simon stepped forward.

The captain shook his head.

“I see … safe,” he said.

“I … only I … captain.”

Oddly enough, I trusted him. I knew he was the captain of a ship engaged in some nefarious trade, but for some reason I believed he would help me. In any case he was the captain. If we had attempted to disobey him, we should not have done so for long. We were at his mercy. For all their gestures, neither Simon nor Lucas could save me for long. I had to trust the captain.

I walked behind him through those men. Some of them put out their hands to touch my hair but none of them did. I could see that they were greatly in awe of the captain and his orders obviously were that none was to touch me.

I was taken to a small cabin which I think adjoined his. He stood aside for me to enter. It was more comfortable than the one I had left. There were covers and cushions on a bunk which was like a divan.

I could rest more comfortably here. Behind a curtain was a basin and ewer. I could wash!

The captain spread his hands, indicating the cabin. He said: “Safe here … I see safe.”

“Thank you,” I said.

I don’t know whether he understood but my tone must have expressed my gratitude.

He bowed, went out and locked the door behind him.

I sank on to the bed. I started to tremble violently as I contemplated the ordeal from which the captain had saved me.

It was a long time before I could regain my composure.

I wondered what his intentions were. Perhaps Lucas was right. I felt sure he must be. It was a ransom they were thinking of; and if this were the case, they would want us to be returned unharmed.

I pulled aside the curtain and indulged in the luxury of washing myself.

I returned to the divan. I lay down. I was exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, and for a brief spell forgot the hazards about me.

I slept.

I think perhaps I tried to forget those days when I lived in a state of perpetual terror. Every time I heard a footstep, every time my door opened, I would be seized by an overwhelming apprehension. One’s imagination in such situations can be one’s greatest enemy.

Food was brought to me regularly and because of this I felt a respite from being constantly on the alert for danger;

yet I knew it was all around me. I was not sure what their purpose was, but it was obvious that they were planning something for me. The captain certainly stood between me and a certain fate and at least I had to be thankful for that. I trusted the man . not because I believed in his chivalry but his attitude meant that I must be treated with a certain respect because of what he had in mind for me.

I found I ‘could eat a little. My creature comforts were attended to.

It was a great blessing to be able to wash frequently. I wished I knew where the ship was going and what fate was planned for me. I wished I knew where Simon and Lucas were.

The captain came to my cabin once. I had washed my hair and it was just drying when the knock came. He kept staring at my hair, but he was very polite. I knew that he wanted to talk to me but his knowledge of English was exasperatingly limited.

“You … come in … ship … England?”

“Yes,” I said.

“But we were wrecked.”

“From England … alone? No?” He shook his head.

“With my parents … my father and mother.”

It was hopeless. I imagined he was trying to find out what kind of family I came from. Was there money? How much would it be worth to have me back?

He gave it up as hopeless, but I knew by the way in which he kept looking at my hair and smiling to himself that he was pleased with what he saw.

Then one morning when I awoke the ship was no longer moving. The sun had risen and when I looked out through the small porthole I caught a glimpse of white buildings.

I became aware of noise and bustle. People were shouting to each other in excited voices. One thing was certain. We had reached our destination and I must soon learn my fate.

During that morning it gradually dawned on me what it was to be and I was filled with the utmost horror. I began to ask myself if it would not have been better if I had never experienced my miraculous escape from the sea.

The captain came to my cabin. He brought with him a black cloak, a yashmak and a snood. He made it clear that these were for me to wear.

My hair had to be piled into the snood and when I was fully clad I looked like any Arab woman who might be met within the souks of an eastern town.

I was taken ashore and to my great delight I caught a glimpse of Simon. But I was immediately anxious because there was no sign of Lucas.

Simon recognized me in spite of my covering and I was aware of his fear as he did so. We tried to reach each other but we were roughly held back.

The sun was dazzling and I was very hot in my robes. A man walked on either side of Simon, and with the captain beside me we waded ashore.

I shall never forget that walk. We were in what I took to be the Kasbah. The streets were narrow, cobbled and winding and crowded with men in robes and women dressed as I was now. Goats ran among us; there were a few hungry-looking dogs who sniffed at us hopefully. I caught a glimpse of a rat feeding in the refuse on the cobbles. There were small shops little more than caves open to the streets, with stalls on which lay trinkets, brass ornaments, small leather goods, and food exotic, spicy and unappetizing in my eyes. The smell was sickening.

Some of the traders called a greeting to the captain and his men and I was becoming more and more apprehensive about my eventual fate, for they seemed to know the purpose of his visit and I wondered how many other young women had walked along these streets with him. If only I could get to Simon. And what had they done with Lucas?

At length we moved into a wider street. Some trees grew here dusty palms, mostly. The houses were bigger; we turned in at a gate and we were in a courtyard where a fountain played. Around this squatted several menservants, I presumed, for they jumped up as we entered and started to talk excitedly.