Brian Jacques - Voyage of Slaves

That evening, Mother Carmella permitted all her nuns to attend dinner. The Convento di Santa Filomena rarely had such a number of colourful guests staying there. The Sisters were naturally curious. Intrigued by the presence of their visitors, they were delighted when the entertainers put on a little show for them. Buffo and Mummo were going through their act in full clown makeup, causing great hilarity among the nuns with their comical antics, when Mamma took her husband aside for a quiet word.

“Augusto, look at poor Serafina, the girl’s eyes are all puffy from weeping. She doesn’t want to sing tonight.”

Signore Rizzoli tuned up his mandolin. “What do you suppose is the matter, cara mia ?”

His wife raised her eyes upward, toward the high verandah. “It looks like she and Ben have quarreled. I went upstairs to have a word with him, but he is sleeping out on that balcony with Ned. What are we to do?”

The showman shook his head. “Stay out of it, we have no business interfering in a lovers’ quarrel. Serafina and Ben are young, they’ll soon get over it. You worry too much. Well, if the girl isn’t singing tonight, I’d better fill in for her.”

As the applause for the clowns died down, Augusto strolled into the centre of the floor. Picking out a melodic introduction, he began singing in his fine tenor voice.

“An old woman leaned out of her window one day, as a handsome young fellow strolled by, he was singing a song as he rambled along ’neath the soft blue Italian sky.

La la la la lala lala la

“O bella ragazza, the one that I wed, must have two eyes as blue as the sky overhead, her teeth will be white as the pale moon at night, she’ll be young and I’ll love her completely.

La la la la lala lala la

“Her hair will be dark as a black raven’s wing, and her lips sweet and red as the cherry, her manner so meek, and the bloom of her cheek, like a blush made of peach and strawberry.

La la la la lala lala la

“The old one cried after the handsome young man, I can’t match your description alas, my teeth are like stars, for they come out at night, and the bloom on my cheek is long past.

La la la la lala lala la

“But I have some blue glasses as blue as the sky, and I’m sure I can paint my lips red, from the fortune in gold that my husband left me, I could buy a black wig for my head.

La la la la lala lala la

“The young man turned round, he came walking back, crying out I have travelled too far, that fortune should cause me to pass by your door,

La la la la lala lala la!”

Evening faded to night as the entertainment continued. Mother Carmella was enjoying herself so much, she let the troupe carry on with their show. La Lindi performed her snake-dancing act with Mwaga, even though Serafina did not play the Kongo drum for accompaniment. The good Sisters stared at the python in horrified fascination, some of them crossing themselves. Never had they seen a reptile of such size and sinister grace within the walls of Santa Filomena. Then it was Otto’s turn to elicit gasps of awe from the audience. He bent iron bars, lifted huge weights and performed a clever balancing act with the two clowns seated on a heavy bench.

Whilst all this was going on, Serafina sat in the corner silently. Though she was heartbroken and distressed, she cast frequent glances in the direction of the stairs, hoping to see Ben and Ned coming down from the verandah. La Lindi came to sit by her. She, too, looked at the stairs.

“It looks like Ben is going to spend the night up there. He’s probably cold and hungry.”

“What can I do about that?” Serafina murmured sadly.

The snake charmer put forward her suggestion. “Take my cloak, and Otto’s cloak, too, he won’t mind. There’s plenty of food left on the table, get some for Ben and Ned. I’m sure they’ll be grateful to you. While you’re there you can patch up your quarrel.” Serafina sniffed, wiping her eyes. La Lindi stroked her friend’s cheek. “Go on, do as I say, sometimes you have to make the first move to reach a solution.”

Up on the verandah, it was dark, and a breeze was drifting in from the sea. Ben could not help a slight shiver. He huddled closer to his dog for warmth. Ned passed him a thought. “Why don’t we go down, mate, there might be some food still lying about. It’s getting a bit draughty up here, and I’m hungry.”

Ben did not attempt his usual humourous comments about the Labrador’s incorrigible appetite. “I’m not bothered about eating—you go down if you want to, Ned. Now that I’ve told Serafina that we must move on without her, I’m better off staying out of her sight. I don’t want to cause her or myself any more pain.”

Ned rested his head against the boy’s shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere on my own, I’ll stay here with you, mate. But how d’you know we’ll be moving on soon? The angel usually sends us a message, like the sound of a bell, or something of that nature. I can’t remember when it was that we last heard from our angel, can you, Ben?”

The boy let out an unhappy sigh. “No, I can’t, but I’ve got this feeling that it’s about to happen. We haven’t heard from the angel, yet I know that if I look out over the sea I’ll sight the Flying Dutchman out there. I’m worried, and frightened, too. We’ve rescued Serafina and our friends from slavery, I don’t want anything happening to them now.”

Ned grunted. “Neither do I. Maybe you’re right, we’ll just stay put up here for the night. Look out, what’s that, mate, somebody’s coming!”

It was Serafina. She came to them and draped the cloaks over Ben and Ned. “I brought you both some food, you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

Ben sat up, wrapping Otto’s cloak about him. “Thank you, Serafina, it was kind of you to think of us. I’m sorry about what I said to you earlier, but I will have to leave. Ned, too. I don’t expect you to understand. I feel terrible about it.”

The beautiful young girl shook her head. “I don’t understand, Ben, but I know you’d never lie to me about something like that. If you feel you must go, then there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”

Ned’s interruption hit Ben’s mind like a thunderbolt. “Tell her! Go on, tell her the truth, Serafina doesn’t deserve to be left like this. Tell her, Ben!”

The boy bit his lip, almost drawing blood as he replied, “I can’t, don’t you see, Ned, she’d never believe it!”

As if sensing his anguish, Serafina took Ben’s hands in hers. “Please, Ben, tell me why you must go. I couldn’t bear not knowing. Tell me, I don’t care what the reason is, I promise you I’ll accept it!”

The clouded blue eyes met hers. The strange boy held her hands tighter, then he began to speak. “Serafina, you will not believe this, unless you believe there is a God, and angels, and a heaven above.”

Ben got no further. There was the bang of a door being slammed open forcibly down below, coupled with the shouting of men, the cries of the Sisters, the yells of the Rizzoli Troupe and the fierce barking of Sansone. Al Misurata and his slavers had arrived inside the convent.

34

PANDEMONIUM REIGNED AS THE guards, with al Misurata and Ghigno at their head, charged into the refectory. Otto and the big convent dog hurled themselves into the midst of the guards. Nuns were screaming, running about willy-nilly.

Buffo and Mummo grabbed the two iron bars which the strongman had been using in his act. They met the foremost two guards, striking the long jezzails from their grasp. La Lindi had Mwaga wrapped in both arms, menacing the attackers as she called to Mother Carmella, “Get your Sisters out of here!”