Chapter 33 "Big decisions are made"

Big decisions are made

The servant in the antechamber had to constantly remind captain Opzoom and Bilg to be patient, as the meeting between the Governor and the count seemed to go on forever. It was almost noon when they were finally allowed to enter.

Opzoom carefully sat at the very edge of the silk covered chair. Bilg sat with relaxed frankness.

“Count Caprioli told me about everything that happened on your journey” opened the governor addressing Opzoom.”you lost your ship to the pirates, but you are a stout-hearted man and a good captain. The money that you were to take to Paramaribo, was rescued from what I hear and ...”

Here the honest Opzoom wanted to interrupt the governor, but Caprioli gave him a meaningful look to remain quiet.

“....The Dutch-West Indies company did not suffer any losses. Count Caprioli offered his share of the gold treasure captured from the pirates, as payment for the lost ship and its cargo.”

“Count...!”

Opzoom looked bewildered at Caprioli.

The count raised his hand defensively.

“If this gold can help a brave and honest man it becomes honest gold. No more about this captain!”

“I will give you another command” continued the governor, “I will tell you more about this tomorrow and the count and I will discuss the proper distribution of the loot. Tell your friends and crew that this will be sorted out tomorrow as well.”

Then he looked at Bilg.

“And now to you young man. You proved on this trip that there is more in you than just a good sailor. The count has purchased an officer's commission as a reward and I commission you herewith as lieutenant. Continue to stay as modest and clean as you have been so that you can soon have your own ship as captain. A servant will take you to our scribe who will complete your officers' certificate. Now go and see our warehouse manager and get him to give you the best lieutenants' uniform in stock. If it doesn't fit, our tailor will help. This evening I want to see you dressed as lieutenant at our festive banquet.”
Bilg sat pale and stiff on his chair. The governor stood up, signifying the end of the conference. Captain Opzoom had to secretly put an arm around Bilg to help him up or he would not have woken up from his enchantment.

Alone again with the governor, Caprioli withdrew a document with the emperors' seal on it from his pocket, which his friend had given him shortly after his arrival. This document had been sent with a secret messenger on a fast sailing ship. The only verbal message the courier had for the governor was an order from the emperor that Caprioli was to commence a new voyage on the morning after his arrival. Caprioli re read the document carefully.

“This will be a long and difficult voyage, Pieter. You ordered to make the "Fantoma" to be made ready for sea in the morning. I am great full that you are offering her for my use.”

The governor dismissed the the thanks with a smile and a wave of his hand.

“ I think that trip won't seem as long or difficult on your own ship” he added.

“On my own ship...?”

“Well yes, the "Fantoma" belongs to me, but because you returned Larissa in good health to me, I give her to you for your future voyages. You will not come across such a fine ship in the near future.”

Caprioli was silent and taken aback.

It took some time before he answered thoughtfully:

“couldn't this gift become a bit too expensive for me one day, even when you can give away a ship like a rich man can give away a gold piece?”

The governor laughed.

“there is no reason for any mistrust Cyps, I am not asking for any return service. Why shouldn't I be able to be generous to an old friend?”

“The generosity of a merchant always has a secret price, my dear Piet!”

“ aren't you the smart one!”

Pieter van Groenhagen slapped his leg with delight.

“It seems you have as high an opinion of merchants as I have of diplomats. This time, I am really wearing the gift pants! The third part of the booty that belongs to you as war commander, and which you light heatedly offered to cover the cost of the lost “Vlissingen”, came to the tidy sum of 162,500 ducats! That's more than even the precious “"Fantoma"” is worth. In addition there are the recovered 30,000 ducats which captain Opzoom was to deliver to me on the “Vlissingen”. You would embarrass me, if you wouldn't regard your flagship as your own. Oh, and here, by the way is the gift certificate.”

He walked over to his desk, picked up a ready parchment roll and handed it to his friend. Caprioli took the document and turned it thoughtfully in his hands.

The governor continued:

“The from the pirates captured brigantines, would have been lost if this Bilg hadn't rescued them.

Therefore, the company does not have a claim on these treasures nor the brigantines; it is satisfied with the recovery of the money from the “Vlissingen” and your payment for the ship and her cargo.

I will inform the gentlemen in Amsterdam accordingly.”

Caprioli stroked his goatee with his index finger.

“It appears you want to become a new seaman's saint.” he grinned. “ However as you do not have the face of a saint, dear Piet, I would like to carefully ask you again what the price for this regal relinquishment is.”

“If you are asking about the secret price, you won't even notice when you pay it. So why are you so concerned?”

The governor rubbed his hands together with glee.

“I hope your calculations work out!”

“I'll take you by your word”

He walked to the window and looked down at the harbour.

The long row of ships along the pier were still being admired. A few groups of gesticulating watchers had formed around some of the sailors.

“If you could release the crew rescued off the “Vlissingen” from the service of the company and add a few able seaman, then we could complete the crew of the three brigantines.” said Caprioli as if speaking to himself. “we should also be able to find a few good sailors amongst those rescued from the pirates.”

The governor approached him.

“For the brigantines you can have them if they are willing. I am sure that the frigates could also spare a few sailors to complete your crews.”

“Could you also transfer the gunnery master Bichler to me?”

“With a heavy heart, he is one of our best people, however I can understand that you need a person like him.”

Caprioli gripped his friends arms.

“Piet, I have an idea: would it be possible to have the three brigantines sail under the companies flag, but covering their own expenses?”

The governor thought for a moment.

“If the company has an interest in the business, then yes.”

Caprioli lifted his eye brows questioningly.

“And what are these interests...?”

“If for example, a particular count Caprioli should by chance visit St.Petersburg, purely by chance of course, then it would be very nice of him, to mention to the czar that the Dutch-West Indies company would like to purchase all the furs that could be brought to the harbour at a good price. We could ship him precious wood for his palaces, he is still building as if obsessed because he wants to stay on par with the west.

The governor walked back and forth:”only a word you know – but if you say....”

Caprioli's eyes flashed like lightening, embarrassing his friend for a moment

“OK, Piet, if you really want to wait that long, till the wind deviates me to St.Petersburg, then I will give the czar the message. But now to reality: the brigantines should belong to Bilg, because he earned them. He should however not be told about this before he attains his captain's licence. Until then, he must think that they belong to the company.”

“They can be be entered in the register under the name of your protégé without him being aware of it. I will get the deeds drawn up today and safe guard them myself.”

Caprioli nodded and continued:

“We will form a small company with equal win/loose shares. The brigantines will seemingly be chartered by the company initially, because young Bilg has to get used to being rich first; he doesn't know the dangers yet. As capital, we could use the share of the booty of the sailors that want to come along, the rest of them will get theirs in the hand. After all, the company has decided to forgo their share. What do you think of this idea? To pay off the soldiers is your affair.”

“Very, very unusual my dear Cyps, as unusual as everything with you. But if you think...”

Abruptly he asked after a short pause:

“So, you are sailing to St.Petersburg early tomorrow morning...?”

“You know...?

The governor swayed his head.

“Well yes, I didn't ask you, but we merchants also have our own secret service and above all our secret news gatherers. If we couldn't piece the smallest bits of information together to work out the whole, then we would be very poor merchants. Your actual destination is of no interest to me, but I have a worthwhile load for the brigantines consisting of spices and precious wood. In St.Petersburg they can load furs for Amsterdam. The old crew of the fort will be sent home on board ships I expect here in a few days..”

“You should have been a diplomat Piet” said Caprioli laughing.

“I travel better as a merchant, old boy!”

“Oh well, maybe I'll be in St.Petersburg when the ships arrive and maybe I could look after them a bit.”

“That would be very good for the new business and the company, Cyps. Tell me, who exactly is this Bilg, that played such an important role on your voyage?”

Caprioli shook his shoulders.

“You are asking more than I can answer. I don't even know his real name, he is a very unusual young man. He only wants to be known as Bilg. Larissa told me that the captain of the first ship he served on gave him that name contemptuously. A bilge is the area at the bottom of a ship where all the dirty water collects. A sordid name, but Bilg carries it with distinction. Today, many would be happy to be called Bilg, if they could only be Bilg.”

“Do you know why he became a cabin boy?”

“I never asked him that. The destinies of cabin boys are often strange and mysterious. Larissa, which is also strange, befriended him shortly after the start of the voyage. She told me once, that he was searching for his father. An unusual reason to become a cabin boy and a pretty hopeless path.

He seems to come from a good home, judging by his looks and behaviour; not only can he read and write, but also speaks Italian and French. English and Dutch he obviously learned on the ships he served on and German appears to be his native language.”

The governor laughed bemused.

“the remarkable thing is, to hear the count Caprioli speak so warmly about a cabin boy!”

“He is a lieutenant after all, my friend!”

“Quite a feat when Caprioli is the commander.”

“Exactly, that's why it was a feat, he would have had it easier with someone else.”

Caprioli was thoughtful, and quietly he said:” I liked the boy from the beginning, almost like a son..”

The gentlemen were quiet and pensive.

The pendulum clock counted the seconds with its Tick Tack, like coins.

Finally the governor asked:

“How is your son by the way, I am his Godfather after all?”

Caprioli sighed.

“I haven't seen him for many years. I had to leave shortly after my wife died. You know yourself how it was during these war times, I couldn't even spend a few weeks at home. I was so happy to be able to spend some time with you, and now..

But I received good news from his teachers and principle.”

“And how old are those news..?

“Oh well, probably over two years. It is very difficult not to be travelling when you are in the emperors secret service.”

Again there was silence as they were both deep in thought.

“ I would like to know more about this – lieutenant”

The governor interrupted the silence.

“Why? Is he that important to you? You hardly know him.”

“As a matter of fact, he is very important to me, Larissa lost her heart to him.”

“Larissa..?”

“Why not, he seems to be a good and capable young man and a young lady could easily fall for him.”

“That's ridiculous, Piet. Larissa and this – may it be as it will – he is after all a perfect stranger!”

“A moment ago you spoke differently about him..!

“Agreed, but...”

“Never mind 'but '! I can only tell you that if he is what I heard about him, I would welcome him as my son in law. Larissa has money of her own, but she can't buy an honest and upstanding character with that. And Bilg is now such a rich man, that Larissa does not have to worry that he would marry her for the sake of her money.”

“Bilg would never do that” answered Caprioli more forceful than he intended.

“That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you, Cyps.”

“Wise guy!” Said Caprioli snickering. “Your calculations seem to be working out just fine, Piet, even diplomats could learn from you.”

The governor winked at him happily.

“The business with Russia is worth far more than relinquishing the booty and the brigantines! And in addition a young man like Bilg as son in law...it seems to me that you still don't follow.”

Caprioli looked at his friend with a questioningly look.

“Have you forgotten your flying dachshund Witzi? For that I had sworn revenge – I am now taking revenge my way!”

Caprioli laughed.

“And did you forget the barking geese hatching from Witzis' eggs? I also swore revenge for that and I will remember at the right moment!”

The governor suddenly became serious.

“I think that fate is preparing a gratifying surprise for you, that you don't dare to think about.”

“What is that supposed to mean, Piet...?

“I don't know exactly yet, but I have assumptions that are close to reality. Give me a bit of time and I will see it clearly.”