Larissa appears and Bilg becomes a soldier
Somewhere along the wall one could hear a distinct knock, once, twice ….
Pelegrin was writing in his diary. He lifted his head and listened.
Habakuk, who normally has no fear, had a glassy look in his eyes.
“Ghost…!” He almost lost his voice from freight.
“Maybe the ghost wants to visit us” Caprioli said with a mocking voice.
Again there was a knock, lauder and more urgent.
“Well come in then for crying out loud” called Caprioli, not really expecting anyone.
With a soft click, a hidden door opened and a very young lady slid in.
“Shush”, don’t be frightened !” she whispered with a charming smile, “I saw everything that happened on deck, I just wanted to check on Bilg.”
“Ah, the mysterious lady from the bridge is visiting secretly!” Caprioli said and winked at Habakuk to remove the pistols from the table.
“I will explain everything later count Caprioli”, answered the young lady, “at the moment the poor cabin boy is the only thing important.”
“Let him sleep young lady, have a seat and explain to me why you have been hiding till now and what the meaning of this secret door is.”
Caprioli pointed at a chair in invitation.
The young lady sat at the end of the bench where Bilg was lying.
While she replied, Caprioli admired her black locks, the huge eyes which had a gold shimmer, the finely sculptured nose and pearly white skin.
“Just call me Larissa count”, she said in a soft voice not to waken Bilg. “The directors of the company in Amsterdam, many of which are good friends of my family, offered the closed aft section of the “Fantoma” to me and my black servant. You did know, after all, that you had two passengers on board. I want to visit some relatives in Paramaribo and so that I can come to you for protection at any time, the door was put in back in Amsterdam. One can also open the door from here, you just have to press on that brass button there. And why I only came know? I wanted to look after Bilg, and so you wouldn’t put me ashore, I waited till we passed the last port. You are well known – even the business men in Amsterdam were not too sure about you in this case.
Caprioli squinted and started to play with his medal:”After all the “Fantoma” is a ship of war and not really the right place for a young lady. However, I am a gentleman. But tell me: did you live in Amsterdam, Mademoiselle Larissa….?
“No, I spent a year in Paris where I went to school. Why do you ask?”
“Because I would like to know how you found out that I would be taking these troops to Paramaribo, since it was my protection that you sought after!”
“The gentlemen in Amsterdam knew about it!”
“But you were in Paris. I only arrived in Amsterdam two days before our departure and prior to that had no intention of travelling to Paramaribo.” Caprioli said with a smile on his face.
“It just happened that way count Caprioli!” she said with an impish look
“Do you know what a half truth is, Mademoiselle Larissa…?”
The young lady laughed out loud.
“Naturally I know that: it’s a lie! But please be satisfied with what you know now. Maybe I will be able to tell you more soon.
Pelegrin was writing in his diary. He lifted his head and listened.
Habakuk, who normally has no fear, had a glassy look in his eyes.
“Ghost…!” He almost lost his voice from freight.
“Maybe the ghost wants to visit us” Caprioli said with a mocking voice.
Again there was a knock, lauder and more urgent.
“Well come in then for crying out loud” called Caprioli, not really expecting anyone.
With a soft click, a hidden door opened and a very young lady slid in.
“Shush”, don’t be frightened !” she whispered with a charming smile, “I saw everything that happened on deck, I just wanted to check on Bilg.”
“Ah, the mysterious lady from the bridge is visiting secretly!” Caprioli said and winked at Habakuk to remove the pistols from the table.
“I will explain everything later count Caprioli”, answered the young lady, “at the moment the poor cabin boy is the only thing important.”
“Let him sleep young lady, have a seat and explain to me why you have been hiding till now and what the meaning of this secret door is.”
Caprioli pointed at a chair in invitation.
The young lady sat at the end of the bench where Bilg was lying.
While she replied, Caprioli admired her black locks, the huge eyes which had a gold shimmer, the finely sculptured nose and pearly white skin.
“Just call me Larissa count”, she said in a soft voice not to waken Bilg. “The directors of the company in Amsterdam, many of which are good friends of my family, offered the closed aft section of the “Fantoma” to me and my black servant. You did know, after all, that you had two passengers on board. I want to visit some relatives in Paramaribo and so that I can come to you for protection at any time, the door was put in back in Amsterdam. One can also open the door from here, you just have to press on that brass button there. And why I only came know? I wanted to look after Bilg, and so you wouldn’t put me ashore, I waited till we passed the last port. You are well known – even the business men in Amsterdam were not too sure about you in this case.
Caprioli squinted and started to play with his medal:”After all the “Fantoma” is a ship of war and not really the right place for a young lady. However, I am a gentleman. But tell me: did you live in Amsterdam, Mademoiselle Larissa….?
“No, I spent a year in Paris where I went to school. Why do you ask?”
“Because I would like to know how you found out that I would be taking these troops to Paramaribo, since it was my protection that you sought after!”
“The gentlemen in Amsterdam knew about it!”
“But you were in Paris. I only arrived in Amsterdam two days before our departure and prior to that had no intention of travelling to Paramaribo.” Caprioli said with a smile on his face.
“It just happened that way count Caprioli!” she said with an impish look
“Do you know what a half truth is, Mademoiselle Larissa…?”
The young lady laughed out loud.
“Naturally I know that: it’s a lie! But please be satisfied with what you know now. Maybe I will be able to tell you more soon.
Bilg had woken up and listened with big eyes. Larissa saw this and reached for the young man’s hand. “Be happy again Bilg, all ended up well after all!”
“He will beat me to death if he sees me!”
Bilg was still shaking.
“He will do nothing to you my boy!” Caprioli took a large silver coin from his waist coat and threw it to Bilg.
“There, you will return this coin to the captain on my orders. It is the money that you received from him, when he hired you as cabin boy. And now I will take you in my service, as drummer boy for now. Would you like that….?”
“Count…!”
Bilg jumped up full of joy.
“It’s ok Bilg” replied Caprioli, ”here is another coin as your hire money; you are a soldier now!”
Caprioli threw him a gold coin. Bilg caught it and didn’t know how to thank him.
“Wonderful!” cried Larissa and clapped her hands with happiness. Then she thought for a moment, placed a hand on Bilgs arm who was still shaking and said to Caprioli:
“I have a wish, which I am sure you won’t deny me. I have heard so much about your fantastic adventures; please tell us about one, but a happy one! Will you….?”
Caprioli quickly looked at Bilg with a concerned expression.
“Well, Mademoiselle Larissa, I will tell you a funny and happy story”
He crossed his legs comfortably and while Habakuk poured some sweet wine into small glasses he started:
“He will beat me to death if he sees me!”
Bilg was still shaking.
“He will do nothing to you my boy!” Caprioli took a large silver coin from his waist coat and threw it to Bilg.
“There, you will return this coin to the captain on my orders. It is the money that you received from him, when he hired you as cabin boy. And now I will take you in my service, as drummer boy for now. Would you like that….?”
“Count…!”
Bilg jumped up full of joy.
“It’s ok Bilg” replied Caprioli, ”here is another coin as your hire money; you are a soldier now!”
Caprioli threw him a gold coin. Bilg caught it and didn’t know how to thank him.
“Wonderful!” cried Larissa and clapped her hands with happiness. Then she thought for a moment, placed a hand on Bilgs arm who was still shaking and said to Caprioli:
“I have a wish, which I am sure you won’t deny me. I have heard so much about your fantastic adventures; please tell us about one, but a happy one! Will you….?”
Caprioli quickly looked at Bilg with a concerned expression.
“Well, Mademoiselle Larissa, I will tell you a funny and happy story”
He crossed his legs comfortably and while Habakuk poured some sweet wine into small glasses he started:
No comments:
Post a Comment