Slowly he went down the gangway, followed by Marzak, Biskaine, and the others. At the point where it joined the waist-deck he paused, and his dark old eyes smouldered under his beetling12 brows.
“So,” he snarled. “These are thy goods of price. Thou lying dog, what was thine aim in this?”
Defiantly13 Sakr-el-Bahr answered him: “She is my wife. It is my right to take her with me where I go.” He turned to her, and bade her veil her face, and she immediately obeyed him with fingers that shook a little in her agitation14.
“None questions thy right to that,” said Asad. “But being resolved to take her with thee, why not take her openly? Why was she not housed in the poop-house, as becomes the wife of Sakr-el-Bahr? Why smuggle15 her aboard in a pannier, and keep her there in secret?”
“And why,” added Marzak, “didst thou lie to me when I questioned thee upon her whereabouts? — telling me she was left behind in thy house in Algiers?”
“All this I did,” replied Sakr-el-Bahr, with a lofty — almost a disdainful — dignity, “because I feared lest I should be prevented from bearing her away with me,” and his bold glance, beating full upon Asad, drew a wave of colour into the gaunt old cheeks.
“What could have caused that fear?” he asked. “Shall I tell thee? Because no man sailing upon such a voyage as this would have desired the company of his new-wedded wife. Because no man would take a wife with him upon a raid in which there is peril16 of life and peril of capture.”
“Allah has watched over me his servant in the past,” said Sakr-el-Bahr, “and I put my trust in Him.”
It was a specious17 answer. Such words — laying stress upon the victories Allah sent him — had afore-time served to disarm18 his enemies. But they served not now. Instead, they did but fan the flames of Asad’s wrath19.
“Blaspheme not,” he croaked20, and his tall form quivered with rage, his sallow old face grew vulturine. “She was brought thus aboard in secret out of fear that were her presence known thy true purpose too must stand revealed.”
“And whatever that true purpose may have been,” put in Marzak, “it was not the task entrusted21 thee of raiding the Spanish treasure-galley22.”
“’Tis what I mean, my son,” Asad agreed. Then with a commanding gesture: “Wilt23 thou tell me without further lies what thy purpose was?” he asked.
“How?” said Sakr-el-Bahr, and he smiled never so faintly. “Hast thou not said that this purpose was revealed by what I did? Rather, then, I think is it for me to ask thee for some such information. I do assure thee, my lord, that it was no part of my intention to neglect the task entrusted me. But just because I feared lest knowledge of her presence might lead my enemies to suppose what thou art now supposing, and perhaps persuade thee to forget all that I have done for the glory of Islam, I determined24 to bring her secretly aboard.
“My real aim, since you must know it, was to land her somewhere on the coast of France, whence she might return to her own land, and her own people. That done, I should have set about intercepting25 the Spanish galley, and never fear but that by Allah’s favour I should have succeeded.”
“By the horns of Shaitan,” swore Marzak, thrusting himself forward, “he is the very father and mother of lies. Wilt thou explain this desire to be rid of a wife thou hadst but wed11?” he demanded.
“Ay,” growled26 Asad. “Canst answer that?”
“Thou shalt hear the truth,” said Sakr-el-Bahr.
“The praise to Allah!” mocked Marzak.
“But I warn you,” the corsair continued, “that to you it will seem less easy to believe by much than any falsehood I could invent. Years ago in England where I was born I loved this woman and should have taken her to wife. But there were men and circumstances that defamed me to her so that she would not wed me, and I went forth27 with hatred28 of her in my heart. Last night the love of her which I believed to be dead and turned to loathing29, proved to be still a living force. Loving her, I came to see that I had used her unworthily, and I was urged by a desire above all others to undo30 the evil I had done.”
On that he paused, and after an instant’s silence Asad laughed angrily and contemptuously. “Since when has man expressed his love for a woman by putting her from him?” he asked in a voice of scorn that showed the precise value he set upon such a statement.
“I warned thee it would seem incredible,” said Sakr-el-Bahr.
“Is it not plain, O my father, that this marriage of his was no more than a pretence31?” cried Marzak.
“As plain as the light of day,” replied Asad. “Thy marriage with that woman made an impious mock of the True Faith. It was no marriage. It was a blasphemous32 pretence, thine only aim to thwart33 me, abusing my regard for the Prophet’s Holy Law, and to set her beyond my reach.” He turned to Vigitello, who stood a little behind Sakr-el-Bahr. “Bid thy men put me this traitor into irons,” he said.
“Heaven hath guided thee to a wise decision, O my father!” cried Marzak, his voice jubilant. But his was the only jubilant note that was sounded, his the only voice that was raised.
“The decision is more like to guide you both to Heaven,” replied Sakr-el-Bahr, undaunted. On the instant he had resolved upon his course. “Stay!” he said, raising his hand to Vigitello, who, indeed had shown no sign of stirring. He stepped close up to Asad, and what he said did not go beyond those who stood immediately about the Basha and Rosamund, who strained her ears that she might lose no word of it.
“Do not think, Asad,” he said, “that I will submit me like a camel to its burden. Consider thy position well. If I but raise my voice to call my sea-hawks to me, only Allah can tell how many will be left to obey thee. Darest thou put this matter to the test?” he asked, his countenance34 grave and solemn, but entirely35 fearless, as of a man in whom there is no doubt of the issue as it concerns himself.
Asad’s eyes glittered dully, his colour faded to a deathly ashen36 hue37. “Thou infamous38 traitor. . . . ” he began in a thick voice, his body quivering with anger.
“Ah no,” Sakr-el-Bahr interrupted him. “Were I a traitor it is what I should have done already, knowing as I do that in any division of our forces, numbers will be heavily on my side. Let then my silence prove my unswerving loyalty39, Asad. Let it weigh with thee in considering my conduct, nor permit thyself to be swayed by Marzak there, who recks nothing so that he vents40 his petty hatred of me.”
“Do not heed5 him, O my father!” cried Marzak. “It cannot be that. . . . ”
“Peace!” growled Asad, somewhat stricken on a sudden.
And there was peace whilst the Basha stood moodily41 combing his white beard, his glittering eyes sweeping42 from Oliver to Rosamund and back again. He was weighing what Sakr-el-Bahr had said. He more than feared that it might be no more than true, and he realized that if he were to provoke a mutiny here he would be putting all to the test, setting all upon a throw in which the dice43 might well be cogged against him.
If Sakr-el-Bahr prevailed, he would prevail not merely aboard this galley, but throughout Algiers, and Asad would be cast down never to rise again. On the other hand, if he bared his scimitar and called upon the faithful to support him, it might chance that recognizing in him the exalted44 of Allah to whom their loyalty was due, they would rally to him. He even thought it might be probable. Yet the stake he put upon the board was too vast. The game appalled45 him, whom nothing yet had appalled, and it scarce needed a muttered caution from Biskaine to determine him to hold his hand.
He looked at Sakr-el-Bahr again, his glance now sullen46. “I will consider thy words,” he announced in a voice that was unsteady. “I would not be unjust, nor steer47 my course by appearances alone. Allah forbid!”
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1
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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jointly
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| ad.联合地，共同地 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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5
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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6
heeding
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| v.听某人的劝告，听从( heed的现在分词 ) | |
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7
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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9
malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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11
wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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12
beetling
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| adj.突出的，悬垂的v.快速移动( beetle的现在分词 ) | |
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13
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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smuggle
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| vt.私运；vi.走私 | |
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16
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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17
specious
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| adj.似是而非的；adv.似是而非地 | |
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disarm
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| v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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croaked
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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21
entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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galley
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| n.（飞机或船上的）厨房单层甲板大帆船；军舰舰长用的大划艇； | |
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23
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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intercepting
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| 截取（技术），截接 | |
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26
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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29
loathing
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| n.厌恶，憎恨v.憎恨，厌恶( loathe的现在分词)；极不喜欢 | |
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30
undo
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| vt.解开，松开；取消，撤销 | |
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31
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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32
blasphemous
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| adj.亵渎神明的，不敬神的 | |
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33
thwart
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| v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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ashen
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| adj.灰的 | |
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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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38
infamous
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| adj.声名狼藉的，臭名昭著的，邪恶的 | |
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39
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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40
vents
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| （气体、液体等进出的）孔、口( vent的名词复数 )； （鸟、鱼、爬行动物或小哺乳动物的）肛门； 大衣等的)衩口； 开衩 | |
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41
moodily
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| adv.喜怒无常地；情绪多变地；心情不稳地；易生气地 | |
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42
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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43
dice
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| n.骰子；vt.把（食物）切成小方块，冒险 | |
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44
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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45
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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46
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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47
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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