Birds of Prey - Smith Wilbur (версия книг TXT) 📗

Daniel took a turn of the rope end around his good shoulder and anchored it as the rest of the team reached out, seized the swinging block and hauled it onto the trestle. Between them they manhandled it into the gap at the top of the wall, with the Dutch stonemason in his leather apron shouting instructions at them.

They stood back panting after it had dropped into place, every muscle in their bodies aching and trembling from the effort, but there was no time to rest. From the courtyard below Hugo Barnard was already yelling, "Get that cradle down here. Swiftly now or I'll come up and give you a touch of the persuader," and he flicked out the knotted leather thongs of his whip.

Daniel peered over the edge of the scaffold. Suddenly he stiffened and glanced over his shoulder at Hal. "There go Aboli and the other lads."

Hal stepped up beside him and looked down. From the doorway to the dungeon a small procession emerged. The four black seamen were led out into the wintry sunshine. Once again, they were wearing light chains. "Look at those lucky bastards," Ned Tyler muttered. They had not been included in the labour teams, but had stayed in the dungeon, resting and being fed an extra meal each day to fatten them up while they waited to go on the auction block. This morning Manseer had ordered the four men to strip naked. Then Doctor Soar, the Company surgeon, had come down to the cell and examined them, probing and peering into their ears and mouths to satisfy himself as to the state of their health. When the surgeon had left, Manseer ordered them to anoint themselves all over from a stone jar of oil. Now their skins shone in the sunlight like polished ebony. Though they were still lean and finely drawn from their stay aboard the Gull, the coating of oil made them appear sleek prime specimens of humanity. Now they were being led out through the gates of the castle onto the open Parade where already a crowd had gathered.

Before he passed through the gates Aboli raised his great round head and looked up at Hal on the scaffold, high above. For one moment their eyes met. There was no need for either to shout a message, chancing a cut of the cane from their keepers, and Aboli strode on without looking back.

The auction block was a temporary structure that at other times was used as a gibbet on which the corpses of executed criminals were placed on public view. The four men were lined up on the platform and Doctor Soar mounted the platform with them and addressed the crowd. "I have examined all of the four slaves being offered for sale today," he stated, lowering his head to peer over the tops of his wire-framed eye-glasses. "I can give the assurance that all of them are in good health. Their eyes and teeth are sound and they are hale in limb and body."

The crowd was in a festive mood. They clapped at the doctor's announcement, and gave him an ironical cheer as he climbed down from the block and hurried back towards the castle gates. Jacobus Hop stepped forward and held up a hand for silence. Then he read from the proclamation of the sale, the crowd jeering and imitating him every time he stuttered. "By order of His Excellency the Governor of this colony of the honourable Dutch East India Company, I am authorized to offer for sale, to the highest bidder, four Negro slaves-" He broke off and removed his Hat respectfully as the Governor's open carriage came down the avenue from the residence, passing through the gardens and wheeling out onto the open Parade behind the six glossy greys. Lord Cumbrae and the Governor's wife sat side by side on the open leather seats facing forward, and Colonel Schreuder sat opposite them.

The crowd opened to let the carriage come to the foot of the block, where Fredricus, the coloured coachman, called the team to a halt and wound down the hand brake. None of the passengers dismounted.

Katinka lolled elegantly on the leather seat, twirling her parasol, and chatting gaily to the two men.

On the platform Hop was thrown into confusion by the arrival of these exalted visitors, and stood flushing, stammering and blinking in the sunlight until Schreuder called out impatiently, "Get on with it, fellow! We didn't come here to watch you goggle and gape."

Hop replaced his Hat and bowed first at Schreuder then at Katinka.

He raised his voice. "The first lot is the slave Aboli. He is about thirty years of age and is believed to be a member of the Qwanda tribe from the east coast of Africa. As you are aware, the Qwanda Negroes are much appreciated as field slaves and herdsmen. He could also be trained into an excellent wagon driver or coachman." He paused to mop his sweaty face and gather his tripping tongue, then he went on, "Aboli is said to be a skilled hunter and fisherman. He would bring in a good income to his owner from any of these occupations."

"Mijnheer Hop, are you hiding anything from us?" Katinka called out, and Hop was once more thrown into disarray by the question. His stammer became so agonized that he could hardly get the words out.

"Revered lady, greatly esteemed lady," he spread his hands helplessly, "I assure you-" "Would you offer for sale a bull wearing clothes?" Katinka demanded. "Do you expect us to bid for something that we cannot see?"

As he caught her meaning, Hop's face cleared and he turned to Aboli. "Disrobe!" he ordered loudly, to bolster his courage while facing this huge wild savage. For a moment Aboli stared at him unmoving then contemptuously slipped the knot of his loincloth and let it fall to the planks under his feet.

Naked and magnificent, he stared over their heads at the table-topped mountain. There was a hissing intake of breath from the crowd below. One of the women squealed and another giggled nervously, but none turned away their eyes.

"Hoots!" Cumbrae broke the pregnant pause with a chuckle. "The buyer will be getting full measure. There is no makeweight in that load of blood-sausage. I'll start the bidding at five hundred guilders!"

"And a hundred more!" Katinka called out.

The Buzzard glanced at her and spoke softly from the corner of his mouth. "I did not know you were intending to bid, madam."

"I will have this one at any price, my lord," she warned him sweetly, "for he amuses me."