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‘Welcome, welcome!’ the king said.
‘Thank you, your majesty,’ Don Diego said sharing a quizzical look with the others at the king’s change in mood.
‘I’m very excited!’ the king said clapping his hands.
‘Your majesty?’
‘Yes, Don Diego. My subjects will finally know how great a king I can be. Our finances are in a parlous state, and hunger sweeps the land. Discontent is rife,’ he said talking in quick-fire succession. ‘But you and your friends will change our fortunes. With all that go—’
‘I must urge caution, your majesty,’ Don Diego interjected. ‘I’m not even sure th—’
‘Nonsense, nonsense. You're too modest, Don Diego - tsk, tsk! Do not tease me so.’
‘But, really your Highn—’
‘With the return of the prisoners and all of that gold, finally I can do some good,’ he mused. ‘Now, what is it you said that you needed?’
Don Diego was about to protest again as Esteban nudged him discreetly.
‘Ahem!’ he coughed. ‘Well, we need men and provisions first and foremost.’
‘Men are easy to come by, you shall have them. And what is it that this priest said he needed?’
Rodrigo stepped forward nervously and said, ‘Gold and horses, your highness.’
‘Ah, yes. I remember now. The famous dancing horses, eh?’
Rodrigo nodded.
‘I have several in my stables, you may take them. I find them too difficult to ride nowadays, they’re too feisty.’
‘Very generous, sir,’ Rodrigo said.
‘But giving away the precious little gold that we have, in return for the sultan’s prisoners...’
‘Think how they suffer, though, your majesty. Torn asunder from their families and held captive for many years, losing all hope of rescue,’ Rodrigo said. ‘Imagine how beneficent your majesty will appear when they are returned to the bosoms of their families. You will be held in high esteem throughout the land.’
The king mused for a while then said, ‘There it is then, you shall all have what you desire.’
There were smiles all around.
‘Oh, but one more thing, priest.’
‘Yes, your majesty?’
‘The leader of the Moors camped outside shall remain here until our countrymen are set free.’
Wrong-footed, all Rodrigo could do was nod.
‘I didn’t see that coming,’ Rodrigo said as they left the king.
‘He is not as mad as they say,’ Jabuti remarked.
‘He is quite mad though, Jabuti. But he does have days when he sees things with remarkable clarity,’ Don Diego said.
‘We’d better finalise arrangements before he changes his mind,’ Esteban said. ‘How are you to tell Zineb?’
‘I do not fear his reaction,’ Rodrigo said. ‘It is that of his men, they are incredibly loyal and will not wish to be parted from their leader.’
‘I will accompany you if you wish.’
‘That will not be necessary, Esteban. Zineb is a fair man. We all have many things to attend to. Shall we meet up at Andrea’s house this evening?’
Don Diego was given free-rein by the king to choose the men he saw fit. Between him and Esteban, they chose fit young men with no family ties and experience of sea-faring. Given that Madrid was far inland, this was easier said than done though. However, after careful questioning, they were able to find several soldiers who had been on overseas missions on behalf of the king. This in itself did not make them hardened sailors, but any experience would come in useful on a long and arduous voyage. One thing that they found amusing though was that the sergeant who had given them such a hard time on their arrival seemed to be the most experienced. Don Diego suspected that many of the volunteers were only too eager to escape the claustrophobic atmosphere of a dying court. There seemed to be an air of defeat and pending doom about the place, and Esteban, for one, would be happy to be back at sea again; if only for one final voyage. It would be just too much heartache to be parted from his beloved Andrea again. But he had promised Jabuti that he would accompany him, and he was a man of his word.
Don Diego and Esteban were both surprised when the surly sergeant, Lorenzo, came rushing up to them at the end of their long day of picking men and gathering supplies by saluting them and saying, ‘The men are all gathered together in the courtyard, awaiting your inspection.’
Don Diego and Esteban looked at each other and smiled.
‘Very good, Lorenzo,’ Don Diego said. ‘I am to remain in Cadiz, so Esteban is in overall command of this expedition, is that clear?’
‘Yes, sir,’ he replied, turning his attention to Esteban.
‘Good work, Lorenzo,’ Esteban said. ‘Take me to your men.’
They followed him into a large courtyard where around twenty-five men stood, chatting excitedly to each other. As Don Diego and Esteban arrived, the talking subsided into a slight murmur.
‘Stand to attention when there are gentlemen present,’ Lorenzo barked.
Immediately, they stood ramrod-straight, eyes straight ahead, awaiting further orders.
With a natural confidence borne of leading hard men over the years, Esteban walked along the row of the dozen men, scrutinising them.
‘Some of you have been hand-picked by the admiral and me, and several of you have been recommended to us,’ he began. ‘But let me make one thing clear; this is not a mission to be taken lightly. It is not an excuse to leave the palace out of sheer boredom and curiosity. The sea is a cruel mistress, and I have seen it break the backs and will of many a man. So, if any man feels he is not up to the job or has exaggerated his skills somewhat, then step forwards, and you can go back to your duties.’
A few looks were shared between the men, but to their credit, none did so.
‘Good, that’s a start,’ Esteban said. ‘But make no mistake, this is a military mission, and you will report directly to Sergeant Lorenzo. Any serious misdemeanours he uncovers will be reported directly to me. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, sir,’ they all replied as one.
‘Sergeant, gather the supplies, and we shall meet again come daybreak.’
‘Aye, sir,’ he replied.
‘Getting in the sea-faring mood, eh?’ Esteban smiled.
‘It’s been a while, sir, but I won’t let you down.’
Meanwhile, Jabuti had elected to spend the day with Rodrigo.
‘He took that quite well,’ Jabuti said after Rodrigo informed Zineb that he was to stay behind.
‘Remarkably so,’ Rodrigo remarked. ‘I must say, I was quite surprised. After all, he has a family waiting back home for him. But he is a warrior and accepts hardships as a way of life.’
Just as they were speaking, Zineb suddenly appeared. ‘May I have a word with Jabuti, Rodrigo?’ he said. ‘Do not be alarmed,’ he laughed seeing the look on Rodrigo’s face. ‘I just wish to talk with him, I’ve travelled far and wide and never met one of his kind before.’
‘It is a strange request,’ Rodrigo said.
‘I know, I know,’ Zineb smiled. ‘But my children always ask me about my travels when I get back. Just imagine their faces when I tell them I met a man from the jungle. This will be a story I can tell time and time again.’
Jabuti smiled. ‘Many people are curious about my home,’ he said. ‘I will talk with Zineb, Rodrigo.’
Rodrigo nodded and walked away, leaving them alone.
‘Come, let us walk together,’ Zineb said putting his arm around Jabuti’s shoulder.
Jabuti recoiled a little at such an unexpected show of familiarity.
Sensing this, Zineb pulled Jabuti even closer and whispered in his ear, ‘I know all about you, my friend,’ he hissed.
Jabuti attempted to pull away, but Zineb’s grip held firm.
‘I bet you thought you were safe, eh?’
‘I... I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Of course, I knew nothing of your previous exploits before we left,’ he said now coming to a halt and looking Jabuti in the eye. ‘Oh, yes, a wily one, aren’t you? I’ve never been one for the intrigue of royal courts, but the whisperings of this court have interested me no end. Would you like to know what I’ve discovered?’ he said leering at Jabuti.
Jabuti stood still, staring at Zineb, unsure of how to respond.
‘I thought as much. Well, let me enlighten you, my young friend. I have taken quite a liking to Rodrigo, he is an honourable man, or at least I thought so.’
Jabuti’s blood began to chill at his words.
‘You see, soldiers are soldiers, wherever you find them around the world,’ he began. ‘When not fighting, we are all the same. The king’s soldiers greeted us with hostility when we first arrived, but as the days have worn on and they see we wished them no harm, we have begun a camaraderie of sorts.’
‘What does all this have to do with me?’ Jabuti said feeling a chill up his spine.
‘Feisty talk, I like your spirit,’ he grinned. ‘Well, I’ll get straight to it, shall I?’
Jabuti just stared at the man.
‘I know the sultan held you captive, and that you escaped somehow.’
Jabuti opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.
‘And do you know what else I know? Rodrigo knew all about your plans, and may even have had a hand in it.’
‘That is untrue,’ Jabuti protested.
‘Oh, but I know it is true.’
‘Well, there’s nothing that you can do about it now,’ Jabuti hit back.
‘Come, let us continue walking, I enjoy talking with you,’ he said.
Reluctantly, Jabuti followed with a morbid curiosity.
‘The sultan is a vengeful man, his reach is far and wide,’ Zineb continued. ‘After all, here I am, a servant of his and faced with someone who has betrayed his hospitality.’
‘Hospitality?’ Jabuti scoffed.
‘What would you do if you were me?’
‘I would tell no-one,’ Jabuti said squaring up to him.
Zineb just smiled. ‘There must be something in it for me,’ he mused. ‘I can just envision the look upon the sultan’s face when he is told. Imagine the sultan’s gratitude when I finally return from this place; with your head!’
By now they had reached a rocky outcropping where Zineb stood laughing at Jabuti. Feeling an uncontrollable rage rise from within, Jabuti just pushed Zineb squarely in the chest and watched as he fell over the ledge. As Zineb fell backwards, his arms began to windmill in a desperate attempt to halt his downward trajectory. In that split second Jabuti saw a look of utter disbelief on Zineb’s face. He continued watching impassively as Zineb’s body was torn to shreds by the jagged rocks. Eventually, he came to a halt, his body broken and shattered. Jabuti took one look around and fled the scene quickly.