Sword in Sheath (9 page)

“Such a weapon as this you will not see elsewhere. That belt and the sheath are made from the hide of a komodo lizard — those monsters from the early days who yet live in the islands. And the knife came from the forge of Damascus, or so the liar who sold it to me swore upon the head of his father. Take it, boy, it is yours.”

“But why — ?”

“Why do I give it to you? For two very good reasons, Mijnheer van Norreys. One” — he held up a forefinger— “I went aboard the prau of that turtle fisher when first she made port here. On her deck were fresh scars, and I have seen the paths left by bullets too often to be fooled. Then she carried too small a crew for her size. Something happened on the voyage from which she returned, something which her captain did not see fit to tell me or Lt. de Wolfe. And second” — another finger joined the first — “when I was new come to the islands I had two bad seasons, one after the other. A ship was lost and with her two black leopards and a python, which meant a lean
purse for me. Then I came down with the fever, and that was very bad indeed. I had no funds left at all.

“There was nothing in the future for me but to beg passage home from the government — that, or to sink to caging and doing those things a European does not do in the islands, does not and keep his self-respect. And I was young with much pride. So one night I took from its case my gun, and I will not say what thoughts were in my head. No, not to this day do I like to remember those hours. But that same night a man came to my hut. He was a big man in the Indies, so big that his word was law im many places. And he made me a proposition. He wished to try a new trade, a trade in snakeskins, he said. And he wanted to back me in an expedition to gather them.

“From that hour my luck turned. But it was not until long afterwards that I knew that my employer at that time had no more use for snakeskins that he did for four arms. And if he had needed them, his own men on the islands would have supplied him gladly. No, he saved me, as he did others.

“So I had this made for him, but when I went to deliver it I was too late; he had left Java, sailed for home. I never saw him again. But it gives me happiness now to give the Jonkheer's gift to one of his blood. You may find it useful if you go pearl hunting — especially in these waters. No, don't thank me, Mijnheer van Norreys. Now go and hunt your fisher of turtles. Be off with you!”

“Your grandfather,” Sam observed, as they walked back towards the shore, “must have gotten around a lot in these parts.”

Lorens had pulled the knife from its sheath and was trying the edge on his thumb cautiously. “He lived in the Indies for more than thirty years, and most of the older traders and residents knew him. This is a wonder— “ He balanced the blade on his palm, then, with a movement almost too swift to follow, threw it. Ten feet away a quiver
of icy light appeared in the trunk of a tree.

Sam's breath went out in a whistle of admiration. “Smart trick. I thought only a Mexican or an Indian could do that.”

“One learns such things.” Lorens ran ahead and pulled out the knife. Wiping it carefully he restored it to the sheath. “I have had training in an odd school during these past few years — ”

“So have we,” returned Sam quickly. “There are things one can do with a bit of sharp bamboo now — ”

“Shut up!” Kane interrupted. “I don't care to remember,” he continued sharply, “the things one can do with a piece of bamboo — none of them are pleasant What about it, Lorens, think that this hunter has found your new pearl bed?”

“Who knows. But the tint of that baroque was new — which means a different bed from any I have seen specimens before. A pearl man can tell from the color the general waters from which the gem was taken. And I had good training — the best in Holland. New color usually means a new bed. We can only ask.”

“What about those fresh bullet scars Hornhaven mentioned?” Sam wanted to know.

“Maybe the guy met up with the pirate. Anyway, let us hope that van Bleeker won't make a deal which lands us on the same ship with that ape and a bunch of snakes!”

Sam shuddered, and not altogether in mockery. “Monkeys are bad, and that civet does not resemble attar of roses — but snakes ! No, please, no snakes!”

“No legless ones anyway,” agreed Kane. “But the two-legged variety may still pop up in our path — ”

“Yes, wearing head scarves and waving cutlasses. That is what regulation pirates wave when they board ships, is it not?” Lorens smiled. “I have always wanted to fight pirates since I read of Long John Silver — ”

“And his parrot, Captain Flint,” chanted Sam. “Well,
boarders away and beat to quarters! Here we go to sweep the Main, my bully boys! ‘Fifteen men on a Dead Man's Chest — ‘ “ He broke into a song which brought up in silent amazement a party of Besi natives market bound.

9

DEATH PADDLES AN OUTRIGGER

“See” — Sam threw out his hands in the exaggerated gesture of a stage magician — “no snakes!”

Kane sniffed the sea air. “Nothing else either. So van Bleeker decided against the zoo?”

“No, the zoo decided against him — at the last moment,” Lorens explained.

“Oh? And why?”

“Well, there was a promise of another perfect pair of anoa being brought down from the hills. And Hornhoven succumbed to the temptation of waiting for them. Also, the
Sumba
has acquired a shady name, and two of his handlers flatly refused to sail on her. But van Bleeker made a deal with the turtle hunter and has a fair catch of tortoise shell for his visit here.”

“And the hunter — did he talk — about pearl fishing and bullet scars, for instance?” Kane inquired.

“Not yet — ”

“Not yet? Well, if he talks now it won't do us much good. Besi is about a day behind us, and he'll do his
speech-making to palm trees or Hornhoven's apes — ”

“I think not” — Lorens was smiling — “since he sailed with us. Last night was rather hot — remember? And I thought a breeze might be had on deck. So I was up here in time to witness a strange sight Our friend the turtle hunter was being persuaded to come aboard — by your Samoan, Fortnight!”

“Fortnight — Fortnight was bringing him on board?”

“Rather say dragging him,” Lorens answered. “He was limp and something of a problem to manage. Yes, Fortnight brought him aboard. Mate Jasper seems to possess a goodly amount of muscle. And now, Lt. Kane, just who do you think you are deceiving?” Lorens’ voice remained light, almost mocking.

Kane blinked and Sam's grin was erased.

“Suppose,” continued the Netherlander casually, “we no longer occupy ourselves with what you Americans call ‘fun and games’. Why did you order that man brought on the
Sumba?
Van Bleeker might like to know the answer to that question also — ”

“But I didn't order him brought on board!” Kane exploded.

“Now, now, lieutenant — ”

“I'm not a lieutenant! I've been out of the Army for almost a year — ”

Lorens was still smiling gently, but beneath that smile was a quiet intentness. “Do you know — your vehemence almost convinces me. But then, why is Mijnheer Fortnight so busy a bee? I find his efficiency even more disturbing when it is not a product of your orders. Who is Jasper Fortnight? That question begins to intrigue me. I like mysteries, and this one is most providential; it gives my mind a bone to gnaw upon. Only maybe van Bleeker should be allowed to play too. After all, this is his ship, and he is responsible for Fortnight being on her — ”

Kane wet his lips.

The Netherlander laughed. The sparkle of excitement was awake in his eyes. “I will not tell van Bleeker immediately. But on one condition only, my friends. You must make for me a place in this game you are playing. I am not green at it. Two years and more have I played it, too — with my life as the stakes. And now I discover that I have not forgotten the moves. Only you had better keep the captain from discovering what is going on aboard the
Sumba
— if you can. Van Bleeker might be seriously annoyed — as he has a right to be.”

Before they could answer, the Netherlander got to his feet and strolled away. Sam muttered a comment which Kane interrupted.

“Yeah, I can see that — he's leaving so we can call in our third conspirator. And that's just what we had better do. What is Fortnight up to, anyway? You take port side, and I’ll drift along starboard, and we'll see if we can find that guy. He has some tall explaining to do. But don't you go asking questions too openly — ”

Sam snorted. “Listen, Dutch, I've done this little chore before. Only now I'm beginning to think that we must have signs pinned on us in some prominent place — signs reading: ‘Look out. Undercover man at work’. And we thought we were so good!”

“Listen — you play ‘now-you-see-me-now-you-don't’ with the Gestapo for several years, and get away with it, and you're not just good, you're darn near pefect! Van Norreys has probably forgotten more of this game than most O.S.S. men ever knew. If we can just keep him amused at our antics, maybe he won't gum up the works by going to van Bleeker. On ship the captain is absolute. He could clap us in irons; we'd have no come-back at all. Also I want to have a good talk with Fortnight — if he's going to pull tricks such as this he ought to warn us first!”

With sharp annoyance for a goad Kane started along
the deck as Sam departed to work the opposite side. There were plenty of the crew in plain sight. Everyone in fact — except the tall Samoan.

“Lookin’ for someone, son?”

Chief Bridger, a dark mustache of oil disfiguring his pink face, was watching the American with lively curiosity.

“ ’Course you may be jus’ takin’ your mornin’ constitutional Only it's a mite hot for that, don't you think?”

Kane came over to the rail “If it's hot up here, what's the temperature down in your department?”

“Hellish, strictly hellish. An’ I don't mean no swear word by that there either. Me, I’m used t’ it an’ so's most o’ my boys. Got one big buck who can tell th’ right head o’ steam by laying his hand right on th’ metal — that's a fact! That'd cook th’ skin right offen you or me now. But he can do it In some ways they're a darn sight tougher than we are. Yet they get together nights an’ gab ‘bout th’ Demon Huntsman an’ such an’ near shiver their guts out — ”

“Who is the Demon Huntsman?” Kane spurred the talker farther away from awkward questions.

“The Demon Huntsman. Oh, one o’ them island gods or devils like. He hunts down th’ souls o’ men with his dogs. You have to git you a good anting-anting to git th’ best o’ him!”

“An anting-anting is a lucky charm, isn't it?”

“Yeah, like a rabbit's foot or some such truck. Not that I’m denyin’ there's somethin’ in this magic stuff. Now I had my future told wi’ th’ maize kernels once — regular old witch woman she was what told it too — an’ she said I’d come nigh to death with fire an’ water but good would come o’ it after. An’ it wasn't six months later that I was on th’
Carrie O.
when she was torpedoed — that was fire all right, all right She went up like she was oiled. An’ I went int’ th’ water, which brought me on th’
Sumba
where I've bin ever since. Yeah, that there fortuneteller, she knew her stuff. But th’ rest o’ it — demons an’ th’ like — well, I gotta be shown one o’ them ‘fore I take oath he's true. How you comin’ wi’ your man hunt, son?”

“So-so. Everybody admits that there are islands where a man can be forgotten — and then they turn around and say that there is probably no one there. So we'll just keep on going — ”

“Like the
Sumba,
eh? Anyway the old man got hisself a piece of luck at Besi That tortoise shell was prime stuff. Maybe that'll break th’ hoodoo an’ we'll do well from now on. We'd better! This is th’ old man's last chance; he shot th’ works fittin’ up for this voyage. Who did you say you was lookin’ for this mornin'? Couldn't be that Fortnight guy, could it?”

Kane gave up. “As a matter of fact, I was. Have you seen him around?”

“Th’ old man put him t’ work in th’ tradin’ room, fixin’ things up ready for when th’ natives come aboard t’ see what we've got t’ offer. He bunks in there too an’ I guess he likes it. You don't see him moochin’ around much. Want I should show you — ”

Kane shook his head. “No, thanks. Capt. van Bleeker pointed out that cabin when we first came aboard. If you don't mind, I’ll drift along there now — ”

“Not at all, not at all, son. See you later — ”

The slatted door of the cabin was tightly closed, but Kane, having rapped loudly once, bore down on the latch. Somewhat to his surprise it clicked open, and he stepped over the high sill into the rather dusky interior.

“Mr. Kane!” Fortnight was there, rising up like a jack-in-the-box from behind some packing cases. “Were you looking for the captain, sir?”

“No!” All the exasperation of the morning was in his outburst “I’m looking for you! What in blazes do you mean by bringing that turtle hunter aboard this ship?
Have you gone completely crazy?”

Fortnight swung around the boxes. “Please, sir, do not speak so loudly. How did you learn that I — ”

“How did I learn it? How did I learn it — Why, van Norreys witnessed your whole performance!”

“But — he said nothing — ”

“No. He thought you were acting under my orders. And I haven't spilled anything to him — either. He just used his brains, they're good ones. He wasn't an underground leader for nothing, you know. But van Norreys is asking questions now, and he isn't the only one. Chief Bridger seems to have a few suspicions too. And only the Good Lord knows what van Bleeker is going to surprise me with — ”

“Well” — Fortnight leaned back against the crates — “we couldn't have hoped for a much longer run. The crew of the
Sumba
think for themselves and — ”

“I don't care about the crew of the
Sumbal”
flashed Kane. “But where is this turtle hunter and why did you drag him here? You'll get us into a mess with van Bleeker, and he'll dump us on the next island. We won't be able to protest either!”

“I hardly think that the captain will do that,” the Samoan was actually grinning. “Not while I have this cabin mate — “ He jerked his thumb behind him and Kane crowded up to the wall of boxes.

Squatting behind them was a thin brown man whose clothes were certainly the worse for long hard wearing and who scowled most energetically back at the tall American.

“You see, the turtle hunter is not here on my invitation at all” Fortnight pulled a cigarette from behind one ear. “He made a bargain with Capt van Bleeker to pilot this ship to a new island in the south. At the last minute, after having already received part of his pay, he decided that he did not care to sail on the
Sumba.
So I was sent
ashore to — ah — persuade him. Capt van Bleeker is losing his patience; his trading failures have worn the first skin from his temper. Unfortunately our pilot now refuses to do his duty. So I wouldn't mention him to the captain, if I were you, sir. He is most touchy on that subject.”

Kane rubbed his damp face with his handkerchief. “I should think he would be — even down here they must have laws against kidnapping. Van Bleeker must have lost his mind to try a trick like this. What are you going to do with him now?” He eyed the reluctant pilot with extreme disfavor.

“Persuade him to do his duty, sir. Some further argument will doubtless lead him to reconsider his decision — ”

“Argument?” Kane glanced with suspicion at the Samoan's fists.

“Argument,” repeated the other smoothly. “This talks — loudly.” He replaced the cigarette and pulled a coin from his pocket Even in the gloom of the closed cabin the shine of gold was easy to identify. The turtle hunter saw it too, in fact his eyes never left that metal disc which Fortnight flipped from hand to hand. “The captain can pay well for what he wants — and in hard money.”

Kane was forced to laugh. “Then I’ll leave you to your persuasion. And may the best man win!”

Fortnight permitted himself a small smile of triumph. “You may congratulate me, I think, sir, in advance — ”

No. I’ll await results. Now I had better head off Sam. He's hunting you down also. If you can't be good — be careful!”

Fortnight digested the remark. “The very best advice, sir.”

Kane closed the cabin door behind him. That was one mystery solved anyway. And if van Bleeker trusted Fortnight to the extent of setting him his present duties, they
should have nothing to fear from the captain in the future. But was the master of the
Sumba
after trade, or had he heard of the pearl Hornhoven had bought from this same hunter? A new pearl fishery would probably be worth a lot more than a trading voyage — especially with an expert, such as Lorens, on board to value the stuff.

It suddenly occurred to Kane that he knew little about the mechanics of pearl fishing aside from the simple fact that one dives for oysters, then takes the pearls out of their interiors. Perhaps a little study on the subject would be fruitful and rewarding. Should he pick Lorens’ brains for his store of knowledge — or see what sort of reading matter van Bleeker's quite extensive library might supply? But first there was Sam to be headed off.

That was easy enough. The Nisei was crossing the companionway, his sandaled feet making little or no sound on the well-scrubbed decking. At Kane's “p-s-st” he came up.

“It's all right. Fortnight brought the guy on board by order— from van Bleeker. He had signed up as pilot and then decided to forget all about it. So now he's cooling off in Fortnight's quarters. It's okay.”

“Funny how things happen around here.” Sam leaned back against the wall of the deckhouse. “I am visited by an odd feeling, at times, that we're missing something — not being included in the inner circle, as it were.”

“Yes? The answer to that is to do a little circling on our own. What do you know about pearls?”

“Pearls? They grow in oysters. And some people are able to grow them on command. Then they're ‘cultured’ and not worth as much — ”

‘I’ve heard of them. Sort of a monopoly among the Japanese. Say — “ He was struck by a thought which might explain so much. “D'you suppose that what Hakroun has hold of is one of these home-grown beds of trained oysters? Could that racket have been started
down here during the war?”

“I hardly think so. A project such as that can't be kept secret. An expert can tell a cultured pearl from the natural one. There's no reason to be hush-hush. And the process is a lengthy one, requires a lot of equipment and a big staff to keep it going. I'd stake a good bet that the one Hornhoven showed us was the real thing. But that pink shade in the color— that's new. Before this most of the pink pearls came from the Arabian Gulf.”

“If van Bleeker locates a new bed, can he cash in on it?”

“Search me. I don't know the laws they have down here. There must be some sort of regulations — such as there are in mining — staking claims or something of the sort. But an untouched bed — wheel”