Birds of Prey - Smith Wilbur (полная версия книги .TXT) 📗

Manseer brought Sir Francis up from the dungeons. He could not walk unaided on his broken bandaged feet, but his head was high as they dragged him across the courtyard.

"Father!" Hal screamed, in torment. "I cannot let this happen."

Sir Francis looked up at him, and called in a voice just loud enough to reach him on the high wall, "Be strong, my son. For my sake, be strong." Manseer forced him down the steps below the armoury.

The day was long, longer than any that Hal had ever lived through, and the north side of the courtyard was in deep shadow when at last Slow John re-emerged from below the armoury.

"This time I will kill the poisonous swine," Hal blurted, but again Daniel held him in a grip that he could not shake off as the executioner walked slowly beneath the scaffold and out through the castle gates.

Hop came scampering into the courtyard, his face ghastly. He summoned the Company surgeon and the two men disappeared once more down the stairs. This time the soldiers brought out Sir Francis on a litter.

"Father!" Hal shouted down to him, but there was neither reply nor sign of life in response.

"I have warned you often enough," Hugo Barnard bellowed at him. He strode out onto the boards and laid half a dozen whip strokes across his back. Hal made no attempt to avoid the blows, and Barnard stepped back astonished that he showed no pain. "Any more of your imbecile chattering, and I will put the dogs onto you," he promised, as he turned away. Meanwhile, in the courtyard, the Company surgeon watched gravely as the soldiers carried Sir Francis's unconscious form down to his cell. Then, accompanied by Hop, he set off for the Governor's suite on the south side of the courtyard.

Van de Velde looked up in irritation from the papers that littered his desk. "Yes? What is it, Doctor Soar? I am a busy man. I hope you have not come here to waste my time." "it is the prisoner, your excellency." The surgeon looked flustered and apologetic at the same time. Van de Velde did not allow him to continue but turned on Hop, who stood nervously behind the doctor, twisting his Hat in his fingers.

"Well, Hop, has the pirate succumbed yet? Has he told us what we want to know?" he shouted, and Hop retreated a pace.

"He is so stubborn. I would never have believed it possible, that any human being-" He broke off in a long, tormented stammer.

"I hold you responsible, Hop." Van de Velde came menacingly from behind his desk. He was warming to this sport of baiting the miserable little clerk, but the surgeon intervened.

"Your excellency, I fear for the prisoner's life. Another day of questioning he may not survive it."

Van de Velde rounded on him now. "That, doctor, is the main object of this whole business. Courtney is a man condemned to death. He will die, and you have my solemn word on that." He went back to his desk and lowered himself into the soft chair. "Don't come here to give me news of his imminent decease. All I want to know from you is whether or not he is still capable of feeling pain, and if he is capable of speaking or at least giving some sign of understanding the question. Well, is he, doctor?" Van de Velde glared.

"Your excellency," the doctor removed his eye-glasses and polished the lenses vigorously as he composed a reply. He knew what van de Velde wanted to hear, and he knew also that it was not politic to deny him. "At the moment the prisoner is not cmnpos mentis."

Van de Velde scowled and cut in, "What of the executioner's vaunted skills? I thought he never lost a prisoner, not unintentionally anyway."

"Sir, I am not disparaging the skills of the state executioner. I am sure that by tomorrow the prisoner will have recovered consciousness."

"You mean that tomorrow he will be healthy enough to continue questioning?"

"Yes, your excellency. That is my opinion."

"Well, Mijnheer, I will hold you to that. If the pirate dies before he can be formally executed in accordance with the judgement of the court, you will answer to me. The populace must see justice performed. It is no good the man passing peacefully away in a closed room below the walls. We want him out there on the Parade for all to see. I want an example made of him, do you understand?"

"Yes, your excellency." The doctor backed towards the door.

"You too, Hop. Do you understand, dolt? I want to know where he has hidden the galleon's cargo, and then I want a good rousing execution. For your own good, you had better deliver both those things."

"Yes, your excellency."

"I want to speak to Slow John. Send him to me before he starts work tomorrow morning. I want to make certain that he fully understands his responsibilities."

"I will bring the executioner to you myself," Hop promised. it was dark when Hugo Barnard stopped work on the walls and ordered the lines of exhausted prisoners down into the courtyard. As Hal passed his father's cell on the way down the staircase, he called desperately to him, "Father, can you hear me?"

When there was no reply, he hammered on the door with both his fists. "Father, speak to me. In the name of God, speak to me!" For once Manseer was indulgent. He made no attempt to force Hal to move on down the staircase and Hal pleaded again, "Please, Father. It's Hal, your son. Do you not know me?"

"Hal," croaked a voice he did not recognize. "Is that you, my boy?"

"Oh, God!" Hal sank to his knees and pressed his forehead to the panel. "Yes, Father. It is me."

"Be strong, my son. It will not be for much longer, but I charge you, if you love me, then keep the oath."