Birds of Prey - Smith Wilbur (полная версия книги .TXT) 📗
The cane hummed and cracked, and Sir Francis's body stiffened, then relaxed.
"If you are strong and constant, you will endure. That will be my reward."
This time he gave a small, hoarse gasp as the cane bit into the tautly stretched muscles of his back.
"You are my body and my blood. Through you I also will endure."
The cane hummed and clapped, again and again.
"Swear it to me one last time. Reinforce your oath, that you will never reveal anything to these people in a futile attempt to save me."
"Father, I swear it to you," Hal whispered back, his face white as bleached bone, as the cane sang, a succession of cruel blows.
"I put all my faith and my trust in you," said Sir Francis, and the soldiers lifted him down from the railing. As they marched back up the staircase, he leaned lightly on Hal's arm. When he stumbled Hal braced him, so that his head was still high and his bloody back straight as they entered the hall and marched together to their seats on the front bench.
Governor van de Velde was now seated on the dais. A silver tray was set at his elbow, loaded with small china bowls of appetizers and spiced savouries. He was munching contentedly on one of these and drinking from a pewter mug of small beer as he chatted to Colonel Schreuder at the table below him. As soon as Sir Francis and Hal were shoved by their guards onto the bench again his amiable expression changed dramatically. He raised his voice and an immediate, dense silence fell over the assembly. "I trust that I have made it clear that I will brook no further hindrance to these proceedings." He glowered at Sir Francis and then raised his eyes to sweep the hall. "That goes for all persons gathered here. Anyone else who in any way attempts to make a mockery of this tribunal will receive the same treatment as the prisoner." He looked down at Schreuder. "Who appears for the prosecution?"
Schreuder stood up. "Colonel Cornelius Schreuder, at your service, your excellency."
"Who appears for the defence?" Van de Velde glowered at Jacobus Hop, and the clerk sprang to his feet, sending half the documents in front of him showering to the tiles.
"I do, your excellency."
"State your name, man!" van de Velde roared at him, and Hop wriggled like a puppy.
He stammered, "Jacobus Hop, clerk and writer to the Honourable Dutch East India Company." This declaration took a long time to enunciate.
"In future speak out and speak clear," van de Velde warned him, then turned back to Schreuder. "You may proceed to present your case, Colonel."
"This is a matter of piracy on the high seas, together with murder and abduction. The accused are twenty-four in number. With your indulgence, I will now read a list of their names. Each prisoner will stand when his name is read so that the court may recognize him." From the sleeve of his tunic he drew a roll of parchment and held it at arm's length. "The foremost accused person is Francis Courtney, captain of the pirate bark the Lady Edwina. Your excellency, he is the leader and instigator of all the criminal acts perpetrated by this pack of sea wolves and corsairs." Van de Velde nodded his understanding and Schreuder went on. "Henry Courtney, officer and mate. Ned Tyler, boatswain. Daniel Fisher, boatswain..." He recited the name and rank of each man on the benches, and each stood briefly, some of them bobbing their heads and grinning ingratiatingly at van de Velde. The last four names on Schreuder's list were those of the black seamen. "Matesi, a Negro slave.
"Jiri, a Negro slave. "Kimatti, a Negro slave. "Aboli, a Negro slave.
"The prosecution will prove that on the fourth day of September in the year of Our Lord sixteen sixty-seven, Francis Courtney, while commanding the caravel the Lady Edwina, of which the other prisoners were all crew members, did fall upon the galleon De Standvastigheid, Captain Limberger commanding..." Schreudet spoke without reference to notes or papers, and Hal felt a reluctant admiration for the thoroughness and lucidity of his accusations.
"And now, your excellency, if you please, I should like to call my first witness." Van de Velde nodded, and Schreuder turned and looked across the floor. "Call Captain Limberger."
The captain of the galleon left his comfortable chair in the railed-off enclosure, crossed to the platform and stepped up onto it. The witness's chair stood beside the judge's table and Limberger seated himself.
"Do you understand the gravity of this matter and swear in the name of Almighty God to tell the truth before this court?" van de Velde asked him.
"I do, your excellency."
"Very well, Colonel, you may question your witness." Swiftly Schreuder led Limberger through a recital of his name, rank and his duties for the Company. He then asked for a description of the Standvastigheid, her passengers and her cargo. Limberger read his replies from the list he had prepared. When he had finished Schreuder asked, "Who was the owner of this ship and of the cargo she was carrying?"
"The honourable Dutch East India Company."
"Now, Captain Limberger, on the fourth of September of this year was your ship voyaging in about latitude thirty four degrees south and longitude four degrees east that is approximately fifty leagues south of the Agulhas Cape?"
"It was."
"That is some time after the cessation of hostilities between Holland and England?"
"Yes, it was."
Schreuder picked up a leather-bound log-book from the table in front of him and passed it up to Limberger. "Is this the log-book that you were keeping on board your ship during that voyage?"
