Read Online The Devil's Waters by David L. Robbins - Free Book Online
Authors: David L. Robbins
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other charcoal. And we have no trees left.”
Yusuf, still barefoot, aimed a hand east to the ocean.
“We had fish. Tuna, mackerel, swordfish, shark, shrimp, and lobster. We fed ourselves and made a living. The fish are gone now. Poachers from a dozen countries took them with gillnets, and no one to stop them. They paid no taxes, nothing. They respected no limits and swept away everything.”
Robow touched Yusuf’s arm. “My losses made me a warrior. Yours made you a pirate. We are not so different.”
Yusuf stopped their walk. He glanced back at the roof of his compound, where Suleiman kept watch. This Islamist did not come to Qandala alone. He certainly had men in the alleyways, perhaps in pickup trucks with mounted machine guns. Yusuf did not want to stroll too far from his own gate and clan.
“How may I help you, Sheikh Robow?”
“The opposite. I have come to help you.”
“With respect, because you are my guest, that would be a first.”
The Islamist laughed, a barking trill that made Yusuf suspect he was unaccustomed to laughter.
“I was told you are a blunt man, Yusuf Raage. I am no diplomat myself. So, with respect as your guest, I will be plain.”
“
Cad iyo caanaa lagu noolyahay
.” We live on meat and milk. The plain things.
Robow held his hands apart, to show they were empty and the offerings of a friend.
“The town of Harardhere has fallen.”
“I know.”
“We did not take it. We visited the elders and pirate chiefs and asked, frankly, for a share of the pirate income. And for them to stop interfering with our shipments from Yemen. Harardhere was quite the pirate stronghold.”
Yusuf lickedhis lips, to speak carefully. “But you’ve declared piracy anti-Islamic.”
“Yes, we have. You are lawless. We are Allah’s law. But Allah’s battles may not always be fought by the righteous. Pirates can have a purpose.”
“I assume this includes me.”
“Of course. But I will come to you in a moment. We were turned down by the pirates of Harardhere.”
“It cannot be easy turning down al-Shabaab.”
The sheikh stayed sanguine. “The ways of man are many. This is why the fewer ways of Allah are preferable. In any case, the militants of Hizb al-Islam took advantage and came in with guns. To be honest, this was done before we could do the same. They are now in control of Harardhere and impose the law. Many of the pirates fled north. Some have already relocated here. I saw the ship at anchor offshore. I know it is not yours.”
“No.”
“But in the end, even for Allah’s warriors, pirate money was too much of a lure. Hizb al-Islam has made a deal with the pirates of Harardhere to split their ransoms in return for not driving them out completely.”
Yusuf knit fingers in front of his robe to keep from balling his fists.
“You are coming to Qandala?”
The sheikh grinned, hiding his hands in his dangling white sleeves. “This is not in our plans. But I ask you to understand. Al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam are rivals. We are fairly similar in our beliefs. This is more of a sibling squabble than over Wahabbist doctrine. We have taken the ports of Barawe and Kismayo. Hizb al-Islam has set their sights on the pirate den of Eyl next, so we will make a move there first. Both of us need access to shipping. We require supplies, not unlike your own operation.”
Yusuf andthe sheikh walked in the waning sun. Robow smiled at the pebbles underfoot; Yusuf strode, impatient for the dangling threat to fall.
“What are you offering me?”
“A bargain.”
“I’m listening.”
“How large is your militia?”
“I pay fifty men. I can get a thousand of my clan in two days.”
“Even if you can’t, your point is taken. You pirates are getting more difficult to uproot.”
“We didn’t become pirates to share. We all know about Harardhere.”
“Good. Then I bring you an offer the pirates of Harardhere were denied. We will not come to your town. And we will protect you from Hizb
Yusuf, still barefoot, aimed a hand east to the ocean.
“We had fish. Tuna, mackerel, swordfish, shark, shrimp, and lobster. We fed ourselves and made a living. The fish are gone now. Poachers from a dozen countries took them with gillnets, and no one to stop them. They paid no taxes, nothing. They respected no limits and swept away everything.”
Robow touched Yusuf’s arm. “My losses made me a warrior. Yours made you a pirate. We are not so different.”
Yusuf stopped their walk. He glanced back at the roof of his compound, where Suleiman kept watch. This Islamist did not come to Qandala alone. He certainly had men in the alleyways, perhaps in pickup trucks with mounted machine guns. Yusuf did not want to stroll too far from his own gate and clan.
“How may I help you, Sheikh Robow?”
“The opposite. I have come to help you.”
“With respect, because you are my guest, that would be a first.”
The Islamist laughed, a barking trill that made Yusuf suspect he was unaccustomed to laughter.
“I was told you are a blunt man, Yusuf Raage. I am no diplomat myself. So, with respect as your guest, I will be plain.”
“
Cad iyo caanaa lagu noolyahay
.” We live on meat and milk. The plain things.
Robow held his hands apart, to show they were empty and the offerings of a friend.
“The town of Harardhere has fallen.”
“I know.”
“We did not take it. We visited the elders and pirate chiefs and asked, frankly, for a share of the pirate income. And for them to stop interfering with our shipments from Yemen. Harardhere was quite the pirate stronghold.”
Yusuf lickedhis lips, to speak carefully. “But you’ve declared piracy anti-Islamic.”
“Yes, we have. You are lawless. We are Allah’s law. But Allah’s battles may not always be fought by the righteous. Pirates can have a purpose.”
“I assume this includes me.”
“Of course. But I will come to you in a moment. We were turned down by the pirates of Harardhere.”
“It cannot be easy turning down al-Shabaab.”
The sheikh stayed sanguine. “The ways of man are many. This is why the fewer ways of Allah are preferable. In any case, the militants of Hizb al-Islam took advantage and came in with guns. To be honest, this was done before we could do the same. They are now in control of Harardhere and impose the law. Many of the pirates fled north. Some have already relocated here. I saw the ship at anchor offshore. I know it is not yours.”
“No.”
“But in the end, even for Allah’s warriors, pirate money was too much of a lure. Hizb al-Islam has made a deal with the pirates of Harardhere to split their ransoms in return for not driving them out completely.”
Yusuf knit fingers in front of his robe to keep from balling his fists.
“You are coming to Qandala?”
The sheikh grinned, hiding his hands in his dangling white sleeves. “This is not in our plans. But I ask you to understand. Al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam are rivals. We are fairly similar in our beliefs. This is more of a sibling squabble than over Wahabbist doctrine. We have taken the ports of Barawe and Kismayo. Hizb al-Islam has set their sights on the pirate den of Eyl next, so we will make a move there first. Both of us need access to shipping. We require supplies, not unlike your own operation.”
Yusuf andthe sheikh walked in the waning sun. Robow smiled at the pebbles underfoot; Yusuf strode, impatient for the dangling threat to fall.
“What are you offering me?”
“A bargain.”
“I’m listening.”
“How large is your militia?”
“I pay fifty men. I can get a thousand of my clan in two days.”
“Even if you can’t, your point is taken. You pirates are getting more difficult to uproot.”
“We didn’t become pirates to share. We all know about Harardhere.”
“Good. Then I bring you an offer the pirates of Harardhere were denied. We will not come to your town. And we will protect you from Hizb
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