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Authors: Michael Moorcock
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not only possible to lift a curse placed on an engine. I can also make a curse. Without moving from here, I could immobilise you completely.’
He sneered at me but I had obviously impressed him. My guess was that he was too superstitious to risk very much. Also I had proved so useful to him he was willing to placate me. He called his bosun in and gave orders that Esmé be taken below to one of the recently-vacated cabins. ‘At no extra charge,’ he told me with the air of a man who knew he was being stupidly generous. The stuffy cabin had a bed with a single dirty sheet on it, but it was better than the bench. Lifting her fragile little body onto the bunk, I made the others leave; then I undressed her and washed her. She awoke for this and did not resist me, showing no interest when I told her the engine was working well and we were on the last lap of our journey. ‘We should be sighting the Italian coast tomorrow. I have taken charge here.’
As soon as we landed, I said, I would find her a doctor. She became calmer as the night progressed. Her fever had dropped radically by morning. I left her alone long enough to demand a cup of coffee from the boat’s galley and remind Captain Kazakian of my threat. He flapped his hands and shrugged, ‘It is where we are going!’ he said, as if I were an unreasonable and demanding child. ‘Where we are going. Of course!’
I stayed with Esmé until evening, keeping myself awake with cocaine. At about nine o’clock there was a knock on the door and Captain Kazakian entered. He was smiling broadly. His attitude was completely changed. This suggested he was now more certain of his position. ‘Tonight,’ he said. ‘Yes. Actually tonight. In Venice. Will your sister be well enough to go ashore?’
‘Where will you land us?’
‘Not far from Venice. A village. You can get a train. A matter of half an hour.’
‘I am almost out of money, Captain Kazakian. I can’t afford any further travelling expenses. You promised to take me all the way to Venice, remember?’
He scratched the back of his neck and became embarrassed, placing the tips of his Angers into the pocket of his greasy, embroidered waistcoast. After some hesitation he produced three sovereigns. ‘I will give you these back. Your fee for helping us with the engine. They will pay your fare to Venice.’
It was a mixture of peace offering and sacrifice to the gods; a reluctant libation to the little spirit who watched over steam launches. I accepted his gold. It was my right.
‘My men will take you to this village,’ he said expansively. ‘You’ll find a good doctor there. The Italians are excellent doctors. They have many of them.’ He looked with shifty alarm at Esmé’s tiny, pale face. ‘You’re sure it’s typhus?’
‘We shall ask the doctor.’
At about three in the morning the Turks and Albanians began to unload our trunks and bags into a boat until it sat so low in the water I thought it must sink. I followed with Esmé in the other boat. The sea grew more boisterous as we rowed towards land. Captain Kazakian stood outside his wheelhouse watching us impassively. He did not wave. The ship carried no lights but the moon was full. We had little difficulty reaching the beach and dragging both boats above the waterline. I was so delighted to be ashore I felt I had to suppress a cheer. The night was warm. I could smell fresh-mown grass and trees and hear insects calling. Somewhere, far away, a donkey brayed.
One of the Turks left us suddenly. He set off up the beach at a run, disappearing behind the dunes. Unconcerned, the others unloaded and stacked our trunks. They were pleased with their work. I smiled at them in thanks. With a few words of farewell they refloated their boat. They rowed back to the launch which we could just make out near the tip of the headland. She looked incongruous in these waters, as if she had lost her moorings at a holiday
He sneered at me but I had obviously impressed him. My guess was that he was too superstitious to risk very much. Also I had proved so useful to him he was willing to placate me. He called his bosun in and gave orders that Esmé be taken below to one of the recently-vacated cabins. ‘At no extra charge,’ he told me with the air of a man who knew he was being stupidly generous. The stuffy cabin had a bed with a single dirty sheet on it, but it was better than the bench. Lifting her fragile little body onto the bunk, I made the others leave; then I undressed her and washed her. She awoke for this and did not resist me, showing no interest when I told her the engine was working well and we were on the last lap of our journey. ‘We should be sighting the Italian coast tomorrow. I have taken charge here.’
As soon as we landed, I said, I would find her a doctor. She became calmer as the night progressed. Her fever had dropped radically by morning. I left her alone long enough to demand a cup of coffee from the boat’s galley and remind Captain Kazakian of my threat. He flapped his hands and shrugged, ‘It is where we are going!’ he said, as if I were an unreasonable and demanding child. ‘Where we are going. Of course!’
I stayed with Esmé until evening, keeping myself awake with cocaine. At about nine o’clock there was a knock on the door and Captain Kazakian entered. He was smiling broadly. His attitude was completely changed. This suggested he was now more certain of his position. ‘Tonight,’ he said. ‘Yes. Actually tonight. In Venice. Will your sister be well enough to go ashore?’
‘Where will you land us?’
‘Not far from Venice. A village. You can get a train. A matter of half an hour.’
‘I am almost out of money, Captain Kazakian. I can’t afford any further travelling expenses. You promised to take me all the way to Venice, remember?’
He scratched the back of his neck and became embarrassed, placing the tips of his Angers into the pocket of his greasy, embroidered waistcoast. After some hesitation he produced three sovereigns. ‘I will give you these back. Your fee for helping us with the engine. They will pay your fare to Venice.’
It was a mixture of peace offering and sacrifice to the gods; a reluctant libation to the little spirit who watched over steam launches. I accepted his gold. It was my right.
‘My men will take you to this village,’ he said expansively. ‘You’ll find a good doctor there. The Italians are excellent doctors. They have many of them.’ He looked with shifty alarm at Esmé’s tiny, pale face. ‘You’re sure it’s typhus?’
‘We shall ask the doctor.’
At about three in the morning the Turks and Albanians began to unload our trunks and bags into a boat until it sat so low in the water I thought it must sink. I followed with Esmé in the other boat. The sea grew more boisterous as we rowed towards land. Captain Kazakian stood outside his wheelhouse watching us impassively. He did not wave. The ship carried no lights but the moon was full. We had little difficulty reaching the beach and dragging both boats above the waterline. I was so delighted to be ashore I felt I had to suppress a cheer. The night was warm. I could smell fresh-mown grass and trees and hear insects calling. Somewhere, far away, a donkey brayed.
One of the Turks left us suddenly. He set off up the beach at a run, disappearing behind the dunes. Unconcerned, the others unloaded and stacked our trunks. They were pleased with their work. I smiled at them in thanks. With a few words of farewell they refloated their boat. They rowed back to the launch which we could just make out near the tip of the headland. She looked incongruous in these waters, as if she had lost her moorings at a holiday
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