Chapter 33 Chapter 3 Sidi Hassan's House

At about nine o'clock in the evening, the gunfire, musical instruments and shouting stopped abruptly, and the crowd began to slowly disperse.Some returned to Tripoli, while others rushed back to the Manhier oasis and neighboring villages in the province.Before one o'clock in the morning, the Song-Idratai plain became silent and empty.The Negroes and Berbers had put away their tents and set out on the roads leading to all parts of Tripolitania; while the Sanusians were heading for Cyrenaica and more often to Benghazi province .Therefore, all the power of the Caliph was concentrated in these two places.

Only Doctor Anteget, Pierre, and Luigi remained alone all night on the plain, unable to leave.Ever since Boscade disappeared, they had been prepared for any eventuality.Soon they each chose a place at the foot of the wall of Sidi Hassan's house, observing the surrounding movement. Besides, Boscade miraculously rose into the air when Matif raised the pole high, and landed on the parapet of a platform at the foot of the minaret of the mosque overlooking the courtyards of the house. In the darkness of the middle of the night, no one inside or outside the house, or even in the hall deep in the second inner courtyard, found Boscade.There were several of the colonel's cronies in that hall.Some are asleep, others are on duty.

Circumstances, as you know, are unpredictable and changeable, and Boscade could not settle on a consistent plan of action.He was not at all familiar with the interior of Sidi Hassan's house.He didn't know where the young girl was kept, whether she was alone or guarded; he didn't know if she was strong enough to escape.So he had to take a risk, but then he thought: "In any case, whether by force or outmaneuvering, I must first find Sara Sandov. If she cannot come with me immediately. If I cannot get her out tonight, at least I must let her know that Pierre Bathory is still alive, and under the wall, to tell her that Dr. Antekit and his companions are preparing to rescue her, and even if she cannot escape for a while, she must not give in to threats anyway!  … To be honest, I might be discovered before I find Sharapova!... That's okay, we'll talk about it later!"

Passing over the thick circular parapet with its crenelated walls, Boscade first took out a knotted string from the jester's jester's suit, and tied it to a crenelated wall at the corner of the parapet, so that it would remain on the outside of the wall. Hang to the ground.This is a good way to prevent the unexpected.Then Boscade crouched along the parapet and waited, out of caution, motionless.Once he was spotted, Sidi Hassan's men would swarm the platform, and he would then have to use the rope that was supposed to rescue Sharap Sandov. It was very quiet in the colonel's residence, the gates of Zawiya had been closed since sunrise, and of course Hassan, Saqani, and their cronies did not come out for the Stork Festival celebrations.

Boscade waited a few minutes, then scrambled towards the other corner of the steeple.A staircase communicating with the upper part of the minaret apparently leads to another inner courtyard.Sure enough, there was a door at the steeple on the platform, through which you could go down to the inner courtyard. The door was closed, not locked, but bolted.It was impossible to open the door from the outside unless a hole was dug in the door and one reached in and pulled the latch.This matter, Boscuder is sure to be able to succeed, because in his pocket is a precious gift from the doctor-a universal knife, which can be used just right now.But doing so is not only time-consuming, but also has the potential to make noise.

But this is no longer necessary.He found a light-transmitting window the size of a gun hole about one meter high on the steeple wall on the platform, and he wanted to get in through there.If the window was narrow, Boscade was not fat.What's more, he has a cat-like special ability, which can stretch his waist and get through the window hole that seems impossible to get through.So he tried to drill, and immediately got into the tower, but his shoulder was scratched a little. "Matiff won't be able to get in!" Burscard thought. Then he groped his way back to the door.Unbolt the door so that he can escape the way he came, if necessary.

To avoid the rattling of the wooden stairs, Boscade slid down the spiral staircase.Down below, Boscade found another closed door, but pushed it open. This door leads to a small corridor around the first inner courtyard, which in turn communicates with certain rooms.Walking out of the dark stairway, I feel that the corridor is not too dark, although there is still no light and no sound. In the center of the courtyard was a living pool surrounded by large clay pots in which grew various small shrubs, pepper trees, palm trees, phlox, cacti.Lush vegetation surrounds the pool like a grove of trees.

Boscade tiptoed along the corridor, pausing before each room.None of the rooms seemed to be empty, but not all were empty, for as he passed one of the doors he heard murmurs inside. Boscard stepped back a few steps. This was Saccani's voice-he had heard this voice many times in Laguiz.But even though he put his ear to the door and listened, he had no way of knowing what was going on in the room. At this moment there was a louder sound, it was too late to say it, and then it was fast, and Boscade dodged back and hid behind a pot around the pool. A tall Arab accompanied Saqqani out of the room.As they continued their conversation, they walked in the corridors of the inner courtyard.

Unfortunately, they were speaking Arabic, and Boscade could not understand what they were talking about.However, the names Sidi Hassan and Anteket appeared so frequently in their discourse, that much surprised Boscade. "Strange, at least it's a strange thing!" thought Boscade, "why do they talk about Antekyt? . , to attack our island? Damn it! I can't understand what these two guys are talking about!" By the time Sarkani and Sidi Hassan approached the pool, Boscade was huddled behind a clay pot covered with flowers and plants.The night was too dark for them to see Boscade, so he concentrated on trying to catch a suspicious word or two.

"If Sarkani is alone in the yard, I'll jump on him, choke him, and let him die, so that he can never harm us again!" thought Boscade. "But it won't save Sara Sandov. It was to save her that I climbed over the wall! ... Be patient! ... I'll deal with Sakani later!" Sidi Hassan and Sarkani talked for about 20 minutes, and they mentioned Sharapova's name many times and modified it with "Arouai".Burscade remembers hearing the Arabic word for "arue" many times, which means "fiancée."Apparently, the colonel knew about Sarkani's marriage plans and helped him.

Later, the two guys walked out through a corner door in the yard.The corner door connected the corridor with the rest of the house. As soon as they were out of sight, Boscade slid down the corridor and stopped by the corner door.He only pushed the door lightly, and found a narrow passage.He went in as soon as he dodged, and walked forward by touching the wall.At the end of the aisle are two connected arches, supported by a small column in the middle.Passing through the arch hole leads to the second yard. Strong lights shot through the doors and windows of the hall into the courtyard, illuminating a large area.It would be reckless to pass there at this time.Loud voices came from behind the door from time to time. Boscade hesitated for a moment.What he was looking for was the room where Sharapova was locked, and now he had to find it by luck. Suddenly, there was a flash of light at the other end of the yard.A woman emerged from a room on the opposite corner of the courtyard, carrying an Arabic lantern trimmed with brass and velvet.She walked around the corridor outside the hall door. Boscade recognized the woman...she was Namir. Boscade had to try to follow her, since she was probably going to the young girl's room, and to do so he had to let her pass without him noticing him.At this moment, every move of Boscade will play a decisive role in Sharapova's fate. Namir walked forward, the lantern almost touched the ground, and the tiles inlaid on the ground were shining brightly, but the corridor above was still dark.It was necessary to let Namir pass under the arch hole. When a ray of light made Boscade see that the top of the arch hole was composed of Moorish architectural patterns, he had a quick wit and climbed onto the support. The small central column in the arch hole grabs a hollow decorative pattern, climbs up with the strength of the wrist, gets into the oval space in the middle, sticks there and does not move, just like a saint in a niche. Namir passed under the arch, without seeing Boscade.She continued walking down the opposite corridor.As soon as she reached the hall door, she opened the door and went in. A light shone into the courtyard, and disappeared as soon as the door was closed. Boscade began to think, if he wasn't hiding here, where else could he be thinking? "Namir entered this hall just now," he thought, "apparently she didn't go to Sharapova's room! Maybe she just came out of Sharapova's room. Then it seems that Sharapova's room is probably in the corner of the courtyard. That one?...I have to check it out!" Boscade waited a moment longer before leaving the shadow. The lights in the hall gradually dimmed, and the noise turned into whispers.Apparently, Sidi Hassan's men were going to rest.There was still the last gleam of light in the hall, and the whole house was about to fall into a deep sleep. The opportunity for action had come, and it was too late. Boscade slid down the small column, lay on the tiled floor of the corridor, and crawled forward. He passed the hall door and climbed to the other end of the courtyard, to the room at the opposite corner from where Namir came out. That room was unlocked.Burscard pushed open the door.He took a quick survey of the room by the light of an Arabian night-lamp, covered with frosted glass.The first thing that catches the eye is the tapestries hanging on the wall, then the low Moorish stools on the floor, the cushions piled in the corner, the double carpet on the tiled floor, the remnants of dinner on a low table, and finally Inside was a sofa bed covered with a woolen fabric. Burscade went into the room and closed the door. A woman is lying on a sofa bed, drowsy.An Arab cloak covers half of her body. She is Sara Sandov. Boscade recognized without hesitation the young girl whom he had met many times in the Via de la Raguza, and he felt that the girl had changed too much!Her complexion was as pale as when her wedding carriage had just met Pierre's funeral procession; her features expressed sadness, pain and even numbness.This all shows that she is still enduring great pain! The situation is urgent and she must be rescued immediately. The door is unlocked. Could it be that Namir will be back soon?Did Namir watch over her day and night?Even if the young girl was able to escape the room, how would she escape the compound without outside assistance?Sidi Hassan's house was surrounded by high walls, it was like a prison! Boscade leaned over the sofa bed and was amazed at how much Sara looked like Dr. Antekit!Burscade hadn't noticed this before. The young girl opened her eyes. Seeing a stranger standing in front of her, still wearing a strange acrobat costume, she was stunned and speechless.When she saw the stranger put his index finger to his lips, hush... looking at her with pleading eyes, she was very calm and calm, stood up abruptly, but did not make a cry. "Hush!" said Pascald. "Don't be afraid! . . . I've come to rescue you! Outside the walls, there are friends waiting for you who risk their lives to rescue you from Saccani! . . . Pierre Bathory still alive..." "Pierre...is he still alive?" Sharapova cried, and she couldn't restrain the strong beating of her heart. "Look!" Boscade handed the young girl a note, which contained only a few words: "Sharapova, please trust this person who risked his life to find you!  … I live! ...I'm right outside the fence! ... Pierre Bathory" Pierre is alive! ...he was at the foot of the wall!It's just unbelievable!Sharapova will see him later, ah, here he is! "Let's run away! . . . " she said. "Yes! Let's run," replied Boscade, "but we have to find a way. Just one question for you. Does Namir usually spend the night in this room?" "No." Sawa replied. "Did she take precautions to lock the door when she left here to go to bed?" "yes!" "So she'll be back soon?" "Yes! We have to get out of here quickly!" "At once!" replied Boscade. You must first go up the stairs of the steeple to the platform facing the field. Once there, grab the rope that hangs to the ground beyond the wall, and you'll be out in no time. "Let's go!" Boscade said, holding Sharapova's hand. Just as they were about to open the door, footsteps and conversation suddenly came from the corridor, with a very strong tone.Standing on the threshold, Boscade recognized Saccani's voice. "It's him! . . . It's him!" whispered the young girl. "If he finds you here, it's over for you!" "He will never find me!" said Boscard. Lying on the ground, the quick-witted boy rolled himself, as he often does in street booths, into a carpet covering the floor, and then rolled into the darkest corner. At this time, Sakani and Namir pushed the door in and closed the door. Sharapova was already lying on the sofa bed.Why is Sarkani here again at this time?Did he find another reason to persuade her to agree? ...but Sharapova now has power!Because she knew that Pierre was alive and waiting for her outside! ... Although Burscade couldn't see from hiding in the carpet, he could hear everything. "Sharapova," said Sarkani, "we'll leave here tomorrow morning and move somewhere else. But if you don't agree to marry me, and our wedding hasn't happened, I don't want to leave here. It is ready, it must be immediately..." "Don't think about it now or later!" replied the young girl with firm composure. "Sharapova," Sarkani continued, as if he did not want to hear such an answer at all, "for both of us, you must agree, understand? Both of us!" "Not only now, but in the future the two of us will never have common interests!" "Be careful! . . . Don't forget, you agreed to it at Lacuz . . . " "The reason you mentioned at that time cannot be established now!" "Listen, Sharapova," Sarkani added, his forced composure barely concealing his anger. "This is the last time I've come to ask you for permission..." "As long as I have the strength, I will not agree!" "Okay then, I'll make sure you don't have any strength left! Don't push me! Of course, the little strength you used to resist me, if necessary, Namir will make it disappear. To that Now, it's up to you! Don't resist me, Sawa!... Imma is here now, and he is ready to marry us according to the custom of this place, which is my family!... with me let's go!" Sakani walked up to the young girl.The girl hurriedly stood up and retreated into the depths of the room. "Shameless thing!" cried the girl. "Follow me!...Follow me!" Sarkani kept saying. "I can't do it!" "Hey! . . . watch out!" As he spoke, Sakani grabbed one of the girl's arms and wanted to drag her to the hall with Namir.Sidi Hassan and Imma were waiting there. "Help me! . . . help me!" cried Sawa, "help me . . . Pierre!" "Pierre Bathory! . . . " cried Saccani, "he's dead, call a dead man to save you!" "No! . . . he's not dead! . . . Help me, Pierre!" This answer was like a slap in the face to Sarkani.Even if the person he killed appeared on the spot, it could only make him feel so terrified at most.However, he quickly regained his composure.Pierre Bathory is alive! ... the Pierre whom he killed with his own hands and saw his body carried to the Laguez cemetery is alive! ...It seems that this can only be a lunatic's nonsense!It is very likely that Sharapova was too disappointed and lost her mind! Boscade heard the conversation just now.Let Sarkani know that Pierre Bathory is alive, Sharapova is risking her life.Therefore, in case the bastard Sarkani used violence against Sharapova, Boscade was ready to jump out immediately and draw his sword to help.Whoever thinks that Boscade dare not attack Sakani, then he doesn't understand Boscade's temper too much! But things did not develop like this.Suddenly, Sakani took Namir out and locked the girl in the house again.It's time to decide the girl's fate! Boscade spread out the rug and jumped out. "Go!" he said to Sharapova. Since the lock was inside, the able lad didn't have to do much to keep quiet.The lock was easily removed with a screwdriver on a utility knife. They opened the door and went out, closing the door behind them.Boscade and the girl, one after the other, went out along the corridor, feeling the wall. It was half past eleven at night.A few strands of light shone into the yard through the doors and windows of the hall.So when they walked to the corridor leading to the first courtyard at the opposite corner, they did not pass in front of the hall to avoid the bright light. They went down the passage, and went to the other end, and a few more steps to the stairs of the steeple.Burscard stopped suddenly.As he kept holding Sharapova's hand, Sharapova also stopped.There were three people walking around the pool in the first courtyard, and one of them was Hassan.Presumably he had just given orders to the other two, and he went back to a side room.Almost at the same time, the two men walked towards the stairs of the minaret, and disappeared in a second.Boscade understood that Sidi Hassan was busy setting up sentries to monitor the surroundings of the house.So when he and the girl got on the platform, it might have been taken and held. "But you've got to fight!" said Boscade. "Yes... fight!" Sharapova replied. So they walked through the corridor, went to the stairs, and climbed the stairs carefully.On reaching the small landing at the top of the stairs, Boscade stopped. There was silence on the platform outside the door, and no footsteps could be heard. Boscade and Sharapova gently opened the door and walked along the battlements. Suddenly the guard on the steeple uttered a cry, while another rushed towards Boscade.At this time, Namir also rushed onto the platform, and Sidi Hassan's men rushed into the courtyard. Will Sharapova be recaptured?Will not!If she falls into Sarkani's clutches again, it's over! ... I would rather break the jade than be complete! The fearless girl rushed to the parapet without hesitation, and jumped down. Boscade had no time to attend to Sharapova. He pushed away the man who was fighting with him, grabbed the rope, and slid to the foot of the fence in an instant. "Sawa! . . . Sawa! . . . " he cried. "Here!" A very familiar voice replied. "She wasn't hurt at all! . . . I just caught her . . . " A roar, followed by a dull sound of falling to the ground, interrupted Matiff's words. It turned out that Namir was driven by rage, unwilling to give up the person who had escaped from her, jumped with Sharapova, fell to the ground and was crushed. Doctor Anteget, Pierre, and Luigi caught up with Burscard and Mativ who were running towards the coast.Although Sharapova was unconscious, she did not appear to be heavy in the arms of her savior. After a while, Sakani came after him with about twenty armed thugs. When the gang arrived at Xiaowan, the doctor and his partners had already boarded the electric speedboat moored there.The propellers spun rapidly, and the speedboat quickly sailed out of range and lost track.