Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven

They're all off!They left the villa, Lord Kerabong to complete the journey, Van Mittern to accompany his friend, Ahme to follow his uncle, Nisib and Bruno because it was impossible to something else!The house was deserted now, save for five or six servants going about their chores.The banker Selim himself has just gone to Odessa to deliver to the travelers rubles in exchange for Ottoman piastres. There are only two young girls left in the villa, Amasia and Najib. The Maltese captain was well aware of this.He followed all the changes in the farewell scene with understandable interest.Will Lord Kerabong postpone Amasya and Ahme's wedding until after his return?Yes, he had postponed the wedding: Yaoud had the first good card in his gamble.Will Ahmey agree to accompany his uncle? ... He agreed?Yaud had his second good card.

And so the Maltese have a third card: Amasya and Najib are now alone in the villa, or at least alone in the corridor facing the sea.His schooner was over there, half a chain away...his skiff was waiting for him at the bottom of the ladder...his sailors followed his winks...he only had to do it if he wanted to. The captain could hardly resist using force to hold Amasia hostage.But he was a cautious man after all, and he was unwilling to take risks, and he didn't want to leave any trace of hijacking, so he started to use his brain. It was broad daylight, and if force were to be used, Amasya would call for help, and Najib would cry with her, and their cries might be heard by one of the servants!Perhaps someone will see the Gidal hurrying out of the Odessa harbour!That would be a sign, a prima facie evidence... No!Better to play it safe and wait until dark.The important thing is that Ahme isn't there...and won't be there again.

The Maltese stayed aside, watching the two girls from the back of the skiff partially hidden by the railing.They paid little attention to the presence of this dangerous figure. However, if there is another visit that has already been negotiated, Amasya and Najib may agree to go to the sailing boat, or to see what they want to buy, or for any other motive- Yaoud thought That's the point—he'll see if it's rash to make such a decision before dark. After Ahme left, the shocked Amasia remained silent and thoughtful, staring at the distant horizon stretching to the north.There is the coast, along which the travelers are doggedly advancing.On this road, all delays, and perhaps all dangers, will involuntarily put Lord Kelabon and those he leads to the test!If the wedding had already taken place, she would not hesitate to accompany Ahme with her!How could uncle object?He will not be unwilling.Will not!As his niece, she seemed to have some influence on him, and would stop him from slipping down the dangerous slope due to his stubbornness!But now she was alone, and she would have to wait weeks before she could be reunited with Ahme at the villa of Skitari where they were to be united!

If Amasina was sad, Najib was angry. She hated the stubborn man who was the source of all the disappointment.snort!A gypsy girl would never let her fiancé be robbed if it were her own wedding!She will stand up to this stubborn man!No!Things will never turn out like this! Najib walked up to the girl, held her hand, led her to sit on the couch, took a cushion and sat at her feet. "My dear mistress," she said, "if I were in your position, I would not think of Lord Ahmey out of reluctance, but of Lord Kerabon, in order to scold him well! " "What's the use of that?" said Amasia.

"I think it won't be so sad!" Najib said again. "If you want, we can scold this uncle like a dog! He deserves to be scolded, and I promise you that we will never show mercy to him!" "No! Najib," Amasya replied. "Let's talk about Ahme! All I think about is him, and I'm only thinking about him now!" "Then tell about him, my dear mistress," Najib said. "To be honest, he is the most charming betrothed a girl can dream of, but what an uncle he has! A tyrant, selfish and mean, who would say a word and refuse to say it, as long as He offered us a few days, and he refused! That's right, he should..."

"Talk about Ahme!" said Amasya. "Yes, dear mistress! How he loves you! How happy you are with him! Oh! He would be perfect without this uncle! How did that man grow? You know he doesn't marry one or more The wife is right! He is so stubborn that even his slave girl in the back room will rebel!" "You're still talking about him, Najib!" Amasya said, thinking of things quite differently. "No! . . . No! . . . I'm talking about Monsieur Ahme! Like you, I'm thinking only of Monsieur Ahme! Oh! Hold on! I won't surrender in his place. !I'll stick to it!...I thought he'd be stronger!"

"Who told you, Najib, that he didn't appear stronger when he gave in to his uncle's orders? Can't you see, no matter what pain it caused me, he'd better take this trip, In order to use all possible means to end it as soon as possible, and perhaps to prevent the danger that Lord Kairabong may encounter due to his usual stubbornness. No! Najib, no! Ahmey showed his bravery when he set out, His departure once again confirmed his love for me!" "You must be right, my dear mistress!" replied Naguib, who could not yield under the urge of her gypsy blood. "That's right, Lord Ahme looked very strong when he set off, but wouldn't he look even stronger if he could stop his uncle from leaving?"

"Is this possible, Najib?" Amasiya said again. "I ask you, is this possible?" "Yes...impossible!...maybe!" Najib replied. "There is no iron rod that cannot be bent, or broken if necessary! . . . Ah! This Uncle Kerabong! Of course he alone is to blame! If anything happens, only he is to blame! When paying 10 barras caused your...and therefore my Lord Ahme's misfortune, I thought, yes!...I just want the Black Sea to fill the whole world, and see if he is Don't you still have to go around stubbornly?" "He will!" Amasya replied in a tone of conviction. "But talk about Ahme, Najib, and we're talking about him alone!"

At this time Yaud had just left his boat and walked towards the two girls quietly.Hearing his footsteps, both of them turned their heads.They were startled, and a little frightened, at the sight of him standing beside them. Najib is now on his feet. "It's you, Captain?" she said. "What are you doing here? What do you want? . . . " "I don't want to do anything," Yaoud replied, feigning surprise at the reception. "I don't want to do anything but come to do your bidding so that..." "So that..." Najib repeated. "Take you to the sailboat," replied the captain. "Didn't you decide to look at the cargo hold and pick out what you like?"

"Really, dear mistress," Najib shouted. "We promised the captain..." "We promised, that was when Ahme was still here," answered the girl. "But Ahme is gone, we don't need to go on the 'Gidal'!" The captain frowned for a moment, then said in a more calm tone: "The 'Ghidal' can't stop at Odessa Harbor for a long time. I may set sail tomorrow or the day after tomorrow at the latest. If Lord Ahme's fiancée is satisfied with the samples and wants to buy some clothes, she should take this opportunity .My dinghy is here, and we'll be aboard in a moment."

"We thank you, Captain," replied Amasya dryly, "but without Monsieur Ahmey, I shall have no interest in these trifles. He would have accompanied us aboard the Gidal Yes, he'll give us advice...he's not here anymore, and I can't and don't want to do anything without him!" "I am sorry," replied Yaoud, "especially because I have no doubt that if you had bought these cloths, Lord Ahme would be pleasantly surprised when he returned! The time is not lost, and you will regret it if you don't." of!……" "It's possible, Captain," Najib replied, "but at a time like this I think you'd better not insist on us going!" "That's good," Yaud said obediently. "But let me hope that if in a few weeks' time I happen to take the Gidal to Odessa again during my voyage, please don't forget that you promised to visit the ship." "We shall not forget, Captain," replied Amasia, making it clear to the Maltese that he could go. So Yaud greeted the two girls and took a few steps towards the stairs, then stopped and seemed to remember something, and walked towards Amasia again, when the girl was about to leave the corridor. "One more word," said he, "or rather a suggestion, which will please Monsieur Ahme's fiancée." "What's the matter?" asked Amasia, who was getting a little impatient with the Maltese captain hanging around and chattering in the villa. "I happened to witness the scene before Lord Ahme set off." "By chance?" Amasia asked, becoming suspicious as if with a premonition. "Purely by chance!" Yaud replied. "There I was, in that boat that was at your disposal..." "What advice do you have for us, Captain?" asked the girl. "A very reasonable suggestion. I have seen how painful the banker Selim's daughter was at this sudden departure, so if she is happy to see Lord Ahme one more time..." "Look again! . . . What do you mean?" said Amasia, her heart beating. "What I mean is," Yaud replied, "in an hour's time Lord Kerabon and his party must pass through the little promontory that you can see over there!" Amasya took a few steps, looking at the faint curve pointed out by the captain. "Where? . . . there? . . . " she asked. "right." "Dear mistress," Najib shouted, "can we go there? . . . " "There is nothing easier," Yaoud said. "In half an hour, the 'Gidar' can reach this cape by wind. If you want to get on board, we will set sail right away." "Okay!...Okay!..." Najib said loudly, and she only saw this sea voyage as a chance for Amasia to see her fiancé again. But Amasia was ruminating.For her hesitation, the captain couldn't help being slightly dissatisfied, which didn't escape her eyes at all.She felt that Yaud's expression did not mean her well, so she became suspicious again. She left the railing on which she was leaning to overlook the coast, took Najib's hand and went back to the corridor. "I await your orders," said the captain. "No, Captain," replied Amasia, "seeing my betrothed under such circumstances, I think, will give him more pleasure than pain!" Yaud knew that nothing could change the girl's rejection of him, so he backed out coldly. After a while the skiff departed with the Maltese captain and his men, and soon got aboard the sailboat, and moved to the port center towards the open sea. The two girls also stayed alone in the corridor for an hour.Amaxi Niang came over and leaned against the railing again, she kept staring at the promontory pointed out by Yaud, Lord Kairabang's carriage was going to cross. Najib, like her, observes this corner of the coast, which stretches nearly a kilometer to the east. Indeed, an hour later the gypsy girl exclaimed: "Ah! my dear mistress, look! look! don't you see a car running on the top of the cliff by the sea?" "Yes! Yes!" replied Amasia. "It's them! It's him! He!" "He can't see you! . . . " "Never mind! I think he's looking at me!" "Don't doubt it, my dear mistress!" Najib replied. "His eyes will find a villa in the woods deep in the bay, maybe we..." "Good-bye, my Ahme! Good-bye!" said the girl for the last time, as if her farewell could reach her betrothed. After the stagecoach disappeared around the corner of the road at the end of the cliff, Amasya and Najib left the corridor and returned to the house. Yaoud saw them going back from the deck of the sailing ship and ordered the watchman to keep an eye on them to see if they would return to the corridor when it got dark.Since the trick failed, he would then have to use force. There was no doubt that Ahme was gone, and as the wedding happened not to take place before six weeks, the kidnapping of the girl need not have been carried out so hastily.But it should be considered that Lord Safar will be impatient, because he may be going back to Trabzon.Moreover, sailing on the Black Sea is uncertain, and a simple sailboat may be delayed by 15 to 20 days.Therefore, if Yaud wants to arrive on time on the date agreed with Chief Scarbant, the most important thing is to start as soon as possible.Needless to say, Yaud was a rogue, but he was a rogue who kept his word, so he wanted to strike immediately without delay. The odds couldn't have been more favorable for him.Amasia was indeed back in the corridors in the evening, even before her father returned from the bank.This time she was alone, and while it was still dark, the girl wanted to take another look at the distant cliff on the northern horizon.She sat in this position again—she would no doubt come here often in the future—and leaned on the railing thoughtfully, with a look in her eyes that no distance could stop her. But Amasia, who was in deep thought, didn't notice that a small boat left the "Gidal" imperceptibly in the twilight.She didn't see it approaching quietly, stalking the steps and stopping beside the submerged steps. At this moment, Yaud climbed up the stairs with three sailors. The girl was immersed in her dream and did not notice them. Yaud jumped at her suddenly and grabbed her just right with such strength that she couldn't resist at all. "Come here! Come and save me!" The unfortunate girl was still able to call for help. Her cry was immediately silenced, but Najib had heard it and came to her mistress. As soon as the gypsy girl stepped through the door of the corridor, two sailors rushed at her, and immediately stopped her movements and cries. "Get on board!" Yaud said. After the two girls were forcibly taken into the dinghy, the dinghy sailed towards the sailboat. The anchor of the "Gidar" is straight, the sails have been raised, and the sail can be sailed as long as the anchor is lowered. As soon as Amasya and Najib were locked in the back cabin of the boat, the boat started.They could see nothing, and their cries could not be heard. At this time, the sailboat leaning under the huge sloping street had already left the small bay outside the villa wall by the wind. But the hijacking, however swift, alarmed a few servants who were busy in the garden. One of them heard Amasia's cries for help and immediately raised the alarm. At this moment Selim the banker returned to the house.He learned everything that just happened.Anxious because he couldn't figure out what was going on, he looked for his daughter...his daughter was gone. But when he saw the sailboat about to round the southern end of the cove, Selim understood everything.He ran across the garden to the sand spit that the Gidal had to skirt so closely to avoid the rocks off the coast. "Bastard!" he yelled. "You have kidnapped my daughter! My daughter! Amasia! Get them, get them!  …" A shot from the Gidal was the only answer to his cry. Selim fell, with a bullet in the shoulder. After a while, the sailboat with its full sails, blown by the evening wind, disappeared off the coast of the house.