Roger Brook (06): Rape of Venice, The by Wheatley Dennis

Author:Wheatley, Dennis [Wheatley, Dennis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Espionage, Fiction, Historical, Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 1959-01-15T03:00:00+00:00

17

In Desperate Straits

At the sight of the Venetian Roger’s heart missed a beat. For a second the blood hammered in his ears and he thought he was about to choke. All his new-found resolution and optimism ebbed from him. Since this was the friend that the Rajah had ‘pleasured’ by having his men murdered and himself captured, his hope of life was now even less than it had been when he was dragged down by the whirlpool of the sinking Minerva. As he looked again at the pasty pudding-like face with the abnormally compelling eyes, he read his death sentence in it.

Like a large grey cat, Malderini padded up to within a few feet of him, smiled and said in French, ‘Welcome to Bahna, Mr. Brook. When I set out for India I little thought that we should meet here. But I had not forgotten you, Mr. Brook. Oh dear me no. I owe you far too much. And did I not promise that sooner or later I would find an opportunity to repay you all I owe with interest? When I learnt by chance in a conversation with Colonel Gunston that…’

‘Gunston!’ The word burst from Roger’s lips. For the past four days he had been praying for a speedy chance to plunge his rapier through the gallant Colonel’s heart; now he would have opened his arms to him as to a long lost brother. His eyes lighting up with the sudden new hope that if Gunston was in the city he might play the rôle of a guardian angel, Roger hurried on: ‘Gunston! Colonel Gunston. Where is he? I demand to see him!’

‘You are no longer in a position to demand anything—not even satisfaction, should I again knock you down,’ Malderini replied with a sneer. ‘As for Colonel Gunston, when His Highness learned that troops were advancing in this direction from Orissa he sent heralds forbidding them to cross his border; but later he graciously consented to receive their Commander. So Colonel Gunston came here only for three nights as a visitor. The lack of success which he met with in his mission was, I think, more than made up for by the happy time he had with the dancing girls that His Highness provided for his entertainment. He left here with obvious regret and many expressions of friendship, to return, presumably, to the encampment he had established across the mountains in Orissa.’

Having rendered Roger’s new hope still-born, the Venetian went on, ‘But, as I was about to say, when describing to us the present state of society in Calcutta, among other names the Colonel mentioned yours. That you should chance to be in India at the same time as myself seemed to me an unmistakable indication by the Fates that they had arranged matters to facilitate my paying my debt to you. I at once put in hand the necessary measures and my faith in the Fates was justified. Like a lamb to the slaughter you walked into my little trap.

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