For an instant he seemed to hesitate. Then long fingers rippled in an
elegant salute, gems flashing in the firelight; and he spoke.
‘¡Muy estimado señores y señoritas!’ Softly, deferentially; and mainly
to me. ‘I beg your most gracious forgiveness that I am forced to receive
you in such a fashion, without announcement or proper introduction.
Such, however, are the circumstances of the hour.’ Sometime around the
eighteenth century they must have made a big fuss about his perfect
English. To me, with his lisping accent, it was heavy going. ‘May I
therefore take the liberty of presenting myself? I have the honour to be
the Don Pedro Argote Luis-Maria de Gomez y Zaldivar, Hidalgo of the most
Royal Order of … But a mere recitation of honours would no doubt weary
folk of your station! To these our poor observances let me bid you a
most sincere welcome.’
Nobody said anything. The Knave seemed to be waiting.
‘You know who we are,’ I growled. ‘All of us, if you’re the man behind
all this. Are you?’
‘In a sense, señor, you oblige me to admit that I am.’ He bowed again,
less deeply. The cloak parted to reveal a costume not unlike Pierce’s
but about ten times as florid – an outburst of ruffles at the throat, a
long waistcoat embroidered with what looked like pearls and other
stones, breeches with a satiny sheen and gilded shoes. It was the sort
of costume you see in the Prado, going dusty in portraits of
long-forgotten grandees. ‘In another sense, however, the one “behind all
this”, as you so amusingly put it, is you, Señor Esteban.’
‘Me?’
He spread his hands wide. ‘Why, of a certainty. For it was you yourself,
señor, that we have been seeking. All this so very great effort was
expended for the sole purpose of attracting you to this island; or to a
lesser place within our reach. But the island was best.’
‘I knew it!’ exploded Jyp. ‘I damn well knew it! I was right to chase
you away! Shouldn’t ever have let you come back again –’
A courteous hand was lifted, and Jyp shut up at once. ‘Ah, Señor
Pilot, I must ask your forgiveness for having so unfortunately misled
you. Of our original intention the Señor Esteban formed no part; how
could he, when we were not then aware even of his existence? Only when
he began – you will forgive me? – to interfere, and moreover to take an
interest in us, using his own most curious magical devices, to a gravely
unhealthy extent; only then did he call himself to our attention. Yet
the creature you call the dupiah, had it been released successfully
from its hiding-place, would have had as its ultimate and most difficult
task to ensnare just such a man as he.’
‘And just what the hell d’you mean by that?’ I demanded.
He gave a slightly surprised shrug. ‘Why, a man of some small standing
within the Inner World, señor. A young man, no doubt, yet one who had
already achieved much success, whose undoubted gifts carried the promise
of far greater advancement still. But a man of hollowness, an empty
soul.’
It was my turn to explode. ‘You primping little son-of-a-bitch –’
Again the hand lifted. Courteously; but the very gesture hit me like a
vicious slap in the open mouth, jarring my teeth, stiffening my tongue.
I strangled on my words.
‘But señor, an expression merely – a figure of speech, no more!’ There
was no trace of mockery in the level tones. ‘I beg you most earnestly to
accept that I intended not the slightest insult.’ The long fingers waved
deprecatingly. ‘After all, was I not once just such a man myself?’
I gaped, and then a sort of horrible laughter welled up in me. ‘You?
You’re putting me on a level with –’
The snigger was politely deprecating. ‘Oh, hardly, señor, hardly!
After all, was I not born a hidalgo, the lord of wide plantations,
even some silver mines, and many strong slaves to work them? Whereas
yourself … But I was constrained to grow up very much alone, there being
no other child within easy reach fit for me to associate with. It was
perhaps inevitable that, dwelling alone among mean and lesser men, so
far from the civilized company of my peers, I should grow somewhat …
apart from them.’
He turned for a moment to survey the silent crowd behind him, and they
avoided his look. Wolf and human alike. For the first time I felt an
openly sardonic edge to his voice, and something else, something more
deeply disturbing.
