Die schwarze Galeere. English Read online

Spinola did a roaring trade and wonmany a richly laden merchantman and many a poor fishing boat from theDutch until the initial shock experienced by the latter had worn offand they dared more boldly to get to grips with their new enemies. TheStates General sent a sizeable squadron and, in the heat of battle, notonly were a large number of enemy privateers annihilated, but they evenwent as far as to capture one of the terrible galleys.

  This remarkable vessel was brought in triumph back to Amsterdam andhere something similar was built along the same lines and manned withthe bravest hearts and hands. It was of a threateningly black colourand the newly painted black galley was soon scaring the Spaniards andAdmiral Federigo Spinola out of their wits. The speculative ventureof the Genoan bore from then on no longer such good fruit as it haddone at first.

  So the black galley was no ghost ship, no spectral apparition, but athing of wood and iron, and neither was its crew a phantom crew.Beings of flesh and blood clambered aloft in the rigging, set thesails, loaded the blunderbusses and boarded enemy ships with theblood-curdling cry:

  "Sultan before Pope!"

  People were talking about the black galley on the squares and in thealleyways of Antwerp and everyone wanted to know more about the rumourthat the splendid trireme, the Immaculate Conception, had been scuttledand blown up the previous night by men of Zeeland.

  Then it gradually grew dark again; a thick fog came up from the Scheldtand came to rest over the town of Antwerp. The lights of the quaysideshimmered redly through the mist and the rigging of the galleon, theAndrea Doria, dripped with condensation. The ship lay at anchor nextto the harbour walls and the houses on the quayside and on its deckCaptain Antonio Valani, a young man approximately thirty years old,wrapped in a thick cloak, walked backwards and forwards while the wavesof the river, gently lapping the hull of his ship, washed to and froand from the quayside and the town came the dull din of excited locals.

  The captain paused in his pacing and stared up at the lights of thetown shimmering over the wall just as at his side his bosun, Leonedella Rota, a boon companion of his youth from la strada Giulia inGenoa, appeared and put his hand on his shoulder:

  "A penny for your thoughts, Antonio."

  The man to whom this was directed looked up almost startled.

  "Ah, it's you, Leone. Do you bring any news from the outside world?"

  "Yes, but it isn't good news by any means. It came to the admiral'snotice from Fort Liefkenhoek that the story about last night was true.The Immaculate Conception has been dragged down to hell bag and baggage.Only the cabin boy came ashore alive, landing at Fort Bats clinging onto an empty water barrel. There was great jubilation among the hereticsand the fishwives of Zeeland--frighteningly ugly creatures, Antonio--dried the boy off and sent him here to give their regards to HisExcellency the Governor. They took the boy into the citadel. Well,we'll soon be hearing from the admiral himself."

  "God grant it may be so," cried out the Andrea Doria's captain, stampingthe deck with his foot in a temper. "Leone, I can't stand this enforcedidleness of lying at anchor any longer!"

  "Idleness?" laughed the ship's bosun. "By the fair frame of Venus, Ididn't know we were being idle. I thought it might be possible to makeuse of this time we're lying here at anchor. Corpo di Bacco, I've madea fine conquest of a strapping wench in town in the tavern with the armsof Alcantara hanging up outside. You're invited, Antonio."

  "You never take life seriously, Leone!" sighed the captain.

  "Listen to me," laughed the bosun. "Trust to your instincts, my friend,and don't give me that. Don't turn away with such a miserable look onyour face. Follow my finger--see, over there, that light over the citywall in that corner window. Just follow my finger--can you see it?Antonio, Antonello, captain, little captain of mine, who lives in thatroom? Tell me who has lit that tiny light. Is she not the sweetestchild that this northern clime, or should I say this northern bog, hasever brought forth as long as there has been rain here and that musthave been for a very long time, I think. Has not Antonio Valani, captainof this good ship, the Andrea Doria, fallen in love body and soul withthe fair hair and the blue eyes of this beautiful Fleming? Another ofyour sighs? Antonio, Antonio, by our lovely lady of Cythera, you can bea pain sometimes!"

  Captain Valani turned away indignantly.

  "Oh, leave me alone, Leone--go to your buxom wench. I'm giving you therest of the night off, up until the first cock crows, just to get you andyour loose tongue off my ship. Go now, I beg you, go and stop torturingme with your cheerful face. I forgive you the lightness of your bloodand your zest for life, but give me an hour by myself if you are truly myfriend. My life seems like a wilderness at the moment."

  "Antonio," said the second-in-command more seriously, "Antonio, on myhonour, it was not my intention to torture you. My plump hostess at theAlcantara Arms can wait keeping an eye on the door for as long as she hasa mind to. I won't go. What the devil ails you, my friend? How do thingsstand with you? Confide in me what it is that oppresses you. It's notlast night's bad news from the Scheldt estuary, that's for sure. Confidein me. Can it really be true what I took as a joke and treated in fun?Have you really fallen for the charms of the fair-haired enchantress?"

  Captain Valani sighed deeply without answering and Leone went on:

  "And she's playing hard to get, hard to get with you, every woman's pin-upin the strada Balbi and in all the other streets, sidestreets and alleywaysof our dear home town of Genoa. By the goddess of Paphos that calls forpunishment, the most severe punishment. Oh that beautiful barbarian! Istand ready to serve you, Antonio Valani, my friend and superior, withsword, heart and head. What can we do to win you the heart of that sweetchild?"

  The rest of the conversation between the captain and his bosun was lost inand interrupted by the shouts of the night watch in the direction of thegangplank. A whirl of drums resounded from the quayside, torches flickeredand weapons glinted. Admiral Federigo Spinola had come to see how thingswere aboard the Andrea Doria and on the other ships of his fleet lying atanchor under the walls of Antwerp. He was in the foulest of moods as Leoneand Antonio could not help but notice when they hurried to welcome him onboard. The admiral stamped about most grimly surrounded by his captainswho had gathered around him on the main deck of the Andrea Doria. Theunfortunate skirmish of the previous night lay heavy on his heart. Ifthings were going to continue in this vein, his business interests werenot worth the parchment contract they were written on, countersigned withthe Yo el Rey of King Philip the Third of Spain.

  "To sea with you!" cried Admiral Spinola as he raged at his captains. "Putout to sea and capture that accursed black galley. String up the whole ofits crew from its own yardarms and the devil take their souls. Tomorrowat daybreak I want the four galleys that are lying here at anchor to weighanchor. Do you hear me, gentlemen? The Andrea Doria will stay here andawait further orders. But the galleys will make sail tomorrow good andearly. The message has already been given to the ships' captains at Sluysto put out to sea with every ship available. The black galley--bring methe black galley or bring me back Satan himself."

  At this the admiral stamped off, swallowing the rest of his harangue, andthe captains looked at one another wryly and then turned their gaze to theadmiral:

  "Diavolo, Spanish sound and fury!"

  "A task that's easier said than done!"

  "Well, what do you think, gentlemen?"

  "The black galley, eh?"

  "Did you hang your cook yesterday, Francesco?"

  "Yes, it's a pity!"

  "Spinola sends us to Sluys!"

  "To hunt the black galley!"

  And so the banter on the Andrea Doria went on till eventually one captainafter another went off to complete preparations for the imminent departureof their ships.

  It was a long time before Antonio Valani and Leone della Rota were ableto find themselves alone on deck.

  "So the others are sailing and we have to stay here? Wonderful!" saidLeone.
"Let us go hunting on our own account, Antonio, but first to thetavern I spoke of. You can tell me everything there is to know there ofyour relationship with that pretty Flemish woman."

  "No, Leone. Leave me alone."

  "No, I won't. You should and will tell me. I'm going to cure you, dearboy. I'm a good doctor in matters like these. Many a one had learnt thatand you are not going to be the exception, Tonino."

  Reluctantly the captain allowed himself to be dragged away from his ship.With an air of annoyance he followed his lieutenant through the streets ofAntwerp to the Alcantara Arms where the fat hostess had fallen for thejolly della Rota and the scoundrel had a free slate and free accommodationas often as it seemed agreeable