The Devil's Own

by Christopher Nicole

  Kit sat beside her. 'I had forgot the history which surrounds your family.'

  'And does the presence of a skeleton in my closet now disturb you?'

  'Not in the least. I but wish to know where I must stand, if I am to be at your shoulder.'

  Marguerite's eyes glinted. 'Just hate the very name of Indian Warner, Kit.'

  'Have you ever met him?'

  'I saw him once, as a child. And I knew him then for an evil thing. He was my grandfather's bastard, Kit. There is an apt description. And after old Sir Thomas died, Papa tried to make the boy into a human being, and failed. With his Indian mother he fled back to the forest of Dominica, where they belonged. Yet were they not allowed to disappear into eternity. The French sought them out, and ever anxious to make capital of dissensions amongst the English, appointed him Governor of Dominica, as if Dominica was theirs to govern. There you have the sorry tale. Be sure that should he ever re-enter our lives Papa will hang him higher than Haman, and with much less ado.'

  'Who knows,' Kit mused. 'Perhaps he is already dead, and your fears are groundless.'

  'He is not dead,' she said. 'We would have heard of that good fortune. Nor do I have fears. Have I not you at my side?' She seized his hand. 'I am so proud of you, my darling. Your first day in the House, and you left them in no doubts as to the part you would play.'

  'I fail to understand your enthusiasm. I did no more than make a point of accuracy, during Harding's diatribe. And then I answered a question put to me by the Speaker.'

  'Ah, but it is the way you did both those things, your confidence and assurance, your very appearance, both as you entered the room and as you stood there, that impressed us all, my darling. They knew a man had come amongst them. They will not forget that. And yet, I think you were a trifle inhibited, by my presence, no doubt. I shall not attend the House again. I shall leave it to others to bring me news of your prowess. I will say only this to you, Kit; there are great things afoot, and men, once embarked upon large and perilous ventures, need talented and courageous captains. You are such a man, and today they recognized that. I would but ask you to keep that fact in mind.'

  George Frederick had cracked his whip, and the carriage was moving forward. Kit looked through the window, beyond the crowd, at the warehouse. At the top of the steps Lilian Christianssen stood beside Agrippa and his wife. Many in the crowd waved and cheered at the master and mistress of Green Grove. But not that trio.

  'A victory.' Harding waved the piece of paper. 'So it is described. Dutch William has recaptured the fortress of Namur. This is his crowning achievement, gentlemen, after near ten years of war.'

  The house broke into a storm of cheering and shouting, stamping on the floor.

  'Aye,' Harding said, striding up and down. 'You may well celebrate, this night. But I would ask you this, my friends. What are we celebrating? Had not the war all but ground to a halt? Was there not talk of peace between England and France? Are not negotiations always liable to be lengthy, where such a conflict must be ended? Not so, says Dutch William. The French are tardy, so I will once again take the field. And by God, I will win a victory. Because they are not looking. They are thinking only of peace. So think well, as you raise your glasses. This is the victor of Glencoe you are toasting. This is the man who would bring ruin upon all our heads. For mark my words, gentlemen, Louis will now be tearing up his projected offers and proffers. He will not suffer Namur to be wrenched from his hands, treacherously. I see no end to this war. I see only disaster staring us in the face.'

  'Surely you are speaking treason,' Chester said quietly.

  Harding rounded on him. 'Do you accuse me of that, sir?'

  'By no means,' Chester said. 'I merely point out how your words might be construed, should they reach English ears.'

  'Aye,' Harding said. And so they would. But I speak for Antiguan ears. You have all been so dumbfounded by this remarkable news, this unexpected blessing, this resounding victory so splendidly gained by our noble monarch, that you have omitted to look further. I did, gentlemen. I spoke with the captain of the Southern Queen. Because he had a tale to tell. Of five ships he sighted but three days ago when becalmed off Barbuda. Ships steering south of St Kitts, reconnoitring these waters, he estimated. Five ships, gentlemen. There is a number to conjure with. Do we possess five ships? Perhaps there are five, recently loaded with sugar, but leaving St John's on the day they were laden. Does Sir William Staple-ton command five ships? We all know of his moth-eaten frigate. Could it be Benbow? Oh, happy day. But would Benbow sail the Leewards without visiting St John's, without making his presence known? But yet the number is familiar. I seem to remember that when Monsieur DuCasse made his raid on Jamaica, it was with five ships.'

  He paused, gazed at the consternation in their faces.

  'Five ships,' he said again, after a moment. 'In the Leewards, and at this time. Because, as Captain Hilton has told us, this is no ignorant seaman we deal with. This is a man of intelligence, an intelligence, I would swear, far surpassing that of Morgan. Morgan sought only gold, gentlemen, and counted himself a patriot because he took it from the Dons. DuCasse is also a patriot, and seeks to harm England, not enrich himself. Suppose he had landed here two months ago, gentlemen, and burned our canefields? Would we have wept? Or would we have laughed at his ignorance, at his kindness, in saving us the labour of doing it ourselves? For then the cane was ripe. But now, gentlemen, now. Supposing Monsieur DuCasse lands here next week, or even next month, and supposing we defeat him, so that he is enabled only to set fire to our cane? Our young shoots, gentlemen, from around which our slaves gather the weeds every day of the week, just to preserve those infinitely valuable lives. Where is our prosperity then? Where is the future of this island, then? Where is the inheritance we choose to leave our sons and daughters, then? And this is supposing that we defeat the French. But now, let us consider with what shall we defeat them? With the garrison in St John's? A hundred men on the muster roll, of whom at least thirty are ever sick? Our overseers? A pack of mutinous dogs. Our slaves? Who wait only to get their black fingers at our own throats? Think on that, gentlemen.'

  Once again he paused, to enjoy their expressions.

  'But what remedy have we?' asked a voice. 'If the captain of the Southern Queen saw DuCasse's fleet already in these waters, may we not expect an assault any day?'

  'Aye,' said another. 'We must place ourselves in the best condition of defence we may. Perhaps Captain Hilton would advise us on this matter also.'

  'Willingly,' Kit said. 'It would seem to me that the obvious way to discourage these pirates, because however patriotic, they are no more than pirates, would be to prevent their landing at all.'

  'And how do you do that, pray?' demanded Harding. 'There are fifty odd miles of coastline to be defended. Would you create earthworks along the entire beach? It would take you years, and the threat is present now.'

  'I agree with you entirely, sir,' Kit said. 'So let us take a lesson from history. Was not King Alfred confronted with the same problem, seven hundred years ago? He had no fleet, but was assailed by one. His solution was a band of mounted warriors, always at the ready, able to gather in haste wherever the Vikings were seen making for the shore.

  Now, gentlemen, he had all southern England to defend. We have but Antigua. And we certainly have the horses, and the men.'

  'By God, sir,' said Mr Trumbull. 'That is a brilliant suggestion.'

  'Brilliant?' Harding shouted. 'It is the suggestion, indeed, of a man who knows nothing but warfare and fighting. And believe me, gentlemen, I am grateful to have so distinguished a warrior in our midst, should we ever need him. But my contention is that we do not need him in this present crisis. Because it is not our crisis. It is none of our making, and indeed, we hate the thought of it. It can reflect no profit on us, either in money or in fame. On the contrary, it can bring only disaster. We are being dragooned, gentlemen, into a quarrel in which we can only lose, as we have been so often dragooned in the pas
t. I say that we should have none of it.'

  'And like an ostrich, bury our heads in the sand while DuCasse does his worst to our backsides?' Chester inquired.

  'I'll take no offence today, Edward,' Harding said. 'The matter is too grave for levity. It is to preserve your miserable backside, aye, and that of your pretty little wife, that I am speaking. Gentlemen, listen to me, I beg of you. We receive no good of England, neither succour, nor credit, nor compliments. The sole result of our being English is to suffer for it. But are we, then, English? Are we not prouder to describe ourselves as Antiguans? Hear me out," he bellowed, as the hubbub rose. 'What are you afraid of? The truth? Our future lies in this island and this island alone. Be sure the Dutch in St Eustatius will never let us down. They need us, and they hate their own government in Amsterdam, as much as we need them and hate those stuffed-up prigs in Whitehall. The future can bring us only disaster if we remain tied to Dutch William's apron-strings, and even if he is succeeded by the Princess Anne, as is the present intention, then think back on this, gentlemen, did the rule of the Stuarts bring us any prosperity? Or is it not a fact that most of our fathers and grandfathers came to these islands to escape those very fickle Scots?'

  'By God, but you are changeable,' Kit said. 'A week ago you were defending their divine right.'

  'No inconsistency in that, sir,' Harding insisted. 'I believe they do have a divine right, to the throne of England. We are under no divine command to remain in England to be ruled by them. That is why we arc here, sir. I say have done with it. Now, while we may.'

  The planters stared at him, and at each other, and at the Speaker. But already there was a hum of whispering, and it had spread to the gallery. By this evening, Kit realized, it would be all over the island.

  'And pray, sir,' Chester said, 'supposing we all followed your suggestion, which I assume is to declare ourselves the free and sovereign state of Antigua, how then would we save ourselves from the French? Would we not be even more vulnerable? Would they even know of our decision?'

  'They'd do that quick enough,' Harding said. 'We would immediately inform Sir William Stapleton that we no longer recognized him as our governor, and be sure the news would spread to French ground soon enough.'

  'And then, by God, we could raise that mounted force of which Captain Hilton spoke,' someone said. ' 'Tis a fact that the buccaneers, if actuated by a desire for profit, will bite on no hard nut, and if forced on by patriotism, would far rather pass us by should we declare ourselves free of England.'

  'By God,' Kit said. 'By God.' He got to his feet. 'That I should sit here in an English Assembly, in a gathering of men of repute, and hear such unmitigated treason. By God, sir, had I that troop of horse of which we spoke earlier at my back, my very first act would be to place you under arrest.'

  'Treason?' Harding shouted. 'Why, sir, you seek a quarrel.'

  'Oh, aye,' Kit said. 'I seek a quarrel, John Harding. You may be sure of that. I’ll quarrel with any man who preaches treason.'

  'Yet are we not all already guilty of treason, Kit,' Chester murmured, 'in acknowledging Dutch William at all? 'Tis a specious point to be sure. Is a man required to give his unflinching loyalty to his country, or to the man who happens to sit on the throne at the moment? The latter were an easy sop to the conscience.'

  'You, Edward?' Kit demanded. 'Of all people, you? We accepted William and Mary, when they came to the throne ...'

  'Were we asked to accept them, sir?' Harding demanded.

  'No, no, we were informed of the event, in the course of time.'

  'Yet has it been sanctified by time,' Kit insisted. 'You'll withdraw your suggestion, sir, or be sure I'll call you to account.'

  A hush fell on the chamber. Harding stared at Kit, his gaze flickering down to the right arm which hovered by the weighted pocket.

  'By God, sir,' he said at last. 'Fight you? A professional murderer? When I duel, sir, it is with a gentleman.'

  'By God,' Kit shouted. 'You'll ...'

  The sound of the gavel battered on his words. 'Gentlemen, gentlemen,' called Mr Trumbull. 'This business has gone far enough. The house is adjourned. We'll let these tempers cool a while, and resume the debate in a more rational atmosphere.'

  Kit turned his stare from Harding to the Speaker, then crammed his hat on his head and marched from the chamber.

  To encounter Marguerite on the stairs. 'Why, sweetheart,' he said. 'I had no idea that you would be here today. You said ...'

  'That I would no longer attend,' she said, speaking quietly, but he frowned as he saw the anger in her eyes. It was an expression he had not witnessed in a very long time. 'I did not wish to inhibit you, Kit. But it seems I made a mistake.'

  'You ... did you not hear what that man was proposing? What do you think your father, as Deputy Governor, would have said?'

  'Oh, you fool, Kit. You fool. You see life going on its way all around you, and you have not the wit to understand it. Papa hates England more than John Harding. But he is not important this day. It is you. You had them at your feet, but a week ago. They would have followed your lead, willingly, given a few more hours of such straight talking, such authority. Did you know that Trumbull retires from his post within the year? Did you not realize that this was the reason I was so anxious for you to take your scat? Speaker of the Antigua House of Assembly. There is no more important post in the entire Caribee Isles. Perhaps in the world.'

  He frowned at her. 'You planned that, for me?'

  'Of course I did. Does not every wife wish for her husband to aspire to the very summit? But now ... yet it can be done, still. A reappraisal of the situation ...'

  'Madam, you disgust me.' Kit said. 'Reappraisal? You have scant knowledge of your husband if you suppose I would change my tune for a position. You have scant knowledge of my ambitions if you think I would seek to lead a pack of traitors. And you have scant knowledge of the world if you think this little rock is of the slightest importance to anyone who does not live on it.'

  Her turn to stare. No doubt it was the first time in her life she had been so addressed, at least since that fateful day on the hill-top in Tortuga. Pin-points of rage gathered in the centres of the green eyes. Yet was she still perfectly controlled, aware that the usual crowd had gathered in, the planters at the top of the steps, the hangers-on at the foot. Here was a ripe source of scandal, for many a long day.

  Marguerite smiled. 'You are angry, my darling," she said softly, 'and upset. Come on back to Green Grove, and we shall discuss the matter further over a jug of sangaree. I had forgot the speed and vehemence of your temper, darling Kit.' She had raised her arm while she spoke, and already the crowd was parting to allow George Frederick to bring the carriage to the foot of the steps.

  'I'll come to Green Grove,' Kit said, 'when my belly feels the urge.'

  He turned away and went down the steps. People stepped aside, and he walked down the street. Where? He neither knew nor cared. He felt the whole world was swirling about his head. On what a senseless, silly issue. Did he care whether Antigua was independent or a part of England? What hold had England on him? Was not every word that John Harding had spoken absolutely true?

  And did he not, through Marguerite, have a greater stake in this island than any other man there today?

  Through Marguerite.

  And what a stake. He found himself standing on the dock, gazing at the almost empty harbour. Two weeks ago all had been hustle and bustle here, as the last of the sugar ships had been loaded. Now the port was again sleepy. God, to be at sea. What had Marguerite promised him, once? The biggest, the finest ship that could be built. He should have taken that.

  But would she have come with him? Perhaps not. Perhaps it would have been better had she not. At sea men were free. All men, regardless of the colour of their skins.

  So then, he was a good deal of a hypocrite. But he had known this for a very long time. He hated slaver)'. He hated it from the first and he hated it still. He pretended that he led his blacks as
a general might command his army, but yet was the lash in constant use, and worse. He would take part in this life, because of the wealth and the power and the admiration and the love it brought him, but he would not put his seal on the decision that it was better than any other life, better than the freedom so hardly gained in England, better than the world, that Antigua was the world. To do that would be to condemn himself to being one of them.

  And was he not already, one of them?

  'They say,' Agrippa remarked, 'that no man can ever fight his true nature for all of his life. But that hot tongue of yours will get you into trouble, one day, Kit. Unless it has already done so.'

  Kit half turned his head. 'Were you there?'

  'I am a typical St John's layabout,' Agrippa pointed out. 'I always attend the Assembly. It is like being present on Olympus at a gathering of the gods.'

  'It is a relief to discover that at least one person on this island can regard our proceedings as a joke.'

  'I hope to be laughing the day I die, too. You are invited to dinner.'

  Now Kit did turn. 'By you?'

  'By Dag Christianssen. If you are not above accepting the hospitality of a Quaker.'

  Kit frowned at him. 'And he is not below inviting a planter to his table?'

  Agrippa grinned. 'We both figure you put on a suit of clothes, Kit. Clothes are easy. You can always take them off.'

  'For which, Lord, we humbly thank thee.' Dag raised his head, smiled at his guest. 'You'll finish the bottle, Kit.'