by Griff Hosker
“The Grand Master is indisposed but I will speak for him. I recognise you. You are the young man who spoke with us. I see you did not lie to us. You are a soldier.”
“Then let me plead with you. I was not lying when I described the effect of our army. Your soldiers fled, leaving their dead on the field. We lost none.” I pointed behind me beyond the low rise. “General Bonaparte is there with thirty thousand men. We can reduce your walls to rubble in under an hour. Do you want your civilians to suffer? If you fight us you will only delay the inevitable and you will lose many men as well as others who do not fight.”
“I must consult with the Grand Master.”
“I will give you an hour. My general is not a patient man.”
After they had gone I told Bessières what I had said. “You are a remarkably confident soldier for one so young. Your voice was so calm when you spoke I wondered what you were saying.”
“I have learned that what works with horses works with men. If you speak in an excited way then that animal becomes more excited and unpredictable. It is the same with men. If you scream at a trooper because he has made a mistake he is more likely to make another. Besides when you get excited yourself you often say things you regret. It is far better to measure your words.”
He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder, “What a common sense approach.”
An hour later the gate opened and the two knights approached me. “We surrender.”
Bessières said, “I will go and tell the general.”
The two knights stood with me for a moment and then one of them said, “Come. We will get out of the sun.” He looked at me seriously for a moment, “Will your general keep his word?”
I nodded, not that I thought that Bonaparte was a truthful man but he needed every soldier he could get if he was to conquer Egypt. “He will come with just those soldiers he needs for his position as general and no more.”
I was taken through the gate. The soldiers stared at me, most of them with undisguised hate, others with a curious gaze. We went into the palace where there was a table with cool drinks and fresh fruit. “Will the Grand Master be joining us?”
“As I said, he is indisposed. This is all a little too much for him. He thought, as we all did that we, the Knights of St John would continue our existence as we have for almost seven hundred years but it is not to be.”
He held out his hand, “My name is Sir John and I, like the Grand Master, had hoped to see out my days here.”
I felt sorry for the old man who seemed gentle. “Perhaps the general will allow you to stay.”
Sir John laughed, “We are old here but not yet senile. Your general will want us off the island. Firstly we would be seen as a focus of rebellion for the Maltese but, more importantly, he wants our treasure.”
I leaned forward, “He is not here yet and you have time. Secure some of the treasure. I know that he has no idea of the quantity. You could, at least, live in comfort.”
“That is a kind and selfless thought but it is not honourable and when you get to our age all you have left is honour. I have enough to get by and I will take ship. Perhaps I will return home.”
“Home, I thought that this was your home?”
“No, my home is in Britain. In the land they call the Borders.”
I suddenly spoke in English, “My mother was of Scottish parents. I am Robbie Macgregor.”
For the first time the old man looked non-plussed and surprised. “Well Robbie, we may well be related for I am a MacAlpin and we are related to the Macgregors.” He stroked his beard. “I wonder if this is a sign.” He appeared to make a decision and suddenly rose. “Come with me!” He grabbed a lantern from a table.
The other knights had shown no surprise when we spoke English and they showed none now as we hurriedly left the hall and descended into the bowels of the palace. I think they were all preoccupied with their bleak future. There were guards everywhere but the appearance of the knight caused them to stand to attention and they allowed us to pass. Sir John said quietly, “These are the vaults your general will wish to see. These are the treasure rooms.” He nodded to the guard at one room and the man opened the door. Sir John closed it behind us.
“When I first came here I was interested in the treasures as all young men are and I examined them. You can imagine my surprise when I found this.” He held up a seal with a bloodstone on it and a signet attached. “This is the seal and signet of the clan. I know not how it came to be here but I come down once a week to look at it.” He handed it to me.
It was beautiful and it was inscribed,
‘Triogal Ma Dh'ream
Een dhn bait spair nocht’.
“What does this mean, Sir John?”
"I am of royal descent,
Slay and spare not"
I went to hand it back. He shook his head. “No it is fate that has brought you here. You must return it to the clan home.”
“But we are at war with Britain. You should take it.”
“No Robbie, Something beyond our ken has brought you here and you must do all in your power to return this to its home. Swear it so.”
I felt the power of the old man as he placed my hands on the seal. I felt a shiver rundown my spine. I could, at last, do something for the great grandfather and grandfather I had never met. “I so swear.”
He nodded, “Good.” He reached, seemingly at random, into a chest and drew out a purse of coins. “Take this. You may need it and it is payment for your honesty.” I hesitated, “Take it as a kinsman then.” I nodded and took it. “The sentry will remember that you came down here so tell your general where the treasure is. He would find it anyway and this way no one will suspect you.”
The old man was certainly sharp and knew what he was about. I felt sad that I had known him so briefly. “We have much in common Robert Macgregor. I was five when my father was killed at Culloden and my mother might have suffered the same fate as yours had my uncle, her brother, not taken us both to Sicily where I was trained to be a knight. That is how I ended my days here. I suppose I will go back to Sicily. It is easier than trying to return to Britain and my cousins still live there, I believe. We had better revert to Italian now.”
When we reached the main hall there was much anxiety as General Bonaparte and his Guides had entered the citadel. I went to the door with Sir John and we awaited the arrival of the conqueror of Valetta. I saw the brief look of surprise on Sir John’s face as he saw the diminutive size of the general but he covered it well. He stepped forwards and bowed. “I am Sir John. The Grand Master is indisposed but I am here to formally surrender to you.” He pointed to me. “Your representative here has been most courteous and I would like to express my appreciation.”
Bonaparte smiled, “He is one of my lucky stars. Well done Scotsman.” His tone became more serious. “I will require the presence of all of the knights here within the hour when I will give my judgement on their future. If the Grand Master is still indisposed then he will have to learn his fate from one of you.”
Sir John nodded. “I will make the arrangements.” He turned to me and shook me by the hand. “Farewell Robert Macgregor. We may not have the opportunity to speak again so God speed and I hope you enjoy a happy and successful life.” He squeezed my hand as he shook it and gave me a smile.
After he had left Bonaparte turned to me. “I did not know you had diplomacy as a skill. Well done.” He turned to Bessières. “We will have to find where the treasure is. Get a couple of guards and interrogate them…”
“Sir, I know where the treasure is. Sir John took me there. He seemed to think it would make things easier for the knights.”
His eyes narrowed, “He is a shrewd one. Lead on my young friend.”
We went down the stairs accompanied by Bessières and some of his Guides. The guards looked at us warily. I said, “You saw me before with Sir John. The knights have surrendered. This is the new ruler General Bonaparte.” The man saw the wisdom in compliance and steppe
d aside.
By the time we had left the rooms filled with treasure General Bonaparte’s eyes were sparkling. “Well done Scotsman. Once again you have done me a great service.” He turned to Bessières, “I think we will deal leniently with the knights but the Grand Master is another matter. You had better order Vaubois to occupy the town.”
Before we could speak with the knights Sir John burst into the room, quite distressed. “I tried to get all of the knights as you requested but a mob heard we had surrendered and they have killed some of my brothers in the streets!”
Bonaparte knew how to handle mobs. “Bessières, take my Guides and clear the streets. Hang any looters and recover those bodies.” As his commander left Bonaparte said, “I am sorry that your knights suffered. Your people should know that you acted wisely to save lives.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “And you should rejoin your comrades. Bessières has another task for you.”
As I left I saw Sir John nod at me. It was the last time I saw the old man. It was a sad moment.
The army was camped just outside of the city. Not all of the thirty thousand men had been put ashore. The 17th was still aboard the transport. The others were there however and Pierre had managed to acquire us a mess tent all to ourselves. He grinned as he told me, “I pulled rank with a sergeant. First time I have done that and it felt good.”
I told them what had transpired but not Sir John’s conversation with me. I might tell Jean but it was private and I wanted to keep it that way. Jean was amazed, “We conquered the whole island and lost no-one. A few men with cuts and bruises and that is all.”
“Well the knights suffered. The mob got to them.”
Pierre shook his head, “Stupid! Typical civilians. They don’t do any fighting but always get annoyed when the fighting men don’t protect them as they think they should.”
We heard the popping of muskets, “Well they are learning now. Bessières has taken his Guides to give the populace a lesson in democracy.”
They all looked at me in surprise for there had been venom in my voice. “This is not like you Robbie. You sound almost political.”
I lowered my voice. “Perhaps I am realising that the ones who lead us are not doing it for the right reasons.” I told them of the treasure I had seen. “You can bet we will not see any of that and who will?”
Jean poured me a mug of rough wine, “And it has been the same since the dawn of time. The soldiers who fought at Troy did not get the treasure. It was Menelaus and Agamemnon. It was Alexander the Great who reaped the rewards of his men’s blood and Julius Caesar gained riches and power on the backs of his legionaries. We have to accept it.”
I remained silent and thought of the seal I had concealed beneath my jacket. Soon it would be joining my other treasures and I would begin to plan how to fulfil my oath to Sir John.
Some days later we were summoned, along with a major of grenadiers, to the palace. We had heard, before we left for the palace that the Grand Master was to be exiled to Trieste but the others were allowed to leave freely. General Bonaparte was no fool and he knew the debt he owed the men who had handed the island and the treasure to him. Sir John and most of the knights had already sailed when we marched through the gates of the palace now topped by a huge tricolour. I hoped he would find peace in Sicily.
The little general was seated at a table surrounded with maps. I noticed Francois, the captain of the Carillon standing to the side. He smiled when he saw us and joined Jean and me. The general beamed. He greeted the young major. “Ah Major Lefevre, I am pleased to meet you. General Lannes speaks highly of you.“ He pointed to the five of us. “These six men do little jobs for me now and again and I thought it time to put the two of you together.”
He rubbed his hands as he pointed to the map. “Tomorrow the fleet sails for Egypt. We will soon conquer that country for the glory of France. But tonight you will go, along with a company of grenadiers and sail on the Carillon to Alexandria. I need the port making secure. That is the mission you will undertake. You will sail under the flag of Malta. You will enter the harbour and capture any guns so that we can sail in unmolested.”
I was bereft of words. How would we achieve that? The general seemed to almost read my mind. “Many Maltese ships had fled there in the last couple of days.” He gave a sly smile. “Some of the knights have gone there on their way to the Holy Land.” He had thought all of this through. “You will need to hold the port for no more than twelve hours. I am sure you can manage that.” The major nodded confidently, as for me, I was not too sure.
Chapter 20
As we walked through the town down to the port I asked Francois. “Is it possible?”
“Do you mean can I sail into the harbour under a Maltese flag? Of course. Can you capture and hold the port? That I am not too sure of.”
Jean asked the major, “Have your men done this before?”
I saw the flicker of doubt briefly cross the grenadier’s face then he smiled, “We are the soldiers who attack and hold the most difficult positions. We did so at Rivoli.”
“Yes we were at Rivoli.”
He seemed to notice our uniforms for the first time. “Of course, the famous 17th; I am honoured to serve with you. I wondered why he wanted cavalrymen for this mission.”
“It is not for our skills as horsemen I can assure you.”
The grenadiers had embarked already and our gear was on the deck. I didn’t think I would spend much time below decks. I could not see where they could put a hundred and twenty men. This would be a very crowded voyage. The smell alone would make me vomit.
Jean and I were alone at the bows of the sloop. There was little enough space on the tiny vessel but few wanted to be at the bows where the spray constantly wetted you. “Well Robbie, what was so important you wanted us to catch our death of cold here at the bows?” I told him of my meeting with Sir John and my oath. After I had told him I watched his impassive face as he stared towards the distant coast of Africa. “So you want my help to run. Is that it?”
“No, of course not. I will continue to fight for France. I would never desert. I am just telling you so that when this war is over and I leave the chasseurs I will be going to Scotland to return the Great Seal to my family.”
He seemed to relax at that news. “In that case I am pleased and I promise that I will help you.” The sense of relief I felt made me feel as though a massive stone had been lifted from my back. With Jean at my side I was confident that I could carry out my sworn mission. “You cannot escape your destiny, you know that? It is in your blood and I can see your mother and her determination every time you speak.”
We joined the others by the mainmast. We had discovered that we did not get in the way if we were there. The major wandered over. “You have done things like this before?”
“You mean sneak in somewhere without being seen? Yes a couple of times.” Jean pointed to the white webbing and belts on the grenadier’s uniform. “You need to take those off when we go into action. If it is night, and I think the young lieutenant will try to land at night, then you need to be as dark as possible. You also need you men to work independently. I suspect Bonaparte sent you because you can do that but when we land your men will be spread out over a large area. I would not have done it this way.”
The major looked puzzled. “No? What would you have done?”
“I would have found out before we landed where the guns were and where the defences were the strongest. This way you and your men will have to think on your feet. You will have to find the guns and disable them at the same time; that will not be easy.”
His face fell. “That makes sense.”
“Sir, we could still do that. Land us a mile away, perhaps in daylight. We scout it out and then the captain picks us up. It would only take a couple of hours.”
Jean nodded, “That could work.”
“But that is a huge risk to you is it not? You would be alone in a hostile place.”
“Well major, that will hap
pen anyway. The difference is that when the force is landed it will be fighting from the moment it lands. We will try to avoid any kind of action. It is the intelligence we discover which is vital.”
“Good I will tell the lieutenant.”
We had just reached him when we heard the lookout yell, “Sail Ho!” There was a pause, “Three ships. Arab Xebecs.”
The lieutenant gave an apologetic shrug. “Whatever you needed of me will have to wait.”He pointed to the Maltese flag flying from the taff rail. “Our general is a victim of his own success. The pirates will know that the knights are fleeing Malta and will be seeking their treasure.”
The major looked perplexed. “Should I bring my men on deck?”
“Not yet they will only get in the way. They do not have a large number of guns but they do have many men. Let us keep your grenadiers as a surprise in case they close with us and try to board us.”
We loaded our muskets and stood behind the helmsman watching, carefully, the Xebecs which were closing rapidly. They appeared to move like greyhounds. I had thought the sloop was swift but now that I had seen the pirate ships I knew differently. I saw that they were spreading out so that they could catch us if we headed north or south. If we continued in the same direction then they would catch us. It was inevitable. The young lieutenant looked at the masthead and then at his chart. “Number one put chain shot in the guns; we’ll try to dismast one of them.” He glanced over at us. “When they close we can bring the grenadiers up. It might make a difference but each one of those has as many men on board as we do and they are used to fighting on ships. Your men are not marines. Unless we can sink two of them then we are in trouble.”
He sounded calm but I knew he would be as nervous as any of us. The Barbary pirates were not known for their gentle behaviour and the best we could hope for would be slavery.
Pierre peered down his barrel as he murmured. “I’ve heard they make eunuchs of their slaves.” He looked at Michael. “Don’t let them take me alive. I couldn’t live if I was a eunuch.”