Sandokan: The King of the Sea (The Sandokan Series Book 5)

by Emilio Salgari

  The young man slowly raised his right hand and offered it to the pirate, who shook it gently.

  “And my men?” asked Sir Moreland, as a wave of emotion swept across his face.

  “We rescued everyone that survived the battle.”

  “Thank you,” he murmured.

  Then he leaned back, closed his eyes, and drifted into unconsciousness.

  “It’s up to you now, doctor,” said Sandokan.

  “There’s no need to worry, sir, I’ll take care of him as if he were my own son. Have the nurses sent in.”

  While the nurses entered with disinfectants, rolls of cotton soaked in phenol and numerous small bottles, Sandokan, Yanez and Tremal-Naik slowly walked back to the deck.

  Darma had been waiting for them and immediately approached the Portuguese.

  “Señor Yanez,” she whispered, forcing strength into her voice.

  He gave her a tender look, then smiled and silently pressed her hand.

  “Will he live?” asked Darma unable to hide her anguish.

  “It appears so,” replied Yanez. “You seem to have taken quite an interest in that young man, Darma.”

  “He was very kind to us.”

  “Yes, but I’d wager there’s more to it than that.”

  “What are your plans for him? Are you going to keep him prisoner?”

  “It’s up to Sandokan; but I’d say it’s quite likely.”

  Relieved, Darma went off to rejoin Surama, while Yanez strode towards Sandokan, who was speaking animatedly with Tremal-Naik.

  “What do you think of that young man?” the Portuguese asked.

  “Was he in command of Fort McRae?”

  “Yes,” replied Tremal-Naik and Yanez in unison.

  “He’s a true warrior,” said Sandokan. “We were quite lucky to capture him. If the rajah has half a dozen officers like him, we’ll have our work cut out for us. Is he Indian?”

  “Half Indian. He told me his mother was an Englishwoman,” said Tremal-Naik.

  “What else do you know about him?”

  “He served as a lieutenant in the Anglo-Indian fleet. He hasn’t been in Sarawak for very long.”

  “What are we going to do with him?” asked Yanez.

  “Hold him hostage,” replied Sandokan. “He may be useful to us in the future. As for the other prisoners, have a launch prepared for them then have them set off for the coast.”

  “And now, what are your plans?” asked Tremal-Naik.

  “Yanez and I have already devised our strategy,” replied Sandokan.

  “The British and the Rajah will unite their forces and try to crush us, we must avoid their squadrons. We’ve got to find a way to keep the King of the Sea stocked with coal, if we can keep her engines running, the rajah and his allies will never match our speed.”

  “Then we must move quickly. I recommend we strike the coaling station at the mouth of the Sarawak,” said Tremal-Naik.

  “That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” replied Sandokan. “Then we’ll go raid the British coaling station on Mangalum. Once we’ve destroyed their supply lines, we’ll set off for the shipping lanes and start attacking British merchant ships. We’ll deal a mortal blow to their trade with China and Japan.”

  “A brilliant plan,” replied Tremal-Naik.

  “And that’s only the beginning,” continued Sandokan. “I’ve decided to start an insurrection among the Dyaks of Sarawak. We have a few old friends among them; allies from our war against James Brooke. We’ll send them enough arms and ammunition to begin their campaign. With our ship causing havoc at sea and those headhunters at their backs, the rajah and Suyodhana’s son are in for quite a few sleepless nights.”

  “I wonder where he is,” said Tremal-Naik.

  “Probably with the rajah devising their strategy,” replied Sandokan.

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” said Yanez.

  “What about the Marianna?” asked the Bengali.

  “We’re to meet her at Tanjung Datu. She’ll have a load of coal and arms for us.”

  “Do you think she’s there yet?”

  “I suppose so.”

  “Then let’s set sail for Sarawak,” said Tremal-Naik.

  Chapter 5

  In Pursuit of the King of the Sea

  MINUTES LATER, ONCE Sir Moreland’s men had boarded a launch supplied with enough provisions to get them to Rejang, the King of the Sea set off, heading south across the Bay of Sarawak.

  The waters were calm, strong winds rarely blowing through those torrid regions where sailing ships can often be stranded for weeks on end. At times, however, a large wave would roar in from the Sunda Sea, rocking the cruiser slightly as it raced beneath her sides and headed for the horizon.

  Not a single ship could be seen anywhere. Clouds of gannets wheeled about the heavens, while, now and again, flocks of petrels, having finished their latest meal, would rise from the waves, a few tiny molluscs still clinging to their feathers.

  From time to time blooms of jellyfish were spotted a metre beneath the surface of the sea, like rows of small transparent umbrellas, gently swaying in the current. Small dolphins leaped past the ship’s ram, flying by with the speed of an arrow, as would schools of blue-lined sea bream, voracious angelfish that turn gray when taken from the water.

  Advancing at ten knots, the King of the Sea flew over the waves, barrelling towards the coast of Sarawak to execute the first step in Sandokan’s plan.

  She was indeed a magnificent vessel, well armed and well defended, a truly modern pirate ship, perhaps the only ship in the world, that alone and unassisted, without a friendly harbour to retreat to, could have undertaken that bold campaign against the powerful British fleet.

  “Well, Tremal-Naik?” asked Sandokan, appearing on deck after having paid a short visit to Sir Moreland. “What do you think of our King of the Sea?”

  “I’ve never seen her equal,” the Bengali replied enthusiastically.

  “Yes, the Americans are fine craftsmen. Twenty years ago they bought all their ships from Europe, but now their vessels are unsurpassed. Powerful and well constructed, that’s how their ships are nowadays. She’ll create quite a stir among our enemies.”

  “What if England sends her best ships after us? Have you thought of that, Sandokan?”

  “They’ll have their work cut out for them, my friend,” replied the Tiger of Malaysia. “The ocean is vast, our ship can outrun them, and there’s no shortage of British merchant ships to plunder for coal. I realize we can’t wage this war indefinitely, but we can do a lot of damage before it comes to an end; our enemies will soon regret chasing us from our island.”

  He lit his magnificent narghilè, took the Bengali by the arm, and began to walk towards the aft turrets.

  “You’ll be pleased to know Sir Moreland is getting better. Though he’s lost a lot of blood, he only has a light fever. Dr. Held is amazed and so am I. That man is made of steel!”

  “Did he remember your conversation?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “He must have been shocked to find himself in our hands. I doubt he thought he’d see Darma and I again so soon. Is he asleep?”

  “Yes, he fell asleep shortly before I left.”

  “Do you think he’ll give us any trouble?”

  “He may try, but I have plans for him.”

  “Plans? What kind of plans?”

  “I haven’t finalized them yet,” said Sandokan. “I’m still trying to determine how to make the best use of him. For now, let’s try to befriend him. He should be thankful we spared his life.”

  “I can guess your thoughts,” said Tremal-Naik. “You hope he’ll be able to provide you with some information on Suyodhana’s son.”

  “Yes,” replied Sandokan. “It’s always best to know your enemy or at least know his plans. Bah! No matter. He’s bound to appear one day or another, and come that day, the Tiger of Malaysia will send him off to join his father.”

  Dr. Held suddenly appeared on d
eck. The young physician, who had promptly accepted Sandokan’s offer to remain aboard, was an American, about twenty-six or twenty-eight years of age, tall, thin, with lively eyes, a large forehead and a slightly feminine face framed by a close-cropped blonde beard.

  “Well, Dr. Held?” asked Sandokan, promptly moving to meet him.

  “I’ve come to give you a full report,” replied the physician. “I expect a full recovery. Our patient should be up and about within fifteen days; he has a remarkable constitution.”

  The lunch bell sounded, interrupting their conversation.

  “We should get to the mess hall before Yanez becomes impatient,” said Sandokan.

  As they walked down to the dining area, the King of the Sea continued on her course, heading south-southwest. The ocean remained deserted, the ship making her way through waters rarely frequented by sailboats and steamers, which ordinarily sailed further north or south, the former to avoid the lack of wind and the latter to avoid the numerous sandbanks hidden off the coasts of Borneo.

  From time to time a flock of giant fulmars would perch upon the crows’ nests or the masts, ignoring the men about them as they rested from their flight. Large brown-feathered birds, they are known as ‘bone breakers’ throughout those islands for they can kill even the largest fish with a single blow from their strong sharp beaks.

  A few magnificent albatrosses would circle about the ship at times, grunting at the sailors in greeting as they flew over the deck, undaunted by the blasts from their carbines. Unfortunately they were not much of a catch; for though they appeared large, their wings measuring more than three and half metres from end to end, their bodies seldom weighed more than eight or ten kilograms. As a meal they were less than satisfying, for the meat was often leathery and smelled like fish.

  However, they were extraordinary acrobats, marvelous to watch. At times they would just hover above the cruiser, almost as still as statutes, barely flapping their giant wings, then in a flash they would dive towards the water and emerge with a loligo squid, their favourite meal, dangling from their beaks.

  Prey abounded for those voracious birds, for the waters teemed with fish. Though the ship was advancing quickly, the crew immediately lowered the nets and pulled in a large catch of fish to supplement the ship’s menu.

  Large schools of blue-lined sea bream, packs of small dolphins, and zigzag eels a metre long, shared the waves with endless numbers of diodons. Those balloonfish rose from the depths by the hundred, their bodies like sea urchins, bristling with thorns of white, purple, or black, long rows of nautilus emerging among them, tentacles swaying with the waves.

  At times, as if gripped by a sudden terror, the sea bream would vanish, the diodon would swell up and swim towards the ocean floor while the nautilus drew in their tentacles and turned over in their shells.

  Within minutes a fin would come slicing through the waves and an enormous shark, that measured no less than five metres, would barrel towards where they had been, its large mouth bristling with sharp teeth. With lightning speed, it would devour all before it, making a quick meal of everything that had been too slow to flee. Satisfied, it would swim on, guided by its pilot fish, a small black-striped fish with bluish-purple scales no more than twenty-five centimetres long.

  Once the danger had passed, the sea bream would resume their play, the diodon would float back towards the surface, and the nautilus would go on their way, carried off by the waves.

  Towards dusk, Sandokan and Yanez paid a visit to the wounded man’s cabin, and found to their delight that his condition had greatly improved. He showed no sign of fever, and his wound, tended to by the American doctor, had been cleaned and sealed.

  When they entered, Sir Moreland was speaking with Dr. Held. His voice was fairly clear and the two appeared to be discussing the pirate ship.

  At the sight of the two pirates, the young man made an effort to sit up; but Sandokan quickly put up a restraining hand.

  “No, Sir Moreland,” he said. “You’re too weak, you must not exert yourself.”

  “Yes, your wound could reopen,” the doctor added. “Best to avoid making any sudden movements for the next few days.”

  Sir Moreland extended his hand to the American, Yanez and Sandokan, saying:

  “Thank you for having rescued me, gentlemen. At the time I would have preferred to go down with my ship, but I must confess that I am glad to be alive.”

  “There’s always time to die,” smiled Yanez. “The war isn’t over yet, it’s hardly just begun.”

  A cloud darkened the commander’s brow.

  “I thought you merely wished to free the young woman and her father,” he said.

  “I would not have acquired a ship of this power if that were my only desire,” said Sandokan, “My prahus would have sufficed.”

  “So you plan to continue your attacks?”

  “For as long as I have a working cannon.”

  “Though I admire your courage, gentlemen, I doubt your war can last much longer. England and the rajah will immediately send their squadrons after you. You won’t be able to avoid them indefinitely. Once you’ve run out of coal, you’ll be forced to surrender, or you’ll be sunk after having put up a brave but futile resistance.”

  “We shall see.” Then changing tone, Sandokan asked, “How do you feel, Sir Moreland?”

  “Relatively well; the doctor assures me I’ll be able to get up in about ten days or so.”

  “It’ll give me great pleasure to see you walking about my ship.”

  “So you plan to hold me captive,” the captain said with a smile.

  “I couldn’t free you even if I wanted to; we’re too far from any coast.”

  “Are you heading north again?”

  “No, Sir Moreland, south, towards the mouth of the Sarawak.”

  “You’re planning to strike the rajah’s coaling station.”

  “A potential target.”

  “Sandokan, sir, if I may, I have a few questions.”

  “Ask away, Sir Moreland,” replied the Tiger of Malaysia. “I have a few questions of my own.”

  “Why have you declared war on the Rajah of Sarawak?”

  “We’re convinced he’s in league with an enemy of ours, a ruthless man who has raised the British of Labuan against us.”

  “Oh?”

  Sandokan’s eyes narrowed as if attempting to read the man’s thoughts.

  “Why don’t you tell me? As an officer in the rajah’s navy, I’m sure you must have met him.”

  Sir Moreland fell silent as he pondered Sandokan’s question.

  “No,” he said after a moment’s reflection, “I’ve never met anyone who matches that description. However, I do know that a couple of months ago the rajah received a mysterious visitor, a man of great wealth and power. They talked at length it seems about avenging his uncle James Brooke.”

  “An Indian?”

  “I don’t know,” replied Sir Moreland. “I did not have the opportunity to meet him.”

  “But you are sure he convinced the rajah and the British to attack us?”

  “Yes, so I was told.”

  “Did they also tell you that this man’s father was the High Priest of the Indian Thugs?”

  “No, that’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

  “So this mysterious man wishes to measure himself against the Tigers of Mompracem?”

  “And he’s certain of defeating you.”

  “He’ll fall as did his father and his sect,” said Sandokan.

  The captain’s eyes blazed darkly for an instant and he fell silent as if troubled by a sudden thought.

  “Who knows what the future will bring,” he sighed. Then, abruptly changing topic he asked, “Are the Indian and his daughter still aboard?”

  “Yes, and they plan to remain so for the duration of the war; their fate is tied to ours,” replied Sandokan.

  Sir Moreland sighed and slowly fell back upon the pillow.

  “Rest now,” said Sandokan.
“Nothing is going to happen tonight.”

  He gestured to Yanez and the two men left the cabin and went up to the quarterdeck. Surama and Darma were taking the air, chatting with Tremal-Naik.

  At the sight of Yanez, Darma immediately came up by his side.

  “All is well,” the Portuguese whispered with his usual smile.

  “Can I visit him?”

  “Tomorrow, provided—”

  His words were cut off by a sudden cry from the lookout at the foremast-head.

  “Smoke to the west!”

  At that cry the crew came rushing on deck; Sandokan, who had just sat down beside Tremal-Naik, immediately sprang to his feet.

  The sun had almost disappeared behind the horizon and a thin plume of smoke could be seen rising against the darkening red sky.

  “A warship searching for us?” wondered Yanez. “Or a steamboat on its way to Sarawak?”

  “I’d guess she’s a warship,” said Sandokan, aiming a pair of binoculars brought him by Sambigliong. “And judging by her smoke, I’d say she’s just changed course; she appears to be heading west.”

  “Could they have spotted us?” asked Tremal-Naik, coming up beside them.

  “It’s likely her commander saw our smoke as well.”

  “She could be a scout ship,” said Yanez.

  “It’s possible,” replied Sandokan.

  “What shall we do?”

  “Follow her, but at a distance. Tomorrow, at first light, we’ll draw closer; if she is one of the rajah’s ships, we’ll attack. We’ll spend the night on deck.”

  Though it was quickly growing dark and the ship’s smoke had faded from sight, the King of the Sea had immediately changed course and set off in pursuit. With her powerful engines, she could easily breach the distance and draw close enough to open fire and sink her if need be.

  There being the possibility of battle, the night watch had been doubled as a precaution.

  “To twelve knots!” commanded Sandokan. “I want her in our sights!”

  The command had hardly been given when the King of the Sea picked up speed and headed west.