– and gradually he sank deeper and deeper into his own reflections, all necessarily of a kind as painful as could well
be imagined. From time to time he was half aware that Mr Campbell was trying to lead them back to the matter in hand by mentioning Carebago, Spalato, Ragusa and other
ports on the Adriatic shore – if once the French were out they would represent a great danger – few sea-officers reliable, if any
He had some success, and in time Stephen was conscious that all three had in fact returned to naval matters; but much of his mind was still far down in the recent past when the voice of Kent pierced through with remarkable clarity. ‘. . . a very important point is that eventually one or another of these ships might protect or even carry the treasure.’
‘The treasure, sir?’
He saw the three faces turned towards him and at almost the same moment he saw their expressions of surprise, even displeasure, turn to the grave, unobtrusive consideration that now surrounded him – that must in decency surround him, like a pall, ever since his loss became public knowledge. It could not be otherwise: his presence was necessarily a constraint: levity, even good-fellowship, certainly mirth, were as much out of place as reproof or unkindness.
Kent cleared his throat, and the Admiral’s secretary, excusing himself, withdrew.
‘Yes, sir, the treasure,’ said Kent; and after a slight pause, ‘Mr Dee and I were discussing a scheme planned by Dumanoir and his friends – a scheme to drive a Muslim wedge between the suspicious, slow-moving Austrian forces and the lingering Russians, preventing their junction and thus disrupting the planned meeting of the Allies on the Rhine.’ Another pause. ‘You will recall that Bonaparte professed himself a Muslim at the time of the Egyptian campaign?’
‘I remember it, sure. But am I mistaken when I say that it was of no consequence at all, apart from damaging his reputation still farther? No Mahometan I ever met or heard of was much elated. The Grand Mufti took no notice whatsoever.’
‘Very true,’ said Dee, his old voice stronger now. ‘But Islam is a world as varied as our own miserable congeries of hostile sects, and some of the more remote did in fact hail the news of his conversion with delight. Among these were people as widely separated as the Azgar, on the edge of the desert, and certain heretical Shiite fraternities in European Turkey, particularly Albania, Monastir, and a region close to the northern frontier, whose interpretation of the Sunna, read without the usual glosses, points to Napoleon as the Hidden Imam, the Mahdi. The most extreme are the descendants and followers of the Sheikh-al-Jabal.’
‘The Old Man of the Mountains himself? Then they are the true, the only genuine Assassins? I long to see one,’ said Stephen, with a certain animation.
‘They are indeed; and although they are by no means so prominent as they were in the time of the Crusades, they are still a very dangerous body, even though the fedais, the experts, the actual killers, amount to only a few score. The rest of the mercenaries in the plan we are discussing, the rest of the potential mercenaries, though willing and eager to massacre unbelievers, are not moved by so pure a religious fervour that they will venture their skins free, gratis and for nothing. The three related fraternities throughout European Turkey all agree: the men are there, and as soon as they see two months’ pay laid out before them, they will move. But not otherwise.’
‘Is the sum very great?’
‘Enormous: in the present state of affairs, when gold is at such a very shocking, unheard of premium, and credit is virtually dead. Far beyond anything the French can put down immediately: for, do you see, this sudden incursion must be very well-manned, with
former Turkish auxiliaries, bashi-bazouks, tribal warriors, bandits and the like, all members of the Muslim fraternities or provided by them – a very formidable body indeed if it is to succeed in its aim
–
if it is to wreck the Allied plans and to give Napoleon the chance of engaging the weakest of the opposing armies and destroying it, as he has done before.’
‘Certainly,’ said Stephen. ‘But am I right in supposing that the Assassins’ role is something more subtle than the wild impetuous assault of the bashi-bazouks?’
‘Yes: and a truly devoted band of fedais might do Napoleon’s cause an incomparable service by removing Schwarzenberg or Barclay de Tolly or an imperial prince or indeed any of the thinking heads. Yet even so there would have to be the massive intervention, preferably by night, and some truly bloody fighting for the full effect of panic, mutual distrust and delay.’
‘Where is the money to come from?’
‘The Turk reluctantly shakes his head,’ said Mr Dee. ‘The Barbary states will provide volunteers and one tenth of the total when they see the rest. Morocco wavers.
Their real hope is the Shiite ruler of Azgar, in whom they put all their trust. It is reported on very good authority that the gold has been promised and that messengers are to be sent –
perhaps have been sent – to arrange the transport, probably from Algiers.’
‘I speak as a man wholly ignorant of money-matters,’ said Stephen. ‘Yet I had always supposed that even moderately flourishing states like Turkey, Tunis, Tripoli and the like, or the bankers of Cairo and a dozen other cities could at any time raise a million or so without difficulty. Am I perhaps mistaken?’
‘Wholly mistaken, my dear sir, if you will forgive me:
wholly mistaken where the present juncture is concerned. You must understand that several of my cousins are bankers in the City – one of them is associated with Nathan Rothschild – and that I act as their consultant where eastern affairs are concerned. So I think I may confidently assert that at this point no bank in those parts could without long notice raise so much – let alone advance a single maravedi on such security. While as for the governments. . .’ Leaning forward
and speaking in a much clearer, younger voice, his eyes full of life, he launched into an account of the economic basis of each Muslim country from the Persian Gulf to the Atlantic, its income and liabilities, its banking practice and forms of credit: he gave the impression of immense competence and authority – the old man’s quavering prolixity of earlier on disappeared entirely, and when he ended ‘… their only hope is Ibn Hazm of Azgar,’ Stephen cried, ‘I am sure of it, sir: would you have the great kindness to tell us something of the place and its ruler? For I blush to say that I know nothing of either.’
‘To be sure, it is small, and it has almost no history: but it is happily placed at the junction of three caravan routes, where one of the very few springs in that vast area rises pure and cool from the rock, watering a remarkable grove of date-palms. It is defended by its position, by the shrines of three universally-acknowledged Muslim saints, by the aridity of the surrounding country, and by the sagacity of a long-continued series of rulers. By immemorial custom the little state is run on lines not wholly unlike those I have observed in a well-run man-of-war: every man has his place and his duty; the day is divided by the blast of a ram’s horn, signifying assembly, prayers, meals, diversion, and the rest, while except in Ramadan there is daily exercise with cannon or small-arms. Furthermore, you must know that the customary dues and tolls levied on all caravans are paid, and always
have been paid, in the form of very small ingots of pure gold. These are publicly weighed and publicly divided according to established shares, often being cut or reduced to powder and weighed again with extraordinary precision to the required amount. Clearly the ruler gets most, and in the course of several generations this must amount to a very great deal, in spite of the family’s proverbial charity. Where it is kept there is no telling – curiosity in Azgar would be sadly out of place – but since the Sheikh spends most of his time in the wilderness with the famous herds of Azgar camels
he may have banks of an impregnable security in any one of the innumerable caverns that are to be found where the limestone rises above the sand. At all events he possesses the means and the zeal to carry out this operation.’
‘In economies of this kind, would letters of credit, drafts on a banking-house or the like have any existence, sir?’
‘They are not unknown, as between merchants in high credit who have dealt with one another for many years: but in the present case the gold itself would have to travel to the coast and then take ship – no great matter, with a well armed troop of Azgar camels and the swift Algerine xebecs or galleys. But with the pace at which the Russians are moving there is no furious hurry, although from our latest information the fraternities’