Once enlightened on the subject of the birth of Erebus, Pog, in his
diabolical joy, thanked the devil for having delivered the child into
his hands.
All the feelings of aversion which Erebus had inspired in him were now
explained; all his impulses of tenderness for the unfortunate youth
could now be easily understood.
Erebus was the son of his mortal enemy; but he was also the son of the
woman whom he had adored.
Without the secret instinct of hatred and of vengeance which dominated
his being unconsciously, he could never have taken such pleasure in
corrupting and perverting a young and innocent soul.
The most hardened hearts find a solace in the thought that their crimes
are justifiable.
From this moment, Pog saw into his hatred clearly, if it may be said;
his only indecision now was how to satiate his revenge.
He saw the necessity for prudence, that his vengeance might be sure and
complete.
The death of Erebus could not satisfy him; that death, however slow,
however cruel it might be, would be only one day of torment,--that no
longer sufficed him.
The violence of his rage could not dissociate the innocent result of the
crime from the crime itself, or from those who committed it, but Pog had
long ceased to think or act with regard to justice.
In his opinion, Erebus was justly devoted to his wrath. He felt, too, a
sinister joy in learning that Pierre des Anbiez was the seducer of his
wife. Now he knew where to direct his blows.
Everything seemed to favour his plans. He believed he had killed Raimond
V., Baron des Anbiez, in the attack on La Ciotat. Reine, abducted by
Erebus, was the niece of the commander. Thus destiny assisted him in his
hatred and pursuit of this family. Such were the bitter and triumphant
feelings which filled his heart when the two galleys and the chebec
reached their place of anchorage off the isles of Ste. Marguerite.
They had scarcely anchored when Hadji came on board the _Red Galleon_,
and found Pog absorbed in his reflections.
In a few words he informed him of the designs of Erebus, and of his vain
attempts to seduce the crew of the chebec and fly to the Orient.
Pog turned pale with fright. Erebus might have escaped him but for the
fidelity of Hadji and his sailors! His vengeance baffled!
He manifested toward the Bohemian such overwhelming gratitude for his
behaviour under the circumstances, that the latter stood gazing at him
in bewilderment, so strangely did these grateful expressions contrast
with the usual habit and bearing of Pog.
“Reassure yourself, Captain Pog,” said Hadji, “you need not
carry on your conscience such a weight of gratitude; the sailors and I
remained faithful to you because our interest demands it That obligation
is superior to all others; but if you will believe me, Captain Pog, you
will seize the first opportunity to put that young man ashore. He is
getting spoiled,--he is getting weak; a little while ago he was weeping
at the feet of those two women. So I advise you to abandon him at the
first opportunity. He can only be in our way now.”
“Abandon Erebus!” cried Pog, with such passionate energy that Hadji
looked at him in amazement “Abandon Erebus! but you do not know--what
am I saying,--how can you know? This instant,--this instant bring the
boy to me. You answer to me for him with your life--with your life, do
you understand? Or indeed--but no--I will go myself on board his chebec;
that will be more sure.”
At the same moment the pilot of the Red Galleon entered with an excited
air. “Captain,” said he, to Pog, “in examining the horizon with
my telescope, I have just discovered a galley and a polacre. These two
vessels may pass without discovering us. Eblis grant it, for the black
galley is fatal to those she attacks.”
“The black galley?” asked Pog.
“Who does not know the black galley of the Commander des Anbiez?”
said the pilot.
“Eh, no doubt!” cried the Bohemian. “They expected the commander
every day at Maison-Forte, the castle of Raimond V. Pierre des Anbiez
must have arrived after us, he must have seen the citizens’ houses in
flames, and known that his niece was carried off and his brother killed,
and he is seeking us to avenge them.”
“That galley is the galley of the commander Pierre des Anbiez?”
said Pog, stuttering, so profound was his astonishment “Pierre des
Anbiez--the commander--here--he!”
It is impossible to picture the burst of savage joy with which Pog
uttered these words.
After a short silence, during which he passed his hand over his brow, as
if to assure himself that what happened around him was real, he suddenly
fell on his knees, clasped his hands, and said, with an air of the
deepest piety:
“My God, my God! Forgive me. Long have I doubted thy justice; to-day
it reveals itself to me in all its glorious majesty! Lord--Lord--forgive
me. Grief has distracted me; now thine almighty power is manifest in my
sight. The same day thou dost place father and son at the mercy of my
vengeance, after twenty years of torture. My God! after twenty years.
Lord--Lord, upon my knees I thank thee; my entire life will not suffice
to pray to thee, and to bless thee! The father and son in my power! My
God, thou art sovereignly great! Thou art sovereignly just!”
The violent transports of fury to which Pog was subject had never
terrified Hadji, but this prayer, delivered in a low, trembling, solemn
voice, filled him with a vague disquietude.
This miserable creature, who hesitated before no evil, now trembled with
fright.
In fact, something formidable was required thus to bow Pog in the dust,
and wrest from him this cry of gratitude and submission.
After having uttered this prayer, Pog rose and walked a long time in
great agitation without saying a word. He forgot the presence of Hadji
and the pilot A half-hour passed thus, the Bohemian staring at Pog all
the while with an eager, sinister curiosity.
He was waiting to see what strange and fatal result would follow this
chaos of ideas.
Pog, as was ordinarily the case when he yielded to such violence of
emotion, felt quite weak; he became as pale as a ghost, he sank down,
and, but for the timely aid of Hadji and the pilot, would have fallen
backwards.
The Bohemian bore him to his bed, drew a smelling-bottle from his
girdle, held it to his nostrils, and soon Pog-Reis recovered from his
swoon.
“I remember all now,” said he, looking around him anxiously. “I
remember all. You see I am weak,--but, Hadji, what do you wish? the time
of miracles has returned. Oh, this mark of the almighty power of the
Most High imposes obligations on me; now I am strong; now I will not
compromise the ends of Heaven’s justice by anticipating it No, no,
I await its voice. It shall be obeyed, and a terrible example shall be
given to the world. You must send Erebus to me, Hadji.”
These words, and the calmness of Pog’s countenance and accent, were
additional cause for the astonishment of Hadji.
“It shall be done as you wish, captain. I am going to send the young
man to you, or, for greater surety, conduct him to you myself.”
“That is not all, Hadji. You love pillage as much as Trimalcyon-Reis,
but you also love combat for the sake of combat, and danger for
danger’s sake.”
“And I did not have my part either in the pillage or the danger last
night, captain! I held the hook, but the fish was not for me.”
“Listen, Hadji, you can have presently your part in a brilliant
combat, or remain spectator. You must go out with the chebec to join the
black galley of the Commander des Anbiez. The speed of your vessel is
superior to that of all the galleys. You will hoist the black flag and
allure the commander into this road.”
“I understand, captain.”
“You understand me, Hadji! The culverin of Mai-son-Forte has done such
damage to our water-line and other parts of the ship that it will be
several days before she is repaired sufficiently to put to sea, but we
could in a few hours put her in a state to sustain a battle at anchor,
and few such battles have been as you will see, Hadji, if you lead the
black galley into this bay! If you wish to preserve the chebec which
belongs to me, do not enter the bay, Hadji, for as soon as the black
galley once sees the _Red Galleon_, she will hardly think of pursuing
you. Then you can set sail to the south. I give you the chebec and
slaves, Hadji.”
“It is not for the sake of possessing the chebec that I will do as you
wish me to do,” replied Hadji, with sullen pride. “Who could have
prevented my profiting from the offers of Erebus? Who now could prevent
my saying I consent to what you wish, and then setting sail to the
south, instead of going out to sea after the black galley? I will lead
the commander’s ship here to you, and I will take part in the battle,
because it pleases me, because, notwithstanding your calm appearance,
a terrible tempest has gathered in your soul, which I wish to see burst
forth. I am of an inquisitive turn of mind, captain.”
“Ah, by the wrath of Heaven, whose instrument I am, you will see a
beautiful storm let loose, if you return!”
“And I shall return, captain.”
“Above all, say nothing to Trimalcyon of my plan; that fat brute, once
under fire, will do his duty in spite of himself.”
“Make yourself easy, captain, before an hour the black galley will be
in pursuit of me around this point.”
“And then--and then,” said Pog, talking to himself with a solemn,
inspired air,--“then this bay, now so peaceful, will behold one of the
greatest tragedies,--a tragedy whose very memory will terrify humanity
for generations.”
“I am going, and I shall return with Erebus, captain,” said Hadji.
He disappeared.
Pog knelt down and prayed.