Well, and in the dark one does not notice such decorations, nor is one much offended by teeth that come to a point. So we took our pleasure willingly with these gifts of Mofarigosat. To me it was a particular secret sport to hold mine tight in my arms and pretend that she be Matamba, for there was something indeed Matamba-like about the feel of her flesh and the placing of her ornamental scars and the sweet deep odor of her body. Yet was she not even distantly Matamba’s equal in the arts of the bedchamber, which made me long to be in São Paulo de Loanda once again, and in Matamba’s embrace.
But when we spoke with Mofarigosat about taking our leave of him, and peradventure having from him a guide to lead us onward to the city of Calicansamba, he only laughed and clapped us lustily on the shoulders and cried, “Nay, stay with us! Share our meat! Why rush off so hasty?”
The which did make us even more suspicious of him. I spoke with Pinto Dourado and told him what I believed the real reason for Mofarigosat’s rich hospitality to be, that was, that he feared having us join forces with Calandola’s Jaqqas, and was delaying us here with pleasures until Calandola should be safely out of his country. In this Pinto Dourado concurred.
Then the feasting ended and we said to Mofarigosat, “Now we shall take our leave of you. Will you have the kindness to provide us with a guide to the inland?”
“In time, in time,” said Mofarigosat, looking thoughtful and stroking his white beard. “But first I ask a small service of you, that will give you hardly any effort.”
At that I felt dismay, for I had had a good education thus far in my life in what it meant to be asked to perform just one small service before you were free to go your own way. But we inquired of him what he would have of us, to which he replied that there was a city nearby that was enemy to him and rebelled against him, and he did crave our assistance in reducing that city to subjection.
“Surely,” I said, “the armies of Mofarigosat are capable of dealing with any enemy!”
“That they are,” smoothly he replied, “but it will be so much more swift, so much less bloody, if the white men and their guns show their force against these folk.”
We parleyed some long while, and gradually the shape of things did become clear. Which was that Mofarigosat thought himself a mighty man having us with him, and intended to use us to terrify all his foes. He would not let us go out of his land till we had gone to the wars with him, and that was the substance of it. Of course we could refuse him and fight our way free, but beyond doubt some of us would perish in that, and quite possibly we would fail entirely. For the armies of Mofarigosat were on constant patrol around us, hundreds and hundreds of warriors, and though he respected our guns greatly, he did not fear them in any abject way, nor us. In the face of his firmness we chose the easiest course, which was to yield to him at least this once, and do him his service.
So we were forced to go with him to a town along a small fork of the River Kuvu, which was well defended but which I think Mofarigosat himself could well have conquered without our aid. He took up his position around it and called out that they must surrender, or they would be slain by white-skinned demons. To this came a volley of arrows by way of reply. Whereupon Mofarigosat turned to us and that sly old man smiled and gestured and did say to us, “Destroy them.”
And we levelled our muskets at the warriors of the rebellious town and slew many of them in the first onslaught. The others fled at once, and we marched into the town and destroyed the enemies of Mofarigosat. In doing this, three of us were slightly wounded by arrows, but all the town that had opposed him was taken. We stood to one side while Mofarigosat and his troops now plundered the town and helped themselves to its wealth. I do not know the name of this place, in whose sorry downfall I took part.
When we had done this we resolved to make our leavetaking of Mofarigosat without further delay. So again the chief Portugal officers and I went to the lord, and said we would leave, I being the speaker and making my words plain and firm.
Mofarigosat replied, “I will not prevent you leaving.”
“Aye,” said I, “then we shall depart this hour.”
“But I must have a pledge from you first.”
Pinto Dourado, who had come to speak this language almost as well as I and sat listening close beside, gave me a troubled look, and I shared his distress.
I said, “What pledge do you ask?”
“That you return to my land within two months, and bring with you a hundred men to help me in my wars, and to trade with me. For we would ally ourselves with you Portugals.”
“Did you understand his words?” I asked the captain.
“Aye.”
“And what shall I tell him?”
“That he is an old mildewed fool,” Pinto Dourado growled. Then he said, “Nay, keep that to yourself. But how can I answer him? They have nothing here that holds value to us in trade. And we have no need to fight his wars for him.” With a shrug Pinto Dourado said, “Tell him we agree. We will come in two months, and give him all that he wishes.”
“But—”
“Tell him, Englishman!”
So did I turn to Mofarigosat and say, as I was instructed, “It is agreed. You shall have a hundred men with weapons that shoot flame, and we will trade with you.”
“Most excellent,” Mofarigosat responded. “And will you give me a pawn to assure me of your good faith?”
“A pawn?” I said. “What pawn?”
“Leave one of your number with me for hostage, so that I know you will come again.”
Pinto Dourado at this did spit, and scowl, and look away. I told the chieftain that we could not consent to such a thing, but he would not have it other, and in the end we withdrew to confer among ourselves. The Portugals all seemed greatly desirous of getting away from this place as quick as possible, even if it meant leaving a man behind. “It is only two months,” said Fernão Coelho. “And we will give that man a full share of all our profits in our trading!”
“If it seems so small a time to you,” answered him one of our master gunners, “then you be the one who stays, boatswain!”
“Ah, nay, friend,” said Coelho. “We will draw lots for it.”
“Lots! Lots! Aye!” cried many of the Portugals. “It is the only fair way!”
But some of them would not agree to it, saying that even if it were only the one chance out of fifty that they be left here, they would not hazard it. And no one could make them join in the lot-drawing; and therefore the others would not draw lots, either, for only a fool would reach for a straw when half his fellows refused to share the risk. I thought Pinto Dourado would order them all to go into the lottery, to make an end of it and get us out of here before Mofarigosat devised some new labor for us. But the slippery Portugal had an easier idea.
He turned to me and said, “We will leave you as our pawn, Englishman.”
I think that if I live to be eight hundred year, yet will I never grow accustomed to the casual treachery that is practiced between men on this world. For sure that Pinto Dourado’s words did come upon me by surprise, and take me in the gut the way a kick by a booted foot would have done.
“Aye!” cried all the Portugals lustily, and why should they not? “Leave the Englishmen here! Leave the heretic!”