Inferno

Chapter 14

The little coastal track meandered interminably along the west shore of the isle but it was what Kydd craved – deep rural silence and solitude, with a sublime view of the sea and islands. In a wafting fragrance of peat and heather, it was working its magic on his soul.

A flock of sheep across his path scattered in alarm and he spotted a figure in highland smock standing against the skyline, watching him.

He rounded yet another foreland and saw, far out on the glittering sea, a fishing boat with patched ochre sails on its way round to Dunlochry. He watched as it went about, each action economically one after the other, not all together, smart navy fashion. She would have only a tiny crew.

He looked more closely: was it Maid back from a fruitless search for a diving bell?

He felt a stab of remorse. Toby Stirk had been a true friend and shipmate, bringing him without question into the warmth of his family, but now the old salt was way out of soundings. Kydd’s paltry advice was little return for what he’d given.

There was no way he could be involved in the venture, of course. As a king’s officer it would be a scandal if it were ever known. However, he could still give counsel and that right willingly, although he doubted he would be asked again.

He began to walk back.

By the time he reached the village Maid had moored and her crew were sitting on the jetty.

When they saw him they got up and hurried across.

‘Mr Paine. Sir. We has t’ talk wi’ ye.’ Stirk’s battered hat was in his hands.

‘Aye, an’ urgent, like, if y’ please,’ added Jeb.

‘Very well. At the Lion?’

‘No! This’n is serious. Don’t want no prattin’ gabblers hearin’ what we’ve to say to ye.’

It seemed that only on Maid at her buoy could they talk freely.

Kydd sat in the place of honour on the fore windlass.

‘Shut y’r geggy, Jeb, an’ let me tell ’im,’ Stirk demanded, then laid it out for Kydd.

Tobermory was a rising and important maritime town with a small dockyard to care for the little fleet of storm-tossed naval sloops guarding the northern approaches to the kingdom. This had been their first port of call, and he’d been right in his hunch that there was a diving bell in town. His informant, a blacksmith taking a wet before an afternoon at the anchor shop, was positive: he’d forged a grappling hook for the beast.

The second part was more delicate. Stirk’s story had been ingenious: he had with him a Dutch philosophical gentleman who prayed he might set eyes on such a wonder, if it were at all possible.

The master attendant’s clerk had been most sympathetic, nodding bemused at the heavily disguised Laddie but regretted that for the last two years the thing had been on the books over at Leith, called on only when needed. And he knew of no other bell in the Western Isles – that is, no king’s bell.

Picking up on the last, Stirk prowled the few slips and only shipyard and even asked about in ships’ chandlers, sailors’ flophouses and the like. On his way back to Maid he had been stopped by a ragged messenger, who took him back to one of the chandlers.

The man had quickly disposed of Stirk’s tale and put it to them that they had a treasure map or similar, which had given them certain knowledge of the whereabouts of a rich sunken wreck. Why else would they be looking for a diving bell?

Brushing aside their protests, he put a proposition to them: they were never going to secure a diving bell in all of Scotland, and in any case it would provoke intolerable curiosity if they did. But he had a solution. For a consideration he would provide the means to recover the hoard.

Years ago, a Mr Lethbridge of Newton Abbot, the legendary Wrackman, had invented a diving engine quite different from Dr Halley’s bell. In it he had successfully brought up much wealth from a Dutch East Indiaman in Madeira, more from wrecks at Cape Town and other parts, and had retired a rich man. His son had followed him and they’d even come to Scotland with the diving engine and, among other feats, had lifted thirty-five elephant teeth, worth a fortune, from a sunken East India Company merchantman off the Isle of May.

The son had got into difficulties and eventually gone bankrupt, but had left a complete diving engine with this very chandlery establishment as pledge against his debts. It had been kept safe against its redeeming but the son had died without claiming it – and it lay locked away on the premises ready to do its duty once more.

So what was it to be? To walk away from a fortune, or allow the respectable Jacob Meares to join the venture with a proven apparatus for the salving of treasure?

‘Ye said as how ye’d not be spare wi’ your advice, so now we’s askin’, Mr Paine,’ declared Stirk.

‘Ah. I’m not sure how far I can help, as I’ve no knowledge of these, er, engines and such.’

‘Ye can’t help, and wi’ all your sea service?’ Stirk burst out. ‘Who we goin’ to ask, then?’

‘Steady on, Toby. Your Mr Paine’s only bin a lubbardly foremast hand, mate,’ Jeb said.

‘Look, Mr Paine. You bein’ a gent an’ all, this Meares cove’ll steer small wi’ you. All we’re askin’ is that you comes t’ see the bastard and let ’im make his play, an’ keep an eye t’ weather and see if he’s flammin’ us, that’s all,’ Stirk begged.

The others looked at him with imploring eyes and Kydd knew he couldn’t refuse. It was advice only that he would be giving, he told himself. ‘It’ll cost you a stout Tobermory whisky but I believe I’ll bear you a hand.’

He pretended not to notice the chase of emotions on Stirk’s face.

Lines were cast off and Maid of Lorne took up on the brisk south-westerly with an eagerness that pleased all hands.

On the way they discussed strategy.

‘Gentlemen. This will only work for you if Mr Meares can produce the apparatus. And for that, what assurance do we have that it’s the authentic article?’ Kydd pursed his lips. ‘For that matter, has anyone heard of this Wrackman? I haven’t.’

‘He’s not askin’ for coin in hand, Mr Paine. Only a share.’

If there was any sharp practice it was difficult to see what could be gained. ‘If he’s on shares then we’ve grounds to go forward.’

‘We?’

‘In the larger sense, Laddie,’ Kydd admonished, with a grin.