Chapter 24 - The Red Pearl
The stars began to fade under the first reflections of dawn, when the small sailing ship dropped anchor near the rocks that protruded from the water.
Several pearl fishing boats had already anchored. Their crews, however, were so busy preparing for the fishing that no one had paid any attention to their arrival, especially as the captain had several nets stretched over the edges.
During the night run, Blake had set up the air machine, the tubes, the rubber robes, and the thick copper headboards, so that everything was ready.
«Here we are.» said the mandah «If you do not find the pearl here, it would be useless to look for it elsewhere.»
«Is this the very place where the thief plunged himself?» Blake asked.
«I cannot deceive myself» replied the mandah «I was in one of the lifeboats that were chasing him and right in front of these rocks he disappeared under the water.»
«Will we be able to find her?» Kaj asked, his voice trembling.
«Usually the sea is very rough and deep at this point, the body will have been covered in sand, unless ...»
«Go on» Blake said, seeing him hesitate.
«What if some shark devoured the body?» Kaj's forehead was covered in sweat.
«We'll have to search the sands and maybe a long time» said Blake. «Are you sure that man still had the pearl hidden in his thigh?»
«Nobody doubts that it had the famous pearl; that he still kept it hidden within the wound is doubtful. It is said that when he arrived in the City of Pearls he had it removed. But when I saw him jump into the water, he was holding a kind of bulging steel mesh bag in his hand. Who assures me that the pearl wasn't in there instead?» said the mandah.
«If that were true, the chances of finding thec pearl are increased.» said Blake. «Even if the body was devoured by some shark, we would always find the bag in the sand. Don't be discouraged, Kaj… What does that boat want?».
One of the sailing ships, which did not carry the pearl fishermen's association badge aft, advanced slowly towards them.
The ship stopped, sinking its anchors again.
«They looked for a better place and nothing else.» the mandah pointed out, but he ordered the sailors to cover the deck with the tent.
Meanwhile Blake and Kaj, aided by Jody, had put on their diving suits and Jody hung two short shovels from their belt to remove the sands, then gave the order to lower them, while the mandah operated the pump.
The two disappeared beneath the surface, dropping towards the bottom.
A little later they placed their feet on a bank of sand twenty-four meters deep.
Blake, after walking for about twenty meters, sounding him with the shovel, approached Kaj, pointing with one hand a rise in the bottom, covered with crustaceans.
On the bench, which was level, there was no rise. The two divers, after exchanging a nod, headed towards that point, dispersing the mass of crustaceans with a few blows.
That work was not very easy, since the mud, muddying the waters, prevented them from seeing each other. They were working when Blake rushed into the hole. He waited for the mud to settle again, then showed Kaj a human skull.
Was it that of the thief or some poor pearl fisherman?
The two ex-convicts began to search the sands feverishly, animated by the hope of finding that steel bag that the mandah had seen.
Strange crustaceans never seen fled under their feet, even sea spiders, with enormous legs, rose furiously and tried to bite them.
They had been working for some time, when Blake rushed forward, throwing away a pile of human bones, then plunged his hands into the sand, grabbing something that glowed.
In his right hand he was clutching a steel mesh bag, which showed a noticeable bulge as if it contained some object.
Kaj threw himself on him, snatching it from his hand, opening it. The mandah was not deceived. Among the links there was a pearl of marvelous beauty, blood-red in color, as big as an egg: it was the famous red pearl!
As Blake was about to pull the rope to warn Jody to take them aboard, he thought he saw a human shadow rise behind a mass of seaweed and immediately drop down.
He put a hand to the knife, giving a yank to the rope of Kaj and put the bag inside the large pocket that hung from the belt.
Kaj, from Blake's gestures, had understood that some danger was threatening them and in turn had taken the knife.
They were about to be pulled up when mud enveloped them and a sudden wave overturned them, severing the tubes that supplied them with air and ripped their robes.
They tried hard to get rid of the copper headboards, then asphyxiation surprised them and they abandoned themselves, swallowing water, fainting.
Kaj woke up lying on a mattress, with the captain of the small ship beside him, vigorously rubbing his chest to make him throw up at least part of the water, exclaiming:
«I thought I had brought you aboard too late! What did you blow to the bottom of the sea? My boat was almost thrown into the air!»
Kaj tried to answer, but was unable to.
«Do not tire yourself. We will have time. And you, sir, how are you?»
Jody made himself heard:
«Apparently he swallowed more water than Kaj.»
«Rub, mandah, and pull his tongue: so, fine, see? He's already starting to breathe.»
«Did you take off his clothes?»
«It didn't take much to take them off.» Jody answered «They were all torn apart.»
«And the bag?»
«It's in my hand. Is that really the pearl?» asked the mandah.
«Yes, that one.»
Hearing those words, a shudder shook Kaj's body who repeated:
«The Pearl! The Pearl!»
«Drink this first, friend. It's gin and it'll make you better off.»
Kaj swallowed and immediately sat up, looking at Blake.
«Does he come to his senses?» he asked.
«He's out of danger.» Jody answered «We would do well to leave him quiet for now. When he has digested all that salt, he will be better off than you. Can you talk?»
«I don't feel any difficulties anymore» answered Kaj «Is the pearl safe?»
«I keep it» said the mandah. «You will tell me now what happened at the bottom of the sea. We saw a huge jet of water rise. What did you detonate?»
«We?»
«The water column came from the bottom.»
«We were about to return to the surface when a cloud of mud overturned us. As if something had exploded.»
«Blown up by whom?» Jody asked. «Did you see anyone over there?»
«Not me, but I remember Mr. Blake pointing to something I didn't have time to distinguish.»
«Has a sudden volcanic eruption occurred at the bottom of the sea?» wondered Jody, who had become thoughtful.
«In that case he would have continued. Did someone try to assassinate us to prevent us from picking up the pearl?» Kaj said.
«That boat he was fishing fled right away, didn't it?» Jody asked turning to the captain.
«You can't see it anymore. It could only have been the one who threw a few cartridges of dynamite or set off some already prepared mines. His suspicious maneuvers to approach us had already alarmed me.»
Palicur let out a cry of fury.
«One-eye! Yes, it could only have been him!»
«One-eye!» he repeated. Everyone turned around. Blake had also sat up and was looking at them in surprise.
«Still alive! How are you, Mr. Blake?» the others asked eagerly.
«I'm full of water» he replied, forcing a smile.
«Mr. Blake» Jody said, «did you see anyone before giving the signal to pick you up?»
«Yup. It wasn't a shark ... it was a human shadow, I'm sure. Auff! I seem to burst.»
«Do you think it was One-eye?»
«I couldn't see. I suspect it was he, yes a cartridge of dynamite and we were nearly torn apart.»
Then, after a moment's pause, he added:
«And the pearl?»
«Yes, show us the pearl, mandah!» Kaj exclaimed.
The mandah took off the bag of steel rings from the wide sash and showed the famous jewel, the only one that could redeem the beautiful Liling. It was a superb pearl, with blood reflections, a color never seen among the many fished on the Manaar reef.
The carbonate of lime had undoubtedly absorbed little by little the blood of the horrible plague, which had been opened by the thief and had lost its pearly splendor, taking on that marvelous hue which must have immensely increased its value.
«I've never seen anything like it!» Blake exclaimed «This pearl enlivened by blood is worth millions.»
«No, Mr. Blake» replied Kaj «Only the freedom of my fiancée, the girl I love immensely and without whom I could no longer live, is valid.»
«Then let's go and offer it to the monastery.»
«That's what I wanted to propose to you, Mr. Blake, if you will agree to accompany me.»
«Why not? I owe my escape from the penitentiary to you and Jody. Without you what could I have done alone? How can we get to Candy as quickly as possible without going through Colombo?»
«Climbing the Kalawa.»
«A river?»
«Yes, Mr. Blake, he will lead us up to the mountains overlooking the Candy Plateau.»
«Dude» added Jody, laughing, «don't forget I'm a machinist.»
«What do you mean?» Kaj asked.
«That if you still have a few thousand rupees, you could buy a steamboat in the City of Pearls, which I could take to the headwaters of that river.» Jody explained.
«And I can get it, those beasts that eat fire are not lacking on the coast.» concluded the mandah.
«I still have enough money left to take at least three» Kaj pointed out.
«Gentlemen, where should I direct my ship?» asked the mandah.
«At the mouth of the Kalawa» Kaj said.
Blake added: «That one-eyed rascal, not having found us dead, will keep looking for us.»
«Let's get some weapons.» Kaj warned «The river is inhabited by warlike tribes that could bother us.»
Then, after a moment of silence, he resumed: «Here is the happiness that rises after the tortures of the penitentiary. Mine or death, but first I'll kill that one-eyed dog»