Jacob's ladder

“But, my dear, what is this thing those men are trying to get?”

Luis had just told lady Borland the story of his adventures, since the arrival of Gérard in Salamanca until his persecution by Blatsov in the streets of Lisbon. But he had skipped every reference to Jacob’s ladder: the conversation he had overheard in the university chapel; his talk with Pierre at home; and what his tutor had said before he fled from the inn. He had not mentioned the amulet, because in his mind it belonged to Charles and he was not sure that his tutor would allow him to declare its existence. On the other hand, Charles had said that Lady Borland his friend, that she was to be trusted. He felt confused.

Lady Borland spoke quite acceptable French, so they had been able to converse. She was about forty, tall and thin, sandy-haired, with rosy cheeks and a face that, far from beautiful, expressed the conscience of her social level and her self-security. Compared with Charles, who never insisted on social differences with anybody, Luis felt intimidated by the lady and tried to behave with extremely politeness to keep her good graces, for she was his only help and defense against Blatsov, who had to be somewhere in Lisbon, plotting to seize him.

Lady Borland had just asked the question he had been expecting and fearing. He could not help to answer but, to gain time, he said:

“Blatsov wants me, but I don’t know what he wants to do. Milady, are you sure that we are safe here? He is awful!”

The lips of the lady pursed in a slight smile. She did not appear impressed by the terror in the boy’s eyes.

“Don’t worry. This house is a small fortress, garrisoned by an army of faithful servants with long years at my service. This man won’t be able to come in without my leave, and I won’t give it. We are in Lisbon; this is not an inn near Ciudad Rodrigo. This is a highly civilized town. If you abduct or murder someone, you must pay the consequences. I have influential friends. When Blatsov is found, he’ll be arrested. When he is in jail, you can forget about him.”

Luis felt far from easy, for he considered Blatsov much superior to the Portuguese police, but pretended to accept Lady Borland’s words. Anyway, she had not forgotten her original question and tried again:

“I understand that major Gérard has been sent by Boney to get an object which belonged to him, but is now in the possession of count Philippe.”

Luis shuddered when he heard her name in such familiar way the man who had almost become the owner of Europe.

“That’s true,” he answered.

“By the way, have you heard that Boney entered Paris on Monday and is again the emperor of the French?”

Lady Borland’s voice expressed the irony and disdain of a born aristocrat for an upstart. Luis did not speak. He was afraid of Bonaparte. At the same time, he admired his strategic and military talent, but did not dare to say it, because his hostess would be vexed.

“This thing Gérard is looking for: you have it, don’t you? Philippe has trusted it to you.”

Luis couldn’t speak, but his love for truth impelled him to nod.

“Can I see it?”

Very slowly, as though struggling with himself, Luis unbuttoned his shirt, put his hand inside his clothes and drew out Jacob’s ladder. Lady Borland took it carefully, looked at it for some time and gave it back, saying in a disappointed voice:

“Is this all? I thought it would be something much more interesting. It weighs very little; it cannot be very valuable, even if it is made of pure gold. Why is Boney so determined to get it?”

“He thinks it is a lucky amulet and wants to recover it. Charles stole it during the battle of Borodino.”

“Good for Philippe!” exclaimed Lady Borland, who added scornfully: “I’m not surprised at Boney’s superstition. It is typical of low people who get too high. But why didn’t Philippe destroy it? It would be safer; it would never fall into his hands again. It cannot be because of its monetary or artistic value.”

“Charles considers this object more important than it seems. I don’t know why, he didn’t tell me, but he said something about this when he put it in my hands.”

“Let me see it again,” said Lady Borland. Reluctantly, Luis took again Jacob’s ladder from inside his shirt and allowed her to take it in her fingers.

“It looks like a ladder. Why are the steps irregularly distributed?”

“I don’t know, milady.”

She turned the small object around several times and looked at it attentively before releasing it.

“You can keep it,” she said. “Take good care of it, if it’s so important.”

“I have it always with me.”

During the next week, Luis could not speak again to Lady Borland, who seemed to have forgotten about him. During that time, he dared not leave the house, fearing to meet the man in black, but did not feel bored, having discovered a library with French and Spanish books which he turned into his lair, and spent many hours reading there. The servants, English or Portuguese, treated him with the elaborate politeness appropriate for their lady’s guest, although Luis conjectured that they all knew that he was the ward of a French count.

On Sunday, the lady called him again to her presence.

“Your friend Blatsov has disappeared. He must have foreseen that we would try to arrest him. He has probably left Lisbon. Don’t be afraid, you are not in danger.”

Luis did not contradict, but his awe toward the man in black was too high to hope that he had forgone his intent so easily. Lady Borland seemed to guess his thought, for she added:

“In any case, you’ll soon be completely safe. We are leaving Lisbon, I’m getting back to England, and you’ll come with me. Blatsov won’t be able to follow you there.”

Luis realized that the lady had used the preceding week to make arrangements on his behalf and felt remorse for having thought that she had forgotten his situation.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, he did not see her, but was not surprised, for she was very busy with their imminent departure. Her house was big and she couldn’t move it at a blink. Speaking with the servants, he learned a few things about his hostess: the Lisbon house belonged to her, and she made long and frequent stays in Portugal. The Portuguese servants would remain there, but the English would travel with her to England. Used to their mistress’s trips in both directions, they saw nothing unusual in her next move, which they thought would take about one month to prepare. Therefore, when Lady Borland announced on Thursday that they would be leaving in three or four days, they were dumbfounded and started working in earnest, while Luis was called again to her presence.

When he went in the room where she had always received him, he was surprised by the change in her face. She seemed worried, dark-browed and almost fearful. Up to this point, she had always considered his fears childish, but now she seemed to have been infected. Luis wondered what had happened and soon had the answer:

“The man in black has been seen. He is in Lisbon. My agents could not arrest him. Apparently, he escaped them mysteriously. Assuming a certain degree of exaggeration in their report, it’s clear that Blatsov has accomplices who are hiding him. We must hurry up and leave as soon as possible.”

“When, milady?”

“Our ship will be ready to leave on Sunday. On Saturday, we’ll move on board carefully, for his spies are everywhere. We have detected people in this street who have nothing to do here. They must have been sent by Blatsov. If you leave the house, they’d get hold of you or run and tell their boss where you are. Don’t worry, we’ll deceive them, I have my plans.”

On the evening of Saturday April 8th, the coach was ready in the hall, inside the house. The huge room was full of crates, which would be moved to the ship on the next day. Today they would take nothing, for Lady Borland wanted to hide the fact that Luis was leaving the house and make it look as though she was going alone in one of her usual visits. The lady, her personal maid and the boy got in the carriage. The driver drew the curtains to make them invisible and climbed the box, the doors were opened, the whip was cracked, and the two horses trotted slowly out to the street. Peeping at a slit between the curtains, Luis saw a man, leaning on the wall, whose eyes were following the coach, but he did not move. If he was one of Blatsov’s spies, he did not seem to suspect that Luis was in the carriage. Up to this point, at least, Lady Borland’s plans seemed to have worked.

Following a devious way, to mislead possible pursuers, the coach stopped at the docks, near the gangway to a schooner whose sails, partially unfolded, and the crew toiling on the deck, pointed at an imminent departure.

“We’ll go on board,” explained Lady Borland. “The coach will go to several places in Lisbon before getting back home with the curtains drawn, so that the watchers will assume that I have returned. I’ll instruct the captain to push the ship away from the jetty and keep double watch during the night, just in case. As you see, everything’s in control. Tomorrow at sunrise they’ll bring my luggage. When it’s on board, we’ll leave for England.”

Everything was done as the lady had said. The three passengers in the coach walked quickly up the gangway and retired to their cabins. As a child, Luis had been interested in ships, collected drawings and designs, but it was the first time he had been on board one, and he felt disappointed at not being able to visit it in depth. He cheered himself thinking that he had just to wait till the next day, when they were on the open sea, with no danger of being watched.

One hour after midnight, loud shouts on the jetty called the attention of the watch, who warned the captain and waked Lady Borland. She dressed hastily and came on deck to see what happened. A man on land was asking to be allowed on board, for he brought important news. The captain had called her to ask her opinion, but the lady recognized one of her English servants and ordered him to be brought on board. A boat was sent, as the ship was twenty yards away from the jetty. Once on board before her mistress, the man, exhausted and panting, spoke with a broken voice:

“I had to run, milady. Your house has been attacked. They’ll come here any time.”

“Who dared?” asked the lady.

“They were twenty, commanded by a man in black. They beat the servants, put them together in the hall for interrogation, and searched the house. I escaped through a window in the second floor. The servants are terrified: they’ll tell him that you are here. I’ve come to warn you.”

Lady Borland thought it over. She looked disturbed, but controlled her feelings and soon took the situation in her hands. Turning to the captain, she asked:

“Can we leave now?”

“Everything is ready, milady, we can take to sea in fifteen minutes. We were waiting for your luggage.”

“We must leave it, we are in danger. Those men are more daring than I thought. Give the order immediately.”

The captain saluted and left, while the lady spoke to her servant.

“You must get back,” she instructed. “Don’t worry; when they know I have escaped, those men will leave you alone. Tell Jarvis to follow in the next ship with my luggage and my attendants. We’ll meet again in England.”

Although he was reluctant, the servant did as he was told. When the boat which took him to the jetty came back, the captain gave the order to weigh anchor and hoist the sails. The creaking of the capstan awoke Luis, who came on deck rubbing his eyes. Lady Borland saw and called him to her.

“What happens?” asked the boy.

“We are leaving.”

“But it is not morning! Why did you change your plans?”

“Look,” answered the lady, pointing at the harbor, just invaded by a troop of armed men. In front of them, clearly visible at the light of the lanterns in land, they saw a man with a pallid face, clad in black, who walked to the end of the jetty, as though he would like to jump in the water, but stopped suddenly, his eyes fixed on Luis, whom he seemed to see clearly in spite of the darkness which covered the ship deck.

The wind blew the sails; the ship turned by ninety degrees, gained distance and cut the invisible thread joining Blatsov’s eyes with the boy, who had just escaped him for the third time.