Jody, who was the only one who had no interest in going to Ceylon, broke the silence with a loud burst of laughter.
«Oh! Mr. Blake!» he exclaimed «Were you born with luck in your pocket? Escaping from the penitentiary to become chief of a kingdom a few hours later!».
«Laugh, rascal!» the other shouted at him, worried about that luck.
«Such as!» Jody exclaimed «A widow with beautiful eyes, young woman, a kingdom and you get angry? You are strange».
«She is offering me captivity and I have no desire to plant cabbages on this island, nor to make a family, I refuse the kingdom and that witch too. I promised to help Kaj and I will keep my word».
«Do you think that that woman, if you refuse to submit to her desire, is capable of hurling us against the natives?» Kaj asked.
«I think she's not joking.» Blake answered. «She is overbearing and obeyed. He will have us captured»
«That's the greatest danger» Jody continued, «I forgot about the steamboat».
«I find no alternative but I will accept and wait for the right moment to escape again».
«Maybe tell her that we are wanted and if she wants to keep her new husband, must she prevent her subjects from communicating with the steamboat?» Jody suggested.
«It will postpone the wedding».
«If you agree» Jody continued to mock him. «She will be in a hurry to become the wife of a charming white man, Mr. Blake. That honor! He didn't even look at me!».
«You look like you're making fun of me, Jody.»
«Not at all, sir, I'm just envious.»
«You take it, then. I gladly give you the widow and the power».
«Unfortunately my skin is hazelnut.»
In that instant the door opened and the woman reappeared with the two ladies, the ministers and some armed warriors.
«The copper ball has sunk!» she announced looking at Blake, with a defiant gesture «What have you decided? My people are waiting impatiently».
It meant that time was up. All the Indians of the Indian Ocean use a copper ball with a small hole as a clock, which they place in a basin full of water.
«What if I refuse?» he asked in a quiet voice.
«In that case I'd mention these warriors and the bay sharks would have dinner tonight».
«This is a devil that I would not even want as a bride!» Jody murmured «At the first domestic quarrel she would make me dead».
«I yield to your will then» Blake replied «which condition that our wedding will be the night of the new moon».
«Be it as you wish, but during these days, you will be watched to prevent you from escaping. I warn you that your lifeboat, to take away any hope of leaving the island, was sunk in the bay».
Blake barely held back a curse. Jody cursed him and Kaj was tempted to punch and kick ministers and warriors.
«You have committed a nonsense, madam. That lifeboat was equipped with a steam engine that gave it great speed, it would have been of great help to you».
«We will do without it» she replied. Do you have anything else to add?»
«Yes, if you want me to stay here, give orders, when the steamboat will arrives, to say that no stranger has landed here, otherwise they would come to free us».
She looked at him in amazement.
«Does a ship have to come and get you?».
«Yus»
«Do you have many sailors?» she asked, becoming uneasy.
«Sure, and some cannons too. I told you so».
«And will you let yourself be released?»
«No, I want to stay here, but beware that no words. They wouldn't leave the island without me».
Blake is a true master of cunning, Jody thought.
«I was sure you would have agreed to accept my proposal. Come, our people are gathered on the square, waiting for you to cheer you on».
«Forgive, queen» Jody said, bowing deeply, «what will you do about us? We do not wish to give the sharks of the bay dinner».
«He'll take care of giving you some high charge.»
«He will be the leader of our fleet» Blake pointed Kaj, and this is a famous warrior in his country. He will be the commander of our army, pointed Jody, that looked at him in amazement, holding back his laughter».
«Come, the people will be happy to see you by my side.»
She took Blake by the hand.
«To the health of my colleague Grand Admiral» Jody said with comical gravity, emptying three cups of wine.
«To the health of my colleague, Minister of War» Kaj replied to him.
«If those ladies were younger…» said Jody.
«I'll gladly leave you both» replied the pearl fisherman «My heart beats only for Liling. Should it cost me my life, I won't stay here. The sea does not scare pearl fishermen».
He emptied the cup Jody had filled him in one gulp, while the crowd outside cheered Blake and the widow.
When the fiancés reentered the room, they were both smiling and Blake offered his arm to the queen.
«What a fox!» Jody murmured «If she knew that he is thinking about the best way to plant her before the wedding!».
After dinner they were escorted to a luxurious home, supervised.
«Well, Mr. Blake» Jody asked «Will this comedy last long?».
«As little as possible, my dear friends, I hope that before my wedding day we will be well away from here».
«But will it be possible to leave?»
«In a few days my fiancée will be convinced that I don't want to leave her. I will have won your trust».
«Only a few days to go, Mr. Blake» Kaj said.
«Meanwhile, tomorrow you will ask to go to the bay to see your fleet.»
«And I will ask to review my army.» Jody added, laughing out loud.
«It's the navy that should interest us, Naja ... she told me...»
«Who is this Naja?» Jody asked.
"My future wife!»
«Which bears the name of a reptile! Ah, Mr. Blake, that woman must also have the heart of a Black Naja.»
«In fact, while the crowd cheered us, I heard one of the ministers say to another that he feared the fate of the two husbands might also affect me».
«Such as! You would be the third!»
«So it seems» Will replied.
«That he poisoned the other two?» Kaj asked «Nothing else is to be expected from a woman who is called like a snake!».
«I will not give her time to send me to the other world, we will lift our heels first, so Kaj now that we no longer have the lifeboat we will have to choose the best boat they have».
«I'll take care of it. I know the boats of these islanders, they know how to make them, even if they are small».
«When will we escape?»
«On my wedding night, my dear Jody. I have already prepared my project».
A very strong detonation shook the walls of the house, it came from the bay.
«The steamboat!» they exclaimed.
«Say hello to your engagement, Mr. Blake» Jody said.
That sudden rumble had made all the inhabitants come out of their huts and the military leaders rushed to Naja's abode.
«Yes, it's the steamboat, a word and we're lost and they'll lead us back to the penitentiary».
One of the ministers arrived out of breath.
«The queen is sending me to ask you if that is the ship that should take you away».
«Yes, let everyone warn them to deny our arrival»
«We will send couriers immediately.»
The minister left running, while several warriors gathered on the square. It was likely that some lifeboats had already landed on the coast to question the inhabitants. If the couriers had let slip something about the arrival of the foreigners and the sinking of the steamboat it would have been the end.
Half an hour had passed when they saw the former minister arrived.
«Come with us right away. Our couriers are too late and a squad of soldiers is marching towards the village».
«You are stupid! Blake yelled.»
«But aren't they your sailors?» churches.
«Yes, sailors who will take us to the ship by!»
«All the warriors are in arms.»
«You can't resist without guns, better hide us»
«Naja sent me here for to will hide you in the asylum of the hens that produce silk».
«It doesn't matter, as long as they don't find us.»
«Follow me.»
All ran through the village and hunted into the forest, stopping shortly afterwards in front of an enormous half-egg-shaped building, with a golden rod with clusters of bells on top.
The minister, with a huge key, opened the massive wooden door, and ushered them into an underground room, giving them tree branches taken in a corner.
«Keep these»
«What can they do for us?» Jody asked.
«To keep Bis-cobras and centipedes away. The smell of these leaves will prevent you from biting your legs. Watch!».
The minister raised the torch in his hand and lit the ground. The three convicts saw fleeing, with horror, large lizards, full of spikes, showing their forked tongues from their open mouths.
«The Bis-cobras!» Blake yelled, jumping back «Why do you keep all those horrible and poisonous lizards here?».
«To prevent thieves from stealing the hens, that vomit up the blue tongues, which belong only to our queen.»
«Hens throwing up blue tongues!» Jody murmured «What story does this man tell us?»
«Come on» the minister said, waving his twig. The Bis-cobras fled to the darkest corners. They entered a circular room, all around there was a large number of bamboo cages where they could see birds as big as hens stirring.
«This is a safe haven. The sailors won't dare cross the room occupied by the Bis-cobras»
The minister had two large baskets laid on the ground, adding:
«Here you will find what you will need. As soon as the ship has sailed, I will come and get you».
«Leave us in good company!» Jody said «Have we become chickens too?».
The minister had already closed the door.