RAIDERS of the AEGEAN (the Merchants of Nations), Standard Size Print

With an uncertain smile, he stood up. His eyes were bright. He gave his voice a tragic tone and his posture something even more tragic."Oh yes, I can throw myself off right here, if you just say that you'll forgive me!" he begged.From the opposite terrace corner where he stood, he walked with brisk steps towards the abyss to throw himself off.Augusta was surprised. Startled, she rushed to stop him."Have you lost your reason, my Lord? Have you gone mad?" she pleaded as she grabbed his...
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With an uncertain smile, he stood up. His eyes were bright. He gave his voice a tragic tone and his posture something even more tragic."Oh yes, I can throw myself off right here, if you just say that you'll forgive me!" he begged.From the opposite terrace corner where he stood, he walked with brisk steps towards the abyss to throw himself off.Augusta was surprised. Startled, she rushed to stop him."Have you lost your reason, my Lord? Have you gone mad?" she pleaded as she grabbed his sturdy arm. Her hand and her voice trembled. She felt that through their brief contact, she had infected the stranger with her excitement.He came to a halt and summed her up with a deep and admiring glance. Dressed in white and seductively vulnerable in the moonlight, she emitted an alluring aura.First their flesh had locked, then their eyes met. Her cold palm started sweating at the heat of the moment. She was embarrassed for reacting too soon. She lowered her eyes and let go of his arm."Remain here, my Lord. I'll go down the stairs to forestall my servant," she said."But you did not say that you forgave me, my Lady.""I forgive you! Stay right here."And she disappeared down the long ladder as she kept replaying in her mind this once in a lifetime nocturnal encounter. Halfway to her room, she met Sentina. Sentina was surprised to see that her Lady had decided to return before she had brought her coat. Augusta forbade her to talk about her midnight outing and sent her to sleep.The stranger was none other than Marco Sanudo. He was truthful for the most part. He lied only when he said that he went up to the castle for fresh air. The truth was that Sanudo was resting but could not sleep in his room. Through a window looking outside, he saw Augusta with her maid taking the stairs to the tower. He saw the light of the lantern that Sentina was holding as the women passed by revealing Augusta's beauty. He was summoned to her. Out of his audacity and bravado, he had to follow them. He got up, dressed quickly, and silently pursued the shine of the lantern. But shortly after they had turned onto a staircase to the right, the brazen man was left in the darkness.Thus he waited to see the light of the two women emerge again, but in vain. He then found himself stumbling in the dark and tried to return to his room by holding onto the walls. Shortly afterwards the light of the lamp reappeared and reflected behind him. Footsteps reverberated in his ears. He hid in a corner and heard Sentina obliviously passing by and murmuring: "Your coat! Sure my Lady, why don't you wait there for a while until you freeze!" She headed to her Lady's chamber. Sanudo retraced his previous steps. The corridor in which Sentina slowly walked was straight and long. He hastened and reached his target led by both the lantern's light and the moon that shone through the skylight while stumbling onto the stairs which were located on the right side. From that point, he followed Augusta's earlier route to the terrace.The next day Mouchra, ignorant about the night before, presented the stranger to his wife.Marco Sanudo, full of compliments and bows, behaved like a virtuous knight and showered the Lady with his chivalry. Augusta met his word games seriously and nonchalantly. But something troubled her. Perhaps she was worried over her husband's injury. But it was not that serious and it could be cured by placing it in a dressing for a few days.After breakfast, Mouchra asked the stranger to describe the battle with the Genovese. While Augusta listened to the narrator, she would smile at him from time to time. Occasionally, she looked at her husband affectionately, thinking of the dangers he had withstood to earn Venice's accolades.When the couple was left alone she turned to him:"Why didn't you mention the scuffle? Why must I hear it from a stranger?"