Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem (The Sandokan Series Book 1) Page 23

  When Sandokan and his men stepped ashore, the pirates of Mompracem, reduced to half their usual number, rushed to meet him, filling the air with lively hurrahs and clamouring for revenge.

  “Let’s attack Labuan, Tiger of Malaysia!” they howled. “Death to those dogs!”

  “Captain,” said Giro-Batol, coming forward, “we tried repeatedly to board the enemy squadron, but were thwarted at every turn. Lead us in a raid against Labuan and we’ll destroy that island, we won’t lay down our weapons until we’ve razed everything to the ground.”

  Instead of replying, Sandokan took Marianna by the hand and brought her before his men.

  “We’d be attacking her home,” he said, “my wife’s home!”

  At the sight of the young woman, who until then had remained hidden behind Yanez, the pirates cried out with surprise and admiration.

  “The Pearl of Labuan!” they exclaimed, dropping to their knees before her.

  “Her homeland is sacred to me,” said Sandokan, “but let me assure you, you will soon have the opportunity to repay our enemies for every cannonball they fired upon our shores.”

  “Are they planning another attack?” asked a pirate.

  “An attack is imminent, my valiant ones, our enemies will not leave us be, just look at that gunboat boldly patrolling our shores. As we speak, the British are drawing plans to avenge the men we killed in the forests of Labuan and tear this young woman away from me. We must be ready at all times; they could attack at any moment.”

  “Tiger of Malaysia,” said a captain, stepping forward, “now that she’s protected by your flag, no one shall ever harm the Pearl of Labuan, not as long as one of us lives. We’ll sacrifice our very lives for her!”

  Sandokan watched in silence as those valiant men cheered their captain’s words, men who even after having lost so many friends, still offered to protect the person who had been the cause of their misfortunes.

  “Thank you, my friends,” he said, deeply moved.

  He wiped his brow several times, sighed heavily, offered his arm to Marianna who was no less moved, and went off with his head lowered and eyes on the ground.

  “And so it ends,” Yanez murmured sadly.

  Sandokan and Marianna climbed the narrow steps to the top of the cliff, the eyes of every pirate fixed upon them, looking on with regret and admiration, watching them until they came to a halt in front of the large hut.

  “This will be your home for now,” he said, upon entering. “It was mine, an ugly little hovel that has seen its share of foul deeds… It’s unworthy to host the Pearl of Labuan, but it is safe, out of reach of our enemies. Had you become Queen of Mompracem, I would have torn it down and built you a palace. But why speak of such things now? My life here is about to end.”

  Sandokan brought his hands to his heart, his face now wracked with pain.

  Marianna threw her arms around his neck.

  “Sandokan, you’re suffering.”

  “No, my love, I’m sad, nothing more. I found my island recovering from an attack, half my men killed in battle and soon I’ll have to leave this place, my home these last ten years…”

  “Sandokan, you’re suffering at the thought of all you must abandon. Hear me, my love. Would you like me to remain on Mompracem, pick up a scimitar and fight by your side? Would you like that?”

  “What!” he exclaimed. “No! Never! Think of that life! Constant battles, boarding raids, surprise attacks; you’d be in constant danger! The very idea is monstrous! All I ask is to live forever by your side. That’s all I need to be happy.”

  “You love me more than your island, your men, your power?”

  “Yes, my love. This evening I’ll assemble my men and tell them that after one last battle, we’re going to take down our flag and leave our beloved island forever.”

  “And what will your men say to such a proposal? They’ll know I’m the cause and hate me for it.”

  “No one will dare raise his voice against you. I’m still the Tiger of Malaysia; I can make them tremble with but a gesture. Besides, they love me too much to disobey me. It’s fate.” He stifled a sigh then added, “Your love will make me forget my past and perhaps even my Mompracem.”

  He kissed her blonde hair then summoned the two Malays that tended to his quarters.

  “This is your mistress,” he told them. “Obey her as you would me.”

  That said, he gave her a last look, then left the hut and walked down to the beach.

  The gunboat was still within sight of the island, slowly sailing back and forth, as if awaiting reinforcements from Labuan. Realizing an attack was imminent, the pirates wasted little time. Under Yanez’ direction they worked feverishly, strengthening ramparts and digging trenches about the village.

  “Have you spotted any other ships?” he asked.

  “No,” the Portuguese replied, “but that gunboat still hanging about doesn’t bode well. If the wind were stronger, I wouldn’t hesitate to attack, but as it is, we’d be no match for her engines.”

  “We should secure our riches and prepare an escape route. Best to be ready for any eventuality.”

  “That sounds like you’re expecting defeat.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this, Yanez; I think I’m about to lose my island.”

  “Bah! Whether it’s today or a month from now, it matters little; after all, you have decided to abandon it. Have you informed our men?”

  “Not yet. Have them assemble in the great hut tonight; I’ll tell them all of my decision.”

  “It’ll be a terrible blow to them, little brother.”

  “I know, but if they wish to remain here and pirate the sea without me, I won’t dissuade them.”

  “No one will abandon the Tiger of Malaysia; they’ll follow you wherever you go.”

  “I know. These brave men are far too loyal. Let’s get to work, Yanez. If we can’t make our fortress impregnable, we can at least try and make it a formidable challenge.”

  They joined their men, who were all working feverishly, erecting new embankments and digging new trenches, constructing enormous palisades and lining them with swivel guns, building immense pyramids of cannonballs and grenades, and sheltering the artillery with barricades of boulders, tree trunks and iron armour plates stripped from ships they had plundered in past raids. By evening, the fortress appeared impregnable.

  Though the squadron’s attack and the loss of the two ships during Sandokan’s last expedition had reduced them to a hundred and fifty men, the pirates worked as if they numbered five hundred. Once night had fallen, Sandokan had his riches loaded onto a large prahu and sent it, along with two others, towards the west side of the island so that he and his men could make a quick escape in the event of defeat.

  At midnight, Yanez, the captains, and their crews gathered in the great hut where Sandokan awaited them. The main room, large enough to contain more than two hundred people, had been furnished with exceptional luxury. Large gilded lamps flooded every corner with torrents of light, the gold and silver adorning the carpets and tapestries sparkling in their glow.

  Sandokan was dressed in his finest red silk robes and a green turban adorned with a feather studded with diamonds. Two krises, traditionally worn by all great leaders, protruded from his sash, a magnificent scimitar with a gold hilt and silver scabbard hung from his side.

  Marianna wore a black velvet dress embroidered with silver, plunder captured from who knows where, her beautiful blonde hair falling to her bare shoulders in a shower of gold. A diamond tiara sparkled in the light, making her more beautiful, more enchanting than ever. At the sight of her the pirates could not suppress a cry of admiration.

  “My dear friends,” said Sandokan, calling that formidable band of men to order. “I’ve summoned you all here to decide the fate of my Mompracem. You’ve seen me battle for many long years against those who murdered my family, stole my country, and through betrayal and treachery, took my throne and hurled me into the mud. You’ve seen me batt
le like a tiger, defeating all who threatened us, but now the time has come to hang up my sword, to bring my war of vengeance to an end. Fate has decreed it so. The Tiger is tired, he’s lost his roar; he cannot fight as he once did. Our island may be attacked tomorrow, I’ll lead you against our enemies one last time, and, once victory is ours, I’ll bid goodbye to Mompracem and sail off to live with Marianna whom I love, and who will become my wife. If you desire, you may remain on this island and pirate the seas, I’ll leave you my ships and cannons. If, however, you prefer to follow me to a new land, I will continue to consider you all as my sons.”

  Stunned by that unexpected revelation, the pirates did not reply, but the faces of those men, veterans of countless storms and battles, were soon bathed in tears.

  “You weep?” Sandokan exclaimed, his voice cracking with emotion. “I understand, my brave ones, believe me, I too suffer at the idea of never again setting eyes upon my island and my sea, of losing my power, of returning to the shadows after having brought glory to my name. But Fate has decreed it so, there is no fighting it! I belong solely to the Pearl of Labuan.”

  “Captain, Captain!” exclaimed Giro-Batol, crying like a school boy, “Stay with us, do not abandon our island. We’ll defend her against everyone! At your command we’ll raise an army and destroy Labuan, Varauni and Sarawak! Our enemies will never threaten the Pearl of Labuan’s happiness.”

  “Milady!” exclaimed Paranoa. “Stay, we’ll defend you against everything, we’ll shield you against enemy fire with our chests and if you desire, we’ll go take a kingdom and give you a throne.”

  Delirium had overtaken the pirates. The youngest continued to beg, the oldest could only cry.

  “Stay, Milady! Stay on Mompracem!” they all shouted, flocking before the young woman.

  Moved by such affection, Marianna suddenly stepped forward and gestured for all to be silent.

  “Sandokan,” she said calmly, “If I asked you to renounce piracy and forget your vengeance, and in return, I severed forever the ties that bind me to my countrymen and adopted this island as my own, would you accept?”

  “Marianna… You’d remain on my island?”

  “Would you like that?”

  “Yes! And I swear, I’ll never take up arms, save in defence of our shores.”

  “Then Mompracem will be our home!”

  At those words a hundred arms were raised in joy then as the young woman embraced Sandokan, the pirates shouted, “Hurrah for the Queen of Mompracem! Her enemies beware!”

  Chapter 27

  The Attack on Mompracem

  THE NEXT DAY IT seemed as if madness had taken hold of the pirates of Mompracem. They had become titans, working with superhuman strength to fortify their island, now that the Pearl of Labuan had sworn to remain. They bustled about the batteries, dug new trenches, cut down trees to build new palisades, filled gabions and stacked them in front of their cannons, and quarried enormous rocks from the cliffs to strengthen the redoubts. They built new ramparts and equipped them with artillery from their ships; they dug traps, assembled mines, forged cannon balls, sharpened their blades, ground more gunpowder, and filled pits and trenches with bundles of thorns and iron spikes dipped in sap from an upas tree,[5] a poison so strong it could kill a man in minutes.

  The Queen of Mompracem, beautiful, dazzling, resplendent in gold and pearls, was ever present to encourage them with her smiles. As always, Sandokan led his men and worked feverishly, running to wherever he was needed. He directed every part of the construction, helping his men arm the batteries or move boulders from the cliff to reinforce the walls. He was, of course well assisted by Yanez, who seemed to have lost his usual calm.

  The gunboat had remained within sight of the island, spying on their efforts and fuelling the pirates’ haste; all were convinced she was awaiting a squadron to attack the Tiger’s fortress. Towards midday, the scouting party sent out the previous night returned to the village with troubling news. A Spanish gunboat had been spotted that morning sailing east, but no enemy ships had been sighted off the western shore.

  “The longer the delay, the greater their fleet will be,” Sandokan told Yanez.

  “Lord James and the governor are probably forging an alliance as we speak. The Dutch, the Spanish, anyone with ships in these waters.”

  “They’ll come in great number; I can feel it in my heart.”

  “They’re in for a hell of a battle. Our village is impregnable.”

  “We’ll give them the fight of their lives! But if we are defeated, our prahus are ready to set sail.”

  They dispatched several pirates to the small village in the island’s interior to recruit its strongest men then returned to their work. By evening the pirate stronghold was ready for battle; their enemy would face an impregnable fortress. Three lines of ramparts, each stronger than the other, had been erected in a semicircle about the entire village. Deep trenches and high walls made scaling them almost impossible. Forty-six cannons - twelve, eighteen, and twenty-four pounders - had been placed along the large central redoubt, a half-dozen mortars and sixty swivel guns defended the plaza, ready to hurl cannonballs, grenades and grapeshot at the enemy ships the moment they came within range.

  During the night, Sandokan ordered the remaining prahus in the bay dismasted, then had them scuttled to prevent his enemy from capturing them. He sent several launches out to keep an eye on the gunboat, but the small ship held her position, sailing back and forth in the water. At dawn, Sandokan, Marianna and Yanez, who had retired to the great hut for a few hours sleep, were abruptly awakened by a sharp cry.

  “To arms! To arms!” someone shouted from the village. “The British!”

  They rushed out of the hut and ran to the edge of the great cliff. A large number of enemy ships were seven or eight miles from the island, slowly advancing in a long curved live.

  Yanez’ expression grew dark and a deep a frown formed upon Sandokan’s brow.

  “It’s a real fleet,” murmured the Portuguese. “Where could those British dogs have found such power?”

  “The Governor of Labuan has formed a league against us,” said Sandokan. “Look! British, Dutch, and Spanish ships, even a few prahus from that scoundrel the Sultan of Varauni… Sultan… a pirate in fancy clothes… He was always jealous of my power…”

  It was true. The enemy squadron was comprised of three heavy cruisers flying British colours, two well-armed Dutch curvets, four gunboats, a Spanish cutter and eight of the Sultan of Varauni’s prahus. They could have easily been equipped with a hundred and sixty cannons and at least fifteen hundred men.

  “There are a lot of them, by Jupiter!” exclaimed Yanez. “Good thing there aren’t any cowards among us.”

  “Do you think we can win, Sandokan?” asked Marianna, her voice trembling slightly.

  “I hope so, my love,” replied the pirate. “Our island is impregnable and my men do not fear them.”

  “I have a bad feeling about this. What if a cannonball were to kill you?”

  “The luck that’s protected me for so many years will not abandon me on the day I’m fighting for you. Come, Marianna, time is precious.”

  They descended the steps and went down to the village; the pirates had already manned the cannons, waiting for the battle to begin. Two hundred Dyaks stood at their posts, ready to unleash a shower of cannonballs at their captains’ first command.

  “Excellent,” said Yanez, “there are three hundred and fifty of us to fend off their attack.”

  Sandokan summoned six of his bravest men and entrusted them with Marianna’s care, instructing them to take her into the forest where she would be out of danger.

  “Go, my love,” he said, embracing her one last time. “If I win, you’ll be the Queen of Mompracem, but if Fate should decide otherwise, we’ll leave this island and find happiness elsewhere.”

  “Sandokan!” she exclaimed as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “I’ll come back to you, my love, never fear. Th
e Tiger of Malaysia won’t fall in battle.” He kissed her forehead then rushed towards the ramparts, thundering, “Onward men, the Tiger is with you! Our enemies may outnumber us, but we’re the Tigers of Mompracem!”

  “Hurrah for Sandokan! Hurrah for our Queen!” his men thundered in reply.

  The enemy fleet had come to a halt six miles from the island; several launches were now pulling away from the vessels, carrying numerous officers to the lead ship to set their final plans. At ten, the ships and the prahus fanned out and began to advance towards the bay.

  “Tigers of Mompracem!” Sandokan shouted, standing on the main redoubt behind a twenty-four pound cannon. “Remember that you’re defending the Pearl of Labuan, and that the men about to attack us are the same men who slew our brethren on the coasts of Labuan.”

  “Revenge! Blood!” howled the pirates.

  At that very moment, the gunboat that had been spying on the island for the last two days fired her cannon and struck the flagpole above the central rampart, knocking the pirate’s flag to the ground. Sandokan started; a look of pain spread across his face.

  “They’re going to win…” he murmured sadly. “I can feel it in my heart…”

  The fleet continued to approach, holding formation, the cruisers in the centre, the Sultan of Varauni’s prahus on the flanks. Sandokan let them come another thousand paces then raised his scimitar.

  “Sweep the sea clean of these scoundrels!” he thundered. “Fire!”

  At that command, the redoubts, ramparts and embankments fired simultaneously, unleashing a thunderous discharge that could be heard as far as the Romades. It seemed as if the entire village had erupted, the ground shook as thick clouds of smoke enveloped the batteries, growing ever larger with each volley from the swivel guns.

  Though struck hard by that formidable blast, the squadron quickly thundered in reply. Cannonballs and grenades rained down upon the pirates’ fortress as smoke shrouded the cruisers, curvets, gunboats and prahus; bullets whistled through the air as the marksmen joined the fray, the blaze of musket fire felling several of the Tiger’s men.