“Who?” She asks casually. “You looking for that baby princess once more?”
“No, someone else has been taken. Bubba, a stable Strapper who works with Mrs Bouchée!”
“When did it happen?” She looks concerned and places her pipe on a tin plate at her side.
“A few days ago she was coming to St. Benedicts to bring me supplies when she disappeared. The horse came alone…”
“I see,” she says, picking up her pipe and banging it on a log next to the tin plate.
“Have you seen or heard anything around here?” Garty asks.
“I’m thinking, so don’t interrupt me,” she says in a stern voice. Janda stares into space for a moment, pulling her embroidered shawl around her shoulders as if she felt cold.
“I may know the whereabouts of bandits who do such terrible things,” she says at last. “I shall take some time out now.”
She gets up without another word, opens her caravan door and enters quietly.
“Get up you lazy thing,” she calls out to Crystalina, who replies with a curse to her mother.
Garty hears a bang and a screech and then it is quiet.
Gunshot? Rising, he runs to the door and it is ajar. Cautiously, he pushes it with the palm of one hand, keeping his back to the door. He steps away again as he sees the naked figure of Crystalina, bathing herself with a jug of water and a multicoloured cloth.
“What are you doing?” Janda’s voice startles him. She is wearing her black veil and holds her crystal ball. She has sneaked up on him.
“Take your eyes off my child, Sir,” she orders. Garty feels the heat rising into his face and head.
“I do apologise, but I heard noises,” he explains.
“That was nothing! This is our life and this is our way! Now, please leave me for five minutes,” she asks. Her eyes are like fire behind the black lace.
Garty retreats quickly, finding work to do chopping tree branches with the menfolk whilst Janda has some peace and quiet to consult her crystal ball.
Crystalina enjoys her morning toilette.
Garty is becoming a little anxious, when Janda calls out to him. He drops the work with the saw and axe promptly.
“Go on, get your self sorted out,” Roma, the red bearded gypsy shouts to Garty and the others nod agreeably.
“I see you are hurting already anyway, and we don’t need half a man on this job,” he says in a jovial fashion. Garty feels relieved as his pain has returned somewhat.
“I appreciate that, Roma,” Garty replies.
He heads over to Janda’s caravan.
“I believe they are about four miles west of here,” says Janda. “They will need a trade,” she adds. “If the young person is alive?”
Garty experiences a stabbing pain in his chest! Why would they hurt such a gentle soul, he wonders? His anger is returning and his pain forgotten for a moment.
“We must take a chance. I have a purse,” he suggests. How sad if the money collected at Scatt would now be a ransom for the young woman who carried the money to him? If it is necessary, I am prepared to give all the gold for her life, a small price, he reckons.
“This is the plan, Knight Commander,” says Janda. “We will take our arms with us and come in two group.
Janda discusses her plan and assures them all it will work brilliantly. She includes tactics to use from several directions in order to secure success. Garty listens attentively. His own plan was a similar one, but of course he can only approach from one angle if he is alone. It is better with more people. He agrees to join in with the gypsy band. He feels a surge of gratefulness towards this tribe. They have turned over a new leaf, he reckons happily.
Crystalina comes out of the caravan and Garty is shocked at her appearance. Her face is decorated with gold and silver markings. Her hair piled high on her head, kept by golden bands. Her dress is full and flowing in skirts of red, gold and white satin. She has a gold chiffon veil over her face, flowing over shoulders. Her lips are painted scarlet and her eyes like pools of deep water surrounded by fish. He can scarcely take his eyes away from her.
“Are you coming with us?” He asks, as his heart thumps rapidly inside his jacket. She looks at him haughtily as if he is a worm.
He cringes.
“Of course,” she replies, holding her hand out for his aid in stepping off the caravan ramp.
Garty takes her hand as she floats to the ground, like an angel landing from Heaven.
“You are exquisite,” he cannot help saying to her. She looks at him through her golden veil and her eyes melt his heart and soul in a moment.
Janda strides to the pair and hands Garty wearable items.
“You must put these on, so that they do not identify you!”
Garty takes the brown felt hat, gaily coloured scarf and heavily ornate necklace from her hands. He puts them on his body as instructed.
She also uses glistening paint to put clan markings on his face. He sees that it is a good idea. He looks like a different person in Janda’s shiny brass hand held mirror.
“Put the scarf over your face once we meet them,” says Janda as she notices Garty tying the scarf behind his neck.
“Of course,” he replies.
I should never disobey Janda, he muses. She was right too, indeed! Even my own family would not recognise me now!
Shortly, the gypsy tribe ride on fine steeds of all colours, including Brill, heading towards the campsite of the bandits. He hopes and prays that Janda has her directions correct, but he feels at peace about their discussion and plan. They ride in two groups, Garty, Crystalina and Janda in front, followed by the male gypsies riding on their own horses, keeping well behind and out of sight at 80 yards or so distance.
All horses are decorated with gold and silver ornaments and impress Garty well. His own horse has its mane groomed to a full shine and plaited tail, interwoven with golden thread.
“You never looked so good,” Garty says to his horse, Brill.
Janda looks at him and smiles.
Garty noticed that all her front teeth are purest gold.
“I do my best and scrub up well,” Janda says with her golden smile. She pulls her black veil over her face. Her long black silk dress is magnificent and creates a magical form that may be described as regal. She rides a smaller horse, a bay, with her gown flowing almost to the ground.
Her bay horse, Gale, is keen to try and attract Brill. Garty keeps Brill on a straight track and Janda nudges and rebukes her horse, too, so they enjoy harmony as they ride neck and neck.
The three of them appear rather royal with their fine steeds dressed for the occasion. Garty concludes that the females looked splendid in their lavish garments and thus would bring attention to themselves. Their plan may work, thinks Garty, holding his rifle near his thigh. The gypsies have plenty of weapons and he is appreciative of their generosity in giving him a rifle for protection.
Leading the way, Crystalina raises her hand as they come near to a clump of trees and the aroma of burning firewood. She looks back at Garty and gives her signal. Singing at the top of her flawless voice, they are soon surrounded by a horde of men who scurry from their hiding places with gnarled voices and their weapons of rifles, guns, swords and spears.
“Whither goest thou?” said one man, whom Garty recognises as Black Mack, the man who tried to harm him. Garty covers his face.
I do not wish to be recognised by this thug.
Black Mack sports a rifle that he raises to his shoulder and keeps by him as his words spill out. “What have we got here?” He asks.
“We are off to a celebration of our tribe,” says Crystalina in a cool, clear voice. She seems unfazed by this dreadful character with his deep voice and wild eyes. “And we wish to pass through,” she replies in defiance.
Surprisingly, Black Mack puts his rifle down and smiles at her, twisting his moustache as he speaks. “We were enjoying breakfast when you came upon us. You are welcome to join us,” he comments in a hospitable manner.
Without looking at her mother or Garty, Cyrstalina accepts the invitation immediately.
“We would like that,” she replies, as Black Mack bows to her and welcomes her with a sweeping gesture of his arm.
“We also welcome your companions,” Black Mack adds, “especially the fortune teller,” he says with a gleeful look at Janda.
Garty gasps! So, they know who Janda is and probably Crystalina as well? Why were they so welcoming, except to rob and steal, which is a forte of theirs, he muses?
Keeping his face low, he follows behind Janda. Black Mack does not recognise him, as he is wearing such ordinary clothes and had a gypsy’s scarf over his mouth and nose.
In his disguise, Garty thought, I am indistinguishable from any gypsy male, hopefully!
A panic sweeps over him for a moment as he recalls the beating this horde gave him only nineteen days ago! He needs to calm down by breathing deeply to resist galloping away into the distance. He holds his ground as Black Mack looks into his face. He looks twice at Brill, but then gives his rump a whack, which sends Brill rearing for a moment.
“Steady on,” Garty says softly to calm the horse, patting his neck.
They are in the midst of the camp already and meet up with the other two thugs immediately as they sit on logs chomping on their meal. At first they ignored the visitors as their food is more interesting to them.
Garty and Janda trot on horseback to observe evidence of any captive. They notice the thugs have set up a tepee style of tent on the edge of the campground. Another tent is set a little further away with its flap on the front closed. Their horses are tied up near a large sycamore tree and their buggy is nearby. Ropes with garments are strewn from tree to tree and make good hiding places for anything covert.
Janda and Garty nod to each other as they find a clearing for dismount.
Barley Rock gets up first, wiping his face with his arm. He noticed Crystalina and comes towards her.
“You must be a princess?” he says, offering to lift her from the white horse. Crystalina sends Garty a mocking glance and he understands her body language clearly. She slid off the horse and into Barley Rock’s arms, turning her face towards his and mesmerising him blatantly. He cannot take his eyes from her face and just stares until Black Mack comes striding towards him.
“Get the lady a drink, fool,” he bellows.
“Sure, like a drink lady?” He asks Crystalina in the sweetest of voices. “Rum or wine?”
“Wine,” says Crystalina.
“Wine for the princess,” he says, now noticing Janda.
Barley Rock strides to Janda and offers assistance as she releases the reins and slides to the ground. He catches her unexpectedly around the waist and she lets out a yelp of surprise, throwing back her head and smiling at the thug’s gory face. He holds her aloft for a moment of glory.