Free Spice and the Devil's Cave by Agnes Danforth Hewes Page B

to keep back that furious, inward tumult. He saw a half-fearful expression come over her face – ah, he mustn’t frighten her, not even by his own feeling about her.
    â€œDon’t be afraid,” he begged her, “not of anything – ever again!” Was it his fancy that she seemed to waver toward him? He came close to her: “Who are you?”
    She caught her breath. Nicolo noted the quick colour that swept upward from the delicate neck. He waited for her answer, his eyes entreating hers. … A sound outside . . . Steps . . . Ruth crossing the court to come into the house, perhaps into this very room!
    They sprang apart-somehow Nicolo reached the workshop, dropped into a chair, and snatched up the Travels he had dropped.
    He heard Ruth enter the room he had left, listened until her casual tone assured him that she suspected nothing. He stepped into the court, and closed the door behind him with a little bang.
    Exactly as he had intended, the sound brought Ruth hurrying to him. “You’re not going, already?”
    â€œI’ll come again soon” he smiled back at her. “I have some splendid news for Master Abel!”
    â€œHe’ll be sorry he missed you. Yes, come soon.”
    â€œCome soon” indeed! How was he ever going to keep away? Nicolo asked himself as he went down the long flight. “ was … shut up in a cage” Great heavens! What did she mean? Why had Abel-or Ferdinand»-never mentioned her? Something hotly-sweet surged through him: to hold her-even as his hands had held the bird-safe in the very hollow of his life I
    1 Belem. At the mouth of the Tagus River. The site of the chapel built by Henry the Navigator.
    2 Shoals formed by the bar at the mouth of the Tagus.

CHAPTER 8
    Scander
    T HE next evening found Nicolo and the sailor at the workshop. Nicolo had seen Abel down town that morning and had told him about his new acquaintance, and Abel had agreed to get word to the others to come that night.
    All day Nicolo thought of that coming visit. Would he see the precious secret that he had discovered, yesterday? Did Abel and Ruth mean to keep her hidden? . . . What did it all mean?
    When he finally entered the court with the sailor, and saw Abel waiting for them in the workshop, he realized he’d forgotten to ask the man’s name.
    â€œCall me Scander,” said he. “I got that name from hanging around so long in Scanderia – Arabic for Alexandria. I had a Portygee name once,” he explained, “but ‘twould be like the coat I wore when I was a lad-wouldn’t fit now!”
    â€œYou’ve actually sailed in Arab vessels-been in the Indies? “Abel eagerly began. He broke off to hail Diaz and Abraham, who just then came in, with Gama a little behind them. “Spice at first hand, gentlemen!”
    â€œHold fast there, Master Abel!” cried the sailor, “I’m not giving a show performance! I came here only to please Master Conti-said he had some friends who’d like to hear what I know of the spice trade.”
    â€œExactly what we want,” someone replied. “Can’t get enough of that.”
    Young Magellan arrived in time to catch the last words. “Can’t get enough of what? “he demanded.
    â€œOf spice!” laughed Abel.
    â€œHe’s seen cloves and nutmegs growing,” Nicolo added. “Fancy that!”
    â€œLord!” Scander stared, open mouthed, at Ferdinand. “Where’d you get those eyes?” Then, as the boy flushed, “So you’ve gone crazy over spice, too?” he asked. “Maybe”– a moody note in his voice –“maybe, I can tell ou a thing or two about the stuff that’ll calm you down!”
    They all drew up to the table and Nicolo noticed that Ruth had conceded enough to the current excitement to bring her chair to the doorway that opened into the next room. The door beyond, which, yesterday, had stood