ship, could we attack him outside the reef?"
"Indeed, no," Kini replied. "Savage has these much greater weapons on his ship."
Semele closed his eyes and raised his great head toward the roof. Casca felt for the old man trying to find a way to light such a powerful foe. He, too, closed his eyes and searched his memory and his imagination, but his mind stopped short at the thought of going up against muskets and cannon with wooden clubs.
Semele opened his eyes. "We must get some of these weapons."
Casca felt his little .38. He would use it in his own defense, but it could hardly be enough against six muskets, even if they were old muzzle loaders. He felt sure that Larsen had some muskets aboard, but was just as sure that Larsen would not part with them. No doubt he would use them if Cakabau's attack came before the Rangaroa sailed, but if there were only two or three muskets, they would hardly be enough either.
Kini spoke reluctantly. "In Levuka Savage will sell you a musket for ten men."
"One weapon, and he has six," said Mbolo.
Semele spoke with decision. "Then we shall give this Valangi ten times ten men and he will give us ten muskets. Then we s hall see how these heroes of Bau will fight." He turned to Larsen. "Now that your ship is repaired, will you take our men in trade to Levuka?"
"The hell I will," Larsen snapped. "If I wanted to be a slaver, I'd have gone into the business before now, and I'd be as rich as Savage. No, Semele, I will not trade a cargo of slaves."
Seine closed his eyes and thought again for a long time, and at last asked. "Will you carry for us free men to Levuka?"
Larsen gave a short laugh. "Where they will sell themselves to Savage?"
"Yes."
Larsen looked at Lia m and Sandy and the rest of his crew.
Ulf shrugged. " I wouldn't want to stand in their way."
For a moment Larsen thought of giving them his muskets, but he had already made the same calculation as Casca. He didn't have enough to make a difference, and it would mean that his ship would be defenseless against any pirates, or even wharf rats, who cared to attack her. "All right," he said, "I'll take them, but I'll have no part in the trade. We'll carry them as free passengers on deck."
"Good." Semele nodded. "And now we must think of how to use these weapons. Where should we fight?"
Chou Lui spoke: "Excuse it, please, I am giving much thinking to this problem while I am preparing scorpion fish, and I remember words of great sage of my country, Sun Tzu. He say: `Those skilled in war bring enemy to field of battle and not are brought there by him’."
"Ah," said Semele, "this is wisdom. We will take the advice of your sage and bring the warriors of Bau to fight us here, where we are strongest."
The Chinese cook bowed. "Sun Tzu also say: `Close to field of battle await enemy from afar; at rest await exhausted enemy; well-fed troops await hungry ones’."
Semele smiled. "More great wisdom. The men of Bau will be weary with travel. We can harass them on the beach and give them no peace, but retire here so that they must pursue us."
Chou bowed again. "Sun Tzu say: `In early morning spirits keen, in day spirits flag, in evening thoughts turn toward home’.”
"Aha." Chief Semele grunted. "Exactly. We shall bring the host of the enemy here with taunts, but during the day we will only harass them in hot sun while our host rests in the shade. And when they are tired and hungry and wanting to go home, then we shall attack."
Mbolo spoke to Chou. "What says your sage is the basis of war?"
Chou answered without a moment's hesitation. "All war is based on deception."
Sonolo's forehead creased in a worried frown. "Deception? What of morality, fortitude, courage, wisdom, preparedness?"
Chou clapped his hands and accepted the bilo of kava he was being offered. He drained the cup, clapped three times, intoned " matha ," and turned to Sonolo. "All of these are important. A wise and benevolent war chief who enjoys the confidence of his men
"Indeed, no," Kini replied. "Savage has these much greater weapons on his ship."
Semele closed his eyes and raised his great head toward the roof. Casca felt for the old man trying to find a way to light such a powerful foe. He, too, closed his eyes and searched his memory and his imagination, but his mind stopped short at the thought of going up against muskets and cannon with wooden clubs.
Semele opened his eyes. "We must get some of these weapons."
Casca felt his little .38. He would use it in his own defense, but it could hardly be enough against six muskets, even if they were old muzzle loaders. He felt sure that Larsen had some muskets aboard, but was just as sure that Larsen would not part with them. No doubt he would use them if Cakabau's attack came before the Rangaroa sailed, but if there were only two or three muskets, they would hardly be enough either.
Kini spoke reluctantly. "In Levuka Savage will sell you a musket for ten men."
"One weapon, and he has six," said Mbolo.
Semele spoke with decision. "Then we shall give this Valangi ten times ten men and he will give us ten muskets. Then we s hall see how these heroes of Bau will fight." He turned to Larsen. "Now that your ship is repaired, will you take our men in trade to Levuka?"
"The hell I will," Larsen snapped. "If I wanted to be a slaver, I'd have gone into the business before now, and I'd be as rich as Savage. No, Semele, I will not trade a cargo of slaves."
Seine closed his eyes and thought again for a long time, and at last asked. "Will you carry for us free men to Levuka?"
Larsen gave a short laugh. "Where they will sell themselves to Savage?"
"Yes."
Larsen looked at Lia m and Sandy and the rest of his crew.
Ulf shrugged. " I wouldn't want to stand in their way."
For a moment Larsen thought of giving them his muskets, but he had already made the same calculation as Casca. He didn't have enough to make a difference, and it would mean that his ship would be defenseless against any pirates, or even wharf rats, who cared to attack her. "All right," he said, "I'll take them, but I'll have no part in the trade. We'll carry them as free passengers on deck."
"Good." Semele nodded. "And now we must think of how to use these weapons. Where should we fight?"
Chou Lui spoke: "Excuse it, please, I am giving much thinking to this problem while I am preparing scorpion fish, and I remember words of great sage of my country, Sun Tzu. He say: `Those skilled in war bring enemy to field of battle and not are brought there by him’."
"Ah," said Semele, "this is wisdom. We will take the advice of your sage and bring the warriors of Bau to fight us here, where we are strongest."
The Chinese cook bowed. "Sun Tzu also say: `Close to field of battle await enemy from afar; at rest await exhausted enemy; well-fed troops await hungry ones’."
Semele smiled. "More great wisdom. The men of Bau will be weary with travel. We can harass them on the beach and give them no peace, but retire here so that they must pursue us."
Chou bowed again. "Sun Tzu say: `In early morning spirits keen, in day spirits flag, in evening thoughts turn toward home’.”
"Aha." Chief Semele grunted. "Exactly. We shall bring the host of the enemy here with taunts, but during the day we will only harass them in hot sun while our host rests in the shade. And when they are tired and hungry and wanting to go home, then we shall attack."
Mbolo spoke to Chou. "What says your sage is the basis of war?"
Chou answered without a moment's hesitation. "All war is based on deception."
Sonolo's forehead creased in a worried frown. "Deception? What of morality, fortitude, courage, wisdom, preparedness?"
Chou clapped his hands and accepted the bilo of kava he was being offered. He drained the cup, clapped three times, intoned " matha ," and turned to Sonolo. "All of these are important. A wise and benevolent war chief who enjoys the confidence of his men
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