‘There is no end of them,’ Piña said brightly, ‘but there are also the navete of the Talaiot – before even the Roman, they build boats of stone! No man know what they are. We never go near.’ He crossed himself fervently, bobbing his head.
‘Excellent!’ said Renzi.
‘And if you are interested in Minorca, good sir, I recommend to your attention the town of Migjorn Gran, in which you will find many learned in the ancient ways of our island.’
Kydd put down his glass. ‘And Maó is not far ahead?’
‘I’m delaying you!’ Piña said, in consternation. ‘Before you leave, the abrazo!’ To Kydd’s embarrassment he was seized in an embrace. ‘So! Now you are for us the hermanito, our ver’ good friend!’
Mahon bustled with excitement. It seemed a declaration of open trade was to be gazetted immediately by the English, and merchants scurried to prepare for prosperous times. The dignified but sleepy town was waking up and the purposeful hurry of the population was in marked contrast to Kydd and Renzi’s leisured pace.
Noble churches stood among a maze of busy streets; an ancient archway glowered at the top of one, and there were shops of every sort between lofty residence with balconies. Kydd was charmed by the little town, which had in parts an almost English reserve. On impulse, he stopped as they were passing a handicrafts shop. ‘Nicholas, I’d like t’ take something o’ Minorca back to m’ mother as a remembrance. A piece o’ lace?’
They entered the quiet interior of the shop. It took a few seconds for Kydd’s eyes to adjust to the gloom after the glare of the sun but then he saw the girl behind the counter. ‘Er, can I see y’ lace – for m’ mother…’ He tailed off, seeing her grave attention.
But she gave a delighted squeal. ‘You are Engliss? Que suerte haberte conocido! I always want to meet an Engliss gentleman, my mother she say—’
‘If we are to make the cloisters by angelus we must step out,’ said Renzi, sharply.
‘Cloisters?’ said Kydd, distracted.
‘We have much yet to admire, brother.’
Tenacious was first to be warped across the harbour to the dockyard for survey: she had suffered at the Nile with her lighter framing, and a worrying increase in bilge pumping was possibly the result of a shot taken between wind and water.
It did not take long to find the cause: two balls landing not far apart below the waterline had damaged a run of several strakes. They would have to be replaced. With the ship canted to one side by capstans to expose her lower hull she was barely inhabitable and, with the prospect of possibly months at the dockyard, her officers quickly realised that lodgings ashore would be much more agreeable. The best location was evident: Carrer San Roc in the centre of Mahon, where fine town-houses in the English style were to be readily engaged.
A small but comfortable establishment with quaint furniture from the reign of one of the previous Georges met the bill, and Kydd and Renzi moved in without delay. It was a capital headquarters for further exploration of the island.
Renzi laid down his Reflections on the Culture and Antiquity of Iberia. ‘It is said that the western Ciudadela is of quite another character,’ he mused, nursing his brandy. ‘Suffered cruelly from the Turks but still retains splendid edifices – but the people are of the Castilian Spanish and have no love for an Englishman.’
Kydd picked up a dog-eared newspaper and settled into his high-backed chair. ‘An’ I heard fr’m one o’ the midshipmen that t’ take away a boat and sail around the island would be prime – there’s snug coves an’ beaches all up the coast.’
‘Where, then, is your warlike ardour, your lofty aspirations to laurels?’
‘With our ship in dock? Little chance t’ find such… but there are compensations,’ Kydd said, with a private smile and raised his paper again.
‘Oh?’ Renzi said.
‘Nicholas, I saw Love’s Labour’s Lost is t’ be staged tonight. Do ye fancy t’ attend at all?’
‘Well, if we—’
‘Unfortunately the captain wants t’ sight m’ journals, I must complete ’em. But do go y’self, I beg!’
‘Actually, this volume is an engrossing account of your Hispanic in all his glory. I rather fancy I shall spend a quiet evening here.’
‘Nicholas, m’ friend, you will do y’r eyes a grievous injury with all this readin’. In th’ big church they’re presentin’ a concert o’ music especially t’ welcome the English. Why not go an’ enjoy this? There’s all y’r favourite composers, er, Pergylasy and—’