Dandolo's eyes creased. 'No. I have my plans.'
'Is there a way to inform Mr Amati where we are?' Griffith asked.
Dandolo paused. 'If that iss what you wan'.'
Griffith crossed to Leith. 'Sir, Lieutenant Griffith, third of Bacchante frigate, and three seamen. We are sent to remove you from Venice.'
'Thank you,' Leith said equably, 'and this is my man. He has stayed with me since the other side of the Alps.
What is the situation, if you please?' Before Griffith could answer, Leith added, 'Be aware that the French are advancing with celerity and all the determination of a strong sea tide. There is no time to be lost, sir.'
'Our evacuation is in hand as we speak, sir. Our agent is procuring passage for us by any means, and I expect him back by the hour.'
'Very good. I will not speak of food and drink - these can wait until we are on board. Now, if you please, be so good as to allow us a period of sleep. We are sorely tried.'
'Sir.'
There was nothing to do except wait for Amati in decorous silence. Renzi lay on a sack and closed his eyes, but Kydd could not rest. It was expecting a lot of the agent to delay his own hopes of safety for their sake, however high his expected reward. Perhaps he had already slipped away, leaving them to wait in vain for their passage out.
It seemed hours, but Amati returned. Kydd felt for the little man as he slipped in noiselessly. 'I can no' find a passage,' he said defiantly.
'What?' Griffith jumped to his feet.
'My dear sir, the man returned, did he not?' Leith said wearily. 'Pray tell us, what is the difficulty?' he asked Amati.
'The French, they take Chioggia, Malamocco. Now they ha' control all gate to th' lagoon. No ship can lif. None.' He looked up wearily. 'No one wan' to try.'
Griffith stared at Amati. 'So, we have a problem.'
No one spoke.
Renzi's expression eased to a half-smile, and in the breathless hush he said, 'Sir, you are mindful that we are English —
'Of course I do — you try my patience, Renzi!'
'- and therefore we shall probably be yielded up by the Venetians as a placating move to the French—'
'Enough! Hold your tongue, you impertinent rascal!'
'—who will without doubt understand us to be here as spies, to be executed perhaps?'
At his words there was only a grim silence. It was broken by a dry chuckle from Leith. 'Just so. Nothing less than the truth, I would have thought.' He glanced keenly at Renzi. 'Please go on.'
'Sir. Our logical course is to hide among the people but, sadly, I fear we would make poor Italians. Disguise is impossible — we would be discovered out of hand. I feel we must find another solution.'
'They gotta catch us fust. Let 'em come!' Larsson challenged.
'With no weapons of any kind?' Everyone present knew that an armed party discovered ashore in Venice would have been an intolerable provocation to the Serene Republic. 'No. I fancy we are at hazard to a degree.'
A rattling started at the door. Kydd and Larsson hastily took position at each side, ready for the
