was whitened against the heat of the sun with tiles or lime-wash, and the mass of them gave the impression of some superhuman bleaching-field; but Stephen’s whole attention was fastened upon the fine stout telescope that stood on a bronze tripod weighed down and steadied by pigs of lead: beside it stood a black boy in a scarlet fez, smiling with triumph.
Sir Peter hurried over, bent double against the wind but moving even more nimbly that when he had climbed the ladder, and inwardly Stephen swore to abide by no obvious diagnosis for the rest of his life.
‘She is certainly fore-and-aft rigged,’ said Sir Peter. ‘But this damned wind does so blur the image. Come and look: here is the focusing knob.’
Stephen peered with lowered head, cupping his eye with both hands. The air was indeed horribly troubled. A little whiteness came, grew almost clear, then utterly dissolved in shimmer.
‘I wish I had a smaller eyepiece,’ said Sir Peter. ‘This atmosphere will not cope with such a magnification.’
‘I have her,’ cried Stephen. ‘I have her... but alas she is not Ringle. She is a craft with a lateen; and she is losing ground on every tack.’
‘I am so sorry,’ said the consul. ‘So very sorry: but at least it shows that some hopes of approaching exist. Let us sleep on that, and conceivably the morning will find her snugly in her berth by the mole.’
‘Sir Peter,’ called a head at foot-level, the speaker standing precariously on the wind-shaken ladder, ‘Dr Jacob sends his compliments and could he be received?’
‘Sir Peter,’ said Stephen, ‘I ask your pardon for interfering, but my colleague, though an excellent physician (God forgive us both he added mentally) and linguist, is no mariner. Pray let us go down and speak to him in safety.’
‘By all means,’ said the consul, and he gave Stephen a hand over the dreadful gulf between the parapet of the roof and the ladder-head.
‘Sir Peter,’ cried Jacob, starting up, ‘I do beg your pardon for this intrusion, but I thought you would like to know that the lot has fallen on Ali Bey.’
‘Not on Mustafa? I am amazed.’
‘So was he, sir: and I fear it is the bowstring for him - he was led away. But I ventured to come in this informal manner to tell you that Ali is to be proclaimed immediately after the evening prayer.’
‘I am very much obliged to you indeed, Dr Jacob. And as I said, I am amazed: of all the candidates Ali was the most in favour of the Allies and opposed to Bonaparte. Perhaps I had misread the situation...’ He pondered, and then went on, ‘And I should be still more obliged if you and Dr Maturin would go on my behalf - it is still generally understood that my health keeps me withindoors - to be the first to congratulate the new Dey. We have all the proper ceremonial garments here. And after that I hope you will both stay with Lady Clifford and me until the wretched south wind dies enough for your ships to come in. These blasts are very rare, but once they have set in doggedly they usually last six or seven days. Though now I come to think of it, I shall go with you. I shall take a stick and you two will support me: that will be a capital stroke.’
Jacob glanced at Stephen, saw assent in his eye, and having coughed he said, ‘Sir, we should be very happy to support you, as being your known physicians. But as for your exceedingly kind and handsome invitation, for my part may I be allowed to decline? Having uttered all the necessary words of congratulation, I should like to retire to an obscure lodging-house near the Gate of Woe, a house in which some of my less presentable Algerine and Berber friends would excite no comment, whereas they might well compromise an official residence.’
‘By all means,’ said the consul. ‘And Mr Maturin shall do just as he pleases - dining and spending the night with us, and walking about with you by day, meeting your no doubt very interesting friends: and I am sure watching barometer and the horizon with as much zeal as Isabel and myself, or even more... the divan will take place at about seven, I suppose?’
‘Just so: within the half hour following the proclamation.’
The city, in a state of intense yet still somewhat restrained excitement, grew wonderfully calm for the evening prayer - aimost nothing but the voice of the south wind in the palm trees - but the last pious words were barely said, the little prayer-carpets were hardly rolled, before the enormous roaring blast of the Algerine batteries saluted the sky; and as the last echoes died away thousands upon thousands of janissaries and of all those citizens who valued their well-being bawled out the name of Ali, competing with countless harsh trumpets and with drums of every pitch.
The city now settled down to open merriment and joy and endless conversation across the narrow streets or the full width of the few great squares; and Sir Peter’s coach and four made its slow but discreetly magnificent way to the palace. Here the consul’s physicians were handed out, gorgeous in their robes, and they supported Sir Peter into the council-chamber,
