Michael Jecks - The Prophecy of Death

That knight from Furnshill had known of the murder all the while he was in his room.

And forebore to mention it.

‘I was thinking,’ Baldwin said quietly, as he walked to their room with Simon, ‘that the man killed in the roadway in those woods was probably the King’s herald, and after stealing the oil and murdering Gilbert, he perhaps rushed on to bring the oil to the King, and was waylaid and killed. By sheer misfortune, he happened upon felons who slaughtered him, and he was left there.’

‘You didn’t mention the theft of the oil in front of the King!’ Simon protested.

‘No. A degree of caution struck me while I was speaking to him — it was Despenser’s attitude. It was teasing at my mind. But so was the matter about the tabard. What if the man was, for example, involved in the theft of the oil? It seems a little remarkable as a coincidence that the King’s herald was killed at about the same time as the theft. Could that mean that the thief passed along that same road?’

‘That would be possible, except …’

‘Yes?’

‘It is a little unlikely, isn’t it? The chances of a man coming along that road by chance? How many roads are there from Canterbury? What on earth would be the reason for a man coming along exactly that route?’

‘I think it is not so unlikely. King’s messengers and heralds will know the same paths, and they always tend to use these ones. One messenger will pass on his knowledge to the next to take his path, and thereby the roads used tend to be the same. The interesting possibility of this, though, is that the herald stole the oil and then was robbed of it in this area. Could that mean that the theft of the oil came to be more common knowledge, or that the herald had an accomplice who killed him to steal the oil?’

‘That is hardly likely. That presupposes two killings by accomplices. One, the monk, I could believe; two, I cannot. An escalation of violence isn’t credible. Not to me, at any rate.’

‘An excellent point, Simon. And another is the fact that we are told that the dead man was not from the good William Ayrminne’s party. You remember, the coroner told us that he thought that a herald had been seen on the night of Gilbert’s death. He appeared to assume that this herald was from the men with Ayrminne. But not so, according to Ayrminne himself. So this thief was not one of the men who came back from France with the ambassadors.’

‘No.’

‘So let us consider it from another angle. A thief took the oil. Perhaps he rode to the woods, and was there waylaid by felons, then; felons who live in the wood. They killed this false herald, and stole the oil. Yet why would they take the oil? I cannot believe that. I doubt they needed oil for their meal that night! And I doubt whether ordinary outlaws would have killed a churl and thrown his body aside like that. It was merely left by the side of the roadway. Surely an outlaw would have hidden the body a little so that the murder would not be brought to his door?’

‘Outlaws can be astonishingly dim, Baldwin. I have seen it on the moors.’

‘Perhaps, but concealment would surely be more likely. And especially given the rank of the dead man. Murder of a herald is not common, and more to the point, it is astonishing that such a thing might happen to the very man who had just stolen a phial of inconceivably valuable oil. What is the likelihood that the thief, clad in a King’s tabard, would then come across a felon set on murder?’

‘So what do you think happened?’

‘I have no idea. Perhaps the man was already dead, and when the man with the tabard happened along with the stolen oil, he saw the corpse, and chose to conceal his own identity by shoving the corpse’s head through his tabard. That is possible … also possible is that the killer of Gilbert came by the same route — there are only a few through those woods and that one may have been commonly used by messengers, for example — and killed the first man he encountered, throwing his tabard over the dead body to conceal his own identity.’

Simon considered. ‘That would involve a lot of boldness on the part of the killer.’

‘Yes.’

‘It would also surely imply a purpose. The King would not steal the oil — it was his own, stored where he had ordered it — so it was someone else, if you are right.’

‘Yes. Someone who had something to gain by removing the oil. Either that was someone who wanted the oil for his own purposes, or it was someone who sought to ransom it to the King.’

‘And your guess would be?’

‘What would the King do to someone who thought he could ransom the King’s own property back to him? He would have the fellow in his gaol in no time. A blink of an eye. No, this was no simple theft for swift gain. This was a carefully plotted theft with a longer-term benefit in mind.’

‘Who could think in those terms?’ Simon asked. And then he thought a moment, and added, ‘Oh.’

Baldwin nodded. They had both had enough experience of Sir Hugh le Despenser to know what he was capable of. ‘Yes.’

Simon’s face hardened. ‘Well, in that case, the best thing we can do is leave well alone and return home as soon as possible.’

‘Simon, he could well have been responsible for the murder of that monk — and the man in the woods.’

‘Yes, Baldwin. And I don’t want him responsible for our murders. Baldwin, if he were guilty, what could we do about it? Accuse him in front of the King? The man who is his best friend? You think we’d achieve anything by doing that? Who are you trying to fool, Baldwin? There is no possibility of our getting anywhere. Me? I’m for leaving him alone. He’s the most powerful baron in the country after the King himself. If you accuse him or irritate him, you will be signing your own death warrant. Do you want that?’

‘I am a keeper of the King’s Peace. I have a duty to justice.’

‘No, Baldwin,’ Simon said, and this time his voice was more gentle. He stepped forward and rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder. ‘You have an honourable duty to finding the truth in your own lands, back in Devon, and you have a duty to protect and serve your wife . You and I have to look to our families, Baldwin. If you go chasing Despenser, you will die. You know that. And when you die, he will not stop from persecuting Jeanne and your children. You know Despenser. He is relentless and ruthless. He will destroy you, then your family, and he will steal your lands and property to leave your widow utterly penniless. You will have nothing at all to leave to Jeanne and your children. Think of them, Baldwin.’

‘But if he was guilty of that murder …’

‘He is guilty of other killings, Baldwin. We both know that. We’ve seen the results of his jealousy at Iddesleigh and at Westminster. Remember that innkeeper? What would it serve justice for us to die too?’

‘You won’t help me, then?’

‘Yes, I will. I’ll help you all the way home, Baldwin. But I won’t help you to see yourself destroyed. That will serve no useful purpose.’

Baldwin had been looking at the ground. Now he looked up, and Simon was relieved to see that the veil of grim determination which had harshened his features was now gone. In its place a shamefaced smile appeared. ‘Yes. You’re right. It’s time to give up any ideas I may have had of a great destiny, and to return to my quiet life in Devon. I was forced into the limelight by Stapledon, and we have done our part by escorting the Queen to France. Surely that is enough. We’ll go home.’

‘Good,’ Simon said with a grin. And then he slapped Baldwin on the back and laughed aloud. ‘I cannot wait to see my wife’s face when I appear!’

‘Nor I mine,’ Baldwin said. And as he spoke, his eyes took on a faraway look. The Bishop’s dog lay asleep a few yards away. ‘But before I go, there is one purchase I should like to make.’