Michael Jecks - The Bishop Must Die

Portchester

It had been a long and weary walk here. At last, he had been able to catch a ride with an old tranter, in exchange for help with the grooming of the man’s ancient nag. The old fellow was pleased to be able to share a cup of beans and a half-gallon of ale, which the man called Paul of Taunton was equally happy to supply.

Not that he could call himself that any more. There were likely to be men with serious expressions and sharpened swords who would want to speak with him about the grief he had caused the bishop. No matter. If he could, he would have them capture him — but only after he had actually ended the bishop’s life.

But the bishop wasn’t here, he had learned. His quarry had evaded him, and after he had come so far. Bishop Walter had paused here, apparently, but was already journeying farther eastward, to meet with the king. Well, so be it. The bastard would probably feel safer in a city with the king close to hand. All those guards ensuring the monarch’s protection, all those men ready and waiting to repel any attacker. There must be so many now, with the new terrors of invasion. Here in Portchester, there were rumours galore about fresh troubles with France.

The king had ordered that all Frenchmen should be arrested throughout the kingdom — and now there were stories of French warriors sweeping back into Guyenne. The French king was determined to take back the whole of the Aquitaine, and there was no reason to doubt the rumours. In response, King Edward was amassing a host to defend the coast against French attack.

But Paul of Taunton had other things to concern him. First and foremost, he had to think of a new name. Perhaps he should take an easy one: his own. Ranulf was a good name. It had served many men well.

Now he would take it back for himself.

Simon Puttock woke with a feeling that all was quite well in his world. There was no urgency to his rising today, for he knew that his men were perfectly capable of pursuing the utterly pointless task of hunting for documents in amongst the bales of cloth and wool being exported, or searching diligently for secret compartments in barrels. Such pursuits were of no interest to Simon. He was looking forward to seeking out his friend Baldwin.

He had received the note yesterday, which told of the knight’s arrival in the town, and he was keen to see his old companion, feeling in desperate need of a friendly face.

Baldwin was breakfasting on two boiled eggs and a thick hunk of bread when Simon arrived at his inn with Margaret.

‘Simon! Margaret! I am so happy to see you both once more,’ Baldwin said, his face breaking into a smile.

‘It is good to see you, Sir Baldwin,’ Margaret said, smiling warmly in return. ‘I hope you are well. How are Jeanne and the children? Do they thrive? Clearly, Jeanne’s needlework has not declined — that is a magnificent tunic.’

‘Thank you, although I confess I don’t know why she bothered, when my old one was perfectly comfortable,’ Baldwin grumbled. Then, recollecting himself, he told Meg, ‘The children are growing apace. I am astonished at how quickly Richalda is shooting up. Jeanne is fine, I thank you, and little Baldwin is the recipient of more chastisement than even his father was accustomed to, for which I am glad. I would hate to think that I could have been the worst behaved of my family! But what of you?’

‘I am relegated to looking after the children at all hours,’ Margaret said, casting a sly look at Simon.

‘Don’t listen to her,’ Simon said smilingly. ‘She has found all the best stalls in the market, she’s an expert at haggling with the poor devils here, and she enjoys making their lives difficult beyond compare, while I am left to worry and harry the poor traders of the town.’ He took a large leathern tankard of ale, and drank thankfully. ‘It is hardly the easiest post, but it is made infinitely more difficult by the fact that we know we are missing things.’

‘There are messages, then?’

‘Oh, yes. Have no doubt of that,’ Simon said. ‘There are messages of all sorts flying back and forth, I am sure. But a parchment note can be rolled up into a tiny tube, wrapped in oilskins, and concealed anywhere in a ship. Where am I to search? Should I make an example of a ship, and pull it apart, nail by nail, strake by strake? And then, if I find nothing, should I broach every barrel in case there is a false bottom to it? Or perhaps I should cut open every bale of goods? Slice the tunics and chemises of the sailors and even the ship-master’s hat? Pull the man’s sea-chest apart, in case there is a hollowed plank? And if I fail with this first supposed spy, should I then turn to the next ship? And the one after that? It is ridiculous, like looking for a specific stem in the midst of a hayrick. It is there, and we are all fairly certain of that, but more likely it will be found in the port of London, or on a ship in Dover. Those ports have more shipping, and they happen to have access to more secrets than this place. Why, in God’s good name, the king should have asked me to come here, I do not know!’

‘Well, at least you and I can wander the streets companionably,’ Baldwin said.

‘Is there any news of our daughter?’ Margaret said suddenly. ‘It has been a long time since we heard from her.’

‘There is news, but I do not think that it will be overly welcome, Margaret. The sad fact is, Jeanne saw Edith in Exeter,’ Baldwin said. ‘I was not with her at the time, but Edgar was, and Jeanne called to Edith when Edgar was in full view. Peter was with her, and recognised the beau of his maidservant, and since he is no fool, was perfectly able to make up the links in the chain that connected his maid to my servant. I am sorry. There has been no message since then.’

Margaret nodded, but her head had fallen to her breast. ‘I see.’

‘However, my wife had the sense to take a simple measure that I wish I had considered myself. She told the neighbour of your daughter about the problem with communicating with her, and as a result, I can tell you that your first grandchild is now almost three months old, thriving, and apparently, his bellows can be heard a full half-mile from Edith’s house over the racket of the market!’

‘Oh, thank you,’ Margaret said, but although she smiled at Baldwin, there was a great sadness in her eyes. She so desperately wanted to see her grandchild, to pick him up and hold him. It was so distressing that she was not permitted to see him, nor even her own daughter — a torment that tore at her soul every day.

‘What else have you heard?’ Simon said more quietly.

Baldwin glanced about him at the other men in the chamber. ‘I am here as Commissioner of Array to gather men for the defence of this part of the coast, but I came here at the insistence of Bishop Walter. He has been receiving anonymous letters,’ and he outlined the matter of the mysterious parchment notes.

Simon whistled slowly. ‘Poor Walter. That must have been terrifying. And these messages were all left in his private rooms?’

‘Until a matter of weeks ago, yes.’

‘But if the man is gone,’ Margaret said, ‘then the matter may well be closed.’

‘Let us hope so, yes,’ Baldwin said. ‘But I can only think that a man who was that persistent will not give up so easily.’

First Tuesday after the Feast of Mary Magdalen *

Portchester

As the ship gradually moved towards the coast, the men rushing up the ratlines and furling the sails, Paul could only stand clutching a rope at the front and praying. Dear God in heaven, but the journey was surely one of the very worst a man had ever been forced to endure! The water was a maddened, boiling creature, determined to destroy all those who dared to cross over it. Drowning was not the worst fate of a sailor, he decided — it was just the end to suffering.