Michael Jecks - The King of Thieves

The Cardinal spoke in a mollifying tone. ‘Gentlemen, please. There is no need to argue and bicker, just as there was no need for the good Bishop to fly from the city like a man in fear of his life. What is the reason for this? We must certainly send men to protect him. If he wishes to continue to the coast and leave the Queen and her son here, it is not for us to criticise. It is a matter for him and for the King who sent him. But he will need protection on his way, that is for certain. We must gather men to follow after him.’

There was a suppressed urgency in Hugues as he nodded, turned and hurried off along the corridors. Lord John grunted and made his way after him, and the Cardinal rose graciously, finishing his wine and motioning to the others to follow him.

‘You were telling us about Anagni?’ Baldwin said.

‘Yes. Well, I was there, and it made me my fortune. I was one of those under Guillaume de Nogaret in the French team. We joined up with Giacomo Colonna, the man they called the “Quarreller”, or “Sciarra”, because he was so bellicose. He was keen to come to blows with the Pope, because Pope Boniface was from the Gaetani family, and the Colonnas hated them with a ferocity that must be seen to be believed.’

They descended a staircase, and then were out in the cool, autumnal sunshine. A number of horses were already gathered about, and men were shouting commands, dogs barking or yelping, while from all parts of the castle other men stood gaping at the excitement.

Baldwin continued, ‘So you were there with the French contingent, and you found a pot of money?’

‘We found some chests of cash. And that was enough for me to buy my Cardinal’s hat. Does that surprise you?’

‘There is nothing in the corruption of the Church in Rome which could shock me,’ Baldwin said icily.

The Cardinal recalled it so vividly. The chests opening — he and Hugues gaping in shock at the money inside, while Paolo held Toscanello by the throat. For a moment all the sounds outside, all the noise inside, were dimmed. Time itself seemed to stand still, and Thomas reached into the nearest chest and touched a goblet, the one he still had with him here. Later he gave the matching goblets and plates to the Pope for his Cardinal’s hat. For that moment, though, there was no thought in his mind of giving up any of this hoard.

‘Our leader was a man called Paolo. It was he who caused the treasure to come to me, really,’ he said. ‘Paolo had another man with him, and he slashed the boy’s throat, purely because he didn’t want to share the loot. Well, there were two of us there at the time, and we didn’t need to talk about it. It was plain as a knife in a hand that Paolo wouldn’t share with anyone. So we two attacked him, and soon had him on the ground.’

‘And the treasure was split only two ways?’

‘That is right.’

‘And let me guess,’ Simon said. ‘You didn’t want to share it with another — say, Guillaume de Nogaret?’

‘Actually, no. That wasn’t such a problem,’ the Cardinal said. ‘We did share a little with him. But not with the King.’

‘So this is the money that de Nogaret’s son was talking about,’ Simon breathed.

‘Yes. I think he may have intended to come here to blackmail us into giving him some more. The fool! Why on earth would he think we’d pay now?’

‘Perhaps because he was sure that his word would count with the King,’ Baldwin said. ‘I think that’s what you also feared, so that was why you killed him.’

‘Aha! So you accuse me? But the messenger found me in my chamber. You know that.’

‘And we also know that the messenger was called to fetch you by a young kitchen knave called Jehanin. I wonder why that could have been? We have heard that Jehanin came to Raoulet from your rooms, not from the little chamber where the man was killed. It seems likely to me that you met de Nogaret down here, you led him to a separate chamber, where you killed him, and then you left him there, found Jehanin later, and told him to find a messenger to fetch you. I expect he was surprised by the request. Perhaps he questioned it? Perhaps he sought to ask for money later? Whatever the reason, you killed him too, and hid his body for a while, later throwing it into a box in the kitchen, so it could not be associated with you.’

‘A marvellous spinning of half-truths and invention. I congratulate you!’

‘Well I accuse you , Cardinal — I accuse you of having a hand in the murder of Guillaume de Nogaret, and in the murder of the kitchen knave Jehanin. What do you say?’

Pons had stepped nearer and was listening carefully.

‘I deny it, of course. And unless I am mistaken, you have no authority in this city. And you too can keep your hand from your knife, Master Pons. I am a Cardinal, and that means I answer only to ecclesiastical officers, not the lay courts.’

Several men had overheard the conversation, especially the accusation. There was a muttering from some groups, and a young lad was standing in the forefront, scowling furiously at the Cardinal. Baldwin thought he recognised the lad from the kitchen.

‘You can at least save any other man from being accused and punished,’ he said. ‘Do you deny killing the two?’

‘How would I have managed it? Come, it is hardly likely, is it?’

‘You do not deny it, then?’

‘I have had more than enough of this. You wish to contemplate my participation in these deaths, you may feel free. It is nothing to me.’

Pons shook his head now. ‘No, because the next question is, who ordered the murder of Jean le Procureur? He was investigating the killing of the two de Nogarets, and someone from here, a religious man, is said to have commanded that Jean must die.’

Baldwin looked about him as a gasp burst from the onlookers. He was relieved to see the kitchen boy was gone. It could not have been pleasant for a young fellow to hear about the murder of his companion. The rest were drawing nearer, though, and there was a tide of anger rising all about him.

‘First you say that I am capable of killing two, and then that I must hire an assassin? Be logical.’

‘You deny the killing of Jean le Procureur?’

‘It is nothing to do with me. As I said before, I answer only to the ecclesiastical court. I may be tried for a crime in Rome, if the Pope sees fit to accuse me, but I do not answer for anything here in Paris. There is no court which can hear evidence against me, none with the power to punish me.’

Baldwin would later regret that he didn’t look about him. The mumbling had increased within the group of men, and even Sir Richard had grown aware of it, and was warily watching the crowd. If a mob were to form, there would be nothing they could do. Meanwhile, though, Baldwin spent his time concentrating on the Cardinal, watching his face, assessing his mannerisms, his nervousness, his apparent guilt.

But then the Cardinal’s face changed. All anger and confidence left in an instant, to be replaced by a dawning horror. He opened his mouth, staring at a point over Baldwin’s shoulder, and a curious little sigh burst from him.

It was a sound Baldwin had heard all too often. No scream, no shriek of terror could bring more anguish than that. It was the last gasp of a man as he died.

Even as Baldwin stepped forward to try to help the tottering figure, he saw the point of the cook’s long knife appear to the right of the Cardinal’s breast, the sudden flowering of blood as it seeped from the wound, and saw the Cardinal’s face whiten as he began to shake all over, falling forward into Baldwin’s arms.

Four men had already punched, kicked and hammered the cook to the ground, but he lay with an expression of satisfaction on his face as the Cardinal began to gurgle and thrash about in his death throes.