Michael Jecks - The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover

‘I will do that,’ Sir Charles said. ‘I shall be glad to leave this city.’

‘You do not enjoy this place? I find it refreshing. So beautiful, so well regulated and organised. There are few such cities in the world.’

‘Alas, all I feel is a malevolence, a violence always near.’

‘You must not think of the place in terms of the last few weeks, with all the deaths,’ Père Pierre said. ‘They were heretics. Men who deserved their end.’

‘Even Robert de Chatillon?’

‘Oh, yes. He served the Comte de Foix, and Foix was deeply involved in the heresies of his region. He deserved to die, and so did Chatillon.’

‘What of the others?’

‘If there were any who were innocent, God will know them as His own,’ Pierre said easily. ‘Ah. My house.’

‘I thank you for your help,’ Sir Charles said. With a casual look up and down the road, he waited until the priest had opened his door. Then Sir Charles swiftly thrust it wide, drew his sword, and ran Père Pierre’s body through three times. Finally, while the priest squirmed on the ground, choking in his own blood, Sir Charles swept his blade along the man’s belly.

‘There. If God wants you , He can have you, and welcome!’

Baldwin was waiting in the château.

‘You told him?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will he come?’

‘No. I killed him there.’

Baldwin gaped. ‘You did what ?’

‘Did you really expect me to allow Paul’s murderer to live?’

‘But-’

‘How did I know he’d done it? It’s the talk of the château. And now, if you do not mind, I shall take my rest and wait for the King of France’s men to come and get me.’

‘I do mind. You fool! I wanted to make sure that we had him here to confess in front of witnesses. Now what can we do? His body is where?’

‘In his house. It’s a single building on a road near the river.’

‘Were you seen going to it?’

‘I don’t think so. But many will have seen me leave the church with him, I suppose.’

‘I wish I’d never told you what John de Sapy said about his liking that church,’ Baldwin muttered.

‘You’re more worried about that than about telling me you were a Templar?’

Baldwin hesitated, eyeing him contemplatively. ‘I think I trust you within your limits. I wouldn’t be so sure, were there a lot of money involved.’

‘Ha! Well, Mortimer has gone, I think.’

‘Perhaps so. Simon? Wait here with Sir Charles a while. I must fetch something.’

He returned a short while later, something bundled in his cloak, and motioned to them to join him as he walked from the castle.

Sir Charles had an excellent memory even for the tiny alleys and lanes of Paris, and before long he had led them to the house where Pierre had lived. There they waited a moment, but there was no sound of alarm, and no apparent interest in them or in the house they were waiting beside.

‘Come,’ Baldwin said, and hurried inside. ‘We do not have much time.’

‘Why? There is no urgency,’ Simon pointed out.

‘Simon, this is Easter Day. There will be people in the streets soon. We must be swift.’

‘What do you want us to do?’

Baldwin opened his cloak. Inside was the barrel of black powder which Robert de Chatillon had given him. He stood a moment, peering down at the ruined body of Pierre. Then he withdrew the bung from the barrel and poured a dribble of powder from the body to the door. When that was done, he took one more handful from the barrel, then placed it beside the body. ‘Come!’

Outside, he looked up the road again. There was no one in sight. He sprinkled the powder from his hand to make a fine line from the first, leading over the threshold and out to the road.

‘No one coming?’ he asked.

‘No.’ Simon said.

Good, Baldwin thought to himself. And he prayed quickly before setting flint to his dagger-blade. There was a spark, then another, and finally one which hit a grain.

‘Simon?’

‘Yes?’

‘RUN!’

Monday after Easter 25

Queen’s chamber, Château de Bois

Queen Isabella received the messenger in her front chamber. As soon as she appeared, the man stood aside in the doorway to show her brother behind him.

‘My lord,’ she gasped, curtseying low.

‘Get up, woman! In Christ’s name, there’s no time for this nonsense.’

‘What is it? Is it the papal envoys?’

‘Papal envoys be damned! Do you not know what your people have been doing while you’ve been here?’

‘Your royal highness, I am very confused. Will you please tell me what the matter is?’

‘One of your delegation has killed one of my most trusted servants.’

‘What? Who is dead?’

‘A clerk in my service.’

‘Who? What is his name?’

‘He was called Pierre de Pamiers, and I want to speak to your Sir Baldwin de Furnshill. I am sure it was he.’

‘Why?’

‘Why what?’

‘Why are you so sure that it was Sir Baldwin?’

‘Because he was asking me about him the day before. Then yesterday Pierre’s house went up in smoke, and when we reached it and could put out the flames, there was the body of this priest inside, burned and mangled.’

‘No one actually saw him, then?’

‘You want me to find someone who saw him there? I will be happy to do so.’

‘No. I want somebody who can tell me with their hand on the Gospels that they did truly see Sir Baldwin there. Not a feigned witness, a real one.’

‘You doubt my words?’

‘Brother, who was this man? Why should a foreigner hate him enough to murder him?’

‘Baldwin had his reasons.’

‘Then I shall speak to him later, if you wish. And when I am convinced I shall decide whether to bring him to you.’

‘You will bring him to me immediately, woman! He has murdered in my city.’

‘Brother, you will recall that he is one of my honour guard. He has guarantee of safe passage.’

‘You wish me to revoke all safe conducts?’

She stared at him, but not in shock or fear. Only coldly. When she spoke, her enunciation was as precise as a bird’s song. ‘Brother, if you wish to revoke all, you are the King and you may do so. Immediately that happens, I shall advise the Pope and ask the Holy Father to bear in mind that any continuation of this war is now your responsibility and that the English are blameless.’

‘Woman!’

‘Furthermore, if you demand the arrest of any others, I will resist. I will not have my mission on behalf of my king thrown into jeopardy because of a precipitate action by you.’

‘This is all your doing, isn’t it? It’s all because of you!’ he spat suddenly.

She paled. ‘I do not know the cause of anything,’ she protested.

‘Do you not! Well, I shall take pleasure in waving you and all your entourage off.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you not even know that much yet? It is being bruited about all over — that your king has grown bored with waiting for a response to our negotiations, and is to call you home at once. Your mission has failed, my lady. And I do not care. It means I may keep my lands, and I shall not release them back to your husband.’

‘What will become of them?’

‘It is none of your business, my lady.’

Baldwin and Simon marched behind Blaket as he walked into the Queen’s presence.

Simon had thought before that she was beautiful in her majesty, with all her fine clothes and jewels. Today, though, he saw her in her full rage. And though she was still more beautiful, if that was possible, she was also completely terrifying.