Michael Jecks - The Malice of Unnatural Death

‘Mistress? What would you have us do?’ Sarra asked.

‘We should return to the castle,’ Alice said with a catch in her throat. She turned, and was about to make her way up thestreet when she saw the twisted features only a pace or two away. As the steel flashed, Alice screamed and lifted both handsto protect herself.

Michael Tanner felt tired as he left the keeper and his companions. They had questioned him quite fiercely, he felt, and theexperience had left him drained. And it was all for nothing, sod them all!

The last days had been exhausting. Ever since the shock of hearing that the attempt to assassinate the king and his bastardsons-of-the-devil, the two Despensers, had been betrayed, Tanner had been on tenterhooks, waiting for the men to arrive athis door and take him away. Yet nothing had happened. Life had continued as though nothing untoward had occurred. While heknew that men were being tortured in Coventry, he heard no signs here in Exeter that anything was wrong.

And it was good to reflect that while all the associates in the attempt were arrested, the one crucial man in the whole enterprise, John of Nottingham, had escaped and made his way here.

Sheriffs tended to be corrupt, but among such a dishonourable rabble there could be one or two exceptions. And Croyser wasone such. A deeply religious man, who believed with all his heart in the life to come and the Gospels, Croyser hated whathe saw the Despensers doing to his land and his people. He deplored the way that the king acquiesced to each and every demand made by the Despensers, and he refused to see all the conspirators taken, hanged and displayedin order to satisfy their lust for revenge. Instead he had released John of Nottingham and given him instructions on whereto go: to Croyser’s old servant’s son and still loyal retainer, Michael Tanner.

A message had already arrived, warning Michael to expect John soon, and it was a good thing it got to him. Otherwise he wouldnot have considered talking to such a bedraggled figure.

He first saw the fugitive necromancer outside the tavern. There was little enough in the sight to inspire confidence. Shabbyclothing, gaunt features … little enough to speak of power and importance. Michael would have left him there, had he notalready been contacted, and as it was, he at first thought that this was only some beggar who had appeared by coincidence,and would have left him to the mercies of the night. But then he caught sight of those eyes, the deep-set, dark eyes of aman who held inconceivable power. There was a force which emanated from his soul and fired the eyes with authority.

This was a truly awesome character, and fearsome. He gave off a sense of command that was not human, as though any insultwould be rewarded immediately with a punishment more ferocious than even the Despenser could imagine.

Yes. There had been much to fear, looking into those eyes. Not as much as some, of course. The man who killed him was clearlyeven more to be feared than his victim.

Tanner walked to his barrel and poured himself a strong ale. He felt light-headed and not a little emotional. The idea thatthe effort, all the planning, all the terror at the idea of discovery, had been in vain, was enervating. He could have toppled over for lack of command over his legs. Sitting was impossible. If he sat, he might never rise again.

All that work, he thought, and drained his cup.

And as the cup was raised, he heard a knock at the door.

His heart lurched like a rache seeing a cat. ‘Fool, fool, fool!’ he swore at himself. Christ Jesus! If John was dead, obviouslythey’d known where he was, and that meant they probably knew where all the conspirators were. They must have been following John or someone else, and now they were going about the city and capturing all those who’d ever had anything to do with theconspiracy. Why had he come back here to his house? He must have been mad! He was a cretin!

The knock came again: urgent, demanding. With leaden feet, Michael Tanner started to cross the floor to the door, but beforehe could reach it the door sprang open, and in the doorway was only emptiness. He gaped, staring, and even as he did so afigure, tall, slim, clad in dirty grey and black, slipped round the doorframe and into his house. And as Tanner took in thesight, he felt his reason slipping.

‘In God’s name-’ he began.

‘Yes, friend. In God’s and all the saints’ names,’ said John of Nottingham. He drew his lips back from his teeth and baredthem briefly. ‘But before we start our prayers, do you close that door and keep all unwanted eyes from us, eh? Because wehave work to do.’

Lady Alice fell back, away from the dagger, and cried out in alarm. Jen smiled to see her so fearful, and advanced, her longknife waving from side to side, before suddenly lunging.

It was Sarra who stepped between them, a hand up to protect her mistress. ‘Jen! Jen! Stop this! What do you think you’re doing?’

‘It’s her, her — she’s poisoned my lover’s mind against me,’ Jen said through gritted teeth. ‘Get out of my way, Sarra.’

‘So you can kill her? No, I won’t! You can’t kill her, Jen. All she’s done is stick to her vows. It’s not her fault she marriedthe sheriff before you ever heard his name, is it?’

‘He loves me. He always has loved me, and she’s in our way. Without her we can be happy.’

‘Jen, he doesn’t feel anything for you at all. Why should he? He’s a knight, Jen, a God-fearing knight — and what are you? You believe he’d leave his wife for you? Look at yourself, Jen! How can you think he’d leave her for you?’

‘Shut up! You don’t understand! You haven’t been in love, have you? He and I love each-’

‘Has he kissed you? Has he called you his sweeting? Has he touched your body? Has he moaned for love of you? Has he visitedyour bed at night? What is this, Jen? You are mad if you think he feels anything for you. All he knows right now is that you’reinsane. You’re lunatic. If you go back, he wouldn’t even want to be in the same room as you — you have to be sensible, Jen! Put the knife away and leave my mistress alone. Otherwise all you’ll get is a painful death for your treachery to our master.’

Jen slowly turned to face Sarra, ignoring Lady Alice for a moment. Her face registered her dumb astonishment. As though Sarracould comprehend the depth of feeling that existed between her and her master! ‘You say he wouldn’t want to be in the sameroom as me? He would leave his position, his wife, his life , if I asked him to …’

‘He didn’t even speak up for you when you went to him yesterday, did he? He wouldn’t protect you then, would he? Because he loveshis lady. It’s Alice he adores, Jen. Never you.’

‘No! No! That’s rubbish. His only trouble is, she’s like a limpet! If he tells her how he loves me, she won’t let him go. She cleavesto him like a contagion! Well, I’ll kill her now and save him from her. Then he and I may leave and find ourselves our ownhappiness.’

Sarra shook her head. Her heart was already thudding painfully in her breast, and she put her left hand to it even as sheturned her right palm upwards in the sign of good faith. ‘Please, darling Jen, don’t do something you’ll regret. This isn’tyou! I know you — you wouldn’t hurt another person for no reason. My lady has done nothing to harm you, Jen. All this stuffabout Sheriff Matthew, it’s in your head. It’s not real, Jen.’

At last she could see her arguing was achieving something. Jen’s face went blank for a moment, and then her eyes screwed upand tears began to flood from them and course down her cheeks. She stood there some little while, hands clenched at her sides,the knife forgotten, her entire body rigid and unmoving. And some of the people who had been watching saw, and one or twomen started to step towards her in a bid to capture and restrain her. One, Sarra recognised: it was her mistress’s man. Sheturned to see whether Alice had seen him too, and then …