Michael Jecks - The Malice of Unnatural Death

He came to the South Gate and nodded to the gateman. In the house he saw Art, and stared at him meaningfully. Art looked from him to his father, but his father was already speaking to someone else in the gateway, and Art quickly left thehouse and came to him.

‘Boy, I need help.’

‘It’ll cost.’

‘It always does, boy. It always does.’ He smiled, and then the smile was wiped away. ‘I want you to find me a necromancer.’

Exeter Castle

Sir Matthew was back in the city in the late afternoon, a little weary, but elated after a fine ride. The rounsey was stillfull of spirit, and if he’d wanted to, he felt he could have ridden the beast all the way to Winchester and back!

Not today, though. There was too much to be done. This was a busy time of year, and there was still the matter of the writabout the murder attempt on the king and the Despensers.

He had heard a rumour from a friend in court that the Lord Despenser had himself written to the pope asking for special protectionagainst such attempts at assassination using supernatural means — but the pope had written back to tell him to mend his waysand stop abusing his powers, beg forgiveness for his past sins, and nothing more would be needful. Apparently the Despenserhad raged up and down the corridors of his house for hours after reading that.

At the moment, though, Matthew thought he had enough on his own plate. There was the matter of his wife, then the mad maidservant,not to mention this trouble with sorcerers. It was all getting to be a little too much for him. He needed time to focus andconcentrate. Stop being blown about by events.

The castle came into view, and he found himself peering about him, half expecting to find himself confronted at any moment bya mad woman with foaming mouth and rolling eyes. Christ in a cave, but that wench scared him. Madness was akin to leprosy- both were obviously unhealable, and both left the sufferer revolting to all men of good sense. And madness was the worsein some ways. It meant that the victim could not herself see why she had become the object of revulsion.

He rode in through the gate and tossed the reins to a waiting groom, then dismounted and stood watching while the man beganhis work. If there was one thing that Sir Matthew would not tolerate, it was any laxity in the care of his mounts. A stableboy or groom who displayed laziness or incompetence would not last any time in the castle. No one received more than the onechance to do things right in Sir Matthew’s stables.

‘Sir Matthew? There are some men here to see you, in your hall.’

Sir Matthew gazed distastefully at his steward. ‘I have not invited anyone to visit me today.’

‘These were most insistent, sir. The Keeper of the King’s Peace, a coroner, and a bailiff from Tavistock. They are tryingto catch the woman who killed your wife’s maid.’

‘My wife’s …’

‘Your wife was there, sir. It is thought that the woman wanted to harm her too.’

Sir Matthew’s mouth fell wide. He recalled glancing back from the gate, seeing Jen with her hand raised, the fist and forearmpainted with blood … he left the steward in the court and bolted to the hall’s door. He threw it wide and hurried inside.‘My wife, where is she?’

‘I am here, husband,’ Alice responded. She lay on a bench near the fire, while a girl soothed her brow with a cool cloth andpassed her a large gobletful of wine.

‘My darling, I only just heard — your servant is dead?’

‘Yes. She was stabbed by that little bitch we removed this morning.’

‘It is true that it was her, then. And you saw it all?’

‘If Sarra had not sprung in between us, I should be the one lying dead on the cobbles instead of her,’ Alice said.

‘We would like to speak to you about this,’ Coroner Richard said.

Sir Matthew lurched, startled by the voice over his shoulder. In truth, he had been in such a hurry to speak to his poor wife,he had forgotten that he had visitors. Now he spun and saw that there were three men seated at the table at the other endof the hall. ‘Who are you all?’

Baldwin snapped curtly, ‘Come, now, Sir Sheriff! You know me at least, and my good friend here the coroner. And if you donot know my companion Bailiff Simon Puttock, one of my lord abbot of Tavistock’s most trusted servants, it is about time youdid.’

Peering into the gloomier reaches of the hall, away from the fire, the sheriff could make out their faces more clearly. Hecould also see that although the keeper and Simon had risen to their feet, the coroner still remained sitting at the bench. He waved a hand airily while in the other he held a salmon’s head.

Matthew nodded to them, bowing as graciously as he might as Coroner Richard sucked loudly on the head. ‘My apologies, lordings. You were in the gloom there — after the sunshine in my courtyard. I did not recognise you.’

‘Now, Sheriff, can you tell us aught about the woman who left your service this morning? We understand she may have come from Silverton. Is that right?’

‘I have no idea. Perhaps the steward would know?’

‘He thought Silverton,’ Baldwin said, reflecting on how little interest some people took in the lives of those upon whom theircomfort depended. ‘We have sent a man to the vill to see whether she might have tried to escape in that direction, but havehad no luck.’

‘She must be in the fields, then.’

‘I doubt it,’ Lady Alice said weakly. ‘Why should she leave the city? If she had somewhere to go where she would be free,that would be one thing, but if she’s got nowhere else to go, then why should she leave? I think it more likely that she waitssomewhere nearby.’

‘Why, my darling?’ Sir Matthew asked.

Baldwin responded. ‘Sir, we have been discussing this affair since we arrived here. It seems clear that the wench is infatuatedwith you …’ He was tempted to add an acerbic comment about his own surprise at the thought, but curbed his tongue. ‘Itis possible that she fled after her crime, but it is equally likely that she has remained here, in which case you will haveto do all that is needful to protect your lady.’

Sir Matthew felt as though he might be sick. This morning he had contemplated the grateful thanks of the king for his swiftand efficient apprehension of the magician, and instead he was being advised to exercise great caution on behalf of his wife.‘Why would the child think I could desire her? It’s insane.’

‘Did you ever give her cause to think you might love her?’ Baldwin pressed. ‘Anything at all?’

‘Never, on my heart! I love my wife, Sir Baldwin. Adultery would never sit easily on my soul.’

‘I have heard of young wenches who gain a false impression of another’s love,’ Baldwin admitted doubtfully. ‘They have such anintense fascination with the object of their desire that they convince themselves that their adoration is reciprocated. Ihave never witnessed such a one, though. Are you quite sure that you never gave her cause to believe that you might …’

He could not continue. One look at the sheriff’s face told him all he needed to know. This was not a man ruled by his hearton most occasions, but seeing him now, Baldwin was forced to admit to himself that unless the fellow was a consummate actor,he was no adulterer. To Baldwin, who had once submitted to his passions and betrayed the love he felt for his own dear wife,it was plain enough that this man had never committed the same sin.

‘This wench is very clearly dangerous. The men must be told to redouble all their efforts in the city to find her, and inthe meantime you, Lady Alice, must not leave the castle grounds.’

‘I would be most reluctant to become a prisoner in my own house,’ she said sharply.