Paul Doherty - The Demon Archer

‘As you are, so once were we! As we are, so shall ye be.’

Corbett read the inscriptions around the Doom above the dark wooden church of St Oswald’s-in-the-Trees.

‘In the end,’ he commented to Ranulf, pushing open the door, ‘all of us will be as God wants us.’

He paused inside the porch. The little church was built entirely of wood: the builder had ingeniously used a row of oaks as pillars for the roof and on either side of the nave were darkened transepts with small, square windows providing light. The roof itself looked like that of a barn, great timbers running across. The rood screen at the top looked ancient; some of the carvings, St John and other saints clustered around the crucified Christ, were battered and worn. Corbett went through the rood-screen door and into the sanctuary. A man sat there dressed in a Franciscan robe. In the alcove behind was a small, thin mattress, blankets neatly piled on top of the bolster; the remains of a meal on a trauncher lay on the floor.

‘Robert Verlian?’ Corbett asked.

He studied the thin-haired chief verderer. Verlian nodded and got to his feet, wincing at the pain and rubbing his right knee.

‘In my flight,’ he explained, ‘I must have injured it.’

He hobbled forward, hand outstretched. Corbett grasped it. The verderer was of medium height, his face, roughened by the wind and sun, was lined and seamed, the eyes bloodshot with fatigue and worry. He was clean-shaven but had cut himself a number of times.

‘I apologise for my appearance,’ he explained. ‘But I am now prisoner of this place, dependent on the generosity of Brother Cosmas.’

‘We met your daughter Alicia.’ Ranulf, smiling from ear to ear, stepped forward.

‘Yes, I know. You must be Sir Hugh Corbett, King’s emissary, and his clerk Ranulf-atte-Newgate. My daughter visits me but Brother Cosmas urged her not to bring a change of clothing or food and wine.’ He glimpsed the puzzlement in Ranulf’s face.

‘The law of sanctuary,’ Corbett explained. ‘If it is to be maintained no one is to bring clothing, food or drink or provide any other sustenance.’

‘But you are safe now,’ Ranulf insisted. ‘We hold the King’s writ. There is no proof of murder and you are not guilty of any other crime.’

Verlian shrugged. ‘I dare not leave this church, not now. Sir William’s hand is turned against me. I’d best stay here until this matter is settled once and for all.’

‘I would agree with that.’

Corbett turned round. Brother Cosmas had come out of the side door leading to the sacristy. He sketched a blessing in their direction.

‘I received Sir William’s assurances, but I heard what you said, Robert, and I agree. Stay here until this matter is finished.’

‘What do you mean?’ Corbett asked.

‘Ashdown can be a lonely place.’

The priest came across the sanctuary, his sandals slapping the floor. He took a tinder and lit the two candles on the altar.

‘Robert Verlian is an innocent man. I don’t want some accident happening to him. He’s claimed sanctuary. Let him stay. He’s safer here than elsewhere. Don’t you agree, Robert?’

The verderer rubbed his chin.

‘You have the sanctuary,’ the priest continued reassuringly. ‘And at night you may use my house. What more could you ask?’

‘But, if you are innocent,’ Ranulf asked, ‘why not go out and face your accusers?’

Verlian sat down on a bench and cupped his face in his hands. For a while he just sat then he looked up.

‘The morning Lord Henry died I went back to my house to make sure that Alicia was safe. I came back to join the hunt. I saw nothing untoward. However, when I reached Savernake Dell, Lord Henry was dead, an arrow deep in his heart.’

‘How did you come?’ Corbett asked.

‘I was hurrying from my house,’ Verlian explained. ‘Ahead of me I could hear the hunters and their hounds, the crashing of deer as they bolted through the thicket towards the dell.’

‘Which side did you approach? The side on which Lord Henry was standing or the other?’

Verlian closed his eyes. ‘I came from behind,’ he said. ‘Following the same path as the huntsmen.’

‘So, you were at the entrance to the dell?’

‘Yes, I stopped there. I could see something had happened. Figures clustered around a fallen man. Someone shouted Lord Henry had been killed.’

‘But why didn’t you hurry across?’

‘I don’t know!’ Verlian glanced up, eyes blinking. ‘I really don’t know. I was frightened. One thought occurred to me. Everybody is where they are supposed to be, except me.’

‘Sir William wasn’t,’ Corbett said. ‘He had gone into the woods to ease his bowels.’

‘I didn’t know that.’ Verlian shook his head. ‘You must remember, Sir Hugh, I was all agitated. I was Lord Henry’s chief verderer. I was also father of the young woman who was the object of his lust and lechery. I am not a man skilled in law. Even as I turned to run, I could think of what my accusers would say. When Lord Henry was killed, Verlian wasn’t where he was supposed to be! Verlian is a master bowman! Verlian knows the forests like the palm of his hand and, above all, Verlian had the motive, good enough reason to slay his lord!’

Corbett took a stool from just inside the rood screen and sat down next to the verderer.

‘Master Verlian, I came here early this morning because I wanted to question you before others arrived who might eavesdrop, take what you say and do mischief with it.’ He saw the wary look in Verlian’s eyes.

‘What. . what do you mean?’ he stammered.

‘I can understand your panic and fear.’ Corbett tried to sound reassuring. ‘But there are gaps in your story, aren’t there? You see, Master Robert, I don’t know the times, who was where when the hunt began. Your task was to lead the huntsmen and drive the deer into Savernake Dell, yes?’

Verlian nodded.

‘But you didn’t do that. We know from Alicia that you went home to ensure Lord Henry hadn’t left the hunt and visited her. You left Beauclerc hunting lodge early, went to the stables and ensured the verderers, huntsmen and whippers-in had all the preparations in hand. You probably visited the deer trap in Savernake Dell, built for the quarry to be driven in. After all, Lord Henry would not wish to disappoint his guests. Now we know,’ Corbett continued, ‘the hunt went wrong. You were not present. The huntsmen drove the quarry too fast and, by the time they reached Savernake Dell, two deer were running like the wind! So fast the archers missed them and the deer jumped the fence cunningly built to trap them.’

‘What are you implying?’ Verlian nervously touched one of the cuts on his cheek.

‘Oh, I’ll come to that in a moment. I believe you are innocent, Master Verlian. What I am trying to say is that you were gone from the hunt far too long. You planned to leave it for a short while then come hurrying back. But something delayed you.’ Corbett paused.

He glanced up at Brother Cosmas standing beside him. The friar was looking sternly at the chief verderer.

‘Have you lied to me, Robert?’ he demanded. ‘Is there something you haven’t told me?’

‘Tell me.’ Corbett tapped the verderer on the knee. ‘When you fled did you go back home?’

‘Well, no I wouldn’t.’ Verlian forced a smile. ‘I. . I mean. .’

‘You were frightened of Lord Henry’s retainers capturing you?’

‘Yes, yes, that was it.’

‘No, it wasn’t,’ Corbett retorted. ‘It would take some time for the news of their lord’s death to reach the manor. You didn’t go back home to Alicia because Alicia wasn’t there, was she?’ Corbett ignored Ranulf’s quick intake of breath. ‘You left the hunting lodge early that morning,’ Corbett continued, ‘and hurried back to your house. You expected to find Alicia there but she wasn’t. You cast about, anxious, wondering where she had gone. After all, that was the day of the hunt. The last place Alicia should be was wandering the forest.