Edward Marston - The Owls of Gloucester

‘Why did you come to us?’ he asked.

‘Because I could not turn to the sheriff.’

‘The sheriff?’

‘Durand of Gloucester is not a man who inspires trust,’ said Abraham, ‘and he would be equally distrustful of me. If I took my warning to him, he would either refuse to believe a word I said or suspect me of being part of the plot.’

‘Plot?’

‘What on earth is he gabbling about, Gervase?’ asked Ralph.

Gervase ignored him. ‘What is this about a plot?’

‘Master Bret,’ began the other slowly, ‘I have only come to you after a great deal of agonised thought. Please understand my position. I feel it my duty to alert you to something but there is a strict limit to the amount of information I can give.’

‘In short, you need to protect someone.’

‘It is you who must organise the protection.’

‘Why?’

‘King William is in Gloucester.’

‘So?’

‘He is in danger.’

‘The King is always in danger. He lives under constant threat.’

‘I talk of particular danger,’ said Abraham, wanting to convey urgency without providing too much detail. ‘Let us just say that news has come to my ears of an attempt on his life.’

Gervase tensed. ‘When? Where?’

‘Soon, Master Bret. At the castle.’

‘But he is surrounded by guards.’

‘The assassin will find ways to circumvent them.’

‘Assassin. We are talking about one man?’

‘I believe so.’

‘Who is he?’

‘I have told you all I can.’

‘But you obviously know who he is.’

‘Master Bret, I told you. There is a strict limit.’

‘In other words, though you wish this assassination attempt to be thwarted, you will not reveal the assassin’s name.’

‘Questions of loyalty are entailed.’

‘That means he’s a fellow countryman.’

‘Warn the King. Insist that he takes additional precautions.’

Ralph was about to burst. ‘Will the pair of you stop jabbering away in that heathen tongue and tell me what on earth is going on!’

Gervase translated the gist of the archdeacon’s remarks. The effect on Ralph was immediate. He reached out to grab the Welshman’s arm.

‘This is some ruse,’ he accused. ‘You are trying to deceive us.’

‘No, my lord,’ said Abraham, gently detaching his arm. ‘I am bound to say that your manner disappoints me. I looked for understanding and you behave exactly as the sheriff would behave.’

‘Durand would have you tortured until he got at the truth.’

‘I have told you the truth. A plot is being devised.’

‘Then tell us the details.’

‘I don’t know them, my lord. I swear.’

‘But you are certain of its existence.’

‘I am. It pains me to admit this.’

‘Why did you bring this information?’

‘Because I will not stand by when murder is planned. Even if it is the murder of a foreign king who has inflicted so much untold misery on my country. If steps are taken, this assassination can be prevented.’

‘It will be in any case,’ promised Ralph, ‘as so many other attempts have been prevented before. What can one man do against a whole garrison? Only a mad Welshman would conceive such a wild scheme.’ He fixed Abraham with a stare. ‘What is his name?’

‘Do not ask me, my lord.’

‘We need to know.’

‘Why? It will mean nothing to you.’

‘Even contemplating the assassination of the King is a serious offence. The man must be apprehended at once. You spoke earlier about eliminating the slave trade at source by arresting those involved in it. Give us a name and we can stop this crime at source as well.’ Abraham shook his head. ‘You are withholding evidence from us.’

‘I think that the archdeacon has shown bravery in coming to us in the first place,’ said Gervase, taking a softer approach. ‘He has faith in us, Ralph, and we must show a like faith in him. We must pass on the message to the castle. There is no need to say where it came from.’

‘Then what are we to say, Gervase?’

‘A warning came to us from an anonymous informer.’ He looked at their companion. ‘A warning which was only given after an immense amount of thought and recrimination.’

‘I have been in torment,’ confessed Abraham. ‘There is no way out of this dilemma. Whatever I do will tax my conscience hereafter. If I remain silent and the assassination takes place, I could never forgive myself. But in revealing the very existence of the plot, I have to betray someone I hold dear and who may pay for my betrayal with his life.’

‘No doubt of that!’ said Ralph.

‘Alert the King.’

‘What will you do?’ wondered Gervase.

‘Pray that this whole business ends without bloodshed.’

‘Not if I have anything to do with it,’ said Ralph.

‘Our task is to search for Owen,’ said Gervase.

‘Take me with you,’ pleaded the archdeacon.

‘If we do, it will only be to hand you over to the sheriff.’ Ralph swiftly repented. ‘No, that will serve nothing. Gervase is right. If they double the guard there is no way that any assassin would be able to get near the King. But there is another question you must answer and I’ll take no more prevarication. I believe that you were first engaged in this plot then lost your nerve to see it through.’

Abraham was vehement. ‘No, my lord!’

‘You sought to help this assassin.’

‘I resisted him. I’m a man of peace.’

‘Then why were you lurking outside the castle on the night the King arrived?’ Abraham swallowed hard. ‘Do not deny it. I saw you with my own eyes. If you were not spying on behalf of your friend, what were you doing, Archdeacon?’

‘I was curious.’

‘Curious to see how large an escort he had? Curious to study the castle’s fortifications? Curious to find out every detail which might be of value to an assassin?’

‘My lord!’ protested the other.

‘How did you even know that the King was coming here?’

‘By complete chance. I witnessed the sudden activity around the castle. It was clearly being victualled for important visitors.’

‘They did not have to include King William.’

‘I spoke to one of the butchers who delivered carcasses of beef to the castle. He overheard the guards talking about a royal visit.

That confirmed what I expected.’

‘So you hastened to pass on this intelligence to your friend?’

He saw the flash of guilt in the other’s eyes. ‘Now, we have it.

This whole plot stems from your information. But for you, this so-called friend would have been totally unaware of the King’s presence here. True or untrue?’

‘Horribly true.’

‘You set this business in motion.’

‘Inadvertently.’

‘There is nothing inadvertent about an assassination!’

‘I have rebuked myself ever since.’

‘Not as sharply as you deserve to be rebuked.’

Gervase sought once more to cool the proceedings before Ralph worked himself up into a real temper. He was also anxious to resume their search for the missing boy, and that could not be done while they were distracted by a reported assassination attempt.

‘Go on ahead of me, Ralph,’ he advised. ‘We have heard enough to be convinced that the danger might be real. Raise the alarm at the castle so that further measures may be taken to safeguard the King. I will be hot on your heels, I promise you.’

‘Why not come with me?’

‘Because I need to speak to Abraham on his own.’

‘If it is in that incomprehensible language, I am off. The sound fills me with dread.’ He glared at Abraham. ‘As for King William inflicting untold misery on your country, Wales got ample revenge.