Edward Marston - Ravens Of Blackwater

“Whatever is Brother Simon doing in there, Ralph?”

“Breaking the law.”

“In what way?”

“He is feeding the ravens at Blackwater Hall.”

Ralph explained the situation and the action he had taken to meet it. Gervase was alarmed at the development but in total agreement with the response. While anxious to help their host, however, he was disappointed to hear that Gilbert Champeney might actually have robbed his guests.

“The poor man was distraught,” said Ralph in mitigation. “Put yourself in his position, Gervase. His son falls into the hands of his sworn enemy. There is no other way to secure his release. What would you have done?”

“Taken my complaint to the sheriff.”

“Peter de Valognes would not wish to get involved.” “I would not have stolen someone’s property, Ralph.”

“There speaks a lawyer! You value your charters as much as

Humphrey values his golden testiculi.” “Theft is unforgivable.”

Ralph was more pragmatic. “That depends on what you take and from whom you take it,” he said. “But do not lose complete faith in Gilbert. My guess is that he would not have been able to go through with it. He was a very halfhearted thief. Forgery is much more to his taste.”

“Let us hope that it deceives Hamo.”

“We will soon know, Gervase. I have sent word to him to appear before us in the shire hall at ten in the morning. If he thinks he has relieved us of much of our evidence, he will not miss the chance to gloat.”

“What of Miles Champeney?”

“He will be set free.”

“Is his father angry with him?”

“Infuriated. He’ll have stern words for his son.”

“I’ll add a few of my own,” said Gervase. “He has caused us an immense amount of unnecessary trouble.”

“Come now. You would do exactly the same as he.”

“I think I would have more sense.”

“Sense has no place in a love affair,” said Ralph easily. “If Alys were imprisoned in that house instead of Matilda, you would not hesitate to try to rescue her. Show some fellow-feeling for Miles. I admire the lad.”

Gervase gave a nod. “So do I, Ralph,” he said, taking a more chari-table view. “And he has helped us in a strange way. Our hand has been forced but we may have found the ideal way to lure Hamo within reach of the law.”

He rested against the table. “What else have you learned?”

“A most curious connection.” “Between what?”

“The chalice and the raven.”

“St. Benedict’s emblem?”

“Do you remember the cup I saw at the priory?” said Ralph. “I believe it may have belonged to Guy FitzCorbucion. Someone stole it from Blackwater Hall. Hamo was ranting about it when the sheriff called on him yesterday. It was a family heirloom, it seems, and much prized.”

“Then how did it end up in Maldon Priory?”

“Lady Mindred told me that it was part of a dowry that was paid to the priory by one of the nuns, and I assumed that she must be talking about Sister Tecla. But I was deliberately misled, I think. I warned you that nuns could tell lies, Gervase. It seems that they might be

capable of other sinful acts as well.” He raised an eyebrow. “Our prioress has a wandering hand.”

“A holy thief?”

“You have seen the way she guards that chalice,” said Ralph. “It is very precious to her. We know that she is fond of jewelry that she is not supposed to wear. I saw that gold bangle on her arm. Perhaps she also has a passion for silver. Vanity dies hard behind the veil. Lady Mindred needs to wear bright adornment and to have valuable possessions about her.”

“I cannot believe that she would steal anything.” “Then we must settle for the other explanation.”

“What is that?”

“The prioress is a witch,” said Ralph with a wink. “Sister Gunnhild is her familiar. She turned that Danish nun into a raven and sent her to fetch the chalice back in her beak like a true Benedictine. How does that idea sound?”

“Ludicrous!”

“Find me a better one.”

“I will,” promised Gervase. “In time. If that chalice at the priory really is the one from Blackwater Hall, then it opens up many new lines of enquiry. But let me give you my news first.” He produced the knife from his belt and handed it over. “Do you know what this is, Ralph?”

“I have a feeling you are about to tell me.”

“The murder weapon used on Guy FitzCorbucion.” Ralph inspected it. “Where did you find it?”

“Tovild the Haunted gave it to me.”

He told his story once more, described his visit to the cutler, and spoke of how Oslac the Priest had reacted to the same tidings. Ralph was not pleased to hear that Wistan was once again on the run. A boy of fifteen would not have enough guile to outrun Hamo FitzCorbucion’s men for long, especially as they had now been joined in the search by the sheriff’s officers. Gervase had wanted to question him further in order to help him more effectively, but Wistan clearly felt that justice was something that he would have to dispense himself. The boy was a worrying complication.

Ralph and Gervase went through all their evidence with meticulous care but it still did not give them the name of the murderer. Tovild’s riddle might help them but it was still unsolved. Gervase shifted the angle of approach.

“Perhaps we should be asking another question.”

“Go on.”

“What was Guy FitzCorbucion doing there?”

“In the marshes?”

“He must have had a good reason to go to such a place.”

“Unless he was taken,” said Ralph. “That is more logical. He may have been killed elsewhere and then carried to the water’s edge and dumped in.”

“I doubt it. Think of his wounds. He had been stabbed many times. There would have been a trail of blood and the killer would also have been covered in it.” Gervase tapped his finger on the table. “I believe he went to that place to meet someone. That same person had chosen the spot with care because it was ideal for his purposes.”

“Who would Guy have gone to see? And why?”

“Let us try a process of elimination,” said Gervase. “We know that

Wistan is not the murderer.” “Nor is Miles Champeney.”

“Perhaps not.”

“You were wrong there, Gervase.”

“We had to look at every possible suspect.”

“Does that include Tovild the Haunted?”

“I fear that it does. And Oslac the Priest.”

“Oslac?”

“His behaviour was most odd,” said Gervase. “And he has as much reason to hate the FitzCorbucions as anyone. Hamo took his land after the Conquest. Hamo holds the advowson of his church. Hamo has killed more than one of his parishioners. Oslac is a strong man.” He saw that Ralph was unconvinced. “Yes, I know. Oslac is a true Christian and believes that the taking of a human life is anathema. But look at Canon Hubert and Brother Simon. Nobody could be more devout than they, yet they are condoning this forgery of ours in order to expose a much larger act of fraud.”

“Oslac killed in order to prevent more killing?”

“Guy FitzCorbucion was a symbol of oppression.”

“So is Hamo,” said Ralph. “Why murder the son when the father’s death would remove an even worse tyrant?”

“Hamo is too wily and well guarded. He would never have gone off alone to a secluded spot in the marshes. The killer waited until he was out of the way before he set to work on Guy.”

“And you think that Oslac could do that?”

“I’m not sure,” said Gervase uncertainly. “But I wonder about the sword that Wistan stole from him. Why does a man of God have a weapon of war in his house? And what I do know is that Guy would have trusted him. If the priest had arranged to meet him at that spot, he would have gone without fear of danger.” He took the knife back and held it up.