C. Sansom - Dark Fire

Barak stared boldly back at him. 'That didn't stop you conjuring up a common fraud. That's all this is.'

'No, it is not,' an aristocratic voice said from the doorway.

MARCHAMOUNT AND THE two villains bowed deeply as the Duke of Norfolk entered, rain falling from his fur-lined coat, young Jackson following him. I realized he must have been at the banquet as Norfolk's servant, not Lady Honor's, and felt relief as well as horror as I understood just how high the plot reached.

Norfolk threw his coat to Fletcher, then stared at me with that cold haughty look of his. There would be no mercy from him, I knew. He walked over to the bale of cloth. Fletcher hastily rose to allow him to sit down.

'Well, Master Shardlake,' he said, 'I've had a wet trip across the river in the pissing rain thanks to you.' He smiled coldly. 'Yet you did well, considering the forces against you.' He laughed. 'More forces than you guessed. I wouldn't have minded a man like you on my side. But you've different loyalties, eh? Now, what does Cromwell know?'

'He knows by now that the Gristwoods were unable to make Greek Fire,' I lied.

'And how did you discover that?' His tone was conversational.

'By going back to how it began.'

'Ah yes, the monk Kytchyn. I expect he's squirrelled away in one of Cromwell's safe houses by now?'

'Yes, he's safe. Then I delved into the old sources. I realized there was a missing element that's needed to make Greek Fire, something that can't be found in England. But perhaps you have travelled the same path. Is that why Marchamount took the books from Lincoln's Inn?'

Marchamount nodded. 'Ay. And threatened the librarian with the duke's retribution if he asked any questions. It seems we have been following the same path, Shardlake. I have driven my mind to aching with those books. But I know we shall never be able to make Greek Fire in England.'

Norfolk nodded. 'But you didn't know I was behind the plot, or that Marchamount here was my man?'

'No, they didn't.' Toky said.

'Let the crookback answer.'

'No.'

Norfolk nodded slowly. 'Did you guess what our first plan was?'

'I think you planned to give Greek Fire to the king yourself, but when Sepultus Gristwood failed to make it you decided to turn it into a fraud to get Cromwell into worse odour with the king.'

Norfolk gave a bark of laughter. 'Why's the crookback not a serjeant, eh, Gabriel? He could outwit you in court any day.' Marchamount scowled.

'By God,' the duke continued, 'Sepultus Gristwood and his brother angered me. Going to Gabriel and promising they could make Greek Fire, him running to me saying we had the last nail for Cromwell's coffin. Then every week they said it would take a little longer, said there was another element they needed to find – it was months before they finally confessed they'd failed. It was Gabriel's idea to turn it against Cromwell, he's a clever fellow after all. And to make sure we dealt through intermediaries to give the story credence. He'll have his knighthood when Cromwell's gone, eh?' He clapped the Serjeant on the shoulder; Marchamount reddened with embarrassment.

'So, no Greek Fire for the king. You should see him when he is in a rage. It is – spectacular!' Norfolk threw back his head and gave a bark of laughter. Marchamount and Fletcher joined in sycophantically, though Toky sat glaring at us, fingering the dagger he had pulled from his belt.

'Cromwell is tottering,' the duke said more quietly. 'This failure will bring him down. Then, when I step into his shoes, after a few months Greek Fire will be mysteriously found again. His alchemists shall have this vase and I shall be celebrated as the one who rediscovered it.'

'You can't make more,' I said.

'No? You have the formula safe, Marchamount?'

The serjeant patted his doublet. 'Yes, your grace. It never leaves my person now.'

The duke nodded, then turned back to me. 'We shall find the stuff the formula calls naphtha, Master Shardlake. We will make a voyage to where some can be found.'

'All those places are under the Turks.'

'Are they? Well, I am not short of gold.' Norfolk narrowed his eyes. 'This will be my triumph. The king tires of reform, he sees now the chaos it brings. In the end he will be persuaded back to Rome and, who knows, perhaps Catherine will give him another son. A Howard heir, in case anything should happen to the little Seymour prince.' He smiled again and raised his eyebrows.

'And you killed all those people to make it so.'

He nodded seriously. 'Yes. Does that offend your legal sensibilities, lawyer? They were common churls. Rogues and a whore, a common founder. They were nothing, chaff before the wind. I seek to change the future of England, save three million souls from the heresy of the reformists.' The duke stood up, walked over and kicked me, casually but painfully, on the shin. Then he nodded at Toky. 'I'll leave you to deal with them. Have what sport you wish, but before the lawyer's dead I want all the details of what Shardlake found in those old books. The bodies can go out of the hatchway afterwards. Marchamount, stay and help question him. Note what he says.'

The serjeant wrinkled his nose. 'Is that really necessary? It will be an unedifying spectacle-'

'Yes, it is,' the duke answered shortly. 'You're a bookish lawyer like the crookback. These fellows will know no more of old Roman writers than I do.'

Marchamount sighed. 'Very well.'

'And now I am going back to Bishop Gardiner's house to dine with Catherine. Inform me when it's done.' The duke inclined his head to me. 'You'll find there are more painful things than burning, lawyer, if I know Master Toky.' He snapped his fingers at young Jackson and the boy helped him back into his coat, then opened the door to the outer room. Through the hatchway I saw the sheeting rain and the river surging by, the tide nearly high now. Fletcher and Toky bowed as the duke swept through the doorway, followed by Jackson.

There was silence for a moment, save for the hissing of the rain and their footsteps descending the stairs. Toky pulled out a long, sharp dagger. He smiled. 'Each cut will be for Sam Wright.' He stood up. 'Here we go, crookback, we'll start with your ears-'

Marchamount gave me an apologetic smile. 'This will be an unusual type of discourse for lawyers, I am afraid.'

I felt Barak tense beside me. His hands, untied, shot down to the floor. Balancing on them, he launched a high kick at Fletcher. It was brilliantly done. He caught him in the stomach and sent him crashing back against the wall. His head hit it with a bang that shook the whole room and he slid down the wall, unconscious.

Barak leaped to his feet and lunged for the corner where his sword had been thrown. I hauled myself up, almost screaming at the pain from my back and my cut wrist, as Toky dropped his knife and pulled out his sword. Barak reached his weapon, but half-stumbled as he rose. Toky would have stuck him had I not grabbed my dagger and stabbed him in the thigh. As he let out a bellow of pain and fury Barak slashed at his hand, half severing it. Toky's sword clanged to the floor.

Marchamount reached to his belt and produced a dagger of his own. Breathing heavily, he lunged at me, but Barak kicked out again and knocked the big man's legs from under him. He landed on the floor with a thump. I winced as Barak lunged with his sword, burying it in Toky's heart. Toky looked down, stared round at us with those savage eyes, unbelieving, then their strange light seemed to go out and he crumpled slowly to the floor. Barak and I stood for a second, scarcely able to believe the savage force which had dogged our steps these last weeks was gone.

'There's a new face in hell,' Barak said.

There was a moan from the corner as Fletcher came to. Marchamount hauled himself up with the aid of the table, dusty and red in the face. Barak turned and held the sword at his throat. 'Now, you big old toad, you're going to come with us and croak to the earl.'