J. Tomlin - The Templar's Cross

Wrycht shook her hand off but he crossed his arms and glowered at Carre.

She smiled confidently at Carre. “I am sure you do not mean to cheat us out of our promised pay. It is hardly our fault that de Carnea betrayed all of us.”

“Did he?” Law tilted his head and examined her.

“Certes!” Wrycht exclaimed.

Law scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not sure that matters anymore. But if any of us are to be paid, I must retrieve the cross and we must decide who is to be given to the lord sheriff. I promise we won’t leave Perth without giving him someone.” He threw a significant look toward Dave Taylor. “I don’t much like that sleekit weasel. He might be a good choice.”

The ratcatcher hunched his shoulders. “That’s nae fair. I wouldn’t kill anyone.” His wide eyes glistened as the stared at Law, and he turned his head to look at Carre. “You’ll nae let him do that to me.”

“You’ve done a job for me keeping watch on Sir Law, better than that pair. Mayhap I’ll keep you on in my pay instead.” Carre stood. “Sir Law, I do not trust you to retrieve the cross and return. It was hardly chance that I waited for you unbeknownst to you. I’m not nearly the fool that you think me.”

“I ne’er took you for a fool, Maister Carre.”

“Where is it hidden?”

Law laughed softly. “You think I’m going to tell you? Someone must retrieve it.” Law cocked his head and looked at them one at a time. “You seem to trust the ratcatcher, though I wouldn’t turn my back on him. Mayhap if he has one of your guards with him, the two might keep each other honest-of a sort.” He carefully watched Carre for a reaction as he said, “They can take a message to Cormac the minstrel. I told him I had hidden something, but he did nae see what it was. The ratcatcher and your guard here can carry it here.” Law raised an eyebrow at the choice.

“No!” Wrycht ground out in a growl. “We’ve risked too much. We all must go.”

Carre slowly shook his head. “So many of us would attract attention, attention I cannot afford.” He gave the scar-faced guard a considering look.

Marguerite’s gaze darted to Law and back to Carre and then Wrycht, worrying at her lower lip with her teeth. She was a fine actress. Law gave her that much.

“You’ll trust him?” Wrycht motioned toward the guard with a sneer. “He’d steal it in a trice.”

Scarface barked a laugh. “I’d be arrested for a thief if I tried to sell this cross or whatever it is. No one would believe I came by it honestly, that is if Maister Carre didn’t find me and kill me first.”

“Sending only two has a great risk. I cannot say that I like it either,” Carre said.

Law shrugged. “Then we all should go as Wrycht suggested.”

“No, I won’t take that risk.” Carre frowned and then copied Law’s shrug. “Very well. We shall use your plan.”

“Tell him I need the package we took from beneath the Lady statue.”

Marguerite gave him a startled look as though she had just realized where de Carnea had left the cross.

“No, they’d better bring the minstrel with them. No telling who he might carry the tale to.”

Law pressed his lips into a tight line. Protesting might make the situation worse, but he had to try. “That would be one more man who will have seen you in Perth, which King James and his sheriff here would take most ill. And what would he tell? That I delivered a package? No one would care. Best to keep this privy between as few as we may.”

“No one is leaving my sight until I have the cross in my hands. Make no mistake, if I’m betrayed I mean to clean up behind me and reach England safely.” After a moment, Carre nodded to the guard. “Take Taylor with you and let him do the talking to the minstrel. And don’t even consider betraying me.”

Scarface, who’d kept the crossbow in his hands the whole time, slung it from his back and motioned the ratcatcher to precede him and then bowed to Carre before he closed the door after them. Law huffed out a breath. This hadn’t been part of his plan, but it could still work.

“That’s all right, then,” Law answered. “We may take our ease whilst we wait. There’s no reason any of us should leave, and I have my own reasons for keeping you all under my eye.”

“As long as I am well out of the burgh before you take any action.” Carre took the leather purse from his breast and held it out. “This is going to be yours so you may as well have it.”

Law took it and sat on the edge of the table. He bounced it in his hand. “I ought to have more.”

“Fifty nobles is a great deal of gold for digging something up from under a statue. That’s where it was, is it not?”

“It wasnae that easy and you ken it.”

“I have no reason to care, and I have guards to pay as well and now a dead son. This has been a costly venture.”

Shaking his head, Law looked up at Marguerite. “Is there wine in the house? We could all use a cup.” He shoved the purse into his doublet, Wrycht was glowering at him, forehead creased.

“You’re planning on cutting us out entire.” He stood, clenching and unclenching his hands.

Marguerite stood and went to the sideboard to pour three cups of wine. She took a gulp from one. “I’ll be happy to return home to France and out of this uncivilized place. But I shall leave without a profit.” She put a cup into Wrycht’s hand and handed one to Carre. She didn’t offer any to Law, so he poured himself another cup.

Wrycht sat glowering into his cup without drinking. Law, Carre and the woman drank their wine, and then each had another in a tense silence. Watching the shifting light from the windows, Law stood to prop a shoulder against a wall. Carre took out a parchment which he read, commenting occasionally on the stupidity of his buyers. Wrycht’s hands twitched where they rested on his thighs as he scowled from Carre to Law and back again. Marguerite smoothed her dress as she listened to Carre’s comments, and she tried to coax Law into a conversation about the war in France. He grunted in response to her questions.

When it had been at least an hour since the ratcatcher and the guard had left, Law crossed to the sideboard and poured himself yet another cup of wine. Something had obviously gone wrong. Cormac knew to hand over the cross without protesting. Law could only hope he had done as he was told. The tension in the room was growing as Carre tucked his papers away, his face tight and eyes narrowed.

“If they don’t return when it is dark, we should go to seek them,” Law said. “The first place to look is my room at the inn. If they’re nae there…” He looked toward Marguerite. “Do you have any food? It may be a long day.”

There was the sound of pounding feet outside in the street and the door banged open. “I did not take it,” Scarface gasped. “I swear it, Master Carre!” Both his eyes were swollen and blackening with bruises. One side of his hair was clotted with dried blood.

Carre leapt to his feet sending his chair clattering. “What happened! Where is it?”

“Where is the minstrel?” Law demanded.

“It was that goddamned ratcatcher. But I’ll eat my own boots if he’s any such thing. The minstrel took us to Law’s room.” The man thrust his chin at Law. “He pried up a board. When I bent to take the cross from the space, he knocked out the minstrel with a club. I’d never seen the weapon, it was that well hid. I went for my sword but before I had it out of the sheath, he’d clobbered me. Then he gave me a kicking for good measure. I don’t know how long I was out but when I came round, the cross was gone.”

Law took a step toward the man. “I asked you. Where. Is. The. Minstrel?”

“We were tied up when I roused, and he was already at the door kicking it when I came to. The innkeeper came and loosed us. I ran back as fast as my feet would carry me.”