Johnny O'Brien - Day of the Assassins

“You took a big risk to save us,” Jack had said.

“We must. You sent by English teacher. You will help us.” Anna’s eyes had softened, just for a moment.

Anna had not explained, however, what form this ‘help’ was supposed to take, and exactly how he and Angus, in particular, could possibly bolster the cause of the Southern Slavs. Clearly Pendelshape had mightily impressed them on his visit and any connection with the ‘English teacher’ meant access to great, if as yet unrevealed, powers. Of course, Jack had not explained to Anna the strange history of Pendelshape, and how they really came to be there. They had also pleaded ignorance about the battle at Schonbrunn. In the moonlight, it had been confusing, and only Jack and Angus knew what had really happened. But even using the extraordinary powers of VIGIL, Inchquin and the Rector would surely have their work cut out to minimise its historical impact.

Anyway, Anna was only interested in one thing. There was no question in her mind as to the righteousness of their mission in Sarajevo. Nothing would persuade her to deviate from her chosen path. Now she was doing it for her brother… as well as her family and her nation. To have this certainty, Jack thought, must be good. It would make everything so… simple.

Jack recalled the conversation that he and Angus had had with Anna on a sleepless moment on the long journey from Vienna.

“Anna, why do you hate them so much? Why do you want to kill the Archduke?” he had asked. There’d been a pause. A shadow had passed across her face and her eyes had moistened.

“You need to understand who I am… where I am from.” She had spoken softly — in monotone. It was almost as if she had been trying to distance herself from the words that came out of her mouth. “My family is poor. Some years ago my father had argument with neighbour. One day there was knock at the door… my father was murdered…” Anna wiped a tear from her eye, “in front of me… and Dani.” Jack was speechless, but he heard the bitterness in her voice. “To the authorities, it was just another peasant dispute. They do nothing. This ‘great power’. And for this we could never forgive. Then they take Dani. And now I want justice.”

They lay down in the hay and the gentle rocking of the cart finally put them all to sleep. Jack woke up as one of the cart wheels hit a pothole. He didn’t know how long they had been going… but it must have been some time, because the dust and smell of the coffee shops of Doboj had long since gone and now they were surrounded by verdant woodland. The road had changed to a rutted and bumpy track.

Jack now pulled himself up from the hay and the grubby-faced boy at the front turned and flashed him a toothy grin. They were in hill country and occasionally through a gap in the trees Jack spotted the ragged outline of the mountains. He breathed in the fresh air. Anna and Angus still slept soundly in the cart and, Jack noticed, that one of Angus’s arms had fallen across Anna’s waist as they lay side by side. Jack rolled his eyes.

“So how long now, Anna?” Jack said the words deliberately just loud enough, almost shouting, to wake his two companions. Both Anna and Angus jerked up their heads, disorientated and confused. Then Angus’s face turned red and he snatched his arm away from Anna. Anna giggled. It was the first time Jack had seen her smile since Schonbrunn. She pulled herself up onto her knees scanning the track and surrounding country. Content with their progress she leaned over to the boy, ruffled his hair and said something they didn’t understand.

“We are nearly there…”

Sure enough, they rounded another bend, and the woodland abruptly thinned out leading into a small valley surrounded by gently rolling hills.

“That’s it.”

They followed Anna’s eyes to one side of the valley where there was a raised plateau. Then they saw it.

“The church?” Angus asked.

“Monastery,” Anna confirmed.

As the old wheels of the cart creaked onwards, the monastery came into full view. Jack had visited a couple of famous ruined abbeys near home — Dryburgh, Melrose. Their ruins suggested something much grander than the building in front of them now. The whole structure was enclosed by a large, circular outer wall. Built into the front, was a large bell tower with a pyramidal roof and an arched gateway leading into a main courtyard, with overgrown gardens and a small orchard beyond. On either side of the tower, were simple two-storey structures built into the curved outer walls. The white stone had turned grey in many places, and some parts of the outer wall had collapsed completely. There was a large hole in the sloped roof of one of the buildings, exposing the beams within. The place may have once deserved the label ‘monastery’ but now it was a ruin and probably deserted. Nevertheless, surrounded by the hills and woods, and with the tower glinting in the late morning sun, it possessed a peaceful beauty.

Just as the cart approached the arched entrance gate, Jack had a powerful sense of deja vu.

“You know, I think I recognise it… this place.” Suddenly the memory was there, “Got it!” He jabbed Angus in excitement, “It’s the picture! The picture of the old church — you know, stuck to the map of Bosnia in Dad’s workshop… at Cairnfield — remember?”

Angus screwed up his face, “Not sure…” Then he also remembered, “You know what, you’re right. Definitely. Definitely this place.”

But neither of them could explain it. “Does that mean that Pendelshape… or Dad… maybe, maybe they’ve been here before?”

They stepped down from the cart but the swaying sensation continued to stay with them. Anna handed the boy some coins and ruffled his hair a final time.

Suddenly, through the entrance a tall thin man with long dark hair and a beard appeared. Anna squealed in excitement and rushed forward to hug him.

“Zadok!”

The man beamed and held Anna in his arms, “We received your message. We are ready…” Zadok held her away from him to look into her eyes, “But Anna… I was so sorry to hear of your loss.”

Anna fought back her grief and chose not to respond to the remark. She gestured to Jack and Angus.

Zadok stepped forward and smiled, “Ahh, you are the ones we have been waiting for. Sent by the English teacher. We are honoured.” Zadok then did something that completely astonished Jack and Angus. He knelt on one knee before them and kissed each of their hands in turn.

Jack was embarrassed, “It’s OK, er, really, you can get up.”

Zadok rose to his feet. “I am Zadok. Zadok the priest.” He paused theatrically. “We were promised help. Help has come. This is a happy day. Come. You must eat after your long journey.”

They sat at one end of the old refectory and, through the broken windows, Jack inspected the small, white stone chapel in the centre of the overgrown monastery grounds. Beyond, lay the remains of the cloister that curved round the inner wall on the far side. It was very quiet. Zadok was alone and explained that he had only come up the night before “to prepare everything”, as he put it. He and Anna had cooked a simple stew with vegetables and bread and now the empty plates rested in front of them.

“Zadok is from my village,” Anna explained. “But you’re not really a priest are you Zadok?” she smiled.

“No?” Jack asked.

“No. When the English teacher came he seemed to think it was funny I was called Zadok. Not a Serbian name. He called me ‘Zadok the Priest’. It’s from the bible.”

Jack looked puzzled. “When did you meet Pendel… I mean, the English teacher? What did he do?”

“Dani, Anna and I first met the English teacher — in Belgrade.” Zadok’s eyes twinkled in excitement, “We were not sure at first. Why an Englishman would want to help the Bosnian Serbs in our cause… We thought he might be a spy… but he knew so much. He knew everyone, he knew everything… it was incredible. On his first visit he warned us that the Austrian police had identified one of the Black Hand and were going to arrest him. He proved to be right and we were able to save him… It was almost as if the English teacher could predict…”