Dark Fire

'How did you know, sir?' I asked sharply. 'This has been kept quiet on Lord Cromwell's orders.'

He spread his arms. 'His widow came to see me yesterday. Said you had told her the house was hers, asked for my help in getting it transferred into her name since I knew her husband.' His eyes narrowed. 'Is the Greek Fire formula gone?'

I paused; the words seemed to hang in the stuffy air for a moment. 'Yes, Serjeant. That is why Lord Cromwell wants the matter investigated quickly and secretly. She was quick off the mark,' I added. 'I wonder she didn't go to Bealknap. He was nearer her husband in station.'

'She has no money. Bealknap would turn her away in a second if she couldn't pay him, but she knew I do charitable work sometimes.' He gave a self-satisfied smile. 'I've long since stopped doing minor estate work myself, but I know a junior fellow who will help her.'

Yes, I thought, Marchamount was the sort to do charitable work in the hope it would bring him merit with God, in accordance with the old religion's tenets. He would enjoy having the old ways back, too, the rich ceremonial and sonorous Latin.

'Tell the barrister nothing about the circumstances,' I told him. 'Lord Cromwell doesn't want this news leaking.'

He bridled a little at my peremptory manner. 'I could work that out for myself. I said nothing of Greek Fire to Goodwife Gristwood. Of course, she merely said her husband and his brother had been murdered. Not that that is unusual in these times.' He paused. 'There is to be no inquest?'

'The matter is to stay in Lord Cromwell's hands. And I am instructed to talk to all who knew about Greek Fire. I have to ask you to tell me everything about your involvement, Serjeant.'

Marchamount settled himself in his chair, linking his hands together. Square strong hands, yet soft and as white as his face was red. A gold ring containing an enormous emerald glinted on one middle finger. He adopted a look of judicious consideration, yet I sensed fear there. Goodwife Gristwood's news would have been a shock – Marchamount would guess Cromwell would be making enquiries and know that if he did not satisfy him he could find himself in the Tower, for all his airs.

'I did not know Michael Gristwood well,' he said. 'He approached me to see if I needed a solicitor's assistance a couple of years ago. He had been working with Brother Bealknap, but they had quarrelled.'

'I had heard. What was that about? Do you know?'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Michael was not above a little sharp dealing, but he found the way Bealknap cheated everyone as a matter of daily routine hard to stomach. I told him there'd be no sharp practice if he dealt with me.'

I nodded, acknowledging his point.

'I farmed some small pieces of work out to him, but to be frank they were not well done and I gave him no more. I heard he'd gone to Augmentations and that did not surprise me, for there are easy profits there. God have mercy on his soul,' he added sonorously.

'Amen,' I said.

Marchamount sighed. 'Then one day last March Brother Bealknap came to my office asking to see me. He told me what Michael had found at St Bartholomew's. He wanted an introduction to Lord Cromwell.' He spread his hands. 'I thought it was all some mare's nest and I laughed at Bealknap. But when he brought me the papers I could see there was something here that should at least-' he hesitated – 'be taken further.'

'Yes, I have the papers now.' I frowned. 'March, you said. But Michael Gristwood found those papers last autumn. What happened in the six months between?'

'I wondered about that. Michael told me he and his brother had spent the winter building the apparatus used to project the stuff from old plans and experimenting to make more of the Greek Fire.'

I remembered the burn marks in the Gristwoods' yard. 'Had they succeeded?'

He shrugged. 'They said so.'

'So, you helped Michael Gristwood to a meeting with Lord Cromwell. Did Gristwood offer to pay you?'

He gave me a haughty look. 'I had no need of their money. I helped them get the papers to the earl because it was right and proper. Of course, I could not approach the chief secretary myself.' He waved a hand self-deprecatingly. 'My contacts do not quite reach his circles. But I know Lady Honor, a fine woman and discreet as any female in England, and she does know the earl. A fine woman,' he repeated with a smile. 'I asked her to take the papers to him.'

It would be another foot in the doors of power for you, I thought. 'But you could not give her the formula itself?'

'That was not in my gift. I do not think anyone apart from the brothers has seen it since they tore it from that parchment. Michael told me they had done that, but not where it was kept. And the pair wanted money for it. Michael was quite open about that.'

'But as monastic property those papers belonged to the king. Gristwood should have taken them to Sir Richard Rich, as Chancellor of Augmentations, to pass to Lord Cromwell.'

Marchamount spread his hands. 'I know that, of course, but what could I do? I could not make Gristwood give me the formula, Brother Shardlake. Naturally I told him he should have given it straight to the proper authorities.' He raised his chin and looked down his nose at me.

'So you gave the papers to Lady Honor with a message.'

'I did. And a message came back through her, from the earl, for me to give to Gristwood. Afterwards two or three further messages passed through my hands. They were sealed, of course, so I knew nothing of what they said.' He spread his hands. 'I am afraid that is all I know, Brother. I was a mere messenger, I know nothing about this Greek Fire, nor even whether it was genuine.'

'Very well. Serjeant, I must repeat you are to speak to nobody about this.'

He spread his hands. 'Of course. I am at the service of Lord Cromwell's investigation.'

'Tell me if you are approached in any way, or if you remember anything that could be useful.'

'Naturally. I believe we shall be meeting again on Tuesday, by the way; we are both invited to Lady Honor's banquet.'

'Yes.'

'A lady of distinction,' he said again, then looked at me sharply. 'Will you be questioning her?'

'At some point. And I shall probably wish to speak to you once more.' I rose. 'I will leave you to your business for now. I look forward to Tuesday.'

He nodded, then leaned back and smiled, showing his white teeth. 'Is Greek Fire genuine, then?' he asked suddenly.

'I am afraid that is a question I may not answer.'

He inclined his head, then gave me a penetrating look. 'So you are working for Lord Cromwell again,' he said quietly. 'You know, many think you deserve the coif of a serjeant: you should be pleading before Common Pleas, not oafs like Forbizer. Yet you have been passed over a few times. Some say it was because you were out of favour with those that matter.'

I shrugged. 'I cannot help what people say.'

He smiled again. 'Many say Lord Cromwell may soon be out of office. If the king puts Queen Anne away.' He shook his head sadly.

'Again, I cannot help what people say.'

Marchamount was sounding me out, I knew, wondering if I was one of the many who, hearing the rumours, might switch to the religious conservatives. I said nothing, merely folded my hands in front of me.

Marchamount made a little moue. 'Well, I must not keep you.' He rose and bowed.

I smiled inwardly at the way he had made the dismissal his. But looking in his eyes I felt again that he was afraid.

Chapter Twelve

OUTSIDE IN THE COURTYARD black-robed barristers were heading towards the hall from all directions. I saw Bealknap among them, walking alone as usual, for he had few if any friends – though he never seemed to care. It was too late to talk to him now, I would have to wait till after the lunch. Joining the crowd filing into hall, I saw Godfrey a little ahead of me and tapped him on the shoulder.