'Would you like me to torture him first?' volunteered Seurel. 'To see what he can tell you about the Duke of Marlborough's plans.'
'We already know his plans,' said Salignac testily. 'He's on his way to lay siege to Rain at this very moment. We have reliable spies in his camp. They don't need to resort to Captain Rawson's methods.'
'We are at war, General Salignac,' argued Daniel. 'Any methods are deemed acceptable when it comes to securing intelligence.'
'They are not deemed acceptable by me.'
'Then we must agree to differ.'
'I agree to nothing!' snapped the other. 'Take him out!'
'Where are we going, General Salignac?' asked Catto.
'We'll find a place where we won't be interrupted. Since the captain taunts me about my lack of civilised behaviour, I intend to cut him to pieces in the most civilised way.' He reached for his sword. 'He and I will fight a duel.'
Edward Marston
Soldier of Fortune
The courtyard was situated in a quiet corner near the edge of the city. Though soldiers occasionally marched past on the road nearby, it was a relatively peaceful spot. Daniel Rawson was in an awkward situation. Since his hands had been tied behind his back for so long, his wrists had been chafed and his arms subject to cramp. He was tired from the long ride. General Salignac was older and slower but those disadvantages were negated by Daniel's stiffness.
The real problem for Daniel lay in the choice of his adversary's seconds. Charles Catto and Frederic Seurel were not merely there to act in an official capacity. If, by any chance, the general faltered, they would step in to kill Daniel in his place. The duel was a fight against three men. Other factors favoured Salignac. Having spent his career in a cavalry regiment, he was very proficient with a sword, whether using it to cut and slash in battle or indulging in the subtleties of fencing practice. While the general would use his own sword, Daniel would have to manage with a weapon borrowed from Catto. From the start, it seemed like an unequal contest.
Daniel was given no time to stretch his arms and flex his muscles. As soon as his bonds were cut, a sword was thrust into his hand and he was forced to defend himself. General Saliganc dispensed with the formalities of a duel. Once Daniel was armed, his opponent rushed at him with his sword flailing. All that Daniel could do was to parry, duck and retreat. It went on for minutes. The clash of blades sent sparks into the air. Encouraged by the two bystanders, Salignac built on his early advantage, pressing Daniel back before going down on one knee for a vicious thrust that was only partially deflected. The point cut through Daniel's shirt and drew blood from his left arm.
'A hit, a hit!' yelled Seurel, relishing the injury.
'Take him whenever you wish, general,' urged Catto.
Salignac renewed his attack but it lacked the venom of his first assault. He was palpably tiring. In the heat of the noonday sun, he was also starting to sweat profusely. Daniel drew comfort at last. Instead of simply offering a defence, he was able to show off his swordsmanship a little, flicking his wrist to great advantage and using his superior balance to weave and feint. When his counter-thrust removed a button from the general's coat, he saw the man's face turn crimson with rage. Gathering all of his energy, Salignac fought so hard that Daniel was pushed back yet again. When his shoulders met a wall, he realised that he could go no further.
Pausing to get his breath back, Salignac kept him pinned against the brickwork. He was so confident that he could kill Daniel with a single thrust that he took time to choose his spot. When he was ready, he feinted twice to draw Daniel's blade out of the way then let out a cry of triumph as his arm went at full stretch in a bid to pierce the heart. Daniel was too quick for him. Twisting sideways, he moved his body out of the way so that the point of the general's sword met the wall with murderous force, jarring his arm so painfully that he dropped the weapon to the ground.
It was Daniel's turn to abandon the niceties. Taking the general by the collar, he swung him round at speed and hurled him straight at Catto, knocking both men violently to the ground. Seurel had his dagger out at once and darted forward. Before he could be stabbed in the back, however, Daniel swung round in a flash and lifted his sword up, running it deep into the Frenchmen's stomach and leaving him impaled in agony.
Seizing his opportunity, Daniel took to his heels.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
He had never run so fast in all his life. Darting out of the courtyard, Daniel Rawson sped along a lane before zigzagging his way through a series of narrow alleys. He knew that pursuit would be immediate and that he would have dozens of soldiers on his tail. When he came out into a wide road, therefore, he slowed to walking pace so that he could mingle with the crowd. Anyone hurtling wildly along the thoroughfare would be identified at once as a fugitive. His only hope lay in blending with the people who thronged the main streets. It was market day and he was carried along by the mass of bodies converging on an array of stalls, hand-carts and wagons covering an entire square.
Daniel knew that General Salignac would not fight a duel with him for the second time. He would be baying for Daniel's blood and castigating himself for failing to kill the prisoner when he had the opportunity. The search would be thorough and the quarry would face certain death if caught. Daniel needed a hiding place. Escaping from Augsburg would be difficult in broad daylight so he had to lie low somewhere in the city until nightfall. The market offered all kinds of possibilities. When he heard the sounds of a chase somewhere behind him, he kept his head down and lengthened his stride until he was able to plunge in gratefully among the jostling hordes, buying, selling and haggling in the marketplace.
As soon as he could, he ducked under a wagon, crawled along the ground and came out behind a line of stalls. Piles of goods were stacked haphazardly and there was a multitude of empty wooden boxes, baskets and sacks left on the ground by vendors. Above the pandemonium of the market, Daniel could hear soldiers' voices rising in volume as they got nearer. The hunt was on in earnest. Since he was not allowed the luxury of time, he was forced to make an instant decision. Carpets were being sold on one of the stalls and, in case it was needed, an additional supply of them had been stacked upright at the rear. Daniel tucked himself in behind the carpets, unfurling the edge of one of them a little so that he was completely concealed. It was only a temporary refuge but it gave him chance to rest and to reflect on what had happened.
General Salignac had evidently discovered his wife's adultery and he was so obsessed with revenge that he had hired assassins to track down and murder her lover. One of them, Frederic Seurel, had now met his own death and it gave Daniel great satisfaction to know that he had killed the man who had so callously beheaded Lieutenant Hopwood. His satisfaction was marred by his fears for Berenice Salignac. A brief acquaintance with her husband had been enough to show him that the man was cruel and vindictive. He felt a stab of guilt at having left her in compromising circumstances and he prayed that she had not suffered too much on his behalf. Daniel had been deeply fond of Berenice and would have been drawn to her even if she had not been the neglected wife of a French general.
All thought of her was abruptly suspended when he heard soldiers, yelling above the tumult and demanding to know if anyone had seen a man fleeing down the road. There were loud complaints from the crowd as the troops forced a way through to conduct their search. Daniel risked a peep out of his hiding place and caught sight of bayonets glinting in the sun. They were being used to probe under tables, into stalls, into piles of hay and anywhere else where a fugitive might conceivably lurk. Slowed down by the sheer number of people, the soldiers were nevertheless methodical and painstaking. It would not be long before they explored the area behind the stalls.