"Voluntarily? I think not. He will write the pope, and Innocent may well excommunicate me."
"Your uncle the king of France will not allow it. Do you think Innocent will stand up to Louis? He will not dare challenge Louis for the Mandylion. Do not forget that the shroud has been secured for the king or that for the moment it belongs to you-it has never belonged to the Church. Your conscience can rest."
De Molesmes held out the shroud to Balduino. The emperor hesitated a moment before taking the cloth in his arms. He looked at it in fear and wonder and then turned quickly to put it into a richly ornamented cask beside his bed. Turning to Vlad, he ordered him not to move from the side of the box and to defend it with his life if necessary.
The entire court had come to Hagia Sophia for Sunday Mass. There was not a noble who had not learned of the dispute between the emperor and the bishop, and even the commoners had heard echoes of the confrontation.
On Friday the faithful had gone, as usual, to St. Mary of Blachernae to pray before the shroud, but they had found the casket empty.
Indignation ran like wildfire through the masses of simple worshippers, but burdened as they were by the precarious state of the empire, no one dared confront the emperor. Nor did the worshippers wish to lose their eyes or ears, and however much they lamented the absence of the shroud, they realized that they would lament even more the loss of those organs.
In Constantinople, gambling was part of the very history of the city. For its inhabitants, anything might be the occasion for a wager-even the confrontation between the emperor and bishop. And so, with the dispute over the Mandylion now common knowledge throughout the city, wagers on the outcome had reached astronomical figures. Some predicted that the bishop would officiate at the Mass, while others wagered that he would not appear, and that with this affront to his authority the emperor would declare war on the papacy.
The Venetian ambassador stroked his beard expectantly, and the envoy from Genoa never took his eyes from the door. It would be good for the interests of both men's republics if the pope excommunicated the emperor, but would Innocent dare defy the king of France?
Balduino entered the basilica with the ostentation worthy of an emperor. Dressed in scarlet, accompanied by his wife, his most loyal nobles, and the chancellor Pascal de Molesmes, he took a seat on the ornate throne that occupied a place of honor in the sanctuary.
None of his subjects saw the slightest sign of concern in the emperor's expression as his gaze passed serenely over them.
The seconds seemed like hours, but after only a few minutes His Excellency the bishop of Constantinople appeared. Dressed in his pontifical robes, he strode slowly and ceremoniously toward the altar. The emperor sat impassively on his throne, while a murmur ran through the basilica. De Molesmes had been willing to wait briefly for the bishop, but if he did not appear after that, the chancellor had arranged that the Mass be said by a priest he had generously remunerated for the occasion.
The Mass took place without incident, and the bishop's homily was a call to concord between men and to forgiveness. The emperor took communion from the bishop, and even the chancellor came forward to receive the host and wine. The court understood the message: The Church would not defy the king of France. When the service had concluded, the emperor received his court at a reception abundant with delicacies, accompanied by wine brought from the duchy of Athens, a strong, full-bodied vintage with a lingering taste of pine resin. Balduino was in excellent humor.
The Comte de Dijon approached de Molesmes.
"So, Seigneur de Molesmes, is it possible the emperor has at last made a decision?"
"My dear count, in a very short while the emperor will give you your reply."
"May I ask what reply I might expect?"
"There are still some details that concern the emperor."
"What details might those be?"
"Patience, patience. Enjoy the food and wine, and come tomorrow to see me, early."
"Have you been able to persuade the emperor to grant me an audience?"
"Before the emperor receives you, you and I must talk. I am certain we can arrive at an agreement satisfactory to both your king and mine."
"I remind you that you are a Frenchman, just as I am, and that you have a duty and obligation to Louis."
"Ah, my good King Louis! When he sent me to Constantinople he ordered me, with all his heart, to serve his nephew as faithfully as himself."
The count understood de Molesmes's message. The chancellor's first loyalty was to Balduino.
"Tomorrow, then," he said, inclining his head.
"I shall be waiting."
The Comte de Dijon moved away, seeking the eye of Maria, Balduino's cousin, who was doing all in her power to make the count's stay in Constantinople a pleasant one.
The first light of dawn had not yet broken. Andre de Saint-Remy left the chapel, followed by a small group of knights. They made their way to the refectory, where, before going off to their labors, they broke their fast with a round loaf of bread moistened with wine. Their frugal meal done, the Templars Bartolome dos Capelos, Guy de Beaujeu, and Roger Parker directed their steps to Saint-Remy's study.
Though he had arrived there but minutes earlier, the superior was waiting for them impatiently.
"De Molesmes has still not sent me a message confirming my audience with the emperor. I suppose that the latest events have kept him busy. The Mandylion is being kept by Balduino in a coffer next to his bed, and this very day de Molesmes is to begin negotiations with the Comte de Dijon for the price of its delivery. The court knows nothing of the fate of the king of France, although we must presume that an emissary from Damietta will not be long in coming. We must not wait any longer for the chancellor's call; we will go to the palace now and I will request an audience with the emperor, to tell him that his most august uncle is a prisoner of the Saracens. The three of you will accompany me, and you will speak to no one of what I shall tell the emperor."
The three knights nodded and, following their superior's rapid steps, they soon came to the glacis before the fortress, where grooms were waiting with horses. Three mounted servants and three mules loaded with heavy sacks were there also and would form part of the Templar delegation.
The sun was just rising when they arrived at the palace in Blachernae. The palace servants were surprised to see the superior of the Templar chapter in person and understood immediately the import of such a visit at that hour.
The chancellor was reading when a servant rushed into his room to tell him of the presence of Saint-Remy and his knights and of the Templar's desire for an immediate audience with the emperor.
Uneasiness washed over de Molesmes. Andre de Saint-Remy would never come to court without a confirmed audience with the emperor unless something grave was afoot.
De Molesmes hurried through the palace to greet the superior.
"My friend, I was not expecting you-"
"It is urgent that I see the emperor," Saint-Remy replied brusquely.