'Greetings, my lord, a splendid day for a ride in a chair. Where would you like to go?'
'Shut up, you,' said Gislebert sharply. 'You will speak when spoken to – understand?'
'That is not necessary, sergeant,' said de Bracineaux wearily. 'He is not to blame.' Regarding the slim dark youth before him, he said, 'What is your name, boy?'
The youth bristled at the derisory word but, considering the angry-looking men before him, swallowed his pride and said, 'I am Philippianous. How can I help, your majesty?'
The commander's eyes narrowed; he could not tell if the youth was making fun of him; more likely, he decided at last, the young fool really thought he was a king. 'You brought two women to Blachernae Palace last night. Where did you take them when they left?'
'I do not recall.'
'Liar!' snarled Gislebert, drawing back his hand.
Philippianous glared at the Templar sergeant. 'Is it my fault if a man cannot remember where he put his whores?'
Gislebert gave out a growl and swung at the young man, who jerked back his head, letting the blow sail harmlessly by. Before the sergeant could regroup for another swing, his commander called him off, saying, 'That will do, sergeant. He is used to being paid for his service, so we will pay.'
De Bracineaux put his hand into the leather purse at his belt, withdrew it and flipped a gold solidus to the young man. 'I trust that will help restore your memory,' he said,
Philippianous caught the coin in his fist and examined it before replying. 'They must be very important to you.'
'Where did you take them?'
'I brought them here,' he sighed, as if the conversation no longer interested him, 'because that was all the money they had.' He turned to go.
'A moment!' said de Bracineaux. 'I think you may be of further service to me. I will pay you for your trouble, never fear.' To the porter, he said, 'Take him back to the palace and wait with him there.'
When the two had gone, the Templars continued on. 'He was lying,' Gislebert said.
'No doubt,' replied the commander placidly.
'I could have made him tell us.'
'We will, but not here. The boy is well known hereabouts, and too many people have seen us already. If the women are close by, I do not want them warned off by a street fight.'
'What do you intend, commander?'
'Give him inducement enough to consult his memory, and we will soon have the letter in our possession once more.'
They rode on to the church of the Holy Apostles, which was no great distance from the square, attended a lengthy mass, and then broke fast at an inn which was frequented by many of the Templars who were now more or less permanently stationed in the city. They met several of their order and entertained them with a meal of fresh bread flavoured with caraway and honey, soft cheese, and wine diluted with lemon water.
After breaking their fast, they returned to the palace to find a very irritated Philippianous, who had been made to stand in the courtyard in the hot sun while he waited.
'Here you are,' said the commander, strolling into the courtyard, 'I had almost forgotten about you. Do forgive me.'
'I would have left long ago, but that pig of a porter would not let me go. What do you want from me? I have already told you all I know.'
'This for your trouble,' said de Bracineaux, holding up a gold coin. 'And two more if you can remember where those two young women went after they left here.'
'Keep your filthy money,' Philippianous spat. 'I am leaving.' He pushed past the sergeant and started towards the courtyard entrance.
'No,' replied the commander calmly, 'I do not think we are finished yet.' He made a gesture with his hands and three Templar soldiers appeared in the doorway behind him. 'Take hold of him.'
Philippianous made to dart away, but the Templars seized him and bore him up. 'I am a citizen!' he shouted, struggling ineffectually in their grasp. 'I have done nothing wrong!'
To his sergeant, the commander said, 'Bring me some coals.' As Gislebert hurried away, he added, 'If d'Anjou is still abed, rouse him. He would not thank us to miss this.'
Commander de Bracineaux went to his room and removed his spotless white tabard. Picking up his leather gauntlets, he tucked them into his belt, and then attached the hanger for his dagger.
He drew the knife from its scabbard and tried the edge, admiring the fine craftsmanship of the weapon as he ran his thumb along the honed and polished blade and thought back to the first time he had seen it, along with five others in a box delivered to the ship by a young lord he had tried to recruit in Rouen-the same self-righteous fool of a young nobleman whose meddling had caused him so much trouble all those years ago.
At long last, that old debt was settled.
A thin smile touched his lips, for until that very moment he had not considered the fact that it was none other than Duncan who had brought him the knife when it had been left behind; he had been so eager to please.
The commander replaced the dagger and, as he walked from the room, he wondered if Duncan, as he lay dying, had fully appreciated the grim irony of the situation. Had he, as his life ebbed away, savoured the delicious absurdity of being slain by the very weapon he had supplied?
The Shrine of Mary the Virgin served as a private chapel for the residents of Blachernae Palace, and the crypt below it was a labyrinth of connecting vaults which housed tombs for minor royalty. It was a suitably dark and private place where the proceedings would not be disturbed.
Commander de Bracineaux made his way down the narrow steps leading to the first and largest chamber of the crypt. He paused at the small altar with its gilded crucifix and its ever-burning lamp, making a haphazard sign of the cross. Then, setting aside the crucifix and lamp, he took up the altar stole-a narrow strip of cloth with a sturdy cord binding-and proceeded to the chamber beyond, where three Templars were holding an extremely agitated Philippianous, while a fourth stood guard at the doorway.
'Release me!' shouted Philippianous as the commander stepped into the room. 'I have done nothing! I am a citizen, and I demand that you release me at once.'
'Save your breath,' de Bracineaux replied. Handing the altar stole to the Templar at the doorway, he said, 'Bind him and put him over there.' He pointed to a low, flat-topped sarcophagus of grey stone. 'Then leave us.'
The soldiers bound their captive securely hand and foot and quit the chamber. When they had gone, de Bracineaux moved to the head of the sarcophagus. 'Many noble and illustrious men are interred in this crypt,' he said, leaning on his elbows. 'Of course, they were dead before taking up residence here-but I do not think anyone will mind if we make an exception for you.'
'What do you want me to tell you?' said Philippianous. 'You want to know where the women went? I will tell you. Let me go, and I will tell you everything.'
'In God's good time.'
Gislebert arrived just then, carrying a small iron brazier filled with burning coals and suspended by a length of chain. 'Ah, here is Sergeant Gislebert now,' de Bracineaux said. 'Put the coals there.' He indicated a place on the stone beside the young man's head. 'Where is d'Anjou?'
'D'Anjou is here,' said a voice from the doorway, and a bleary-eyed baron staggered into the room. 'God's wounds, but my head hurts, de Bracineaux. What is so almighty urgent that a man must be wakened and dragged from bed at the crack of noon?'
'We have an interesting problem before us,' replied the commander. 'I thought you might like to see how we solve it.'
The baron tottered to the sarcophagus for a closer look. 'What has he done – stolen the keys to the palace?'
'I have done nothing!' shouted Philippianous. 'In the name of God and all the saints, I beg you, release me. I will tell you anything. I do not even know the women. I never saw them before.'