‘It would appear so,’ she said guardedly.
‘I have not told you it all yet,’ Josse said.
‘Then please do so!’ cried the sheriff.
‘Kathnir was killed with the same type of arrow that was fired at us, Gervase, as we stood at the spot where the Turk died, and we concluded that whoever killed Kathnir did so out of revenge for their fallen comrade. Also, that they did not want our presence at a spot that they revered like a shrine to the dead man.’
‘Yes,’ Gervase agreed.
‘I believe that someone else killed Akhbir,’ he said gravely, ‘for he was shot with a crossbow bolt.’
‘You are certain of that?’ Gervase demanded.
‘Aye. The bowman did not want me to linger over Akhbir’s body and he fired two more shots to warn me off. I brought one of them away with me. It’s in the gatehouse with my weapons.’
‘You of all men ought to know the difference between a longbow arrow and a crossbow bolt,’ Gervase admitted.
‘Aye. I do,’ Josse agreed.
‘Cannot a man be efficient with both?’ the Abbess asked. ‘Is not the crossbow a better weapon for short-range fire?’
Josse turned to look at her. It was a surprising piece of knowledge for a nun, but then, as he often reminded himself, she had not always been a nun. ‘That is so. As to whether a man can be as good a marksman with both weapons, I have not experienced such a thing. The two types of bow require different skills, use different muscles, and it is normal for a man to train in the use of one or the other. But it’s not impossible.’
‘Unlikely?’ the sheriff persisted.
‘Aye.’
‘So those who wished to avenge the Turk’s death by murdering the two Saracen warriors were not responsible for this morning’s death,’ the Abbess said. ‘Who was, then?’
Josse, who had the advantage over his companions of having known for very much longer how Akhbir had died, had given a great deal of thought to the question. ‘There are two obvious possibilities,’ he said. ‘Akhbir was involved in the mission to find Fadil and take him back to the fat man. He and Kathnir were also commanded to retrieve the stolen treasure with which the fat man intended to buy him back. We believe that Fadil and the English monk came to England together but that they have parted company. I suggest that either Fadil — John Damianos — is living out in the house in the forest alone, or else that he’s got the Hospitaller with him. One of them must have fired the shots that killed Akhbir and sent me running.’
‘You said that John Damianos was alone when he came to New Winnowlands,’ the Abbess observed.
‘Aye, I know. I thought of that too. But just because they had separated then does not necessarily mean they have not joined forces again now.’
Gervase was shaking his head. ‘What are they doing out there?’ he said. ‘Is it simply that, all too aware there are people hunting for them, they are lying low?’
‘There are fewer people on their trail now,’ the Abbess said. ‘The two Saracens are dead. Thibault of Margat and Brother Otto are lying in their beds here at the Abbey recovering from the effects of the fire.’
‘Aye, that is true, my lady,’ Josse agreed, ‘but we still face a third pursuing party which is perhaps the most dangerous of all.’
‘How so?’ asked Gervase.
Josse smiled grimly. ‘Because, except for these facts — that they originally had a Turkish bowman with them, that there are at least two of them and both are expert archers, and they appear to be involved in the pursuit of Fadil and the English monk — we know absolutely nothing about them.’
Twelve
Before Josse left the Abbess she mentioned that Thibault was restless, asking repeatedly how soon he might be able to go on his way. ‘But Sister Euphemia tells me he is still far from well,’ she added. ‘His burns are still raw and, apart from the dreadful pain, if he tries to move he risks infection.’ Josse offered to call in and talk to Thibault and the Abbess accepted with gratitude. Accordingly, he made his way to the infirmary as soon as he had wished her good evening.
He parted the curtains and went inside the recess. Brother Otto was dozing but managed to open his eyes briefly and give him a weak smile. Thibault was propped up on pillows, clean dressings on his many wounds, his face tense with anxiety.
‘I hear you wish to leave us, Thibault.’ Josse perched carefully on his bed.
‘I have a job to do,’ Thibault replied. ‘All the time I lie here, the man I seek flees further from me.’ He had been looking straight at Josse but his eyes slipped away.
Josse thought he knew why that was.
‘But he will not leave this area,’ he said softly.
Thibault shot him a sharp look. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I mean that he is not likely to set off to other parts of the country when it is here that he has friends,’ Josse replied.
Thibault licked his lips nervously. ‘Friends?’
‘Aye. The runaway monk went out to Outremer with Gerome de Villieres. And Gerome de Villieres has his manor near Robertsbridge, less than ten miles away.’
He could have sworn that Thibault relaxed with relief, although why this should be he had no idea. After some time Thibault said, ‘You may be right.’
Aye, I might, Josse thought. ‘And if I go to this Gerome,’ he said, ‘and ask about a certain young knight who left his service in Outremer to join the Knights Hospitaller, he will know exactly who I mean?’
Thibault hesitated. ‘I knew him by a name different from that under which he enlisted in the service of Gerome de Villieres.’
‘Are you able to tell me either of those names?’
Thibault looked at him for several moments. Then he said simply, ‘No.’
‘Because you don’t know them or because you won’t reveal them?’
Thibault went on looking at him but he did not answer the question. But then he said, ‘The man I seek is not at the manor of his former master and nobody in the vicinity has seen a solitary Hospitaller. Brother Otto and I went there shortly before we met up with Brother Jeremiah. The track from the de Villieres estate joins the road from the coast to the north of Robertsbridge.’
‘The de Villieres family had received no word of him? He had not visited nor contacted them?’
‘No, Sir Josse.’ Thibault was watching him intently. ‘That is the truth, and I give you my word on it.’
Was he telling the truth? It might well be that Thibault had his own reasons for not wanting Josse to visit Gerome de Villieres, in which case telling him that the family had neither seen nor heard from their former knight was a good way of ensuring he didn’t. On the other hand, a senior member of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller had just given his word.
On balance, Josse reckoned he believed him.
There was something about what Thibault had just related that called for Josse’s attention. Thibault had relaxed into his pillows and closed his eyes and swiftly Josse went over their conversation to see if he could pick out what it was.
After some concentrated effort he thought he had it.
Nobody there has seen a solitary Hospitaller, Thibault said. And, Brother Otto and I went there shortly before we met up with Brother Jeremiah.
Thibault and Brother Otto were not the only ones hunting for the runaway monk and his companion. Kathnir and Akhbir had been after the monk’s companion, Fadil, which meant they were also following the monk since he was travelling with Fadil. In addition, there was also the pair of bowmen who had avenged their Turkish companion’s death by killing Kathnir. And now there was a mysterious crossbow-wielding archer as well…
Could one of these parties have been close enough to Thibault and Brother Otto to witness the visit to Gerome de Villieres? They must have known that the two Hospitallers were looking for one of their own, and if their intelligence was good, they could also have known that the runaway went out to Outremer with de Villieres and would be likely to seek sanctuary there. Supposing one or other of these pursuing groups saw Thibault and Brother Otto before Robertsbridge and the visit to Gerome de Villieres, when it was just the two of them, and again after Robertsbridge, when all of a sudden they had a third monk with them? Surely the pursuers would reach the obvious conclusion: that Thibault and Brother Otto had found the runaway hiding at the home of his former master and that now they were taking him on up to Clerkenwell to face the judgement of his Order.