A Tear for the Dead

by David Penny

  Thomas called across to Yves, who rode beside Jorge. “Do you know that town ahead?”

  Yves shook his head. His face was pale and dark circles shadowed his eyes. Thomas wondered if he was sorry he had come.

  They were a league from the small town when Usaden pulled his horse to a halt and swung to the ground. He knelt, his fingers tracing something in the dry dirt only he could see. Thomas dismounted and knelt beside him.

  “They split up here. Look…” Usaden reached out to a fresh piece of dirt that looked no different to any other. “Three of them went on, the others rode north.” He glanced up, his eyes tracking the looming mountains in that direction. “They must know of a pass we cannot see.”

  “Which group was Eleanor in?”

  Usaden rose and walked a dozen paces, came back, walked in another direction, returned a second time.

  “She and two men went on to the town. Her horse is of finer build and stands out. She should weigh less than the men, but the ground is too hard and I cannot read that in the tracks.”

  “She is carrying gold,” Thomas said.

  Usaden gave a nod. “That would explain it. Do we follow her?”

  “We do.”

  “Do you not want me to find out where the others have gone?”

  “No doubt they brought her this far and are returning to wherever they came from. It would be of interest to know who they are, but we can find that out from the two who stayed with her.”

  “She’ll have gone to ground in that town somewhere.”

  After they started off again, Thomas went to ride beside Jorge. Yves was further back, looking around as if concentration alone might reveal something.

  “When we find Eleanor, I want you to stay close to Yves.”

  Jorge twisted in his saddle and looked back at the man.

  “Do I have to? I know he’s your son, but I can’t say I particularly like him. He stinks of privilege.”

  “Perhaps he’s trying to change, but I don’t trust him, either, not yet. I can’t help wondering why he wants to come with us, unless he means to help his mother when we find her. I don’t want to hurt him, or her, if we can avoid it. Usaden and I will take care of the two men still with her. I want you to take care of Yves for me.”

  “Kill him?”

  “Stop him killing himself, or trying to kill one of us. You can manage him, can’t you?”

  Jorge, who was still looking back at Yves, nodded. “Yes, I can manage him, if it comes to it. Will could manage him. Maybe even Amal.”

  Thomas laughed. “Not yet, but one day.”

  “She’s a lot like Lubna, isn’t she?” said Jorge.

  “She is.” Thomas didn’t want the reminder of his dead wife, even if no day passed without her loss invading his thoughts. Besides, Jorge spoke the truth, Amal was growing more and more like her mother. Clever and brave and fearless. Perhaps because Thomas carried all her fear inside himself.

  As they rode along the narrow main street—it appeared to be the only street—men and women sat in front of their houses watching them pass. Thomas dismounted, handed his reins to Jorge and approached one of the older men.

  “What is the name of this place?”

  “Agramadenos. Everyone knows that.” The man’s answer was hard for Thomas to understand. A coarse mix of Arabic, Castilian and some local dialect, each word cut short before reaching its natural end.

  “Everyone except me. Have you seen other strangers pass this way today?”

  “You mean the woman and the men? Fine figure of a woman, too. I hope she can manage both of them. They were big men.” The man cackled at his own attempt at humour.

  “How long since?”

  “I was tending my trees, so before we stopped to eat. A while ago now.” It seemed time was not a measured commodity here.

  “Did you see in which direction they went?”

  “Not me, but my son did.” He inclined his head towards another man sitting on the far side of the roadway. He looked barely any younger, his face creased from a lifetime in the relentless sun of these high plains.

  Thomas waited, but the man considered his answer complete.

  “Should I ask him?”

  “He doesn’t like strangers.”

  Thomas felt in his jacket for a coin. He held it out so the man could see it. He wondered if he knew what it was. He didn’t suppose money was much used here.

  The man’s eyes held to the dull gleam of silver. “Finca de Almadova. Follow this road half a league and you will see it on the right. You cannot miss it. There is nothing else out there for an hour’s ride.”

  Thomas tossed the coin at him, expecting it to fall to the ground, but the man’s hand came out fast and the coin disappeared.

  The money loosened his tongue a little more. “The woman came here before, but there were more of them then. Another woman, too.”

  The finca came into sight as soon as they rode past the last of the houses. The eyes of the inhabitants tracked them the entire way through the town, but nobody else spoke.

  The house was more recent than the town, perhaps only two hundred years old rather than a thousand. A narrow terrace offered shade at the front. Half the building rose to two storeys, a tower at one end rising even higher. Tall trees offered more shade at the rear. A large stand of oleander stood to one side, their vibrant flowers reflecting the sunlight. Thomas thought them a strange choice of shrub to grow so close to a house because he knew every part of the plant capable of producing a virulent poison.

  There was no sign of any occupants or their horses. Thomas and the others sat on the roadway and stared at the building.

  “How do you want to do this?” asked Usaden.

  “The simple way. You and I ride up and knock on the door.”

  “They will see us coming and have time to prepare.”

  “We are talking about the two of us. There is only so much preparation someone can do.”

  “That is true. And Jorge and the boy?”

  “He has thirty-five years.”

  “But he’s still a boy. You can see it in his eyes.”

  “They stay here for now. I’ve told Jorge to keep him under control.”

  Usaden laughed, but made no comment as he urged his horse up the slope. A narrow track showed where the others had come. Thomas knew Usaden could read it well enough to know how long ago, what weight the riders, and perhaps even what they had eaten to break their fast.

  They tied the horses to a rail and Thomas hammered on the door. The sound fell like lead to the ground, any echo sucked away by the dry soil.

  “Go around back and make sure nobody tries to escape.”

  Usaden nodded and darted away, Kin at his side.

  Thomas hammered again, harder this time. He put his ear to the rough wood of the door and listened. He was still listening when the door opened so fast, he almost lost his balance.

  Eleanor stood on the other side, her head tilted to one side in question.

  “I wondered how long it would take you to get here. Come in, then.” She looked past him. “And tell the others to come, too. I have made food enough for everyone. Is that my son with Jorge?”

  “It is.”

  “Why did you let him come with you?”

  “Because he asked. Are you going to tell me the truth this time?”

  “I will, but only you, Thomas.” She reached out and touched his wrist. “I owe you that much.”

  Thomas turned and waved his arms so Jorge and Yves knew to join them.

  “Where are the men you arrived with?”

  “Gone to meet with the others. They only came here to ensure my arrival. They took my horse with them so I would find it difficult to leave. They took my gold, too.”

  “Why were you brought here?” Thomas wanted to ask as much as he could before the others arrived, but knew they would be here before he had a chance.

  “Come inside and I will put the food out, and then we can let them eat while you and I t
alk. I will tell you what you want to know, and then you can decide my fate. I am not—” But what she was not would have to wait as Jorge arrived.

  Yves pushed past Thomas and embraced his mother. She kissed his cheek before pushing him away.

  “Take Jorge inside, then go out back and tell the other one to come in, but the dog stays outside.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Yves stood close to his mother in a room at the rear of the house. Wide windows looked out over rocky ground that rose steeply. Thomas glanced at the array of food on the table, but ignored it despite his hunger. He noticed Usaden and Jorge did the same.

  Eleanor saw their reluctance and laughed. She strode to the table.

  “Do you think me stupid enough to poison you?” She took a slice of meat pie and handed it to Yves. “Eat this, my sweet, and show Thomas he has nothing to fear.”

  Yves looked at the offering, but made no move to raise it to his mouth.

  Eleanor shook her head and took another slice. She bit into it, wiping crumbs from her chin.

  “See?”

  Usaden took a slice of the same pie, as did Jorge. Usaden walked to the rear door and tossed his piece to Kin, who caught it in mid-air, leaping high without seeming to move his legs. Usaden came back and took a second slice.

  Eleanor stared at Thomas, waiting. He made no move and she scowled. There was nothing left of the girl he had fallen in love with, however hard he searched for her.

  “No matter, there is another table set next door, just for you and me. Come, we can talk there.” She glanced at her son. “Yves, stay here.”

  Thomas followed her into the long corridor that stretched the length of the house, then into a smaller room. There was a table laid, chairs set, even plates, fine glasses and wine.

  “I take it you don’t intend to kill me, then?”

  “If I did, you would already be dead. You might have been my first teacher, but I have learned much since. Including knowing my own mind. And you have been much on my mind of late.”

  Eleanor sat and reached for the leg of a bird coated with a rich sauce.

  Thomas remained on his feet. The scent of the food made his stomach ache. He knew he could eat anything he wanted, but another smell underlay that of the food, sweet and smoky. It was familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He assumed it was from the rich sauces that coated some of the dishes.

  “As you have been on mine,” he said.

  “Oh, I think not in the same way. You have been hunting me down because you believe me guilty of a crime.”

  “Are you about to plead your innocence? It’s a little late for that.”

  Eleanor met his gaze, her own softer than he’d expected.

  “You must know I could have killed anyone I wanted. That strutting peacock in the palace on the hill, your queen, even you. It was you who first taught me about love, about herbs, about fungus. I did what I could because I hoped it would bring you to me.”

  “Which it has, but I am here to take you back for judgement. What is that smell?”

  “It is only the food. Eat something. I need you to be strong, because I want your help.”

  Thomas laughed and shook his head. “Have you lost your wits?”

  Eleanor’s face showed no amusement. She looked afraid.

  “I have been stupid. Love made me stupid. My love of you.”

  “You showed what manner of love we shared in Córdoba when you slept with Fernando.”

  “I was a fool. I wanted to hurt you, but ended up hurting myself. I could blame Castellana, but it would be a lie.” Eleanor looked down at her hands, kept looking down as she continued. “I fled Castile to get away from my own feelings. Feelings about you. I never forgot you, but you were never in my mind often until we met again. I wanted to put distance between us, but it made no difference. You filled my head with thoughts of what I had lost.”

  “You lost nothing, because we had nothing.”

  “But we could have something, couldn’t we?” Eleanor lifted her gaze to Thomas’s, a hunger in hers that all the food on the table could not satiate.

  “No.” Thomas watched tears gather in her eyes and felt nothing. She had betrayed him. “If you truly care about me, tell me who sent you here.”

  “To this house?”

  “To Castile. I assume it was not your idea to poison Isabel.”

  Eleanor attempted to control herself, and Thomas wondered whether her emotions were real or just another way of trying to influence him. Except he had learned his lesson where she was concerned. He trusted nothing she said and nothing she did.

  “It was a commission, nothing more. It is what I have done for years. Take commissions.”

  “To kill people?”

  “Sometimes. At other times, more subtlety is required.”

  “Who was this commission from? Who wants Isabel dead?”

  “I will tell you soon, perhaps, when I am sure I can trust you.” She moved her hand as if to reach for his, then stopped.

  “Then we have only one thing left to talk about. What have you done with Baldomero de Pamplona and his wife?”

  Eleanor offered a faint smile. “Patience, my love, patience. Soon you will learn everything.”

  “You were wild when I first knew you, but I never thought you evil.”

  “I do not consider myself evil, but after my husband died, I needed a source of income. The knowledge I had gained attracted a good price. The first time was almost an accident. I had taken a lover. He was not you, but a fine-looking young man all the same. He was married, but told me he would marry me if he was not. And then, when…” Eleanor hesitated, her gaze turning inward for a moment before she shook her head. “No matter the reason why, but I poisoned his wife. I made sure it was painless. I thought it was what he wanted, but he found out what I had done and threatened to expose me. So I had to get rid of him, too. I discovered I enjoyed the power.”

  Eleanor ate another of the small tarts. She poured wine into both glasses and drank half her own to show it was safe. Thomas sat across from her and pulled meat from the breast of a duck. The wine was excellent, rich and full-bodied.

  “Why Isabel?”

  “It was nothing personal. If I had known you lay with her, I might not have taken the commission, but it was a great deal of money, so I probably would have.”

  “I don’t lie with her,” Thomas said.

  “Then you are a fool. Soon she will rule all these lands. Become her lover and you will have great power and wealth.”

  “I lust after neither power nor wealth.”

  “You always were an innocent about such things. I remember how you captured a hoard of gold and gave most of it away. It was how we met, was it not?”

  “I recall it that way, yes. Who paid you?”

  “The King of France.”

  Thomas hadn’t expected an answer, and her response came as a surprise.

  “Why?”

  “Because France is a powerful nation and does not wish another powerful nation on its southern border. If Isabel wins this war, as she is going to, that is exactly what Spain will become. France has not long given England a bloody nose, but they still trouble her borders.”

  “I have always heard Charles is too affable for such underhand dealings.”

  “He is. It was his sister Anne and her husband the Duke of Bourbon who hatched this plan, but if anyone ever found me out, I was to blame the King.” Eleanor smiled. “It is the truth, Thomas. You know I cannot lie to you. Are you really going to take me to Isabel now? Will she hang me, do you think?” She seemed untroubled at the prospect.

  “As you said, you have killed no one yet. If I plead your case, she may do nothing more than exile you to your holdings in France.”

  Eleanor smiled again. “Which is where I intend to go. I have failed here. There is nothing to keep me in this land any longer.”

  “When can I see de Pamplona and his wife? I take it you had some kind of hold over the man to make him do as
you wanted?”

  “His wife was held hostage and he was told he would never see her again if he didn’t use the tarts I prepared. It was a rare accident of luck I found out about him when I was in the Sultan’s palace. Another when I heard the Queen wanted a Moorish cook. I had his wife kidnapped to ensure he placed the poison in front of Isabel.” Eleanor shook her head. “Your Isabel.”

  “Would it have made a difference if you had known?”

  “The money had already been paid and a service demanded. When I heard you served her, I reduced the dose.”

  “Theresa almost died.”

  “Except you were there. I knew you would be there. I also knew you would never rest until you searched out who was behind the poison. Clearly it was not de Pamplona. I thought you had uncovered me that first time you called. I was ready to confess, but you left again.”

  “Why would France act as you say? It has sent soldiers to stand beside those of Castile.”

  “It always pays to spread a wager over more than one outcome, especially when the stakes are as high as they are in this game.”

  “Game? We are talking of people’s lives. What did you do with de Pamplona and his wife?”

  “They were brought here until matters were settled. I intended to try again. That will no longer be possible, which is why I intend to leave. I thank you for bringing my son with you. It saves me the journey south to fetch him.”

  “Are they here?”

  “They were this morning. I have them locked safely away.”

  “I want to see them.”

  “I was hoping to seduce you first, one last time in memory of what we once had. Did you not enjoy our last encounter? I did.”

  “You were using me, nothing more.”

  “And would use you again. I am more skilled than when we were young, and sometimes that makes up for the excitement we had then.” Eleanor stood. “Come on, if you must. I will introduce you to Baldomero de Pamplona and his wife. Then perhaps you can accompany me to my chamber. I am sure I can find something to enhance our experience.”