by David Penny
Chapter Forty-One
Thomas woke alone to darkness. He rolled his head to one side to see a shape barely distinguishable from the shadows. Usaden. Thomas sat up and sparked a flint until the wick of the lamp on the table beside him flared.
“Did you catch him?”
“I did.”
“Is he alive?”
“He is in the small room at the back of the house. The one with a lock. Jorge is watching over him.”
“Are you sure Jorge is the right man for the job?”
“He might have picked up one or two injuries. Enough to slow him down.” Usaden looked around in the pale light. “I half expected the Queen to be with you.”
“She returned to her duties hours ago.” Thomas swung his legs from the bed and walked past Usaden to get his robe.
“You can stay where you are, he is not going anywhere. Better to let him think things over before you talk to him, not that I expect he is going to tell you any more than he did me.”
Hence the injuries.
“Is Jorge happy to guard him until morning?”
“I will do it, he can return to his bed.”
“You need to sleep too.”
“I can sleep tomorrow. Go back to bed, Thomas, I only wanted to let you know he is here.”
After Usaden left, Thomas tried to find sleep again, but it evaded him. He rose and dressed, went onto the terrace and stared to the east. He believed there was a faint hint of the coming dawn. Kin got up from where he was sleeping and padded to his side, claws clicking against the tiles. Thomas dropped his hand and scratched behind the dog’s ears and Kin twisted his head until Thomas’s fingers found the spot he liked best. The contact comforted both of them.
Thomas wondered how his life could have changed so much in ten years. From a solitary existence to this. A family, friends, a dog and a place at the side of the most powerful woman in the world. He felt no different within himself, but knew he must have changed. How could he not? He had loved and lost and loved again. He had fathered children and lost a child. He had saved men and killed men. Fortunately, the former outweighed the latter. The land he loved was about to undergo a cataclysmic change. Could he accept that as well? He smiled, knowing he had to. Knowing he was a part of it all, that he would play a role in whatever happened. Here, balanced on the edge of that change, he felt that if he stepped to one side, the balance would tip one way, step the other and it would tip again, but which was the right way was unclear. Only that he would do what he had always done. What was right. What was just.
He turned and went to question the Turk.
“Where was he going when you caught him?” Thomas, Usaden and Jorge sat at the table where everyone had recently eaten their midday meal. Belia was with the children in another room. Will was watching over their captive.
“North. Heading for that wide valley we went to.”
“Is that where Koparsh and the others are, do you think?”
“It is possible. I considered letting him go on to make sure, but decided to bring him back. Would it be useful to know where they are, or not?”
“I don’t know.”
“There were many of them, and they fight well. Even those we killed fought well. Just not well enough to come up against the two of us. How many did Koparsh have?”
“There were forty when he was here, so less than that now, but he may have more we know nothing about.”
“Too many for the three of us,” said Usaden.
“I can’t let their attempt on Isabel’s life go unpunished. Salma prepared the food she ate and Yves helped her.” Thomas shook his head. “My son tried to assassinate Isabel. I sent a message to Martin to arrest the head cook. I suspect Koparsh recruited her. It would explain almost everything. Someone inside the palace, someone preparing Isabel’s food.”
“The prisoner said nothing about a cook,” said Usaden.
“He barely said anything at all,” Thomas said. “That doesn’t mean the cook’s not involved.”
“Don’t forget Eleanor,” said Jorge. “Yves admitted she came to kill Isabel. He will have worked alongside his mother just as he worked alongside Salma. Has it always been the Turks, do you think? Right from the start?”
“I don’t know, but we’re going to find out and end it.” Thomas looked up as Belia came into the room and sat at the table. “What was in that tonic you made for Isabel?”
Belia gave a smile in reply.
“Who is with the children?”
“Nobody. They are on the terrace. Amal is playing with Jahan. It does them good not to have someone fussing over them all the time.”
Thomas wanted to argue, but knew he had abandoned his children often enough into Belia’s care not to deserve much say in how they were raised. He wondered if that would change when Gharnatah fell. Wondered what plan Isabel might have for him. He should ask her, he supposed, but was not sure he wanted to know her answer.
“Do you intend to tell Isabel we have captured one of her attackers?” asked Jorge.
“Not yet.” He looked at each of them. “There would be only the three of us, and that is not enough.” He had no reason to explain what for.
“Did he tell you nothing at all?” asked Belia.
“Nothing of any use, not even his name. He pretended he didn’t understand Castilian, French or Arabic, but he must know the latter if he’s one of Koparsh’s men.”
“We could always allow him to escape,” said Usaden.
“We have only just captured him. He might weaken, given time.”
“Do you believe that?”
“I am trying to.”
“Let him think we made a mistake and he escaped through his own efforts. I will follow, find out where he goes. I will watch how many there are, and then come back and we decide what action to take. I am sure after the attempts on the Queen’s life, she could find you some men to accompany us.”
“You know you don’t have the time for this now, Thomas,” said Jorge. “A message came from Isabel that she needs you again.”
“What message?”
“When you were interrogating the prisoner.”
“And when were you going to tell me?”
“I am telling you now. Usaden’s plan is sound. He finds out where Koparsh and his troops are and comes back here. Once we know more, how many they are, we can decide the next step. I agree we must punish those who tried to kill Isabel, but what if one of those is your own son? Can you watch him hang?”
Thomas thought of his own father and wondered if he would have watched him hang when he was thirteen years of age and accused of murder. He suspected he might have, but knew he was not the same as his father. He wanted to believe Yves innocent in all of this, but the evidence showed otherwise.
“Did Isabel say what she wanted me for?”
“Only that she wanted you.”
Thomas watched Jorge suppress a smile and offered a scowl in return.
“Who is going to let the man escape?”
“It would make sense if it was Will. No doubt the man considers him a child he can overpower.”
“Too dangerous,” Thomas said. “Besides, if he’s one of Koparsh’s men, he might have seen Will defeat one of his compatriots.”
“I will do it,” said Jorge. “No doubt the Turk considers me weak and I will pretend to be so. I’ll take him outside to relieve himself and let myself be distracted.”
“Will he believe you so stupid?”
“I can make him believe,” said Jorge.
Thomas took Will, Amal and Jahan with him when he responded to Isabel’s summons. She had, after all, said their children ought to see more of each other, and he wanted them away from the house in case there was trouble. Belia decided to stay, but sent a fresh bottle of tonic for Isabel with a warning it would be the last.
Thomas searched out Theresa to leave the children with and also ask if Martin had done as requested.
“Did you think he would not? He searched high
and low, but the cook is gone. Fled, if your suspicions are true. He questioned the kitchen staff, questioned them hard, he told me, and discovered a little that confirms your suspicions. Apparently she came into some small wealth recently and several of the girls told him she was often absent. It was her idea to use Baldomero. She sent no message to Gharnatah.”
Thomas stared into space for a moment, working through what she had said.
“I wonder if she knew Baldomero was going to die. If she did, she has a stony heart and disguised her nature from both me and Jorge. It’s unlike him not to see through to the core of a woman.”
“She deceived us all,” said Theresa.
“Isabel told me she asked you to have food prepared yesterday. Did you go to Maria for that?”
“Who else would I go to?”
“Did you tell her what it was for?”
“Only that the Queen wanted food she could carry easily. I said nothing about where she was going. Do you think me stupid?”
“No, but I’m trying to work out how those men knew where we would be.”
“I will leave such clever speculation to you.”
Thomas knew he had upset Theresa with his suspicions, but pushed on.
“Baldomero is dead. Eleanor is dead. I expect the cook is also dead by now. See if Martin will conduct another search, but tell him this time he is looking for a body.”
“He will think you don’t trust him to do his job,” said Theresa, “but I will ask.”
Thomas found Isabel sitting behind the desk in her office. He wondered whether she ever did anything else and believed she might not. She liked to know everything, and at the moment there was a great deal to know.
She glanced up when Thomas knocked against the side of the door and waved him inside before picking up a sheet of paper. It was as if the day before had never happened.
“Here, tell me what this says. It is a note from Boabdil written in Arabic. I do not want my translators to know what it says before I do. Besides, you are better than them.”
“I should hope so, I have been using little else for over thirty years.” He glanced at the note. “He has agreed to the meeting, but it must be soon, within days if possible.”
Isabel held her hand out until Thomas passed the note back. She stared at the flowing script as if concentration alone could impart some meaning.
“Does he say why so soon?”
“He doesn’t. But we both know the reason. The last time I visited the city, there was an atmosphere on the streets. The people are likely to rise against him, and if they find out he is in talks with Castile, it might be all the trigger needed. He wants an agreement before that happens. He wants an offer of safety for himself and his family.”
“Which he will get in return for the keys of the city.” Isabel set the note down and stared at Thomas. “I want no more blood spilled than necessary.” She pursed her lips. “Sooner is good. I am not sure how much longer I can hold Fernando back from launching an all-out attack. The men grow anxious and discipline is breaking down. There are small fights all the time, and some end in death. We fight amongst ourselves instead of against the enemy.”
“It is the same in Gharnatah. It happened in Ronda and Malaka too.”
“Does he say how many men we can take?”
“He does not.”
“I will need to know. I want you to go and discuss the details with him. I assume he will talk to you?”
“It depends on his mood.”
“Am I better sending Martin?”
“No, I will do it. Abu Abdullah hates Martin because he still has a hold over him. He hates me, too, but not in the same way.”
“Nobody could hate you, Thomas.”
He laughed. “Oh, I think you are wrong in that. There are plenty who do. Perhaps all except you.”
She looked into his eyes, her own unreadable.
Thomas reached into his robe and drew out a small phial.
“Belia gave me this for you. She says it is the last. The tonic cannot be used indefinitely.”
“In that case, return it to her. I will stop today. Perhaps I should have stopped before yesterday. Did Usaden catch the man who escaped?”
“He lost him.” Thomas considered it wise to omit mention of the man’s capture, questioning and subsequent release. He doubted Isabel would understand his logic. He was no longer sure he understood it himself, only that it might lead to some resolution. There were too many questions unanswered. No doubt too many questions he didn’t even know needed to be asked.
“I thought Usaden was an expert tracker,” said Isabel. “And he had your dog with him, did he not?”
“He did, but sometimes even being the best is not good enough.”
“So I am learning.” Isabel pushed a strand of pale red hair back into place from where it hung across her cheek. “Am I safe now, Thomas? Can I eat or not?” There was a fragile tension in her that made him want to reach out and embrace her, but he knew he could never again do so. In that moment, it felt like an ultimate loss.
He pushed his own emotions aside, as he had always done.
“It appears your cook brought both Baldomero and Salma into her kitchen. I believe she was recruited by Koparsh, or sent by him. How long ago did you say she came here? A year and a half? If this attempt on you has been that long in the planning, it is cunning indeed. Martin has put extra men to guard all entrances of this building, so yes, you are safe for now. I will question everyone in the kitchens, everyone in this building if you ask me. Where there is one traitor, there may be more.”
“I cannot believe that, Thomas. The sooner Granada falls to me, the sooner I will be safe. There will be no reason to take my life then, will there?” She stared at Thomas, waiting for an answer.
“I do not know, only that I will be close beside you and lay my life down for you if need be.”
Isabel stared at him, emotions playing across her face and through her body. Thomas thought of all he knew of her that he did not know two days before. He watched as she put her own feelings aside and returned to business. It was as if a box had been locked and set in a drawer away from sight.
“I will have to tell Fernando about this meeting with Boabdil, and no doubt he will want to come.”
Thomas tried to follow her example, but it came hard to him. No doubt he had less practice than the Queen of Castile.
“If he sees an agreement reached, it may hold him back from an attack. You will have men with you, and Koparsh has only two score.”
“So we need to take more.” Isabel stared into Thomas’s eyes a long time, a fragility clinging to her, and he wondered if she might crumble under the pressure on her. Then she blinked and became her old self. “Columb was here again today and got past everyone to confront me directly, so perhaps I am not as safe as you claim.”
“Except he is no cook.” Thomas was relieved to see a smile touch Isabel’s lips. “What did he want?”
“He says he needs a decision within a week, or he is setting sail for England.”
“It is winter in England. He will turn around and come straight back.”
“Do not make light of it. When you return from talking with Boabdil, find Columb and see what I need to offer to prevent his defection.”
“Do you intend to fund his voyage?”
“I do.”
“Can I tell him as much?”
Isabel stared off to one side, her eyes tracking empty space as she thought of her answer.
“Yes, tell him I will fund him, but only after Granada falls. That must happen first. Everything else has to wait. Can you do that?”
“I can. You know I am yours to direct as you wish.” He watched Isabel fight a smile that threatened to show on her lips. Lips he had kissed only the day before, but knew he would never kiss again, which was only proper. The knowledge firmed another decision he had to make. Perhaps he could fit in a visit to his house on the Albayzin to see if Helena was there. She might tempt him to stay o
vernight, but he doubted he had the time. There was too much to do and he wanted to know if Usaden’s plan had worked.
Chapter Forty-Two
“Is the big general coming?” Isabel asked. She and Thomas were once more in her office as the day drew to a close. Three days had passed since she had sent him to Gharnatah. More time than either Isabel or Abu Abdullah wanted, but finally the negotiations were agreed. Each side would take fifty armed soldiers. Isabel and Fernando were both to attend, and Abu Abdullah was bringing his mother. This last almost caused Thomas to abandon the talks. Aixa was a spiteful creature who dominated her son completely. She would be hard to control, but at least something was happening.
“He is,” Thomas said. “Abu Abdullah insists Olaf be present, but the troops from both sides are to stay outside the fort.”
“Can he still fight with only one hand?”
Thomas suppressed a laugh. “I expect Olaf could fight with no hands, but yes, he can. He claims he is no less a warrior for it, and—” He cut himself short.
“And what, Thomas?”
He considered whether to lie, then decided the truth would do no harm.
“I have had a device made for him. It attaches to the stump of his arm so he can hold a second weapon. A knife. An axe. Even a sword. Though he will need to decide which before he uses it.”
“You made this?”
“I had it made. A friend of mine shaped the wood, and a smith created the metalwork.”
Isabel shook her head. “I suspect Fernando will not be pleased. I think he was hoping Olaf would no longer be a threat.”
“If the talks succeed, nobody will be a threat.”
“Did you speak with Columb?”
“I did.”
“And persuaded him to stay until … I don’t know when, but the turn of the year at least? It is not so long now, is it? He owes me that much.”
“Yes, I persuaded him. We got drunk together with Jorge and talked of distant lands.”