Keeper of the Grail tyt-1

by Michael P. Spradlin

  Denby staggered back to me. “If you and your friend are ready, we can go now. Our longboat is tied to the dock outside. I’ll be taking the money now,” he said.

  “I’ll give you the money when we are on your ship and under way, not before,” I replied.

  He squinted at me again. “I’m beginning to think you don’t trust me.”

  “Let’s go,” I answered.

  Denby shuffled across the floor, barely keeping upright until he reached the door. He passed through it with scarcely a glance at Robard, who looked at me with his eyes wide, as if wondering if I was crazy enough to book passage with a drunken boat captain. Given Denby’s condition, I could only imagine what the ship must be like. But we needed to get out, and our options were few.

  “Please tell me you know what you’re doing,” Robard whispered to me as we left The Dancing Fig.

  “Of course. It’s all under control. I just booked us passage on a ship to England. We leave tonight,” I told him.

  “I’m not going anywhere with that drunkard,” he replied.

  “Robard, I know it’s not perfect. But we need to get out fast. Come with me. I can pay for both our voyages. If you stay here, Sir Hugh could capture you, or it will take you months to get home by land. With luck we can get back to England in a few weeks.”

  Robard stood still. Down the dock, Denby and his men had climbed into the longboat and were ready to depart. I waited, hoping he would agree. Hoping that I wouldn’t have to beg him to come with me.

  But the decision was made for him, for at that very moment, Maryam ran up to us. “The guards!” she said. “They’re coming!”

  30

  They’re a ways down the street, moving slowly and searching the alleys. At least six men-at-arms. They’ll be here in minutes.” At her feet, the dog whined, circling about us as if it wished to move us in a direction, any direction, as long as it led to safety.

  “Robard? What do you say? Are you coming with me?” I asked.

  “Well, I don’t have much choice now,” he said with a measure of disgust, starting down the dock to where the longboat was tied.

  “Aren’t you going to say good-bye?” Maryam called after him.

  He turned with a puzzled expression on his face.

  “I already said good-bye once. Good luck to you, Assassin. I thank you for rescuing us from the jail,” he said. “And for not killing us.”

  “Good-bye, Archer. Keep practicing with that bow. You can’t count on a lucky shot every time,” she said.

  Robard’s face went red, and he muttered something I couldn’t hear and stomped off down the dock, climbing into the boat.

  Maryam smiled as he retreated.

  I followed after Robard, and Maryam walked quickly alongside me. The dog was still growling and whining as we approached the boat.

  “Well, Maryam, unlike last time I guess this is really good-bye. Thank you for coming to our aid,” I said. “Please take care of yourself. I hope, well, someday perhaps we will meet again.”

  “Good-bye to you, mysterious Tristan of the Templars. You should know that the Templars are greatly feared among my people. You do their Order proud. You are brave, but more important you are noble. I believe that Allah shines his light on you. Take care, my friend,” she said.

  By then we were next to the longboat, and unexpectedly Maryam reached out and took me in a tight embrace. Her arms were fast around my shoulders and my face was pressed into her hair, which still smelled of sandalwood. I felt dizzy and a little uncomfortable. I did not know how long we stood there, but it felt like an hour passed. Finally the crew and captain waiting in the boat, and Robard as well, began to cough uncomfortably. Maryam released me, touching my face with her hand. I felt my cheeks burning, standing there speechless, not knowing what to do next.

  “Tristan,” said Robard. “Tristan.

  “Tristan!” he hissed.

  Finally I came to my senses. “Yes?”

  “The boat. We need to escape. Bad men are after us? You do remember?” He smirked.

  “Uh. Yes. Of course,” I replied, climbing into the boat and sitting next to Robard. The dog began whimpering and finally let out several low barks. She moved up to the edge of the dock, making as if she wanted to jump into the boat with me.

  “No, girl. Stay,” I told her. But she only whined more.

  The captain pushed off with an oar. The crew began rowing, and we slowly moved parallel to the dock. Maryam and the dog walked with us for a ways.

  There was a shout from the end of the dock. “Halt! Don’t move another step,” a voice hollered from the darkness. I recognized Sir Hugh’s high-pitched voice immediately. The sound of running feet could be heard coming up the dock. Maryam was trapped.

  “Go back,” I yelled to the captain.

  “No, sir,” he said. “I want no trouble with those soldiers.”

  I glanced back at the dock. Maryam stood frozen, and the dog was jumping and barking as the men drew closer.

  “Robard, hold them off,” I said.

  Robard stood and strung his bow in a single motion. In seconds he had pulled an arrow from his wallet, took aim and let it fly toward our attackers. It landed a few feet in front of Sir Hugh, who for once in his life was leading an attack. Admittedly an attack on a single girl and a small dog, but still he took the front.

  When the arrow thunked into the dock, he skidded to a stop.

  “Halt immediately! In the name of the Knights Templar I demand you return at once!” he shouted.

  Robard answered with another arrow, which landed even closer. Sir Hugh took several steps backward and barked an order to his men. “Crossbows!” Now we were in trouble.

  The men-at-arms sheathed their swords, pulling their crossbows from around their backs. They began to load the bolts. Our time was running out. The only advantage lay in the fact that crossbows are difficult to load. Once they release a bolt, it can take a minute or more to reload.

  Maryam had drawn her daggers and stood crouching at the end of the dock, ready to go down fighting. The dog was yapping furiously. The crew had started to really pull at the oars, and we moved farther from the dock.

  “Go back!” I shouted again at the captain.

  “No, laddie,” he said.

  I pulled my sword and placed it at his neck. He gulped and his men stopped rowing.

  “I’ll give you two seconds to change your mind,” I told him.

  “Reverse! To the dock,” he shouted to his crew.

  He must have paid his men well, for they didn’t hesitate, reversing the oars, and we moved slowly backward toward the dock.

  “Robard! Watch the crossbows!” I attempted to keep one eye on Maryam and the other on the captain lest he change his mind.

  The first bolt whistled at the boat, striking the side. But it glanced off, doing no damage.

  Robard let loose with another arrow, and a second later I heard a scream from one of the men-at-arms and saw him crumple to the dock. We were still about ten feet away from Maryam.

  “Maryam, we’re coming!” I assured her.

  She looked back at us and then at the men still several feet away down the dock. Without a word she backed up a little, took a running start and leapt through the air to the boat.

  “Look out!” the captain hollered.

  Maryam landed on top of Robard and me. Luckily Robard was not in the act of shooting or she might have been pierced by another of his arrows. We all landed in a heap at the bottom. The boat rocked back and forth, and for a moment I thought we might capsize, but then it steadied.

  “Go,” I yelled.

  The captain and his crew rowed furiously. Sir Hugh and his men reached the end of the dock. Two of them dropped to their knees, taking aim with their crossbows. I pushed Maryam to the side and both of us crouched beneath the gunwales of the boat.

  Robard, however, stood, drew another arrow from his wallet and let it fly at the dock. It landed in a post about six inches from Sir Hugh’s h
ead. Darn the luck. He shouted in surprise and very quickly moved behind the men-at-arms.

  With each second we gained distance. Another bolt from a crossbow whistled toward us but missed again, landing in the water beyond the bow.

  I noticed something moving in the water by the dock that caught my eye. The dog. It had jumped off the dock and was swimming toward us.

  Maryam saw it too. “Tristan, look!” she said, pointing.

  “I see it,” I said. “Captain!”

  “I’m not going back again, not against those crossbows. Strike me down if you must, but I’ll not risk my life and crew for a mutt,” he said.

  The dog bobbed and floated in the water, struggling mightily to catch up to us.

  We were almost out of range of the crossbows.

  Without thinking, I stood up, unbuckled my sword, dropped the satchel to the floor and dove into the water. I was an adequate swimmer, having learned in the river near the abbey, but I hadn’t swum in a long while.

  I kicked forward, plowing through the water with my arms, trying to keep my head up and the dog in sight. It was difficult and I slipped beneath the water a few times to confuse the bowmen, but I slowly closed the gap.

  When I reached her, the dog was nearly exhausted. I grabbed her in one arm and turned toward the boat. I was in range of the crossbows, and although I was completely disoriented in the water, I could hear Sir Hugh shouting, “Shoot him! Shoot him!” The bolts whistled over and around me in the water but miraculously none of them hit me.

  I paddled away with my one arm, the dog clutched tightly in the other, kicking furiously. Off somewhere I could hear Robard shouting to the captain, but I was tired and the boat slipped farther away.

  I drifted under the water once, then again. Each time I burst to the surface spitting out water. My legs were cramping and I had no strength left. Exhausted and not sure I was going to make it, I came to the surface only a few yards away from the boat. With every ounce of strength I had left, I kicked mightily. It was not enough.

  I felt something hard knock me on the shoulder. Reaching up I grabbed a piece of wood and was pulled through the water. It was Robard leaning over the side of the boat and pulling me in with his bow.

  Hands lifted me up and over the side. I slumped to the floor with Robard holding me up by the shoulders. He shouted at the captain to get moving, and Maryam took the dog from my grasp. She set it on the seat in front of us, and it shook the water from its coat, looking at me and barking happily, its tiny tail wagging. It jumped into my lap eagerly licking my face. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  When I could lift my head, I looked back at the dock to see Sir Hugh pacing back and forth yelling at his men to “find a boat!” but they grew smaller and smaller as we moved farther out into the harbor.

  Safe at last.

  ON THE SEA

  31

  The crew took up a fast rhythm as the oars sliced through the water. We moved past the ships lying at anchor, around several galleys and barges, until we came to the last ship, anchored farthest from the shore. Well, at least the captain called it a ship. It looked as if it could barely float. Of course the lighting was poor. The moon had set, and only a small flame came from the torch the captain had lighted. As we drew closer, I saw that it was true. The ship was a wreck.

  First of all, it was small. Very small. A quarter the size of a Templar ship, and with very little draft, so it sat high in the water. Three oars reached out from each side, and a single mast held a tattered sail hanging from it. The railing around the main deck was broken in places, and it looked all in all like it might sink at any moment.

  “You booked us passage on this?” Robard said, his voice full of disbelief.

  “Well. Yes. But looks can be deceiving,” I replied. In fact, I thought in this case, looks were perhaps as accurate as could be. I had a horrible feeling about it.

  As the longboat pulled alongside the ship, one of the crewmen scampered up the anchor line, and in a few minutes a rope net came over the side. We climbed aboard. Standing on the deck of the ship I saw that it was even worse than I had first thought. After the captain fired several torches to give us light to see by, I wished we had stayed in the dark.

  The deck was warped and rotting. Several of the boards were curved up at the ends. The sail was in terrible shape. It looked to have more holes than fabric. And it stank-an odd combination of unpleasant odors.

  While the crew hurried about in an effort to get us under way, the captain approached me. “You can stow your gear below if you wish,” he said. Since the smell on deck had already made me nauseated, I didn’t believe the hold would be any better.

  “No, thanks,” I replied. “I think we’ll sleep up here on the deck.”

  “Suit yourself. I know she doesn’t look like much, but trust me, she’ll get you where you want to go. Eventually. Long as you’re not in a hurry, she’ll do you fine. Now, you owe me some money. Don’t forget you’re going to have to pay extra for the dog and the girl,” he said. “An extra ten crosslets each should do.”

  “You’ll get an extra five crosslets total and be happy with it,” I answered.

  The captain started to protest, but with a hiss from Robard, and seeing the venom on his face, he decided not to press the issue. I felt around inside the satchel until I found the bag of coins. Turning my back to the captain, I counted out half the promised price and handed it over. There was no sense in letting him know how much money I had. I vowed then and there that the satchel would never leave my side while we were aboard ship. The three crewmen lowered the long oars into the water, and slowly the ship began to move. The captain also took a position on one of the oars. With each stroke of the oars, the little ship crept closer to the mouth of the harbor. The eastern sky was starting to lighten, but the stars were still magnificent, and for a moment I was captured by the beauty of the night sky.

  The thought of Sir Hugh managing to rouse a ship to give chase intruded on my reverie, and I began pacing the deck.

  “Can’t you go any faster?” I asked the captain.

  “We’re short some crew. If you and your friend there take an oar, that’ll even things out and we’ll go faster. We can’t raise the sail until we clear the harbor,” he said.

  Robard, who was standing by the mast, snorted, pulling at the tattered sail.

  “Yes. Raising this sail. That will certainly help,” he said.

  “Besides, if we raise sail now, we risk running her up on the rocks at the mouth of the harbor. Wouldn’t want that. Best to row around them,” the captain said.

  Rocks? Why were there always things to vex me on a ship? I hated ships.

  With a heavy sigh, I moved behind one of the crewmen and took an oar. Robard did the same and now the oars were fully manned.

  “Grab hold of this oar here, missy,” Denby said. “Someone’s got to man the rudder now. It gets tricky around these rocks.”

  Maryam switched places with the captain without complaint. He took the rudder, and for the next several minutes we did nothing but rock back and forth to the rhythm of the oars. A short while later he gave the order to raise sail and two of the crewmen hoisted the canvas, securing the rope holding the sail to the railing. It was a small sail, simply hung from a crossbeam tied to the top of the mast, but it did catch what little breeze there was, and we began moving faster.

  For the rest of the early morning we sailed and rowed toward the west. I kept a sharp watch for pursuers but saw none, and slowly began to think we had finally escaped Sir Hugh. If there truly were Saracen patrols spotted near the city, as we had heard in the jail, perhaps he would be unable to divert men and resources to come after us. But he would try to avoid the battle, coward that he was, and get out the fastest way possible without arousing suspicion or calling attention to his cowardice. He would most likely try to escape by ship or ride farther west before the city was encircled, under the guise of gathering reinforcements or alerting other Templar Commanderies of the coming
attack on Tyre.

  That would disguise his real purpose, however. He at least suspected that I had the Holy Grail or knew where it was. Sir Hugh would be coming for me. Maybe not right away, but he would not give up. I needed to make sure I got to Rosslyn before he did.

  Morning dawned with no other ships in sight. We ate a morning meal of hard biscuits and some dried fish. The fish was nearly inedible to us but the dog seemed to enjoy it. The provisions on the ship were paltry and disgusting. There were several barrels of dried figs and dates aboard, so at the very least we could survive on those.

  The next thing was to decide what to do with Maryam. Each gust of wind took us farther from her home. We discussed it among ourselves, and finally agreed to try to put as much distance between Sir Hugh and us as possible. Then, when the time was right, we would find a port city and secure Maryam passage on a ship back to her homeland.

  We slept during the morning, finding a tiny shady spot in the shadow of the sail, and took turns dozing on the deck. I did not trust the captain or his crew. And Maryam, Robard and I came to the same silent conclusion that one of us would need to keep watch at all times.

  That was how we passed the first three days aboard the ship. The captain wanted to put ashore at Cyprus to see if he could find more passengers or arrange for cargo to be transported, but an extra five crosslets persuaded him to keep sailing. I didn’t want to stop so close to Tyre and give Sir Hugh time to catch up. Any time we spent not moving toward England was time he could narrow the chase. Anywhere we stopped, people would see us, leaving a trail for him to follow.

  Toward dusk of the fourth day a storm rose. All day long the crew and captain acted strangely. The captain took the rudder, constantly looking off to the east, studying the sky as it filled with dark and ominous clouds. He changed course in the afternoon and we began sailing almost straight north. Since we were still in the Mediterranean, it was likely that we would hit land soon if we kept heading in that direction. The wind picked up considerably and the little ship plunged forward. What had been gentle swells became larger waves, and the ship heaved and crashed over them.