by D. N. Carter
“Sorry Tenno…I was…”
“Does not matter, young Paul,” Tenno replied and quickly jumped up to his feet and pulled his black overcoat down straight at the front and brushed his legs as he stretched them out briefly. He adjusted the swords on his belt and quickly bent down and collected up the items on the blanket and rolled them all together and quickly tied a piece of bright red lacing to hold it all together.
“Our journey shall not be as we plan or hope…but we shall get to where we must be,” Tenno stated matter of factly as he walked past Paul, the rolled up blanket under his arm.
Within half an hour, everyone was washed, as best they could manage with the limited cold water and soap, and after hooking Adrastos up to the caravan, Tenno walked ahead holding his reins to guide him as Paul, Taqi and Alisha sat on the driver’s seat, Sister Lucy and Rick sitting in the rear looking out of the small door still holding each other’s hand.
As they pulled out and away from the amphitheatre in convoy with the Hospitallers, the main road down to the harbour was packed full of pilgrims and other knights from various orders and families. Alisha looked back towards the amphitheatre and recalled the dream she had experienced. Quickly she felt for the three pronged dagger. It was still safely tucked beneath her waist band. Paul looked and clasped her hand.
“Well this is it. Our last day in France and the start of a whole new journey. And my first time overseas,” Paul smiled, but was apprehensive.
“Do not worry…I shall look after you,” Alisha replied and placed her other hand over his.
It was midday by the time their caravan actually managed to pull up on the main quayside. The harbour area was bursting with ships of all shapes, sizes and nationalities. It appeared far more chaotic than La Rochelle. The noise of the pilgrims and horses was almost deafening. Tenno, Paul, Taqi and Rick stood waiting patiently for the Hospitaller Marshal to return from on board one of their fleet’s ships berthed nearby as line after line of pilgrims passed by. Seagulls squawked loudly above them and the sun was becoming increasingly warmer. Alisha sat inside the caravan with Sister Lucy making small chat but avoiding the obvious topic of her and Rick. Eventually the Hospitaller Marshal pushed his way from the gangplank and through the busy crowd towards them.
“He does not look happy,” Taqi commented as he approached.
“No. I fear my papers may still be refused even here,” Tenno remarked.
“Gentlemen…I have some good news…and I have some bad news for you,” the Hospitaller Marshal bellowed out above the noise just as he was pushed from behind by several pilgrims passing him. He frowned at them.
“Give us the bad news first,” Tenno replied.
“Well…seems all the ships here are fully laden and ready to sail.”
“What of my passage papers?” Tenno asked.
“They are fine…all perfectly in order and accepted here…but all our ships are full as are the other merchant vessels. Many have Muslims wishing to depart in a hurry…for obvious reasons, no offence young Taqi,” the Hospitaller Marshal explained.
“None taken,” Taqi shouted back.
1 – 14
“But, the good news. Our brother Templars have an oared and twin masted Tarida berthed down at the beach front that, if we hurry, we can board as it is actually captained and staffed by fellow Brother Hospitallers.”
“What is a Tarida?” Taqi asked.
“’Tis a large horse transport ship,” Paul answered.
“What? So now we are good as horses only?” Taqi shot back.
“No, Taqi. Look on the plus side. It will be easier to take Adrastos and the other horse with us at the same time. Means we shall not have to wait around at the other end. Plus they are actually sturdy ships,” Paul explained.
The Hospitaller Marshal frowned and grimaced.
“What is it?” Tenno asked seeing his face.
“One other slight problem. Our rider from Marseilles arrived earlier with letters from Gerard himself to be opened immediately upon receipt by the Templar captain here. I think we can all guess what that will be about. I can stall its delivery until you are all aboard and on your way. Oh…and the other slight problem is with the ship’s destination,” he frowned even more as he said it.
“What?” Rick asked suspiciously.
“It is heading for Tortosa, via Cilician Armenia (Turkey) following the coast.”
“You mean not to Cyprus so we can change for Alexandria?” Paul asked, concerned.
“I am afraid not. You could wait for a more direct ship but with Gerard on your heels, I would not be too keen to hang about. At least from Tortosa you could either sail on direct for Alexandria or take the King’s Highway all the way.”
“This is ridiculous,” Rick said clipped and looked at Tenno.
“Our options are limited, yes?” Tenno stated.
“Very!” Rick replied and paced up and down on the spot thinking as he bit his thumb nail. Taqi looked at Paul, concerned.
“Can we get our caravan on board?” Rick asked.
“The transport certainly has room for two or three usually, and it is a front loader…that is why it is berthed upon the beach,” the Hospitaller Marshal explained.
“Well that is great news. Taqi, Paul, ready the girls. Tenno…it looks as though we shall be taking the scenic route…all the way,” Rick commented and patted Tenno hard on his shoulder and immediately turned towards the caravan. Tenno looked at his shoulder and pulled a face of disgust, which made Paul and Taqi laugh. He shot a look of disdain at them and quickly they lost the smiles.
“Thank you…for everything,” Paul said loudly to be heard above the noise to the Hospitaller Marshall.
“It has been my pleasure and honour. I know your father well and he has helped me on more than one occasion in the past. This is the least I can do. At least your journey following the coast should be gentler than the high seas.”
“Thank you again. I shall not forget this. I would rather take a longer route that is smoother and safer for horses as it means Alisha will not get such a rough ride too,” Paul explained.
“Of course…I forget…you know your ships, young Paul. God speed you all,” the Hospitaller Marshal shouted and shook Paul’s hand. He then proffered his hand to Taqi. Taqi quickly shook it, surprised.
“Thank you,” Taqi blurted out a little awkwardly.
Paul and Taqi had to run to catch up with Tenno and Rick as they had already got the caravan moving off.
Port of La Rochelle, France, Melissae Inn, spring 1191
“My goodness. That Gerard is one is he not?” Miriam remarked.
“That he most certainly was. As soon as he opened the parchment tube and realised that all he had were some drawings Paul had drawn, mainly of Alisha and Adrastos, he looked upon it as a personal insult. Plus he wanted the real parchments they still obviously possessed. Gerard sent a fast runner ahead but by the grace of our Lord, it arrived at the Hospitallers’ offices first. But Gerard was already over half way to Frejus as they loaded the caravan and two horses aboard the Tarida in a hurry,” the old man explained.
“How did they manage to get the caravan on board on a beach?” the farrier asked perplexed.
“The oared Tarida was able to be loaded and unloaded directly onto a beach, using its front doors as loading ramps. The one they had been lucky enough to use, and at half the usual cost thanks to the Hospitaller Marshal, was one of the biggest Taridas ever made. Maybe it was providential for it was specifically designed to transport horses and carts by sailing close to land in calmer waters. They could carry twenty to thirty horses and a hundred men as well as all their equipment, stores, food and a hundred and fifty massive water butts containing nearly forty thousand quarts. The horses were stalled in threes, supported by canvas slings. Although captained by either a Hospitaller or a Templar, they were mainly manned by Genoese sailors,” the old man explained. All looked at the Genoese sailor.
“No not I ever. Not my type of
vessel at all,” the Genoese sailor commented waving his hands no.
“Not as glamorous as the faster ships granted, but ideal for horses, for horses cannot be sick, which can prove a real problem for seasick horses, but also very good if you happened to be pregnant,” the old man smiled.
“So probably divine intervention perhaps?” Simon asked. Quickly he looked at Sarah to see her reaction, but she nodded in agreement.
“Nothing in life is a coincidence. And at least it meant they could be on their way and out of Gerard’s reach…for now anyway,” the old man sighed.
“Can you shed light upon those bone things…the book of the way thing that Tenno consulted? Was it that, that helped them?” Peter asked, intrigued.
“Oh that. No. What Tenno used to consult does not cause things to happen…but it can help to guide and inform of possible challenges ahead. And challenges ahead he certainly foresaw,” the old man answered.
“How so…for is that not fortune telling then?” the Hospitaller asked.
“I can explain if you wish me too?” the old man said softly.
“Yes please, if you would be so kind,” Gabirol answered on behalf of all it seemed and started to charge his quill with ink. The old man smiled as he watched him.
“Then recall that Tenno had what he called a book and some bones. Well, let me explain to you this. Tenno carried with him a piece of jet black embroidered silk. It was given him by his wife just before he left his home for the last time. He had written a translation of it for Philip, which he kept. He would lay it open and use the I Ching bones to seek guidance as they acted as a form of astrological divination almost.”
“Do you know what it said that was written upon the silk?” Sarah asked as she pulled the last piece of bread apart.
“I do,” the old man answered and paused as he leant beneath the table and pulled up the large leather bound case with parchments and drawings in. “Good job I remembered to bring this back with me today,” he said as he opened it and pulled out a small orange coloured parchment. He read it briefly and then passed it to Sarah to read.
It read: ‘The best and most beautiful things of this world can’t be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!’ A second sentence beneath it read, ‘Only a warrior can survive the path of knowledge because the art of the warrior is to balance the pain of being a man with the wonder of being a man.’
“Ah that is lovely. And I hope and pray Tenno got home, bless him,” Sarah sighed as Gabirol took the parchment and began to copy down the words. Sarah looked at the old man eager to see his response to her comment. “Please do not tell me he never got back home,” she remarked sadly and looked at Stephan for reassurance. He shrugged he did not know.
“I shall not hide anything or dress things to please you…but I promise you I shall tell it as it was and is,” the old man replied softly and looked at her and smiled again. Ayleth leaned nearer to Gabirol and read the words upon it smiling beautifully as she did. The old man could not help but notice the similarities she had to Alisha. He sighed.
“The fact that you have just a copy and not the original silk version suggests to me that perhaps he did make it home,” the Genoese sailor commented. “Especially if he went via a Genoese crewed ship,” he stated proudly and nodded before folding his arms.
“Tenno, you must understand, was as much a spiritual man as any other, with deeply held beliefs. But he was also a very well travelled man as you know. He met many peoples and learnt many views and religious systems, including Taoism,” the old man began to explain.
“Toeism,” Simon said aloud, looking confused.
“No…Taoism, also known as Daoism. It is an indigenous Chinese religion often associated with the Daode jing (Tao Te Ching), a philosophical and political text supposedly written by a Laozi (Lao Tzu) sometime in the third or fourth centuries BC. The Daode jing focuses on dao as a ‘way’ or ‘path’ as in the appropriate way to behave and to lead others. But the Daode jing also refers to Tao as something that existed ‘before heaven and earth’, a primal and chaotic matrix from which all forms emerged. You will learn later about a symbol I have as yet to explain fully, known as the triple Tau, linguistically identical in sound and symbolism,” the old man said and paused. Ayleth smiled at him and shook her head no she had no idea what he was on about. “To continue. Taoism did not exist as an organised religion as we understand religion and doctrine until the ‘Way of the Celestial Masters Sect’ was founded in AD 142 by Zhang Daoling, who based the sect on spiritual communications from the deified Laozi. The Way of the Celestial Masters and other later sects of Taoism engaged in complex ritual practices, including devotion to a wide range of celestial divinities and immortals, and thousands of Taoist religious texts were produced over the centuries. This was long before Christianity and Islam were upon the world. Now Taoists engaged with Chinese politics in a variety of ways throughout their history. At one time, scholars in both China and the West distinguished philosophical from religious Taoism, but more recently a continuity of belief and practice between these has been recognised. In both, a harmonious relationship between nature, humanity and the divine is emphasised, and both are concerned with appropriate behaviour and ways of leading and governing others. The term ‘Tao’ has a number of meanings. Very few in the West know of let alone have an interest in Taoism. Though some aspects we are aware of are often associated with Taoism, ranging from fengshui to taiji quan to acupuncture and herbal medicine, which both Orders of the Hospitallers and Templars as well as the Ashashin practice and research deeper.”
“This interests me greatly. The very fact that a provable and datable religion that precedes that of Christianity and Islam by many thousands of years could help right so many wrongs and promote more cooperation and tolerance perhaps?” Gabirol stated.
“In an ideal world, yes…but this is not yet an ideal world. But we live in hope always,” the old man acknowledged.
“Look, as you know, I am not the smartest here so can you give me a simple quick guide to the facts about Tenno’s religion…please,” Simon asked and looked at Sarah again concerned, but she again nodded in agreement with him, which made him smile.
“Of course. As with many ancient religious traditions, an exact date is impossible to determine, but the Taoist ideas and early writings long precede any organisational structure. The date given of 550 BC is generally the time period when a variety of spiritual thinkers were putting their ideas into writing. These writings were not collected as a composite teaching of the ‘Tao’ until the fourth or third century BC as I mentioned. While Taoists recognise a vast pantheon of gods and goddesses, much like the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians did, they do not acknowledge any that are omnipotent or eternal. All the gods, including Laozi, are divine emanations of celestial energy. That same energy that runs through each of us and Mother Earth herself as explained previously. Taoism has no centralised authority like Islam has Mecca and Catholicism has Rome but has different sects that in turn each have different headquarters.”
“I understand that, but what was that book he referred to and bone things he spread upon his silk sheet?” Simon asked immediately.
“Tenno used a rolled up book that was written in ancient symbols upon lengths of bone, and some on ivory. Tenno had explained that it was called ‘The Book of Change’ or ‘I Ching’ also pronounced ‘Yi Jing’. It also used a system of lines and markings that has sixty-four possible combinations, and thus sixty-four hexagrams represented. The hexagram diagram is composed of two three-line arrangements called trigrams ( guà). There are eight possible trigrams. The traditional view was that the hexagrams were a later development and resulted from combining two trigrams. However, from what was learnt from far older sources, and as Tenno agreed, the earliest relevant evidence showed groups of numerical symbols on many Western Zhou bronzes and a very few Shang oracle bones. Tenno explained about ancient Oracle bone symbols and that many were almost identical to some of those on ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs. China has studied and translated the ancient Egyptian glyphs but those translations have been deliberately hidden by the Church. It was the Shang Oracle bones that Tenno looked to for guidance on the morning before they set off for Alexandria. He saw much in the Book of Change that day. Much he would rather not have seen, but he followed its advice regardless just as he had done relating to Rick. Know also that the Oracle bone, and sometimes Oracle stone, symbol for the sun just happens to be a circle with a dot or line in the middle just as Rick and Niccolas had explained before to Paul. Much in the Book of Change is a Chinese translation of even older Sanskrit. Oracle bone books are often found in groups or sets of six. A few have been found in sets of three numbers, but these are somewhat later versions. But numerical sets greatly pre-date the groups of broken and unbroken lines, leading some to doubt the mythical early attributions of the hexagram system. But from what the Templars discovered, the ‘I Ching’ simply means ‘The Book of Change’, and refers to a way of looking at the world as a whole. Everything changes, nothing stays the same, that’s the only thing we can know for sure. It’s still quite true, no matter what the alchemists, priests or Church tries so hard to make us believe. Our understanding of the universe and our own roles in it are evolving. Well, honestly, sometimes increasing, but sometimes getting it altogether wrong. The problem is that only by time are we able to make our conclusions, and even then with the reservation of what that future might reveal. Destiny, too, is a consequence of the ceaseless change. Without change, nothing would happen. That’s at the core of the I Ching. Its hexagrams imply patterns by which change occurs, and how one change leads to another. Tenno studied these hexagrams much like Niccolas and Rick did, as do the Templars and Ashashin with their astrological symbols and signs. Here, let me show you the I Ching trigrams,” the old man explained and reached inside his leather bound folder and pulled out several small delicate sheets of pure white parchments. “Here…look,” he commented as he placed them upon the table next to the sword. “If you look, you can easily see the I Ching trigrams are simple solid straight black lines. In the I Ching, yin and yang, which is equal and opposite, black and white, black and white et cetera, are represented in a very basic way, by a line that’s either solid or broken,” the old man explained as he pushed the parchments nearer so that they could all see properly. “The solid line represents yang, and the broken one yin.”