“I’d rather take my chances against the knights than fall to my death,” Robard said with a shiver.
“I don’t expect any of you to join me. You can stay here. When Sir Hugh finds out I’m gone, he’ll leave to come after me. You’ll be safe,” I promised.
Robard and Maryam looked at each other. Then at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Why are you doing this, Tristan? Why are you risking your life like this?” Maryam demanded. Robard nodded in agreement.
I decided they needed to know. Despite what Sir Thomas had told me, they deserved the truth. They were not power-mad Templars or treasure seekers or wanting to control the world. They were born to simple lives. Now they were warriors who wanted nothing more than to return to their homes, but they had given up much to help me. Both of them had saved my life numerous times. And Celia as well. They were my friends.
“I will tell you everything. . I promise-” I was interrupted by a shout from Jean-Luc. Sir Hugh was riding back toward the fortress, holding a white flag aloft.
My confession would have to wait.
20
Sir Hugh had two other knights with him. This time, I kept Robard on the battlement, his longbow at the ready. Jean-Luc and two of the cross- bowmen joined me, leaving Maryam and Celia inside. Before I left, and for the first time in the past many weeks, I removed the satchel from my shoulder. Handing it to Maryam, I said, “Promise me this: if anything happens to me, see to it this satchel finds its way to Father William of the Church of the Holy Redeemer in Rosslyn, Scotland.”
Maryam’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you said you needed to take testimony to the Master of the Order in London.”
“I’ll explain later,” I said. With the Frenchmen behind me we slipped through the gate and walked across the rocky ground to where Sir Hugh squirmed nervously astride a speckled gray warhorse.
“Are you a woman?” he asked when I stood in front of him and his two companions.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Is this how Sir Thomas trained his squires? To fight like women, with fire and trickery? What’s wrong, squire? Are you and your peasants incapable of fighting like men?” he yelled.
“If you find you’ve lost your taste for battle, feel free to leave the field,” I replied calmly.
“You kill my men with flaming grease, squire? Are you a warrior or a cook?” he thundered as he spurred his horse forward, his hand going to the hilt of his sword as if he meant to draw it and strike me down. In an instant Jean-Luc and his men raised their crossbows and pointed them directly at him.
“Not another step, Sir Hugh,” I warned. “These men will kill you where you stand. You can’t win here. Withdraw. You have no chance. We can survive for months inside this fortress. We have plenty of food and water. There is no shortage of weapons.”
“I will have it, squire. I will have it! Do you hear me?” Sir Hugh reined his horse backward, in line with the other knights. Jean Luc’s men slowly lowered their crossbows, but Jean-Luc, apparently a good judge of character, kept his pointed at Sir Hugh’s chest.
“Mark this, squire. Your life is forfeit. I will see you and everyone in Montsegur dead. You will give me what I want or I will not stop until everyone inside your fortress is nothing but a pile of bones. I don’t care how long it takes. Do you understand me?”
“Sir Hugh, I’m tired of this. And tired of you and your empty threats,” I replied wearily. “Take my advice and withdraw from this place. If you try to take this fortress, we will make you pay and pay and pay again. We will not yield. With my last breath I will destroy what you seek before you lay eyes on it. Do you understand me?”
Sir Hugh’s face became a vision of anguish and frustration. The very thing he wanted more than anything in the world was within his reach, yet unattainable. He pursed his lips, and even over the distance between us and the noise of the wind, I could hear his breath coming hard and fast in tortured gasps. His gloved hands were knotted on the reins of his horse as if he might wring water from them. In contrast, the two knights with him sat atop their mounts as still as stones.
“However, in the interest of preventing further bloodshed, I will make you a deal, Sir Hugh,” I said.
He looked at me, his eyes hooded, but with just a glint of expectancy within them. He said nothing, waiting for me to speak.
“Leave the field, take your regimento and retire to the small hamlet that lies at the entrance of this valley. You must have passed through it on your way here. There is a small inn there. You leave this mountain and promise never to return, and in three days’ time I will meet you there and give you what you seek.”
Sir Hugh waved his hand at me and smirked.
“You must think me a fool, squire. The minute I withdraw, you vanish into the forest. No, I think not.”
“Where would I go?” I said, pointing to the mountains surrounding us. “We are on top of a mountain. The cliffs and peaks around us make the way north impossible. The only way out is through the valley below. With you and your men stationed there, it would be impossible for me to slip past.”
“No,” he said.
“Then I suggest you send your men against the walls again. Many more of them will die. How long do you think they’ll be willing to wait here?” I asked. “And how long do you think the High Counsel and his troops will remain here? You two appeared to be on poor terms.”
“They will remain here until I command them otherwise!” he spat. I shrugged, dismissing his outburst. Something was off about his response, and looking past him at the assembled forces, I figured it out. The High Counsel’s men were not in evidence. All I saw were Templar banners and tunics. There were none of the green-and-white markings of Father Renard’s men, and I wondered if he had slipped away or retreated.
“Is that right?” I asked him. “It would appear you have lost some of your forces. What happened? Did the High Counsel decide you were no longer friends?”
Sir Hugh waved his hand in the air dismissively, as if the whereabouts of the High Counsel were of no concern to him. I tried to keep him off balance.
“And your Templar comrades? Do you think they will tolerate such losses? If they were of your own regimento, maybe, but I’m sure you haven’t shared your reasons for being here with them. How long do you think it will be before they grow weary of your tactics?” In the eyes of one of the men behind Sir Hugh I caught something: fear mixed with hesitation. It told me that the moment might be closer than even Sir Hugh thought. If anything, he had repeatedly proven incapable of leading men in battle. His troops would quickly grow to resent him.
Sir Hugh raised and lowered himself in the stirrups of his saddle, a bundle of nervous energy. For several seconds he said nothing. Then a smile came to his face.
“Very well, squire. I accept your terms. We will withdraw and wait for you in the hamlet at the head of the valley. You have until noon three days hence to show up with the. . to show yourself there. If you are not there by noon, my regimento will put every one of the villagers in that hamlet to the sword. All of them, men, women and children, do you understand? They all die. Tell your princess those are my terms. See how far her hospitality extends then, squire. I will kill them all. Comprenez-vous?” he added for the benefit of Jean-Luc and his men-at-arms.
My heart sank, for I had made a terrible mistake, one I had no idea how to correct. I had hoped he would agree and I could escape down the mountain. But he had nearly struck down the High Counsel, and now his madness was overtaking him and he would kill everyone in his path if he thought it necessary. I tried to keep my face a mask, but wasn’t sure I did. Our first step was to free Celia and her people from Montsegur.
“I’ll be there, Sir Hugh,” I said. “In three days.”
“If you are not, then those people will die. Count on it.” Sir Hugh whipped his horse, riding back to the lines. One of the knights hesitated before following.
“Brother! Wait!” I called after him, but he did
not stop, only turned to give me a brief glance.
We began the short trek back toward the castle. Jean-Luc walked beside me, his two men keeping an eye on the retreating knights.
“What you do now, Anglais?” he asked in his best English. I could tell from his tone that he knew what was happening and was worried, and I couldn’t blame him. He understood enough to know what Sir Hugh had said.
“I don’t know, Jean-Luc,” I said. “I must talk to Celia.”
Robard, Maryam and Celia had clustered around us, and Angel strolled up and sat on her haunches, staring at me.
“What did that pile of polecat dung have to say for himself?” Robard asked.
“I made a deal. He will quit the siege and meet me in the small village at the head of the valley in three days. You and your people will be free to go, Celia,” I said.
“What? No, you can’t do it! He’ll kill you!” Maryam cried.
“I don’t have a choice,” I said.
“Why not?” Celia asked, the tone in her voice saying she more than agreed with Maryam.
“You should have just let me shoot him,” Robard said.
Celia hushed him.
“Explain yourself, Templar,” she said.
“I. . made. . a mistake. . a miscalculation. I was so intent on getting Sir Hugh away from here and your people, I forgot who I was dealing with. He’ll withdraw and wait for us in the village, all right, but if I don’t show up, he’s threatened to kill everyone in the village. Even the women and children.”
“I see,” said Celia quietly. She put her hands on her hips and bowed her head, staring at the ground, lost in thought.
“I’m so sorry, Celia. I won’t let any harm come to those innocent-”
Celia paid no attention and called sharply for Jean-Luc. When he appeared, she spoke to him quickly and he darted off.
“Come with me, all of you,” she said.
We climbed back up to the battlement above the main gate and surveyed the ground. Sir Hugh and the regimento of Templars were retreating just as he had promised. They had carried little equipment, and those who weren’t already mounted were in the process of saddling their horses and moving out. Indeed, a line of them were already heading onto the trail and back down the mountain into the forest, toward the village.
Jean-Luc returned shortly with another one of the villagers, who carried a long horn made of brass. He put the horn to his lips and sounded several long, low notes through it. The sound echoed off the surrounding mountains.
“What is this? What are you doing?” I asked her.
She laughed. “Your Sir Hugh is in for a rude surprise. It is a signal to the people of the valley, those who were not able to come to Montsegur and instead hid out on their farms and in the forest.”
“Most every place we passed through on the way here was deserted,” said Robard.
Celia nodded. “Yes, since we have become enemies of the church, we needed a way to sound the alarm when those who might do us harm draw near. It was Philippe’s idea, actually. This horn has just warned everyone that trouble is coming. The message will be delivered up and down the valley. Sir Hugh will find no one in the village to murder.”
I laughed at the ingenuity of it. I could almost see the smile on Philippe’s face, knowing his clever method had outwitted Sir Hugh.
“Are you positive it will work?” I wasn’t sure.
“Certain,” she replied.
“Then I guess this settles it,” I said, gazing out at the mountains to the north.
“Settles what?” Maryam asked.
I looked at the faces of all my friends.
“I leave at first light.”
21
We had moved to an empty chamber room inside the keep. There was much I needed to tell my friends, and I didn’t wish to be overheard. As always, Angel trotted along with us. Maryam still held the satchel tightly in her hands. She made no move to return it to me yet. In fact, she looked as if she would be more than happy to smack me with it. I smiled at her, but she frowned back, not in the mood for charm.
“I don’t understand,” Robard said. “If Sir Hugh is gone, why don’t we take to the woods and leave?”
“He’ll be watching. And suppose Celia’s warning doesn’t reach everyone? He’ll kill them. I cannot live with the risk. I need to go,” I said, removing the battle sword from my back and unhooking my belt, relieved to be free of the weapons. It was good to not be weighed down by all those things. At St. Alban’s I never carried more than the shirt on my back and a hoe. Since leaving I was continuously weighted down by more things. The swords, the Grail, they all symbolized my obligations and my duty.
“I still think you’re crazy,” Maryam huffed.
“Maybe I am.” I shrugged.
Twilight approached, and the interior of the keep was lit by torchlight and oil lamps. Now the time had come to tell my friends the truth, but I found the words stuck in my throat. In my mind’s eye, the face of Sir Thomas implored me to keep the secret of what I carried, not only because it would make the Grail safer, but because it would be an unfair burden to put upon my friends. He didn’t take lightly this duty he had given me. He trusted me to do the right thing. Now the right thing was to tell my friends for what they had risked their lives, and in Celia’s case, the lives of her people.
“I don’t carry dispatches or testimony for the Master of the Order,” I told them.
Maryam and Robard looked at each other.
“No surprise-we already guessed it had to be something more important,” Maryam said.
It was hard to say it. Though the moment was here, I couldn’t help but feel I was still disappointing Sir Thomas. It was easier just to show them.
With trembling hands I opened the satchel. Removing all of my other gear, I flipped open the secret compartment and pulled out the Grail. I removed the linen covering, holding it out so they could see it. No one said anything, because they were unsure of exactly what I was showing them.
“You risked our lives for a vase?” Robard finally asked.
“It’s not a vase, Robard.” I set it on the table next to the satchel.
“It looks like one,” he replied.
“Tristan, what is it? Why is it so important?” Celia asked.
“It’s the Holy Grail,” I answered.
Robard burst out laughing, but Maryam’s and Celia’s faces turned to stone. Both of them studied the Grail intently while Robard continued to laugh.
“You’re joking, right?” he finally asked when he had composed himself.
“No.”
“Well, the only problem is the Grail doesn’t exist, so you are carrying a vase.” He laughed again, finding the whole idea amusing.
“Robard, it is not a vase. Sir Thomas gave it to me with strict instructions on its care. He wouldn’t have sent me into this much danger unless it was really important,” I insisted.
“Not even to save your life? You were facing certain death if you remained in Acre-you said so yourself. What if he just wanted to get you to safety, so he concocted a story to remove you from peril?” he suggested.
“I. . No. . He did not concoct anything! This is the Holy Grail. The Cup of Christ! I’ve seen it do things with my own eyes!” I don’t know why I was so frustrated. Why should Robard believe me? If I were in his position, I wouldn’t believe me either. He helps rescue someone from bandits who just happens to be carrying the most sacred relic known to man? No wonder he was laughing.
“What can I do to convince you it’s true?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Wait. I’ve got it! Why don’t you have it perform a miracle?” he joked.
“It already has,” I replied.
“When?”
“When you shot me in Outremer, the Grail stayed your arrow.” I fingered the still visible hole in the satchel. “The arrow entered here, right where I carried it. It should have shattered, but it didn’t even leave a scratch.”
“Hold! You shot him too
?” Maryam asked, a look of horror on her face.
“Yes. No. I mean, yes, I shot him, but it was an accident. I was trying to shoot you,” Robard stammered.
“What?!” Maryam nearly shouted. “But I don’t understand. You shot me when we attacked the two of you outside of Tyre. I was wounded and defenseless after that. Are you saying that you tried to shoot me again?”
“It’s not. . I mean. . He got in the way. . I didn’t know you. . Things were different then!” Robard said.
“I was lying helpless on the ground and you were going to shoot me?” she went on.
“It’s not like that! How was I to know you weren’t still dangeous? You had daggers and had already tried to kill us once! Besides, Tristan got in the way and. .”
“Enough!” I barked at them. “We don’t have time for this. This is the Holy Grail. Sir Thomas told me it was, and I trust him. Besides, I’ve seen it do other things, things that can’t be explained.”
Maryam and Robard stopped abruptly and both glanced at me. Celia, who had been silent during the exchange, looked at me, then down at the floor, as if she were trying to decide something very important.
“What things?” Robard said, his eyebrows knitted in disbelief.
“It’s hard to explain.”
“Try.” Robard was resolute.
“Sometimes. . it makes a noise when I am. . when we are in danger,” I said.
“What kind of noise?” he scoffed.
Celia and Maryam both spoke at once.
“A low humming sound,” they said softly. Their voices were so quiet, they were barely heard.
Robard’s head snapped around to look at them, and now it was my turn to stare in disbelief. If Maryam had heard it, why hadn’t she said anything? Celia had mentioned it when she found me on the beach, but I’d ignored her and changed the subject.
“I’ve heard the sound,” Maryam said. “The first time was on the night when we attacked your camp. I had no idea what it was or what it meant. When I heard it, it was I who led my fellow Hashshashin to your camp, not my leader. It was almost like the sound drew me there. I told myself it was Allah’s voice carrying me to my hidden enemies.”
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