I handed my short sword to Robard. “You might find this more useful than a bow or your dagger at close quarters,” I told him.
He held the sword out in front of him, as if I’d handed him a bouquet of flowers or a small kitten. “What are you going to use?”
“I still have the battle sword.” I adjusted it so that it lay across my back at a better angle, making it easier to draw.
Robard saw the logic of my suggestion and buckled my sword around his waist.
“Shall we?” I asked.
Entering The Dancing Fig we discovered that the inside looked even worse than the outside. The smell hit us like a punch in the face, an ugly combination of spilled ale, burned meat and unwashed men. My eyes began to water, and I waved my hand back and forth over my face for a few moments until I grew used to the odor.
It was dim inside, with light from a few oil lamps placed here and there along the walls. Some candles were lighted, placed on the few tables that took up the main part of the room. Along the back wall was a wooden bar with an open doorway behind it. A dark-haired man stood behind the bar, surveying us as we entered.
Most every table was occupied. A few of them held a single man drinking alone. Some of them were surrounded by small groups holding loud conversations. No one, except the man behind the bar, paid us any attention.
“Now what?” Robard whispered.
I didn’t answer, walking across the floor to the bar. Robard stepped to the side of the door, but kept his eyes on the occupants of the main room.
The man watched me approach, but his expression never changed. His eyes were hooded, and he appeared tired and uninterested in anything I might have to say. Unless I wanted to buy some ale, I expect he looked forward to the shortest possible conversation.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m seeking passage by ship out of Tyre, ideally to England. Do you know someone who might help me?”
The man stared at me, then at Robard still standing by the door, and said nothing.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for a ship.” I spoke more loudly this time.
Still nothing.
A thought occurred to me. I reached in the satchel, feeling around for the bag of coins that Sir Thomas had given me. I found a small one and placed it on the bar in front of me.
The man’s hand shot out for the coin like a cobra, but I grabbed his wrist while his fingers clutched the coin. The man glared at me, eyes narrowed, but I held his gaze.
“A ship?”
He nodded in the direction of a man sitting at a small table along the far wall. I let go of his wrist, and he quickly secreted the coin somewhere beneath the bar.
“Thank you,” I said.
Picking my way through the tables and chairs I reached the man sitting at the table along the wall. He was old, with white hair, or what might once have been white hair had it not been covered in dirt and grime. He wore a simple shirt and woolen leggings, but it was impossible to tell their color, they were so torn and dirty. He smelled like he’d been in the ale for a while, and indeed a dark jug sat next to a small cup on the table in front of him.
He stared up at me when I reached his table, closing one of his eyes as he tried to focus on me.
“Who’re you?” he asked.
“I’m told you have a ship. I’m interested in passage for me and my friend. I can pay. However, we need to leave right away. Tonight, if possible, first light at the latest. Can you help me?”
“A ship, you say? Aye, I’ve a ship. A fine ship she is. And I’m leaving tomorrow. Tomorrow without fail. You got money?” He squinted at me again.
“Yes, I have money for both of us. How much will it cost?”
He told me and I laughed. He wanted an outrageous sum. He tried again to focus on me with his other eye, but it appeared to not be working correctly, so he squinted at me again.
“Thank you. I think I’ll ask elsewhere.” I turned as if to walk away.
“Hold on there, laddie. I may be able to work with you on the price. If you’re willing to pitch in and do some rowing when the wind is down. Help out with the rest of the crew loading cargo and whatnot, we can make it work,” he said.
I stopped. I had never done anything like this negotiation before, but I knew that I shouldn’t give in easily.
“If we do as you say, then how much?” I asked. He told me.
“That’s an outrageous price. I’ll look elsewhere, thanks,” I said.
“Wait! All right. Fine! If you give me the money up front we can make a deal,” he said.
“I’ll give you half the money now, the rest when we reach our destination,” I countered. “And I’ll give you an extra five crosslets if we go to the ship now, immediately, and weigh anchor.”
The man—his name was Denby, he told me—sat thinking for a minute. At least I thought he was thinking. He could have been sleeping for all the ale he had drunk. He pointed to a group of men sitting at a table in the corner. They looked every bit as grimy as he did.
“That’s me crew,” he said. “I’ll have to get them to agree.”
“Do it then,” I said. “Tell them there are thirty regiments of Saracens about to attack Tyre at any moment. Then the city will be closed down. No one will get in or out.”
Denby’s head straightened up, with his one eye now focusing sharply on me. “Is that true?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s true. I would urge you to leave tonight or risk being caught in a city under siege.”
Denby sat back in his chair. It looked painful for him to have to concentrate this much. “Might as well,” he said, picking up the jug on his table, first shaking it, then tipping it over the cup. Nothing came out of it. “I’m out of ale and money.”
Standing up it took him a moment to be sure he had his balance and wasn’t going to fall over. He stumbled over to the table, speaking to the men in low tones. There was some grumbling, and there were curses and a few hotly exchanged words, but after a few moments the three men finished their drinks, stood up and made their way to the door.
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 head. 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 o
f 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.
Keeper of the Grail Page 18