The Furness Secret

by Mark Williams

  But something disturbed the freshly elected Grand Master. The debacle at Jerusalem, two decades ago had shown how easily the Templars could be removed from their worldly goods. What Guillame de Chartres wondered would happen if the Order continued, but their riches were taken from them? How would they be able to fulfil their destiny under the Prophecy? He was surprised that the Grand Masters who had followed Gerard de Ridefort had not sought to solve this problem.

  And so Guillame came to a crucial decision. He would take steps, to ensure that the Prophecy could always be fulfilled. What was needed was a source of wealth, known only to the Order that could be securely stored. More than that, even the source of the wealth must remain secret. In that way, the Order could, even if forced to return to its initial state of poverty, retain its ability to act, if the time came.

  Returning the papers and locking the box securely, de Chartres called from his chamber to the main room. He summoned his closest ally Peter. He knew he could not give the full details of the Prophecy to his friend, but he never the less, felt he could divulge sufficient information, to allow his fellow knight to assist him.

  “Peter, my friend, please enter, I have the need of wise counsel.”

  His fellow monk raised his eyebrow in inquiry, lowered himself into a chair and listened to the outline of the Grand Master’s idea.

  The basic issue, as Guillame described it to Peter was that the loss of the Templars’ fortune in Jerusalem had been a disaster. This had greatly limited the Order’s capability, in the ensuing decades, to provide the necessary level of military support in Outremer.

  Guillame argued that this fortune needed replacing. And the wealth needed to be acquired secretively. Outside the Order, no one should be aware of the size or nature of the hoard. Not even the King of Jerusalem, or the Pope in Rome. This would allow the Templars the flexibility to spend the money on their own projects. Without obtaining papal or royal approval. Guillame hoped that sympathetic nobles in the west might be persuaded by this argument.

  The Master confided in Peter, that in his opinion, these resources were needed as a matter of urgency. To this end, Peter was to be charged with the task of travelling to each of the provincial Masters to solicit their assistance, and to come up with a plan.

  Guillame had a further idea he wished to share with his closest confidant.

  “In order to achieve our goal, we will require assistance in the west. Someone who may have to move against powerful opponents, at great risk. I would prefer a young man who would be loyal to me personally. On whom I could rely, should we weave a plan that will allow us success. I do not wish this recruit to be tainted by any previous allegiances to Rome, before his initiation. You have heard of the movement developing in France, the Cathars?”

  Peter indicated that he had.

  “They already share many of the beliefs that were revealed to our Order. A young knight from their community would be ideal.”

  Guillame’s advisor found the recruitment of a young Cathar knight, far easier than the acquisition of a secret treasure hoard. Peter wrote to the Paris Temple immediately, requesting that their representatives in the Languedoc, in the South of France be alerted to the Grand Master’s requirement. Within six months he received word that a suitable young man had been identified and successfully inducted.

  But it took Peter two years of careful planning, before he felt able to set out for the west in search of hidden riches. He had drawn up a comprehensive list of contacts. It included those who were members of the Order and influential noblemen who were known to have Templar sympathies.

  May 2009 – Day Out

  The baby was fast asleep in her baby bouncer. But her bag was all ready to go. Tom’s mother had volunteered to have Eve overnight. The baby’s bag contained just two of her favourite toys. There was no need to pack nappies or formula. Tom’s mother had all that set up at her own house. Since her son had left she had transformed her cleaning rituals. Chloe had insisted on making an inspection though, before she would allow Eve to spend any time there.

  It was midday on a glorious spring, Sunday afternoon. Chloe had just finished painting her nails and was sitting on the sofa blowing them dry. The bell rang. She opened it and her three best mates burst into the room. All hugs and kisses. And they were bearing gifts. A bottle of cheap port, a box of blue WKD, some sort of ice bucket and a packet of pink straws. Niamh waved the bucket in front of her mate’s face.

  “Come on let’s get going. It’s you’re first decent session for over a year. Get the glasses out. It’s Super Sunday!”

  Chloe smiled and retrieved four glasses of various shapes and sizes from the back of a kitchen cupboard. She gave Eve’s bouncer an affectionate jiggle with her foot as she passed on her way through. Her friends were gathered round in a cooing crescent. The little girl’s eyes fluttered open to an accompaniment of excited squeals.

  For the next hour Eve was given the undivided attention of four teenage girls. She loved every minute. Chloe was on her second Cheeky Vimto and could certainly feel the effects. It had been over a year since she had last drunk this much. A warm feeling was spreading through her body, and most probably, she thought, across her face.

  Still, much as she loved her daughter, a day out with her mates sounded like just what the doctor ordered. She picked up her iPhone and plugged it into the speaker dock, perched on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Bit of a classic needed. The sounds of Cyndi Lauper filled the room a few seconds later. Eve was lying on the floor, kicking her legs for all they were worth. The four girls were grouped around her. Arms on shoulders, screaming out the words.

  They never heard the door open. But suddenly the music stopped. The singing continued for a few seconds ‘til they realised what had happened. Then it petered out to an embarrassed silence. Tom’s mother was glowering over the table, the iPhone clenched in her hand.

  “Couldn’t you even wait ‘til I’d picked her up. You’ve got to get pissed in front of the baby haven’t you? For God’s sake what sort of mother are you? The poor bugger doesn’t see her father as it is. The last thing she needs is a piss head for a mother.”

  Chloe started to open her mouth to reply. But in reality, she wasn’t at all sure she was a good mother. None of her friends had kids. And of course she couldn’t discuss any problems with her own mother. Her dad loved the little girl and she could talk about certain worries with him. But it just wasn’t the same. So Chloe just stood in silence as the girl’s bully of a Nanna picked her up and strapped her into the buggy. She hooked the bag over the back and thrust her way out of the door without a backwards look.

  Chloe raised her eyebrows at her friends. Niamh looked at her in dismay.

  “What a horrible fucking bitch!”

  July 19th 1209 A.D. – Carcassonne – Being Chosen

  Allard loved his mother. She was the head of his family. She was his only family actually. He wasn’t even certain who his father was. He didn’t know anything about him for sure, not even his name. Allard had been brought up, in the court of Raymond Roger, head of the Trenvacel family in Carcassonne. He was a tall strong young man who had excelled in all aspects of his training as a knight.

  Amongst his peers he was unbeatable at the joust, or at fencing. He was also an excellent scholar, fluent in French and Latin. He was sure his future was secure as a warrior serving the rulers of the fortress city of Carcassonne.

  There was however, one unusual aspect to his life. His mother had been raised as a Christian Cathar, not as a follower of the Church of Rome. And his mother’s priest had instructed Allard himself in that branch of the church. It was one reason why he did not know his father.

  He had been taught that the Cathars believed that the true world was one of an eternal spiritual peace, which had been created by a pure God. They believed that the earthly world was inherently evil, and that someone’s spirit could only escape back to peace by living a pure life. The Cathars had some issue
s with procreation, which they regarded as the process of bringing another unfortunate soul into the material world. Hence their followers often had unusual family structures. However, the court of the Trenvacels had a relaxed attitude to faith and the young Allard had never found it necessary to keep his beliefs a secret.

  That morning, Allard had just finished fencing practice and his clothes were stuck flat against his body, dripping with sweat. He was walking back to his room for a change of clothing, when by the gate in the outer wall he caught sight of his mother talking to two men. One he recognised. The white hair and stooped back marked him out as his religious teacher, a Cathar priest. The second was recognisable from his dress. The white mantle and the red cross showed him as a Templar Knight. The priest waved Allard over.

  “Come my young man, I would talk to you.”

  The older teacher started to stroll along the wall, and the young Allard dropped into step beside him. For as long as he could remember, the priest had spent many hours a week with him. Reinforcing his mother’s teachings. Relating the origins of their Cathar beliefs and emphasising their traditions, and the differences with the Catholic Church.

  From the shadows cast by the castle wall, his mother watched the priest and her son stroll around the courtyard. She believed as strongly as anyone in her church of the evils of the material world. She understood that everyone must strive to live a good life. Every person had an obligation to connect with their inner self, rather than seeking earthly wealth or glory. It was the only way to save one’s spirit. But gazing at her handsome boy, she was filled with a mother’s love. She could only hope that God had a true purpose for him in this world. That he would experience a life that would set his spirit free.

  She had told him from his earliest days how lucky he was to have a place at Raymond Roger’s court. Forever telling him horror stories, of what life was like without money, outside the protection of a castle’s walls. His mother had taught him that while they were in this world, even Cathars required the means to live. Allard assumed it was just to keep him motivated to train and study. He didn’t need her encouragement in that arena. He was self-motivated, and determined to make the most of his skills and opportunities in life.

  So today, the young man had been expecting one of the priest’s usual lectures. But the priest had a surprise for him. He didn’t himself know the full background to the request that he had received. All he knew was that the great Order of Knights Templar had sent out the word that they needed a recruit from the ranks of the Cathars. The Templars had made it clear that they required someone, who whilst still young, had acquired all the skills required of a knight.

  Allard’s priest told him that when he heard of this story he had thought of the young man. The discussions he had witnessed in the courtyard had been the Templars accepting his recommendation. Allard was immensely flattered that the Order should be so interested in such an inexperienced fighter.

  He did however have some concerns. The Templars, although renowned for their skill in battle and their contribution to the defence of the Faith, were at heart warrior monks. The rule they lived by was based on that followed by monasteries throughout the West. They were sworn to a life of prayer, and to take vows of poverty and chastity.

  Allard was still a young man and had started to enjoy all that was offered by the court. Although a Cathar, he retained thoughts of fathering a child one day. He was not all sure he was willing to take the Templar vows. But his preacher reminded him of all the lessons he had been taught. He emphasised the importance of living a good life to escape the evils of the mortal world. When the teacher had finished a determined look washed over Allard’s face. He spoke his thoughts in a low murmur.

  “I understand. I will do as you ask.”

  August 1209 A.D. – Carcassonne – New Recruit

  In the early thirteenth century, the Languedoc was one of the richest regions in France, and therefore in the whole of medieval Europe. The region stretched from Orleans in the north down to the Pyrenees in the south. The name of the region literally meant the language of Oc. Many people in the area, particularly amongst the peasants, used the language.

  Nobles maintained a strong rule over the cities and the land. The great city of Toulouse, ruled by Count Raymond, had forty thousand inhabitants and competed for reputation with the likes of London and Paris. No less impressive was the massive walled fortress at Carcassonne, the ancestral home of the Trencavels.

  In the early morning of late summer, the pale sunlight bathed the city’s walls. The round roofs of the turrets could be seen for miles. It was within the safety of this bastion that Raoul had taught for the first six months of 1204.

  Raoul had spent many years travelling the length of the country, preaching. Blessing the believers and trying to convey his message to those who had yet to become converts. In many regions of France he needed to be extremely careful. The Catholic Church was notoriously hostile to different interpretations of Christianity. And they would most certainly regard Raoul as a dangerous heretic.

  But the Languedoc was different. There were many more believers and a more laissez-faire, relaxed attitude to different belief systems.

  Raoul particularly enjoyed his times in Carcassonne. He returned often, especially after an arduous trip. The heavily fortified town was the seat of power of the Viscount, Raymond Roger. He was the son-in-law of the powerful Count of Toulouse. Raymond Roger wasn’t a Cathar himself, but many Cathars lived in the town, enjoying his protection.

  Raoul had spent all of the summer of 1204, so far, in Carcassonne. He spent a week at a time with several of the more prominent members of the community of believers. He was given board and lodgings in return for his blessings.

  It was an interesting period theologically. Pope Innocent III had started to pay more attention to the Cathar movement. Rightly, he recognised it as a real threat to the Church of Rome. He had replaced his three legates in the Languedoc, whom he thought were too tolerant of Cathars. The new representatives were the Abbot of Citeaux, Arnold Amaury and two monks, Peter and Robert from the monastery at Fontfroide.

  These were important men within the local church. They had managed to persuade the local nobles, including the Viscount of Carcassonne and the Count of Toulouse, to swear allegiance to the Catholic Church. But they had failed to get them to enact legislation that would allow persecution of heretics. The noblemen had too many friends and allies within the movement. And as rich men, the nobles had nothing to gain by disturbing the status quo in the region.

  None of this impacted on Raoul’s life. He remained a loyal follower of the movement, spending his daily life in praying and teaching. But earlier that summer he had seen a hint of the political processes that were fomenting in the Languedoc.

  The papal legates had decided that if they could not convince the nobles of their cause, then they would take their case to the public. In the early July of 1204, in the fortress of Carcassonne, they had arranged for a public debate to take place. They organised sets of thirteen Cathar and thirteen Catholic priests to state their respective cases. Count Raymond of Toulouse’s brother-in-law, Peter II of Aragon, was the adjudicator.

  Raoul had joined the crowd who spent the day listening to the arguments. Both sides spoke with great eloquence. To Raoul, it seemed as though the Catholics has no reply to the accusations of idolatry and corruption. But to those in the crowd loyal to Rome, the Cathar’s repudiation of the saints and the cross were equally inexplicable.

  The day ended with neither side clearly winning the argument. However, to Raoul and many of the other Cathars the very fact the debate had taken place seemed a validation of their beliefs.

  As the long summer wore on, Raoul was delighted to find that the crowds who were prepared to listen to him had grown in number. Even better, there were many children and young adults in the audience. Young people loved listening to his soft, words of certainty. Loved hearing the stirring words of Christ being related
by the dedicated Perfecti.

  As he had been taught, so he had continued to teach. He preached that the world was a battleground between good and evil, and that the battle was continued inside everyone. He believed in all of the teachings from Jesus handed down through the centuries. There was nothing there to upset the most fervent member of the Catholic Church. But he went on to argue that the world was a battle between two gods. This would be dualist heresy, in the eyes of Rome.

  He taught that the true God inherited the spiritual world, and that the creator God of the Christians and the Jews was actually evil. That explained all the miseries and suffering of the material world. It gave a reason for all the cruelty, wars, pestilence and hunger.

  And more than that, Raoul preached that Christ was a spirit from the true God who had appeared in human form. Mary had provided the channel for the spirit to appear. Jesus was not the Son of God, and if the body in which the spirit lived had been crucified there was no resurrection. Because it was not an actual body, rather a vessel divinely conceived.

  Christ had come to the material world, to show mankind the way to salvation. Not through him, but by discovering the true spirit inside of themselves. The way to salvation, Raoul taught, was through living a pure life. Otherwise, the future held the prospect of reincarnation. To be born again, in a different body, to resume the quest for a perfect existence. Even Cathar believers, who were not Perfecti, would find themselves returning to the world, for another chance at seeking enlightenment.

  The austere life of the Cathar priests was in marked contrast to the people’s observations of the Catholic priesthood’s behaviour. Raoul could see in many people’s eyes the respect he gained from his lifestyle. Not dissimilar to the respect given to some of the Benedictine monks. The general population however, held many Catholic priests in open contempt. There were churches within the Languedoc where the mass had not been heard for years.