[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
the room.
97
Eleven
You will expect to come plundering, spoiling, and stripping
bare the ruins where men now live again, a people gathered
out of the nations, a people acquiring cattle and goods, and
making their home at the very centre of the world.
Ezekiel 38: 12 13
he unexpected coolness of the evening air the first time it
Thad been so for days halted Falconer s intemperate rush
down Great Bailey. And by the time he reached the High Street,
lit by the flaming torches of the tavern fronts, he had reduced
his progress to a stroll. There was, after all, no point in
confronting Guillaume de Beaujeu with an accusation of murder.
The Templar was both devious and imperturbable. He could either
deny the murder, whether he had committed it or not, or even
admit it, and defy Falconer s efforts to prove it. No by far the
best course of action would be for Falconer to do with de Beaujeu
what he had requested Bullock to do with Guchuluk. Merely
observe, and hope for some betrayal through either party s
actions.
Resolved on a long, sleepless night, Falconer made a detour to
Aristotle s Hall to scavenge for some provisions that might sustain
him through the long hours to dawn. In the kitchen he found a
scrap of cold, fatty pork, and folded it inside a hunk of dark, gritty
manchet bread, thrusting the resulting package into the purse
at his waist. Striding back through the hall, he was halted by a
call from the gallery above. It was Richard Youlden, the lad who
had seen Yeh-Lu on his foolish visit to the hall, and he seemed
anxious to speak to his master.
Yes, Richard, what is it? I am in a hurry.
Richard looked abashed, but carried on: Thomas said you want
to know of a good archer amongst the students. Well, there are
98
several I know of Philip Metcalf, Walter Colnet, John Stone
and Benedict Tunstede are amongst the best.
Falconer, intent on more important matters now, went to cut
the youth off. But Richard was determined to speak his mind.
But there is one who is as accurate with a longbow as all of
those I have mentioned, and he has been talking recently of, as
he put it, showing those Tartars a thing or two. I just thought
you might like to know.
Falconer realized that Richard Youlden had a mind sharper
than his stolid, farm-boy appearance led everyone to believe. He
had obviously put together Falconer s interest in archery, and
the death of Chimbai, and provided a suspect. Falconer would
not, however, confirm the lad s suspicions yet as to what he was
pursuing. Still, he marvelled how one day he could be despairing
of finding anyone with cause and opportunity to kill Chimbai,
and the next day he had an embarrassment of riches. He might
as well add this name to his growing list. And who is this paragon
of the archer s skill?
Miles Bikerdyke.
As night fell, and the stench of stale beer drifted up from the
tavern below, Guillaume de Beaujeu prepared himself for the
next act in his strategem. So far, with Chimbai s death, the plan
that the Grand Master of the Templars had laid before him was
unrolling perfectly. The old man had impressed upon him the
need for absolute secrecy, and when he had heard what the master
proposed, he was not surprised at this. At first, it had seemed
like madness the world turned upside down but then the old
man had unfolded the ancient parchment and revealed the truth
that lay behind the events of the last thirty years. Although it
had all begun much earlier than that in the age of Alexander
Magnus.
As the insects of the night chirruped on that cold Parisian
evening, the Grand Master spoke hypnotically of Alexander the
Great s letter to Aristotle, where he wrote of Sun and Moon trees
that prophesied his own death. The master also made reference
to a passage from Iter ad Paradisum, that mystical text of
Alexander s travels, where Alexander went in search of an earthly
Paradise. It described how he sailed up a great river so large it
resembled a sea, and came to a mighty city. There he sent a
knight in a boat to demand tribute from the citizens and their
submission. An old man opened a high window in a wall overlooking
99
the river, and for tribute dropped a small stone in the knight s
boat.
The meaning of the stone was explained to Alexander by a
mystic, said the Grand Master. He said it will outweigh any
amount of gold, but sprinkle it with dust and it will be as light as
a feather. So it was revealed by God that He favoured Alexander,
but, like all men, he would come to a dusty death.
De Beaujeu was puzzled, fearing that the old man was
wandering, even losing his mind. And what has this to do with
the Tartars?
A knowing smile flickered across the Grand Master s lips. We
therefore know from Alexander that there are more of God s
wonders in the East. He stretched out a hand for the creased
and ancient document lying on the table between them. Now
read this.
De Beaujeu gently turned the dusty document round, and began [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
the room.
97
Eleven
You will expect to come plundering, spoiling, and stripping
bare the ruins where men now live again, a people gathered
out of the nations, a people acquiring cattle and goods, and
making their home at the very centre of the world.
Ezekiel 38: 12 13
he unexpected coolness of the evening air the first time it
Thad been so for days halted Falconer s intemperate rush
down Great Bailey. And by the time he reached the High Street,
lit by the flaming torches of the tavern fronts, he had reduced
his progress to a stroll. There was, after all, no point in
confronting Guillaume de Beaujeu with an accusation of murder.
The Templar was both devious and imperturbable. He could either
deny the murder, whether he had committed it or not, or even
admit it, and defy Falconer s efforts to prove it. No by far the
best course of action would be for Falconer to do with de Beaujeu
what he had requested Bullock to do with Guchuluk. Merely
observe, and hope for some betrayal through either party s
actions.
Resolved on a long, sleepless night, Falconer made a detour to
Aristotle s Hall to scavenge for some provisions that might sustain
him through the long hours to dawn. In the kitchen he found a
scrap of cold, fatty pork, and folded it inside a hunk of dark, gritty
manchet bread, thrusting the resulting package into the purse
at his waist. Striding back through the hall, he was halted by a
call from the gallery above. It was Richard Youlden, the lad who
had seen Yeh-Lu on his foolish visit to the hall, and he seemed
anxious to speak to his master.
Yes, Richard, what is it? I am in a hurry.
Richard looked abashed, but carried on: Thomas said you want
to know of a good archer amongst the students. Well, there are
98
several I know of Philip Metcalf, Walter Colnet, John Stone
and Benedict Tunstede are amongst the best.
Falconer, intent on more important matters now, went to cut
the youth off. But Richard was determined to speak his mind.
But there is one who is as accurate with a longbow as all of
those I have mentioned, and he has been talking recently of, as
he put it, showing those Tartars a thing or two. I just thought
you might like to know.
Falconer realized that Richard Youlden had a mind sharper
than his stolid, farm-boy appearance led everyone to believe. He
had obviously put together Falconer s interest in archery, and
the death of Chimbai, and provided a suspect. Falconer would
not, however, confirm the lad s suspicions yet as to what he was
pursuing. Still, he marvelled how one day he could be despairing
of finding anyone with cause and opportunity to kill Chimbai,
and the next day he had an embarrassment of riches. He might
as well add this name to his growing list. And who is this paragon
of the archer s skill?
Miles Bikerdyke.
As night fell, and the stench of stale beer drifted up from the
tavern below, Guillaume de Beaujeu prepared himself for the
next act in his strategem. So far, with Chimbai s death, the plan
that the Grand Master of the Templars had laid before him was
unrolling perfectly. The old man had impressed upon him the
need for absolute secrecy, and when he had heard what the master
proposed, he was not surprised at this. At first, it had seemed
like madness the world turned upside down but then the old
man had unfolded the ancient parchment and revealed the truth
that lay behind the events of the last thirty years. Although it
had all begun much earlier than that in the age of Alexander
Magnus.
As the insects of the night chirruped on that cold Parisian
evening, the Grand Master spoke hypnotically of Alexander the
Great s letter to Aristotle, where he wrote of Sun and Moon trees
that prophesied his own death. The master also made reference
to a passage from Iter ad Paradisum, that mystical text of
Alexander s travels, where Alexander went in search of an earthly
Paradise. It described how he sailed up a great river so large it
resembled a sea, and came to a mighty city. There he sent a
knight in a boat to demand tribute from the citizens and their
submission. An old man opened a high window in a wall overlooking
99
the river, and for tribute dropped a small stone in the knight s
boat.
The meaning of the stone was explained to Alexander by a
mystic, said the Grand Master. He said it will outweigh any
amount of gold, but sprinkle it with dust and it will be as light as
a feather. So it was revealed by God that He favoured Alexander,
but, like all men, he would come to a dusty death.
De Beaujeu was puzzled, fearing that the old man was
wandering, even losing his mind. And what has this to do with
the Tartars?
A knowing smile flickered across the Grand Master s lips. We
therefore know from Alexander that there are more of God s
wonders in the East. He stretched out a hand for the creased
and ancient document lying on the table between them. Now
read this.
De Beaujeu gently turned the dusty document round, and began [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]