Burning the Water by Robert Low

Author:Robert Low
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2020-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

The bastel house of Akeld

The next morning…

It was a Scotch morning according to Sister Charity and Sister Faith had no reason to doubt her accuracy – the mist sat tight on the hills and flowed down into the valley like a burn in spate. Everything dripped.

‘Pestilential country.’

Juup was hunched up under a hooded cloak and Horner stood next to him; Sister Faith was aware that Juup was here to make sure Klett was kept alive as long as possible and so they were at odds on that. Horner was here because he would not let Sister Faith beyond reach of his hand now that he knew the Glastonbury riches were not in the chest.

Sister Faith prayed for Klett’s quick death and God’s mercy on him, her knees aching in the damp as the man swung above her from a trio of lashed poles. He was upside down and leaking what was left of his life into a watery pool and had screamed a long time, from the moment a sullen Maramaldo, weaving still when he stood, had consecrated him to flaying for the sin of letting Batty Coalhouse escape. Poxed, possibly to death in the long term, the short-term Maramaldo was still a sink of viciousness.

‘It was Zerdig,’ Klett had shrieked, but Zerdig was dead and so Klett, as Maramaldo had pointed out, had to take responsibility.

‘As will you, when you stand before God to explain what your own men have done at your command,’ Sister Faith said sternly, which had made Maramaldo scowl. He needed Sister Charity and her skills, which Sister Faith knew; it would keep them and the children alive, despite Horner.

That one leaned forward as she knelt, watching what was left of Klett drip his life to a close. The man who had taken the skin off Klett was a big, stolid-faced Saxon and the camp’s best butcher when left to his own; Sister Faith was sure she would not eat of any meat tonight.

‘Sister,’ said Horner quietly. ‘I respect and understand you. I understand also how you feel about the late Abbot, but that is long past and gone. Now is now and the Lord Chancellor wishes the Glastonbury treasure. The king wishes it. How can you think to oppose those wills?’

Sister Faith prayed and let him wheedle. She knew he wanted the deeds and would pull more plums out before he gave them to the Lord Chancellor, who would hand what was left after his own plundering to King Henry. Henry would not care so much for deeds – he wanted the other riches, the real treasure of Glastonbury…

Horner stopped after a while, when Maramaldo rode up. Back in the saddle, he noted, even if he fidgets. Fit and well enough to realise the mess everyone was in, but Horner did not say any of that.

‘Has she spoken?’ Maramaldo demanded and Juup shook his head; after a short pause, Horner did likewise. Maramaldo grinned.

‘Well, the plan proceeds, Master Horner, whether your fabled treasure is in it or no.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.