Militia Dei: A secret history sci-fi adventure (The Cross-Time Crusade Book 3) by Robert Kroese

Author:Robert Kroese [Kroese, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Culain Press
Published: 2023-11-20T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

I t was nearly noon by the time Martin returned to the tavern. There were a few patrons in the place, chatting over pints of ale, but none of the men Martin had seen there before. Spotting the taverner, Martin went to him.

“I need to speak to Count Ellis,” he said.

“None of my business,” said the man.

“Look,” said Martin, producing a gold coin, “I know you know who the men were who grabbed me from my room. Send somebody to find one of them. Tell him I need to talk to the Count. It’s about Durant, and it’s urgent.”

The man shrugged but took the coin. Martin went upstairs to his room, took his boots off, and flopped onto the bed. Perhaps an hour later he was awakened by a knock at the door. Martin got up and opened the door to find Roland standing in the hallway.

“You’ve gotten more polite since last time,” said Martin.

Roland grunted at him.

“That’s more like it. You’ll take me to the Count?”

Roland didn’t answer. He turned and stomped downstairs. Martin pulled on his boots and followed.

After following the surly Roland through the streets of Paris for a good fifteen minutes, they arrived at the street where Martin had been abandoned the night before. They turned down a narrow alley, where Martin was again blindfolded. Roland led him to a door, and they again took a circuitous route through a series of hallways, emerging into the room with the fireplace. Roland removed his hood and ordered him to sit. Roland stood silently in a corner of the room. After a few minutes, the Count entered the room from a door behind Martin. After a curt greeting, he asked why Martin wished to speak to him. Martin told him what the guard at the garrison had told him.

“You’re certain Durant is dead?” asked the Count.

“I only know what the guard told me,” said Martin. “But I don’t see why he would lie.”

“Was Durant in poor health?” asked Roland.

“No. Poor Durant. They must have been hard on him.”

“You mean torture,” said Martin.

“Yes.”

“For what purpose?”

“The Crown is anxious to eliminate—or at least intimidate—any allies of the Templars. Perhaps they were trying to find out who else is part of my circle, or perhaps they merely wanted to send a message. In the past the Crown has been hesitant to act directly against me, because I have some highly-placed allies. If they’re willing to plant evidence to arrest a good man like Durant, though, they’re capable of anything.”

“What do you mean?” Martin asked. “What evidence?”

“That book your friend Jack was looking for,” the Count said. “Word is that it was found in Durant’s house.”

“You don’t believe it?”

“That Durant kept a secret book about commanding demons and never told me? No, I don’t believe it. Frankly, I don’t believe they found anything. And conveniently for them, Durant is now dead, so they don’t have to produce the evidence. Meanwhile, they’ll spread rumors that this Liber Babylonis was found at the home of a Templar.

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