Pagan in Exile by Catherine Jinks

Author:Catherine Jinks
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV000000, JUV016000
ISBN: 9781741762631
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2007-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

There are people waiting for Galhard in the hall. Three monks, all in Benedictine black, are perched like crows around the high table. The tallest seems to have something wrong with his eye: it’s wet and inflamed, and he keeps dabbing at it with the corner of his sleeve. His neighbour has the face of a lizard, seamed and ancient, with a wide mouth, an almost invisible nose, and small, bright expressionless black eyes. The third monk isn’t much older than I am. He’s the kind of wholly forgettable person you’d always be leaving behind by accident.

None of them looks like a match for Galhard.

‘So,’ he says, erupting into the hall, ‘you’re from the Abbot, are you?’ His tone is grumpy, but not life-threatening. Yet.

‘My lord,’ the tall monk replies, ‘we are brethren of Saint Jerome. I am Brother Humbert. This is Brother Norgaud. We have come here to represent our good father Abbot Tosetus, concerning a matter which has distressed him greatly.’

As Galhard approaches the high table, large and heavy and smelling like a leper’s armpit, Brother Humbert’s voice falters a little. But Galhard’s not after Humbert: he’s after the wine. He swills down what’s left and turns to Germain, who’s been hovering at his elbow ever since we dismounted.

‘More wine! he barks. ‘‘Where’s the food? What have you been doing, you lazy clods? I want something to eat and I want it now!’

Ominous rumbling of agreement from Berengar, as he drops onto a bench by the door. Germain scurries off to the kitchen. Aimery unbuckles his swordbelt, throwing it across one of the tables. Clank! And here’s Jordan, his beautiful surcoat encrusted with dry blood, looking around for a place to collapse. He sees me, and winks.

I don’t understand Jordan. I don’t understand why he’s being so nice. Why did he offer to let Foucaud rub down Roland’s horse? So that I wouldn’t have to do it myself? Or was it just to annoy Roland? It certainly did annoy him. But he had to accept Jordan’s offer, in the end, because I happen to feel exactly like a pair of old riding breeches that someone’s wrung out and beaten dry on a washboard.

The dogs creep in and throw themselves onto the rushes, too tired even to sniff around for scraps. Some of them fall asleep; some lick their wounds. Galhard deposits his great bulk on one of the high-backed chairs, and stretches his legs out in front of him.

‘Well?’ he growls. ‘Let’s get on with it. I’ve been hunting all day, and I’m tired. What does the Abbot want to tell me?’

‘My lord,’ says Humbert, in a high voice, ‘two of our brethren, Brother Raoul and Brother Guibert, were lodging with Father Puy of Bram last night. Brother Raoul arrived back at the Abbey around noon, alone. He told us that Brother Guibert had been abducted. By you, my lord.’

A pause. Galhard waits. Humbert begins to perspire.

‘Father Puy actually identified you, my lord,’ he continues. ‘It seems that you and your sons were responsible.

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.