‘Well, that wasn’t much of a fight,’ the captain observed with a smile. ‘I thought you said this Black Harry was a fierce opponent.’
I looked at our surly captives. ‘But he isn’t here,’ I said. ‘Are you sure you’ve found all of them?’
‘I’ve got two men searching the place thoroughly but we haven’t seen anyone else.’
I went over to one of the villains and prodded him with my boot. ‘Where’s your leader?’ I demanded. ‘Where’s Harry?’
The man gave a black-toothed grin. ‘Miles away. You’ll never catch him. He’s much too clever for you.’
The man’s arrogance set a match to the cannon of my anger. The feelings I had held in check for the last hour exploded within me. I turned to the captain. ‘A sword please, if I may.’
With some reluctance he drew his hand-and-a-half blade and passed it to me. I wrapped my fingers round the hilt and felt the weapon’s precise balance.
‘Master Treviot!’ The captain laid a hand on my arm.
‘No, don’t try to stop me. I’ve come too far and suffered too much to be balked now by dunghill flies like these. One of them is going to give me the information I want – or remain silent for ever. I walked along the row, prodding each prisoner with the sword’s point. ‘Which of you cowardly lorrels is going to tell me where Black Harry has gone?’
A stocky man with a scar across one cheek was the first to reply – but not with the answer I wanted.
He glared sullenly. ‘Call us cowards, do you? Standing there threatening men who can’t fight back.’
‘Cowards I call you and cowards you are!’ I shouted. ‘You murder women and children and peaceable priests.’ Images flashed through my mind of good people wantonly, brutally, mercilessly attacked by this fellow – Holbein, his children, van der Goes, and Adie, especially Adie lying now at the point of death. Even with a sword point in his belly, the wretch showed no trace of remorse or even fear. He lay there snarling like a cornered rat, and his arrogance fuelled my rage. For the first time in my life I felt bloodlust – and it tasted good. If it had been Black Harry sprawled on the floor at my mercy I would have thrust the sword through him without a further thought. As it was I leaned forward and the sharp point pierced the leather jerkin.
Now he squealed.
‘Master Thomas!’
I heard Walt’s anxious voice and waved aside his unspoken protest. Fortunately, my fury had not taken complete possession. The corner of my mind that was still functioning calmly reminded me I wanted information, not vengeance.
‘Where is Black Harry?’ I lifted the sword and held it, with both hands, about twelve inches above the man’s body. ‘No? In that case …’ I brought the sword down. It pierced the flesh of his upper leg, pinning it to the floor.
‘Stop!’he screeched, writhing in agony.
‘I didn’t quite catch your answer.’ I tugged the blade free and moved its point to a spot just above the villain’s heart.
‘I daren’t,’ he squealed. ‘No one betrays Black Harry.’
‘You’d rather die for him, then? Very well.’
‘Don’t!’ he cried, ‘You can’t! You wouldn’t! Captain, call the madman off!’
‘You’re quite right,’ I replied. ‘Normally I wouldn’t kill you. But today I’m not feeling normal. I’ve been driven out of my wits by a coven of bestial hellhounds who beat to death a young man in Aldgate, and took small children hostage, and left them to starve to death, and murdered their father, and burned down a priest’s house, killing everyone in it, ravished a defenceless woman and drove her to take her own life, and committed I know not what other inhuman acts. So, today, yes I would do something that, at any other time, I would regard as beneath contempt. I would kill a defenceless, squirming creature who doesn’t deserve the dignity of being called a man.’ It was no less than the truth. In those moments I was not myself. I had descended to the level of the men I despised.
‘Stop!’ he cried. ‘In the name of God, I beg you. We only did what the other man paid us to do. It’s him you want.’
‘Oh, I’ll get round to him in good time. For the moment I’m only interested in the whereabouts of the villain who has brought you to within seconds of death.’
My victim rolled on to his side, trying to squirm away from my weapon. I simply moved its point to his throat.
‘Harry’s taking the prisoners to the man that pays us,’ he blurted out.
‘And where does he live?’
‘Over the river. Essex.’
‘Fletcham?’
‘Yes!’ he cried eagerly.
I stepped back. ‘At last!’ I returned the sword to its owner. ‘At last we have the breakthrough we need.’ I realised I was sweating and trembling.
‘You know this Fletcham place?’ the captain asked.
‘Yes. Now if we act quickly, we can haul in all our fish in one net.’
‘First we must get these securely locked up.’
We pulled three of the men to their feet.
‘What about this fellow?’ The captain indicated the wounded man.
‘The cut looks worse than it is,’ I said. ‘We’ll tend it when we get back to Hadbourne.’
We collected the horses from Bart, who was very disgruntled at having been excluded from the action.
‘You missed little,’ I said. ‘Black Harry has already gone. But we are on his trail now.’
‘Promise me that I’ll be there when you find him.’
‘I promise you. That is a meeting I would not miss for all the world.’
We tied our captives across their horses and jogged back to Hadbourne, where our prisoners were locked up with the others detained by the commission and awaiting their onward journey to Canterbury.
Morice was eager to know what had happened at Swansford but my only thoughts were now for Adie. My report was brief. ‘I’ll come back tomorrow,’ I promised. ‘We have to organise our trip to Fletcham to arrest Black Harry.’
As I made my way homeward with my companions none of us spoke much. I was exhausted and I knew we were all dreading what we might find at Hemmings. And beyond that lay what I earnestly prayed would be the end of this affair.
Chapter 24
I went straight to Adie’s room. The inert form on the bed seemed unchanged and a servant was patiently applying damp cloths to her brow.
‘How is she?’I asked.
‘She still has the great heat, Master, but she sometimes tries to speak – nothing that makes any sense; more like murmuring than talking. Master Longbourne has got her to swallow something and it seems to have eased her.’
‘Is that what I can smell?’ I had noticed a sickly odour as soon as I entered the chamber.
‘Yes, Master, some got spilled on the covers.’
I sat on the bed and took Adie’s limp hand in mine. ‘Adie, ’tis me, Thomas, Thomas Treviot. How do you fare, my dear?’
Eyelids flickered. Lips slightly parted. But if she wanted to speak she lacked the energy and her face reposed into a calm, devoid of all expression.
I tried to find words for the situation, words that might be more efficacious-than Ned’s nostrums. The only ones I could voice were, ‘Dear Adie, don’t leave us. Everyone here loves you.’
‘Where is Master Longbourne?’ I asked, as I stood up.
‘In his chamber, Master. He looks fair worn out. He’s been here hours and hours. Mistress Lizzie had to drag him away and make him rest.’
I entered Ned’s room and saw him stretched on the bed, fully clothed. A candle almost burned down stood on the chest beside him and one hand still held an open book. I turned to leave quietly but, as I did so, Ned stirred.
‘Is that you, Thomas?’ He struggled into a sitting position. ‘Did you find the villains?’
‘We found their lair but the archvillain was gone.’
‘Slippery as an eel – or perhaps “serpent” would be a better analogy. I’ve been praying for him.’
‘Praying?’ I scoffed. ‘He merits flaying, not praying.’
‘The meanest wretch is not beyond God’s mercy – else where would any of us be? Now, I must go and look to Adie.’