Gonnes of navarre, p.11
Gonnes Of Navarre, page 11
Kilianus frowned and stroked his chin. “You are right, that does not give us much time. I suspect by now we both know the lay of the castle well enough, but if ’tis not just the Graf attending, ’twill be quite the circus here with so many attendants and bodyguards. What about the gonnes themselves?”
Elsabeth took another bite of her soup and chewed one of the pieces of cubed beef with relish. Bugger him, but this is quite good, and certainly better than a platter of rollmops. She swallowed before continuing.
“As we suspected, they are kept down in the vaults, along with their maker. Certainly quite inaccessible as they are; no one but de Sens and the guards assigned to safeguard the clockmaker and gonnes are allowed down there. But they are moving them to the regular armory tomorrow for final assembly and a minor test-firing before the demonstration.”
“Well, that is certainly something. The armory is far more accessible than the vaults. I think there is an opportunity to make our move tomorrow night. But that still leaves us with a concern of getting in and past the guard. I was given tomorrow off, and I would not likely be getting onto the grounds.”
Elsabeth considered for a moment and stirred her soup thoughtfully. “That I think you can leave to me. They already think me to be useless and clumsy. ’Twould be a simple matter to damage some of the woodwork, and no one would think anything suspicious of it. A little bit of a panic and a fright, and an assurance that you could fix it ought to do the trick.”
Kilianus nodded. “So they are well acquainted with you then. Once I am in and able to go to work it should be a simple matter to slip away. I think it best to wait until near the end of the night. With guests due these next two days, they will want the damage fixed quickly. Thus our lingering after the day laborers have retired for the evening should go relatively unnoticed. That still leaves the matter of the guards at the armory itself.”
She took another bite of her soup and considered her discarded underthings. “That should not be a problem. If you can subdue them quickly, I shan’t have too much trouble making a distraction of myself.”
He regarded her with a raised eyebrow, but Elsabeth did not favor him by meeting his eyes, and instead watched him from her peripherals. “Is that your solution to everything?”
“’Tis not, in fact, but under these circumstances I think it the best. There may not be many men who can take me in a straight sword fight, but we won’t have the time for that. ’Tis best they be dispatched quickly and quietly. And I suspect I am far more likely to draw their attention and put them off their guard.
“Once into the armory, we secure one of those gonnes, and I think also a sample of their shot and powder. But then ’tis a matter of getting back out again.”
Kilianus stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know how large the gonnes will be, though I suspect not too dissimilar from the types I have seen in the past, if they are meant to be wielded by one man. My toolbox ought to be large enough for the purpose.”
Elsabeth scraped the last of her soup from the bowl. Her stomach was now greatly settled, and the worst of the pain between her temples had subsided. “The powder and shot would be simple enough to secret away in my laundry basket. ’Tis just a matter of getting out. The guards have not been in a habit of searching me.”
“Nor I. Well, it seems we have the workings of a plan,” he said.
She nodded and set her bowl aside. “In which case, I best get dressed and to the castle. Maybe they won’t notice I am late. ’Tis all I’ll need to be released right before we finish this business.”
Elsabeth pulled the blanket tight around herself and rose. She hurried about gathering up her dress and underthings, while Kilianus watched from the floor in front of the couch. “I’ll arrange us some horses while I wait for you to make your move,” he said. “I think it best for us to be gone and quickly once we finish in the castle. I imagine it won’t take them long to notice if one of the gonnes goes missing.”
“We should probably be packed and ready to leave, too. In fact, ’twould be best if we don’t come back here at all.”
“I agree. I’ll make sure to have the horses loaded and ready for a quick exit.” Kilianus took a wistful look around the apartment. “I must say, I shall miss this place. ’Tis one of the nicer lodgings I have had on a mission. Some of the better company, at that.”
Elsabeth straightened, one hand holding her blankets closed, the other laden with her discard clothing. Kilianus looked to the floor, with his arms folded across his chest, and nudging one of the boards with his toe. She sighed at his expression and lowered her head.
“Love, I am sorry if I gave you any hurt over last night. In other circumstances, I might have even been interested in you on your own virtues. But I have little liking for how your Cuncz tugged upon my strings to involve me in this whole affair, or that he thinks to have a claim upon me. It may be a petty vengeance, but I shall take it nonetheless.
“I have made myself quite plain ’tis no mission of loyalty to me, and I desperately need the windfall. I have made many mistakes in my life, and the purse he has promised may allow me to make up for one of the worst. But you, I think, put too much stock in loyalty to the man. He has already used me once, and I don’t intend to go on being used.”
Kilianus looked at her sharply, and something hard passed behind his hazel eyes. “I won’t deny he loves his little intrigues, and has an unerring knack for twisting one into a position where they cannot tell him no, but I have served him long enough to know that, machinations aside, he is a good man.”
“Be that as it may, the more distance I can put between myself and him when this is done, the better for me. I am in no position to trust his games. You just had the misfortune of being another piece on the board.”
He turned his eyes away again and nodded. “Best you get ready and go, and not tarry any longer. If you run into any trouble, make an excuse that I was unwell this morning, and you had to fetch a leech.”
“You don’t need to tell me how to lie, love. One thing at least your lord and I have in common, our tongues are one of our keenest weapons.”
Elsabeth turned for the bedroom. Just as she retreated through the door and closed it behind her Kilianus’ voice slipped through.
“I can surely attest to your skill with yours.”
13
Robin made his way along the hallways of the castle, his hands folded at the small of his back. He ground his back teeth until he thought they might collapse into dust.
D’Alle’s request came, unbidden but not unexpected, in the midst of the final preparations for de Carcassonne’s return. All the castle was in chaos. Servants scurried hither and thither underfoot, and Robin had to sidestep several mobs frantically scrubbing floors and polishing any piece of metal sitting on a shelf or bolted to the wall. And some metal not bolted to the wall; more than once, Robin had to fend off some over-eager attendant insisting on addressing the lack of shine on his sword-hilt. The castle guards’ helms and armor had not only been polished and shined until they gleamed like beacons, but done over thrice.
Robin idly wondered whether there was an ounce of oil or wax left in the whole of Carcassonne.
He cut a circuitous route through the maze of hallways, but his course inerrantly led him towards the doorway leading down to the vaults and dungeons, where his charge was kept safe, secure, and in no little comfort at de Carcassonne’s great expense. And yet there was always something more the clockmaker had to demand. Robin did not know yet what was the matter this time, but were it his decision to make, he would have the demanding little man loaded into the nearest bombard and fired from the grounds.
A commotion up ahead lulled him from his imaginings of the splatter the clockmaker’s head might make as it was dashed across the paving stones of Carcassonne at the speed of bombard shot. He quickly recognized the new laundry maid, her hands knotting in her apron as she weathered a scolding from Rapine. She was not a difficult woman to notice, and he had overheard enough idle chatter among the guard to know she had caught the eye of much of the male staff. Wisps of burnished copper hair peaked out from her cap, and were it not for the shy hunching of her shoulders she might even have rivaled some of the guard in height.
“...don’t know what you expect at whatever hovel you crawled from,” the senior maid snapped, and shook her finger in the other’s face, “but here we expect punctuality. I don’t know why they don’t turn you out!”
“And I am sorry! But my husband was ill, and it took all night and well ’till the morning before the leech could come with this dreadful cold snap.”
“Ha! Like as not he spent the night face-down in his drink over having to deal with you all day. Were it up to me you would be out, but ’tis not my decision, and the castle is in such a shambles we need every hand ...”
Robin passed them by. As he did, he thought he caught a flicker of the maid’s green eyes glance in his direction, but then he was past and continuing on his way and leaving the scolding behind him.
He turned down several other corridors, making a show as if inspecting the preparedness of the staff and castle, before finally reaching his destination. However, a frown crossed his features at the sight that awaited him. Only one guard stood at the door leading down to the lower levels, where there ought to have been two. For his part, the man on duty displayed no less consternation in his features, and he drummed his fingers on the haft of his halberd in irritation. As Robin rounded the corner and came into view he quickly snapped to attention.
Rather than making his way straight for the door and prepare himself for the clockmaker’s demands, Robin checked his pace and instead turned his attention on the guardsman.
“Good morning, Frederick,” he said.
“Good morning, Monsieur,” Frederick replied smartly. Though he made an effort to mask his irritation at being left alone on duty, it still managed to slip into his voice. “You received our guest’s message, I warrant?”
Robin nodded. “I did indeed. But I am more curious as to why I arrive to find you here alone. Is Pierre not supposed to be on duty with you this morning?”
“That he is, Monsieur.”
“So I have two questions for you: The first, is why you neglected to inform me of his absence when you relayed Master d’Alle’s message?”
Frederick swallowed visibly and shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as Robin fixed him with a searching gaze.
“And the second, Monsieur?” he asked, instead of answering his question immediately.
“Where is Pierre?”
Robin stepped up to him and stretched to his full height over the hapless guardsman. Frederick, for his part, weathered his glare with more dignity than the poor cringing laundry maid.
“Well, in answer to the second, Monsieur, I don’t know, else I would have dragged him to his post as he was scheduled. As to the first...I suppose I had hoped he would turn up before Monsieur arrived.”
Robin sighed and folded his arms across his chest. The brigandine beneath his tabard rattled at the movement, and he drummed his fingers on his arm.
“And yet he has not, and I arrive to find him missing when my orders were that two men were to be on guard at this door at all times.”
Frederick blanched but did not shrink away. “Yes, Monsieur.”
“So tell me, when did you last see him?”
“Yesterday afternoon, just before I was relieved so I could prepare my ceremonial dress for Monsieur le Comte’s arrival.”
Robin nodded. “Ah yes, you were drawn for the escort. I pray ’twas not an oversight to grant you such a prestigious assignment.”
“Of course not, Monsieur! ’Twas all in order. Every bit of metal polished ’till my own reflection was looking back at me, not a thread out of place. And I was still here at my post bright and early.”
“Which is more than can be said of Pierre. Have you any thought as to where he might be?”
“No, Monsieur... well...”
He trailed off, and his face colored abruptly. Robin raised an eyebrow as he regarded him, and after a long moment it became clear Frederick had no intent to continue unprompted.
“Well, what?”
“Well, Monsieur, Pierre did mention to me he intended to visit Isabeau’s after his watch yesterday. He asked me to meet him. But of course I did not. I had too much to do to be ready for Monsieur le Comte’s return!”
The last was added hastily, and with a note of embarrassed panic in his voice.
Robin heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Isabeau’s...”
Frederick nodded. “Yes, Monsieur. I have told him time and again he ought not to waste his time in such a place, especially when he is due back on watch the next morning, but ...”
“Were it not for how much money the taxes bring Monsieur le Comte, I would shut that place down if ’twere my decision.”
“Respectfully, Monsieur, I think you might have a rebellion on your hands if you were to try. Some of the guard might even join in.”
“Nonetheless, I shall be taking this up with Monsieur de Carcassonne. For now, maintain your post. Master d’Alle will simply have to wait while I attend to this matter.”
Frederick snapped smartly to attention again, and firmly planted the butt of his halberd on the floor in relief that no more chastisement was forthcoming. “Of course, Monsieur!”
Robin sighed, shook his head as he started away, and turned for the main guardroom.
Isabeau’s was considerably quieter by the time he arrived than the accounts of the guard would imply. Robin dismissed it as a factor of the early hour, for much of the establishment’s business was not done so early in the day.
A few folk were present, however. A handful of laborers who worked overnight and just finished sat around a table, tossing dice and conversing in hushed tones over drinks. Two of Isabeau’s girls loitered about the common room and waited for one of the patrons to bore of tossing dice and come in search of other diversions. Isabeau herself dutifully manned her counter as Robin stepped inside, leading a small contingent of guards behind him. She straightened abruptly as he threw the door open and stepped in out of the cold, and every head within turned in his direction.
“Monsieur de Sens!” Isabeau purred, though not quite able to mask her surprise at seeing him. “I must say I never expected to see you walking through my door. Have you finally despaired of your separation from that pretty little thing of yours, and come looking for companionship?”
Robin twisted his lip in annoyance at the insinuation and speared her with a glare. For her part, Isabeau weathered his glower with more steel in her spine than even a veteran soldier, and folded her arms beneath her breast as a playful smirk tugged at her lip.
“I am not here for your entertainments, Mademoiselle,” he replied, “but on official business. One of my men is late to report to his duties this morning, and I am told he visited here last night.”
“Well, you might need to be more specific than that, Monsieur, for many of the guard while away their off hours with my girls.”
Robin leaned his hand on the sword at his hip, and the subtle threat in the gesture did not go unnoticed. The night laborers immediately returned their attention to their drinks, and his ears caught the soft intake of breath as the younger of the remaining girls gasped.
“I warn you I am in no mood for games. I have turned a blind eye to your business in the past because it has never interfered with the duties of the guard. I assure you, you don’t want that to change.”
Isabeau squared her shoulders and did not back down. In truth, Robin could do little about her establishment; de Carcassonne himself was quite enamored of the place, and she well knew it. “Well, we can always take that up with Monsieur le Comte,” she said, as if reading his thoughts on the situation. “But I can’t keep account of every man who passes beneath my roof. If you have a name to give me I can ask after him.”
“’Tis Pierre.”
She mulled over the name for a moment, and tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Pierre... Pierre... Ah! Yes, the fellow with the lovely mustache, though he has not fooled anyone with the way he tries to comb his hair over that bare patch atop his head. I have not seen him since quite early yesterday evening.”
Robin nodded to the guards behind him. “If you don’t mind, I shall have a look around myself. And I best not find that you are trying to cover for him while he sleeps off a surfeit of your drink.”
Isabeau stepped away from her counter and rounded it to bar the path of the guardsmen as they started into the common hall.
“Now just one moment, Monsieur!” she snapped, and planted her hands on her hips. “I make it a point that whenever a man steps across my threshold he leaves his troubles behind him. And I’ll not have you bringing them in with you!”
Robin strode up to her and straightened to his full height. Isabeau neither flinched nor shrunk from him, and instead stared him down.
“If Pierre is still here,” Robin retorted, “he will be bringing more than trouble with him, now stand aside so we may do our duty.”
“I have an agreement with Monsieur le Comte, and you shan’t set another foot further! I shan’t have anyone disrupting the peace beneath my roof, nor intrude upon the privacy of my clients!”
“Mademoiselle Isabeau,” a voice interjected, and he and Isabeau both turned their heads to find the younger of the two girls standing before them. She knotted her skirts in her hands, and shrunk down nervously over addressing her superiors. The girl was a slight and pretty thing, and quite young, perhaps only just coming of age. “And Monsieur,” she added hastily, and blushed fiercely.
“What is it, Nicole?” Isabeau asked, her tone softening to put the girl at ease.
“Forgive me for interrupting, but I saw Pierre last night going into Room Twenty-Three with the new girl, as I was finishing with a client further down the hall. I can’t recall having seen him come out again.”
