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Authors: Michael Jecks
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cardinal smiled. ‘You should be kind to him, if you want
him to guide you back to your heretic friends!’
Berenger managed to swallow the bile that threatened, and sat back on his haunches. As soon as he did so, a guard shoved his staff at Berenger’s breast, the blow forceful enough to slam
him backwards. While he rolled over to scramble to his feet, Tyler was helped towards the fire by a guard, and stood with his head downcast as the cardinal sipped from a gilded goblet of wine.
‘Well?’
‘I can’t tell you where the men all are. So far as I know, they are equally spread about the town. But if you have leaders you wish to hear of, I’ll tell you what I
can.’
‘Your commander? Who is he?’
‘Sir John de Sully, banneret. He serves the King.’
The cardinal nodded and began to ask about the various noblemen who were in the King’s army. There was no secret about these men – they all wore their arms on their breasts or
shields – and Tyler answered accurately enough. Berenger would willingly have sprung on him and set his chains about the man’s throat, but there was little point in winning himself
another beating for no purpose. And all the information that Tyler gave was unimportant.
‘I have heard of Gascons, too. Are there any knights from Gascony?’ the cardinal continued and, as he spoke, Berenger saw that his eyes narrowed a little. ‘King’s
officials? What of Pierre d’Agen and other traitors?’
Tyler answered as best he might, but there was little enough he could tell of the various men about whom he was interrogated. There were some more questions, but the cardinal appeared to have
little further interest in them.
‘Take them away now,’ he said to the guards. Then, in an undertone, speaking in Latin, he called to a clerk. ‘Tell the executioner he can take them now. Bring them to the
church and start to work on them. All of them.’
Berenger heard the words plainly, and at long last, his mind cleared. ‘Archers,
form circle!
’ he shouted in English, and the men shuffled or sprang to form a loose ring.
‘
Jack! John!
With me!’ he bellowed, and leaped forward.
The other two were with him, and although one guard realised Berenger’s plan and tried to get between them and the cardinal, he was already too late. While Berenger grasped one end of his
staff, John hammered at his face with his manacled wrists. The crunch of breaking bones could be heard over the rattle of the chain’s links, and the man fell with blood gushing from his nose
and brow. Berenger had the staff now, and he grabbed the cardinal’s wrist, pulling him away from the fire and hurrying back with him into the circle of archers. He looped his chain over the
man’s throat and tightened it.
‘Kill them!’ the cardinal gurgled, but Berenger pulled his chains taught.
‘If they come near, I’ll crack your neck like a capon’s,’ he growled. ‘Tell them!’
He could feel the man’s head move as he threw panicked glances about the room at his men, wondering if any were near enough to save him. Berenger clenched his muscles, pulling his forearm
across the cardinal’s flabby throat.
‘Stand back, you fools! Can’t you see he will kill me? Stand back!’ the cardinal squawked.
‘Archers? We’re leaving – now!’
Berenger and his men hurried from the room, the guards pushing and jabbing at them with their steel-shod staffs, while the cardinal screamed abuse at all and sundry. Clip went
over, and a guard kicked at him. Enraged, Clip grabbed his foot, twisted and shoved, and the man went down, Clip’s boot in his groin. The man squealed as his knee joint snapped. Another
lifted his staff to break Clip’s pate, but Dogbreath gave a sudden shriek of pure fury and sprang forward, grabbing the man’s biceps and headbutting him viciously. When another tried to
hit him, Jack dragged Dogbreath out of the way before the blow could strike, and then the archers formed a close wall, fists
him to guide you back to your heretic friends!’
Berenger managed to swallow the bile that threatened, and sat back on his haunches. As soon as he did so, a guard shoved his staff at Berenger’s breast, the blow forceful enough to slam
him backwards. While he rolled over to scramble to his feet, Tyler was helped towards the fire by a guard, and stood with his head downcast as the cardinal sipped from a gilded goblet of wine.
‘Well?’
‘I can’t tell you where the men all are. So far as I know, they are equally spread about the town. But if you have leaders you wish to hear of, I’ll tell you what I
can.’
‘Your commander? Who is he?’
‘Sir John de Sully, banneret. He serves the King.’
The cardinal nodded and began to ask about the various noblemen who were in the King’s army. There was no secret about these men – they all wore their arms on their breasts or
shields – and Tyler answered accurately enough. Berenger would willingly have sprung on him and set his chains about the man’s throat, but there was little point in winning himself
another beating for no purpose. And all the information that Tyler gave was unimportant.
‘I have heard of Gascons, too. Are there any knights from Gascony?’ the cardinal continued and, as he spoke, Berenger saw that his eyes narrowed a little. ‘King’s
officials? What of Pierre d’Agen and other traitors?’
Tyler answered as best he might, but there was little enough he could tell of the various men about whom he was interrogated. There were some more questions, but the cardinal appeared to have
little further interest in them.
‘Take them away now,’ he said to the guards. Then, in an undertone, speaking in Latin, he called to a clerk. ‘Tell the executioner he can take them now. Bring them to the
church and start to work on them. All of them.’
Berenger heard the words plainly, and at long last, his mind cleared. ‘Archers,
form circle!
’ he shouted in English, and the men shuffled or sprang to form a loose ring.
‘
Jack! John!
With me!’ he bellowed, and leaped forward.
The other two were with him, and although one guard realised Berenger’s plan and tried to get between them and the cardinal, he was already too late. While Berenger grasped one end of his
staff, John hammered at his face with his manacled wrists. The crunch of breaking bones could be heard over the rattle of the chain’s links, and the man fell with blood gushing from his nose
and brow. Berenger had the staff now, and he grabbed the cardinal’s wrist, pulling him away from the fire and hurrying back with him into the circle of archers. He looped his chain over the
man’s throat and tightened it.
‘Kill them!’ the cardinal gurgled, but Berenger pulled his chains taught.
‘If they come near, I’ll crack your neck like a capon’s,’ he growled. ‘Tell them!’
He could feel the man’s head move as he threw panicked glances about the room at his men, wondering if any were near enough to save him. Berenger clenched his muscles, pulling his forearm
across the cardinal’s flabby throat.
‘Stand back, you fools! Can’t you see he will kill me? Stand back!’ the cardinal squawked.
‘Archers? We’re leaving – now!’
Berenger and his men hurried from the room, the guards pushing and jabbing at them with their steel-shod staffs, while the cardinal screamed abuse at all and sundry. Clip went
over, and a guard kicked at him. Enraged, Clip grabbed his foot, twisted and shoved, and the man went down, Clip’s boot in his groin. The man squealed as his knee joint snapped. Another
lifted his staff to break Clip’s pate, but Dogbreath gave a sudden shriek of pure fury and sprang forward, grabbing the man’s biceps and headbutting him viciously. When another tried to
hit him, Jack dragged Dogbreath out of the way before the blow could strike, and then the archers formed a close wall, fists
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