The Seal by Adriana Koulias Page B

live then, lad?’ He spat a wad at
his feet. ‘The Holy Land is forsaken and the Order that has guarded it until
now is disordered . . . our world is disordered and soon to be dismantled.
There is no courage to be purchased from living a common life that knows no
lofty task!’
    ‘Keep silent!’
Marcus was irritated. ‘Such words speak disquiet to our very hearts!’ ‘Our
hearts, Commander, are disquieted more by the lack of words,’ Andrew gave back.
    There was a
sound then. The men made tense their muscles.
    The black lapped
against the beach and the breeze played at the edge of it.
    ‘Look there,
something comes,’ Andrew pointed, ‘oars in the water.’
    Marcus stood.
‘He does not signal.’
    ‘No,’ Etienne
followed him.
    ‘Well, what
then?’ Andrew pulled up his old bones to see.
    ‘What then?’
Etienne let the question escape from his lips. ‘We wait, ready for anything.’
    At the same
moment there was another sound, this came from the landed edges of the beach.
    Without a word
they unsheathed their blades. It came towards them, faster now. Two feet . . .
    ‘Hist!’ the
voice said in a whisper some way off. ‘Seneschal!’
    ‘Iterius! How
come you here?’ Marcus’s harsh voice made a sting in the night.
    The steps halted,
hesitant in the narrow light.
    ‘I am sent to
the seneschal,’ Iterius said, breathless, ‘as escort.’
    Etienne stared
hard and firm at the space where the man stood but the thin moon showed up
nothing of that face. ‘Who sends you?’
    ‘The captain of the guard and before him the marshal. He had orders from the Grand Master.’
    ‘The Grand
Master, you say?’ Marcus moved towards the shape.
    There was a moment
of hesitation. ‘Yes, lord.’
    ‘I have not
heard of such orders,’ Etienne said to him.
    ‘It was thought
that you might be light on men for your return.’
    ‘Go to the track
from which you came and keep watch. Turn no eye in our direction – we
shall not need you on the beach.’ Etienne turned from him and further argument,
but the man was insistent.
    ‘I can help when
the boat arrives . . .’
    But Marcus was
upon the man then. ‘The seneschal has said nothing about a boat, Egyptian! Now
. . . go!’
    The dark shadow
of the sergeant nodded, and turned towards the hill and the road.
    Marcus took
Etienne aside, before giving a rough whisper into his ear: ‘Listen Etienne,
such a man as Ayme together with that Egyptian . . . there is something in that
sergeant’s eye . . . I sense some form of devilry afoot. I would watch my back
on your return to Famagusta!’
    Etienne was in
agreement. ‘I am glad Jacques de Molay is moved to safety since the same had
struck me.’
    The other man
let out a breath of air rendered inaudible by the cry of a gull. He sucked
another in and said all in a rush, ‘Then again, perhaps Ayme is right to make
friends upon the island, Etienne . . . what do you think of it? Perhaps Ayme
believes the Grand Master is losing a wit? Since his appointment and even
before that at Acre the old man has been staring into distant places, places
that I do not see with these eyes!’ He made a spasm of movements. ‘More and
more he makes himself mysterious, and it is no wonder the men begin to think
him unravelling. I confess I do not know where he is taking us! Deceiving the
world and ourselves and at the same time reveal¬ing our plans to Ayme
d’Oselier, a man he suspects to be a traitor!’ Marcus persuaded Etienne
forward. ‘And now this business with Roger de Flor, whom I do not trust. After
all, this is the Order’s entire treasure I am taking with me, Etienne. You know
as well as I, it is all that is left in the east since Ruad. At the loss of it,
what would be left of the glory of the Temple? What would be left to us?’
    ‘I do not know,’
Etienne said, plain and short.
    Marcus nodded
his head, vindicated, and pressed on. ‘You see? Not you. Not you, nor I, and
that is why such a duty is likely to send me to the
edge