Yet another chapter.

Well, I've been busy, but not too busy to keep working on the sequel, tentatively titled Heir of Drachma. In this chapter we get a glimpse of the machinations of both the nefarious LeGace, but also Craycroft - and there appears to be someone else who may become important...


Chapter Twelve

The two men sat alone in the old house by the sea, which overlooked the bay. As they sat and drank their ale, the sun was setting, and the light coming in the room was orange, making the atmosphere warm. But you could hardly tell by their conversation, which, though animated, was hardly filled with warmth.

“And whom did you set forth to get the information which you wanted?” The older man virtually spat. “None other than this Gilbert fellow. Nothing but a self-serving scoundrel! Remember, I was here for many years, and got to know many of the persons employed in the service of the old earl. Nay, I would not trust him to carry out so much as a simple request… and yet you have granted him…”

“Enough! I have done what I have, and we shall see the consequences. But now we have another ally, and yet, as I see it, a potential threat as well. This count Gregorio, it would seem to me is someone whom we should be careful to watch, for I fear that he is led only by his own wrath. He seeks vengeance, and little more. I do know that you have spoken to him, and he is quite intent on getting back what he says was stolen from him. But he seems to me to be a most incautious sort.”

“Aye, he is that. And I, too, do not feel that he is someone to be trusted. But nonetheless, he could prove more than useful in the weeks and months to come.”

“Tell me then, when my we expect to be seeing this Italian count?”

“Any day now… it was but a month ago when I last corresponded with him, and he was then getting ready his departure.”

“And he shall be arriving at the new pier?”

“Aye…”

“And when do you suppose that I shall have chance to meet him? For, as you may imagine, he and I shall have much to discuss.”

Guarneri was slow to respond, so Antoine LeGace just drubbed his fingers in the arm of his chair, and swallowed the bitter bile, which he felt in his throat. He tried to downplay his irritation at the older man.

After a while, Guarneri did respond, picking his words with caution. “Now, Master LeGace, I have not told the count of my involvement with you, nor have I indicated any of your connections. I thought it better this way, for as you noted, he is a most irascible sort.”

LeGace could feel his anger rise, almost to the point of a curse, then his reason stopped him. He let out a sigh, and asked, “So, you can say that he knows nothing of me, nor does he know anything of our order?”

“Nay, he knows naught. At the very least, not from me.”

“And was he not curious about your sudden wealth, or influence?”

“Nay, he seemed to neither notice, nor to care…”

“Hmm, well then, perhaps we might just find use of him, beyond his wealth and power.”

“As I thought, Master Legace.”

“Perhaps, then, ‘twould be better if he were not to know of my own influence in your world.” LeGace was a bit taken aback by his comrade’s approach. “Well, then, Master Guarneri, you should do what you may to smooth the way for our count. But I must be kept informed – for there is much at stake in this venture. Let me ask one more thing. Do ye know if he has corresponded with the king about the matter? Surely ye must know why I ask…”

“Of that particular, I am uncertain. Though I did inform him that this was not the king’s business. Nevertheless, What he has said, and to whom… well, that much is purely conjecture at this time.”

LeGace drank the last of his ale, and put his flagon down with an emphatic thud. “Now, listen to me. Ye shall make it a point to discern, when ye see this count, to determine whom he has told, and who he considers to be among his own allies.”

“Oh, that I shall. Of that ye can be certain.”




Jeremy looked at Rowan, as they saw the two men stepping out from the small building. Each was huddled down, so as not to be seen in the waning light, which was rapidly disappearing from the mountains to the west. After they were sure it was safe, they came out from behind the sheltering rock, and next headed back toward the woods, all the while, keeping a close eye on their quarry.

“Now what d’ye think they been discussin’, Jeremy?” Rowan asked when he knew they were out of earshot. “For it seems to me that they’re comin’ out more cordial than they went in.”

“Plans… more plans, I suspect.” And then he thought of last evening, when they had watched Master Gilbert, and found out about the knives which he had obtained, and which he had taken over to that house at the western edge of the village. “Now, we but know only these things – that our man, LeGace, is definitely planning somethin’ wi’ this Master Guarneri. And we also know that Gilbert is involved, somehow wi’ all this. But no more yet.”

“It seems to me, though, that we were fortunate to run into your brother last night…”

“Oh, aye. We were, indeed, for that made it simpler to get word to Lord Craycroft of Gilbert’s doin’s. And we still have the bird wi’ us.”

“Now you don’t suppose that yer brother would…?”

“Ah, nay. Me brother’s to be trusted, and he’s not afeared of no one.”

They then watched as the two men rounded the turn, and headed toward the sea, where they got into a small boat, with an oarsman, and drifted off into the ever darkening night. They could see the little lantern in the boat as it headed north toward Dunnigan’s Isle.




“I have a most uneasy feeling, m’lord.” Kerlin looked directly at Craycroft, yet his gaze was the usual implacable one, which his liege had come to trust. “It is something whose origin I am unable to decipher. I know that we have done much, and there are so many threats and possibilities looming. And yet… I just feel it is something more, perhaps some avenue which we have overlooked.”

“Come, Kerlin, and take a seat.” Craycroft indicated the comfortable chair next to his own. “To tell you the truth, I sense it, too. Though I am as certain as I can be that we have done the right things, and have put the right persons into place; yet it does not seem to be enough. For we do not know where our great enemy hides, nor what his true motives be.

“It is as if we have begun a game of chess. He has played his opening move, and now we have countered. Yet we know not what he shall do, nor do we even know what quality of player he is. We but wait for his next move. But I shall tell you this – he knows not our power, nor our resolve. Neither does he understand that we have made several moves to his one.”

“But sire, I do know this man, and what he is capable of doing. I also know that he cares not one whit about anyone but himself, and is willing, nay, I say, eager to use others to achieve his ends.”

“Aye, and that would put us at a disadvantage – for, to us, all our pawns are most precious, but to him, his pawns, knights, rooks, and even his queen appear to be expendable.

“But now, let us review what we have done so far.” Craycroft took a small piece of paper, and he found his quill, and ink, and then he began to jot notes down as he spoke.

“Firstly, we have obtained the services of Jeremy and Rowan, and have sent them on a mission to find what they can of our enemy.”

He wrote down 1) Have sent Jeremy and Rowan as spies.

“Secondly, we have dispatched Master Robert, his lady, with his guardian, as well as the two strangers, along with other attendants and guards toward Drachma’s house.”

He wrote 2) Have sent Master Robert, his lady, his guardian, and others deemed important, toward your house – in some haste.

“And thirdly, we have sent young Tom in secret towards the unknown, and unknowable future. And he is our most powerful force.

And he wrote again 3) Have sent Tom toward the unknown future.

Next, Craycroft took the small paper, rolled it into a tiny cylinder, sealed the end, and dispatched it with one of his pages, to be taken to the pigeons, and to be sent to Drachma.

“And, Aye. I have misgivings, too. For the future is not in our hands. And, I suspect that the future from which our two persons have come, is one which will be significantly altered by their presence among us.”

Kerlin pondered what his liege had just said. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease in his heart. And so he got up, and walked over toward the window, which looked out over the darkening courtyard. There, across the great yard he could make out the familiar shapes of the rooflines, which covered the homes of those he had come to hold dear. There were the homes of Melchior and Jeanne. Next to their home was that of the apprentices, where Aaron, Eustace, Hermes and the other youths lived. And next to theirs was the home of Robert and the lady, Judy. He looked at their house with the shutters drawn. Then it struck him as odd. There shouldn’t be anyone in the home, and yet he could see the faint signs of a fire from within.

“M’lord,” he said, “there should not be anyone in the home of Master Robert. And yet I perceive a fire within.”

Craycroft quickly got up, and came over to the window, looked out and saw what Kerlin was noticing.

“Nay, I think not. Unless it be Clarice, or another of the servants.”

“I was thinking, m’lord, that I should like to investigate. For it seems odd to me. I shall take Aaron with me, and then he may report back to you.”

“Very well, Kerlin. Do that. I shall await your word.”



Kelin found Aaron outside Craycroft’s door, and the two of them hurried across the courtyard toward Robert’s house. When they arrived, they found the door bolted, but they could make out from the window that, indeed there was a fire going inside. They tried pounding on the door, but there was no answer. They then hurried around the back to the servants’ entrance. They found this door was open, so they rushed inside.

All was quiet. They looked about. The kitchen was undisturbed, as was the dining room and the parlor. Next they approached the drawing room, where the fireplace burned, but no one was around. Then a small sound came from the main bedroom. They rushed into the room with its large bed, and there, upon the floor was the unmistakable form of a woman. Beneath her was a large stain of blood.

Kerlin was immediately at her side, and turned her over. He could see it was Clarice, and she was still alive.

“Clarice, it is I, Kerlin. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Oh, thank God, it is ye…” She said with some effort. “It was some man… I know not who. I was cleaning up in the house, when I heard… some noises from Master Robert’s study. He was in there… looking fer somethin’… Well, he saw me… and I ran away, but you know, me back and all… He caught up wi’ me… and next thing, I feel this pain in me side, and… then I’m down.”

“That be all right, Clarice. We shall get help for ye. Now, Aaron, run and get help for Clarice, and tell Craycroft. I shall stay with this woman.

As Aaron ran, Kerlin stayed by Clarice’s side, and was able to determine that the intruder was likely the same man who had attacked the youth in the marketplace, and then disappeared into the throng. He stayed by her side, and very gently eased the strands of her hair from her face, which had matted in some of the blood, from her side. He could determine that she did not appear to be bleeding any more, and seemed in no great discomfort, at least while lying there on the floor. So, he determined that any further inquiries could wait.

Craycroft arrived, with Aaron and three others, and quickly took charge.

“Now, my good woman, you shall be cared for, at the Clinic. Now you two,” he gestured toward Aaron and his companions, “get this woman hence, and with the utmost care. I shall see to her care myself in but a few minutes’ time.”

The young men obeyed, and soon Clarice was on her way to the infirmary. The task of cleaning up the house was delegated to two others. And lastly, he turned his attention to Kerlin.

“Well, my good man, what can you tell me of this most sad tale?”

“I was most astounded, as you must have surmised,” began Kerlin. And then he went on to tell Craycroft of all he had been able to determine of his encounter with Clarice.

“Have you gone through Master Robert’s study? For there was something our intruder was after. And, I daresay, he was not to be put off from his search by the maid.”

“Nay, indeed.”

So Craycroft and Kerlin stepped into Bob’s office. There were papers scattered about as if blown by a fierce wind. His desk was overturned, and, by the light of their torches, they could see that the work of his years among them now lay in shambles.

“It would seem to me,” surmised Craycroft, “that our intruder was looking for something in particular…”

“And who is to know if he found what he sought.” Kerlin finished his thought for him. “Now, who would know?”

“It would seem that Melchior would be the one who would most likely know something, if anyone. Why do you not find Master Melchior, and go through this room with him? I shall see to Clarice’s well-being.”

“Very well, m’lord. I shall go anon!”