Dark Fire (48 page)

I
T WAS LATE MORNING
by the time we arrived home.

I opened the front door quietly, hoping we might get upstairs without Joan seeing our sorry condition, but paused at the sight of a note in Godfrey’s large round hand on the table. I broke
the seal.

‘Bealknap’s back!’ I said. ‘He’s in his chambers. Thank God, I feared he might be—’ I did not finish the sentence.

‘Let’s get a message to Leman then,’ Barak said, ‘and go to Lincoln’s Inn.’

Just then Joan appeared from the kitchen, alerted by our voices. Her eyes widened at the state we were in.

‘Sir, what’s happened now?’ There was a slight quaver in her voice. ‘When you didn’t come back last night I was worried.’

‘There’s been a bad fire over at Queenhithe,’ I said gently. ‘We were caught up in it, but we’re all right. I’m sorry, Joan, there have been many turmoils
this week.’

‘You look worn out, sir. What happened to your hair, Master Barak?’

‘It got singed. I look monstrous, hey?’ He gave her his most charming smile. ‘What I need is someone to cut the other side, so I don’t frighten the children.’

‘I could have a try.’

‘You are a pearl among women, Mistress Woode.’

While Joan fetched some scissors and took Barak up to his room, I scribbled a note to Leman and gave it to a wide-eyed Simon to take to Cheapside. Then I went up. I shut my bedroom door and
leaned on it wearily. Guy’s words about the nature of my mission returned to me. I had been too tired, too frightened for myself and the others involved, to think much further than uncovering
the conspirators. But what if I were to succeed? What if the time came when the Greek Fire formula was in
my
hands? What would I do then? I remembered poor Bathsheba’s words. A plot
against
Lord Cromwell. Just what had Michael and his brother planned that had been interrupted by their deaths? I shook my head. For now there was nothing to do but go on, beard Bealknap in
his den now I had the chance. It was the fifth of June, I realized, only five days left.

A
T
L
INCOLN
’
S
I
NN
I left Barak and Leman in my rooms, then crossed the
courtyard to Marchamount’s chambers to enquire after him. Distasteful though the prospect was, I had to talk to him about Lady Honor once I had seen Bealknap. His clerk, though, said he was
out at Hertford, appearing in a case before the circuit judge, and would not be back until the morrow. I cursed inwardly. At least on my mission for Cromwell three years before I had had all the
parties secure in a monastery enclosure. I told the clerk I would return on the morrow also, and went back to where Leman and Barak waited, watching Skelly laboriously copying out the application
for the Chancery writ for Bealknap’s case. Leman, who seemed more confident today, asked if Bealknap was in his rooms.

‘So the message said. I shall just check with my colleague,’ I replied.

Leman smiled, a grim smile that anticipated revenge.

I knocked at Godfrey’s door and went in. He was standing looking from the window, a troubled expression on his thin face. He gave me a watery smile.

‘Come to see Brother Bealknap, Matthew? I saw him go to his chambers earlier.’

‘Good. Are you all right, Godfrey?’

He fingered the hem of his robe. ‘I have had a letter from the secretary. It seems the Duke of Norfolk is not satisfied with my fine. He wants a public apology in hall.’

I sighed. ‘Well, Godfrey, you did break all the rules of courtesy—’

‘You know it is not about that!’ he snapped out, his eyes flashing. ‘However it is worded, it will be taken as an apology for my religious beliefs.’

‘Godfrey,’ I said seriously, ‘for Jesu’s sake, make your apology and live to fight another day. If you refuse you’ll be debarred, and a marked man.’

‘Perhaps it would be worth it,’ he said quietly. ‘It could become a legal cause célèbre, like the Hunne case.’

‘Hunne was murdered for defying the Church by thugs employed by the papists.’

‘It was a noble way to die.’ A strange smile played round the corners of Godfrey’s mouth. ‘Is there any better way?’

I shuddered involuntarily. There it was again, that strange urge some had to be martyred, to exult in the righteousness of their suffering. I stared at him. He gave a little laugh.

‘That’s a strange look, Matthew.’

On the spur of the moment, I said, ‘Godfrey, may I put a case to you?’

‘Of course.’

‘What if that God gave you a miraculous power, a thunderbolt that could fell all your enemies at once, whole armies. All you needed to do was raise your hand.’

He laughed. ‘That is a far-fetched case, Matthew. There have been no such miracles since Our Lord’s time on earth.’

‘But just say you were given such a gift.’

He shook his head piously. ‘I would not be worthy.’

‘But say you had it,’ I persisted. ‘Something that, if used, would inevitably kill thousands, many of them innocent. Would you use it?’

‘Yes, I would. I would place it at the service of King Henry to confound his enemies at home and abroad. Does not the Old Testament tell us that often many must die if God’s cause is
to be served? Remember Sodom and Gomorrah.’

‘They were destroyed in fire and thunder.’ I closed my eyes a moment, then looked at him. ‘You won’t apologize, will you?’

He smiled gently, that fierce holy light in his eyes again. ‘No, Matthew, I will not.’

W
E MOUNTED THE NARROW
stairs to Bealknap’s rooms. The padlock had been taken away. I gave a peremptory knock on the door. Bealknap himself opened
it. He had left off his robe and his doublet too in the hot weather, and was wearing only his white linen shirt. Coarse yellow hairs protruded above the collar. With his lawyer’s regalia off,
he looked more like the rogue he was.

‘Brother,’ I said, ‘I have been trying to find you. Where have you been?’

He frowned. ‘On business.’ He eyed Barak’s shorn head in surprise. ‘Who’s this?’ Then he caught sight of Leman and his eyes widened. The stallholder gave him
an evil grin. Bealknap tried to slam the door in our faces, but Barak was too quick for him, jamming his foot in the door and putting his shoulder to it. Bealknap staggered back, while Barak winced
and rubbed his arm. ‘God’s death, I’d forgotten the burn.’

We stepped in. Bealknap’s chamber was as untidy as ever, the chest prominent in its corner. The door to his living quarters was open. Bealknap stood in the middle of the room, his face red
with outrage.

‘How dare you!’ he shouted. ‘How dare you burst in here?’ He pointed a long finger at Leman. ‘Why have you brought that rogue, Shardlake? He has a grudge against
me, he will tell any lies—’

Barak spoke up. ‘You won’t remember me, master, I was just a boy, but my stepfather used to be one of your witnesses in the bishop’s court. Edward Stevens. Strange people,
witnesses. Sometimes they’ll appear out of the blue and swear to the honesty of a man they couldn’t possibly have met.’

In all the time I had known this pestilential lawyer I had never seen him lose his composure, but now he stood with clenched fists, taking deep breaths. ‘This is all lies,’ he
blustered angrily. ‘I don’t know what game you’re playing, Shardlake—’

‘No game.’

Bealknap’s lips parted, showing long yellow teeth. ‘If you’re trying to pressure me into giving way on my properties, it won’t work. I’ll have you
disbarred.’

‘It’s not that,’ I said contemptuously.

‘Your clutch-fistedness has caught up with you, Master Bealknap,’ Leman said with pleasure. ‘Only a tiny piece of gold from yonder chest to pay me what you owed would have
saved you this.’

‘Master Leman has prepared a statement,’ I said. I took a copy from my robe and held it out to Bealknap. He clutched it and read, frowning. Yet as I watched him I sensed that
something was wrong. He should have been terrified, facing the ruin of his career, yet he seemed only enraged. He lowered the statement.

‘Hunting down a brother barrister,’ he said in a savage whisper, ‘getting Cheapside stallholders to swear false statements – what is this about? What do you
want?’

‘You remember I have a commission from Lord Cromwell?’

‘I told you all I knew about that matter. Which was next to nothing.’ He waved a hand angrily. If he was lying he did it well.

‘I want to know the nature of your connection with Sir Richard Rich, Bealknap.’

‘That is none of your damned business,’ he said stoutly. ‘Yes, I have a commission from Sir Richard, I work for him. It is his business I have been on these last few
days.’ He raised a hand. ‘And I will not be questioned about that. God’s death, I’ll go to Sir Richard now, I’ll tell him of your pestering—’

‘Brother Bealknap, if you do not answer my questions, I shall go to Lord Cromwell.’

‘Then he can speak to Sir Richard.’ Bealknap nodded grimly. ‘There, you did not expect that, did you?’ He reached for his robe. ‘I shall go to him now. You are out
of your depth, sir; you have been dabbling in matters that are beyond you.’ He laughed in my face. ‘Have you not realized that yet? Now, out of my chambers.’ He threw open the
door. Barak clenched his fists.

‘Lord Cromwell can have you on the rack, you great bony arsehole.’

Bealknap laughed. ‘I think not, though he might make your arses smart after my master and he have spoken. Now leave!’ He waved at the door.

There was nothing left but to go. As soon as we were outside, the door was slammed in our faces.

We stood on the landing. Barak gave me a puzzled look. ‘I thought he’d be terrified.’

‘So did I.’

‘Lord Cromwell, Richard Rich.’ Leman gave me a sidelong look. ‘I don’t want any more to do with this, sir, I’m going back to my stall.’ And with that he
turned and hastened downstairs, without even asking for the rest of the money I had promised him.

Barak and I were left looking at each other. ‘Well, that went well,’ Barak said sarcastically.

‘What can Rich have to say to Cromwell that will turn his anger on to us?’ I shook my head. ‘Cromwell is the chief secretary, Rich is a big fish but nowhere near that
big.’

‘And what does he know about Greek Fire?’ Barak took a deep breath. ‘I’m going to have to get word to the earl about this.’ He began descending the stairs.

I followed him. ‘Do you know where Cromwell is today?’

‘Whitehall again. I’ll ride there now. You go home and rest. You look like you need it. Do nothing till I return.’

I wondered if he and Cromwell might have things to say he did not want me to hear. But if he did, there was nothing I could do about that.

I
T WAS MORE THAN
two hours before Barak returned. I waited for him in my parlour, looking out over the garden as the
afternoon shadows began to lengthen. I was still exhausted after my terrifying experience of the night before, but though my eyes smarted with tiredness I could not rest. Thoughts chased each other
round my head. What had Bealknap meant? What was it I should have realized? And what was I to do if my planned trip to St Bartholomew’s proved successful and we actually found some traces of
Greek Fire? My conversation with Guy nagged at me; I could not keep the broader implications of what I was doing from my mind. It would be better, surely, if nobody had Greek Fire. But Toky’s
master, whoever that was, had it already.

At length, tired of prowling round the room, I decided to go to the stables. As I stepped outside, I winced at the heat – it was hotter than ever – and became conscious that
everything ached, my burned arm, my back, my eyes, my head.

Barak had collected Sukey, but Genesis stood quietly in his stall. He gave a whicker of recognition when he saw me. Young Simon was mucking out the stables.

‘How is Genesis settling in?’ I asked.

‘Well enough, sir, he’s a good horse. Though I miss old Chancery.’

‘So do I. Genesis seems a placid beast.’

‘He wasn’t at first, sir. He was anxious in his stall, couldn’t settle. I feared he might kick me.’

‘Really?’ I was surprised. ‘He was no trouble to ride.’