The de Vere Deception (David Thorne Mysteries Book 1) (12 page)

Not waiting for the conversations to subside, he began, “Gentlemen—and ladies,” he said, recognizing two of the women in the room. “This is the first time we have all been together and Mr. Gilbert Bada and I want to welcome you to this historic project.

“Mr. Bada, as you know, is the President of Bada Corporation, Ltd., well-known in Stratford as a supporter and donor to the community, and the principal behind the renovations and additions to Kilshire castle.”

Rainier motioned in the direction of Thorne sitting on Bada’s immediate right. “Mr. Bada has also brought another asset into the project in the person of Mr. David Thorne, from the United States. Mr. Thorne is a good friend of Mr. Bada’s, and is an architect in his own right and plans to document the process of our work.

“Now I’m only the architect on the project, but I feel it important I also assume the traditional role of Master Builder for the entire project. He tilted his head to his left and smiled benignly at Frank “Bunny” Bunston, the pudgy, red-faced general contractor, and said, “In all humility, I’m sure Mr. Richard Llewellyn, the original Master Builder of the castle, would have wanted me to now assume that role and pick up the baton.”

Thorne cringed.

The sleepy-eyed Bunston smiled pleasantly at Rainier’s declaration. He nodded in agreement, showing he was on board with Rainier’s new-found responsibility.

            Rainier continued. ”You might find this meeting premature in light of the fact we have not yet received approval from the Town Council for a building permit to proceed.” He motioned to a portly white-haired man sitting next to Bunston. “However, our legal counsel, Mr. Jonathan Devane, assures us the approval at tomorrow night’s Town Council meeting will prove to be merely ceremonial.” The stern-faced Devane was stoic and stared straight ahead.

Almost as an afterthought he motioned to Blackstone sitting to his immediate right. “One of the principals you’ll see around the job site frequently is Mr. Simon Blackstone. As a previous owner of a successful building contracting firm in South Africa, Mr. Blackstone has an extensive background in construction, and we will gratefully seek out his council from time to time. I have worked with Mr. Blackstone in the past and have been impressed with his abilities.”

Unlike Thorne, who had accepted Rainier’s request for input as perfunctory, Blackstone gave no doubt as to his intention to provide his opinion. He arose, and looked around the room. “Thank you, Mr. Rainier. I want to take this opportunity to assure all of you of our desire to make this a successful project.” His face hardened slightly as he turned to Rainier. In measured tones he added, “. . . and furthermore, I want to assure Mr. Rainier—” He motioned in the direction of the general contractor—“and Mr. Bunston, that I will be working closely with both of them.”

            Thorne thought he may have hit the word closely a little harder than the others.

            Bunston was caught off-guard to the mention of his name and looked up from his examination of a small bug crawling across the floor. He smiled pleasantly, the acquiescent smile of one with position, but without authority. He nodded at Blackstone and Rainier, all the while keeping the happy frozen smile on his pudgy face.

            Blackstone sat and Rainier resumed control. “Now, I’d like to introduce our project and construction manager, Mr. Gerald McInnis who will describe the process of demolition and construction. All inquiries to me or the other principals will go through him.”

Bada, Freddie, Blackstone, Devane, and Thorne arose and followed Rainier out of the room as the proceedings continued.

The six men convened to Rainier’s private office at the end of the hall. A large photograph of Rainier with the Queen of England and other prominent heads of State occupied a prominent position on the wall behind Rainier’s desk.

Rainier shook hands with Thorne before seating himself behind the desk and said, ”I’ve looked forward to meeting you, Mr. Thorne. As I said, I’m sure your input will be most helpful.”

Thorne again recognized the classic diplomatic invitation for architectural input to be just that—an invitation—not necessarily carrying with it any necessity to implement any advice or suggestions.

“Thank you, Mr. Rainier.”

            Rainier continued. “Mr. Bada, I think this is an appropriate time to discuss the strategy and procedures we plan to employ at the Town Council meeting tomorrow night. It’s my understanding from my private conversations with Mayor Dell that he supports the project.”

The architect leaned slightly forward and cocked his head, a movement peculiar to him when he wanted confirmation. “I’m sure he has also told you the same thing in your meetings with him.”

            Bada nodded in agreement. “Yes, he has. Of course, we’ll have to contend with Roger Linsdame and his minions in spite of the support of the majority of the Council. Linsdame’s forces will be there in numbers. They’ll be outside with signs as well as in attendance inside the hall. Linsdame is aware he doesn’t have the votes, but he’ll still mount a vigorous demonstration. I’ve had dealings with him before and have tried to develop a relationship, but to no avail. He’s a stubborn, vindictive man.”

            Rainier said. “I understand Mr. Forestal, the town’s architect—who I understand, is also opposed to the project—will make the graphic presentation of the final Architectural Scheme. Mr. Devane will put forth the formal request to the Council for approval. Correct?”          

“That’s correct,” Bada said. “After the vote, I’ll make a few remarks to the Council and the audience. I’ll thank them for their support and reiterate the Bada family’s and the Bada Corporation’s continued support for Stratford’s building programs.

            Rainier said. “We’ll start demolition the next day on portions of the north wall and other earthwork. Mr. Blackstone and I have agreed we will proceed with the demolition with care—“ He and Blackstone exchanged fleeting glances—“so as not to disturb—certain valuable features of the structure.”

            Bada said, “That seems like a reasonable approach. We trust Simon to use his own judgment.”

            Rainier arose, signaling the meeting was over. “Good.” He said haltingly, “Mr. Blackstone, could you remain for a few moments. There are a few matters you and I should discuss.”

            Blackstone nodded. “Of course.”

Bada thanked Rainier for his efforts, and Freddie, Devane, and Thorne followed him out into the main courtyard. Once outside, Devane went immediately to his car, and Bada and Freddie said their goodbyes and left for business elsewhere, leaving Thorne alone in the courtyard.

Chapter 23

Thorne had reviewed the plans of the castle at length, including the Keep, built for the exclusive use of Queen Elizabeth, and now he surveyed the courtyard before beginning his inspection of the interior of the castle.

            When he entered the main gate at the outer wall of the property that morning, he noted the three large round Barbicans—large stone towers well away from the castle. Their purpose was to catch troops in a crossfire as they were attacking the castle. The barbican defense system was bolstered by a wide; ten-foot deep, water-filled moat encircling the castle.

            The diary of Richard Llewellyn, the Master Builder, described in depth the materials and methods he used in the design and construction of the structure. Kilshire was a castle of the Elizabethan age, and had many refinements—mostly expensive iron-fabricated mechanisms—not seen in medieval castles. Llewellyn was also partial to hammered brass and used it extensively for decorative elements throughout the castle. The stone used for the fifteen-feet thick walls of the castle, was a hard yellow oolitic limestone, from quarries in the Cotswolds. It was the same stone used in St. Paul’s Cathedral and the buildings at Bath, and was much more expensive than stone used in castles being built at that time.

            The queen’s Keep, the safest part of the castle, rose above the rest of the structure. If attackers could have defeated her guards, housed on the ground floor, and gained entry to the ground floor of the Keep, they would have to negotiate at least five, heavy iron-plated doors four-to-five inches thick before reaching the long stairway that led to the Keep. When unlocked the massive counter-balanced doors could be easily pushed or pulled open by the slightest of women.

            The trunnions—or cylindrical pivot rods—were supposedly made of iron and set in sleeves of self-lubricating Lignum Vitae, the hardest wood on earth. Steel was virtually unknown in England at the time, but, it was rumored the rods were made of Wootz Damascus steel, an ancient and mysterious type of steel from the Middle East.

            The queen’s Keep was the most important place in the castle, so it was necessary to locate a self-contained portion of the Keep to be used as a throne room. Moldar insisted the Keep reflect the ambience of royalty associated with Her Majesty. A throne—a grand throne—and table for her ministers would serve this purpose.

            In the center of the large space at ground level, and below the queen’s keep, a large circular granite-topped table, twelve feet across, was set on a framework of heavy oak timbers. The enormous grey diorite granite slab was taken from the Dartmoor quarries near Plymouth in Cornwall, three hundred miles to the southwest, and  required six months of arduous travel to transport it to Stratford.

            The edge of the granite-topped table would have been originally trimmed in a pure gold band with an incised running ER monogram Thorne had seen on the stone plaques throughout the castle. Below the ER would have been the deeply carved Royal Seal with the SEMPER EADEM label. At the head of the table, a jewel-encrusted gold throne would have rested on a raised podium. Linings and cushions of purple velvet would have provided maximum comfort for the queen

            The queen’s quarters occupied the two floors at the top of the Keep. Her bed chambers were on the top floor, and the floor below was reserved for dining and bedrooms for her ladies in waiting and additional guards.

            The floor, as well as the roof of the Queen’s chamber, was constructed of two-inch thick iron plate sandwiched between two layers of six inch thick oak planking to prevent intrusion by fire.

            A large opening was centered in the oak floors where an exposed wooden lift on four heavy chains could normally take the Queen up and down from her chambers to the ground floor below. The lift was centered over, and terminated on, the large granite-top table on the ground floor of the Keep. The lift was presently being used to transport stone and timbers during the renovations. There was too much for Thorne to remember and he went back to the courtyard for a break to make more complete notes and sketches.

            As he sat on a wooden bench in the central courtyard—the Inner Ward of the castle—his interest went to the enormous main entry doors to the castle. They appeared to be the only doors he had seen that were not made of iron.

            On either side of the massive doors were walls that reached to the tops of the twelve-foot high doors. On the left wall was a six feet tall and four feet wide bronze relief panel of a seascape showing a ship with wind-gorged sails rising above majestic waves. On the opposite side was a panel the same size as the one on the opposite wall. This bronze panel was incised with short sentimental poems extolling the virtues and beauty of the sea

            The double doors, each at least twelve feet tall and five feet wide, were made of a six-inch thick planking of an exotic West Indies hardwood. The large doors were surprisingly easy to open as the same counter-balancing with pivot pins was the same used in the other doors.

At eye level, on each door, was the prominent ER monogram and Royal Seal. There was no doubt about it, in Moldar’s mind; this
was
Queen Elizabeth’s castle

            The doors opened into a wide foyer. On the opposite wall were two more doors that opened into the Great Hall. Again, the Royal Seal and ER was on each door.

            Branching off in either direction were long, ten foot wide barrel-arched corridors. The corridor to the right led to the queen’s Keep. To the left, the corridor led to a smaller Keep that housed Moldar’s family, the staff’s quarters, the chapel, guest quarters, and administrative offices. Multiple stairways led to the upper floors of the castle that were used for storage, staff and soldiers quarters. Additional kitchens were located on each floor for the use of the staff and guards. Thorne estimated the top three floors, exclusive of the Keeps, could house two thousand troops and staff. In many ways, the castle appeared to be more of a garrison and a fortress than a residence.

                        Moldar had built the castle for the comfort and protection of his queen. He was obsessed, and had spent a fortune to create a castle and fortress unlike any other in England. Thorne suspected if Queen Elizabeth had felt England was under attack by superior forces, she might well abandon her distaste of Moldar for the protection offered by the impregnable Kilshire Castle.

Chapter 24

The final meeting by the Town Council to vote on the castle project was held at the Town Hall the following night. A light mist was falling as Thorne, Bada, and Freddie pushed their way through the unruly crowd, and up the steps to the double doors at the entrance to the building.

            The noisy crowd outside Town Hall filled the Square. They pressed forward, carrying signs that showed their disapproval.

SHAKESPEARE

WAS

SHAKESPEARE

de FEAT

de CEITFUL

de VERE

de FENDERS

SAVE SHAKESPEARE

SAVE STRATFORD

KEEP SHAKESPEARE

IN STRATFORD

A loud voice in the crowd yelled, “There they are! There they are!”