Widow of Jerusalem: A Medieval Mystery (18 page)

“Thank God for that,” I said. “Let’s sing them some peaceful German songs Friday.”

“I didn’t know there were any,” said Perrio.

A
s the sun
began to set, I guided my young charge to the tavern where I had first met Scarlet. The same barkeep was there, sporting the same beard, only longer and dirtier. I called for a pitcher and three cups, and we commandeered a table in the corner.

We were watching the door intently. When it opened to reveal a pair of eyes flickering about halfway up the door frame, Perrio whistled a quick tune between his teeth. Scarlet came over to us, blinking to adjust to the dim light. I leaned forward so that my face was illumined by the candle, and his face lit up.

“Stultorum numerus,”
he said, holding out his hand.

“Infinitus est,”
I returned, taking it, and he jumped into my arms.

“By the First Fool, Our Savior,” he said, laughing. “I never thought that I would see you again. Welcome back, Theo. Or is it still Droignon?”

“In Outremer, it’s Droignon,” I said. “Good to see you, my friend. I owe you a drink. Have one.”

He pulled up a stool and allowed me to fill his cup.

“To the Guild,” he said.

“To the Guild,” we chorused, and we drank.

“I’m Scarlet,” he said to Perrio.

“I know that quite well,” said Perrio, smiling at him.

Scarlet squinted at him, then his mouth fell open.

“Is that Peter?” he exclaimed. “Stand up and let me greet you properly, boy.”

Perrio stood and embraced his teacher, then Scarlet stepped back and looked him up and down.

“”fou look like a fool,” the dwarf said critically, and Perrio looked as if he would burst with pride.

“He’s called Perrio now,” I said. “He’s a full-fledged jester, and Father Gerald has sent him to join you.”

“This is an evening of wonders,” said Scarlet, his eyes tearing. He pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose loudly, laughing to cover his emotions. “Well, Perrio, tell me about all my children.”

Perrio rattled on for an hour, with Scarlet interspersing questions, exclamations and occasional snorts of laughter. Then he turned to me.

“Will you be staying, or are you merely my new assistant’s escort?” he asked.

“I am also bringing word from the Guild,” I said. “There’s a Pisan fleet on its way, maybe a few days behind us. We left before they did, but we came overland through Cyprus.”

“Damn,” he sighed. “Just when I thought we had reined in the Germans.”

“What’s been going on with them?”

“They went pounding off on their own without so much as a by-your-leave to Henry, then came scampering back when the Saracens retaliated. Now, Al-Adil’s up in arms and on the march toward Jaffa.”

“Will he negotiate?”

“Probably,” said Scarlet. “Balian’s counseling diplomacy, but the Falconbergs want battle. Fortunately, Henry tends to side with the smarter man whenever there’s any disagreement, and that’s always Balian.”

“The Falconbergs are still around?”

“The same three. Otto’s still up north, but the others are deeply involved with Henry.”

“Interesting,” I said.

“Why so?”

“We met up with an old friend on our way here.”

I told him of our encounter with the dancer. By the time I was done, his merry demeanor had vanished.

“That makes sense, somehow,” he said pensively. “Mary’s sister went to Tiberias. That’s where the Falconbergs came from. A pretty maid like that would not have escaped their notice, and who knows what secrets she could have heard coming out those drunken mouths?”

“Unless Leo was connected with the Cult of the Assassins,” I said. “Conrad’s death could still have had its roots with the Old Man of the Mountain.”

“No,” he said.

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I’ve been there,” he said.

We looked at him, dumbfounded, and he laughed.

“No, it was not nearly as daring as you think,” he said. “We were invited.”

“The Assassins must be getting lazy,” I said. “Used to be, they would come looking for you. Now you have to go there to be killed?”

“New regime,” he said. “Sinan died in “93. Since Conrad was already dead, there was no one who really wanted to continue the quarrel. The next spring, Henry was traveling north to settle the latest dispute between Antioch and Armenia. I was with him, of course.”

“I have a feeling his intervention was your idea,” I said.

He shrugged. “He generally pays no attention to me,” he said. “He lets me blab away when I’m getting his wardrobe together in the morning. Maybe some of it sinks in, I don’t know. Anyhow, he traveled north, along with his escort and retinue, including me with the servants. Just after we left Jabala, an embassy came down from the Nosairi mountains carrying the Assassins” colors. We were, to put it mildly, apprehensive, but they greeted us with all civility and decorum and invited us to dine.”

“And Henry actually accepted?”

“He thought it was worth the risk to restore good relations with the Assassins. So we followed the embassy into the mountains to al-Kahf, and my God, what an amazing place! Someone must have said, “What would be the most completely inaccessible place in the world?” and then found al-Kahf and stuck a castle on top of it. We thought Tyre was impregnable—you can’t even get an army near al-Kahf. There’s no place where they can set up for battle. We passed through a tunnel in the rock, approached the castle single file, and at the last second a drawbridge was lowered over a ravine. The master, Abu Mansur bin Muhammad, stood alone inside the entry, welcomed us, and personally escorted Henry to dinner.”

“Did Henry have a food taster along with him?”

“That also was me,” said Scarlet. “And this was one of the times that I truly appreciated the job. It was one of the most lavish feasts I have ever eaten, and all I did was taste each course as it was brought in. Dancing girls, music, knife-throwing, all manner of entertainment. But then came the grand finale. Abu Mansur pointed to one of his men, who stepped forward and knelt before him. The master then pointed to the window, and the fellow promptly goes up to it and jumps out.”

“My goodness!” I exclaimed.

“Now, I mentioned the layout here. We dashed over and looked out the window, but all we saw was a ravine so deep that we couldn’t even see the body.

“Henry sat down, looking quite pale. Then what do you think happens? The lord points to another man, and out the window he goes!”

“What?”

“Now, this is carrying the point too far. Henry begs that this portion of the entertainment cease. Abu Mansur says, “A small demonstration of the devotion and obedience of my people. I offer this loyalty to you, my neighbor. As a token of my love, should you ever have need to end the life of one who troubles you, never fail to call upon us.” Henry thanked him, and dessert was passed around.

“When the dinner was over and everyone had repaired to their rooms, I went down to the kitchen, which was on a floor below the room in which we dined. I wanted to get what I needed to serve Henry breakfast before we left. There were several of the Cult there, indulging in a late meal after waiting upon the dinner guests, and they greeted me cordially, especially when they found that I spoke their language. I dropped a joke or two, and soon had them laughing. Well, it was a long time since I had an audience, so I indulged myself. Right in the middle of the story, I looked at one of them and stopped.

“

“You’re the man who jumped out the window!” I said. He looked at me and shook his head. Then I spotted the second recent suicide slinking to the rear of the group. I started laughing. “That was marvelous,” I said. “How on earth did you manage it?”

“They started laughing as well, and they showed me the setup. There was a pair of poles that were shoved out of the window below the one the men jumped through, and ropes tied between them. All they had to do was catch on, then swing through the kitchen window and pull the poles in before anyone looked.”

“One hell of a trick,” I said. “If they miss, it’s a long way down.”

“Absolutely,” he agreed. “But they don’t miss. It’s something one of us could do if we were stupid enough to try it. So, anyhow, they asked me to keep it a secret from Henry, since we were all such good friends now. I said, “I will do this, if you will answer me one question.”

“What is it?” said a large man who seemed to be in charge. “What connection did the Assassins have with Conrad’s death?” I asked.

“Well, they weren’t expecting anything like that. They looked at me as if I was mad. The leader leaned forward and said, “We could have killed you for discovering the trick we played at dinner. For information like this, a man would certainly have to die.”

“

“I am sure of it,” I replied. “But as your guest, I would hope that you would keep to your tradition of hospitality. In any case, this is for my own personal curiosity, not for any other use. I have no influence over matters concerning Henry.”

“

“If you were a man, I might challenge you for it,” said the leader. “But since you are only a dwarf…”

“

“Only a dwarf?” I said. “Well, this little man hereby challenges you to a little wrestling match. If I win, you give me an answer. If you win, you may name your price.”

“

“Ridiculous,” he scoffed. “An Assassin wrestle with half a man?”

“

“If you are afraid of me, then withdraw,” I said.

“They all laughed. “The imp has courage, if not wisdom,” my opponent said. “Very well. Two falls out of three.” The other men cleared a circle in the kitchen, and the two of us stepped into it and saluted each other. He stepped toward me, reaching for my head. I feinted to the left, ducked under his clutches, and swept his feet out from under him. He landed rump first on the stone floor as the other men laughed and jeered.

“He sat and laughed along with them. “I have underestimated you, my little friend,” he said as he regained his feet, “fou have tricks of your own, and my balance was wrong. I see that fighting a small man requires a different approach.” He suddenly crouched and came swiftly at me. I tried to sidestep him but found myself flung hard to the stones. I rolled to ease the impact, then stood up.

“

“And now we are even,” I said, bowing to him. He bowed back. We commenced circling each other as the men in the room started cheering both of us. He feinted several times, but I refused to take the bait. Then he straightened and beckoned me to him.

“

“Come, if you are truly a man, and attack me,” he said. “I weary of chasing you.”

“

“If you insist,” I said. I walked up to him, then suddenly accelerated, crashing into his legs. I didn’t budge him an inch.

“

“A poor choice, my friend,” he said, reaching down to me. “You lack the weight.”

“

“For what I am doing, little weight is needed,” I said, and then he became aware of the precariousness of his situation. I had wrapped my arms around his legs just below his knees when I hit him, locking my hands together in the tightest grip I could manage. I braced my feet and leaned into his body. His knees bent under the pressure, and he toppled backward, his arms flailing.”

“I remember you teaching us that trick,” said Perrio.

“The rest of the Assassins cheered and clapped. I was worried that I might have pushed his dignity too far, but he started roaring with laughter as he lay there, me still holding onto his legs, “fibu’rc no ordinary dwarf,” he said, holding out his hand. I shook it, and helped him up. “A wager is a wager,” he said. “And you have risked much for nothing, my friend. The Assassins had nothing to do with Conrad’s death. We were not unhappy to see it happen. We owed him a hundred deaths for the loss of our ships and men, but such are the vicissitudes of Fate. The two men we sent were intercepted by two of yours and cut down, curse them for their incompetence. We did mete out punishment to that wretched pirate who seized the ships, but Conrad’s death, ordained though it may have been by Allah, was not of our doing. I swear this by all that is holy.”

“

“And you accepted that?” I said.

“Oddly enough, yes,” he replied. “You and I never thought it was really the Assassins behind it, and I sensed honor guiding my kitchen combatant. Call it mutual respect between warriors.”

“Which brings us back to Leo, Balthazar, and the Falconbergs,” I said.

“Yes,” he agreed. “And that is disturbing, because that means the man behind the murder of the claimant to the throne of Jerusalem may still be within striking distance of the current occupant.”

I
awoke
to the soft strummings of a guitar, and there was Scarlet perched in the window. For a moment, I thought I was back in his rooftop cottage in Tyre, but then I saw the Kings livery on his tiny body and Perrio stretching at the other side of the room.

“Good morning, Fool,” said Scarlet. “I have been sent to fetch you for the noon entertainment. I told Isabelle of your arrival, and her daughters of your performance. All were delighted, although I’m not sure how much the baby understands.”

“That’s the official statement,” I said. “What’s the truth?”

“Henry was most displeased,” he said. “But that letter from Amaury made it impolitic for him to refuse. He’s putting the best face on it by inviting all the children of the court to the performance so that all may praise his generosity.”

“My favorite audience,” I said. “I don’t suppose his largesse extended to the servants” children.”

“His didn’t, but Isabelle’s did,” he replied.

“Three cheers for the Queen,” I said. “How does the lady?”

“She’s had three children in five years,” he said. “She’s tired.”

“But still beautiful, of course.”

“Of course,” he replied.

“And Henry—is he beautiful as well? Or tired?”

“Not tired enough,” he said, scowling. “It’s funny. Conrad, for all his faults, and I could list them until the sun went down, knew how to run a kingdom and keep his subjects happy. Henry, on the other hand, this paragon of Christian virtue, has become a petty tyrant. He spends half of his time banning one sinful activity after another, and the other half reminding people that he’s in charge. When people criticize or disagree, he throws them into prison. He even did that to the local bishops when they elected a new patriarch without consulting him. He’ll have a servant whipped at the drop of a goblet, and at the end of the day, he’ll throw himself at the Queen as if he’s never had a woman before and fears that he may never have one again.”

“I take it you’ve dropped your share of goblets,” I said gently.

“My sins have been more verbal in nature,” he said. “But I’ve paid for them just the same. Well, not the right mood for a performance. Start smiling boys, we’re off.”

It was odd walking back into the castellum, remembering our burglary of years before. The building hadn’t changed much, but it was no longer a wartime fortress. A set of marble steps had been added to the front of the building on which a number of petitioners sat, fanning themselves in the sun. Children scampered about until their mothers herded them into the great hall.

“By the way,” muttered Scarlet as he left to announce our arrival. “I mentioned the Pisan fleet to Henry. He’ll probably ask you a few questions about it.”

“Fine,” I said. He vanished through the entryway, and Perrio and I waited patiently until a servant stuck his head out and beckoned to us.

The hall had changed in appearance since I last played here. The gaudy silk hangings from the Crusaders” revels had been replaced by more austere but regal decorations—mounted shields, crossed spears, and religious icons wherever one looked. Where once I had seen Richard the Lionhearted dance a drunken warrior’s caper, I now saw Henry seated, stone-faced, on an ornate throne, William Falconberg chatting quietly with him. Where a thousand soldiers had crammed in for a final debauch before marching to martyrdom, a few dozen children shouted gleefully when they saw us. We did a two-man version of the show we had done for Amaury’s sons, throwing in some juggling with brightly colored silks for the princesses. Marie, the oldest, definitely had the stamp of Montferrat on her face, the same look of wolfish combativeness planted on a five-year-old girl. Alice, the middle child, sucked her thumb and watched with wide eyes, while Philippa, the toddler, clapped and squealed on her mother’s lap.

Isabelle watched our antics with a wan smile. She had always looked pale to me, but there was something almost unhealthy about her aspect now. It was not merely that she was tired. She was weary, as if the attentions of her young, virile husband, so desired at first, had sapped her of her vitality.

From a distance, Henry watched us, barely registering any reaction even as William guffawed at his elbow. Nearby, I noticed Scarlet watching us, especially Perrio. My little friend’s body, hands, and mouth twitched along with each routine and song, straining to join in. I wished we could have roped him into performing with us, but that would have left him in bad standing with the King.

We finished by plucking flowers out of the ears of the astonished little princesses and presenting one to each of them, the Queen accepting on behalf of the baby. The children clapped enthusiastically, but our most welcome approval was the surreptitiously raised thumb from Scarlet, who then casually left the room.

The Queen herself came up to us as we packed up. We dropped everything and bowed. She motioned us up immediately.

“It is good to see you again, Monsieur Droignon,” she said.

“Your Ladyship is too kind,” I said. “May I present my colleague, Perrio?”

“Milady,” said Perrio, bowing again.

“Have you come to Acre to stay?” she asked. “Perhaps I could prevail upon my husband to have you here again.”

“And perhaps you will not,” said Henry coldly as he appeared by her side. “Please, my Queen. I would not have you consorting with common fools.” She flinched, then regained her composure and walked out of the hall.

“But she has not, milord,” I said. “For fools are not at all common around here.”

“And even if they were, the two of us are most uncommon fools,” added Perrio.

“Do you dare address the King of Jerusalem?” he asked, his face darkening.

“Let’s see,” I said. “I’ve addressed the Kings of France and England in my time. A pope or two, and a smattering of patriarchs. Oh, and at least one doge. How about you, Perrio?”

“Emperor Henry,” Perrio said proudly. “Quite a nice fellow with a charming baby boy.”

“You see, sire, we are fools,” I explained. “We do not discriminate. We’ll talk to anyone. It would be an offense if we didn’t address you.”

Henry looked more closely at me.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” he asked.

“I am flattered that such a great one remembers,” I said. “I was on the last Crusade. I was the fool of your cousin, the late King Denis.”

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I should have recognized you. Yau favor those green diamonds under your eyes.”

“I do, sire.”

“You sang to me in this very hall,” he said, glancing around.

“I did, sire, and you thanked me.”

“So many things have changed since then,” he mused. “So many men have died. And many more will, I fear.”

“How so, milord?”

“If what you say is true, we may be in for an attack,” he said. “What I say?” I exclaimed. “All I said in here was in jest.”

“”tou were heard in a tavern last night mentioning a Pisan fleet coming our way,” he said. “Your old friend Scarlet told me about it.”

“I had no idea it was of any importance,” I said. “I was merely telling him of my journey here.”

“How came you by this knowledge?” he asked sharply.

“By my own eyes and ears,” I said. “I left the kingdom of your late cousin to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in his honor. My path initially took me to Pisa, where I saw the fleet in preparation. I entertained some sailors at a wharfside tavern that night, and learned that they were coming to Acre.”

“For what purpose?”

“Truly, milord, I do not know, for they were just simple seamen.”

“How many ships?”

“I saw about twenty-five,” I said. “But my purpose was not to count them, so I cannot vouch for that number.”

“What could they want?” he asked William Falconberg, who was listening to our conversation.

“They’ve always wanted Acre,” said William. “We’d better stand ready to fight.”

“You’re always ready to fight,” said Henry. “Do you know Pisa well, Fool?”

“Well enough,” I said. “We have both spent time there. In fact, I met my new partner in folly in Pisa.”

“You, boy,” he said to Perrio. “Do you believe they intend to attack us?”

“I think they want what they always want,” said Perrio. “Money.” Henry looked at the lad, a thin smile forming on his lips.

“Out of the mouths of fools comes wisdom,” he remarked to William. “We don’t have to fight them. We could buy them off by giving them their quarter back for trade, and use them for something that would benefit us all.”

“What’s that?” asked William.

“With a fleet that size and our unwanted German army, we could take Beirut,” said Henry. “Wipe out Usamah, split the take three ways, and make this sea safe for shipping again.”

“Will the Pisans go along with that?” asked William.

“They could fight us here with the outcome uncertain, or they could get part of what they came for peacefully and regain the love of the King of Jerusalem,” said Henry. “With some Beirut booty thrown into the bargain. We’ll negotiate when they arrive. How far behind you were they, Fool?”

“Not long,” I said. “We gained a few days traveling across Italy and shipping out from Brindisi. I would expect them soon. May a fool offer his help in this venture, milord?”

“Help, Fool?” he said. “What help could you possibly give us?”

“This, sire,” I said, holding up my lute. “The two of us know the music of Pisa quite well. It would be a nice welcoming gesture to have us there when they arrive for negotiations.”

“I suppose you expect to be paid for this help,” said Henry. “Milord, we have already made enough to provision the last leg of our pilgrimage,” I said. “I offer music in the service of reconciliation. It would be churlish of me to request payment for that noble cause.”

“It would be churlish of me not to pay you,” replied Henry. “Very well, Fool. Come on the day of the fleet’s arrival.”

We bowed and exited the hall. Scarlet was waiting for us.

“Well?” he whispered eagerly.

“He wants to use the Pisan fleet to go after that pirate emir in Beirut,” I said.

“Not a bad idea,” said Scarlet. “He’s a menace worth stopping. Who suggested it?”

“He came up with it himself,” I said. “But your student here guided him neatly into the ways of greed as our salvation. Well done, boy.”

“I was just following your lead,” Perrio replied modestly.

“We will have to teach you about hogging credit,” said Scarlet. “Good performance, both of you. Everyone enjoyed it.”

“Everyone but Henry,” I said. “It was strange seeing him on the throne talking with William. I kept thinking of when I first saw them together, virtually in the same spot. Who knew that they would end up being the King of Jerusalem and his right-hand man?”

“The wheel of Time keeps turning,” said Scarlet. “In another five years, things could be completely different again. I must attend my King. Isabelle told me to tell you she’ll work on him to have you back for the children. Marie was quite smitten with Perrio.”

“She’ll have to get over it,” said Perrio. “She’s already betrothed. Her love life is too complicated for a five year old.”

“See you at the tavern later?” I asked.

“Maybe,” said Scarlet. “I can’t always get away.” He thumbed his nose at us in salute. We returned the gesture, and left the castellum.

“What did you think of the Queen?” I asked Perrio.

“I kept thinking of how Scarlet would describe her to us when I was a boy,” he replied. “In my mind, she had to be the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Meeting her in person was a little disappointing”.

“No one can compare with the imaginings of a child,” I said.

“It’s not just that,” he said. “She’s so old. What is she, twenty-five?”

“Oh, dear,” I said.

“I remember Magdalena saying that to see the Queen was to fall in love with her. I didn’t believe it, but what did a ten-year-old boy know of love?”

“What does a sixteen year old know of it?” I teased him. “I espied no waving handkerchiefs when we left the Guildhall.”

“They were all too exhausted to wave when I left them,” he riposted.

Scarlet didn’t show up at the tavern that night. A boy from the castellum sought us out and gave us the message that the King was keeping him occupied.

Having broken the ice by performing at the castellum, we found ourselves in great demand. Word spread that fools had returned to Tyre, and we ended up playing to so many dinners and parties that we didn’t even bother hitting the markets. The German soldiers, in particular, were quite enthusiastic, demanding every song and heroic poem in our repertoire while the ale flowed freely.

On the ninth of September, a horn sounded from the top of the castellum’s central tower, alerting Acre to the approach of the Pisan fleet. Having planned to come into the city by surprise, the Pisans were quite astonished to see their colors hoisted all over the harbor and banners in their dialect welcoming them. Henry himself in full royal regalia, accompanied by a regiment of bishops carrying reliquaries and icons, stood at the head of the wharf to greet them.

The Pisan leaders were understandably suspicious, but they accepted his invitation to parley and dine the following day. Fresh provisions were sent to each ship, and that evening, small boats carrying some eager young women went out to soften the resolve of the troops a little more. I doubted that this was at Henry’s bidding; it smacked more of the style of the Falconbergs, but a good idea, nonetheless.

We still hadn’t seen Scarlet since our performance at the castellum, but a hastily scribbled note from him carried by a messenger boy advised us to arrive early for the noon meal so that we could set up in advance of the Pisans” arrival. Perrio and I had been practicing every song we knew from that city of towers, and as the sun approached its peak, we walked up the marble steps and presented ourselves at the entry.

We were expected, and a guard escorted us to the King’s chamber, a large room two floors above the great hall with a number of large windows running from the floor to the ceiling enclosed with iron bars.