The Brethren Page 9

  Chapter Seven: The Banner of Saladin

  As the echoes of Hassan's whistle died away there was a crashamongst the wooden shutters of the window behind them, and downinto the room leaped a long, lithe figure, holding an axe aloft.Before Sir Andrew could turn to see whence the sound came, thataxe dealt him a fearful blow between the shoulders which,although the ringed mail remained unshorn, shattered his spinebeneath. Down he fell, rolled on to his back, and lay there,still able to speak and without pain, but helpless as a child.For he was paralysed, and never more would move hand or foot orhead.

  In the silence that followed he spoke in a heavy voice, lettinghis eyes rest upon the man who had struck him down.

  "A knightly blow, truly; one worthy of a Christian born who doesmurder for Paynim pay! Traitor to God and man, who have eaten mybread and now slaughter me like an ox on my hearth-stone, mayyour own end be even worse, and at the hands of those youserve."

  The palmer Nicholas, for it was he, although he no longer worethe palmer's robe, slunk away muttering, and was lost among thecrowd in the passage. Then, with a sudden and a bitter cry,Rosamund swooped forward, as a bird swoops, snatched up thesword her sire would never lift again, and setting its hilt uponthe floor, cast herself forward. But its point never touched herbreast, for the emir sprang swiftly and struck the steel aside;then, as she fell, caught her in his arms. "Lady," he said,loosing her very gently. "Allah does not need you yet. I havetold you that it is not fated. Now will you pass me yourword--for being of the blood of Salah-ed-din and D'Arcy, you,too, cannot lie--that neither now nor afterwards you will attemptto harm yourself? If not, I must bind you, which I am loth todo--it is a sacrilege to which I pray you will not force me."

  "Promise, Rosamund," said the hollow voice of her father, "and goto fulfil your fate. Self-murder is a crime, and the man isright; it is decreed. I bid you promise."

  "I obey and promise," said Rosamund. "It is your hour, my lordHassan."

  He bowed deeply and answered:

  "I am satisfied, and henceforth we are your servants. Princess,the night air is bitter; you cannot travel thus. In which chamberare your garments?"

  She pointed with her finger. A man took a taper, and, accompaniedby two others, entered the place, to return presently with theirarms full of all the apparel they could find. Indeed, they evenbrought her missal and the silver crucifix which hung above herbed and with it her leathern case of trinkets.

  "Keep out the warmest cloak," said Hassan, "and tie the rest upin those carpets."

  So the rugs that Sir Andrew had bought that day from the merchantGeorgios were made to serve as travelling bags to hold hisdaughter's gear. Thus even in this hour of haste and dangerthought was taken for her comfort.

  "Princess," said Hassan, bowing, "my master, your uncle, sent youcertain jewels of no mean value. Is it your wish that they shouldaccompany you?"

  Without lifting her eyes from her dying father's face, Rosamundanswered heavily:

  "Where they are, there let them bide. What have I to do withjewels?"

  "Your will is my law," he said, "and others will be found foryou. Princess, all is ready; we wait your pleasure."

  "My pleasure? Oh, God, my pleasure?" exclaimed Rosamund in thesame drear voice, still staring at her father, who lay before heron the ground.

  "I cannot help it," said Hassan, answering the question in hereyes, and there was grief in his tone. "He would not come, hebrought it on himself; though in truth I wish that accursed Frankhad not struck so shrewdly. If you ask it, we will bear him withyou; but, lady, it is idle to hide the truth--he is sped. I havestudied medicine, and I know."

  "Nay," said Sir Andrew from the floor, "leave me here. Daughter,we must part awhile. As I stole his child from Ayoub, so Ayoub'sson steals my child from me. Daughter, cling to the faith--thatwe may meet again."

  "To the death," she answered.

  "Be comforted," said Hassan. "Has not Salah-ed-din passed hisword that except her own will or that of Allah should change herheart, a Cross-worshipper she may live and die? Lady, for yourown sake as well as ours, let this sad farewell be brief. Begone,my servants, taking these dead and wounded with you. There arethings it is not fitting that common eyes should see."

  They obeyed, and the three of them remained alone together. ThenRosamund knelt down beside her father, and they whispered intoeach other's ears. Hassan turned his back upon them, and threwthe corner of his cloak over his head and eyes that he mightneither see nor hear their voices in this dread and holy hour ofparting.

  It would seem that they found some kind of hope and consolationin it--at least when Rosamund kissed him for the last time, SirAndrew smiled and said:

  "Yes, yes; it may all be for the best. God will guard you, andHis will be done. But I forgot. Tell me, daughter, which?"

  Again she whispered into his ear, and when he had thought amoment, he answered:

  "Maybe you are right. I think that is wisest for all. And now onthe three of you--aye, and on your children's children'schildren--let my blessing rest, as rest it shall. Come hither,Emir."

  Hassan heard him through his cloak, and, uncovering, came.

  "Say to Saladin, your master, that he has been too strong for me,and paid me back in my own coin. Well, had it been otherwise, mydaughter and I must soon have parted, for death drew near to me.At least it is the decree of God, to which I bow my head,trusting there may be truth in that dream of his, and that oursorrows, in some way unforeseen, will bring blessings to ourbrethren in the East. But to Saladin say also that whatever hisbigot faith may teach, for Christian and for Paynim there is ameeting-place beyond the grave. Say that if aught of wrong orinsult is done towards this maiden, I swear by the God who madeus both that there I will hold him to account. Now, since it mustbe so, take her and go your way, knowing that my spirit followsafter you and her; yes, and that even in this world she will findavengers."

  "I hear your words, and I will deliver them," answered Hassan."More, I believe that they are true, and for the rest you havethe oath of Salah-ed-din--ay, and my oath while she is in mycharge. Therefore, Sir Andrew D'Arcy, forgive us, who are but theinstruments of Allah, and die in peace."

  "I, who have so much to be forgiven, forgive you," answered theold knight slowly.

  Then his eyes fixed themselves upon his daughter's face with onelong, searching look, and closed.

  "I think that he is dead," said Hassan. "May God, the Mercifuland Compassionate, rest his soul!" And taking a white garmentfrom the wall, he flung it over him, adding, "Lady, come."

  Thrice Rosamund looked at the shrouded figure on the floor; onceshe wrung her hands and seemed about to fall. Then, as though athought struck her, she lifted her father's sword from where itlay, and gathering her strength, drew herself up and passed likea queen down the blood-stained passage and the steps of thesolar. In the hall beneath waited the band of Hassan, who bowedas she came--a vision of despairing loveliness, that held aloft ared and naked sword. There, too, lay the drugged men fallen thisway and that, and among them Wulf across the table, and Godwin onthe dais. Rosamund spoke.

  "Are these dead or sleeping?"

  "Have no fear," answered Hassan. "By my hope of paradise, they dobut sleep, and will awake ere morning."

  Rosamund pointed to the renegade Nicholas--he that had struckdown her father from behind--who, an evil look upon his face,stood apart from the Saracens, holding in his hand a lightedtorch.

  "What does this man with the torch?" she asked.

  "If you would know, lady," Nicholas answered with a sneer, "Iwait till you are out of it to fire the hall."

  "Prince Hassan," said Rosamund, "is this a deed that greatSaladin would wish, to burn drugged men beneath their own roof?Now, as you shall answer to him, in the name of Saladin I, adaughter of his House, command you, strike the fire from thatman's hand, and in my hearing give your order that none shouldeven think of such an act of shame."

  "What?" broke in Nicholas, "and leave knights like these, whosequality you
know"--and he pointed to the brethren--"to follow inour path, and take our lives in vengeance? Why, it is madness!"

  "Are you master here, traitor, or am I?" asked Hassan in coldcontempt. "Let them follow if they will, and I for one shallrejoice to meet foes so brave in open battle, and there give themtheir revenge. Ali," he added, addressing the man who had beendisguised as a merchant's underling, and who had drugged the menin the barn as his master had drugged those in the hall, andopened the moat gate to the band, "Ali, stamp upon the torch andguard that Frank till we reach the boat lest the fool shouldraise the country on us with his fires. Now, Princess, are yousatisfied?"

  "Ay, having your word," she answered. "One moment, I pray you. Iwould leave a token to my knights."

  Then, while they watched her with wondering eyes, she unfastenedthe gold cross and chain that hung upon her bosom, and slippingthe cross from the chain, went to where Godwin lay, and placed iton his breast. Next, with a swift movement, she wound the chainabout the silver hilt of Sir Andrew's sword, and passing to Wulf,with one strong thrust, drove the point between the oak boards ofthe table, so that it stood before him--at once a cross, a brandof battle, and a lady's token.

  "His grandsire bore it," she said in Arabic, "when he leapt onto the walls of Jerusalem. It is my last gift to him." But theSaracens muttered and turned pale at these words of evil omen.

  Then taking the hand of Hassan, who stood searching her white,inscrutable face, with never a word or a backward look, she sweptdown the length of the long hall, and out into the night beyond.

  "It would have been well to take my counsel and fire the place,or at least to cut the throats of all within it," said the manNicholas to his guard Ali as they followed with the rest. "If Iknow aught of these brethren, cross and sword will soon be hardupon our track, and men's lives must pay the price of such softfolly." And he shivered as though in fear.

  "It may be so, Spy," answered the Saracen, looking at him withsombre, contemptuous eyes. "It may be that your life will pay theprice."

  Wulf was dreaming, dreaming that he stood on his head upon awooden plank, as once he had seen a juggler do, which turnedround one way while he turned round the other, till at lengthsome one shouted at him, and he tumbled off the board and hurthimself. Then he awoke to hear a voice shouting surelyenough--the voice of Matthew, the chaplain of Steeple Church.

  "Awake!" said the voice. "In God's name, I conjure you, awake!"

  "What is it?" he said, lifting his head sleepily, and becomingconscious of a dull pain across his forehead.

  "It is that death and the devil have been here, Sir Wulf."

  "Well, they are often near together. But I thirst. Give mewater."

  A serving-woman, pallid, dishevelled, heavy-eyed, who wasstumbling to and fro, lighting torches and tapers, for it wasstill dark, brought it to him in a leathern jack, from which hedrank deeply.

  "That is better," he said. Then his eye fell upon the bloodysword set point downwards in the wood of the table before him,and he exclaimed, "Mother of God! what is that? My uncle'ssilver-hilted sword, red with blood, and Rosamund's gold chainupon the hilt! Priest, where is the lady Rosamund?"

  "Gone," answered the chaplain in a voice that sounded like agroan. "The women woke and found her gone, and Sir Andrew liesdead or dying in the solar--but now I have shriven him--and oh!we have all been drugged. Look at them!" and he waved his handtowards the recumbent forms. "I say that the devil has beenhere."

  Wulf sprang to his feet with an oath.

  "The devil? Ah! I have it now. You mean the Cyprian chapmanGeorgios. He who sold wine."

  "He who sold drugged wine," echoed the chaplain, "and has stolenaway the lady Rosamund."

  Then Wulf seemed to go mad.

  "Stolen Rosamund over our sleeping carcases! Stolen Rosamund withnever a blow struck by us to save her! O, Christ, that such athing should be! O, Christ, that I should live to hear it!" Andhe, the mighty man, the knight of skill and strength, broke downand wept like a very child. But not for long, for presently heshouted in a voice of thunder:

  "Awake, ye drunkards! Awake, and learn what has chanced to us.Your lady Rosamund has been raped away while we were lost insleep!"

  At the sound of that great voice a tall form arose from thefloor, and staggered towards him, holding a gold cross in itshand.

  "What awful words are those my brother?" asked Godwin, who, paleand dull-eyed, rocked to and fro before him. Then he, too, sawthe red sword and stared, first at it and next at the gold crossin his hand. "My uncle's sword, Rosamund's chain, Rosamund'scross! Where, then, is Rosamund?"

  "Gone! gone! gone!" cried Wulf. "Tell him, priest."

  So the chaplain told him all he knew.

  "Thus have we kept our oaths," went on Wulf. "Oh, what can we donow, save die for very shame?"

  "Nay," answered Godwin, dreamingly; "we can live on to save her.See, these are her tokens--the cross for me, the blood-stainedsword for you, and about its hilt the chain, a symbol of herslavery. Now both of us must bear the cross; both of us mustwield the sword, and both of us must cut the chain, or if wefail, then die."

  "You rave," said Wulf; "and little wonder. Here, drink water.Would that we had never touched aught else, as she did, anddesired that we should do. What said you of my uncle, priest?Dead, or only dying? Nay, answer not, let us see. Come, brother."

  Now together they ran, or rather reeled, torch in hand, along thepassage.

  Wulf saw the bloodstains on the floor and laughed savagely.

  "The old man made a good fight," he said, "while, like drunkenbrutes, we slept."

  They were there, and before them, beneath the white, shroud-likecloak, lay Sir Andrew, the steel helm on his head, and his facebeneath it even whiter than the cloak.

  At the sound of their footsteps he opened his eyes. "At length,at length," he muttered. "Oh, how many years have I waited foryou? Nay, be silent, for I do not know how long my strength willlast, but listen--kneel down and listen."

  So they knelt on either side of him, and in quick, fierce wordshe told them all--of the drugging, of the fight, of the longparley carried on to give the palmer knave time to climb to thewindow; of his cowardly blow, and of what chanced afterwards.Then his strength seemed to fail him, but they poured drink downhis throat, and it came back again.

  "Take horse swiftly," he gasped, pausing now and again to rest,"and rouse the countryside. There is still a chance. Nay, sevenhours have gone by; there is no chance. Their plans were too welllaid; by now they will be at sea. So hear me. Go to Palestine.There is money for your faring in my chest, but go alone, with nocompany, for in time of peace these would betray you. Godwin,draw off this ring from my finger, and with it as a token, findout Jebal, the black sheik of the Mountain Tribe at Masyaf onLebanon. Bid him remember the vow he made to Andrew D'Arcy, theEnglish knight. If any can aid you, it will be Jebal, who hatesthe Houses of Nur-ed-din and of Ayoub. So, I charge you, letnothing--I say nothing--turn you aside from seeking him.

  "Afterwards act as God shall guide you. If they still live, killthat traitor Nicholas and Hugh Lozelle, but, save in open war,spare the Emir Hassan, who did but do his duty as an Easternreads it, and shown some mercy, for he could have slain or burntus all. This riddle has been hard for me; yet now, in my dyinghour, I seem to see its answer. I think that Saladin did notdream in vain. Keep brave hearts, for I think also that at Masyafyou will find friends, and that things will yet go well, and oursorrows bear good fruit.

  "What is that you said? She left you my father's sword, Wulf?Then wield it bravely, winning honour for our name. She left youthe cross, Godwin? Wear it worthily, winning glory for the Lord,and salvation to your soul. Remember what you have sworn.Whate'er befall, bear no bitterness to one another. Be true toone another, and to her, your lady, so that when at the last youmake your report to me before high Heaven, I may have no cause tobe ashamed of you, my nephews, Godwin and Wulf."

  For a moment the dying man was silent, until his face lit up aswith a great gladn
ess, and he cried in a loud, clearvoice, "Beloved wife, I hear you! O, God, I come!"

  Then though his eyes stayed open, and the smile still rested onhis face, his jaw fell.

  Thus died Sir Andrew D'Arcy.

  Still kneeling on either side of him, the brethren watched theend, and, as his spirit passed, bowed their heads in prayer.

  "We have seen a great death," said Godwin presently. "Let uslearn a lesson from it, that when our time comes we may die likehim."

  "Ay," answered Wulf, springing to his feet, "but first let us takevengeance for it. Why, what is this? Rosamund's writing! Read it,Godwin."

  Godwin took the parchment and read:

  "Follow me to Saladin. In that hope I live on."

  "Surely we will follow you, Rosamund," he cried aloud. "Followyou through life to death or victory."

  Then he threw down the paper, and calling for the chaplain tocome to watch the body, they ran into the hall. By this timeabout half of the folk were awake from their drugged sleep,whilst others who had been doctored by the man Ali in the barnstaggered into the hall--wild-eyed, white-faced, and holdingtheir hands to their heads and hearts. They were so sick andbewildered, indeed, that it was difficult to make them understandwhat had chanced, and when they learned the truth, the most ofthem could only groan. Still, a few were found strong enough inwit and body to grope their way through the darkness and thefalling snow to Stangate Abbey, to Southminster, and to thehouses of their neighbours, although of these there were nonenear, praying that every true man would arm and ride to help themin the hunt. Also Wulf, cursing the priest Matthew and himselfthat he had not thought of it before, called him from his prayersby their dead uncle, and charged him to climb the church tower asswiftly as he could, and set light to the beacon that was laidready there.

  Away he went, taking flint, steel, and tinder with him, and tenminutes later the blaze was flaring furiously above the roof ofSteeple Church, warning all men of the need for help. Then theyarmed, saddled such horses as they had, amongst them the threethat had been left there by the merchant Georgios, and gatheredall of them who were not too sick to ride or run, in thecourtyard of the Hall. But as yet their haste availed themlittle, for the moon was down. Snow fell also, and the night wasstill black as death--so black that a man could scarcely see thehand he held before his face. So they must wait, and wait theydid, eating their hearts out with grief and rage, and bathingtheir aching brows in icy water.

  At length the dawn began to break, and by its first grey lightthey saw men mounted and afoot feeling their way through thesnow, shouting to each other as they came to know what dreadfulthing had happened at Steeple. Quickly the tidings spread amongthem that Sir Andrew was slain, and the lady Rosamund snatchedaway by Paynims, while all who feasted in the place had beendrugged with poisoned wine by a man whom they believed to be amerchant. So soon as a band was got together--perhaps thirty menin all--and there was light to stir by, they set out and beganto search, though where to look they knew not, for the snow hadcovered up all traces of their foes.

  "One thing is certain," said Godwin, "they must have come bywater."

  "Ay," answered Wulf, "and landed near by, since, had they far togo, they would have taken the horses, and must run the risk alsoof losing their path in the darkness. To the Staithe! Let us trySteeple Staithe."

  So on they went across the meadow to the creek. It lay but threebow-shots distant. At first they could see nothing, for the snowcovered the stones of the little pier, but presently a man criedout that the lock of the water house, in which the brethren kepttheir fishing-boat, was broken, and next minute, that the boatwas gone.

  "She was small; she would hold but six men," cried a voice. "Sogreat a company could never have crowded into her."

  "Fool!" one answered, "there may have been other boats."

  So they looked again, and beneath the thin coating of rime, founda mark in the mud by the Staithe, made by the prow of a largeboat, and not far from it a hole in the earth into which a peghad been driven to make her fast.

  Now the thing seemed clear enough, but it was to be made yetclearer, for presently, even through the driving snow, the quickeye of Wulf caught sight of some glittering thing which hung tothe edge of a clump of dead reeds. A man with a lance lifted itout at his command, and gave it to him.

  "I thought so," he said in a heavy voice; "it is a fragment ofthat star-wrought veil which was my Christmas gift to Rosamund,and she has torn it off and left it here to show us her road. ToSt. Peter's-on-the-Wall! To St. Peter's, I say, for there theboats or ship must pass, and maybe that in the darkness they havenot yet won out to sea."

  So they turned their horses' heads, and those of them that weremounted rode for St. Peter's by the inland path that runs throughSteeple St. Lawrence and Bradwell town, while those who werenot, started to search along the Saltings and the river bank. Onthey galloped through the falling snow, Godwin and Wulf leadingthe way, whilst behind them thundered an ever-gathering train ofknights, squires and yeomen, who had seen the beacon flare onSteeple tower, or learned the tale from messengers--yes, and evenof monks from Stangate and traders from Southminster.

  Hard they rode, but the lanes were heavy with fallen snow and mudbeneath, and the way was far, so that an hour had gone by beforeBradwell was left behind, and the shrine of St. Chad lay but halfa mile in front. Now of a sudden the snow ceased, and a strongnortherly wind springing up, drove the thick mist before it andleft the sky hard and blue behind. Still riding in this mist,they pressed on to where the old tower loomed in front of them,then drew rein and waited.

  "What is that?" said Godwin presently, pointing to a great, dimthing upon the vapour-hidden sea.

  As he spoke a strong gust of wind tore away the last veils ofmist, revealing the red face of the risen sun, and not a hundredyards away from them--for the tide was high--the tall masts of agalley creeping out to sea beneath her banks of oars. As theystared the wind caught her, and on the main-mast rose herbellying sail, while a shout of laughter told them that theythemselves were seen. They shook their swords in the madness oftheir rage, knowing well who was aboard that galley; while to thefore peak ran up the yellow flag of Saladin, streaming therelike gold in the golden sunlight.

  Nor was this all, for on the high poop appeared the tall shape ofRosamund herself, and on one side of her, clad now in coat ofmail and turban, the emir Hassan, whom they had known as themerchant Georgios, and on the other, a stout man, also clad inmail, who at that distance looked like a Christian knight.Rosamund stretched out her arms towards them. Then suddenly shesprang forward as though she would throw herself into the sea,had not Hassan caught her by the arm and held her back, whilstthe other man who was watching slipped between her and thebulwark.

  In his fury and despair Wulf drove his horse into the water tillthe waves broke about his middle, and there, since he could go nofurther, sat shaking his sword and shouting:

  "Fear not! We follow! we follow!" in such a voice of thunder,that even through the wind and across the everwidening space offoam his words may have reached the ship. At least Rosamundseemed to hear them, for she tossed up her arms as though intoken.

  But Hassan, one hand pressed upon his heart and the other on hisforehead, only bowed thrice in courteous farewell.

  Then the great sail filled, the oars were drawn in, and thevessel swept away swiftly across the dancing waves, till atlength she vanished, and they could only see the sunlight playingon the golden banner of Saladin which floated from her truck.