‘Aye.’
‘Well, we’re from the same place as this Hooded Man.’
Cabot stared at him. ‘Ye know him?’
‘Not really. But I think I know what he is.’
‘Tell me, then.’
‘I’m not sure I can, Mr Cabot … It’s very complicated.
Cabot studied them silently for a long while. ‘I have not met the likes of ye before. There is a very strange manner about all three of ye. I almost half believe what ye say.’
‘Mr Cabot,’ said Liam, grinning, ‘you have no idea how strange we are.’
The man sensed his humour in that and shared the smile. ‘Then there is a person I have a half a mind to take ye to. A man I know who is sorely worried about the growing unrest in these parts … and, moreover, worried that he will face King Richard’s wrath should he return to find the Grail is lost. If he sees truth in ye — if he believes ye can get back this Grail, then I am sure he would be willing to provide ye all the help ye might need.’
‘Who?’
‘A man I provided sword training to as a boy. A poor swordsman by any standards. But his heart, ’tis good. Mostly.’
‘Who?’
‘The king’s younger brother, the Earl of Cornwall and Gloucester. John Lackland he is known as.’
CHAPTER 24
1194, Kirklees Priory, Yorkshire
Liam checked over his shoulder to ensure that none of the monks had followed them out of the priory gardens and into the field. They were safely over the brow and out of sight here.
It was as grey and dark, as cold and unwelcoming as yesterday morning. Mercifully, on cue, the air before them shimmered. He could see Maddy and Sal and that Englishman, Adam, and the dim lights of the archway twisting and undulating like a film of oil on rippling water.
They stepped through and moments later the three of them were standing back in the stuffy warmth of the archway. Liam rubbed his arms, relishing the heat. For the last twenty-four hours he’d been doing little more than shivering.
Adam was silently shaking his head and marvelling at their return.
‘Well?’ said Maddy.
‘Well, we found your Cabot, so we did,’ replied Liam. ‘But I could murder for a lovely cup o’ tea before I do anything else.’
‘Sure.’
‘And something to eat?’
Maddy looked at her watch. The day had almost gone. It was Monday mid-afternoon and most of the cafes and restaurants they’d been to were usually quiet at this time. ‘Sure, why not? You better get changed, though. You look like a bunch of Krishnas.’
2001, New York
‘So, what this fella Cabot suggested is he’d take us down to meet this John fella.’
Adam lowered his fork so fast it
Liam nodded. ‘Aye, that’s the fella.’
‘My God!’ he gasped. ‘That’s — I wish I …’ He turned to Maddy. ‘I should go. I
‘Big Ape and Psycho Girl?’ said Maddy.
He shrank guiltily before them, but nodded.
‘Sorry, no. I’ve no idea how many agency protocols I’ve already broken allowing you to sit in on this mission. I’m not sending you back in time as well.’
‘But I know this history like the back of my hand. I’ve read — ’
‘Sorry, no. I can’t take any more chances with you. God knows what Foster’d say if he knew what was going on!’
‘Foster?’
‘I’ll explain later.’ She turned to Liam. ‘So, this is what the message was about, then, do you think? “Seek Cabot at Kirklees.” Someone used the Voynich — ’ she glanced at Adam — ‘and used Adam to get that particular message through to us. And this is why … so that you could retrieve the Holy Grail …’
‘Pandora?’ added Sal.
‘Pandora … Holy Grail, same thing,’ said Maddy dismissively. ‘So you can retrieve this document, scroll, book — whatever exactly it is — from this behooded robber guy.
Liam nodded. ‘That’s about the size of it.’
Sal steepled her fingers beneath her chin. ‘What if the Grail was
‘You mean just let it go?’ replied Liam. ‘Let it remain lost?’
‘Yes. Look around you … history hasn’t been changed
Liam took a bite of his burger. ‘Mr Cabot called it the Word of God. Sounds pretty important to me. And anyway, if King Richard comes back and finds that it’s been nicked because his little brother John couldn’t keep order back home in England, couldn’t keep it safe, Cabot says he’ll kill him.’
‘Hmmm, I guess. There’s another thing,’ said Maddy. ‘If there’s a support unit running amok back there, then that really
‘King Richard’s crusade ended in failure in 1192,’ said Adam. ‘He had an inadequate army to take and hold Jerusalem. Knowing that Saladin would be able to take back the city with ease, he realized an attempt to attack the city was futile, so he agrees a truce with Saladin and the crusader army disbands and returns home in dribs and drabs. Richard himself returns to England by ship, but bad weather means it ends up shipwrecked on Malta and he has to return on foot. But he’s unlucky as his route home across Europe takes him through the land of some duke with a grudge and he’s kidnapped. He’s held for about eighteen months, I think, while some ransom money is stumped up. So, in 1194, he’s just been released, or about to be, he’s due to arrive home in a really bad mood, because his crusade has been one big mess, and he’s coming home to an England bankrupt and on the verge of rebellion.’
‘Right, so he’s not a happy bunny, then,’ said Maddy.
‘But he got what he went for,’ said Liam. ‘The Grail.’
‘And then lost it again. Lost it in England for which he’ll blame his brother.’
‘If he does kill his brother,’ said Adam, ‘that would change things
The others looked at him, with faces that said
‘Oh, come on! The Magna Carta is the basis of English law! It’s what
‘Oh God! You’re right!’ It would be a significant enough change to cause a wave, to alter all this. She looked around at the restaurant — an expensive one, Adam’s choice since he’d offered to pay for lunch on his gold American Express. It was quiet except for the clack of dishes coming through swing doors into the kitchen. Just
