had followed their easy capture of the castle had been replaced by unrest and Thomas, whose first command this was, knew he had reached a crisis.
Sir Guillaume d'Evecque, much older than Thomas, made it explicit. It's about the girl/ he said. She must die.' They were again in the great hall and Genevieve, sitting by the fire, understood this conversation. Robbie had come with Sir Guillaume, but now, instead of looking at Genevieve with longing, he watched her with hatred.
Tell me why,' Thomas said. He had been rereading the copy of his father's book with its strange hints about the Grail. It had been copied in a hurry and some of the handwriting was barely decipherable, and none of it made much sense, but he believed that
if he studied it long enough then some meaning would emerge. She's a heretic!' Sir Guillaume said.
She's a goddamned witch,' Robbie put in vehemently. He spoke some French now, enough to understand the conversation, but preferred to make his protest in English.
She wasn't accused of witchcraft. Thomas said.
Hell, man! She used magic!'
Thomas put the parchment aside. I've noticed/ he said to Robbie, that when you are worried you touch wood. Why?“ Robbie stared at him. We all do!”
Did a priest ever tell you to do it?'
We do it! That's all.'
Why?'
Robbie looked angry, but managed to find an answer. To avert evil. Why else?'
Yet nowhere in the scriptures/ Thomas said, and nowhere in the Church Fathers“ writings will you find such a command. It is not a Christian thing, yet you do it. So must I send you to the bishop to stand trial? Or should I save the bishop's time and just burn you?”
You're blathering!' Robbie shouted.
Sir Guillaume hushed Robbie. She is a heretic/ the Norman said to Thomas, and the Church has condemned her and if she stays here she will bring us nothing but ill luck. That's what's worrying the men. Jesus Christ, Thomas, but what good can come from harbouring a heretic? The men all know it will bring evil.“ Thomas slapped the table, startling Genevieve. You/ he pointed at Sir Guillaume, burned my village, killed my mother and murdered my father who was a priest, and you tell me of evil?” Sir Guillaume could not deny the charges any more than he could explain how he had become a friend of the man he had orphaned, but nor would he back down in the face of Thomas's anger. I know evil,“ he said, because I have done evil. But God forgives us.” God forgives you,“ Thomas asked, but not her?” The Church has decided otherwise.'
And I decided otherwise,' Thomas insisted.
Sweet Jesus/ Sir Guillaume said, do you think you're the bloody Pope?' He had become fond of English curse words and used them interspersed with his native French.
She's bewitched you/ Robbie growled. Genevieve looked as if she would speak, then turned away. Wind gusted at the window and brought a spatter of rain onto the wide floorboards. Sir Guillaume looked at the girl, then back to Thomas. The men won't stand her/ he said.
Because you worry them/ Thomas snarled, although he knew that it was Robbie, not Sir Guillaume, who had caused the unrest. Ever since Thomas had cut Genevieve's bonds he had worried about this, knowing his duty was to burn Genevieve and knowing he could not. His father, mad and angry and brilliant, had once laughed at the Church's idea of heresy. What was heretical one day, Father Ralph had said, was the Church's doctrine the next, and God, he had said, did not need men to burn people: God could do that very well for himself. Thomas had lain awake, agonizing, thinking, and knowing all the while that he wanted Genevieve too badly. It was not theological doubt that had saved her life, but lust, and the sympathy he felt for another soul who had suffered the Church's torture.
Robbie, usually so honest and decent, managed to control his anger. Thomas/ he said quietly, think why we are here, and consider whether God will give us success if we have a heretic among us.'
I have thought of little else/ Thomas said.
Some of the men are talking of leaving/ Sir Guillaume warned him. Of finding a new commander.'
Genevieve spoke for the first time. I will leave/ she said. I will go back north. I won't be in your way/
How long do you think you'll live?' Thomas asked her. If my men don't murder you in the yard then the townsfolk will kill you in the street/
Then what do I do?' she asked.
You come with me/ Thomas said and he crossed to an alcove beside the door where a crucifix hung. He pulled it from its nail and beckoned to her and to Sir Guillaume and Robbie. Come/ he said. He led them to the castle yard where most of his men were gathering to discover the result of Sir Guillaume and Robbie's deputation to Thomas. They murmured unhappily when Genevieve
appeared and Thomas knew he risked losing their allegiance. He was young, very young to be the leader of so many men, but they had wanted to follow him and the Earl of Northampton had trusted him. This was his first test. He had expected to meet that test in battle, but it had come now and he had to solve it, and so he stood on the top of the steps that overlooked the yard and waited until every man was staring at him. Sir Guillaume!“ Thomas called. Go to one of the priests in the town and ask for a wafer. One that has already been consecrated. One kept for the last rites/ Sir Guillaume hesitated. What if they say no?” You're a soldier, they're not/ Thomas said and some of the men grinned.
Sir Guillaume nodded, glanced warily at Genevieve, then gestured two of his men-at-arms to accompany him. They went unwillingly, not wanting to miss whatever Thomas was about to say, but Sir Guillaume growled at them and they followed him through the gate.
Thomas held the crucifix high. If this girl is the devil's creature/ he said, then she cannot look at this and she cannot bear
its touch. If I hold it in front of her eyes she will go blind! If I touch her skin it will bleed. You know that! Your mothers told you that! Your priests told you that!'
Some of the men nodded and all stared open-mouthed as Thomas held the crucifix in front of Genevieve's open eyes, and then touched it to her forehead. Some men held their breath and most looked puzzled when her eyes remained whole and her clear, pale skin unblemished.
She has the devil's help/ a man growled.
What kind of a fool are you?“ Thomas spat. You claim she can escape by using the devil's trickery? Then why was she here? Why was she in the cells? Why didn't she unfold great wings and fly away?”
God prevented it.'
Then God would have made her skin bleed when the crucifix touched her/ Thomas said, wouldn't He? And if she's the devil's creature she'll have cat's feet. You all know that!“ Many of the men muttered agreement for it was well known that those whom the devil favoured were given cats” paws so they could creep about in the dark to work their evil. Take your shoes off/ Thomas ordered Genevieve, and when her feet were bare he pointed at them. Some cat, eh? She won't catch many mice with paws like that!“ Two or three other men offered argument, but Thomas put them to scorn, and then Sir Guillaume came back and Father Medous accompanied him with a small silver casket that he kept ready to take the sacraments to a dying person. It isn't seemly/ Father Medous began, but stopped when Thomas glared at him. Come here, priest/ Thomas said and Father Medous obeyed. Thomas took the silver casket from him. She has passed one test/ he said, but all of you know, all of you, even in Scotland they know this/ he paused and pointed at Robbie, that the devil himself cannot save his creatures from the touch of Christ's body. She will die! She will writhe in agony. Her flesh will fall away and the worms will wriggle where she stood. Her screams will be heard in heaven. You all know that!”
They did know it and they nodded, and they watched as Thomas took a small piece of dry bread from the box and held it towards Genevieve. She hesitated, looking worriedly into Thomas's eyes, but he smiled at her and she obediently opened her mouth and let him put the thick wafer on her tongue.
Kill her, God!“ Father Medous called. Kill her! Oh Jesus, Jesus, kill her!”
His voice echoed from the castle's yard, then the echo died away as every man in the yard stared at the tall Genevieve as she swallowed. Thomas let the silence stretch, then he looked pointedly at Genevieve who still lived. She came here/ he told his men in English, with her father. He was a juggler who collected pennies at fairs and she carried the hat. We've all seen folk like that. Stilt walkers, fire-eaters, bear-handlers, jugglers. Genevieve collected the coins. But her father died and she was left here, a stranger, among folk who spoke a different language. She
