our Saviour, Jesus of Nazareth. His blood entombs the Devil in stone through his ultimate sacrifice in giving his life for us. And so, the Talisman tells us how we can defeat our weaknesses by controlling our evil thoughts and deeds, thus allowing our goodness to triumph.’
‘That is very astute, Torfida.’
‘Thank you, Father Hildebrand.’
‘But dangerous! Do you believe it to be a metaphorical totem, the symbolism of which is meant to lead men to truth and wisdom?’
‘Exactly, Father Hildebrand! That is why it is so intriguing.’ Torfida smiled in admiration; Hildebrand understood her thoughts about the power of the amulet and had described its mystery far better than she could ever have done.
‘In which case, it denies that role to the Church and is thus heretical.’ Now Hildebrand, like Desiderius, looked concerned. ‘You are being naive, Torfida. Cardinal Desiderius is right to warn you. These conundrums are not a game; they involve articles of faith, and question the very nature of our existence. There are many in the Church who would recoil in horror if they heard this conversation.’
The Pope intervened. ‘Where does it come from?’
‘I don’t know, Holy Father. Other pieces of amber have insects trapped inside them, and ancient folklore says that they are the trapped spirits of tortured souls. But the face of Lucifer and the streak of blood are a mystery. I have been talking to wise men all over Europe in the hope of finding out.’
Hildebrand interrupted with a question of his own. ‘Do you suppose it could be a freak of nature?’
‘In what way, Father?’
‘Nature plays many tricks on us; there is much we don’t understand. But if it is just a freak of nature, then there is another solution.’
‘That it is a harmless trinket?’
‘Well done, Torfida. It would have no significance at all, except in our imaginations!’
The Pope intervened again. ‘Now you are straying into the dark corners of heresy, Hildebrand. The things in nature that we don’t understand are God’s business. If he wanted us to know about them, he would tell us; or rather, he would tell me, as I’m his messenger on earth.’
The Pope smiled mischievously, which broke the tension. Then they all smiled, even Desiderius, and with that, the Pope brought the conversation to an end.
‘To our chambers; it is late. Come back and see us in the morning, and we will talk again. For now, let us sleep on your conundrum.’
Hereward was alarmed and spent a restless night.
He knew only too well that many parts of Christendom still observed the practices of the old pagan religions, often running in parallel with their Christian beliefs. He also knew that the Church could be fanatical in rooting out heresy.
Now that he had learned that the Talisman was once called the Devil’s Amulet, nagging doubts surfaced about the coincidence of meeting Torfida in Hereford, and her father’s wild predictions about their joint destiny.
Perhaps the Talisman brought death, not wisdom?
Perhaps the Old Man of the Wildwood was a sorcerer, and Torfida a witch sent to seduce him for some nefarious purpose?
He stopped himself and tried to put such thoughts out of his head, but the next morning, Hereward accompanied Torfida to the Pope’s quarters with some trepidation.
The Pontiff tried to put them at their ease. ‘Please sit and relax. You are here as children of God; this is not an inquisition.’
‘Perhaps it should be.’ Cardinal Desiderius could not resist the caustic remark.
‘Torfida, following our conversation last night, the three of us have spoken at some length over breakfast. Hereward, let us see the amulet.’
Hereward removed it from his neck and placed it, cautiously, in the Pope’s outstretched hands.
‘It is remarkable. I have seen many things in the crypt of the Vatican, but this is truly amazing.’
He passed it to the others. Hildebrand took it with the inquisitive look of the curious intellectual; Desiderius, clearly ill at ease, glared at it with contempt.
‘Hildebrand has persuaded us that your quest for the meaning of the amulet is laudable — dangerous, but laudable. Desiderius would have me lock it away and have you two do penance in Rome, but I don’t think that is necessary. Your quest together, in search of wisdom for yourselves and for the ultimate recipient of what you call the Talisman of Truth, is commendable. Your remarkable journey so far has persuaded me that we should let you continue.
‘Hereward of Bourne, take good care of your wife. You should be careful and constantly seek the guidance of God in what you do. I cannot bless the amulet because I am mindful of Cardinal Desiderius’ dire warnings, but I will bless you two and the new life that Torfida carries. Kneel, my children.’
The Pope replaced the Talisman around Hereward’s neck, who quickly tucked it under his smock, as the Pontiff placed a hand on their heads and blessed them.
‘Go in peace.’
9. Robert Guiscard
A few days after the Pope and his entourage had left for Rome, Hereward and Torfida presented themselves and their companions to Robert Guiscard, the new lord of southern Italy. The Duke was keen to meet the people about whom he had heard so much over the last few days, especially ‘the woman’, as he put it, ‘who dares to speak to popes’.
He exchanged courtesies, then turned to Hereward. ‘What brings such noble and important Northerners to our humble dukedom?’
The sarcasm in the Duke’s voice prompted Hereward to speak up. After Torfida’s insistence that they should travel south to serve with Robert Guiscard, she had been helping Hereward improve the simple Norman French he had been taught as a child by Aidan, Priest of Bourne.
‘My Lord Duke, we are soldiers committed to fighting for the cause of the righteous. It is said that you are charged with uniting Italy by removing from its foothold here the Empire of Byzantium, a distant realm that no longer recognizes the Church of Rome. You also plan to rid Sicily of the Saracens, an alien people with a strange religion. We can think of no better cause than yours in the two duties you have been given by his Holiness. We offer our services as senior commanders in your garrison, particularly in the preparation and training of your men.’
‘That is an elegant introduction, Hereward of Bourne. So, not only do you presume to know the details of my arrangements with the Pontiff, you have the gall to suggest that you can teach us how to fight!’
The Duke guffawed heartily and turned to his court, all of whom laughed with him. A solid, round-faced man with ruddy cheeks and a thin patchy beard, he could easily have been a butcher or a blacksmith, had not his and his family’s notorious cunning and strength of arm elevated him to the lofty perch of a dukedom.
‘I carry with me parchments testifying to our standing from Queen Gruoch of Scotland, widow of Macbeth, and Iziaslav I, Grand Prince of Kiev and King of the Rus. We would not presume to teach Norman warlords how to fight. Your reputation and that of your kin goes before you, but we wish to join you as highly skilled and experienced soldiers who can help your cause. I would like to serve at the level of knight, my companions, the mighty Einar and the brave Martin Lightfoot, as sergeants-at-arms.
‘Anything else: a pension, lands in Normandy, one of my daughters as a concubine?’ He chortled loudly again.
As before, his court joined with him, enjoying the Duke’s sardonic repartee.
‘Just to serve, my Lord Duke.’ Hereward was solemn and calm, trying not to rise to the Duke’s baiting.
Guiscard turned to his younger brother, Roger, who had recently arrived from Normandy for the celebrations and would soon begin campaigning in Sicily. He lowered his voice to a whisper. For what seemed an eternity the two spoke in hushed but animated tones, their conversation private.
