The Fifth Knight(21)
The two knights sat on the stone hearth of the low fire to catch its glowing heat, a large pitcher of wine between them.
“He does as he’s told. He’s a good fighter — nay, a great one,” said Fitzurse.
“Or so we’ve heard. I’ve not seen that yet. He couldn’t even find the anchoress and the monk in the cathedral.”
Palmer’s jaw clenched at the sneer, though he knew de Morville was right.
“Neither could you, de Morville. Nor anyone else.”
“Well, he worries me,” said de Morville. “Like at dinner, with questions he’d no business asking. Blathering on like a simpleton, he was. Especially about Becket.” He spat into the hearth. “Not that he’d laid a hand on the Archbishop. Left that to us.”
Palmer tensed more. De Morville was right again.
“Yet look at him on the ship,” said Fitzurse. “If it hadn’t been for his quickness, his strength, we’d all be wet corpses.” He jabbed a finger at de Morville. “Achieved nothing.”
De Morville grunted. “I suppose. Still, he bothers me. I don’t know why.”
Palmer relaxed a mite but stayed where he was. He needed to be sure he was still on this mission.
“Palmer’s perfectly safe,” said Fitzurse. “He’s a mercenary, and mercenaries are like whores. They’ll do anything if you pay them enough.”
My battle prowess scorned as a putain’s tricks. Palmer forced himself not to rise and shout Fitzurse down. He went to leave, hear no more.
“Speaking of paying enough, he needs to earn his purse.” Fitzurse took a drink.
His words halted Palmer.
Fitzurse continued. “I agree with you that he has been found wanting on a couple of things. But he can still be of use with what I have planned for the girl. What’s more, it will be a useful test of his backbone.”
A test? Palmer squatted low again, peering over the edge. To hell with their test. He wouldn’t be found wanting.
“What plan?” De Morville hiccupped. “What test?”
“You’ve heard of Phalaris, the great Sicilian ruler?” said Fitzurse.
“Oh, balls to you and your high-minded carry-on,” said de Morville. “’Course I haven’t.”
Fitzurse filled their glasses again. “An ancient Greek. He is mentioned in great writings.”
“Greeks? I’ve killed ’em. Not read ’em.”
Both men laughed, de Morville with his wheeze, Fitzurse with his clipped sound.
Fitzurse said, “He is credited with overseeing the invention of one of these.” He reached into the ashes of the hearth and pulled out a stick of black charcoal. He drew something on the pale stone.
Palmer squinted hard, barely able to make it out in the dim light. It looked like an animal.
“A cow?” said de Morville, mystified.
“No, a bull.” Fitzurse tapped a finger on his drawing. “A Brazen Bull, to be precise.”
De Morville’s shake of his head matched Palmer’s own confusion. “How’s a Brazing — ”
“Brazen.”
“Brazen Bull going to test Palmer?”
“A Brazen Bull is made of metal,” said Fitzurse. “Traditionally bronze, but any will do. It is hollow, and there is a door, or a hatch, on the back here.” He squiggled on his drawing.
De Morville shook his head again.
Fitzurse went on. “The fire is lit beneath here.” He made another mark. “Of course, the victim is usually placed inside before the fire is lit.”
De Morville gave a stunned gasp as Palmer’s limbs locked rigid.
“I want your blacksmiths to fashion one of these, de Morville.”
“Fitzurse, you’re going to put Palmer into this thing? Fine by me, but — ”
“Not Palmer, you dolt. The girl. Stripped naked and bound. By him, and he will put her in.”
Palmer’s fists curled.
De Morville gasped again. “A good test, by my life. But is it worth killing her just to see what he’s made of? We need information from her, remember? We still don’t know where the mother is.”
“The bull will serve both purposes, de Morville. Palmer can put her in, give her a taste of it. Promise her release if she tells us what we want to know.”
De Morville coughed suddenly and Palmer started, knocking one knee against the gallery wall. His pulse tripped for action. Had they heard him?
“Here, have another drink, man,” said Fitzurse.
Thank Jesu, they hadn’t.
“You have one too.”
“I’ve used this thing before. No one can stand the pain. So he can haul her out, find out what we need.”
“She’ll be a bit raw, but no matter. As I’ve got her here, I want to try my cock in her. She’ll be pure, and I like that.”