The Elephants Of Norwich Part 19

*Disperse your men, Mauger.'

*Gladly a" when these interlopers have been driven off my land.'

*Well?' said Bigot, addressing de Fontenel. *What are you waiting for?'

De Fontenel scowled. *I'll be back!'

*Not if you have any sense.'

*Mauger killed my steward!'

Bigot was calm. *Bring me the proof and I'll arrest him for the crime. Cause any more trouble on his land, however, and I'll be forced to arrest you instead. Is that clear, Richard?' he said, his voice ringing with authority. *n.o.body takes the law into his own hands while I hold the office of sheriff. Now, away with you!'

Richard de Fontenel glowered at his rival, then looked back at the sheriff. Roger Bigot was a man of his word. Further provocation would be foolish. With a snort of disgust, de Fontenel swung his horse round and dug his spurs into its flanks. He went galloping all over the crest of the hill with his men, enraged, frustrated and outmanoeuvred by the rival he had come to punish. It was a long and cheerless ride back to his home.

Chapter Eight.

It was mid-evening by the time Gervase Bret and Eustace Coureton rode back into the bailey of Norwich Castle. Their return journey had been spent in a long discussion about the value of their visit to the combative Olova. The men disagreed. Gervase, who had spoken to her in her own language, felt a natural sympathy for the woman and was inclined to accept her word. Coureton, however, relying on her manner and gestures to form an opinion of her, was a little more sceptical.

*I think it was deliberate, Gervase,' he said.

*What was?'

*Inviting us into her house like that so that her grandson could eavesdrop outside.'

*There was nothing sinister about that,' said Gervase. *Skalp was simply making sure that no harm came to Olova. Besides, what did he hear? We were hardly giving away any great secrets inside that hut.'

*I distrusted him.'

*Not as much as Skalp distrusted us, my lord.'

*He was a truculent character. Just like his grandmother.'

*I dare say that Olova wasn't quite so truculent when she was the wife of a thegn with appreciable holdings in the county. She was a dignified lady then,' he said, recalling the proud way she bore herself. *The Conquest changed her life completely.'

*Yes,' said Coureton. *It brought Richard de Fontenel into her life.'

*And Hermer the Steward. She had nothing but scorn for him.'

*I couldn't understand why, Gervase.'

*Nor me,' confessed the other, *but it seemed to have something to do with Hermer's fondness for women. I didn't see any there apart from Olova. Did you?'

*No, but they probably went into hiding when they saw us coming.'

*Why should they do that?' wondered Gervase.

When their horses had been stabled, they made their way to the keep and went off to their separate apartments. Alys was dozing on the bed when her husband entered but awoke at once, sweeping aside his apologies for disturbing her and insisting that she was just taking a short nap. As she talked about how she and Golde had spent the afternoon, she was bright-eyed and animated. It was Gervase who had to suppress an occasional yawn, feeling a slow fatigue settling in. He gave her only the briefest outline of his visit to Olova.

*She wasn't exactly pleased to see us,' he admitted.

*It was like that in the market this morning. Pure resentment.'

*I didn't blame her, Alys. In her position, I'd have harboured a grudge.'

*No, you wouldn't. It's simply not in your nature.'

*Oh, I bear a grudge from time to time.'

She was hurt. *Not about me, I hope?'

*Of course not. You'd never give me the slightest cause.'

*Is that the truth?'

*You know it is,' he a.s.sured her. *Why do you think I agreed that you should come with me to Norfolk? I wanted you there at the end of the day, Alys. And first thing in the morning as well.'

*What about the time in between?' she asked with a smile.

*Any time spent with you is pure joy.'

She gave him a kiss on the lips. *Thank you.'

Though he embraced her warmly, his mind was not entirely on his wife. Gervase was still remembering his talk with Olova, wondering if he might have got more out of the awkward old woman if he had taken Brother Daniel with him instead of Eustace Coureton. It was the sight of Norman soldiers in helm and hauberk that rankled with her. Gervase had the feeling that Hermer the Steward might have visited her in the past with an armed escort. Intimidation was patently a weapon he had often used. Cowed by his master, it was he who became the bully when dealing with others.

*We're bidden to the hall whenever we're ready,' said Alys, giving him a playful push when he failed to reply. *You're not listening to me, Gervase!'

*Yes, I am.'

*What did I say?'

*Something about the hall.'

*You didn't hear me, did you?'

*Yes, I did.'

*You were miles away.' Pretending to be upset, she stalked across to the window and stared out. Gervase went up to put his arms around her waist, nestling his head into her wimple.

*I'm sorry, Alys.'

*Are you?' she asked, pouting.

*I'm back with my wife now, I promise.'

*You're not the only one.'

*What?'

*Look down there,' she said, pointing to the bailey. *Ralph has just ridden in through the gate with Brother Daniel. Golde is there to welcome them.'

Gervase gazed over her shoulder to watch the reunion down below. Ralph dismounted to collect a kiss from his wife then walked towards the keep with an arm around her. There was a decided jauntiness in his step.

Alys smiled approvingly. *He's pleased to see Golde again.'

*That's not the only reason he's in such good spirits,' said Gervase, reading his colleague's manner and movement. *His visit was more profitable than ours. He found out something important at the abbey of St Benet. I wonder what it was.'

Mauger Livarot, dining alone at his manor house, sat back in his chair and drank the remains of the wine. When he set the cup down on the table, he was still grinning broadly. The steward stood a few yards away, smiling obsequiously and rubbing his palms together. Livarot went off into a sudden peal of laughter.

*The look on his face was a joy to behold, Drogo,' he recalled.

*I'm sure it was, my lord.'

*Richard de Fontenel thought that he'd take me by surprise and instead he found us ready and waiting. We'd even alerted the lord sheriff to the prospect of trouble.'

*Forewarned is forearmed,' said his steward.

*Yes, your man did well.'

*That's what I told him.'

*Give him a just reward.'

*I already have, my lord. He earned it.'

*It's just as well the lord Richard is too stupid to realise that we have a spy in his house. You picked exactly the right man for the job, Drogo.'

*He misses nothing.'

*The fellow has been worth his weight in gold.'

*Just like those two elephants.'

They shared a throaty laugh, then Livarot became serious. He beckoned his companion closer. After biting hungrily at a leg of chicken, he tossed it aside, chewed noisily and spoke through a full mouth. *I want those miniature elephants.'

*Why, my lord?'

*Never you mind. Just get them for me.'

*But how?' said Drogo, alarmed. *I've no idea where they are.'

*Then you'll have to conduct a search, won't you? It's crucial that I get my hands on them before the lord Richard does. Then I can put them to the purpose for which he acquired them,' said Livarot, swallowing the last of the chicken. *That will give me the utmost satisfaction. To use his own bait in the trap.'

*Trap, my lord?'

*A personal matter between the lord Richard and me.' He poured more wine from the jug and sipped it. *Find out where those gold elephants are, Drogo.'

*That won't be easy.'

*I didn't say that it would be.'

*The lord sheriff has failed to track them down so far.'

*That's all to the good,' said Livarot. *If he recovers them, he'll only give them back to the one man who must never set eyes on them again. They must belong to me.'

Drogo was anxious. *Have you ever seen them, my lord?'

*No, but I've seen the effect they have.'

*How big are they?'

*Who knows?'

*Could you give me a detailed description?' asked the steward.

*No, I can't.'

*That complicates matters. It will be even more difficult searching for something when I have no idea what it looks like.'

*They're elephants, man. Two small, smooth, s.h.i.+ny gold elephants.'

*That doesn't help me. I've never seen such an animal.'

*Well, you'd better make sure that you see one now,' said Livarot, shooting him a warning glance. *Two of them, to be exact. This is not an idle request, Drogo. It's an order. And it takes precedence over everything else.'

*Yes, my lord.'

*Use the man you have at the castle. That's the best place to start.'

*I'll get word to him this evening.'

*Roger Bigot may not be able to track down the missing elephants but Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret might. They've sharper noses to sniff a trail,' he said with grudging admiration. *Follow them, Drogo. They'll lead you to the elephants.'

*Will they?'

*If anyone can find those beasts, they can.'

*I hope so, my lord.'

*All you have to do is to make sure that you grab them first.'

The steward looked doubtful. Livarot took another swig of his wine. *Take care,' he said, raising a finger. *This means a lot to me. Get me those two gold elephants and you'll be richly rewarded. Fail me,' he added, menacingly, *and I may be looking for a new steward. Now, off with you!'

The feast was not as lavish as the banquet on the previous evening but it was still much larger and more appetising than any meal the commissioners would normally have enjoyed. The cooks who toiled in the castle kitchen had mastered all the arts of choosing and preparing food. Venison was the main dish, garnished with a delicious sauce and served with a selection of vegetables. Wine and ale flowed freely. Roger Bigot and his wife entertained their guests in the hall, controlling the arrival of each course with a series of un.o.btrusive signals. Minstrels played at the far end of the room. Dozens of candles burned brightly. Famished after his long ride, Brother Daniel accepted the invitation to join his colleagues and he ate as heartily as any of them. Eustace Coureton was delighted to be seated next to the monk, enabling him to talk in Latin and to quote his favourite Roman authors. Daniel was responding with whole paragraphs from St Augustine's De Civitate Dei.

Disappointed that the lady Adelaide was not present, Ralph Delchard enjoyed the occasion immensely, moving easily from inconsequential chatter to a discussion of more serious topics. He was fascinated to hear of the sheriff's intervention in the threatened outbreak of violence between Richard de Fontenel and Mauger Livarot, but the real value of the evening lay in the fact that he was seated beside Gervase Bret and thus able to exchange information about their respective visits that day. At the mention of a certain name, Gervase sat up with interest.

*Jocelyn Vavasour?' he repeated.