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presence elsewhere.'
The emperor accepted this. 'Are we to know the nature of this important matter?' His glance became
keen as he watched the Templar commander try to avoid answering the question.
'It is a procedural matter, Basileus,' replied de Bracineaux with slight hesitation. 'I would not presume to
inflict the minutiae of our Order on you, your highness.'
'Procedure can be fatiguing, we find.' The emperor drew breath and turned once more to the folded hills
rising above the wide sweep of the Golden Horn. 'Nevertheless, you may consider that we have matters
of importance which require your presence here, Grand Commander de Bracineaux.'
'But your highness -' de Bracineaux started to object.
The emperor cut off his protest with a wave of his hand. Without looking at his visitor he said, 'My niece
and her new husband will be returning to Tripoli in a few days. You agreed to escort them, and we are
inclined to hold you to your agreement.'
'With all respect, Basileus,' countered the Templar, 'I must beg to be excused.'
'But you will not be excused, commander,' replied Emperor Manuel placidly. 'Your procedures,' he gave
the word caustic emphasis, 'will no doubt wait until you have fulfilled the duty for which you have been
retained.'
'No doubt, Basileus,' replied the Templar stiffly. 'You are right to remind me of my duty. I will abide.'
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'We are pleased to hear it,' Manuel said, turning once more to his visitor. 'We are having a banquet
tomorrow evening, for which we have arranged a display of arms. We understand you Franks are fond
of martial entertainments. What is the word you use?'
'Tournament,' replied de Bracineaux.
'Ah, yes, we must remember that,' replied the emperor, his face lighting with pleasure. 'We are having a
tournament. We are certain you and Baron d'Anjou will enjoy it, commander.'
'I wait upon your pleasure, Basileus,' said the Templar. 'If there is nothing else, I will trouble you no
further.' He made a small bow and started away.
'It does a soul good, we find,' said the emperor, 'to bend to a higher authority from time to time. You
must try it more often, commander.'
CHAPTER TEN
'We are being followed.'
The voice stirred Cait from her brooding contemplation of the white, heat-bleached sky and the
powder-dry road ahead. Cait lifted her hood and turned in the saddle to see that it was Rognvald who
had addressed her.
'Forgive me. I would not intrude, my lady, but there is someone following us.' He addressed her in
Norse, and his accent sounded, to Cait's ear, like the old fishermen who used to take refuge at Banvard
when foul weather drove them into the bay. They were also from Norway, and the sound of the knight's
voice reassured her; it made her feel as if she were speaking to some ancient relative.
'How many?' She cast a hasty glance over her shoulder - but saw nothing save the owner of the horses
they had hired, and his two sons, bringing up the rear on their donkeys. Behind them the dust-dry track
stretched back and back across the undulating hills to Damascus - now a small shimmering gleam in the
heat-haze far behind them.
Rognvald said, 'Just one.' He regarded her curiously. 'Did you think there would be more?'
'Never mind what I thought,' she told him firmly.
'I believe,' he replied, 'you will have to tell me your secret sooner or later. Perhaps if you told me now, I
could help you with it.'
'I have no secrets.' She looked back at the trail behind her and saw a small dark figure disappear swiftly
over a faraway hilltop. 'At least none I care to discuss with you.'
'As you will.'
They rode on for a time, and Cait turned her thoughts next to the necessary steps ahead. Acquiring her
bodyguard of knights was just the beginning. They would have to be properly clothed and armed, and
they would need horses - all of which would be expensive; she would have to sell more, if not most, of
the remaining valuables from her father's chest. She had offered to buy new clothes for them before
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leaving the city, but the knights preferred their rags to Saracen garb, which was all that Damascus had to
offer. Nor could they buy any weapons - the Arabs were forbidden to sell to Christians under pain of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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