Part 9 (1/2)
Then, abruptly, he was back in his body again, reeling with dizziness. Trying to push himself back up on his knees-for he had sunk back on his hunkers during the vision-he wobbled and then sat back onto the floor with a faint clas.h.i.+ng of the mail beneath his robe. Luc at once turned to look at him, then sketched a sign of dismissal in the air before the entrance to the chapel and came to join him, setting a hand on his shoulder in concern as he crouched beside him.
Arnault took a deep breath and let it out gustily, shaking his head at Luc's look of inquiry and letting the older man help him to his feet.
”Well, that was an interesting exercise,” he murmured. ”If my vision was clear, then Torquil and Brother Mungo were right: Something is seriously wrong with the Stone. I had the sense that it can be made right-but I have no idea where we begin to find out how.”
He swayed and almost stumbled. Not speaking, Luc took him by the arm and guided him to a seat on a stone bench set against the back wall of the little chapel, where Arnault haltingly described what he had seen.
”So the Stone is dead-or at least ailing,” Arnault concluded, his eyes, like Luc's, fixed on the dark bulk of the Stone, ”and the Canmore line has been extinguished. Could it be that someone has been interfering with the Stone and stirring up whatever power Briochan wielded, to thwart both missions?”
”Who could do that, or would want to?” Luc whispered. ”Jay certainly doesn't fit those parameters.”
”I shouldn't think so-but you know him better than I,” Arnault said. ”But if not Jay, then who? Some remnant, perhaps, of the cult that followed Briochan, back in Columba's time?”
”I suppose it's possible,” Luc allowed. ”This is an ancient land, with ancient G.o.ds, who did not bow willingly to Christ or to Columba.”
”Precisely my point. And what if votaries of those old G.o.ds are now attempting to obliterate all that Columba achieved, including Scotland's Christian monarchy?”
”What, indeed?” Luc said. ”And it's certainly possible that disturbing the bones of their patron might have drawn unwelcome attention to the Temple.”
Arnault nodded grimly. ”I'd thought of that. It could well be that what now unfolds in Scotland is bound up with the larger crisis looming over the Temple-and, indeed, the whole of civilization. We see the old order of things being disrupted at every turn, and a flood of random hazard let loose on the world. The loss of the Christian East was our first warning of that danger, and now the signs are everywhere. What nations and inst.i.tutions may rise out of this chaos, only the events of the next several years will tell. But you and I, and all the Inner Circle, will have to make our choices very carefully, if the Temple is to survive the fire and fulfill the role to which it is appointed by Providence.”
”A sobering prospect,” Luc agreed. ”What do you propose we do?”
”For the immediate future, continue to watch and listen. In particular, Jay must be watched. My work here is mostly done for now, with the new King of Scots now crowned- though only time will tell what that is worth, given the condition of the Stone. I shall take counsel of our superiors when Torquil and I return to Paris.”
”They must be aware of all of this,” Luc agreed.
”There is one thing more,” Arnault went on, after a slight hesitation. ”Given Torquil's part in recent events, I intend to speak with Gaspar about him, There can be no doubt that the potentials you first noted have begun to surface, and to specific intent. He should be initiated. Unless Gaspar forbids it, I shall submit Torquil's name to le MaArtre.”
Luc's brow furrowed, his gray eyes troubled. ”Are you certain he's ready, my friend? You know what is required. If he is not sufficiently prepared-”
”I know what will happen,” Arnault said steadily. ”And I'm prepared to stake my life-or rather, his life-that he will come through it.
”We need him, Luc; and it appears that Scotland needs him as well.”
Chapter Twelve.
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, THE NEW KING OF SCOTS AND his party headed south for Edinburgh and the remaining guests at Scone Abbey began to disperse. The Templar contingent rode with them, providing a discreet rear guard for the royal party. Arnault and Torquil traveled in their company, intending to continue on with the English Templars as far as London; but when Arnault's horse took a bad fall in driving rain just outside Edinburgh, leaving Arnault with a badly bruised shoulder and arm-and temporarily unable to wield a sword-he decided to capitalize on the flexibility of his orders from Paris and to winter at the Scottish preceptory. While it would delay furthering Torquil's advancement until the spring, Luc rightly pointed out that it also afforded them an opportunity to observe, from closer hand, the beginning of John Balliol's reign-and Brian de Jay.
Not unexpectedly, the Master of Scotland was less than pleased at the prospect of having two more mouths to feed through the winter, not to mention two more horses, and clearly resented the ongoing presence of two ”spies” from the Visitor of France-under his roof but not really under his command for the duration-but he could hardly insist that Arnault ride on when unfit to fight; and winter was already setting in with a vengeance. By the time the English Templars continued on to London, after several days'
delay at Balantrodoch to wait out an early winter storm, they carried with them, among routine reports and doc.u.ments intended for the Paris Temple, Jay's official report of John Balliol's invest.i.ture and also, coded in what appeared to be a routine report to the Paris treasury, a somewhat expanded account, prepared by Arnault and Luc, which would find its way to superiors of which the Master of Scotland was not aware.
In the ensuing four months of bitter cold and inactivity, no further incident touched the community at Balantrodoch that could be construed as uncanny; nor could subtle inquiry uncover any further clue as to the fate of the missing grave goods. Nonetheless, Arnault and Luc continued to harbor serious misgivings about the affinities and intentions of Brian de Jay, both esoteric and political. Both at Berwick and at Scone, Jay had taken every opportunity to ingratiate himself with Bishop Bek and other senior servants of the English crown a.s.signed to carry out King Edward's intentions in Scotland. Soon after their return to Balantrodoch, as it became apparent that Edward was not backing down from his ongoing goal to bring Scotland firmly under his control, Torquil pointed out how Jay's active support of this policy might eventually create a split within the ranks of the Templar Order.
In the meantime, signs of dissension were already beginning to reappear among the Scottish n.o.bility. John Balliol, against the advice of his more farsighted ministers, journeyed south to Newcastle shortly before Christmas, there to do homage to King Edward of England on the feast of Saint Stephen. In a contrasting show of independence, Robert Bruce of Annandale, the second of that name, renounced his position as Earl of Carrick rather than swear fealty to Balliol upon his return.
These ostentatiously evasive tactics on behalf of the Bruces only served to underline the limitations of Balliol's authority-a weakness that Arnault made no effort to disguise in the further report that he and Torquil made to the Visitor of France when they returned to Paris at the beginning of March.
The stranger elements of the Scottish situation Arnault reserved for the exclusive attention of Gaspar des Macquelines, delivered privily after their arrival, at a meeting deep in the bowels of the Paris treasury. At Arnault's suggestion, Torquil had been sent off to the preceptory at Prunay, a day's ride from Paris, on the pretext of delivering a letter from Gaspar to the provincial treasurer. The senior knight listened intently as Arnault acquainted him with all the new permutations of the information that he and Luc had a.s.sembled, together with their further speculations concerning same, though he made no emphasis of Torquil's part in the proceedings at that time.
”We can only conclude that someone, somehow, has contrived to eradicate the Canmore dynasty,” he declared by way of a summation, ”and our evidence points to black magic being the vehicle. We strongly suspect the involvement of a cult of apostates who want to set aside the Christian traditions of Saint Columba in favor of a return to paganism. We may be dealing with devotees of a particular adversary of Columba called Briochan. Luc is pressing on with the investigation. He'll send word to us here, as soon as there's anything further worth reporting.”
”That could prove a dangerous job for one man on his own, even someone of Luc's capabilities,” Gaspar said with a frown. ”I'm surprised you didn't leave young Lennox behind to help him.”
It was the opening Arnault had been waiting for, now that the groundwork had been laid.
”I thought about that,” he said. ”And Luc does have a good man there, who can be trusted in the ordinary things: another Scot, called Flannan Fraser. But I have an urgent request to make on behalf of Brother Torquil-and it wasn't something I dared delay or that I wanted to entrust to writing.”
Gaspar only inclined his head, giving permission for Arnault to continue. With a slowly indrawn breath, Arnault prepared to take the plunge.
”You are well aware of my satisfaction with Brother Torquil's work on all levels,” he said. ”By now, you will have gathered that his contributions to our esoteric work have begun to take on significant dimensions. His vision regarding the death of Alexander III helped validate my own insights and suspicions regarding the death of the Maid of Norway. And his levelheaded handling of subsequent observations has only convinced me further that he shares in those affinities by which our Inner Circle is served.
”In view of this development, I should like to propose that he be received, without delay, into the ranks of le Cercle.”
Gaspar raised one bushy eyebrow. ”That is a singularly audacious request, my friend, quite apart from the risks to which you would subject him.”
”I know that.”
”Do you? Understand that I have never doubted this young man's potential-believe me, I have not-but when you and I last spoke, his inner talents were only just beginning to manifest. Would you really have me believe that he has achieved, in only a few short months, what normally takes years-if, indeed, it is even attainable?”
”He is still achieving-and that is a lifelong process for all of us-but, yes,” Arnault said steadily. ”What prompts my request is not only the speed with which he has progressed, but also the quality of that progression. I believe that this sudden blossoming of his mystical gifts has been divinely instigated in response to the crisis now facing us. That's the reason I brought him back with me-in the hope that you and le MaArtre would a.s.sent to his immediate initiation into our company.”
This p.r.o.nouncement reduced Gaspar to thoughtful silence. When at last he spoke, his tone was carefully measured.
”Putting aside the danger to Brother Torquil-you do realize that what you're asking is wholly unprecedented?”
”So is our present situation,” Arnault replied. ”Did we, in our wisdom, ever foresee that the Order would be driven from the sh.o.r.es of Outremer? Did we ever foresee that we would one day find ourselves without a homeland? Who are we to refuse to change our ways, when everything else around us is in a state of flux?”
”We are the guardians of sacred tradition,” Gaspar said. ”It is upon those traditions that our strength depends.”
”And what will become of those traditions, if the Order fails in its mission to rebuild the Temple?” Arnault countered. ”We claim to be believers in signs and miracles. We presume to take guidance from sources that, if it were even suspected we had access to them, would instill such fear in those who do not comprehend, as could bring about our deaths and the end of our holy Order. If we accept the validity of a vision which instructs that the Temple should be rebuilt on Scottish soil, then surely we must admit the possibility that a native-born Scot might have been granted particular gifts for the sake of accomplis.h.i.+ng this task.”
Seeing his superior still silent, Arnault persisted.
”At least consider my request, Gaspar. I am not asking this as an overly fond parent pleading a favor on behalf of a precocious child. I am asking because I am convinced that Torquil has a part to play in this work, which cannot be fully realized until he knows consciously what is at stake. Will you at least speak to MaArtre Jean?”
Gaspar s.h.i.+fted in his chair, troubled eyes searching Arnault's. ”You know what the initiation entails. If your young protg isn't ready-if you've misread the situation-”
”I'm aware of what could happen,” Arnault said. ”But I'm sure he won't fail.”
”A visionary p.r.o.nouncement?”
”No, a statement of faith. Have any of us any more to go on, in the work we have undertaken?”
”No,” Gaspar said softly.