The trial commences and Bishop Celyn gets himself into a jam.

The Angry Mermaid 83
Or
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 83.

Before the bishop was allowed to explain, the first thing Carl organised was for the three guards to remove Lefty Tip-toe to the garderobe so that he could not hear or contradict the bishop’s testimony. Once he was secure the sergeant returned with Arthur while Derek stayed to watch Lefty who was bound hand and foot, gagged and blind-folded.

When the sergeant returned Carl kept silent and nodded imperceptibly to the guards. When the cardinal started asking questions Bishop Celyn started lying. He blithely denied all knowledge of the attempted assassination by first pretending that it must have been a bungled robbery. At this suggestion Cardinal Craklow held up the long spike that so much resembled a steel knitting needle.

“Are you saying this tool is some sort of ‘pick-lock’?”

“That is all I can think of.”

“The Saxon deems it to be some sort of specialist skewer, designed to slip easily between a man’s ribs and pierce a man’s heart; ... my ribs ... my heart!”

“I have no idea who would wish you dead. I can only think it would be an enemy of the holy church, somebody who might wish to keep to the old pagan faiths, somebody who might secretly object perhaps to the building of our church.”

Carl struggled to keep silent as he sensed exactly who Bishop Celyn was trying to implicate. At this stage though, it was best he kept silent for his testimony would have devastating consequences. He let the cardinal continue.

“That could be almost anybody.” The cardinal replied.

“Then I don’t know your holiness, you might have to ask the intruder as to who put him up to it.”

“We’ll deal with him later. The question here is the seeming attempt upon my life. How did a common thief or a professional assassin even, get into your palace?”

“Your grace, I am desperately sorry for this serious breach of security. I had no idea; please ask the housekeeper, she locks the doors at night.”

“Are you suggesting she left the doors unlocked or that the assassin somehow picked the locks ... with this? It hasn’t even got a turnkey on it! It’s straight!”

He held up the needle sharp skewer.

“It’s possible your grace, a skilled man might ....”

“Enough, that is all conjecture. I’ll speak with the house-keeper later. But first, I will despatch one of these two city guards to fetch the king and some of his retainers.”

The cardinal turned to Carl who wagged his head to warn the cardinal.

“Your grace, we have no certainty who else might be at large that might be intent upon your murder. If any more assassins arrive, I and the sergeant’s men might be outnumbered. Might I suggest you ask Bishop Celyn to despatch one of his guards from outside the door.”

“Are you sure Saxon?”

The cardinal pressed as he quickly grasped the Saxon’s intent. He turned to the bishop and nodded.

“Yes bishop, perhaps you’d better send some of your guards to rouse King Ethelred.”

Carl and the sergeant exchanged the faintest traces of smiles as they both recognised the dawning fear in Celyn’s eyes. Craklow’s acceptance of Carl’s suggestion that he, the cardinal, might still be attacked was certain proof that he did not trust either the bishop or his household. The bishop cast about him as the dawning realisation settled like a dead lump in his belly; he almost cried his next plea.

“Your grace! I assure you in the name of God that I had no hand in this.”

“We’ll let the king and his earls decide that,” Cardinal Craklow replied. “It would not be right for anybody here to act as judge, jury or inquisitor. We are all witnesses in some lesser or greater degree. Only the King is empowered to determine the truth here. Send one or better still, two of your guards.”

Bishop Celyn now realised there was to be no chance of silencing Lefty Tip-toe. He swallowed nervously and grovelled as he backed away to instruct the guards. Cardinal Craklow nodded slowly and knowingly as he recognised that the Saxon’s suspicions might be correct. He instructed the bishop to remain in the room as he turned to Carl.

“Very well bishop but you must wait here. Saxon, send one of the guards from outside the door to go and find another guard. Tell him to collect another comrade and report this business to the king.”

Carl nodded to the sergeant of the city guard who was naturally well known to the bishop’s men for they often met socially in the city when off duty and officially during ceremonial occasions. The bishop’s guard was briefly invited in to receive the cardinal’s orders. He saluted, went down the corridor to find another comrade and they were soon trudging through the snow to the city gate thence the king’s palace.

Within an hour King Ethelred and a company of his guard arrived at the Bishop’s palace; all were on horseback because the snow was so deep.

Firstly, the king demanded to speak privately to the Cardinal without anybody else present. He left instructions for everybody to surrender their weapons including Carl. The city guard’s-men were reluctant at first but Carl persuaded them. He had no reason to mistrust the king for he had heard the bishop plotting with Lefty. Carl already knew who the plotters were, what puzzled him were the bishop’s motives.

Everybody spent an hour waiting in the Bishop’s parlour until the King emerged from the Cardinal’s bedroom. He announced to everybody.

“I will be holding my court two days from now. The assassin will be held in my Prison. The Cardinal will be moving to my palace for safe-keeping, you Bishop Celyn, will remain here incommunicado at your palace and sergeant, I am requiring you and the city guards to be billeted with the Captain of the palace guard in the royal barracks where you will speak to nobody. Carl, I am requiring you to return to the Lioness and stay in your chambers with her until the day of the hearings.”

Ethelred issued further instructions to his palace guards and trudged wearily out of the room while his soldiers quickly setting about implementing Ethelred’s orders. Carl was pleased that the weapons were returned to the city guards. They at least, were under no suspicion. Carl’s sword was detained as evidence because there was blood on the blade where the flat had broken the assassin’s wrist and split the skin. He returned through the freezing snow now flattened and compacted by the horses and quickly slipped into Drustina’s bedroom.

~o0o~

“He what!!?” Drustina gasped in total disbelief.

“Honestly Dru! The Cardinal no less. It beggars belief!”

“So what exactly happened?”

“I’ll tell you in the morning, I’m tired and freezing right now.”

“You don’t expect me to sleep now do you?”

“Well you’d better. Move up and let me in, I’m bloody freezing.”

His cold feet just brushed Drustina’s butt and she squealed her protest.

“Aaargh! You’re bloody freezing, go and warm up by the fire first!”

“It’s only my feet; the rest of me has warmed up by the fire already.”

“Well keep your bloody feet away you sadist.”

He giggled but did as ordered and spooned up to her until his feet had warmed then she chose to slide her feet between his while they continued talking quietly about the night’s events. They eventually fell asleep and stayed spooned together until the morning. Sister Catherine woke them when a knock on the door announced the arrival of Carl’s breakfast.

“Why aren’t you eating in the great hall with the rest of us?” Drustina demanded.

“I’m a witness and I’m not allowed to discuss the case with anybody.”

“Huh. You discussed it with me last night.”

“Yeah. Well don’t go spreading that around. I’ve been asked to stay incommunicado until the trial, the day after tomorrow.”

She grinned at him as she dressed into a loose gown while Sister Catherine helped her. Carl studied her ‘bump’ and grinned.

“It’s getting big. D’you think it’s twins again?”

“Wouldn’t be surprised. I’m a twin.” Drustina sighed as she kissed him then waddled slowly down to the great hall.

For the remaining time, Carl felt like a caged animal until the time of the trial. Fortunately, Drustina’s delightful company kept him sane and he emerged to sit at the back of the great hall while Ethelred asked numerous questions of the three city guards.
Guard’s-man Arthur got a particular grilling as Bishop Celyn advocated for himself and he virtually accused Arthur of being a liar under the presumption that Arthur was just a common soldier who typically bragged and lied. Celyn asserted that nobody could trust Arthur’s testimony because it couldn’t be supported. On the other hand, Celyn implied that he, as a bishop and a man of God, would naturally be of impeccable character.

For a moment Arthur seethed with indignation then finally he referred the pompous bishop to Carl. Bishop Celyn span
around in shock as he realised there must have been two witnesses.

“Are you saying that you were accompanied by the Saxon all this time?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“I have; now! Nobody asked until now.”

Bishop Celyn paled noticeably as he realised he had walked into a trap. The Saxon would be deemed a much more trustworthy witness; a man well known, much liked by the other earls and well respected for his part in the defence of Wessex. King Ethelred intervened to question the city Guard.

“So you are saying that Carl the Saxon was with you when you were outside the door.”

“Yes your majesty. Eric and Sergeant Penstock went one way and the Saxon took me. We saw the light under the door and heard talking. The Saxon can confirm all this.”

Ethelred turned to Bishop Celyn.

“Have you any more questions for this soldier.”

Bishop Celyn almost croaked his hoarse reply.

“No your majesty.”

“Very well, I call Carl the Saxon.”

There was a murmur of interest around the court as Carl approached the King’s high table and promised to tell the truth. Ethelred instructed him to relate his version of events which paralleled Arthur’s and when he had finished, there was a deathly silence. Ethelred invited Bishop Celyn to question the Saxon.

“Firstly Saxon, if you heard all this then why didn’t you arrest us there and then while we were talking in the kitchen?”

“There were only two of us at the kitchen door and we didn’t know how many assassins were present, either in the kitchen with you or secreted about the palace.”

“But you say yourself that there were only one set of tracks in the snow.”

“No, I said we only SAW one set of tracks. How were we to know that other Assassins hadn’t already entered the palace before the snow started earlier that evening?”

“And how would they do that? How would they get past my guards?”

“Quo gardis qui gardis? There was definitely somebody helping the assassin because the two guards, the sergeant and I each saw Lefty Tip-toe walk straight up to the unlocked door and step straight in. There was no attempt to check if the door was locked, he just walked up and opened it without hesitation, without even looking around and obviously without any fears of being challenged. The sergeant actually remarked to that effect and I agreed. Normally a thief would skulk and creep for fear of capture. It was an inside job.”

“Oh so you would know about such things.” Replied the bishop as he tried to intimate that Carl might have a dishonest side.

Carl just snorted his contempt as he explained.

“Bishop, I have fought alongside the Lioness many times. I’ve invaded enough castles and palaces by stealth, by subterfuge and by deception to know exactly how men behave when they are avoiding discovery! It is in their nature to skulk and creep and crawl. I certainly would, I am a soldier, it’s my job!”

Another murmur of agreement rippled around the court and Bishop Celyn realised he had lost that round. He tried another tack.

“So what did you do next?”

“We met up with Sergeant Penstock and Eric, more by accident than design. We agreed to check up on the Cardinal and if he was alive, then we agreed to arrange a trap for the assassin or assassins. When we found the cardinal asleep, we knew we were in time so we woke him and laid a trap.”

“With the Cardinal as bait.”

“He knew the risks, we explained everything to him. He agreed .”

“But you still risked his life.”

“We had to catch the assassin or assassins in the act, with a reliable witness. The cardinal was that witness. How would we prove anything unless we caught the criminals and had a witness?”

“The assassin came within a foot of murdering Cardinal Craklow.”

“Two feet,” Carl corrected him.

“That is too close, he almost succeeded.”

“It wasn’t too close and he didn’t succeed. Our trap worked, the plan worked.”

“You don’t think that two feet was too close? The cardinal wasn’t even armed.”

“An inch would have been too close, two feet is safe enough, even in the dark.”

“But you could not see.”

“I could feel; I chose to stand with one foot on a loose floorboard and my other knee against the bed. When the assassin stood on the other end of the floorboard and knelt on the bed, I knew he was there and struck out.”

“You were very fortunate that you caught his wrist, wasn’t that a lucky strike, it could have been one of your own men.”

“That remark shows what little you know of combat. Our plan addressed the darkness and the identity problem.”

“How?”

“That’s a secret I’m not prepared to divulge; to you at least. Enough to say the plan worked and if you claim it was a lucky strike then the luck was all with Lefty Tip-toe. If I hadn’t struck his wrist my blade would have swung through and caught him in the stomach, chest, neck or head. In any event, he would have been seriously injured or dead. We wanted him alive if we could. We were lucky; we got him alive with an injury only to his wrist.”

Once again, Bishop Celyn realised he was losing the argument and he hesitated nervously.

“D’you think it’s wise to go waving swords around in total darkness?”

“It was necessary, the assassin’s skewers could have easily killed any one of us at close quarters. I used my sword to keep him at least an arm’s length away. As I said earlier, the plan worked. He stands in the dock right there.”

“Do you still maintain it was an inside job?”

“Yes.” Carl answered bluntly.

“So you think my house-keeper helped him, we found no other suspects.”

The house-keeper let out a wail of despair and the court descended into uproar as the king called for silence. As calm returned the woman sobbed hysterically. Bishop Celyn smiled as he sensed he might have found a patsy. He repeated his question to Carl but worded it differently in a crude attempt to implicate the woman.

“So if the house-keeper helped the assassin that would explain the door being unlocked.”

“No.” Carl replied emphatically. “I didn’t mention anything about the house-keeper, anybody could have unlocked the door.”

“One of my guards perhaps.” The bishop suggested.

“I doubt that.” Carl added. “They would have to have obtained the key. When we followed the assassin into the house, the key was nowhere to be seen and nobody found it on the assassin. When the king’s guard searched for it they found it still on the house-keeper’s belt. The other key was by your bed. Only two people were in a position to have unlocked the door, you or your house-keeper.”

“So who do you think it could have been?”

Carl paused for effect the answered calmly and softly.

“You.”

Bishop Celyn almost screeched with rage as the court descended into uproar. After a minute the king managed to restore order and motioned to Bishop Celyn to continue.

“Are you accusing me!!!?”

“Yes.”

“How dare you! That is tantamount to blasphemy.”

“Not to me it isn’t, remember I’m still a pagan.”

“This is a Christian kingdom. The penalty for blasphemy is death. Pagan or Christian, anybody who abuses the name of God or his servants here on earth is guilty of Blasphemy!”

Carl shrugged then repeated.

“I know what I heard so does Guard’s-man Arthur. If the truth is deemed Blasphemy then your Christian faith must be a very peculiar set of beliefs and values. Just because a truth doesn’t sit comfortably with this court doesn’t make it a lie. If that were so it would be pointless holding this court.”

Bishop Celyn still refused to give up for he was now fighting for his life.

“Still, we only have your word and the guard’s-man’s for this.”

“And Lefty Tip-toe’s,” Carl added softly knowing that a peaceful, calm reply would have far greater effect.

A knowing silence settled on the court as a tension spread and the bishop tried one last tactic.

“Lefty Tip-toe would say anything to save his skin. Everybody knows he’s a thief and a liar.”

“He also knows he was caught bang to rights. He has nothing to lose by telling the truth and everything to gain.”

“He is to hang for murder,” the bishop scoffed, “he will say anything you want him to.”

“No,” Carl replied quietly and patiently again as he realised his testimony was having a lethal effect, “Lefty Tip-toe is being tried for attempted murder; he didn’t actually kill anybody!”

“It’s tantamount to the same thing, the evil is within him.”

“Again I must disagree. Your own book states ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ It says nothing about attempting to kill.”

“But further on in the book it clearly lays down the punishment.” The bishop crowed. "Tip-toe planned to kill so he is guilty, he shall hang.”

“That is not quite ‘an eye for an eye’,” Carl argued. “In old Saxon and Pagan law, such a crime would only incur a prison sentence or a fine; it’s your Christian law that demands death as a punishment.”

“Well he planned to murder the cardinal so for that he must be executed. That is our law!”

Carl paused again for effect then replied with devastating effect.

“Then so must you be executed, for you also planned to kill the Cardinal.”

Celyn paled and staggered as he realised his blunder while a snigger of consensus rippled around the court. Ethelred tapped lightly with his sword on the table as he called for order.

“Gentlemen, might I remind you that it is me that decides the convictions... and the punishments.”

~~oo000oo~~

Gazette of Characters etc.

Mabina.... Ch 1 The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan.... Ch1 Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin.... Ch1 The twin’s grandfather.
Giana.... Ch1 The twin’s grandmother.
Caderyn.... Ch1 The twin’s father.
Herenoie.... Ch1` The twin’s wise and beautiful mother.
Morgaran.... Ch1 The Twins oldest brother.
Aiofe.... Ch1 The twin’s oldest sister. Famous for her beauty.
Tara.... Ch1 The twin’s second oldest sister. Famous for her grace.
Feidlim.... Ch1 Twins aunt (Caderyns’ beautiful sister.)
Mogantu.... Ch1 Twins uncle (Married to Feidlim.) Chief of the Gangani tribe.
Brun.... Ch1 Twins 2nd cousin and the Acaman clans’ blacksmith.
Feorin.... Ch1 Twins second brother. Also training to be a blacksmith.
Rhun.... Ch 2 Feidlims’ son and Feorins’ favourite 1st Cousin. (Both red-heads.)
Arina.... Ch 4. Child of a Demetae fisherman, (rescued by the three siblings.)
Penderol.... Ch 6 Dumnonii Minor chief.
Udris.... Ch 6. Young Dumnonii warrior. Ch 6
Dryslwyn.... Ch 7 High chief of the whole Celtic nation. Dwells in Brithony. Ch 7
Bronlwyn.... Ch 7 Dryslwyn’s wife (and queen.)
Magab.... Ch 8 The moor who taught numbers.
Eric.... Ch 9 Saxon galley slave rescued from Corsair pirates.
Carl.... Ch 9 Another Saxon galley slave rescued by Drustan.
Torvel.... Ch 9 Celtic galley slave rescued from the same captured corsair ship
Arton.... Ch 7 Turdetani Chieftain Holder of Gibral Rock.
Carinia.... Ch7 Arton’s wife.
Isobel... . Ch 7 Arton’s adopted daughter.
Appotel.... Ch 9 King of the Turdetani Tribe. (Southern Iberia.)
Bramana.... Ch 9 Queen. (Wife of Appotel)
Pilus.... Ch 10 King of the Capetani.
Shaleen.... Ch 10 Pilus’s queen and sister to Bramana.
Pedoro.... Ch 10 Lord Marshal of the Southern border region.
Lady Shulaar.... Ch 10 Lord Pedoro’s wife.
Taan.... Ch 11 The scullery maid.
Isaar.... Ch 11 Pedoro’s oldest son.
Ferdie.... Ch 11 Pedoro’s 2nd son
Sular.... Ch 11 Pedoro’s 3rd son
Gontala.... Ch 11 Pedoro’s youngest son.
Shenoa.... Ch 11 Pedoro’s only daughter.
Portega.... Ch 14 Tyrant King to the west.
Portua.... Ch 14 Portega’s grandson.
Jubail.... Ch 15 An old Fisherman.
Mutas.... Ch 16 Magab’s younger brother and usurper.
Walezia.... Ch 18 King of Malta.
Alviar.... Ch 21 Megalomaniacal bishop of Carthage. (Hates Drustina.)
Ethelia.... Ch 21 Female healer who treats Drustina during her pregnancy.
Seripatese.... Ch 21 Drustina’s faithful horse.
Astos & Amitor.... Ch 26 Minor royalty who govern Alexandria. King and Twin Queen.
Meronee.... Ch 28 Nubian Queen of Nobatia The northern Kingdom of the Nubians.
Horam.... Ch 30 The Egyptian master Boat builder.
Muraa.... Ch 31 King Astos’s male partner.
Tuk.... Ch 35 Makurian general.
Fantu.... Ch 35 Makurian Captain.
Irene.... Ch 41 Emperor Leon’s only child.
Leon.... Ch 41 Byzantine Emperor.
Zano.... Ch 41 Byzantine general who defeats the Bulgars with Drustina’s help.
Oraxyis Ch 42 Supreme commander of the Bulgar forces.
Urthos.... Ch 46 The Gaul elected captain of the 4th ship. Ex Barbary galley slave.
Horus... . Ch 46 Horam the boat-builder’s son.
Sister Catherine.... Ch 47 Leader of the pirate nuns.
Archishop Craklow Ch 47 Archbishop of Warsaw, later Cardinal Craklow.
Guthrun.... Ch 49 Jarl of Bornholm.
Etheline.... Ch 49 Guthruns’ wife the countess of Bornholm.
Capenda.... Ch 49 Taras’ mare.
Athun.... Ch 52 Gay king of Dark Age Denmark.
Queen Elthorn.... Ch 52 King Athuns’ Consort.
Iselda... . Ch 55 Athun and Brendigan’s, younger (middle) sister.
Heingist or Hengis..... Ch 52 Drustina’s loyal Danish pilot who becomes her 1st Mate
Brendigan..... Ch 54 Athun’s older sister and consort queen of Svenland.
Bjorn.... . Ch 53 The captain of the Palace Guard. King Athun’s gay partner.
Morgan and Amethyst.....Ch 56 Drustina’s twin children.
Dalcimon..... Ch 62 Queen of West Friesia.
Andrar..... Ch 62 Prince of West Friesia (Dalcimon’s son.)
Harald Cold Blood.... Ch 63 The Viking King, father of Gisela
Jupus..... Ch 69 Carl’s stallion.
Heliox..... Ch 69 Drustina’s second mate and deputy navigator (Ex Belgiie fisherman)
Gisela..... Ch 70 Viking princess captured after the Battle of Godwin Sands.
“Althred..... Ch 71 Young Saxon Naval commander who allies his fleet with Drustina
Symone.... Ch 73 Young teenaged rape victim who join’s Drustina’s band.
Edburg.... Ch 72 The Angry mermaid’s cook.
Edrinor.... Ch 80. The Mercian King.
Princess Sonala.... Ch 80 Edrinor’s daughter
Celyn.... Ch 80 Saxon Bishop of Winchester.
Sergeant penstock... Ch 82 sergeant of the city guard.
Lefty Tip-toe.... Ch 82 Thief and assassin.

~~oo000oo~~