The Prophecy of Death: (Knights Templar 25) Read Online Free PDF Page B

tomorrow and the devil take them. All Mark wanted just this minute
     was his bed again. The thought of the well-stuffed mattress, the roped frame, the soft pillow filled with hens’ feathers,
     was all enough to make him scowl and want to kill a man.
    There had been other little disturbances as well, of course. A couple of days ago there had been the arrival of the envoys
     from France on their way to find the King. Prior Henry had been able to direct them to Beaulieu, where he had heard the King
     had descended. God be praised, the envoys and their assorted train had departed yesterday, Monday.
    At the door to the barn, he passed his candle to Hal before struggling with the great bolt. It should have been greased, and
     he reminded himself again to see to it. The old timbers of the doors had dropped, and the iron bolt was firmly fixed in its
     slot. He was forced to haul and jiggle it, gradually making it move side-to-side before he had loosened it enough to drawit free, and then he had to pull at the door while trying to lift it at the same time, the ancient timbers scraping across
     the paved entrance way.
    Inside they had fenced off the left-hand side. This was where the hounds were supposed to live, while opposite was being used
     for hay storage. The two were cautious with their candles in here, for all knew the dangers of lighted candles and hay, and
     Hal’s wick was already spitting dangerously. Mark made a mental note to trim it in the morning.
    The noise was deafening here. Baying and howling, some of the beasts jumping up at the partition, while others prowled, heads
     low and suspicious.
    Mark took up a switch from a peg by the door. He never liked dogs, and certainly wouldn’t trust them. The first time he had
     been bitten by one was when he was nothing but a youngster, and the experience of seeing that enormous gaping jaw in front
     of him, smelling that foul breath, and feeling the teeth clench over his puny forearm, was one he would never forget. All
     he could recall was screaming in a high tone, like a hog feeling the knife open his throat. The memory was enough to make
     him shudder, and now, as he stood there in the gloom, candle high overhead, switch in his other fist, he was taken with an
     urge to destroy the lot of them. Just toss his candle into the hay, and all the hounds would soon be gone. Burned to ash,
     all of them.
    Except he couldn’t. The Queen would delight in repaying the priory for such dereliction. And Mark himself would be blamed.
     He was the man responsible, after all.
    So no. He would have to see what the problem was.
    Hal had taken hold of a small whip, and flicked it at a dog trying to leap the partition. It fell back, yelping. Another took
     a cut across its nose, and fled to the rear of the pack, howling– although whether with rage or pain, Mark couldn’t tell.
    ‘What’s the matter with them?’ Hal demanded, trying to speak over the noise.
    ‘They’re beasts! Just hounds. They don’t need a reason to make this row. They do it for fun,’ Mark shouted back. God, but
     it was so tempting to throw his candle down and …
    His eyes caught a glitter in the straw even as the enticing thought caught at his imagination. There was something there,
     he thought, and peered more closely.
    ‘What is it?’ Hal called, his attention split between the hounds leaping at the screen and his master, who had crossed the
     floor and stood staring down at the straw. ‘Master?’
    He cast a glance at the hounds once more, but then something made him walk over towards his master. ‘Master?’
    ‘No! Keep back, Hal!’ Mark exclaimed urgently, and tried to stop the lad. But he was too late.
    ‘Oh, Christ! Oh, God! Gilbert, no! What’s happened to him? Gilbert …’
    Mark tried to turn and shield Hal from the scene, but the boy turned and retched against a sack of grain, face white-green,
     clearly visible even in the warm light from the torches. He had already seen the obscene