They had all but finished their meal, and Edgar now released the mastiff. Uther bounded in joyfully, running pell-mell for his master, and sat at his feet panting, a long dribble of saliva hanging from one jowl.
“And you helped us get to the truth, Chops,” said Simon.
Baldwin stroked the broad head, ruffling the short fur. Uther panted up at him, mouth gaping in a broad smile. Then he twitched round, his great paw lifted, and he scratched at his ear. Baldwin watched, paralyzed with horror as the long stream of dribble rose, curved, performed a short, sinuous dance, and finally flicked off, climbing upward before the knight’s face, seeming to get ever closer.
Edgar, out in the buttery with Hugh, was sitting on a barrel and chatting when they heard the roar. He half-rose, then shrugged and sat back again.
“What was that?” asked the mystified Hugh.
“From the sound,” said Edgar, taking a reflective pull of his ale, “I think my master is debating whether to ask Emma to stay.”
About the Author
MICHAEL JECKS gave up a career in the computer industry when he began writing the internationally successful Templar series. There are now twenty books starring Sir Baldwin Furnshill and Bailiff Simon Puttock, with more to follow. The series has been translated into all the major European languages and sells worldwide. The Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association for the year 2004–2005, Michael is a keen supporter of new writing and has helped many new authors through the Debut Dagger Award. He is a founding member of Medieval Murderers, and regularly talks on medieval matters as well as writing. Michael lives in Northern Dartmoor with his wife and family. Visit his website at www.michaeljecks.co.uk.
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Praise from here and abroad for the
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR MYSTERIES by MICHAEL JECKS
“Police procedural with a medieval twist.”
Albany Times-Union
Michael Jecks has a way of dipping into the past and giving it the immediacy of a present-day newspaper article.... He writes … with such convincing charm that you expect to walk round a corner in Tavistock and meet some of his characters.”
Oxford Times
“Memorable characters, steadily absorbing period background … a commendable achievement.”
Kirkus Reviews
“A gem of historical storytelling.”
Northern Echo
“Involving and memorable … The whole series belongs in any collection.”
Library Journal
“What indefatigable sleuths we have in
Baldwin de Furnshill and Simon Puttock.”
North Devon Journal (UK)
Books by Michael Jecks
A FRIAR’S BLOODFEUD
THE BUTCHER OF ST. PETERS
THE CHAPEL OF BONES
THE TOLLS OF DEATH
THE OUTLAWS OF ENNOR
THE TEMPLAR’S PENANCE
THE MAD MONK OF GIDLEIGH
THE DEVIL’S ACOLYTE
THE STICKLEPATH STRANGLER
THE TOURNAMENT OF BLOOD
THE BOY-BISHOP’S GLOVEMAKER
THE TRAITOR OF ST GILES
BELLADONNA AT BELSTONE
SQUIRE THROWLEIGH’S HEIR
THE LEPER’S RETURN
THE ABBOT’S GIBBET
THE CREDITON KILLINGS
A MOORLAND HANGING
THE MERCHANT’S PARTNER
THE LAST TEMPLAR
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
THE LEPER’S RETURN. Copyright © 1998 by Michael Jecks. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © SEPTEMBER 2006 ISBN: 9780061847523
Version 07272012
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-084658-9
ISBN-10: 0-06-084658-5
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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