‘When the elephants are recovered, the abbot and sacristan will be able to identify them as belonging to the abbey. You’ll be allowed to examine them yourself, of course, but there’ll be an even more important witness.’
‘Witness?’ echoed de Fontenel.
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Who are you talking about?’
‘The man who presented the gift to the abbey - Jocelyn Vavasour.’
‘But he’s disappeared. The lord Jocelyn has become an anchorite.’
‘My colleagues are on their way to find him at this very moment.’
Richard de Fontenel was checked. His jaw tightened and his eyes darted. He was mortified by the notion that, even if they were located, the missing elephants would not be returned to him. His wedding gift would be confiscated and his plans thrown into confusion. He was caught unawares by the next question from Gervase.
‘Does the name Olova mean anything to you, my lord?’
‘Who?’ said the other, blinking in surprise.
‘Olova. She lives in the Henstead hundred. Your steward had dealings with her.’
‘That may well be, Master Bret. I didn’t keep track of every person that Hermer saw in the course of his duties. I’ve never heard of this Olova.’
‘Even though you acquired land that once belonged to her?’
‘It was done legally, I assure you.’
‘Not in her opinion. The lady is ready to challenge you in the shire hall.’
‘Let her.’
‘She didn’t speak too highly of your steward.’
‘You’ve talked to her?’
‘The lord Eustace and I rode out to see Olova yesterday.’
‘Do you give preference to a Saxon?’ said de Fontenel, flaring up. ‘The place to settle a dispute is in the shire hall, not behind my back. I’ll register the strongest complaint about this, Master Bret. Judges should be quite impartial.’
‘Olova made no attempt to influence me, my lord,’ Gervase assured him.
‘Then why visit the woman?’
‘To seek her views on another subject.’
‘You went all that way to listen to an embittered old Saxon crone?’
‘Olova is half Danish, my lord. Her late husband was a thegn with estates large enough to match your own. I found Olova a woman of intelligence and determination.’
‘Neither will do her any good when she takes me on in the shire hall.’
‘Are you trying to influence a commissioner, my lord?’ said Daniel, waspishly.
‘Not at all,’ blustered the other. ‘I didn’t introduce Olova into the conversation.’
‘The only reason that I do so,’ said Gervase, ‘was that she talked about Hermer. She was less than grief-stricken when I told her of his fate.’
‘I’m not interested in her, Master Bret.’
‘Then let’s forget her for the moment, my lord. What I wanted to ask you about was your steward’s hands. Why do you think they were cut off?’
‘Sheer savagery!’
‘I was appalled when I saw the mutilation,’ recalled Daniel.
‘The hands were returned to you,’ resumed Gervase. ‘Why was that, my lord?’
‘I wish I knew.’
‘Was it a symbolic gesture, perhaps?’
‘Symbolic of a brutal mind. It would be typical of the lord Mauger.’
‘The lord sheriff has absolved him of the crime.’
‘I know,’ grunted the other, ‘and I’ve learned for certain that it was not his doing.’
“How?’
‘That doesn’t concern you, Master Bret,’ said the other, eager to move them on their way. ‘You come at an awkward time. I’m a busy man and have much to do. If you’ve told me all you came to say, I’ll bid you farewell.’
The visitors rose to their feet and walked across to the door, where Gervase halted. ‘I believe that you once employed a man called Starculf,’ he said.
‘Not for long. He was dismissed.’
‘What did he look like, my lord?’
‘A tall, handsome, upstanding young fellow. A strong one, too, who used to be a falconer. To look in his face, you’d have thought him the soul of honesty. But he let me down, Master Bret. Nobody does that with impunity.’
‘So I understand.’
There was an exchange of farewells, then Gervase led the way out. It was only when they were riding away from the house at a trot that he spoke to his companion. ‘What did you learn from that, Brother Daniel?’
‘That the lord Richard is a poor liar. He didn’t buy those elephants in France.’
‘No,’ said Gervase. ‘He knew exactly where they came from. He may not have stolen them in person but I’m certain that he instigated the theft. Without knowing it, he may even have told us who the thief was.’
‘It wasn’t Starculf,’ said the monk. ‘The description he gave of the man was nothing like the one we had from the sacristan at the abbey. Brother Joseph told us that the thief was short, stocky and thirty years or more. He was no handsome young man.’
‘The sacristan was not describing Starculf at all, Brother Daniel.’
‘Then who was he talking about?’
‘Hermer.’
Drogo had important news to report. Expecting approval, he strutted into the house with more confidence than he had shown when he left it. Mauger Livarot was in the parlour, fastening the gold brooch that held his mantle on. He swung round on his steward. ‘Well?’
‘I’ve spoken to my man at the castle, my lord.’
‘What did he say?’
‘There’s much activity there. Ralph Delchard and Eustace Coureton rode off at dawn in search of Jocelyn Vavasour.’
‘Why?’
‘He didn’t know, my lord. He simply overheard them talking about going to the Holt hundred. That’s where they believe they’ll find him.’
‘I thought that the lord Jocelyn became an anchorite.’
‘He did. Nobody quite knows where he is.’
‘They must be very anxious to track him down,’ said Livarot, stroking his chin, ‘though what use a holy man is to them, I fail to see.’ He gave a cackle. ‘Unless they want the mad fool to bless their enterprise.’
Drogo preened himself. ‘I’ll know more detail in due course,’ he said. ‘As soon as I heard where they’d gone, I sent a man off in pursuit. He’ll shadow them all the way.’
‘Well done, Drogo.’
‘The lord sheriff is also being followed.’
‘How is Roger Bigot spending the day?’
‘Searching for one of the men they suspect - Starculf.’
‘That’ll keep him busy. Is Olivier Romain with him?’
‘Yes, my lord. They’re making every effort to hunt the man down.’
‘Then we must get to him first,’ said Livarot. ‘I remember Starculf well. He was driven off the lord Richard’s estates. Rough treatment breeds revenge. Find him, Drogo. Organise a search of your own.’
‘I’ve already done so,’ said the other, complacently.
‘Good.’
‘We’ll recover those gold elephants somehow, my lord, I promise you that. We might even catch a murderer into the bargain.’
‘All that I’m interested in is a pair of elephants. As for the man who killed Hermer, I’m more likely to congratulate him than hand him over to face justice. Hermer was as loathsome as his master,’ Livarot sneered. ‘I’ve been saved the trouble of killing him myself.’
‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Two commissioners have ridden off, you say. What of the other?’
‘Gervase Bret is paying a call on the lord Richard.’
‘Oh?’
‘Brother Daniel, their scribe, was in attendance.’
‘You have eyes everywhere, Drogo.’
‘I spend money wisely, my lord. But we’ll soon know what passed between the lord Richard and his visitors. I have eyes and ears inside that manor house. I’ve arranged to meet Clamahoc later,’ the
steward said airily. ‘He’ll tell me every word that was spoken.’
‘This is cheering news, Drogo. I sense that we’re moving forward.’
‘We are, my lord.’
‘Is there anything else to report?’
‘Not unless you wish to hear about the commissioners’ wives?’
‘Have they gone in search of Starculf as well?’
‘No, my lord,’ said Drogo, washing his hands in the air. ‘They accepted an invitation to visit the lady Adelaide. I dare say they’re on their way back to the castle by now. Unfortunately, I have no spy in that particular household.’
‘We don’t need one,’ boasted the other. ‘I’m on my way to see the lady Adelaide myself. With careful questioning, I’m sure that I can find out exactly what happened when the two ladies called on her. The lady Adelaide confides in me.’
‘With good reason.’ Drogo followed his master out and waited while Livarot mounted the horse that was saddled in readiness for him. Reins in his hand, the latter looked down at his steward with a puzzled expression.
‘Where does he fit into all this?’ he asked.
‘Who, my lord?’
‘I can understand why men are out in search of Starculf and I can think of many reasons why one of the commissioners should want to question the lord Richard. But it simply doesn’t make sense to go haring off in pursuit of a crazed anchorite.’
‘That surprised me as well,’ admitted the other.
Mauger Livarot shook his head in bafflement. ‘What possible use can Jocelyn Vavasour be to them?’
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he ignored the sharp pinch of the wind as it came in off the sea with mischievous intent. He was too engrossed in his work to feel the periodic hot embrace of the sun as well. Vavasour was using a knife to carve a small piece of driftwood. It was slow, careful, demanding work that allowed for no lapse of concentration. He did not even lift his head when eight riders approached him from behind. It was only when the wading birds suddenly took to the air in fright that he realised he had company. The anchorite turned to look up at his visitors.
Ralph Delchard was the first to dismount and stride across to him. ‘We’re looking for Jocelyn Vavasour,’ he announced.
‘Then your journey has been in vain, my lord,’ said the other, getting up. ‘He doesn’t exist any more.’
‘In that case, I’ll talk to Jocelyn the Anchorite. Do you answer to that name?’
‘Not by choice.’
‘You’re ashamed of your calling?’
‘I’m embarrassed by company, my lord. I chose an hermetic life in order to shun it. I’ve never had to answer to any name since I came to this place. Why have you sought me out?’
Ralph signalled to the escort and the men dismounted, glad to be out of the saddle and able to water their horses. Then he introduced himself and Coureton, explaining that they had suspended their work as royal commissioner while they helped the sheriff with a murder investigation.
‘I know nothing about any murder.’
‘There’s a related crime,’ said Ralph. ‘The theft of two gold elephants.’
‘From the abbey?’ said Vavasour, anxiously.
‘Initially.’
‘Who took them?’
‘We’re not entirely sure. Let me tell you the sequence of events.’
The anchorite grew increasingly tense as he listened to Ralph’s account. An anger he had not felt for years began to surge up inside him. He banked it down as best he could.
‘Those elephants were holy treasures,’ he declared. ‘They belong to the abbey.’
‘When we find them, they’ll be returned there.’
‘But you have no idea where they are.’
‘We will do in time,’ said Coureton.
‘Yes,’ said Ralph, confidently. ‘They obviously came into the lord Richard’s hands by some nefarious means. In one sense, justice has been served. The original thief is now the victim of a theft himself.’
‘I care nothing for that,’ said Vavasour. ‘Those elephants are highly important to me, my lord. They symbolise a solemn vow I made. I went to Rome as a soldier and came back as a new man.’
‘What took you there in the first place?’ asked Coureton.
‘Shame and disgust.’
‘At what?’
‘Myself, my life, my dreadful sins.’
‘You were a soldier like us. You did as you were told.’ ‘No, my lord,’ admitted the other, gloomily. ‘I did more than that. Some killed because they had to but I did it to satisfy a lust that raged inside me. Do you recall the penances imposed on us by Bishop Ermenfrid of Sitten?’
‘What do bishops know of warfare?’ said Ralph.
‘They can see the results strewn all over the battlefield. Like you, I suspect, I paid little heed to the penitentiary when it was issued. But its decrees slowly took hold on me. Bishop Ermenfrid was the papal legate. He spoke with the authority of the head of the Roman Catholic Church. Would you defy the Pope himself?’
‘It depends on the circumstances.’
‘Did both of you fight at Hastings?’
‘We did,’ confirmed Coureton.
‘Then you will know what the first decree was,’ said Vavasour. ‘“Any man who knows that he killed a man in the great battle must do penance for one year for each man that he killed.” The next decree was just as unequivocal. “Anyone who wounded a man and does not know whether he killed him or not must do penance for forty days for each man he struck (if he can remember the number), either continuously or at intervals.” That is what was ordered.’
‘We know, my friend. And rightly so.’
‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ said Ralph.
‘You both know mine,’ continued Vavasour, holding his arms out wide so that they could see his ragged attire. ‘I killed or wounded seven men at Hastings. And that was only the start of it. Don’t tell me that I was young and impulsive. I revelled in the slaughter. I fought on the Welsh border, in the north and in several other battles. I helped to smoke out Hereward the Wake from the Fens. A year of penance for every man I killed or mutilated? I’d not live long enough to manage that.’
‘Is that what led your footsteps to Rome?’ asked Coureton.
‘I went in search of forgiveness.’
‘Did you find it?’
‘In some small measure, my lord. Everything I possessed was harvested by the sword. I gave it all away. Since the abbey of St Benet lay close to land I once owned, I wanted to bestow something special on it.’
‘Two gold elephants.’
‘Beasts of burden transformed into holy treasures. They were magnificent,’ said Vavasour, wistfully. He turned to Ralph. ‘We must find them. I won’t rest until they’re back where they belong. I’ll do anything to achieve that.’
‘Good,’ said Ralph. ‘The first thing you can do is to tell us what they looked like. The simple truth is that we’ve never seen a real elephant. To be honest, I thought they were creatures of fable. I had grave doubts that they actually existed.’
‘Oh, they exist, my lord,’ affirmed Vavasour. ‘When I was in Rome, I had the good fortune to see a live elephant with my own eyes. The animal had been brought back from Africa and was kept in a huge cage.’
‘Describe it to us,’ urged Ralph.
‘The sheer size is what first strikes you. The creature was enormous. Stand on its back and you could probably look over the walls of Norwich Castle. Then there was this curious nose,’ said Vavasour. ‘It’s a long trunk that reaches right down to the ground and is used by the elephant to feed itself. I watched it in Rome using its trunk to load hay into its mouth. That’s the other strange thing,’ he added. ‘Though it’s by far the largest of all animals, it doesn’t prey on any of the others. Elephants eat no meat. They feed entirely off leaves, shoots and grass.’
‘They sound like gentle giants,’ observed Coureton.
‘There was a lumbering gentleness about the one I saw,’ recalled V
avasour, ‘but there was also a tremendous strength. To defend itself, it has two vast tusks of ivory that stick out either side of its trunk. Even a lion would think twice about attacking a beast as large and powerful as an elephant.’
‘I still can’t picture it in my mind,’ admitted Ralph. ‘As high as Norwich castle, you say, and with a trunk and ivory tusks.’
‘And two great ears that flap like wings.’
‘I’m more confused than ever now.’
‘Then let me help you, my lord,’ said Vavasour with a smile. ‘If you really want to know what an elephant looks like, I can show you because I’ve been trying to fashion one myself.’
He held up the piece of wood that he had been carving so painstakingly. It was a miniature elephant, reproducing all the features he had just described to them. Ralph and Coureton stared in astonishment at the object.
‘So that’s what all this is about, is it?’ said Ralph. ‘Now, I understand.’
Gervase Bret was pleased with what he had learned from his visit to Richard de Fontenel but disappointed that Ralph Delchard was not at the castle to hear about it. He repaired to his apartment in the keep and was delighted to find both Alys and Golde there, deep in conversation about their own visit that morning. He settled down on a bench.
‘How were you received by the lady Adelaide?’ he asked.
‘Very warmly,’ said Alys. ‘She was glad to see us.’
‘But not for the reason we thought,’ added Golde.
‘Why not?’ he said.
‘I thought that we’d be questioning her, Gervase, but we were the ones providing all the answers. The lady Adelaide showed a very keen interest in your work.’
‘Did she?’
‘Yes. She was very subtle about it, but it was almost as if she were trying to wheedle something out of us for her own advantage.’
‘Will she be appearing before you in any dispute?’ said Alys.
‘No, my love,’ he replied. ‘But two friends of hers will.’
‘Lady Adelaide’s two suitors?’
‘I wonder which one of them put her up to it?’
‘Neither, in my view,’ decided Golde. ‘The lady Adelaide is a person who knows how to look out for herself. And she likes to flaunt her wealth, doesn’t she, Alys?’
‘Oh, yes! Her house was a small palace.’
The Elephants of Norwich Page 17
