Free The Prophecy of Death: (Knights Templar 25) by Michael Jecks Page A

prayer of thanks.
    ‘Pleased to see you’re rightly grateful,’ Baldwin said drily.
    ‘It’s all right for men like you to be cynical,’ Simon said righteously, ‘but for those of us who actually suffer, there is
     nothing quite so wonderful as feeling the earth again.’
    ‘You were hardly even sick this time.’
    ‘Perhaps to you it looked like that,’ Simon growled. ‘“Hardly” does not cover the feelings I had whilst in that bucket.’
    ‘Well, with any luck you’ll never have to see a ship again,’ Baldwin said soothingly.
    ‘No.’
    There was a shortness to Simon’s response which made Baldwin shoot a look at him. ‘You’re not missing your position at Dartmouth?’
    ‘No. No, I couldn’t say that. I disliked that job more than any I’ve ever had. I only really want to get back to Tavistock
     and return to my old duties on the moor. I’m a moorman by nature. The idea of sitting in a room and agreeing bills oflading with shipmasters, or more likely arguing over the customs due, is ideally suited to some blasted clerk, but not me.
     I don’t like it.’
    ‘It is sad that our old friend promoted you.’
    Simon nodded. He had been a contented man before, riding out over the moors and wasteland of Dartmoor, maintaining the peace
     however he may, and making his way homewards each night whenever he could to see his wife and family. But then he had provided
     a service to his master, Abbot Robert of Tavistock, who owned the revenue from the moors. That kindly old man had been so
     pleased with Simon’s efforts that he had given him a new post, that of his chief official in Dartmouth, responsible to him
     for all customs. Abbot Robert had been an enthusiastic gatherer-up of positions that might bring in precious treasure to his
     abbey, and he had paid many pounds to the King for the rights to the port.
    But it was not a job to Simon’s taste. He had felt divorced from his family, as though cast adrift on an unpleasant sea. Perhaps
     not all sailors were disreputable thieves who looked upon life at sea as a form of legalised piracy, but there were few who
     did not appear to do so. They all looked upon war as a wonderful excuse for them to break the heads of any foreign sailor
     and steal his whole cargo, ideally taking his ship as well.
    He had quite liked some of the sea-farers. Most, however, were simply rough, violent men who were little better than outlaws.
     They would never have made a living on land. Although he held little sympathy for men like those of Brittany, who raided the
     English ships unmercifully, he had little, too, for those from Devon who waged war on the Bretons. And the men of Lyme. And
     those from the Cinque Ports … and those from any other town in England whose ships they felt they could steal without
     being seen. The law ofthe land only held force while a ship was in view of the land, after all. Beyond that, a man had to see to his own protection.
    ‘Ah, there’s the dog,’ Baldwin said. ‘He’s a beautiful animal!’
    Simon glanced back to see that the great beast Baldwin had so admired before had launched himself into the water from the
     rowing boat that was bringing the Bishop to shore with all the other dogs. Baldwin’s favourite paddled through the waves with
     nose upward, as waves crashed over his head and smothered him, reappearing a moment or two later, blinking and straining determinedly
     for the land.
    ‘I think he likes ships as much as you, Simon,’ Baldwin said.
    ‘No one can appreciate the depth of my detestation for ships,’ Simon countered.
    His grimness made Baldwin look at him. ‘Not long now, and we’ll be home,’ Baldwin said quietly.
    ‘Cannot be soon enough for me,’ Simon said.

Chapter Five
    Christ Church Priory
    Prior Henry eyed the coroner as he approached. ‘Have you any news?’
    ‘Little enough.’
    Coroner Robert grimaced as he pulled off his thick riding gloves and wiped his brow. It was unseasonably hot today, and he