Free The Secret Of The Cathars (2011) by Michael Hillier Page B

ropes had been stretched across the site in both directions about a metre above the ground. These divided the site into blocks about two metres square. Near one corner six men were working with pick axes, crowbars and shovels to remove the loose rocks and chunks of masonry. A hand-operated swivel hoist could lift the heavier lumps and put them on a trolley which ran along a level scaffolding walkway to a spoil tip.
    One of the men was Andre Jolyon. When he saw Philip he gestured to him to keep clear. “Go away,” he shouted. “This is dangerous. You must not come here.”
    Obediently Philip moved round the roped off area to a more remote spot well above the site where he could watch their work without any risk of getting in their way. However apparently this was still not satisfactory to Jolyon. He left the other three and came scrambling up to Philip’s vantage point.
    “ You cannot stay here,” he shouted. “It is dangerous.”
    “ You needn’t worry about me. I won’t cause you any trouble.”
    “ You may start a rock-slide.”
    “ Rubbish.” Philip indicated the solid area where he was standing. “There is no danger of a rock-slide and I will be very careful.”
    Jolyon shook his head. “It is not good. We do not know who you are or where you come from. We will be worried about you being above us.”
    “ I tell you there is no need to worry.”
    “ Look.” He wagged a finger at Philip. “You do not understand. I do not want you here. You must go.”
    Philip gazed straight back at him.
    “ Very well. We will make you go.” He turned and shouted down to the others, “Gaston, Albert - ici.”
    There followed a string of instructions in French. Two of the other men stopped what they were doing and started up the slope. One carried a pickaxe and the other a large crowbar.
    Philip decided there was no point in prolonging the confrontation. “All right.” He held up his hands with the palms showing. “I’ll go and leave you alone. I’ll wait until I meet your director here tomorrow morning.”
    Jolyon pointed towards the gate. “You keep away from us. We know how to deal with people like you.”
    “ Don’t threaten me.” Philip pointed back at him. “We’ll see what Jacqeueline has to say about this tomorrow.”
    With as much dignity as he could muster, Philip turned and made his way back to the entrance to the castle and down the hillside. He decided he might as well find somewhere to have lunch and then return to Carcassonne. It would be wisest not to aggravate Andre Jolyon any further by returning to the castle that day.
    - 9 -
    “ I have had great difficulty getting hold of you,” grumbled Charles Robert. “Marcus must have slipped up and given me the wrong number for your mobile.”
    Armand Sejour decided he shouldn’t confess that he had bought a smart new one. “There was no point in contacting you until I had something useful to report. I have been spending my time getting to know Jacqueline Blontard and her right hand man - a chap called Andre Jolyon.”
    They were standing in the town square of Quillan surrounded by the bustle of the Tuesday market.
    “ Nevertheless you should have kept in touch. I am expected to send regular reports back to Paris. It has taken me nearly two weeks to find out which hotel you were staying at.”
    Armand doubted the truth of this statement. Quillan was the nearest decent-sized place to the chateau of le Bezu and there was only one proper hotel in the town. He thought this was the first place Robert should have tried. However he said none of this to the stuffy old fellow. He was uncertain how much influence Monsieur Charles Robert wielded. And the revenge which the Council visited on employees (even well-connected employees) who stepped out of line was well known.
    “ I apologise,” he said with a small smile. “At least I responded quickly when I received your message.”
    Robert merely nodded.
    “ Why did you want to meet me here?” continued