DAVID NI A L L WILSON
™



To Sift Through Bitter Ashes is a product of White Wolf
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Copyright ©1997 by White Wolf Publishing.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’d like to thank those who’ve supported me through
the stories, books, and years. First and foremost, my wife
JoAnne and my two sons, Zach and Zane. Without
them, none of it would matter. I’d like to thank John
Rosenman, Richard Rowand, Jacqueline, and the others
for their wisdom and criticism. I’d like to thank Mark
Rainey, Rich Chizmar, and Karl Wagner (whom I miss)
for their editorial wisdom and continued support of my
work. I’d like to thank Kathe Koja, Poppy Z. Brite, Peter
Straub, and Stephen King for inspiration. (Not
necessarily in that order.)
Thanks to the crew, Beth, Wayne, Brian and Dollie,
Jeff, Von, Barb and Charlie. Thanks to my mother-inlaw,
Mary, who supports my history-book habit, and my
sister-in-law for her bad taste in sports teams. Thanks
to Kevin Fowler—his bookstore supported me and his
person proof-read and collaborated with me. Thanks to
Andrew Burt and the on-line Critters SF workshop for
the crunch-time critique sessions. Also thanks to
Stewart Wieck for believing in me, and Rob Hatch, Rich
Dansky, Justin Achilli, and Anna Branscome for putting
up with my panic attacks and helping me see this
through.
This book is dedicated to my brother, whom I
have wasted a lot of years not being close to.
And, of course—to the blood. The power is in
the blood.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
8
9
DAVID NIALL WILSON


ONE
The villagers scattered as the huge black stallion
thundered into the square. The tall, broadshouldered
rider reined in outside the taverna
contemptuously, sliding from the saddle like liquid
darkness. He was standing beside the master of the
stable before the horse had fully calmed.
The old man took in his late visitor in quick,
nervous glances. This was no rough mercenary, or
country lord. He wore the finery of a noble, and his
sharp, aquiline features and the glittering arrogance
in his eyes were those of a warrior. A formidable
pairing, and not one to be taken lightly. He tossed
the long black tresses of his hair over his shoulder
and stepped closer.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
10
“Yes, Lord?” The stable master said in hushed
tones, as though afraid anything he might say, or
any stray movement he might make would bring
this dark man’s wrath. He’d seen such as this one
before, more times than he could count, and their
temperaments were as unpredictable as the winds.
He’d seen friends and relatives who hadn’t the wits
to learn this lesson and live.
“I am Montrovant,” the dark one said softly. His
words carried forcefully despite the softness with
which they were spoken. “You will care for my
mount,” he ordered. “You will watch him
throughout the day, and I will call for him
tomorrow evening. I am not certain of the hour of
my return. Have him ready and keep him ready.
Your head rests on his condition, your future
depends on my pleasure.”
The old man bowed his head, accepting the reins
without question, and led the magnificent animal
off toward the stalls in back. He had not grown old
by being a fool, and there were some men it was
better to obey and be done with. He’d never seen
this noble before, and he hoped never to see him
again, beyond his return to retrieve his mount. The
less known, the less risked. They were dangerous
times, and danger not faced was the best sort
encountered, or so his Pa had told him.
There was a shuffle of feet beyond the door, and
the sound of hushed voices. The old man had
11
DAVID NIALL WILSON
known they’d come. He’d also known they would
cower in the shadows, uncertain of how to
approach, but too curious to stay away. He wished
that they had grown to more wisdom. One of them
was his own grandchild, and he’d hoped to see that
young one grow to adulthood.
Montrovant ignored the sound; at least he gave
no indication that he’d heard it. He strode toward
the door without once looking back. It was as
though he believed that his words, once spoken,
could never be denied. He didn’t turn toward the
taverna. Instead, he turned toward the cliffs
overlooking the village, where the bright, waxing
moon outlined the monastery against a backdrop of
cloudy darkness. The squat, severe lines of the
stone edifice sat like a short silk cap on the
mountain’s peak. The monastery brought its own
fears. Stories had circulated about the place for
years, dark stories, but there was no proof, and the
Church cared well for the people of the village.
None pressed the issue.
The whispered voices grew bolder. The stranger
seemed to pose no immediate threat, but
somewhere deep in the pit of his stomach the old
man knew it was a mask. He wanted to call out to
the young ones, to send them away, but he found
that his voice would not function. Not this time.
He saw a young boy creeping up along the side
of the wall, moving closer to the dark one. The lad
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
12
was holding his breath, measuring each step
carefully. He was nearly to the door of the stable at
the stranger’s back, and the stablemaster prayed for
one long second that he would make it. He could
see the boy’s eyes, wide as saucers. In the dead
silence of the night he believed he could hear the
youngster’s heart slamming waning courage
through his veins.
Suddenly the man was not watching the
mountains. He had spun, and the boy was held aloft
before him, screaming in terror. The dark one had
a hand gripping the lad beneath each shoulder. He
held him above his head as easily as a mother might
hold her infant. He drew the boy close, so close
that their faces nearly met. His captive was
struggling. The scent of his sweat fell away to the
acrid aroma of fresh urine, and the silence that had
echoed in answer to his scream gave way only to a
ragged, rasping sob.
The dark one stared at him for a moment longer,
then threw back his head. The laughter that poured
forth rang from the rafters of the stable, and to his
shame the old man took another step back into the
shadows.
Montrovant lowered the boy as swiftly as he’d
lifted him.
“You should not make a practice of slinking
through shadows, boy,” he growled. His voice was
still tainted by the unholy laughter that would not
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
quit banging about in the old man’s mind. From
one side a woman appeared suddenly, kneeling to
take the boy in her arms, her wide eyes upturned
to Montrovant’s in awe.
“Take him and clean him, lady,” the dark one said
softly. “He showed more courage than most. He will
be quite a man one day.”
Without a word the woman bundled the boy into
her arms and fled into the shadows. Turning,
Montrovant leveled his gaze at the old stablemaster
contemptuously.
“I hope you will care for my mount better than
you do the children.”
Without warning, the man was gone. One
moment he’d filled the doorway, the next, as the
old man turned for a discreet glance over his
shoulder, that doorway was empty, but for the
darkness and the lingering taste of danger, soured
by the taint of death. Turning away from that
emptiness, this time with a shiver transiting the
arthritic, bent lines of his back, the stable master
led the horse to the largest, warmest stall available.
Waving away the young man he’d hired to help
with the animals, he left the stallion for a moment
and went for his personal gear. This was an animal
that required his best effort.
The shadow of the monastery was clearly framed
in the small circle of light from the stable door. For
some reason the long-familiar sight of the holy
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
14
place disturbed him at that moment more than it
had at any other in the long years of his existence.
The shadow seemed to be creeping down the side
of the mountain and reaching for him. He shivered
again.
Pulling the heavy doors shut, he closed his eyes
for a long moment, banishing the images from his
mind and shutting out the spirits of the night. He
heard the horse shuffling behind him, and he
returned to his work, for the first time in years
wishing he’d left for his home before dusk.
_
Silk vestments hissed across stone like passing
serpents as Bishop Claudius Euginio made his way
swiftly across the top of the stone wall. The moon
painted the scene in shades of silver and grey,
catching the white locks of his hair and reflecting
wetly off the scarlet and gold of his robes. He was
not a tall man, but there was an aura of authority
and power that surrounded him that was
unmistakable. His movements were sure and
graceful, and the set of his shoulders spoke of
confidence bordering on arrogance. These were
traits he fought to suppress. They were not seemly
in a man of God, well-placed as they might be.
He stopped suddenly and stared into the distance
in silence. Far below he could see the glittering
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
lights of Rome. Nearer were the softly glowing fires
of the village, and it was there that he directed his
concentration. They feared him in the village, he
knew. It was an integral part of the security he’d set
up about himself. They feared the knowledge of
why he frightened them even more.
He let his senses broaden. Those sights, sounds,
and smells nearest to him grew fuzzy as he focused
on the homes and hearths below. He could hear
voices faintly, and he could sense the beating of the
communal heart of the villagers as they went about
their lives. It was all familiar, and he brushed it
aside in annoyance. He placed his hands on the
stone rail and breathed deeply. The control of the
moment was exquisite, his mind linked to theirs,
their fates lying in his hands. The village, even
Rome itself, were his kingdom, albeit that his
monarchy existed in the shadows and behind the
scenes. It was enough that he felt the control.
The monastery at his back was silent. Each of the
brothers he’d indoctrinated and trained was in the
cubicle assigned to him, communing with God in
his own way—some with their own God altogether.
Claudius was not as demanding on the theological
level as he was on matters of discipline. God was
not one of his major concerns, since their final
meeting had been indefinitely postponed. None of
his followers would disturb him at this hour, and he
spared them no thought.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
16
He had waited days for Montrovant’s arrival.
Even for an immortal, patience is not infinite, and
with Montrovant involved it could be outright
difficult. Montrovant’s message had not been clear,
as they never were. Euginio was both angry and
curious at the same time. The dangers of the two
of them meeting publicly, complicated by the vows
of the brotherhood itself, grated on his nerves.
Montrovant had always been too arrogant. It was
a matter of age, and of maturity in the blood. He
was not young, nor was he weak, but he lacked the
discipline that would lead him into latter centuries.
There were protocols for every occasion,
deceptions that had to be scrupulously maintained.
Montrovant recognized all of this, but he rarely
acknowledged it. He lacked the plain common
sense. It was, of course, part of his appeal.
Claudius took another deep breath and stiffened.
He sensed Montrovant’s approach, a breath of
Kindred wind against the backdrop of the night.
His progeny was moving along the ground below,
faster than any mortal eye could have followed,
only a blur to even Euginio’s supernatural sight. He
didn’t need to see clearly—there was no mistaking
the tug of the blood tie.
Bishop Euginio saw few of the others, and then
only reluctantly. If the clan did not look to him for
leadership—for the wisdom of his years and
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
position—he would not have seen them at all. He
had a perfect niche carved out for himself,
protected, but controlled. He was not fond of
putting his position at risk. On the other hand, he
had to act occasionally to maintain his control, and
to keep their respect. As dangerous as it would be
to be discovered by the brethren, or the Church,
to be stalked by his own would be the greatest
danger. It was important that they understand his
strength.
Although it was ill-conceived, Montrovant’s
message and subsequent visit were an opportunity
to make that necessary contact. If it were truly
foolish, it would give him a chance to show his
strength.
Montrovant moved with uncanny swiftness.
Claudius nodded in momentary approval, pride,
even, though he’d never have admitted it. At least
the fool had not come charging up on a war horse,
waking the entire complex. That had been the first
image to surface in Claudius’s mind, and it was one
he gladly discarded. Montrovant was the strongest,
and eldest, of his remaining progeny, but for sheer
audacity and disregard of reality, he mocked that
ancestry each moment of his existence.
Montrovant closed on the wall and never
hesitated, scaling the vertical surface with ease and
grace, his form a dark ripple on the shimmering,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
18
moonlit surface of the stone. Claudius stepped away
from the wall and slipped into the shadows,
waiting.
The younger vampire crested the wall and landed
easily, silent as a cat. He hesitated for just a second
as he took his bearings, then turned toward the
shadows, a slow smile working its way across his
elegant features. Both of them knew that the
hesitation had been sufficient to end his life for a
second time. He had extended his trust in his sire.
The lines between them had been drawn.
Claudius waited and watched as Montrovant
drew near. He didn’t speak. He wanted to hear what
his protégé had to say before he committed to any
particular response.
“It has been too long, Claudius,” Montrovant
began. Even in whispered tones, his voice was full
and rich, born to power. Claudius resisted the urge
to smile. That voice, the long hair, and the
incessant energy had been the qualities that had
drawn him to Montrovant in the first place. That
meeting had occurred so far in the past that the
rulers, even the face of the land itself had changed,
as had both of their names, and yet Euginio could
still remember his first sight of that smile—the
arrogant inner strength that was Montrovant’s
core.
There was also the tall, slender build and the
ripple of muscle beneath cloth that spoke so
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
eloquently of strength. Others had made the
mistake of believing Montrovant too emaciated for
real physical strength. It was a deception that
Claudius approved of.
“It is rarely too long between such occasions,” he
answered at last. “What is this thing that has
brought you to me, at such risk? What is it that you
cannot decide or undertake without chancing the
corruption of all I have created? I find it hard to
believe that it was but a moment of my company
that you sought.”
Montrovant’s smile never wavered. He
continued to move closer, tilting his head
enigmatically and taking in his sire’s countenance
with a cat-like grin.
“You are no more at risk than the mountains, old
one. If your velvet-lined throne and army of
“brethren” deserted you, you would merely slip into
the shadows and build a new world. It has
happened before. I know you too well to think you
fear these mortals.”
“You know so little that it is frightening,”
Claudius growled. He was unable to hide his smile
this time, however, a weakness that nearly drove
him to sudden anger. Montrovant took his hand,
moving yet closer.
“It is good to see you.”
“You have not traveled all these miles to
comment on my health, or to flatter me,” Claudius
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
20
sighed. “If you only wanted my company, you never
would have left in the first place. Tell me why you
have come.”
Montrovant hesitated again, looking pained.
“You know I could never have survived here,” he
said softly. “It is too much like a cage.”
Claudius waved his words away. “Why have you
come?”
Montrovant’s countenance grew serious and
intense. His smile clouded over in a frown and his
deep green eyes were suddenly miles away. He was
obviously giving a lot of thought to his choice of
words. It was a thoughtful expression—rare to
Montrovant, but not unheard of. Claudius
tensed—he’d seen that expression before, and it
had never boded anything but ill.
Taking both of his sire’s hands in his own,
Montrovant began.
“You are old,” he began slowly, “and you have
seen things I have not. You will remember. I too
have seen great things, but I do not have the base
of knowledge that I desire. I need your guidance,
and your blessing.”
Claudius remained silent, waiting.
“On the night when Jesus of Nazareth last dined
with his disciples, he was served wine in a
particular cup,” Montrovant began, his eyes
burning embers in the deep shadows. “He took that
wine, and he blessed it, and he made of it his
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
blood—bidding all who followed him to drink of
that blood, and to taste of his flesh, that they might
never die.”
“I need no lessons in Holy Scripture,” Claudius
grated. “What is your point?”
“I seek that cup,” Montrovant whispered. “The
Grail. I want to find it, and to bring it back to you.
It is the key, the answer to all the petty, endless
struggles for power between clans. It, if it itself
exists, has held the blood of one not of this
existence. How powerful would that blood be?
What would it be to drink from such a vessel—such
an object of power? None could stand before us if
we had it in our possession.”
“This is what you believe?” Claudius asked,
stepping back and barely stopping the sardonic grin
that engulfed his features short of a sneer. “This is
why you have come to me, risking my position and
the power we have striven generations to achieve?
A quest for a holy talisman? I knew that you were
rash, that you didn’t comprehend things the same
way that I do, but I never dreamed that you were
so naive.
“What makes you believe that this ‘Holy Grail’
exists? A better question—what makes you think
that, if it exists, and it stands for all that you
believe that it must, that if you found it you would
not crisp and burn at its touch?”
“There are tales of others,” Montrovant
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
22
continued, his voice unwavering under Claudius’s
disdainful sarcasm, “others who have touched—
even fed from the chalice. Kli Kodesh…”
“Kli Kodesh,” Claudius spat the words back at
Montrovant, backing away, his eyes blazing. “Now
you want to tell me fairy stories. I know the legends
as well as you—I told them to you. They are only
that, legends. I am disappointed in you, Solomon,
truly. You are beginning to make me wonder at my
own judgment in presenting you to the darkness.”
Montrovant flinched at the use of his true name.
He’d lived in so many places, behind so many guises
and ruses, that he sometimes forgot that there were
those who’d known him as a man. He also forgot,
from time to time, that he was not omnipotent. It
was traveling among humans that did it to him. In
their world, during the hours of darkness, he was
invincible. Here he was at risk, and the enormity
of that risk was not lost upon him as Claudius
glared at him in growing anger.
“I mean no disrespect, Claudius,” he said quickly.
There was no compromise in his voice, but his
tones were less assertive. “I have not come to this
course of action lightly, nor would I disturb you for
a fool’s quest. I have not been sitting back, waiting
for eternity to swallow me. I have been seeking,
learning. Surely after all these years you know me
better than that?”
“I am uncertain if I know you at all,” Euginio
23
DAVID NIALL WILSON
grated. “You appear to have taken leave of what
little sense of our reality you may have achieved in
the many years of your existence.” Claudius had
begun to pace slowly, picking up speed and volume
as his anger grew.
“You ask too much. I cannot risk myself, nor can
I put such a burden upon the others without their
knowledge or consent. You should have called a
council, made your case to the clan…”
“I have spoken with the others.” The words were
out before the thought was fully formed, and
Montrovant took a step back, realizing his mistake.
Claudius’s brow furrowed, and his eyes darkened.
He had been ready to forgive Montrovant’s
disrespect, but this was a different matter. It
challenged his own control of the clan. It was not
the place of one such as Montrovant to consult the
others—not without coming to Claudius first.
Claudius came to a stop and stood as still as stone
for the space of several moments, a span that he
knew would be growing to an eternity in
Montrovant’s mind. When it finally slammed
through the silence, his voice cracked the air like
the sound of ice on a frozen pond.
“You have spoken to the others? Please tell me
that I have not heard you correctly, or that it is
some sort of joke. If it is true, you have not only
compromised my own position, but you have risked
theirs, and you have done all of this because—
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
24
what—you wish to die the final death? You are
ready to cast in your lot in life and take a chance
on finding your lost soul in the next world? You are
insane? Or perhaps the cub thinks it is time to
challenge for the pack? I can think of no other
reason you would do what you claim to have done,
then come to me and admit your guilt.”
Claudius turned to face Montrovant fully, eyes
blazing, and he took a step forward. His words
carried the weight of strength and the promise of
a challenge met. Montrovant took half a step back,
then stood his ground.
“I meant no disrespect.” Montrovant said at last.
“I knew how you would react, but I wanted you to
know how they felt before you made a decision, and
I knew you would call no council for me on this
matter. I went to them first because I have heard
rumors—because I believe I know where the Grail
is kept, and because I believe I can bring that power
back to you. There is no challenge. I only felt the
request deserved an honest chance.”
Claudius didn’t answer him, and he went on
quickly. “The others believe, as well. At least, they
think the matter worth investigating.”
“I cannot risk our position, even if you know the
very door to which we could ride up and make off
with this ‘Grail’ of yours without incident. Do you
understand that? Do you comprehend what I’m
25
DAVID NIALL WILSON
saying to you? Somehow the reality of the world
that rejects you is also rejected by your mind. We
cannot romp about the countryside, seeking this or
that treasure without regard to others of our kind,
or to those who would put a final end to us.”
“There will be no risk to you, or to the clan,”
Montrovant said slowly. “I am not asking for your
assistance, only your blessing. I need to know that
I will act without fear of your anger or retribution.
I will do this thing alone, and I will bring the power
back to the clan. I will do this, or I will never
return, and you may continue as the fates guide
you. That is my oath.”
“So arrogant,” Claudius whispered, moving
closer to where Montrovant stood beside the wall.
“So full of your dreams and aspirations you can’t
see. What makes you believe that I will not
‘continue as the fates guide me’ despite your
request? What makes you believe I will not send
you to your final death here and now for your
impudence? What makes you think in your
misguided, twisted mind that you are destined to
lead us to new power?”
“I see more than you believe,” Montrovant
answered, standing his ground. “I see others
gathering, growing in power, moving among the
cities and the churches and taking what is
rightfully ours. I see my own brothers slaughtered
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
26
in the daylight by hordes of fanatic mortals, ripped
apart by the sniveling followers of the Wyrm, dying
of decadence and sloth. I see us slipping into
corners and caverns and hiding away, hoping that
it will all pass us by and just let us be. It will not.
“The world is not a static thing, and it is not
meant to be met sitting back and waiting, but head
on. There are none more fit to lead the clans into
the future than we. It is in our blood, and I know
you feel it, for all your caution and doubt.
“All this I see, and I see a way around our
troubles, as well.
“I see a new world, a new era, and I see a way to
attain that dream. You may accuse me of many
things, but do not accuse me of not paying
attention to what happens around me. You know
more than you are saying. It was you who first
planted the knowledge of the Grail in my mind. It
was you who met the madman, Kli Kodesh, who
told me of the legend of how he had walked the
earth since the days of Jesus himself. You cannot
tell me it was all just an amusing story. We are
closer than that. I felt the power in your words. You
might not want to risk anything in the search for
it, but you know more of the truth I seek than any
other being on the planet.”
Claudius turned away. “It is not that simple. If it
were, don’t you think I’d have gone after it myself?
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Don’t you think I’d have that fool Kodesh’s head
dangling from a spike on the wall of my keep, rather
than huddling away during the day while my pious
“brethren” pay homage to a God so far removed
from my mind that it is difficult to remind myself I
once believed in him? There are factors you don’t
understand, risks you don’t bother to see.”
“Then make me see, Claudius!” Montrovant
lurched forward, casting caution to the winds and
placing his hands on his sire’s shoulders. He moved
in closer, bringing his eyes so close that he could
see his own reflection in the icy depths of
Claudius’s own grey orbs. “Tell me what you know.”
Claudius pulled away and turned toward the wall
in silence, but Montrovant persisted.
“The Grail is kept beneath the ruins of the
Temple of Solomon,” he proclaimed. “I have spies
throughout the Holy Land, informants in the
Church. They have seen the vaults, and they know
the secrets within the walls of Jerusalem. There are
rumors of great treasures and holy talismans, and
the Grail is reputed to be one of them. It is there,
Claudius. It is there, and I mean to have it.”
“Solomon’s temple?” Claudius asked, whirling
back to face his progeny once more. Once again he
began to pace. His ire had melted into a grim mask
of concentration, and Montrovant could see that
he was making headway. “How can that be? The
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
28
Grail was one of the great treasures of the Church.
It was rumored to have left the Holy Land long
ago—Kli Kodesh himself claimed knowledge of
this. He said that it was being watched—that it was
safe, but he would never reveal its whereabouts,
and I assumed this to be because he truly knew
nothing.
“Then there were the Turks—they would never
have left such an object to the Crusaders, even as
they surrendered the holy city. They built a mosque
above that accursed temple, how could such a thing
as hidden treasure have escaped them? The Pope
would have known, our people would have known.”
“Very few know,” Montrovant stated firmly, “and
that is hardly surprising. It is just a cup, to the
Turks, Claudius. It would not glow in the dark, and
it wasn’t made of gold. It came from the home of a
poor man of great faith, and it held magic; but, to
one who does not believe, what is it? An old cup.
Such is the way of the truly great objects of power.
“There have always been those within the
priesthood who, for the security and sanctity of the
church, controlled the relics. Urban II did not
know of the Grail’s presence when he took the
temple and the city back from the Turks, and even
had he known, the secret died with him before his
goal was carried out. I was there.
“I rode with de Bouillon. I walked the halls of the
temple, and I saw the guardians. They were there.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
No one could explain them. No one knew their
names, or how they came to be in the temple the
moment it was in our hands, but no one questioned
why they were there. But they were. They inhabited
the tunnels beneath the temple—a labyrinth of
passageways and hidden rooms. They were sent by
someone with power, and they were sent there for
a purpose. They guard the Grail.”
“They?” Claudius asked, stopping his pacing to
fix Montrovant with an icy glare. “Who are they?”
“I’m not certain,” Montrovant admitted, turning
to stare out over the wall and into the darkness
below. “Their leader is old. Not Kindred, but old,
all the same. I could sense his power, even from
outside the temple itself. I met with one of his
followers in a corridor of the temple, just in passing,
and he looked into my eyes. He did not know what
I was, exactly, but he knew that there was more to
me than what met his eyes, and he was curious, not
fearful.”
Claudius’s eyes hadn’t wavered.
“He tried to read me. He reached out with his
mind, and had I not thrown up mental walls and
made my way out of that place, he might have
broken through and found all of the answers he
sought.”
Montrovant spun to meet Claudius’s gaze head
on. “He smiled at me, Claudius. He smiled, turned,
and walked away.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
30
“The Grail is there. It is there, and I mean to
have it.”
“If this guardian you speak of is so old, so
powerful, how will you get past him?” Claudius
wondered aloud. To himself, he thought, and why
don’t I know about them? If they know you, do they
know me? Can they reach me through you?
“I will use their own guise against them,”
Montrovant answered. “I will approach those with
power in the Church, and I will find a way to
become the chosen defender of the Grail. With
their backing, I will supplant the authority of
these—guardians. Once I know who they are, and
to what lengths they will go, I can plan for their
deaths. If they bleed, I will feed on their souls. If
they do not…well, dust is dust.”
“Interesting.” Claudius replied. “I assume you
have a plan? I assume, in fact, that you have a plan
that will set my heart to rest on how you will end
the existence of one as old as you claim this
guardian leader to be? You know nothing of him,
or his followers, and yet already you are ‘feasting on
their souls.’”
Montrovant grinned at him in answer, his
expression half amused, and half wary.
“You know me too well to question that, in truth.
My men are in place, they await only my word. I
have worked for many years toward this moment.”
31
DAVID NIALL WILSON
“Your word,” he corrected quickly, as the fire
leaped suddenly back into Claudius’s eyes.
“You will be set apart from us completely until
this is finished.” Claudius said finally. When
Montrovant moved as if to speak, the Bishop held
up a hand to warn him to silence. “You will not
contact me. You will stay clear of all of the others.
They will know what you are doing, but unless their
aid comes freely and safely for us all, it will not
come at all. You will never ask for it. You will be
an entity unto yourself, and if you fail, you will be
hunted down and hung from the very walls of this
monastery for the sun to feed on your bones and
wretched flesh. Am I clear?”
“You are,” Montrovant answered, lowering his
eyes to the ground so that the fierce grin would not
give away his emotion. “It will be as you say. If it
is a year, or a hundred years, you will see me again,
and I will have it. On this you have my oath.”
“I have no need of your oath,” Claudius
whispered. The force behind his words nearly drove
Montrovant to his knees. “You are mine, as you
have ever been. I cannot control your mind every
moment of every day, but I can call you home, and
I can put an end to you for eternity. Never let that
bit of information slip from your mind. Never.”
Montrovant nodded, not trusting himself to
answer. Without a further word, he leaped to the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
32
wall and over. His shadowy figure was making its
way across the grounds and toward the forest
beyond almost before Claudius noted his passing.
So swift. So arrogant. So full of passion. Of the
three, only swiftness was a virtue among their kind.
Turning, Bishop Euginio lowered his eyes to the
ground beneath him. Even after so many years it
seemed that he could still be surprised. The Grail,
hidden beneath the stone of Solomon’s temple?
He’d walked those halls—perhaps his steps had
crossed the very ground where it lay. It was ironic
that his progeny bore the name of that great king.
Solomon’s temple. Perhaps it would be so again,
before all was said and done.
And these guardians, he’d never encountered
anything like what he’d just heard. Montrovant’s
words had reminded him vaguely of tales he heard
out of Egypt, but he couldn’t place the facts. Had
he been blind, or had they always been there,
behind the scenes? Were they another factor he
would need to expend valuable resources on, or
were they a figment of Montrovant’s overactive
imagination? One thing was certain, if they existed,
they were a threat, and Claudius did not allow
threats to go unchallenged. He would have to send
out some eyes and ears of his own. Just because he
was granting Montrovant no help didn’t mean that
he wasn’t interested in the outcome.
33
DAVID NIALL WILSON
And that was another question. Could
Montrovant handle them? There were others he
might have sent along who had clearer heads, but
Montrovant was the eldest. Short of going himself,
it seemed he had no choice. Too many questions.
Claudius made his way through the halls of the
monastery and into his own cell silently,
encountering no one.
He couldn’t shake a sensation of anticipation.
Perhaps the century to come would not be without
its amusements.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
34


TWO
Montrovant eased his mount into a slow canter,
scanning the shadows as he made his way through
the tree-lined forest toward the abbey. Claudius
and his monastery were miles behind him, but the
image of Euginio’s eyes in that single moment when
he’d slipped and admitted going behind his sire’s
back had been etched into his mind. There had
been other such moments, but none so intense, and
not for many years.
Montrovant had known the risks of his actions,
but only in those eternal seconds had he truly
understood what it was that he’d risked. He had
walked the earth for a long, long time, but
somehow the span of his existence had compressed
35
DAVID NIALL WILSON
to the span of an instant when the termination of
that existence had stared him in the face.
Dust coated his cloak, and his mount was
lathered and panting. It had been a long ride, and
there was not much time before daylight. As he’d
counted on, the old stablemaster had taken good
care of his mount. It was fed and well-rested, as he’d
known it would be. There had been no sign of the
child or his mother—no sign, in fact, of any life in
the village at all.
He’d met no one on the road. It was just as well.
His mind was awash in plans and questions, and
there had been no time for distractions. Now that
he had Claudius’s blessing, he wanted to waste no
time in setting his plans into motion. Pressing hard,
he’d made the journey to the abbey in less than a
week. He’d feared that his mount would give out
and that he’d have to continue on without it, or
steal another, but the animal had proven strong
and resilient. A fitting companion on the road.
He’d fed only once, and rested as few hours as the
killing bite of the sun would allow. This last night
he’d pressed on mercilessly. He wanted to reach the
Abbey without the necessity of seeking shelter on
the road again. It had seemed a prudent decision
earlier, but the longer he remained in the saddle
the closer the dawn, and the greater the risk to his
own well-being. Not for the first time he found
himself considering Claudius’s words more
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
36
carefully. Perhaps he could do with a measure of
caution.
He had to make it the last few miles to Bernard’s
abbey unseen, and he had to count on the door to
the cellars and vaults beneath being left open, as
he had ordered. Bernard had never let him down,
but where was the sense in taking such chances?
Bernard was human—a remarkably reliable and
intelligent human—but human all the same. It was
not a good practice to place one’s future in the
control of an unknown factor. That was what
Claudius had tried, once more, to warn him
about—his reckless disregard of danger.
Montrovant grinned.
Without a little risk, what would be the point in
living, such as it was? He spurred his mount to a
faster pace and broke through the line of trees into
the fields surrounding the abbey. None of the
brethren were in sight. He knew they would be
making their way to morning mass soon. Bernard
had three passions: God, rules, and enforcing the
rules.
Montrovant let his thoughts slip ahead of him.
Bernard had proven a remarkable ally, all things
considered. Small and slight, sickly from birth,
Bernard’s future had spread out before him in bleak
contrast to those of his boisterous, powerful
brothers and domineering father. All of that had
changed as Montrovant had trained the young
37
DAVID NIALL WILSON
man’s mind to compensate. Given a modicum of
civilization to back it up, the mind would always
win out over the sword, if properly applied. Bernard
was, if anything, better at applying that axiom than
Montrovant had been at teaching it.
The one fault the young priest showed in
abundance was an insistent faith in the Church.
Montrovant had carefully worked his deceptions
and teachings around this, putting on the face of
piety, such as he could muster, but at times he
wondered if it were truly enough. He could
intimidate Bernard into acting on his wishes, but
it was more important to win the man’s trust,
however tenuous. Humans and their faith were not
things lightly to be trifled with, however harmless
they might appear.
Montrovant slipped around the back of the
building toward the stables. He led his mount into
the shadowed stalls and secured him to one of the
posts. The horse was damp and breathing heavily,
but he gave it no thought. Bernard would see to the
animal soon enough. Without a backward glance
Montrovant slipped back out into the predawn grey
of the dying night. He could see lights through low,
square windows, moving down the inner halls
toward the chapel.
It was a low-cut building, as were many others of
its time. It seemed to grow from the stone of the
mountain at its back, rather than to have been
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
38
built up from the ground, as though it had been a
part of the earth all along, only waiting to be
revealed by the hands of men. Beyond the small
ring of fields, where the brethren cultivated their
meager crops, the forest cut the abbey off from the
world, save for a single road that wound through
the center of the trees.
The numbers of the brethren had grown steadily
since Bernard had founded the abbey, and the
building itself had grown as well. Montrovant had
stood by the young man’s side through it all,
watching, coaxing, exerting his own will and
strength whenever possible, but careful to remain
in the shadows. It was no easy task to create a saint,
even less simple when complicated by nocturnal
hours and the necessity of safe haven during the
hours of daylight. The danger was always there that
Bernard would see through his deception and
attempt to “set things right.”
The door opened easily, and he slid inside with
a quick indrawn breath of relief. He hadn’t really
expected treachery, but it was calming to know he
had judged rightly once more. He would go to
Bernard when the sun had set, and they would talk.
It was time that his plan was set in motion, and
even the threat of the coming sunlight nearly failed
to drive him below ground before he outlined that
plan and got Bernard started on it.
He descended a steep set of stairs, passing directly
39
DAVID NIALL WILSON
by the lower storerooms and into the wine cellar
beyond. There were barrels and casks neatly
arranged in rows against the walls, held in place by
wooden frameworks that stood easily the height of
a man. The brothers were seldom inactive. To
waste even a moment of God’s day would be a sin.
They made some of the finest wine in all of France.
Though the fields surrounding the building were
not large, the vineyards that populated the
mountain behind the abbey were another story.
Carefully cultivated and blended from some of the
finest grapes available, the fruit of “God’s vines”
was truly plentiful.
Behind one of the older frames that supported
the casks, Montrovant felt along the wall until his
hand slipped through a large metal ring. He pulled
on it sharply, and a stone slab separated itself from
the wall, allowing a cool wisp of musty air to
escape. He pulled it a bit farther open and crawled
inside.
The doorway was an addition that only he
himself and Bernard had knowledge of. It had been
constructed by a small team of stonemasons, late at
night. Somehow, each of those men had met a
horrible fate soon after the project’s completion.
Montrovant had used outside agents on that one.
There would have been too much risk in killing
them himself. Bernard, if he’d noticed the men’s
disappearance, or made the correlation between
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
40
their labor and the loss of their lives, had said
nothing. Wisely.
There was no need to wait for his eyes to adjust.
Darkness was much more natural to him than light.
He quickly pulled the stone back into place and
checked the seal. Perfect. No danger, and even if
one of the curious monks, or three, for that matter,
were to discover the metal ring, they would never
be able to move that stone from the entrance. He
was secure and safe, for the moment.
He moved wearily to a stone slab in one corner
of the dark little room and lay back. He wasn’t
really tired, but the lethargy brought on by the
sunrise was beginning to grip his limbs. He felt the
familiar tug of the earth beneath him, the slow
torpor creeping through his mind and wiping it
clear of thought. For once he was thankful it was
so. If he’d had to lie there with his plans raging
through his senses while he was helpless to act, it
might have driven him mad. That is, if he was not
already. The immensity of the task before him was
not lost on Montrovant’s mind, despite Claudius’s
doubts.
As it was, the darkness was comforting, and he
slipped away quickly and completely. A matter of
hours, no more, and he would put things into
motion. He hoped Bernard was up to the challenge.
_
41
DAVID NIALL WILSON
Above the vaults and wine cellar, the brothers
made their silent way into the chapel and lined up,
row upon row of down-turned eyes and shuffling
feet. Each carried a single candle, which he placed
on the raised stone shelf surrounding the room as
he passed inside. The humility was palpable in the
air. Moving toward the front and center of the
room, they spread out, forming around the altar in
long semi-circles, each falling to his knees as those
of the man before him touched the stone. Like
macabre human dominos they fell into place, and
from above and behind them, Bernard watched. He
stood secluded in a small, shadowed alcove, a grim
smile masking his face.
As each of his followers entered the room and
knelt before the altar, the aura of strength and
purpose in the room grew. It was a calm, peaceful
sensation, but it held the tingling promise of
spiritual energy as well. Each candle added a bit
more luminescence, and the shadows lengthened
and danced about them. It gave the impression that
those shadows were being held at bay by their silent
prayer.
Bernard was a man of great faith, but his passion
and personal vision cried out for action. So much
ungodliness, so heavy the burdens of spirit and
flesh. These men were his small answer to the
problems of man in God’s world. He was fashioning
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
42
them, teaching and strengthening them in their
faith. He was making a difference.
The men in the chapel before him were evidence
of this. They were faithful, God-fearing men. They
saw the gift of God’s voice working within Bernard,
and they heeded his words. Already there were
others, other abbeys—other followers who’d gone
into the world and brought his message to new
ranks of the faithful. They were like an army,
spreading out to conquer in the name of the Lord.
It was not the same sort of army he’d dreamed of
leading as a small boy, but the implications and
power inherent in the spirit were immense.
Bernard’s own father and his older, healthier
brothers had sneered at his condition, his frail body
and slender hands. He had overcome their taunts
and their beatings, their snide remarks of “womanly
ways” and “weakness.” He’d given his life and his
heart to the Church, and God had granted him the
strength to win them over. What he couldn’t
accomplish on a battlefield of dust and blood, he
could more than make up for in a community of
spirit and faith.
Among those kneeling before him were the very
father and brothers who’d doubted him. They
waited, as did the others, for the benediction. They
waited to share in Bernard’s wisdom. He knew that
pride was a sin, but in the face of what had come
43
DAVID NIALL WILSON
before, he thought the Holy Father might forgive
him this one failing. It felt good to be vindicated,
and he was happy to have brought his own family
to God so completely.
His mind slipped to the dark angel, Montrovant.
Bernard thought of him as an angel because any
other correlation his mind could make would have
been less than holy. Odd and enigmatic as
Montrovant had proven over the years, Bernard
had convinced himself, or reconciled himself to the
illusion, that God had sent him. There was no way
to question the difference the dark, brooding man
had made in Bernard’s existence—in the validity
of his faith and the answering of his prayers. If God
had chosen to test Bernard’s faith by masking his
messenger in darkness and shadows, denying him
the light of day and the communion of the
brotherhood, who was Bernard to question? And in
questioning, he knew he would lose it all—this had
no small weight in his decisions.
In truth, it was another small failing of his faith.
He would not have given up Montrovant’s support
had he known the dark one to have been sent by
the Devil himself. What Montrovant offered had
done wondrous things for the Church—if these
things were not the direct goal of the messenger,
did that make listening to the message wrong?
Bernard didn’t think so. He had spent his share of
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
44
brooding meditation contemplating the world
through Montrovant’s glass, darkly. What had
shone through was worth the cost.
There were other things that troubled him,
though, and among them was the notion that, at
least in part, his father had been right. Might of
arms was a God-given gift as surely as prophecy or
wisdom, and there were causes that deserved their
champions. There were things that Mother Church
might be doing more completely, more efficiently.
Montrovant had hinted at the same thing, recently.
Though Bernard could never be a strong force
physically, he knew there were roles that he could
play in such an arena, all the same. He yearned to
discuss it all with his mentor. It would be good to
talk with him again. It was always good to talk with
him.
The Holy Land had been taken back from the
infidels, and after a stretch of time, godly men had
taken charge of the spoils. The Crusades had been
a brilliant stroke—masterful and effective. They
had freed the holiest of cities, the city of Jesus’s
death and rebirth, no less, and yet they had not
been enough.
They had delivered the prize, but it was
becoming increasingly obvious that those involved
were now seeking personal gain before that of the
Church. The hold Rome had over the cities of the
Holy Land was tenuous at best, and the defense of
45
DAVID NIALL WILSON
those lands was fragmented between the desires,
goals, and egos of a large group of noble houses.
The Church, in theory, controlled all of this, but
in reality the nobles did as they wished. There was
no formal control. As often as not, a pope who
dared to disagree with whatever monarch was in
charge at the moment would be exiled, tortured, or
even killed before he would be heeded.
Montrovant had promised Bernard an answer to
this problem, a solution worthy of a saint, and
Bernard prayed that his odd advisor would appear
with that answer soon. He also prayed that he
would be able to live up to the intimation of
Montrovant’s words. There were few enough of
saints remaining to the Church. He felt deep
within his heart that everything that had happened
to him was in the interest of a higher purpose. He
felt himself pre-ordained as a leader, but with the
limitation all men possessed as the obstacle
between himself and success. That obstacle was
freedom of choice, and the ability to choose
wrongly. Most of Bernard’s prayers included a cry
for wisdom.
For the moment, he had his followers, his duty,
and his God. It would suffice. As the last of the
brethren fell obediently into place, Bernard made
his way down the winding stairs that led to the
chapel and passed through their ranks in silence.
With all of the candles in place, their light
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
46
dancing and playing in the shadows, Bernard’s
robed form seemed to slide across the stone floor,
an eerie apparition of holiness. Just for a second, as
he mounted the short steps to the altar, a chill wind
blew through the room, sending the candle-flames
dancing madly to and fro. Bernard hesitated. It was
not a good omen for the beginning of Mass. It
passed, and he turned to begin.
Change, he told himself. It was the breath of change
on my neck. Deep within his heart, shadows mocked
him.
He raised his powerful voice, letting it combine
with those of the brethren as they chimed in with
the responses to his litany. The sound echoed
through the small stone chamber until all thought
of anything save God and the sacrifice of his only
son were washed from Bernard’s soul. As always the
Mass cleansed him, revitalizing his spirit and reorienting
his thoughts to align more closely with
the Almighty.
Far below, Montrovant shifted in his repose, as
though he felt the vibration of their voices, or the
glow of their faith pressing down through the stone
walls and floor to drift over and around him. His
body tensed, pressing more tightly into the stone,
but his face remained impassive. The daylight
passed.
_
47
DAVID NIALL WILSON
Bernard sat alone in his chamber. Candles, as
always, lined the walls, lending a false air of day
that held the encroaching shadows at bay. A halffull
flagon of wine stood before him, and a great
leather-bound book lay open beside it. He was
trying to concentrate, to bring forth something of
the wisdom of the words on the pages—a
commentary from Rome on the Epistle of St. Luke,
but his mind wasn’t cooperating. Somehow the
commentator’s words rang empty, and even the
magic of the gospel itself seemed weak and without
vision. Dangerous thoughts, but he was unable to
push them aside.
He’d tried kneeling on the cold stone of the floor.
He’d scourged himself with a leather whip until
blood flowed in rivulets down his back and his
breath came in heaving sobs. He hadn’t eaten since
early that morning, the beginning of several days’
fast. His faith had slipped before, and he knew how
to bring his recalcitrant mind under control.
He nearly jumped from his skin when a deeper bit
of darkness passed across the night beyond his
solitary window, sending the flames of his candles
jumping madly about and nearly extinguishing
them. Then Montrovant was there. No knock on
the door, no sound, but he was there.
The dark one might be angel, or demon, but a
man he was not. That Montrovant did the work of
the Lord Bernard truly believed; the only question
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
48
was whether or not Montrovant was aware of it. It
is better to be cold like ice than lukewarm. The quote
was not exact, but Montrovant fit the image. His
touch had that chill—the chill of death, the
cutting breath of a winter’s wind. No man, but a
blessing all the same. It was this knowledge that
enabled Bernard to go on. As always, he shivered
in Montrovant’s presence.
“You have come,” he said simply.
“I bring news. Good news,” Montrovant replied.
“I have word from Bishop Euginio in Rome.”
Bernard raised his eyebrow sharply. Euginio was
one of the eldest and most revered leaders in the
Church. His piety and the vows he’d dedicated
himself to were legendary—vows that had inspired
many of Bernard’s own beliefs and been written and
enacted into the rules of those who worshiped and
studied in his abbey.
“You were not gone long, to have ridden to Rome
and back,” Bernard observed, rising from where
he’d been kneeling painfully on the floor. He made
his way slowly to the single stone bench in the
room and sat, leaning gingerly back against the
wall.
“You would be surprised what proper faith can
achieve,” Montrovant grinned, his smile enigmatic
as ever. Bernard could never judge the depth of
sincerity in the man’s words. He spoke all the right
phrases, had the aspect of one of the great saints,
49
DAVID NIALL WILSON
but there was a taint of darkness about him, the
taste of danger and death so close to the edges of
his essence. That taste was bittersweet to Bernard.
It was the closest to death and adventure he was
likely to come.
When Montrovant was near, the temperature in
the room seemed to drop. And there was the way
he controlled men with his eyes that disturbed
Bernard the most. It was uncanny—possibly
unholy. More than once, Bernard had had to
question whether his own actions had been
controlled in that fashion.
In the face of the good that had come from
Montrovant’s presence, Bernard believed the
aspect of darkness to be an illusion, a test. He had
set himself on the road to passing that test long
years in the past, and now was no time to challenge
the veracity of his own faith.
“I have come with a plan,” Montrovant began.
“It will require a great deal of commitment, but it
may be the most important undertaking of the
Church in the next hundred years—possibly the
most significant accomplishment in all the years of
history that have come before us.”
“Great words,” Bernard whispered, trying to hide
the slight tremble in his voice. “Great men have
come before, and will come again. What is this
thing that we can do that will create new legends?”
Montrovant stopped dead in his tracks for just a
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
50
second. The softness died in his features, and his
eyes glowed with a light of their own, like those of
a wolf. It was an intense, frightening light. His face
was momentarily supplanted by that of a great,
predatory beast, and his height increased with a
suddenness that nearly stopped Bernard’s heart.
Then the illusion—if illusion it was, and not
revelation—passed, and he was himself again.
Bernard felt the urge to pinch himself on the arm
to prove he hadn’t been dreaming that image. He
hadn’t convinced himself either way before
Montrovant began to speak again.
“We must form an army. Not a Crusade, but a
guard for all things holy.”
Suddenly he was scant inches from Bernard’s
face, those burning eyes so close that the younger
man could see himself reflected in their depths. It
was like a glimpse of himself, burning in the fires
of hell. A warning?
“Would you like to return the Grail to the
Church, Bernard?”
A long silence followed as Bernard tried to take
in the two things that had just been thrust at him.
What did an army have to do with the Grail, and
what did he, a man of peace and spirit, have to do
with an army? And could it be possible? And
wouldn’t it be grand?
His mind whirled with images and memories,
stories and legends. He knew of the Grail, of
51
DAVID NIALL WILSON
course. He’d seen many other such relics, held more
than one in his own hands and felt the power of the
One God emanating from their depths and
reflected in their essence. He waited, not trusting
himself to make the correct response.
Montrovant spun away, and began to speak
again. “When the infidels were driven from the
temple, there were secrets still buried there that
were never discovered. There are those in Rome
who knew, those who have always known, and
when it was safe, they returned. They are the
guardians of old, the guardians who have failed. I
have seen them.”
He turned to Bernard then, as if to check for
signs of doubt.
“I walked those halls, Bernard, and I saw them.
They are old, and they are wise, creatures—men,
perhaps, but older than time itself—guardians from
some time before ours. I doubt that even the Pope
himself is fully aware of them, their origins or their
purpose.”
Bernard almost spoke then, almost voiced his
disbelief, but Montrovant’s eyes stopped him. This
man alone was reason to believe in things beyond
the natural world he’d been born to. He held his
silence, and Montrovant continued.
“They have the task of guarding the most sacred
relics, the treasures that even members of Mother
Church believe lost or too powerful to be handled.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
52
They have been at this task for too long, and they
have grown weak. They did not hold back the
invading armies of the Turks, and they did not get
the treasures free of the temple. They abandoned
them. They can offer no better protection now. Not
without our help. If the Crusades had not freed
Jerusalem, those relics would still lie waiting for
whoever first ventured beneath the temple.
“Every day our people travel to the Holy City.
Every day Muslim bandits and slavers strip them
from the roads, killing, robbing, and selling them
into servitude, while the Church, and King
Baldwin in Jerusalem, do nothing.” Montrovant
had begun to move slowly closer, and Bernard
fought to hold his ground and not back away.
“They are cutting us off,” Montrovant continued,
drawing even nearer and letting the full strength
of his gaze seep forth, washing over and through
Bernard, “and we must do something before that
rift is complete. The leaders in Jerusalem as often
refute the directions of Rome as they follow them.
Even the Patriarch sent to represent the Church in
those cities has been infected with corruption.
Something must be done.”
“What has this to do with me?” Bernard asked,
finally finding his voice, “and what do you mean
by mentioning the Grail? It is a legend, nothing
more.”
“It is fact,” Montrovant asserted, his face now so
53
DAVID NIALL WILSON
close to Bernard’s own that they could have kissed.
“Do you doubt me?”
He moved back and continued, never missing a
beat, but allowing Bernard the return of his breath.
“It is a fact that they keep these treasures in a vault
beneath the ancient temple of Solomon. I have
seen the vault, and I have met its guardians. Why
would you refute its existence? You yourself have
held and communed with the Relic of the Cross.”
“They told you all of this?” Bernard asked, unable
to hide the skepticism in the tone of his voice,
despite the sensation of imminent danger. “These
guardians spoke with you?”
“They had no need to tell me,” Montrovant
replied curtly. “I have eyes, and a mind of my own,
and I am no fool. You are not accusing me of being
a fool, are you, Bernard? I know things about the
Church that your father’s father would have
forgotten, were he alive today. I know of what I
speak.”
The menace returned so swiftly to the tall, gaunt
man’s eyes, and Bernard felt himself giving in to the
pressure and retreating slightly, pressing against the
stone at his back, though the action shamed him.
He’d never seen Montrovant so intense. His
responses were no more impertinent than usual,
and yet he felt himself on the defensive.
“Of course not,” he replied at last, regaining his
voice. “I have never doubted you.”
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
54
“Then you must listen,” Montrovant grated, “and
you must act. Everything may hinge on the speed
of our actions. Here is my plan.”
Bernard did listen. Long into the night he
listened, and after a while, he began to ask
questions, and to add thoughts of his own. The
vision that unfolded before him was vast and
wonderful, and he could feel God at the base of it
as surely as he’d felt the call to the priesthood.
Before the dawn had dusted the horizon with the
gold of another sunrise, letters had been drafted
and plans laid firmly in place.
The rest is history.
55
DAVID NIALL WILSON


THREE
The keep of Hugues de Payen stood alone, starkly
outlined against the light of a moon three days
short of full. The stone walls were overgrown with
vines and damp near the base. It was an old
structure. Many generations of de Payen blood had
matured and fallen to dust within its halls. Hugues
was not a great lord, but he was not without his
followers, or his property, and the history of his
family stretched into antiquity. Montrovant made
his way carefully along the road, scanning the area
for movement. Nothing stirred.
The walls were steep, but to Montrovant they
might as well have been a stairway. He slipped from
the shadows, having ridden as close as possible on
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
56
horseback and made the last few miles on foot. He
could move more quickly without the animal, but
it was important, as openly as he acted, that he
maintain appearances. Had he made a practice of
rushing about the countryside on foot, covering
ground at impossible speeds, eventually someone
would have noticed. Even Bernard’s credulity had
its limits. The priest’s faith in Montrovant’s
goodness was no more solid than the evening mist.
If it hadn’t been for Bernard’s desire to lead, to
prove his worth as a man, he would long since have
declared his mentor a demon, leading the witch
hunt himself.
Montrovant couldn’t risk any notice of this visit.
In this instance, approaching on foot was the
answer; the horse was more likely to be noticed
than he. If things went as planned, he would be in,
make his mark, and out without even the man he
sought comprehending where he might have come
from, or where he’d gone. He needed to play the
part of a night spirit. With the chill wind and the
low-lying clouds as a backdrop, he certainly looked
the part as he scaled the pocked stone.
Though there was no imminent threat, there
were sure to be guards on the walls. He had no fear
of them. The entire garrison of de Payen’s men
would be no real threat. If anyone spotted him,
however, months would be wasted. Too much
depended on the perfection of this one facet of his
57
DAVID NIALL WILSON
plan to risk it all in some unfortunate guard or
serving woman’s untimely death—or twenty such
deaths. He needed to keep this night clean and
pure in the eyes of the master of the keep. This
night Montrovant was not Death—he was an
angel.
It had been one thing to win over Bernard, whom
he’d counseled since young adulthood. It was quite
another to win the respect and obedience of a
grown man, a pious man. De Payen was no fool, and
Montrovant had to remind himself constantly to
re-align his approach as the moment drew near. It
wouldn’t do to burst in and start ordering the man
about—he would have to speak with the voice of
God.
He sensed a movement to his left, and without
thought moved to the right, slipping over the
railing of a balcony and into the shadows beyond.
He waited for a moment to see if there would be an
alarm sounded, but all was silent. He didn’t believe
that he’d been spotted, but he wasn’t willing to
take the chance. It wasn’t too late, at this point, to
retreat without cost, but a few more moments and
all choices would be irreversible.
As he stood, he let his senses expand, scanning
the walls and the interior of the room beyond the
balcony. The guard he’d heard on the wall was still
moving lazily toward the far end of the keep. There
was no immediate threat of war in the area, and
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
58
such guards were largely for show. Montrovant felt
a slight movement of air against his cheek, caught
the scent of lilacs. A serving woman, or one of the
ladies of the tower. He wasn’t certain who
inhabited the room he was about to enter, but
whoever she was, she was up and about at a very
late hour.
He heard her slip through the doorway and make
her way stealthily down the hall. Montrovant froze,
waiting until the woman was clear of the room to
make his move. It appeared that his luck was
holding. Had she remained in the room, he might
have had to seek another entrance, taking further
risk of discovery. Perhaps it was a sign.
Still, he hesitated. What if she were making her
way to the very bedroom he sought? It would put a
quick end to everything he’d planned, not to
mention the lives of any who saw him. He
remained in the shadows of the balcony,
considering the risks. There would be other nights,
but his heart told him the time to strike was now.
Bernard was convinced, and the wheels were
turning. If he failed to come through on his end of
the agreement, how could he be certain the others
would not, in turn, back out on theirs? Bernard’s
loyalty was dependent, at least in part, on the
infallibility of Montrovant’s actions. As long as
nothing he did directly opposed Bernard’s faith,
then everything else could be rationalized.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
He slipped through the room and into the hall,
moving slowly past stout wooden doors and sliding
along the brick wall to the stairs he knew lay at the
back of the keep. As he passed the second door
from the stair, he paused. The lilac scent was
strong, and he smiled. It was not de Payen who had
a late-night visitor, but his steward, Montclaire.
More information to file away for what was
promising to be an intriguing future. Montrovant
didn’t know at what point he might require
Montclaire’s cooperation, but it was wisest to be
prepared for any and all occasions.
No one else moved within the walls of the keep,
and he mounted the stairs without incident. He’d
visited this keep more than once, though not on
such auspicious business, and never with the
knowledge of the lord. Hunger had brought him,
but even then he’d been attentive. He remembered
each turn of the layout of stairs and halls…his
memory was serving him well. It had proven to be
one of his greatest tools since his death.
The entire upper floor belonged to de Payen. He
had servants during the day, but he banned them
from his presence at night. A religious man, de
Payen took his nights to be alone with his wine and
his Lord. There were rumors of a lost love, dead
before her time, but they were vague. De Payen was
a secretive man, and his pious nature did not call
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
60
gossip like the wayward habits of some of the other
local lords.
Montrovant was certain that these stairs were
not entirely free of the scent of flowers and lust, but
de Payen was a discreet ruler. Rumor even had him
devout. It was that devotion that had led
Montrovant to this keep rather than a dozen others
he might have visited in similar fashion. What was
to come depended greatly on the humans he chose
to carry out his plans. If he chose wrongly, a greedy
man, or one easily deceived by others, then all
would be wasted. De Payen might have his faults,
but if he did, they were hidden well enough to fool
the man’s peers, and that was an indication of the
perfect tool.
The door opened silently, and Montrovant
breathed yet another sigh of relief. He had no
intention of exiting through that doorway, but if it
had given away his entrance with a sound, his
charade would have been undone. Angels were not
generally perceived as requiring doors or stairs. He
let it close behind him with a soft click and made
his way into the inner chambers. Not for the first
time since leaving the monastery, he wished he’d
been just a bit more certain of the location of de
Payen’s own balcony.
There were candles burning in the back room,
and incense as well. Montrovant moved forward
slowly, watching the shadows and listening for any
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
sign that his presence had been discovered. It was
unlikely that de Payen’s senses were that acute, but
there was no sense in testing them.
A low, mumbling chant floated out to him from
that back room, and the light of many candles sent
shadows dancing along the walls. As he
approached, he realized that de Payen was praying.
Words tumbled from the man’s lips in an endless
stream, combinations of scripture and rambling
pleas for forgiveness. Though the words themselves
were all but incoherent, there was an air of mystery
and power in the sound of those rhythmic syllables.
It reminded Montrovant of Bernard’s monastery,
the air of holiness that permeated both the air and
the walls, despite the shaky foundations Bernard’s
faith was built upon.
There was no time for hesitation. Montrovant
moved forward. He used every ounce of the
incredible agility and speed granted him in that
motion, and it was quicker than human senses
could comprehend. It was several moments after
he’d come to a halt directly in front of de Payen
that the man took any notice of his presence.
Rather than jumping up, or showing signs of fear
or bewilderment, de Payen allowed his eyes to rise
slowly, taking in every inch of Montrovant’s large,
muscled frame. He didn’t stop until their eyes
locked, and Montrovant could feel the energy in
the air—the questions waiting on the tip of the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
62
man’s tongue. Montrovant found himself envying
de Payen’s control and his faith. He was also a bit
disconcerted by the thoughts he plucked from the
big man’s mind. He wasn’t entirely used to being
considered the direct answer to a prayer.
Despite their longing and begging for miracles,
few men could have remained so still in the face of
a physical manifestation such as de Payen now
faced. Montrovant had been prepared to restrain
him, or to take control of the man’s mind if he
bolted or sounded an alarm. What he hadn’t
counted on was this eerie control. De Payen was
not afraid. If anything, he seemed to gain
confidence from Montrovant’s sudden appearance.
“Who are you?” de Payen asked finally. “Lord,
who are you, and why have you come to me during
my prayers?”
Montrovant didn’t answer immediately; he held
the man’s gaze with his own and let his thoughts
sink into de Payen’s mind, sorting the man’s
thoughts quickly and molding them to his will. It
was simple. De Payen sought help, and his mind
was a blank slate, waiting for Montrovant to
scribble in the answers. He couldn’t have asked for
a more perfect vessel into which to pour his mind.
There were dark recesses he could not quite make
out, but it didn’t matter. The foreground of de
Payen’s mind was all that concerned him, and he
took over swiftly and completely.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
“I have come because you have called. Your
prayers have not been in vain, Hugues de Payen.
You seek a purpose—a chance to prove your faith
in the light of God. I am here in answer.”
De Payen’s expression was rapt. He never moved
to rise from his knees, nor did he attempt to speak
further. He drank in the sight of Montrovant,
letting the words he heard sink in slowly.
“The Holy Land needs champions, Hugues,”
Montrovant intoned. “Not all of God’s enemies are
sin and spirit. There is a need for a strong arm, even
in the army of the Lord. Will you be that arm?”
Eyes glittering with pride and sudden purpose, de
Payen answered. “I will. Lead, and I shall follow,
Lord. Ask, and I shall answer your call. I have
waited all my life for such a moment as this. As
Jesus laid down his life for me, I will do so for you.”
“It is not for me, Hugues. It is for the people of
God, and it is leadership you are called upon to
provide, not servitude. Go tomorrow to the
monastery and seek Bernard. He will guide you—
you and a few others—good men, godly men that
you will choose. It is for Madeline.”
The name had come to him suddenly, and he
spoke it without thought. De Payen stiffened as he
spoke it, but if anything the desire and faith in the
tall knight’s eyes burned brighter and hotter than
it had before. Another fact—another name—to be
pushed aside but remembered.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
64
There was a long moment when it seemed as if
de Payen might speak. He searched Montrovant’s
unwavering gaze for something—didn’t find it, or
did, then dropped his eyes to the floor in prayer. He
had been given his direction, and it was all he
required. It had been too easy, Montrovant
thought. The fool had had such faith in his own
prayers, in his own concept of God, that he hadn’t
had the sense to fear treachery when those prayers
were answered so directly. Standing there, with de
Payen’s head bowed before him, he considered for
a moment how easy it would be to crush the life
from the fool and leave him there. The notion
passed swiftly, but the image was somehow
satisfying.
Then, for just a second, Montrovant found
himself envious. He’d had such a faith once, a faith
in something beyond himself and his hunger. It
might be imprudent to name de Payen a fool in the
face of such courage and commitment.
Montrovant turned slightly toward the window,
then hesitated. It seemed he should say more. The
few words he’d spoken hardly seemed a foundation
upon which to build an army. He glanced down
once more, opening his mouth to speak, but de
Payen was already lost in prayer, concentrated and
focused on the stone at Montrovant’s feet. Enough
or not, he knew that it would be unwise to break
that trance.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
With a sigh, he backed toward the window. De
Payen never looked up, and with a shrug,
Montrovant leaped out and upward, clearing the
sill of the window and launching into the night. He
willed the change—taking on the form and
substance of the bat with practiced ease.
It cost him a great effort, but for effect it was
worth it. He doubted that de Payen had stopped his
praying to note his passing, but if he had, he’d
gotten quite a show. Montrovant swooped toward
the woods beyond the keep where his mount was
waiting, and as the ground approached swiftly, he
let out a keening cry, orienting his senses with the
echoed image of the earth beneath him. As he
settled, he changed, his legs and feet re-forming
beneath him in time to break his fall into a swift
run.
He knew that the bat was a darker form than
most would attribute to an angel, but in his heart
he felt it more appropriate than any other. The
great artists and bards painted glowing images of
benevolent angels, granting eternity and peace to
man. The angels of the Bible, the angels of legend,
had been warriors—uncompromised by morals or
guilt. They had done the dark work of the Lord
since the beginnings of time.
His mount shied away violently at his sudden
appearance, but he reached out with his thoughts,
calming the beast. He could have made better time
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
66
leaving the animal behind, but time wasn’t an issue
for once, and things were going too well to risk
problems at this late point. Bernard and de Payen
might prove loyal followers of his suggestions, but
that trust was based on their faith. If they thought
him a demon, or an agent of darkness, or if reports
of a strange, powerful creature of shadow began to
circulate among their people, they would prove
equally dangerous enemies—Bernard in particular,
though Montrovant knew that the young priest saw
Montrovant’s very darkness as a test of his faith, of
his vision.
There were hours of darkness left to him, and the
hunger was beginning to eat at Montrovant’s
concentration. His mission complete, he followed
his instincts, letting them spread and sweep the
countryside before him, seeking release. He did not
have long to wait.
She was young—maybe seventeen, returning by
shadows to her home. He concentrated, focusing
on her scent—the pulsing heat of her blood. Her
thoughts floated to him on gossamer threads of
emotion and he drank them in greedily. Such
innocence was a rare treat.
She’d been out to meet a young man—a young
man her father did not approve of. The sheen of
sweat that coated her flesh reached him, and he
breathed deeply. Lust and passion leaked from her
like nectar and he spurred his mount onward. He
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
did not sense the young man’s presence, so there
was no danger of being spotted unless he let her get
too close to her home. That was a mistake he didn’t
intend to make.
As he approached her, he melted from the back
of his mount into the night air, pushing off and
upward with all his great strength. The horse shied,
letting out a scream that he knew would chill the
girl’s heart. He felt her stop, momentarily paralyzed
with fear, and in that instant he fell upon her.
There was no time for subtlety, no lingering
glances or seductive speech. He dropped from the
darkness and took her in his arms, locking onto the
vulnerable softness of her throat before she could
cry out, drawing her to him and into him in
heaving, convulsive gulps.
He felt her flesh pressed wantonly against him,
shared the myriad images of fear, lust, and
confusion that warred in her failing mind. Her
warmth flooded him. As she iced over, releasing
her essence to his thirst, his strength returned. His
vision cleared, and he fed more slowly, savoring the
last of her—drawing her inward and welcoming the
visions.
Her long hair fell back over his arm, and the
scent of her perfume, mingled with the musk of her
desire, drove all thought from his mind, save that
of satiation and fulfillment.
She was beautiful. Now that he was in control of
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
68
himself once more, he could see this. She—
Monique—had grown to a young woman, fallen in
love, and come to her end in darkness. So much
potential had walked away from that young man’s
arms. He almost regretted having taken so much
from her. She’d been a piece of the world’s art, in
progress toward completion. With one deft stroke,
he’d made her a bit of history. So sudden.
Completion. How he longed for that impossible
state. So much hinged on the days to come, on his
dreams and his plans. There was nothing to
separate him from a fool at that moment but his
passion. He wanted things to come to completion,
to follow the logical lines of power and time full
circle, but at the same time he wanted to hurry that
process along.
Bernard, de Payen, they were just pieces in a
grand puzzle that he was trying to construct from
his own visions. He had grown to maturity in a
world that worshiped a single God, and he’d seen
that church evolve through faith to madness to evil
and back again. The power to control men’s minds
was in their faith. The power to control worlds was
in the past.
The Grail was more than a symbol. The blood
that had rested in that cup, short as the duration
of that stay might have been, was powerful beyond
reckoning. Kingdoms would be risked in its
recovery if it were certain. Lives and loves would
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
be cast aside on the mere notion that it could be
possessed. It would bring him to the power he
craved, would bring Claudius to supremacy, and
why not? Of all their kind, who was more
deserving? Certainly not the cave-dwelling
Nosferatu, or the pompous Ventrue. It was
Claudius, ancient and powerful, who should rule,
and the Grail could do that. It could bring back the
sun, and anything that could return that was worth
the risk of a second death. It was worth any risk.
He let Monique drop to the ground and looked
around carefully. No one was near, but it never paid
to be less than certain. One stray traveler, taking
the story of the ‘demon in the forest’ to Bernard’s
monastery, and months—years—of work might be
undone.
Working swiftly, he gathered branches and large
stones from the surrounding forest and piled them
carefully around the girl’s still form. Before he
covered her he took the dagger from his belt and
slit her throat. The slice was clean, and it erased
all sign of where he’d fed. She would not be found
anytime soon, and by the time she was, there would
be little evidence of the true manner of her death.
It would be attributed to some passing vagrant, or
bandit.
When he had finished, Montrovant turned
toward the forest once more. He sensed his mount
about half a mile away, and he took off at a run,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
70
letting the night-wind flow through the ebon locks
of his hair and trail it behind him wildly. He felt
powerful—invincible. There was an energy in the
air and it blended with the fresh young blood
flowing through his veins to lift his spirits.
Dawn was making its way slowly to the horizon,
and he needed to get back to the abbey in time to
get below without causing a stir; but for the
moment what remained of the night called to him.
He felt a kinship with the beasts that were abroad.
Slinking wolves, owls soaring freely and swooping
in upon unsuspecting prey. The freedom was
splendid, and he let it soak through his being. It
was good to let the cares and responsibility slip
away, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.
He was nearing his horse when he sensed the
other. He knew it was kindred, there was no
mistaking the sensation. This time it was different
from any other encounter in his experience, very
different. This one was old. Older than Euginio.
Older than anything, anyone Montrovant had ever
encountered. The very essence of this being had
the taint of grave dust and the magic of antiquity
imbedded within it. It was a vision of his future.
Montrovant came to a full stop, letting his senses
sweep the area and trying to pinpoint the source of
the intrusion. He sensed no animosity, no
imminent danger, but he knew better than to let his
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
guard down in such a situation. He felt himself
trembling, and his nerves were as taut as harp
strings. Here was real danger, danger that could end
him as swiftly as the snuffing of a small candle.
Here was the thrill that came so seldom now that
death had stolen his lifeblood.
A being as old as the one he was now seeking was
powerful beyond his comprehension. Valuable in
the same degree. The blood of such a one could
make him little short of a God among men, were
he to find a way to make it his own. The
impossibility of attaining that blood without a
serious element of surprise and luck did not stop
Montrovant’s mind from considering the
implications.
“Who are you?” he asked aloud. There was no
need for speech, but somehow the forming of the
words, the sound itself, made him a bit more
comfortable.
His answer was the same deep silence he’d
addressed.
“What do you want? Why do you follow me?”
There was a movement to his right, silent and
swift—beyond his ability to track. There were
words hanging, suspended in the breeze caused by
that movement, words whispered so silently that he
could barely make out that they were words. He
strained to grasp them, to decipher their cryptic
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
72
message, but they slipped away, and the essence of
whatever—whoever—it had been dissipated into
predawn shadows.
“…the blood. Jerusalem…awaits. You...”
He lost the connection, and found that he’d been
standing, listening and still, for too long. The
words had somehow fogged his mind. It had begun
to grow light, and the dawn was approaching too
swiftly. He shook his head violently, trying to
orient himself.
What had happened? He knew it had not been
so late when he’d sensed the other’s presence. How
long had he stood there? How long might he have
stood there, had he not come to his senses? What
had been done to his mind, and what did it mean?
He found his mount, grazing contentedly a few
hundred yards distant. Running to the horse’s side,
he slid easily into the saddle and wheeled quickly
toward the abbey. No time to waste on conjecture.
There would be plenty of time after darkness had
returned, and after Bernard had informed him of
what took place with de Payen. He would have
ample opportunity to ponder this new
development. Dangerous as this other might be, he
would not be much of a threat during the daylight
hours.
As he disappeared into the shadows, a form
melted from the trees in his wake. Standing, staring
after Montrovant’s retreating form, a tall, slender
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
man stood framed against the rising sun. He made
no move to hurry from those rays. He watched until
Montrovant had disappeared from sight, then
turned slowly, making his way back in among the
trees. With a sudden blink of shadow, he was gone.
The forest awoke to solitude and silence.
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74


FOUR
The dawn and de Payen arrived at once, just as
Montrovant had predicted. Bernard, amazing the
brethren, had rearranged their schedule in
anticipation of the local lord’s arrival. It was the
first such deviation in their schedule in the
memory of any among them, and the stir it caused
was of equal rarity. Something was obviously afoot;
something important.
While devotion went on as always in the chapel
below, Bernard remained alone in his chambers,
standing and staring out over his balcony toward
the forests and fields. It was a rare opportunity to
spend the early morning in the light of the sun
75
DAVID NIALL WILSON
rather than the close, emotionally charged confines
of the chapel. He’d often stood there in the
evening, waiting, wondering where the Spirit
would guide him next, but for once it was pleasant
to be there at the beginning of a day, perhaps at the
birth of his greatest challenge.
It was a drastic contrast. Where the night had
left him wondering about the future, he now found
himself waiting for it breathlessly. He longed to be
a leader—a voice of spirit and reason that could
help to arrange the affairs and lives of others. He
wanted to provide the answers they sought. It was
a heady sensation, and he forced himself to his
knees on the cold, hard surface, letting his head fall
against the stone wall. Pride was not a luxury a
servant of the One God could afford. It was also not
conducive to clear thought.
He had known that de Payen would come.
Montrovant had told him that it would be so, and
in all the years of their odd partnership, he’d never
known Montrovant to speak anything but the
starkest truth. At times that truth did not follow
the lines of theological conservatism, but it was
always clear and straightforward. This time the
dark one had spoken of the birth of an army, and
that vision had filled Bernard’s mind throughout
the long hours of the night. It had not prepared
Bernard for this moment. It was one thing to plan
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76
the formation of an army, and it was quite another
to watch the general to whom you would entrust
that army riding up to your front door.
His trust of Montrovant, the relationship they
shared, was difficult to understand, even for
Bernard. Montrovant himself did not give the
impression of godliness. He was too quick to anger,
too often given to curse, and yet there was a power
leaking from him that soaked into any situation in
which he was involved. Bernard had prayed to his
God all his life, had lived each and every moment
of that life in service to his faith. That faith was
based on his personal relationship with the divine.
Bernard had prayed for guidance where
Montrovant was concerned, but there had been no
answer more forthright and believable than the
man’s presence.
Though Montrovant did not glow with the light
of holiness, he also did not stink of evil, and that
made all the difference to Bernard. He believed he
would know his enemy when he came across him,
face to face, and he knew that Montrovant was no
devil. Over the course of time Bernard’s work for
the Church, and for his Lord, had progressed.
Montrovant had aided that progress time and
again, often against what seemed impossible odds.
Time—dependability—strength—these had made
him an ally to be trusted.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
It would be easy to take the low road, the road
most would have taken, and name Montrovant an
emissary of the devil. There were too many things
about the dark one that Bernard could not explain
in any rational manner. If it were true, though,
Bernard would have to name himself both fool and
worthless. It had been Montrovant, looking much
the same as he’d looked only two nights previously,
who had come to Bernard when he’d been but a
sickly, frail lad of fifteen years and set him upon his
present road. It had been Montrovant, tall, straight
and proud, a knight in the very essence of the word,
who’d seen the strength and commitment in
Bernard’s mind, and in his faith. It had been
Montrovant who’d shown him that faith was the
stronger weapon, that the barbs and insults of his
father and his brothers were only poor attempts to
set themselves above him.
Now he knew his own strength, and he knew a
wondrous relationship with his Lord, and all of that
was owed to Montrovant. It was not a debt Bernard
took lightly. He would, in fact, have liked to have
been more free to pursue his own mind, but it
seemed that this would be putting his own feelings
before those of the Lord. He couldn’t explain
Montrovant’s behavior, his insistence on walking
only at night. His barely controlled passion that
could be so quickly replaced by a controlled, icy
calm.
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78
Bernard had decided that the man’s seeming
disregard of things holy was a test of his own faith.
Perhaps when one was closer to the divine, the
relationship changed. In any case, Montrovant’s
coarse manner was a worldly shield that he was
meant to see through, a divine attempt to assure
Bernard’s own sincerity. Each added curiosity, each
mystery associated with Montrovant that itched at
his desire to condemn was another layer of the test.
A lesser man, or a man more closely aligned with
the standard teachings of Mother Church, would
surely have mistaken Montrovant for a demon. It
would have been a mistake. There was a greatness
to the man that emanated from his actions and his
words, his bold countenance and unchecked
passion. Whoever he was, Bernard trusted that he
had not been sent by Satan. He wasn’t content
with the notion that Montrovant was an emissary
of God, either, but he had long since decided this
was unimportant. What was important was faith,
and the furthering of the message of salvation.
If Montrovant was not a holy man, he could be
a holy tool. It was through Montrovant, “as
through a glass, darkly,” that Bernard had come to
the knowledge and wisdom men attributed to him.
If he were to turn from that now, what kind of man
would that make him? And if he were wrong about
Montrovant, if the man were purest evil and he’d
been misled all along, then there would be little
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reason left for life. Choices are sometimes made at
a very young age and maintained at great cost.
Montrovant was as much a part of Bernard as his
own family—more since he’d grown to adulthood.
Now destiny called. De Payen’s solitary form,
which had appeared on the horizon a few moments
before, was drawing near. Bernard rose, feeling the
pain in his knees and the chill where the stone had
pressed against his bone through the thin
protection of his skin. He straightened the simple
brown robe he wore, stretching to return
circulation. He didn’t want to make an impression
of weakness on de Payen as he approached. No
more so than he usually did, in any case.
Bernard and Hugues de Payen were related by
blood, but had had little contact in the years of
Bernard’s life. He knew de Payen as a man of solid
moral fiber and indomitable courage. Bernard’s
father had spoken well of the lord, and nothing
Bernard had heard since had contradicted this. On
the battlefield, de Payen was near unstoppable, and
the tales of his courage were so widespread that
Bernard could not believe them all to be fabricated.
De Payen, on the other hand, would have
conflicting stories of his sickly nephew. For the first
fifteen years of life, Bernard had been little more
than a nuisance, an excuse for ridicule and a point
of shame to his father, whose other sons were tall
and strong. It would be up to Bernard himself to set
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80
the seeds of truth in de Payen’s mind, and to win
his trust. That was a task he intended to
accomplish. He needed this man’s trust.
In his favor, the few memories he had of de Payen
from his childhood were pleasant ones. The tall,
powerful man had never spoken an ill word to him.
He had never joined his voice in ridicule, at least
not while Bernard had been present.
De Payen dismounted in the garden before the
front gate of the abbey, and Bernard watched as
brothers Miguel and Philippe made their way out,
heads bowed low, to meet him. De Payen wore full
armor, and it gleamed in the morning sunlight. It
seemed that the man must have spent the entire
night in preparation for this meeting. Glittering as
he was in the light of the morning sun, de Payen’s
form took on an aura of purity and light that struck
Bernard momentarily breathless. A moment of
vision.
De Payen’s mount was as tall and proud as its
rider, black with stockings of white around three of
its four hooves. It stamped and pranced, alert and
ready for action. The two seemed joined as one,
horse and knight, and it was a magnificent sight.
Once out of the saddle, de Payen dwarfed the
magnificent beast. He was a giant of a man, and he
stood, staring earnestly up toward the balcony
where Bernard stood observing him, both questions
and an open sense of wonder filling his gaze.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Bernard remained hidden behind the lip of his
balcony. De Payen’s expression spoke equally of
pride and humility, a perfect balance of the traits
that made him the ideal choice to lead God’s
knights.
Bernard felt a pang of jealousy as his cousin
disappeared beneath him, entering and ascending
the inner stairs to where he waited. De Payen’s
long, raven hair, twisted into a single braid in back,
his deep-set eyes and classic features, were quite a
contrast to Bernard’s own thin, bookish
countenance. Bernard had spent his childhood in
the shadows of active, warrior brothers, and friends
who were able to push him around and ridicule him
at will. He knew that those days were behind him,
that the Lord had gifted him with words—with
strength and power all his own to lessen the
physical odds fate had stacked against him, but it
was hard not to wonder what life might have been
like had things worked out differently.
There was a light knock on his door, then
Philippe pushed it inward and de Payen entered,
ducking his head to clear the wooden framework.
Without hesitation the big man dropped to one
knee, lowering his wild, questing eyes to the stone
floor. Bernard’s heart sped. Such power and grace,
and yet the man had the respect of one of Bernard’s
own brethren.
“Rise, cousin,” he said quickly, moving forward
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82
to extend his hand and help the bigger man to his
feet. The strain was great, but Bernard managed to
stand fast, his grip firm and his stance steady, until
de Payen stood before him once more. He gave a
breath of thanks when the pressure was released not
to have shown any sign of weakness so early in their
encounter.
The two men spent a long moment studying one
another, then Bernard spoke.
“You are a godly man, Hugues. I have heard this
from those who serve you, from my father, and now
it is revealed to me in my prayers. The Lord has a
great purpose set aside for you. It is an honor to
serve as his messenger.”
“The honor is all mine, cousin,” de Payen
answered earnestly. “I have prayed long hours for
a purpose, for some sign of what my life might
mean. I have waited, serving as I might, but I had
begun to fear that those prayers were to no avail,
that I had no purpose to my Lord beyond that
which had already been set before me.”
De Payen hesitated for a moment, as if suspecting
he might have said too much. Then he continued.
“I would have served as I have,” he added softly,
“leading my small forces and solving the petty
squabbles of those set to follow my own humble
leadership. I would have married, eventually, and
raised sons, teaching them of God’s love. I would
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
have done whatever the Lord called upon me to do,
but I have prayed for this moment.”
He stared at Bernard in sudden intensity, moving
half a step forward. Bernard nearly took a step back,
but managed to hold himself steady.
“I felt there was more to my destiny.” De Payen’s
words came fast and furious now. Bernard elected
to remain silent, letting the man vent feelings he’d
obviously kept to himself for far too long.
“I have heard the bards speak of the glory of the
Crusades, of the taking of the holy city of
Jerusalem. I have heard the atrocities that plague
the followers of our Lord, even now, and I have
waited. I have prayed. There are those among my
followers who think me mad, though they would
not say as much to my face.”
“Your prayers are answered, Hugues de Payen,
and your vision was true. You will be the strong arm
of the Lord, though it will take strength and
courage beyond anything you have known.”
“I would lay down my life in such a service,” de
Payen grated, lowering once more to one knee.
“Tell me what I must do.”
“First, cousin,” Bernard said, almost playfully,
“you must get out of the habit of kneeling before
me. I am not your lord, and I am certainly worthy
of no man’s worship. My wisdom comes largely from
the same source as your destiny came to you. The
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84
dark angel has visited you, and I have spoken with
him as well.”
De Payen rose slowly. “‘The dark angel.’ Fitting.
I have thought of nothing else since he left me. I
feared he was sent by the Other—by demons. I
feared that Satan merely mocked me, sending his
servant to dangle this before me.
“But he came to me as I prayed, and I knew in
that moment that my time had arrived. He sent me
to you. If you can give my life the purpose I seek, I
will revere your name and praise your glory until
the last breath exits my body. This I swear.”
Bernard grew silent for a moment, thinking. De
Payen’s spirit was strong, almost disconcerting. The
man’s piety was a weapon to be used, but it would
take tact, and no small share of wisdom, to set the
man on the right track. Bernard did not want de
Payen to be a sheep, following his every movement
or word. What he needed was a leader, a man who
would take the fight to the roads and byways of the
Holy Land itself—a war Bernard himself was not fit
for. He wanted a man led by confidence in his own
spirituality.
“We have both lost a cousin, recently,” Bernard
continued, changing tacks. “You may not be aware
of it yet, but our cousin’s son, Ferdinand, left his
home less than three months ago to make a
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He took gifts for King
Baldwin, and he took offerings for the temple. It
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was something he felt the desire to do before he
took his rightful place as heir to the lands and titles
of a de Montfort. He was the eldest son, but our
Lord touched him in some way, and he felt that he
must first show his deference to God before
asserting his control over men. He was a wonderful
boy.
“He never made it to Jerusalem. He made the
journey on foot, wearing the robes of a peasant and
taking only a small entourage of servants and likeminded
young warriors. He died on the road.”
“What happened to him?” de Payen demanded,
rising suddenly. “I knew Ferdinand—I have hunted
with his father.”
“His party was set upon by Turkish bandits,”
Bernard continued, letting his eyes fall to the floor
and losing himself for a moment in remorse. “He
wanted nothing more than to show his love of God
and the Church, and this is how his short life is
ended. No honor. No glory. No protection from his
homeland, or his Church.”
“I will avenge him!” De Payen was pacing now,
his hair tossing wildly about, the animal strength
behind his serious visage shining forth brightly as
his anger grew. “I will search them out, slay them
as the dogs they are. I…”
“Stop.” Bernard did not speak loudly, or with
particular force, but something in the tone of his
voice halted the older man’s tirade. “You do
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86
yourself no justice, Hugues, nor do you any good for
our dead cousin. Listen, first, then act. This is my
message to you.”
De Payen grew silent, but not still. He continued
to pace the room, and the anger behind his eyes
had not dimmed. Bernard was grateful, in that
instant, that the anger was not directed at him. It
was a flame that burned more brightly than any
Bernard had ever sensed. The faith that drove de
Payen was a palpable aura. It emanated in
intimidating waves from his eyes and his gestures,
from his stance and the set of his jaw.
“I feel as strongly as you about the death of our
cousin,” Bernard continued, forcing his voice to
remain steady. “Indeed, I feel the greater pain. It
was my teaching, my suggestion, that led him to
place God before family and make his way to the
Holy Land. Had I not intervened in the name of
Jesus, he would walk and breathe and fight to this
day. It is not to be so.
“The roads between Mother Church and
Jerusalem must be open. There must be a pathway
between God’s people and God’s land, or what is
the purpose of controlling that land in the first
place? There is a need for discipline, and for order.
“Many of our leaders have armies—armies of
strong, dedicated knights such as yourself. These
are God-fearing men, and yet they falter when the
cost to themselves, or their families, outweighs
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their faith. This is not what we require, Hugues.
The Lord, your God, requires total obedience and
utter support. Are you willing to grant Him that?
Are you willing to repay the sacrifice of His only
child with your life, your strong arm, and your
faith?”
There was no real reason to wait for an answer,
but Bernard grew silent, waiting.
Instinctively, de Payen began to fall to his knee
once more. Seeing the look in Bernard’s eyes, he
hesitated, then rose to his full height. “You know
the answer to that, cousin,” de Payen answered
grimly. “I will serve with every ounce of strength,
faith, and passion granted to me. It is what I have
lived and breathed for—prayed for—all of my life.
Tell me, what shall I do?”
“You must go to Jerusalem,” Bernard replied. “It
must be your own venture, not decided by me—not
engineered by myself, or any other, but from you.
You must go to the Holy City with an entourage of
godly men that you trust unto death, and you must
offer your service. Knights for God, warriors of the
Holy Temple, your purpose should be to guard the
roads between Rome and Jerusalem, to make the
pathways free for all men who would seek the
birthplace and vacated tomb of their savior. You
can become the lifeline of the Church.”
De Payen’s eyes were glowing, and Bernard knew
he’d won the day. Montrovant had chosen well.
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The faith of the man standing before him caused
Bernard a moment of humble self-recrimination.
De Payen’s belief was intense—overpowering. He
was focused and powerful, a weapon of flesh, blood
and faith, guided by the spirit and the word of God.
“Cousin,” de Payen began hesitantly. “I…I don’t
know who else to speak of this to, but the angel
who came to me in the night, I know it must have
been an angel, for he came during my prayers, and
he sent me to you. How can such a thing be? How
could I be worthy of such an honor, such a
visitation? And how can I be certain from whence
he came?”
“You will see him again,” Bernard replied,
nodding. “He is known in this time and place as
‘Montrovant.’ Trust him in all things. We…I…owe
him much. He is a force for the Lord as surely as I
am, and he will not lead you astray. Never let what
your eyes or ears tell you interfere with this
understanding.
“He is not as you or I. His ways will not always
seem God’s ways. Do not be fooled by this. He is
sent to lead us on the path to righteousness, and to
teach us to use our hearts, not our ears or our
superstitious fears. His message is that we must
focus our own faith. I believe he will bless you upon
your journey to Jerusalem.”
“It would be a great honor,” de Payen replied.
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So dramatic, Bernard thought. So full of energy and
passion.
“Gather your men, Hugues de Payen, and choose
well. You must leave as soon as possible, carrying
nothing with you but armor, weapons, and faith.
Take only a small force, but a righteous one. There
will no doubt be times when you will need to trust
your life, and your mission, to each and every one
of them. When you arrive, you must convince the
king in Jerusalem to bless your actions. It is a
beginning.
“Ours is not a passive God. He will not stand by
and let the Turkish animals overrun our world. You
will form the wall that will prevent this—you, your
faith, your followers. It is a blessed task, a holy
mission, but I feel in my heart that you are the man
to accomplish this.”
“I understand,” de Payen replied. “I will not let
God down, or you, cousin. I thank you for your
shared wisdom—for the vision that will become my
life. One thing…”
“Yes?” Bernard waited.
“I wish to take vows,” de Payen asserted. “I wish
the same for each of the knights I shall choose to
ride at my side. We will take vows, even as you have
done, and we will give up lands, titles, and greed
in this service. Without such commitment, I feel
it would be difficult to hold their loyalty, even with
God and an angel by my side.”
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Bernard almost argued against it. It seemed
absurd—knights curbed by the self-discipline and
limits of holy vows. The more he thought about it,
though, the more sense it made. He nodded slowly.
“It shall be so,” he agreed. “You are a wise man,
Hugues. Montrovant has chosen well. Without
hearth or home, there will be no need of personal
wealth. With lust set aside, there will be no need
of rape or pillage. An army of God should be a
model of righteousness.”
De Payen nodded. Nothing remaining to be said.
He departed the chamber and descended through
the stone passageways and stairs to the front of the
abbey. Bernard did not follow him, nor did he make
any move to summon any of the brethren to do so.
De Payen would find his own way out, and Bernard
had much to think on—much to plan. It was a
monumental day—a day to be recorded in the
annals of history. It would require prayer and a clear
mind—particularly since Montrovant would be
joining him that evening.
He watched de Payen’s retreating form until the
line of trees surrounding the main garden cut him
off from sight, then he sank to his knees and
returned to his prayer. The hunger throbbed in his
stomach, and he moved with the pain, letting the
visions carry him away.
_
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“It is good,” Montrovant said at last, having
listened attentively to Bernard’s account of his
meeting with de Payen. “It is as I expected. He is a
man of passion and iron will. He will be the perfect
foundation for our plan, and he is a leader that
others will respect.”
“Your plan, you mean,” Bernard replied softly. “I
have had little to do with this, other than the
passing of words from one to the other. I feel almost
dishonest in this, since it will be perceived that I
am behind it all.”
“You know better than that, my friend,”
Montrovant replied, smiling slowly. “You are great
among the men of God, Bernard,” he continued.
“There will come a time when the very forces in
Rome will be at your command. Faith brings
strength, and few can match you in that regard. It
is your destiny.
“Mine lies in another direction. I will follow de
Payen, and I will watch over his journey to the
Holy Land. We will both return.”
“I will look forward to that day,” Bernard
breathed.
Montrovant held the man’s eyes with the
strength of his own gaze—held him until the
silence grew heavy with tension, then released him.
“As will I,” he said softly. “I will go now. It is a
long journey, and I doubt your cousin will waste any
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92
time in preparation. I will ride out tomorrow night
to join with him, though I will not make my
presence known at once. He will need time to
establish his authority, and I would not undermine
that. You will hear from me. I will write, and I will
send messengers. No part of what is to come will
be kept from you.”
Bernard glowed with pride. He knew such a
sensation was sinful, but there was time enough to
scourge the sin from his flesh when Montrovant
had gone. At the same time, the jealousy he’d felt
only moments before shamed him. He might have
his doubts about Montrovant, but once again it
appeared that the doubts were unfounded. He
could see no wrong, no darkness, in what they were
setting out to do. He hoped that it was not a lack
of vision on his own part.
“Godspeed,” he said softly.
“I thank you,” Montrovant grinned. There was
so much emotion behind that expression, so much
left unsaid, that in that moment Bernard believed
the man capable of anything, and it left him
breathless. Turning, Montrovant disappeared into
the shadows beyond Bernard’s door so quickly that
one moment he stood framed against the deepening
shadows and flickering candle light, and the next
there was nothing.
Bernard returned to his window, staring into the
vast darkness and concentrating on the far-distant
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
glitter of the stars. “God’s will be done,” he
whispered, dropping once more to his knees. “God’s
will be done…”
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94


FIVE
The group that wound its way through the gates
of Jerusalem was not an impressive sight. They
walked their horses closely together, watching the
streets and people as they passed with wild, wary
eyes. Dust matted the long, tangled locks of their
hair, and their garments were simple—devoid of
color and belted at the waist. At their head rode a
giant of a man. His eyes swept the scenery with
what could have passed for awe in any lesser of a
man. He rode with his head held high, and the
strength in his enormous frame was evident in his
every movement.
The only thing that set them apart from the poor
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pilgrims who made their way to the city nearly
every day were their mounts and their weapons.
Long, polished swords, axes and daggers hung from
saddles and belts. Shields rested at their sides,
within reach, and a close inspection revealed that
many of the packages tied onto the pack animals
they led behind them held armor. Despite their
inauspicious appearance, none questioned them or
disturbed their steady progress.
Without hesitation, the lead rider turned his
mount down the central street and headed straight
for Baldwin’s palace, sending women, children, and
merchants alike scurrying in all directions to make
way. Questions filtered along in their wake as the
bustle of the city closed in behind them. Hushed
comments were whispered in shop doorways and
dark alleys. There was nothing to lend any
particular significance to the small band’s arrival,
and yet their slow parade toward the palace spoke
volumes. Though they looked like beggars, they
rode like knights, and any arrival of knights in the
city was worthy of note and thanks. Particularly if
those knights were ready to offer their service to
the king.
They approached the smaller gates of the wall
surrounding the palace. It was not the gate that a
visiting lord would use, but that through which
patrols and guards entered and exited the grounds.
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The leader dismounted, leading his horse forward.
Stopping just short of the gates, he hailed the
guards.
After a short conversation, one that brought
much speculation to the tongues and ears of the
citizens of Jerusalem, the small group was admitted
a few moments later, the gates closing solidly
behind them.
A few of those who’d watched approached the
gates, calling out questions and trying to get a
glimpse into the palace court itself, but all they got
from the guards were more questions and shrugs of
indifference, and there was no sign of the small
party beyond the wall.
_
Baldwin admitted the nine almost immediately.
He hadn’t had word from France in months, and it
might be that these men brought important
information. The circumstances of their arrival
were odd, and the description his guards had
brought him drew questions to his mind, but not
enough to wait another moment if there were news
to be had. Baldwin had enough worries on his mind
for ten kingdoms, and the best hope for relief of
those worries was support from the Church, and
from the various kingdoms of Europe. He hoped
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that this would be some sign that this support was
to be granted.
The city was surrounded by the Turks, the
Egyptians; and on the sides that were held by his
own men, dissent and treachery brought their own
prices. What had begun as a holy war to free the
most sacred of cities had degraded quickly into
feudal wars and political back-biting. Somehow the
throne had seemed a much more desirable honor to
attain before he’d fully understood its
ramifications.
The king was slightly taken aback when de Payen
strode forcefully into the room and knelt quickly
at his feet, his long, bedraggled hair and beard
nearly brushing the floor. The man looked as if he’d
been without food or drink for days, and his eyes
were as wild as the dark mane of hair that swept
back over his shoulders.
“Rise, sir,” Baldwin admonished him, “and tell
me why you’ve come.”
“I am a poor knight, Lord,” de Payen began. As
he spoke, the others who’d joined him on his quest
filed in behind him, kneeling as he still knelt, their
heads bowed. “As are we all. We have taken vows
of poverty, faith, and chastity, and we have come
to offer our services to the Lord.”
This was far from what Baldwin might have
expected out of a visiting knight, and he chose
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silence as his response. It would be best, he decided,
to let this strange, grave man before him speak his
piece.
“The road we have traveled to reach you has not
been an easy one, Lord. We have fought long and
hard along the way, and we have brought a small
group of pilgrims to the city of our Savior. The
Turks who would have taken them to slavery have
been sent to their own dark god, and those we
fought to protect have made it safely within the
walls of the city. It is not enough.”
De Payen rose, finally, and met Baldwin’s eyes
evenly. “We are here to dedicate our days to the
safety of that road. We have formed a compact, a
bond that can be broken by no blade in this realm,
nor set aside by any who have taken the oaths. We
will make the road to Jerusalem a safe one for our
brethren.”
Baldwin, thinking fast, rose to stand before de
Payen, the steps leading to his throne giving him
a foot or so of height advantage, despite the other’s
huge stature. This was a moment of destiny,
somehow he knew it, and he drew forth every bit
of royal pomp and arrogance he could muster to be
certain that he remained in control of that
moment. It was not an easy task, facing one such
as de Payen.
“I will accept your service,” he said, gesturing to
the floor, “in the name of our Lord.”
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De Payen knelt instantly, bowing his head. In an
uncharacteristically impulsive gesture, Baldwin
drew the sword dangling at his side and brought it
to rest on the knight’s dusty shoulder.
“I accept your service, Hugues de Payen, and that
of those who serve under you.”
De Payen rose immediately, clasping the king’s
hand between his own and meeting the monarch’s
eyes once more.
“Thank you,” he said simply. “You will not be
disappointed.”
That was the beginning.
_
Baldwin II was not a heavy drinker, but the night
following Hugues de Payen’s unexpected offer, he
made an exception. A large urn of wine had been
brought to his quarters and left there by his
servants, and Baldwin lounged across a long couch,
his goblet held easily in one hand, considering the
implications of what had just taken place. He felt
the need to get it straight in his own mind before
consulting his advisors, or sending word back to
Rome.
Knights were a valuable commodity at any price,
but this was a singularly grand concept. Nine
knights for the simple price of food, clothing,
stabling and mounts—no lands or title desired—
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100
this was a gift of unprecedented good fortune. For
all that, it was an odd gift, as well. Few things had
come easily to Baldwin, and he was not in the habit
of accepting things at face value. If there was a
catch to this offer, something that de Payen sought
to gain that was being kept hidden, Baldwin
needed to discover that goal and find a way to make
it work for his own greater good.
De Payen’s men were a somber lot, and they had
declined all his offers of hospitality save the night’s
rest and sustenance. They were eager, it seemed, to
set themselves apart, and it would be necessary for
Baldwin to find a means of accomplishing this. He
thought for a moment of calling in the Patriarch,
letting the influence of the Church aid him in his
decision, but he decided against it. Any such act
would be an admission that he wasn’t fully capable
of handling things on his own, and he had no faith
in the godliness of Rome’s messengers this far from
the Pope. Likewise he believed it would be a
mistake to consult his military advisors.
Daimbert, the patriarch, had already tried to ally
himself with Jerusalem’s enemies in the past,
working toward a coup that would have put
another in the palace. Baldwin had suffered him to
remain in his position as spiritual leader of the city,
and he did not publicly denounce or humiliate the
man, but he did not believe that Daimbert had
God’s will in mind in all his affairs.
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This new group, should it grow and prosper,
would surely come to challenge the authority of
those in Baldwin’s armies. It was in their eyes.
There was no compromise, no weakness in de
Payen that Baldwin could sense. He was an
imposing man, held in check, it appeared, by his
own faith. If this was the case, then Baldwin
needed a way to keep that challenge under control.
Perhaps he could even use these newcomers as an
example to his own men. Men who were governed
by their desires and greed he was familiar with.
These could be paid, bribed, or otherwise coerced.
Men who truly lived by faith would be dangerous
in many ways...particularly if that faith were ever
crossed by Baldwin’s own desires.
The hour grew later, the skies darker, and only
the stars answered Baldwin’s questions. The level
of wine in the urn dropped slowly but steadily, and
his thoughts began to drift. It was just as his eyelids
were growing so heavy that he could barely force
them far enough open to allow him to locate his
drink that the first breath of—something—washed
through his mind, and he lay back, forgetting the
wine. The goblet clattered to the floor, forgotten.
A moment of clear, lucid thought wound its way
slowly through the wine-fog and weariness. Images
formed, and he found that he could fit them
together as he wished—so obvious. The mosque.
The al Aqsa Mosque. It was built on the very
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102
foundations of the temple of Solomon, ancient,
consecrated ground, and yet he’d not made full use
of the magnificent structure.
In truth, he’d hesitated to use the edifice for
anything truly important. It was a leftover of the
Moslems, a reminder that Jerusalem had not always
been controlled by the Church. Now he had the
opportunity to make a statement, to house God’s
own army within walls raised by their enemies. He
would have to consult Daimbert, at least publicly
make the gesture, but it was his decision to be
made. A vision of hundreds of white-clad knights
riding forth from the mosque washed through him,
and he nearly cried out at the wonder of it. Then
reality and the memory of nine bedraggled warriors
with grim faces returned, and he began to sift
through the visions for a plan.
There would be problems with the Patriarch, but
Baldwin almost looked forward to that
confrontation. He’d seen the slender, pale brethren
who walked the halls of that temple, and he knew
that there were guards on some of the chambers
and temples within as well, guards he himself had
not set. Guards supposedly ordained by the Holy
Father in Rome. It had always bothered him that
there were things going on in his city that he had
only fleeting knowledge of, and no control over.
Moving the knights into the mosque would give
him a reason to assert that control, and it might
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provide some long-sought answers, as well. This
would give him an excuse to pry into the Church’s
holdings in the city.
Baldwin was willing to risk the ire of the Church
in the assumption that the Patriarch did not truly
act with the full patronage of Rome. Baldwin’s
cousin, Baldwin I, had provided sufficient evidence
of this in his dealings with Daimbert, former Bishop
of Pisa. What was best for the kingdom was best for
Baldwin, and that was the way he would have to
look at it. What was best for the Church would
have to follow in its turn.
He began to drift off again, and the images
slipped slowly from his mind, but he carried it to
his dreams. The mosque of al Aqsa would be
perfect, and it would be the beginning of greatness
for those nine poor knights. Knights of the temple
of Solomon—Baldwin smiled as darkness engulfed
him. Poor knights of the Temple of Solomon. It had
a powerful ring to it.
_
Beyond the king’s window, Montrovant chanced
a glance around the framework to where the
monarch lounged, now unconscious, on a couch
beside the window. Baldwin looked anything but
impressive at that moment, and Montrovant
watched him in contempt.
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104
So easy. So weak. He felt the urge to slip across
the windowsill and sample the royal blood, but it
passed as he launched himself backward into the
night. Such actions would not aid him in his plan,
satisfying as they might be. He needed to be gone
before he was spotted, and he had needs of his own
to be taken care of, needs that had little to do with
either grail or king, but that had snapped back into
focus as he’d sensed the warm pulse of Baldwin’s
blood.
Montrovant had walked these streets before,
many times, and each time he was surprised by the
enormity of the memories that seeped out to
consume him, the tales and voices from his past
that slipped through crevices of stone and
whispered through the leaves on the olive trees. He
knew there were others here who would remember,
as well, but he did not think it wise to call their
attention to himself.
He would have paid his respects to clan brethren,
but he took Claudius’s warning at face value, and
those of the other houses would have little love for
him. He was on his own, more so than at any point
in his past, and the weight of humanity bore down
upon him from all sides. He would have to find his
own way, make his own luck, and trust himself
totally. Even Bernard, whom he could trust to a
point, was far removed from him in this place, and
de Payen was still an untested element, despite the
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enormity and focus of his faith. Montrovant was
not yet certain who would win in a test between
himself and that faith.
There were others about, though, clergy and
nobles alike, who could prove useful. He might
need to introduce himself into their society, and
before that could happen he would need to find a
place that could provide safety until his plans bore
fruit. He didn’t have Bernard’s abbey here. It had
been a long time since he’d needed to seek his
safety on a day-to-day basis, but the old instincts
were kicking in and driving him to seek a hideaway
that could provide shelter from both humans and
sunlight alike.
The shadowed alleyways called to him, and he
slipped from the main roads confidently. There
were places here that could hide secrets for
thousands of years. Among them, somewhere, it
would be easy enough to add one more ancient
relic. He smiled at the small humor in this. He
might not be as ancient as the grail, or Euginio, but
he probably qualified as a relic.
Many things had changed since the Christian
occupation of the city. Where there had been
groves and wells, open markets, there now rose
homes and businesses. The Moslems had left their
mark, their hand obvious in many of the newer
structures. Jerusalem had always been a city of
straight lines and simple structures, with the
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106
exception of the temples. Now minarets appeared
among the smaller, stouter Hebrew buildings.
There was a richer flavor to the city, more
metropolitan.
Much of the power of the city had dissipated with
these changes. The very simplicity that had once
marked it had taken with it some of the purity. It
was still the holiest of cities for the followers of
Christ, but it wore new clothing. There were more
merchants, more reasons to stay in the city rather
than visiting it when you needed to trade at the
market. Things he would have had to have sent for,
or traveled for, were readily available on the street.
Places he’d frequented in older times were closed,
rebuilt, or simply gone. The only thing that was
truly the same was the atmosphere of untouchable
antiquity. He knew the streets beneath him had
supported the feet of prophets and kings, Roman
soldiers and Moslem hordes. Their spirits cried out
from the stone, some for vengeance, others for
release. History could be repeated, but it could
never be erased.
He made his way through a small square,
furtively keeping to the shadows. There was
nothing untoward about his appearance, other than
his height, but he was a man of striking features
that were often too easily remembered, and he
knew that the aura of power clinging to him would
draw attention. He wasn’t yet ready to announce
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his presence. There would be plenty of time for that
once de Payen was firmly entrenched. He wanted
no attention, and no distractions.
He found that, as his mind had wandered, he’d
brought himself to the back of the mosque he
meant to conquer. The spires and rough stone walls
were a contrast against the surrounding buildings.
It was a huge monument to the strength of the
Moslem faith, even in defeat. He made his way to
the base of the edifice, running his hands over the
stone and taking in all the angles, doors and
balconies, turrets and avenues of escape and
defense.
He would need to know them all, before this was
done. He knew he was not the only one present
with power, or a purpose. There were others, within
these very walls, who would not give their position
up easily. He had named them guardians when
speaking with Claudius, and to all intents and
purposes that was what they were, but something
about them itched at his mind. He wondered if they
were truly present out of any deep desire to protect
holy relics, or if there was even more to be learned
than he’d imagined. The Church was not the only
power on the earth interested in ancient secrets.
So many questions, so little time. He made his
way along the wall, watching carefully for anyone
who might be about at such an hour. A doorway
loomed ahead, huge and ponderous, carved of wood
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108
and reinforced by iron and brass. It was closed,
barred from the inside, he sensed, but he stood
before it for a long moment. He considered forcing
his way in and doing a bit of exploring on his own.
Surely there were others who had broken into the
holy places. One more would hardly be noticed if
he took nothing and made his way out without
being noticed.
He had his hand on the wooden frame when the
presence of that other, the presence he’d felt in the
forest near Bernard’s abbey, fell across his back like
a cold shadow. He spun, cat-like, and scanned the
darkness, but there was no one to be seen.
“Who is there?” he called out.
Shadows shifted, moving away, and he followed.
He caught a glimpse of deeper black against the
shadows in one of the city’s narrow alleyways and
he slipped after it, heedless of the voices in his
mind screaming for him to run, to leave it alone.
He ignored the unfamiliar fear that ate at his
thoughts and concentrated on following without
being left behind. Surprisingly, it took all his
concentration to accomplish this. The intruder was
incredibly quick.
After only a few short moments, it became
obvious that he was being led. If this other had not
wanted him to follow, he would have been gone as
simply and completely as he had appeared. It grated
on Montrovant’s nerves to be toyed with, no matter
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how powerful or dangerous the enemy. Though
sanity dictated that he turn back, or escape, his
pride would allow nothing but confrontation, if
that was possible. If it all ended here, he would end
it upright and in control of his senses.
They were passing near the Temple of the Holy
Sepulcher, and Montrovant sensed that there were
others still moving about the streets, despite the
lateness of the hour. Most of them were merely old
men, or penitents, praying or meditating. The soft
glow of candlelight filtered out of cracks in the
stone walls and uncovered windows. Montrovant
ignored them. He sensed a small patrol of Baldwin’s
soldiers approaching to his left, and without a
thought he leapt to the low roof of the building to
his right and continued, crouching low against the
stone.
Ahead, the other maintained a steady pace,
moving toward the outskirts of the city and making
his way toward the hill called Golgotha. Another
place far too familiar to Montrovant. More
memories. The dawn was still many hours away, but
he still had the task ahead of finding a safe haven
for the daylight hours. When the other passed into
the desert, Montrovant hesitated.
“Who are you?” he whispered to the darkness.
With a growl, he continued, leaving the lights and
the pulsing heartbeat of the city behind.
There was no answer, but the other had stopped
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110
moving, and he sensed a presence, more solid than
before, waiting ahead in the darkness. As he
approached, he slowed his pace, scanning the
shadows.
He need not have concentrated so hard. As he
neared Golgotha, he saw a solitary figure standing
atop the hill. The Patriarch had ordered that three
crosses be raised upon the hilltop—monuments to
the crucifixion that would remind all who saw
them of what had come before. They were kept
upright at all times, maintained by members of
Daimbert’s personal guard. On the hill, the figure
stood like a sliver of jet black stone at the foot of
the central cross.
Montrovant approached warily, watching for
signs of a trap as he closed the distance between
them. He knew there was no possibility of sneaking
up on one such as this, but somehow the moment
seemed to call for respect—concentration. He
climbed the hill and came to a halt a short distance
from the cross.
The man who stood there, staring upward at the
cross, had long, flowing white hair and a hawk-like
beak of a nose. His eyes were closed and his hands
were clasped before him, as if in prayer. He took no
notice of Montrovant’s approach, and yet there was
an energy in the air, an aura of expectancy.
Montrovant chose not to speak, waiting for the
ancient one to break the silence.
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“It has been a long time since I last stood here,”
the man said at last. “It is not a memory I cherish,
that last visit. It was a moment of destiny—for me
a moment of change. You know of change, don’t
you, Solomon?”
Again Montrovant started at the use of his given
name. It was the second time in a short period he’d
heard that name uttered by another more powerful
than he, and it set his nerves on edge. It was more
control over him, more power than he wished any
to have, let alone one so ancient. Euginio had
known him since the moment of his embrace, but
this one? Again, he chose not to speak. Better to
know what he faced.
The man turned toward him, and Montrovant
was shocked by the sorrow, the depth of pain and
suffering, that shone from the depths of those deep,
hollow eyes. He saw that his companion wore only
the simple robes of a penitent, and he noted the
pale luminescence of his skin, pearlescent as the
light of the moon rippled across the surface of his
arms and through the deeply etched lines of his
face.
“You believe a cup can make you more powerful,”
the man said, the faint hint of a smile twitching at
the corners of his lips. “You believe, as does Mother
Church, that there is a strength in ancient things,
that the power of a man, or a god, can be
transferred to something so simple as a cross, or a
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
112
grail…this is an odd thing to devote one’s existence
to the search of, Solomon, odd indeed.”
“You know of the Grail?” The words escaped
before Montrovant could halt them, and he nearly
cursed himself aloud for his lack of control.
The other’s smile widened. “I know things of the
grail you couldn’t even dream, Solomon. I know
things that were only legend when your friend
Euginio—Thomas—walked lands peopled by those
long fallen to ash. I know of relics, have held them
new in my hand, and again when they were legend.
I know enough to know that you know nothing,
and yet you seek the Grail.”
Montrovant held himself in check. Half of him
wanted to launch at this arrogant, grinning
apparition, to tear that smile from ancient flesh and
scream triumph to the night sky. The other half,
the rational half, wanted to turn and to run, to take
to the air and to seek the shadows, to put as much
distance between himself and that damnable hill as
the strength of his mind and form could carry him.
He did neither. Instead, he answered.
“For one with so many answers, you have the
aspect of a spirit doomed to sorrow. Why should I
listen to one such as you? You admit defeat more
readily than you explain your actions.”
Another grin, this one less arrogant. “You are a
credit to your sire,” the ancient whispered.
Montrovant saw that the other’s figure was growing
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less substantial, his words wavering in the night
breeze. “You must find a place to rest, and I must
think. There are things you must know, if you are
to complete your quest, Solomon. I can help you,
if you can come to trust me. We will speak again.”
“Wait,” Montrovant cried. “Who are you?”
The other only smiled. His form wavered a final
time, then broke apart in the breeze like so much
mist and dispersed, leaving Montrovant alone
beneath the moon, the crosses his only
companions. He stared for a long time at the empty
space before him, trying to find reason in the
madness he’d just encountered.
His mind reeled. Turning, he made his way down
the hill and fairly flew across the sand toward the
city. Off to his right, he felt a sudden flicker of the
other’s presence, then it was gone. He diverted his
path, following the sensation—once more—
against his better judgment. There was no reason
for that presence to present itself to him again if it
were not meant to lead him to something.
He found himself in an ancient graveyard. There
were stones and monuments, small caves carved
into the face of the mountain beneath him. He
moved among the resting places of the dead, and
he came to a place where a slab of stone had been
dragged aside, revealing what had once been the
burial site of an important noble. The outside of
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114
the tomb was weathered, but the carvings and
inscriptions spoke of wealth.
Montrovant entered the tomb and was surprised
to find that there was nothing there. It was an
empty pit, complete with a stone slab for a bed and
the door that had been left open. It would be
nothing for him to return that stone to its place and
seal himself from the light of the sun. He wondered
if the grave had been robbed, and what might have
possessed the thieves to remove the body.
“You will be safe here.”
The words floated to him on the breeze, and he
started, again, growling his frustration as he sensed
the other, then lost him in the vastness of the
night.
It didn’t matter if he trusted his tormentor. The
dawn was approaching, and a more perfect resting
place would be difficult to find, especially given the
short hours remaining before dawn. Montrovant
made his way to the door of the crypt and dragged
the stone back toward the entrance. He found that
handholds had been carved into the stone,
handholds that would allow a man—a single man
of great strength—to move that stone into position
from the inside, sealing the entrance.
More to think about. He was not the first to use
this resting place, that was obvious. The questions
rose, one after another. Who was this ancient one,
and why would he go out of his way to help
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Montrovant? How did he know the name Solomon,
and what did that portend? How many others had
slept where he was about to lay his head, and would
they appear? If so, would they mean him help or
harm?
The sun was rising outside, and Montrovant
realized the questions would have to wait the night
for their answers. Without further thought he
reclined on the stone slab and let his eyes drift
closed. If he were to be betrayed, it would be swift
and final. If not, the darkness would bring him
answers. It always had.
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116


SIX
It had been some time since the al Aqsa Mosque
had seen so much activity. Somehow, despite its
size and central location, it had been overlooked by
the growing Christian community. Overlooked, or
possibly ignored for its Moslem lines and dark
memories.
The palace and the main temple, where
Daimbert celebrated the Mass, were the centers of
activity and devotion. Pilgrims came and went
through the doors of both with the regularity of the
seasons. The mosque, on the other hand, was a grim
reminder of days best forgotten. Though Baldwin
and the Church held Jerusalem, the Moslem threat
was never far removed from the minds of her
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citizens. Kingdoms had changed hands so often
over the past decade that nothing could be said to
be permanent. Despite the strength of their vision
and their faith, fear was a way of life in the Holy
Land.
This worked out perfectly for de Payen and his
men. They did not have to fight with any other
contenders for the space—no others wanted it. All
that remained, after receiving Baldwin’s blessing,
was to clear away the detritus of those who’d come
before them. This done, they set about creating
what was to become their headquarters in the Holy
Land. The mosque had not been a popular place,
but it was large and well-built.
De Payen was strict in his orders. None of them
were to have large quarters, nor were the rooms
chosen to have anything within them but a bunk,
a desk, a single chair, and a window. His thoughts
on material possessions were the core of their creed.
Allow no room for personal gain, and it would not
be sought.
Given the austere construction of the place, this
didn’t turn out to be a problem. A large grouping
of what must have originally served as servants’
quarters lined two of the main halls. Plenty of space
for the nine of them, and for those who were
joining their service as well. Expansion would be
difficult in the years to come, but for the present
those rooms would more than suffice.
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There was a small chapel built into the lower
level of the mosque. Someone had come before
them and laid it out, and though there were no
magnificent altars or rich tapestries adorning the
walls, it provided a link with God that de Payen
found crucial.
Prayers were required morning and night of each
of the knights, and a strict regimen of scriptural
study was developed. De Payen proved swift with
discipline and punishment, demanding as much
from his men as he did of himself. They would form
the core of his army, and they had to be trusted. He
wanted nothing standing between them and their
faith.
Distractions abounded, even in the Holy City,
and these had to be weeded out of their lifestyles
and wiped from their minds. They were a small
group against impossible odds, and they would die
facing those odds if they were not completely
focused on the task at hand.
De Payen handled the entire setup with masterful
insight. They had an armory and a small yard
within the walls of the mosque itself where they
could practice with weapons and horses, a mess hall
where they ate the simple fare de Payen allowed
them, and they set aside one very secure room in
which they established their treasury. Baldwin was
not without his generous side, and de Payen
guarded each acquisition with a sharp eye toward
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building their worth. An army could count only so
much on the assistance of kings...there had to be a
source, within that army itself, of revenue and
supply. This was the means to the end he sought—
a holy army, self-sufficient and devoted to none but
the Lord.
And they were a devoted group. Each had
followed de Payen of his own accord. The one
thread that bound them all, one to the other, was
their faith. Each believed that there was more to
their existence than women, fighting, and dying.
They sought something to fill a void. For one it was
a lost love, for another the dead-end hopes of a
duke’s fourth son. Each had found something in de
Payen, in his words or his actions, that struck a
chord deep within them.
They were also very private men. They shared
their lives and their faith, but they kept their
silence. Though each had, in his own way, been
born to leadership, they bowed to de Payen for
orders and instruction. He had that effect on men.
It was in the small chapel that de Payen first met
Father Santos and learned that he and his knights
were not alone in the mosque. He’d come in for
morning prayer, kneeling on the cold stone before
the altar and offering the sign of the cross as he did
every morning, noon, and night without fail. His
mind was full of the day’s activities, and of plans for
things to come, but he fought those images back.
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It was a time for worship, for prayers of forgiveness,
for prayers of strength. He never prayed for himself,
or for mundane matters he could handle on his
own. God did not need to carry Hugues’s burdens.
That task he kept for himself.
He prayed for those he’d left behind. They’d
never understood him. He knew he’d been strict—
probably stricter than most situations dictated, but
the fire inside him had raged since he was a very
young man—the fire to make a difference in the
world. Others never shared his enthusiasm, and his
patience had worn thin more than once. He’d left
his holdings to his nephew, Antoine. He prayed
that the boy would take what he’d been granted
and do something with his life.
Throughout his prayers, he never lost sight of
why he was in the Holy City, never wavered in the
faith he placed in his new-found mission. It drove
him, day and night, and he cherished the weight
of that burden. He’d lived too many years in the
shadow of uncertainty to falter now that he’d been
chosen.
He’d just lowered his head, closing his eyes and
beginning to recite psalms, using the familiarity of
the words to cleanse and release the contents of his
mind. He felt a gentle light building within, felt the
pain of kneeling on the cold stone transforming to
a glow that worked its way slowly up through his
body toward his mind. This was the time he felt
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closest to the divine. When Hugues prayed, the
world dissolved, and he could feel the strength and
light of his Lord flowing down and surrounding
him. He drew his strength from it.
This time, however, he was only just beginning
his ritual of prayer and devotion when he felt a
disturbance of air. He was so concentrated that the
accompanying whisper of sandals on stone echoed
like the clatter of weapons. Starting from his
trance, de Payen rose, his hand going immediately
to the hilt of his sword. Even in the temple of the
Lord, there were few to be trusted.
The man he faced wore the robes of a priest. He
was not as tall as Hugues, and more slender, but his
presence was powerful just the same. He had hawklike
features and intense, burning eyes that speared
straight through to de Payen’s soul. Though the
intruder was obviously a priest, he did not have the
aspect of any man of the cloth that de Payen had
previously encountered. Instead he appeared
arrogant, cold and calculating. Hugues did not
release his grip on his sword.
“Who are you?” he asked bluntly.
The priest stared at him for a moment, as if
gauging the danger he might represent, then
dismissing it as minimal. Moving forward a step, his
movements predatory and swift, the priest drew
nearer.
“I have come, as you, to worship in the house of
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122
God. Surely you would not deny me this, my son?”
“I would deny no man his communion with God,
Father,” de Payen replied slowly, the word ‘Father’
rolling reluctantly off his tongue, almost an
afterthought to his comment, “but this temple has
been remanded to my care, by Baldwin himself.
None but myself, my men, and the Patriarch
himself are to be allowed access without
permission.”
“I have been in this temple since the day the city
came back to Christ,” the priest asserted. “I am
Father Santos, and my assignment here comes from
the Holy Father in Rome. I am sorry that King
Baldwin did not mention my presence. I assume he
did not mention any of the others, then?”
“Others?” A cold pit had opened in Hugues’s
stomach, replacing the glow of moments before.
“I have several brethren under my supervision,”
Father Santos continued. “I have been assigned
here on a, shall we say, special duty, for as long as
the Church has controlled the city. I belong to a
very old order—Hugues, is it?”
“It is,” Hugues replied, drawing himself to the
full, imposing height his bulk made so natural.
“Hugues de Payen, Knight of Christ,” he said
proudly. “It is my sworn duty to protect the roads
to and from the holy city. This mosque is to become
the first temple of my order.”
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“A remarkably difficult and worthy cause,”
Father Santos acknowledged. His smile was oily, his
words calculating. There wasn’t the slightest touch
of sincerity to any of it, and yet Hugues could not
bring himself to be too disrespectful.
De Payen felt himself growing wary. It was the
same sensation that accompanied a fencing duel
with a new, untried opponent. He decided that he
did not like this man, priest or not. He also did not
like games of any sort that required deception.
“Each of us does what we can in our own way,”
Hugues answered at last. “When you say you have
been in this temple, you mean the mosque, I take
it? How is it that with you, your men, and my men
all within the same walls, we have seen no sign of
you? We have worked these last weeks dawn until
dusk to make this place liveable.”
“We keep to ourselves,” Father Santos smiled.
“Our quarters are below, in the cellars. My teaching
takes up much of my time, and our order is one
given to long periods of meditation and prayer.”
“The stables are beneath the temple,” de Payen
observed. “I trust you will have no problem with
our use of them?”
“Of course not,” Father Santos answered. “I
would do nothing to deter you in your mission.” He
hesitated, then continued, the fire in his eyes
burning a bit more brightly. “If I weren’t certain
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124
that it were otherwise, my son, I’d believe you
thought us to represent different sides of some
confrontation.”
“I don’t know you, Father,” Hugues answered
brusquely, “and though I respect your office, I
withhold personal respect for those who earn it. I
have a mission here, and you are an unexpected
addition to the conditions of that mission. So long
as we do not distract one another from our chosen
methods of service to the Lord, then we will have
no problem.”
“I assure you,” the priest replied, the lines of his
face grown stern, “that I have no intention of
interacting with you or your men in any manner at
all. I have my own concerns, as I’ve explained.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have devotions to attend
to.”
Without waiting for an answer, Father Santos
turned and walked a few feet closer to the altar,
kneeling and lowering his head. The act had an air
of finality to it that told de Payen their
conversation, for the moment, was through. He
turned and left the chapel, his prayers cut short for
the first time in so many years he couldn’t
remember the last time he had failed to complete
his ritual. That was an omen he could have lived
without, and the fact that the moment was tied to
Father Santos cemented his belief that there was
something more to the man than the devotions of
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
a simple priest of God. Something less, as well, in
de Payen’s estimation.
He made his way quickly to the chamber he’d set
aside for his formal quarters. It was not where he
slept, or took his meals—his private quarters were,
if anything, more severe than those of the others.
It was a large, circular room with a long table in the
center, lined with enough chairs for his men to join
him. It included a cabinet with wine and glasses, a
desk with paper and pen ready, and the only two
comfortable seats in the temple sat side by side
along one wall for the purpose of entertaining
important visitors.
He could have made a bolder statement, but he
felt that the less wealth and distraction they
surrounded themselves with, the less temptation
there would be to make a mockery of their vows—
vows Hugues felt very strongly about. The others
shared his vision, and his faith, but he doubted the
depth of their devotion. Each of them had come
from wealth, and though they were handling the
transition well thus far, it was difficult to believe
that they would easily give up their heritage.
In his own case, that heritage had never seemed
more than a prison. It was the ritual, the prayer and
devotion, that spoke to Hugues most strongly. He
felt closer to these men than he’d felt to any since
his father. They didn’t fully understand him, but
they respected him, and that meant more to
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126
Hugues than any more intimate form of sharing
ever could. He’d respected his father, who had
made him the warrior that he was, and he’d learned
of the scripture from his mother. It had set him
apart as odd from childhood, this pairing of spirit
and strength.
Hugues felt that he had been chosen for a reason,
and the future of both his order and his men rested
on the decisions he would make in the months and
years to come. Among them, he was first to prayer
and last to rest. He would punish himself as readily
as any other for a transgression, and he prided
himself on treating each of the others with equal
consideration. Now he would have to make
decisions about their security.
He had been set apart within his own mind for
so long that it was odd suddenly to see it through
another’s eyes. Father Santos was so set apart that
few seemed to know he existed at all. His existence
within the walls of the temple threatened the
privacy and purity of Hugues’s plans, the training
of his men. He and his followers would be a
distraction, causing rumors and speculation that
would drag his men’s minds from training.
He poured a flagon of wine, another departure for
such an early hour, and sat by the window to collect
his thoughts. He would have to see Baldwin at the
earliest possible opportunity, and he would have to
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
try to get this priest and his followers removed from
the mosque. The affairs of his order, their vows,
disciplines and deployment, had to be kept
confidential and private. It would have to be so if
he were to make them an important force in the
Holy Land and the Church. Men respected most
what they could not understand. Mystery was one
of the great keys to power, and Hugues meant to
keep his own secrets, whatever the cost.
No one could be allowed as intimate a knowledge
of their comings and goings as Father Santos would
have. Strategically it could spell disaster of the
worst kind. Besides that, the man left a bad taste
in Hugues’s mouth. It was one thing to wear the
vestments of a holy man, but it was another to keep
the light of the Lord in your heart. De Payen had
known enough priests in his lifetime to trust none
of them further than any other man without
reason. Santos, thus far, had given him ample
reason for doubt.
He downed the wine and rose, dismissing the
priest from his thoughts. He would see Montrovant
that evening, and he would present the problem.
Normally he would have consulted the Lord in
fervent prayer, but Montrovant was swifter and
more certain. Not for the first time, Hugues felt
thankful for the availability of such an agent of the
Lord. He felt the pangs of guilt, as well. It had
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
128
seldom proven wise to take the easier path, but
Montrovant inspired him to that choice over and
over.
Though it still made him nervous to talk to the
man, the power and wisdom of the words they
exchanged never failed to move him. Hugues
believed that Bernard had been correct in his
assessment of their benefactor. For the moment, he
needed to oversee the moving of mounts into the
stables beneath the temple. There had been no
animals housed there for quite some time, and a full
day’s hard work awaited him. He met it with a wide,
determined grin.
_
Father Santos rose almost as soon as de Payen left
the chapel. The man had been more difficult than
anticipated, and it was obvious that there would be
more trouble to come. Santos hated being
burdened with such trivial difficulties when the
fate of so much depended on his concentration.
He’d grown distracted once in the past, and it had
nearly spelled disaster.
De Payen was a distraction of the worst sort. He
considered himself a man of faith, and he expected
the world to live up to the personal standard he’d
set. Priests would not be excluded from this, and
the furthest thing from Father Santos’s mind was
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
ministering the word of Christ. When he’d taken
up the mantle of the priesthood, it had been as a
shield for other activities. Now it appeared he
would have to play the role convincingly.
The others who followed him were efficient and
well-versed in their particular discipline, but
Santos was the leader, and all things in their dark
little world hinged on his decisions and his
presence. He needed to solve this difficulty with de
Payen and his knights before it became a major
confrontation, and there was only one way to do
that. He would have to be the first to act.
The Patriarch, Daimbert, was a foolish fop of a
man who had no more godly trait than that he
returned the food he ate to the land for fertilizer.
Once Bishop of Pisa, he’d been dispatched by
Urban II to take charge of the spiritual leadership
of the Holy City after the crusaders had wrested it
from Moslem hands. The Pope, unfortunately, had
not seen fit to live long enough to see the
succession of spiritual leadership in Jerusalem
change hands properly, and Daimbert had seen this
as an open ticket to reckless abandon. After a long
and sordid string of bad judgments and near fatal
blunders, Daimbert had ended up throwing himself
at the mercy of Baldwin II, upon his ascension to
the throne. Baldwin had not removed Daimbert as
Patriarch of Jerusalem, for reasons known only to
the king himself. Now Santos was faced with
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130
Daimbert as his only ally, and the thought made
him cringe.
He couldn’t allow that buffoon of a spiritual
leader to discover his true reason for occupying the
lower levels of the mosque, but he also couldn’t
afford to be caught in a deception.
He wound his way down into the depths of the
labyrinthine tunnels beneath the temple, heading
as swiftly as possible for his own quarters. The
tunnels stretched endlessly beneath the city.
They’d been there since the old temples had stood,
and they would remain, he imagined, after the city
of Jerusalem fell to dust, buried beneath the debris.
The antiquity of their walls spoke to him, and he
let the familiarity of it all ease his mind.
He passed two of his followers at their posts,
guarding the entrance to the section of the
subterranean vaults that housed their order, and
their purpose in existing, all in one. He nodded
almost imperceptibly in their direction and kept on
moving inward. They watched him pass stoically,
eyes glowing deep red beneath the cowls of their
robes.
He needed to make certain that he was
presentable, then he needed to get to the main
temple and confront Daimbert with the problem of
de Payen before the knight made it to Baldwin with
a similar request. It was a game of chess on a huge
scale, and it was a game he meant to win.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
There was no way he was going to be able to eject
the knights, and in truth, he had no real desire to
do so. Handled correctly, they would become part
of his shield. After a time he might even be able
to influence them. Not only did they draw
attention away from any other activity that might
take place in the mosque, but they provided a
measure of protection that Santos and his own men
could not. It hadn’t been so long since they’d been
exiled from their charge—denied access to the
city—and Santos remembered those days well. The
agony of waiting, wondering if the Turks would find
the vaults, and if they’d realize what they had if
they did. Now they were back, and he had no
intention of letting a group of ignorant fighting
savages deny him his destiny.
Daimbert might be a weak ally, but now that
communications had been restored with Rome, he
would do as he was told. The Patriarch had no idea
why Father Santos was protected, or what he did
with his time and the men and funds allotted to
him, but he was not fool enough to countermand
orders from the Pope himself. He would support
Santos in this, given the opportunity, and Santos
intended to provide just such an opportunity.
Baldwin would have to be approached, and
Daimbert was the man for the job, such as he was.
The simple solution to the problem of de Payen
and his knights was to support them openly. If he
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132
came out thanking Daimbert for allowing de Payen
access to the upper levels, no request de Payen
could make would sound other than ungrateful.
The thought nearly made Santos smile.
The doors to his chamber closed behind him
with a sharp snap, and the halls beyond returned
to their silence. The stone passages were lit by
torches that hung from the walls, and the air, while
cooler than that of the upper rooms, was tepid and
dank. The sun might rise and set and rise again, and
none who strode those tunnels would be any the
wiser.
The scent of antiquity, spiced with that of death,
hung heavily in the air, and nothing stirred to drive
it away. It was a scent that Father Santos found
comforting.
The two guards, short, dark men in brown cowled
robes, let their eyes meet for a moment,
questioning, but they kept their silence. As they
melted back into the alcoves that served as watchstations,
they all but disappeared, swallowed in
shadow. When Santos exited his chamber again
and brushed past like a cold breeze, they didn’t
even acknowledge his passing.
_
By the time Father Santos had completed his
mission and returned, the shadows outside were
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
growing long and the heat was beginning to fade
from the stone walls and the street beneath his feet.
The air still shimmered close to the surface, but the
worst of the heat had melted away, and with the
coming of the evening, he felt himself relaxing
perceptibly. He preferred shadows to sunlight.
When he was obscured from the view of those
around him, that was when he felt safest, and that
was when he was most effective.
His was a solitary existence. He lived for his
studies and his duties, and there was little in the
world that could sway him from either. Despite this
he pursued any avenue that would serve to cut him
off further from those around him. His followers
knew only a small part of him. There were others,
a very few, who knew more. He avoided these and
kept the rest in the dark whenever possible. In his
own little world there was no room for baggage.
The daylight journey to the chambers of the
Patriarch had been a risk that brought the hackles
upright on his neck. There were too many
inquisitive eyes in the city, too many who knew
more than they let on and saw more than they told.
Santos did not try to fool himself into believing
that he and his order were the only ones aware of
what lay beneath the temple of Solomon. He might
know more than any other, and yet there were
those who knew more than he would have liked.
There had always been others, and it was against
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134
these others that his preparations and secrecy
guarded. Some were powerful enough to pose a
threat.
They knew him, as well, and in open conflict
none of them would test him. He had been
guardian for so long that even he had lost track of
the years, and he knew the faces and weaknesses of
his enemies well. Some of them knew a part of his
as well; others had died in that discovery.
Daimbert had been more compliant than he’d
have believed possible. Since learning of Santos’s
existence, and his ties to Rome, the man had been
literally obsequious. It was almost unnerving, and
it was dangerous as well. If someone saw the oaf
fawning over a mere priest, word would certainly
spread. It was not the behavior of a patriarch, and
Father Santos had been forced to take great pains
to explain this, under his breath, during the course
of their conversation.
Daimbert was going to take up the issue of the
chambers beneath the temple with Baldwin that
very evening. He was expected to dine with the
king, and it would provide the perfect opportunity
for such a conversation. It was as good as Father
Santos could expect. Still, he would make
arrangements against another disaster. If they were
forced from the temple another time, they would
not leave anything behind. He had promised this
to those he served, and it was best if he did nothing
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
to disappoint them. They might not be as forgiving
a second time.
He passed quickly from the streets and came up
along the side of the temple. There were several
ways into the place, most of which he knew, some
so old and well-concealed that even he had
forgotten them. He pulled aside what appeared to
be a thick growth of brush and revealed a steel ring
imbedded in the wall. The growth was attached to
a carefully woven tapestry by an intricate structure
of roots and threads. He slipped the stone free, slid
inside, and pulled the door closed behind him. The
carpet fell back against the outer wall neatly,
concealing the entrance completely.
Santos hurried his steps somewhat, using main
passages whenever it seemed prudent. He was
passing the small garden in the central square of the
temple when he heard voices and something made
him stop to listen. His senses were more acute than
most and there was a sensation in the air that
itched at the back of his mind.
It was de Payen, and some other—a voice he
hadn’t heard before, though it reached out to caress
his mind with a dark familiarity. It was none of the
knights—none of them would use such arrogant
tones with their leader. None of them had the
power, or the age that Father Santos now detected.
He cautiously approached the entrance to the
garden and peered around the corner.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
136
He could make out de Payen and another man,
nearly the same height, though narrower of girth.
The priest melted more closely against the stone,
his heart quickening. This was no ordinary man.
The aura of otherworldliness seeped from the
garden and spilled into the passageway beyond.
There was the scent of fresh blood and recent death
in the air, even more strongly than in his own
chambers below.
This was new. He’d had no idea that de Payen
had alliances beyond Mother Church. It was a bit
of information he might use, to be certain, if the
need arose. His immediate concern was this other,
though. There was a darkness about him that drew
the eye, and the mind, a deceptive grace and
swiftness to his movements. His voice didn’t quite
carry to where Santos stood, and in any case, the
priest couldn’t risk discovery. He would find out
what the two were up to soon enough.
This was the type of thing he’d trained himself
for. Such an enemy would be a true challenge.
Santos had spent enough years in the spanking of
children. There were preparations to be made. The
time had arrived to see if his followers had learned
anything from his teaching. Dropping back into the
shadows, he found his way to the stairs and went
below.
_
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
In the garden, Montrovant looked about himself,
suddenly wary. De Payen watched him, alerted by
the sudden shift in the darker man’s posture.
Something had happened, but the knight had no
idea what it might have been.
“What is it?” de Payen asked quickly.
“I’m not certain. For just a moment, I thought I
heard someone in the hall, but there is no one.”
De Payen decided against questioning how
Montrovant could know whether someone moved
through a passage separated from them by a wall of
solid stone. There were a great many things about
this dark, powerful man that the knight had chosen
not to question. He wasn’t at all certain he was
prepared for the answers.
“I will see what can be done about this Father
Santos,” Montrovant said at last, returning his
attention to the matter at hand. “I don’t like the
secrecy, and I trust your judgment of the man. You
must take your doubts to Baldwin himself—I
cannot yet make myself known to him, though the
time when I will do so is not far in the future. I have
a destiny of my own, Hugues de Payen, and it may
be that this Father Santos is an indication that the
completion of that destiny is at hand. Great things
are coming, and you are a part of them. Do you feel
it?”
Hugues did, indeed, feel it. He nodded.
“It is well, then. Continue with your
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
138
preparations, and soon it will be time to take your
knights to the road and do battle. After so long
cloistered in one place, it will be a welcome
release.”
“That it will,” Hugues replied. “That it will. Will
you join us when we go?”
“I may,” Montrovant grinned. “I may do just
that.”
Without further words, Montrovant spun and
was gone. The movement was so quick that he
appeared to blink out of existence, and Hugues was
left to stare dumbly into the shadows.
Strange times, he thought to himself, moving
toward the halls and his own chambers in quiet
amazement. Strange times indeed.
139
DAVID NIALL WILSON


SEVEN
It was early morning, and the sun was just
creeping over the skyline of the city. Merchants
were wheeling their carts to market, and women
scurried about fetching water and feeding animals.
The late guard was just returning, winding its way
lazily through the streets toward Baldwin’s palace,
ready to turn over their post to a fresh unit. It was
a beautiful day.
Hugues led his mount through the gates on the
south side of the mosque and into the street
beyond, taking in deep breaths of the fresh morning
air. The others followed, their steps punctuated by
the slap of leather and the clatter of weapons and
scabbards. It was a good day for battle, and Hugues,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
140
while he couldn’t be certain they would find it,
found himself anticipating the moment. He could
find his Lord in the moments of silence he spent
alone in the temple, or praying at the side of his
bed, but the red haze of the warrior was his true
mantle. If Bernard and Father Santos chose the
vestments of the priest, that was well, but for a man
such as Hugues, action was the purest form of
worship. He was born to it.
That was a part of his strength. The knowledge
that God was not always kind and soft was an
important weapon. The further knowledge that, in
God’s name, a warrior could do no wrong was the
key to his salvation. The anger and the violence
had always come to Hugues, despite his desire that
he could evade it. Red was the color of his faith,
and it had been too long since he’d had a proper
avenue for venting that faith.
Each of his men, in his own way, needed the
escape that this first “campaign” would bring. Too
many days spent within stone walls could drive a
fighting man to insanity faster than any force of
nature, and they were approaching that limit.
Hugues had instituted an iron-clad system of
discipline and training, and the very cloistered,
separatist method he’d chosen for the building of
his army led to the need for the venting of energy.
They were knights, men of action and faith, and it
was time to test that faith on the field of battle.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
The control he had to exert over his own emotions
had prepared him well for the instruction of others.
They left behind the small contingent of servants
and pages that had entered their service. In the
future, the pages would ride at their sides, carrying
their weapons and armor, but for the moment
Hugues had felt it best just to get on the road. He
trusted that Montrovant, though he was not
visible, would look after things while he was gone.
In truth, there was little that could happen in the
mosque that the servants couldn’t handle. He
didn’t like leaving Father Santos and his odd,
shadowy minions alone in the lower levels, but
there was nothing to be done about it.
Baldwin had agreed to look into the matter of the
priest, to try to find out the purpose of the man’s
“secret” mission, which Daimbert had assured them
both had been assigned by the Pope himself.
Baldwin had seemed put out by the notion that the
Church had secrets within his own city, and yet
he’d been equally reluctant to act immediately. The
people were very sympathetic to Daimbert’s
ministrations and demands, and it would take good
solid reasons for Baldwin to stand against him in a
matter of faith.
When Hugues had called upon the monarch on
the previous evening, the patriarch had been
present as well. Hugues suspected that Father
Santos had acted more quickly than he, and he
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
142
cursed himself silently for waiting on Montrovant’s
word like a child.
The bishop had been sitting calmly at Baldwin’s
side, raising one eyebrow curiously at Hugues’s
approach. He’d worn a smirk that forced Hugues to
concede the battle almost immediately. Never the
war, though. One thing that Hugues did was to pay
his debts. This was one that the patriarch would
owe him, and it would be collected. There were
more ways than one to influence a king, and
Hugues was no stranger to any of them.
His mind returned to the moment. Many of the
citizens of the city had gathered to watch them
depart. Children gawked openly at the tall,
armored knights and their magnificent mounts. In
France it was a common enough sight, but here it
was unheard of beyond the palace walls.
They mounted in silence, each lost in a world of
his own thoughts, and turned their mounts toward
the desert. Baldwin had informed Hugues during
their short meeting the night before of a large group
of merchants, accompanied by a contingent of
French pilgrims, that were overdue along the road.
Messengers had announced the company’s
approach days earlier, and they should have been
in sight. They should, in fact, have been within the
walls of Jerusalem.
De Payen prayed that it was not too late. He did
not wish to start his service by burying the dead.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
There had been enough of the dark and negative
since he’d left Father Bernard and taken up his
vows. It was time that his work should begin in
earnest. He had his own selfish reasons as well. He
needed a good fight—particularly in the face of his
futile attempt to expel Father Santos and his men
from the temple. It was, he knew, a mosque, but he
still thought of it as a temple, and it was thus his
men addressed it.
They rode out, making swift time across the
desert terrain. The gritty sand and the wind in his
hair soon wiped all concerns from Hugues’s mind
except for the passing of time and the covering of
the miles. They did not stop to rest themselves or
their mounts, but continued on a straight line over
the merchant road. It was not long before smoke
appeared on the horizon, and Hugues spurred his
mount to even greater speed, casting a prayer to the
wind. It had begun.
_
They were surrounded. Pierre Cardin, his brow
awash in sweat and grime, fought to keep his eyes
clear and his leaden limbs in motion. If he and the
others hadn’t managed to reach the minimal
shelter provided by the small outcropping of rock
that stood at his back, they would all be dead. As
it was, they numbered less than a dozen of the fifty
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144
they’d begun with, and most of the supplies had
been burned or taken. What remained, barely, were
the lives of the few strong enough and skilled
enough to continue fighting. The Turks circled,
their horses no good in the close quarters, waiting
patiently.
There was no escape. The small group might fend
off their attackers for a few hours longer, coming in
only a few at a time as the close quarters dictated,
but they were severely outnumbered, and they were
tired. The Turks could bide their time, sending
fresh men in every few minutes to take up where
their companions left off in an endless circle of
madness and death.
The madman, Le Duc, had been their saving
grace. He alone must have sent a dozen or more of
the heathen dogs screaming back to Allah, and his
blade never wavered. He fought like a demon,
endless strength and a burning desire to kill seeped
from him like a red mist, swallowing any who came
too near. A dangerous man. Pierre had not liked Le
Duc from the beginning, but without him, Pierre
himself would no longer have the luxury of
apologizing for his lack of sensibility. Despite the
help the small swordsman was providing, Pierre did
not let himself stray too near. He wasn’t certain the
man’s killing frenzy would contain itself to Turks.
A commotion was rising in the outer ranks of
their attackers, and Pierre tried once again to wipe
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the grime-soaked sleeve of his robe across his eyes
and clear his sight. He succeeded mostly in
increasing the stinging pain, rubbing the grime and
salt in deeper. There were cries and screams
erupting at a distance, and he knew that even Le
Duc was not capable of having won his way so far
into enemy ranks.
A screaming Turk launched out of the swirling
sand, and Cardin was forced to concentrate on the
battle directly before him, ignoring the screams and
curses that flashed from the enemy’s ranks. He
caught a quick flash of glittering metal beyond the
choking cloud of dust, but he paid it no attention.
If someone was coming to his aid, it would do him
little good were they to find him dead, and if it were
more of the enemy it would make little difference.
He parried the wild lunge of his newest adversary,
letting the man’s momentum carry him forward and
bringing his own blade back and overhead in an arc
that met the man’s neck cleanly, nearly severing
the head from his shoulders. Pierre gave a push
with his sword, dropping the Moslem’s body behind
him and down, and brought his blade steady before
him again. He’d been ready to lunge, or parry, a cry
of vengeance and fury on his lips, but there was no
attack. There was nothing.
There were sounds of a struggle, and there was
the pounding of hooves, but no more opponents
presented themselves. He backed against the stone
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146
and finally managed to take a moment to clear his
sight, though he didn’t let down his guard for an
instant. It could be nothing but a trick, or a
regrouping before the final charge. When the dust
cleared, he saw that it was not.
The battle was over. A group of knights, splendid
in white robes and glittering armor breastplates
circled the last of the Turks like beasts stalking
helpless prey. The bulk of the Moslems had fled,
those on horseback turning tail and abandoning
their comrades in a cowardly display of terror.
Those who remained cowered in the sand,
groveling. As Pierre watched in amazed silence, a
huge, bearded knight dismounted, tossed the reins
of his mount to one of his fellows, and walked
purposefully toward the Turkish prisoners. The man
towered over them like a giant out of legend,
Goliath come to put David in his grave. Even the
horses looked small.
There was no hesitation. The man’s long,
gleaming blade rose, and fell. The first of the
prisoners’ heads rolled from shaking shoulders and,
gibbering, the others began to scramble over the
ground like insects. They saw that there would be
no quarter, and like rats from a doomed ship they
made their futile bids for freedom.
The huge knight took out a second, leaving
three, and the others broke and ran. None of them
breached the silent circle of mounted men that
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surrounded them. Blades swung out, and heads
rolled cleanly free. The strokes were mechanical in
their precision. It was over in a matter of seconds.
The tall knight stood staring down at the bodies
that lay silent at his feet, then turned away in
contempt. His features softened somewhat, and
clarity returned to the depths of his eyes. He moved
toward where Pierre still stood with his back
pressed defensively against the stone.
“Hail, friend,” the knight called out as he
approached. “I am Hugues de Payen, servant of
God. We will bring you and your companions safely
to the Holy City. I am sorry we were so long in
coming.”
Pierre had no words for such a moment, and his
knees gave way as the fatigue and tension roared up
to claim his mind. He had been too long without
water or food, too long with his sword in his hand
and his life replaying before his eyes. The sudden
release was overwhelming, and he gave in to the
moment, letting it all wash over and through him
as he knelt, weeping in the sand. The only word
that had mattered in all he’d just heard was
“friend.”
Le Duc, whose eyes were just beginning to clear
of the battle madness, staggered forward then, and
through the haze of his pain, Pierre heard the man
speak.
“Who are you, Lord?” Le Duc asked, his words
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148
gasped between tortured breaths. “Why have you
come?”
“We are the Knights of the Temple of Solomon,”
de Payen replied. “We are sworn to make this road
safe for all who would travel to the Holy City of
Jerusalem. Our service is to God, the Church, and
Baldwin.”
“I have never heard of your order,” Le Duc
gasped, gaining control of his breath slowly, “but I
thank you for my life.”
Pierre raised his head, trying to muster the
strength to add his own thanks. He did not like the
idea of Le Duc speaking for them all, but the others,
what few remained, were in no better shape than
Pierre himself. He could barely raise his head from
the sand, and his voice was lost to him.
He watched as Le Duc took in the remains of the
small caravan, sweeping his gaze slowly from side
to side over the carcasses of men and animals alike.
What remained of the caravan of goods the
merchants had worked so long and hard to bring to
the Holy City was spread across the ground in
ripped heaps. It was like seeing their dreams spread
open and bleeding.
Le Duc’s gaze swept back to the fallen Arabs.
Moving suddenly forward, he spat on the nearest
Turk, slamming the toe of his boot into the man’s
face. He brought his leg back again and again,
pummeling the fallen Arab until his breath came
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in short gasps and he nearly collapsed on the sand
himself. Then he pulled himself together and
stood, shuddering with fatigue, the hatred burning
brightly in his eyes.
“We will help you to gather what remains,” de
Payen assured him, ignoring the sudden outburst,
or approving it. “I regret that we were not aware of
your predicament in time to prevent this…”
Hugues swept his arm in a wide arc to include the
carnage surrounding them. “I wish to God that
Baldwin had told us of your approach sooner.”
Le Duc gazed at their unexpected savior for a
moment, as if taking de Payen’s measure. He
nodded, finally, turning to where Pierre was rising,
at last, from the sand. This seemed to set the others
into motion, and within moments, de Payen’s
knights were moving among them, helping those to
walk who could manage it and tending to the
injured and dying.
Graves were dug in the sand, quickly and
efficiently, and the remnants of the supplies and
belongings of both pilgrims and Turks were
gathered and sorted. It was the most precise,
efficient use of manpower Pierre had ever
witnessed. So little like the raids of his childhood,
or the war stories of his father.
He noted with interest the calculated manner in
which these men inventoried what they took from
the Turks, the way they moved to obey de Payen’s
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150
orders without thought or question. They were like
no knights he’d ever encountered. Not one of them
slipped a gold coin into his own pocket, or bickered
over a captured weapon. It lent an added level of
surreality to the moment, and he was forced to
shake his aching head once again to clear his
thoughts.
Before they mounted to finish the journey into
the city, de Payen gathered them all before the
graves of those who had fallen, and he led them in
prayer. Pierre took the moment to steal a glance at
the huge man, kneeling devoutly with his head
bowed and the sweat of battle soaking the white
robes beneath his armor. For an instant the sweat
that still stung his eyes met with the dying sunlight
to form a prismatic halo over de Payen’s lowered
head. Pierre blinked, and it was gone, but the
moment etched itself into his mind and heart. Such
faith, combined with such awesome strength. Truly,
this man must have been sent by God himself.
When they’d paid their respects to the dead, they
mounted and rode out in a long column. De Payen’s
men had managed to round up nearly a dozen of
their lost horses, and a couple that had belonged
to fallen Turks. They’d helped Pierre and his
comrades to mount, offering whatever support they
could, as well as encouraging words and sympathy
for their losses. It was like being herded home by
solicitous parents, or older brothers.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Pierre rode in a daze, Le Duc keeping his mount
close by his side. He caught the other man’s gaze
for just a moment, made contact with those dark,
penetrating eyes. There was a new light burning in
those depths, and a shiver transitted Pierre’s spine
at the sight. He wondered what was to come. He
was comforted to have the man at his side, but he
was no more comfortable in his presence.
For the moment, sand and sun, pain and the hazy
line of buildings ahead—Jerusalem—filled his
thoughts. He concentrated on them, fighting to
banish the screams and the blood from his memory.
There would be ample hours of sleep for
nightmares, he had no wish to relive them while he
was still awake.
_
De Payen’s troupe had made quite a sight,
ushering the wounded and weary pilgrims into the
city. Hugues had directed his men to bring those
they’d rescued directly to the palace. Baldwin’s men
had appeared then, helping the pilgrims to
dismount and make their way to medical attention,
baths, or hot meals.
Once he saw that things were in hand, de Payen
had turned away, leading his men back into the
street and turning toward the mosque. They had to
tend to the few light wounds among their own
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152
ranks, and he had announced a formal prayer of
thanks to signify the success of their initial foray.
Even in victory, he had no intention of letting his
discipline slip. They had won by God’s grace, and
they would give proper thanks for that gift.
They’d done well, also, in the acquisition of
supplies and weapons, as well as a few Turkish
horses that would be put to good use in the coming
days. It was not the grand victory he’d envisioned
when he first began his journey to the Holy Land,
but somehow the reality of this day’s work, the
respect he’d seen in the eyes of those he’d saved,
moved him more deeply than any battle on a
grander scale might have done. It was real. It was
happening. The Lord had called, and he, Hugues
de Payen, had answered.
Before he could make his way to the chapel
where the others awaited him, a servant appeared
in the doorway of his chamber, head bowed and
waiting for permission to speak.
“Yes?” de Payen said, more softly than his usual
gruff baritone.
“There is a man here to see you, Lord,” the boy
said quickly. “He gives his name as Pierre Cardin.
He pounded on the doors until we were forced to
open them to quiet him. I have explained that you
are not to be disturbed, but he insists. Lord…” the
boy hesitated for a second before continuing, “he
is kneeling on the front steps of the temple in
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prayer. He will not answer me when I speak. I do
not think he will leave before he is allowed to speak
to you.”
De Payen hesitated. “He may wait, then,” the
knight said at last. “I will go to the others in the
chapel now, as I have promised. None come before
God in any temple where I am in control. Tell him,
though he may not acknowledge your words, that
if he remains when we have completed our
devotion, I will see him then.”
The boy nodded, and was gone. De Payen
departed the room immediately, a thoughtful smile
creasing his normally austere and somber visage. A
day to be remembered, indeed.
_
From a distance, Jeanne Le Duc watched his
companion of many days, Pierre Cardin, as he knelt
before the mosque of al Aqsa in prayer. Le Duc
guessed at the younger man’s purpose, and he found
it intriguing. Similar thoughts whirled through his
own mind, though he doubted very seriously that
there were many similarities between his own
motivation and Cardin’s. There were few
similarities between them at all.
De Payen and his knights had exhibited a
strength and discipline that Le Duc had never
before encountered. He was not a man that gave in
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154
easily to the control of others. In fact, his journey
to the Holy Land, as mercenary guard to the
caravan, had been an escape from one such attempt
at structured obedience. It was the long story of his
life, this rebellious flight from the control of others,
and yet somehow de Payen brought warring
emotions to the surface.
De Payen’s knights were different. They did not
appear interested in riches, or in women. There had
been no motivation in saving the pilgrims other
than faith and a desire to serve, yet they’d been
disciplined and vicious. There was a beauty in that
unity of purpose. Le Duc found that an empty place
within him cried out for what he’d witnessed, even
as his mind warned him that the personal price of
such service might be more than he could handle.
The sun was setting, yet Cardin showed no signs
of leaving the temple. He knelt on the stone as if
he had not been half dead that morning, as if food
and water meant nothing to him. Le Duc knew that
the heat of the stone must be blistering the man’s
knees, and that the air so close to the ground would
be suffocating. It was a show of strength for which
he would not have credited Pierre with the ability
to present. It was a show of commitment he was
certain he could never live up to himself, yet the
pull on his senses was strong. He had always been
an outsider with no other to turn to or to be
responsible for.
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As the shadows grew longer, he found that he’d
been standing, staring at Cardin for so long that his
own legs were growing weak from the strain. He
turned to slide back into the shadows, and that is
when he saw the man watching him. It was the
second time that day he’d felt dwarfed by the size
of another man. This stranger was tall and slender,
gaunt even, though there was no indication of
weakness. He was, in fact, the most singularly
powerful being Le Duc had ever come in contact
with, though he had only his senses to base this on.
Being seemed the appropriate thought, rather
than man, though Le Duc didn’t understand why.
“Jeanne Le Duc,” the man greeted him, speaking
slowly, as though snatching the name from Le Duc’s
mind. “I have come to reveal the secrets you seek.”
“Who are you?” Le Duc responded curtly. He was
afraid, and more weary than he’d imagined, but he
remained calm. He’d faced death enough times for
it not to steal his nerve.
“Does it matter?” the man responded, stepping
forward from the shadows.
“It does to me,” Le Duc replied, his hand slipping
down toward the blade at his side.
“There is no need for your weapon, friend. My
name is Montrovant, and I come to you in the
name of Hugues de Payen and his knights. I come
to offer you a place in his service.”
“And if I seek no such service?” Le Duc replied.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
156
“I would not be standing before you if you did
not,” Montrovant said, his voice powerful and
commanding. “It was I that set de Payen upon the
road he now follows. I seek your service, not he.
This part of our conversation must remain between
you and me. De Payen must never know. I sense in
you the strength for both the service and the
deception I require.”
Le Duc considered Montrovant’s words carefully.
If this Montrovant was truly all that he appeared
to be, then why would he not wish de Payen to
know he was asking after the services of another?
Why would he worry about the thoughts of any
other—what could it matter?
“Why not just tell de Payen what you need?” Le
Duc asked.
“Hugues is a very devout man, as you may have
noticed,” Montrovant replied, smiling. “Not
everything I do makes sense to him, and I have no
time to explain each and every need. You are a man
of quick thought and quicker action. I sense, as
well, that your faith may lie in different directions
than that of the knights.”
Le Duc didn’t answer, but he was becoming more
intrigued by the second. At the same time, a
strange lethargy was seeping through his limbs, and
he was having trouble focusing on the reasons he
had distrusted this man only moments before. He
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found himself nodding in sudden agreement. It all
made sense. His own thoughts had been plucked
free and repeated to him, and they were even more
logical than when he’d thought them initially.
He turned suddenly to stare at the space where
Pierre Cardin knelt before the doors of the mosque.
The man hadn’t moved since he’d looked last. He
might have been carved of stone.
Montrovant moved to stand at his side. “Go to
him, Jeanne, and wait as he waits. I will see to it
that de Payen accepts you. You must win his trust;
that I cannot do for you, but I can see that you get
the chance. Once you are accepted, I will contact
you again.
“There are things that I seek. De Payen’s motives
are of the highest order, but there are forces more
powerful operating here, and there are things that
must be done that he would not approve. I will
need the help of an agent on the inside, a man who
will draw less attention than myself.”
Le Duc was going to answer. The words were
forming, and his tongue was in motion, but
somehow no sound escaped. He felt strong hands
clasping his shoulders, drawing him into the
shadows, but it was a disconnected sensation, like
watching strangers through a window. He felt a
sharp pain at his throat, felt the life draining from
him slowly. At the same time, he felt the draw at
his mind, the rearranging of his thoughts. A single
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
158
word slipped free of his lips in a whisper of air—
Demon.
When he came back to himself, he was kneeling
beside Pierre Cardin, sweating with fever and
shivering as the chill of the evening seeped in from
the desert. He was weak, weaker than he’d ever felt
in his life. That life seemed to have been drained
from him, but he fought against the weary bondage
his mind sought to impose. It was not long before
the huge wooden doors creaked open, and they
were ushered inside. Cardin said no word, and Le
Duc followed his lead.
From the shadows, Montrovant watched.
Nodding in satisfaction, he moved into the night,
leaving events to fall into place. The shadows
swallowed him whole.
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EIGHT
De Payen had not offered his two guests food or
drink. He’d stood by in silence as they were ushered
into his quarters, eyes downcast. In fact, he hadn’t
offered to let them rise from the kneeling positions
they’d assumed upon entering his chamber, though
it bothered him that they would kneel before him.
One lesson they would need to learn was that God
was the only power worthy of their worship. He
remained deep in thought and he knew that, if they
had the strength for what was to come, they would
endure his silence and the suffering incurred during
their wait.
The problem he considered was a deep one, and
whatever he said to them would make his decision
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
160
irrevocable. He had been ordered to come to the
Holy City, and he’d been entrusted with the
founding of the order. That order was to have been
comprised of nine men, himself and eight others.
No mention had been made by Bernard, or
Montrovant himself, of how this number was to be
increased. On the other hand, he’d been instructed
to raise an army.
Father Bernard had been the one to dream of that
army—that much Hugues remembered. Those
words had come from him. He hadn’t spoken of
where that army was to come from, but he’d told
Hugues that he needed to be a leader, not a
follower.
Now Hugues found himself faced with two
penitent men whose lives he’d saved scant hours
before. These men wanted to enter his service, to
fight at his side in the name of the Lord. He did not
know them by more than name, and yet it was
difficult to doubt their sincerity. After so long
kneeling on the hot stone, the sweat of fever and
the pallor of hunger bleached their skin—Le Duc,
in particular, seemed pale and bloodless. It was
difficult to question either motivation or faith.
They would make perfect additions to his
knights, and yet he hesitated. It was a big change,
and one that could not easily be revoked. Once he
allowed these two to enter the ranks of his knights,
how could he deny others? Should he deny others?
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Hugues paced to the window, staring out into the
starry expanse of the sky, but there were no answers
waiting for him there. Montrovant had been
strangely silent since Hugues had returned from the
road, and the weight of responsibility settled more
heavily onto his shoulders. That weight did not
bear him down, but sat comfortably, and he made
his decision, making the sign of the cross reverently
as the decision cemented itself in his mind.
There it is, then, he whispered to himself softly.
It is up to me, and as God is my witness, I can see no
reason to deny them.
He turned so suddenly that the breeze from the
motion of his robe through the air startled Pierre
into looking up. The shivering man met Hugues’s
eyes just for a second, seeking something and
apparently finding it, then dropping back to the
floor. De Payen spoke at last.
“You are welcome here,” he said. “Your faith is
strong, and I have kept you too long from food and
rest. It is not an easy road that I have set for myself,
or for those who would follow me. The war I fight
is as endless as time itself, and the enemy we face
is the ultimate test of physical and moral strength.
“There are many things you must learn before
you can walk freely among us. We will speak of
those things in the days to come, and you will speak
with the others. You will find our
order…demanding. There are reasons for
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162
everything we do; in that you will have to trust
me.”
He saw that Cardin’s entire frame was shaking
with the effort to hold his position, and Hugues’s
expression softened.
Gesturing to the doorway, where a pair of young
servants had been waiting patiently, he indicated
that they should enter and go to his two visitors.
“Go with Phillip and Barnabas,” he said. “They
will show you where you can clean yourselves, give
you some fruit and bread, a little wine, and then
you will be shown to your quarters. You will find
that there is not much of comfort to be had here,
but keep in mind that what is yours is equal to what
is mine. None among us lives in luxury. Poverty is
one of our vows, and I believe that for good
discipline and purity of spirit, it is the most
important.”
Neither man did more than nod in
acknowledgment. They could not have if they’d
wanted. Le Duc was holding up better than Cardin,
but he looked like Death himself, and not on a
good day. His skin was so pale that he might have
been a shade. His strength of will was incredible.
He had reached out a hand to steady Cardin, who
glanced at him with an expression half questioning,
half grateful. An odd pair, de Payen thought to
himself.
The two of them rose with the aid of the two
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servants, staggering to the doorway and steadying
their balance a bit as they reached the passage
beyond. Le Duc caught de Payen’s interest most
strongly. There was a strength to the man,
something more than just another knight, that he
couldn’t easily put his finger on. He thought
fleetingly of Montrovant, but it was different with
Le Duc.
When de Payen and his knights had come upon
Le Duc’s party, the man had been fighting
mindlessly, as though he were possessed. Unlike a
madman, however, he’d been holding his own
against nearly impossible odds. Hugues knew that
frenzy, the red haze that descended and painted the
battlefield in slow-motion reds and blacks—
chiaroscuro in scarlet. It was his own burden as
well. Until Montrovant had cemented the
knowledge that violence was one of God’s weapons,
it had been a burden he could not reconcile.
Hugues sensed that Le Duc felt it too, though
differently. There was none of God’s light in the
small man’s eyes, but there was a void that might
be filled with that light. It was a task Hugues felt
himself uniquely qualified to tackle. It was
important. Le Duc was a true warrior, and few could
stand against such a man. The question was, could
Le Duc stand against his own darkness? Hugues
knew he would have his hands full with that one.
Cardin had made a good showing of himself, as
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164
well, but he’d not shown the uncanny resilience
that marked Le Duc. He would not be the same sort
of challenge. Such strength as Le Duc had
exhibited would not bow down easily, even before
God. It was another challenge—another
beginning.
Turning to the window, Hugues returned his gaze
to the stars. He knelt and lowered his head, and as
the mosque fell slowly silent around him, he
prayed.
_
Montrovant hesitated. He’d meant to go to
Hugues and add his own blessing to the addition of
the two new knights, but as the big man dropped
to his knees in prayer, he drew back, making his
way along the outer wall like a shadow. If Hugues
were ready to take the yoke of responsibility more
firmly onto his own shoulders, that was fine. It was,
in fact, perfect. Montrovant had more important
things to occupy his time.
Shifting his senses, he felt the heartbeats of those
within, tasted the essence of each as he passed the
walls of their rooms. He sought Le Duc, but he
couldn’t help hesitating by each to savor the scent
of warm blood, some pumped by strong hearts after
a successful battle—others caught in the throes of
dreams even Montrovant couldn’t snatch from
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their minds. It was a heady sensation to know that
all that had happened that day had been a part of
his own plan, and that much more was to come.
The pieces of the grand puzzle he’d envisioned
were falling into place with an ease he hadn’t
anticipated, and he found himself in a rare mood
for adventure. It was the sort of mood that most
annoyed Euginio, and that had come close to
ending Montrovant’s fun eternally on more than
one occasion, but he couldn’t resist the draw of the
moon. He remembered a saying he’d heard while
alive—you only live once. For him, it was the
second time around that held all the savor.
Le Duc’s shallow breathing reached his ears at
the same time that his senses locked onto the
familiar touch of blood to blood. He hadn’t taken
all that the man had to offer—that would have
been a waste of good resources—but he’d taken
enough to begin the process of binding Le Duc to
him. He wanted a man on the inside, but he wanted
that man to know the power he served. The man’s
blood was an invisible chain, a chain Montrovant
could tug on, twist, or shake any time he felt
inclined. He’d heard the knight mutter the word
“demon” as he’d fed, and the memory made
Montrovant smile. He was no demon, but to be
thought of as such was intriguing.
What he planned for this night was simple. Using
Le Duc’s room as an entrance, he would slip into
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166
the mosque himself. There were not enough of the
knights for a true guard to be set, and he was fairly
certain that he could reach the lower levels of the
building without being detected. It was a perfect
opportunity to scout his enemies on their own
ground.
He was curious about Father Santos and his
followers, curious enough to risk discovery. It was
the few times he’d seen them slinking about the
temple that had drawn him back to this place. They
had an air of secrecy about them that was
impossible to mistake, and Santos himself reeked
of the decadence and power of antiquity. He was no
priest, that much was certain.
It was the presence of these “guardians” that had
led Montrovant to his conclusions about the Grail.
They were protecting something, something
valuable enough to the Church to allow their
existence here, in the holiest of cities, without
even the knowledge of the Patriarch of Jerusalem
knowing their true purpose. There were other
things the Patriarch did not, and could not, know.
This was the knowledge that Montrovant sought.
Not many treasures or secrets would rate such
protection, or such blatant disregard for protocol
and canon. Montrovant had seen relics, the fingers
and mummified hands of saints, stones said to have
been used in the slaying of martyrs, slivers of the
true cross, and water blessed by saints long faded to
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dust. Each item held power, a palpable, real energy
that one could sense as they came under its
influence. That sensation permeated the air in the
mosque, as well, but it was magnified to levels
Montrovant had never before encountered. It
might be from one great artifact, or a number of
smaller, yet potent relics. He didn’t know which,
but he meant to find out.
He reached Le Duc’s window undetected, and he
was readying himself to slide through, when he felt
his mind being tugged in a different direction.
Grunting at the distraction, he cocked his head to
one side, like a dog who’d picked up an odd scent.
The ancient one was calling him into the desert
once more. He hesitated. It was not in
Montrovant’s nature to come to another’s call like
a servant. It was also against his judgment to be
distracted from a course he’d set for himself without
good reason. He needed to strengthen the bond
between himself and Le Duc before the knight
came to the wrong conclusions and let something
slip that could be damaging.
But the old one had given him a sanctuary
against the sunlight that he might not have found
on his own, and cryptic as they were, he’d given
him some answers, as well. It might be that if he
ignored the call, he would lose the one ally he had
in this odd affair, and that might prove a fatal
mistake.
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With a longing look at the window, Montrovant
launched himself from the wall and landed on the
ground as softly as a cat. The side of the mosque
that he’d leapt from adjoined an alley, walled in on
both sides by steep vertical walls with few doors.
There were windows scattered over the sides of
those walls, but there were few candles lit at such
an hour. It was only a few moments before he was
able to ascertain that no one had seen him.
Without further hesitation he moved into the
street, walking swiftly, fighting the urge to take
flight, or to move at the pace he was capable of.
There was no reason to draw attention to himself,
particularly when his mission might require him to
make his presence public at some point. Now that
he’d left the safety of the alley he was plainly
visible, and not everyone in Jerusalem was in bed.
It wouldn’t do to take off like a bolt of lightning,
disappearing and leaving a witness with a story and
description with too close a resemblance to a night
spirit slinking about the city. Besides, though he
was responding once more to this old one’s call, he
was in no hurry to reach his destination. That
would have seemed too obedient for his taste.
Despite his lack of haste, it did not take him long
to find the one he sought. The ancient one stood
alone at the very edge of the desert, watching
Montrovant calmly as he approached. The ancient
wore the same white robe and sad, far-off smile that
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Montrovant remembered, but there was something
more urgent in his expression. He seemed troubled
somehow, or confused.
“You called?” Montrovant stated. There was no
question.
“You are rash,” the old one began, turning his
back and beginning to walk away from the city
across the sand. Montrovant had heard those words
before—from Euginio. From others, all older and
‘wiser’ than he. He was in no mood for another
lecture.
“Why does it concern you?” he asked, following.
“Why do you involve yourself in my affairs?”
“You are arrogant, as well,” the old one observed.
“Your affairs, as well you know, concern many
besides yourself. Anything you do that leads to your
discovery, or mine, or both—any mistake you make
that compromises the safety of others—is my
business. It is particularly important that we keep
our presence obscure in so devout a setting as this.
You have been here before, but I know the city as
it exists today.
“I’m not certain that even I could survive an allout
witch hunt if one were to be launched. We do
all need our sleep...”
“Do we?” The words left Montrovant’s lips before
he could stop them. Something in his companion’s
tone had seemed a bit too lighthearted.
The old one hesitated, turning his head to look
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170
back as he spoke. “What else is there? Feed, sleep—
dream—feed again. There is no end, and there is—
as the Bible tells us—no new thing under the sun.
That includes you, Solomon. You think you are
unique and powerful. I am here to tell you that for
every ancient, powerful force on this planet, there
is another, more ancient, more powerful, and wiser.
You would do well to heed this warning, and to use
the insight it gives you more prudently.”
“Years do not equate to wisdom,” Montrovant
countered. “They may bring power, or knowledge,
but wisdom is an entity unto itself.”
“Of course.” The old one’s smile deepened. “And
you have reached the pinnacle of your wisdom—
how naive of me not to notice. You, of course,
know all truth and could instruct me in the ways
of the world.”
Montrovant grew silent, but he felt his anger
building. “What is it you want?” he spat out at last.
“You did not call me into the desert to taunt me.”
“I called you into the desert to warn you,” the
man said, stopping, “though taunting you is not
without its entertainment. You were about to make
a mistake, a mistake you will no doubt make despite
my warnings, but I wanted you at least to make that
mistake with both eyes open. You were about to
enter the mosque, and I tell you now, powerful as
you are—crafty and wise as you may be—you would
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never have walked back through those doors. You
have no idea the power that awaits you within
those walls, and you have no knowledge of how to
combat it.”
Montrovant stopped, staring. “What are you
talking about? Is it Santos? Am I right? Do they
guard the Grail, then?”
“So many questions, so little patience. Santos is
not what he seems. His faith is strong, but you will
find little of godliness in his makeup, I’m afraid. He
has powers even I do not fully understand, powers
that make him a dangerous enemy to one such as
yourself. His gods are not the same as your friend
de Payen’s—they are more ancient, and I know
little of their ways.
“I am not certain what secrets he may guard, but
I do know this. Though his followers have changed
many times over the course of the years, Santos has
guarded those catacombs and tunnels since the days
when the Nazarene walked these very sands. I don’t
know how much longer than that he might have
been present, but I have seen what I have seen.
Father he may be, but to what I would hesitate to
guess.”
“He is not like you—or I,” Montrovant replied,
struggling to hide the arrogance he knew was in his
tone. “He is not damned, and he is no denizen of
the pit of the Wyrm. I have been close enough to
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172
sense this. He appears to be nothing more than a
man, and yet I know this is not correct either.
What is he?”
“You would do well to remember that you
resemble a man yourself, by night,” the ancient
replied. “You may take my warning, or you may
ignore it. It is all the same to me. Still,” he
hesitated, “I would not see you fail in your mission.
Santos and his minions have hoarded their
‘treasures’ for too long, I think. I don’t know for
certain what it is that they hold, but it is time to
return things into the world, to loose powers that
can bring about change.
“One thing you will find, Solomon,” he added
almost wistfully, “is that boredom is your greatest
enemy. Never let life lack intrigue, of one sort or
another, or you are finished. Change is the one
thing eternal, and if that were not the way of it,
nothing would be eternal.”
“What must I do, then?” Montrovant asked
reluctantly. He hated the thought of being
indebted to this odd, ancient being. He hated being
indebted to anyone. Even more he hated not
knowing the proper course of action himself.
“You must do as you will, of course,” the man
laughed, and the sound of that laughter was
bittersweet and magical. It caught at the tendrils
of Montrovant’s emotions, drawing him into its
spell. He saw visions—palaces and temples, great
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stone idols and crowds of soldiers in bright golden
armor astride gleaming chariots. Then his vision
cleared, and he stood alone once more, cursing the
darkness. Santos was not the only one with secrets
worth desiring, it seemed.
He will know you, if you enter the temple again,
Solomon. He will know your name. Beware.
The voice seeped out of his mind, up through the
sand that surrounded him and the breeze that
caused his hair to dance about his shoulders.
Standing very still, Montrovant concentrated, but
he could sense nothing—no one. He was alone.
He didn’t know how much of what he’d heard
was truth, or how much might have been
manufactured for his benefit. The old one was fond
of theatrics, that was clear in the sudden
appearances and disappearances. One thing was
certain, the only truth in his words that could be
counted on was that boredom was the enemy. That
taken into account, how was Montrovant himself
being used to make things interesting and new—
and would he survive it?
If the old one had wanted Montrovant dead, he’d
have been sleeping the eternal sleep since their fist
meeting. There was something more, something
the other wanted that Montrovant could provide.
It bothered him that the old one knew his name.
He did not believe that it had been plucked from
his mind—he’d have sensed that, even if he
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174
couldn’t have prevented it. That meant that the
knowledge had come through other means. Where
might they have met in the past?
The frustration of being controlled so easily
exploded into a sudden fury, and he swept back
across the sand toward the city. He moved like an
avenging spirit, so swift that he might have been
mistaken from a mountaintop for the shadow of a
soaring owl. He reached out, heedless of what
might await him, and he sensed warm blood—a
great deal of it.
It was a patrol, one of Baldwin’s patrols, a patrol
that—in all reality—should have been able to help
the caravan that de Payen had saved. There were
seven of them, two older knights, three younger
knights, and a pair of pages that accompanied
them. They’d been on the road, returning to
Jerusalem, when de Payen had left the city.
Montrovant fell upon them, beyond rational
thought.
Before they were aware they’d been set upon, two
of the younger knights were sprawled unconscious
on the ground, and Montrovant held a third
knight, older, with graying hair and arms that
threatened to pop through the metal bands he wore
about his biceps—a gnarled old tree of a warrior—
aloft in one hand. He threw back his head and
howled to the darkness, ripping the man’s throat
with a single tear of teeth and hunger.
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He sensed movement at his back and dropped the
man he held, just in time for the blade of the next
to cleave the bone and flesh of the one he’d
released. The sword buried itself deeply in the old
knight’s flesh, too deeply to be pulled free before
Montrovant leaped over the fallen carcass and
ripped at the arm holding the sword. Bone and
sinew split with a sickening pop and suddenly the
man’s face was directly in front of Montrovant’s
own.
Smiling fiercely, he yanked the man’s head back
by the hair and ripped a second throat, letting the
warmth of the blood soak the front of his tunic and
flow down the sides of his chin as he fed. He
ignored the others. Their terror was nearly solid in
the air surrounding him, so complete that they
were no longer to be feared.
They screamed, and still he ignored them.
Montrovant sensed that the one remaining knight
and the two pages had recovered from their initial
shock enough to regain control of their throats, and
he knew that the control of limbs and weapons
would not be far behind.
He leaped to the young knight’s side before he
could decide between flight and drawing his
weapon. The choice was made for him.
Montrovant yanked the sword free of its scabbard
easily and swung it so quickly that the boy’s head
leaped from his shoulders, flying to bounce on the
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176
ground at Montrovant’s feet before a second scream
could rip its way free of his throat.
The two pages had managed to turn their mounts
and were galloping toward the city in terror.
Montrovant started after them, then hesitated.
Who would believe them? There had been a patrol,
and they had been set upon and killed—possibly by
Turks, possibly by wild animals. If rumors of a dark
spirit began to circulate through the city, so be it.
Montrovant was tired of cowering in shadows. It
wasn’t his style to sit back and wait for others to
call the shots, and the events of the evening had
tried his patience severely.
His anger abated slowly, and his common sense
told him the only sane course of action was to track
and kill the two pages before they reached
Baldwin’s castle. He did not. He let them go. Let
them fear him…they should fear him. In the end,
it would not matter. He would get what he had
come for, despite the ancient one, despite ‘Father’
Santos, despite them all.
He glanced at the two knights still lying at his
feet, and he smiled. They too could fuel the fires
of rumor. It was unlikely that either of them had
gotten a clear look at him before blacking out. It
would be interesting to see how their stories
corresponded with those of the two pages. He
thought, just for a second, of the ancient one’s
admonition that he continue to make things
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interesting, and he wondered if something so
simple and mundane would qualify in those ageless
eyes.
The dawn was approaching, and without a
backward glance he took to the air, returning to the
graveyard and to rest. When the darkness returned,
he would seek Le Duc, and his plans would begin
in earnest. Let them try and stop him.
_
They slipped through the shadows behind
Montrovant like wisps of cloud. Each kept far
enough behind, or to the side, not to draw his
attention. Focused as he was, fed and arrogant, he
paid no heed to his surroundings.
Darkness shifted and footsteps drew the dust of
centuries from the roadway. Deep-set red eyes
glowed from crevices and alleyways, locked to
Montrovant’s retreating form. As he pushed the
door wide and entered the tomb, they watched in
silence. As he pulled the stone back into place,
they held their positions.
There was a soft murmur of sound—voices like
the whisper of sand across stone. The shadows
gathered around a solitary figure, standing backlit
by the failing light of the moon. He wore the white
robes of the penitent, and his eyes were filled with
an infinite sadness.
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178


NINE
The two new men fit in well. De Payen had been
concerned about the stress and complication of
adding strangers to his command, but his fears had
proven groundless. The two had been accepted
readily by his men. It would have been difficult
after only a few days’ time to tell which were the
newcomers and which had come with him on the
road from France. They were all pilgrims of one sort
or another.
Le Duc kept to himself, spending his time
brooding in silence, but he made no complaint
about the incredible changes that had taken place
in his life. If anything, they seemed to have brought
out a new side of his character. He never missed
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devotion, and his weapons practice was unmatched
among de Payen’s knights. He was a model of
discipline, and Hugues knew that it was an internal
control, not due to his own leadership.
Cardin had fit in so easily that it seemed he’d
always been there. He’d sought exactly this sort of
awakening when he made his pilgrimage, and he
was quick to take advantage of the opportunities
presented to him. He was studious, dependable, and
no slouch with a blade himself. Hugues couldn’t
have chosen better men had he gone back to
France in search of them.
A great step had been taken on the road to the
future, and Hugues’s mind whirled with the
possibilities, and the complications, that step had
presented to him.
He had been born to nobility, but he had never
been the one destined to rule. His mind and soul
had been handed over to God at a young age; his
body and the strength God had granted him
belonged to the sword. The Bible was full of stories
of soldiers of God. De Payen had heard the priests
speak of a compassionate, loving Father, a spiritbeing
of incomprehensible compassion and purity,
and he had taken it all in eagerly. It gave him great
hope in the face of chaotic times and ungodly
rulers. It gave him hope that, though he might
never rule his family’s lands, or stand by the side of
a king, he might make a difference in the world. It
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180
gave him the faith that he could be something in
his father’s eyes.
He’d always done well in his studies, but he
hadn’t left it at that. He’d studied on his own,
devoured every tract he could get his hands on,
poring over them laboriously. His father had not
been fond of the notion of his boys reading and
writing, and the learning had been slow. If it hadn’t
been for Hugues’s prowess with weapons and love
of battle, he might have been denied the study
altogether.
That reading had brought him to the realization
of a deeper, darker reality. His father had been a
great man in his time, but he’d not seen the true
picture. He had feared God as much as any man,
but he’d never truly believed in evil. Hugues had
found that evil in the pages of the holiest of books,
and he’d made it his sworn enemy.
There was a war in progress. It had been raging
since the first moment that time had existed, and
it would be won by whichever side was stronger—
more vigilant. It would not be won by compassion,
but by the sword. Hugues couldn’t remember at
what age he’d come to this understanding, but it
had happened so far in his past that the lesson was
ingrained in his mind.
He knew that he wanted to be a part of that fight.
He wanted to be a force for God that would help
to erase the stain of evil from the earth once and
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for all, and he believed that his physical gifts had
been granted him for just such a purpose. There
would be plenty of time for love, and compassion,
once the true Kingdom had returned to the earth.
Now destiny stared him in the face, and he
meant to grasp it and make it his own. There were
other men in Jerusalem who would come to his call,
if they thought the opportunity existed. There were
those who needed the discipline, the camaraderie
his order could provide. There were many roads to
the promised land, but there was always room for
one more. Even some of Baldwin’s own men had
begun to look longingly at Hugues and his men
when they passed. God was a powerful ally.
Neither Father Bernard nor Montrovant had set
these thoughts in his mind, but up until the present
moment, it had been they who had directed his
actions. The decision to allow new converts to his
order had come to him by way of prayer, and by the
hand of the two whom he’d saved, the two who’d
come to his service of their own free will and
without personal agendas. His was a noble cause,
and it was not a cause that he could selfishly keep
from others. If there was to be a war, he would walk
into it leading an army.
That decided, there were plans to be made. He
knew that there was only so much he could
accomplish in Jerusalem. The forces that Baldwin
commanded were limited—that was one of the
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182
reasons de Payen and his men had been accepted
so readily. The Turks and other warring nobles
converged on all sides, and there was still not a
clear, safe route for reinforcements to make their
way across the desert.
They needed more men, and Hugues was
planning for a time when he could take his cause
to higher authority—back to Bernard, possibly to
the Pope himself. Armies didn’t materialize out of
thin air, and the righteous often needed to be
prodded. Even the Apostles hadn’t been perfect in
their faith. He would need support, a lot of it, and
that meant that the discipline of the order had to
be absolute. Bernard was a powerful speaker, and
the deeds he and his men had accomplished thus
far would speak strongly in his favor, but he had to
get back to France to make it happen.
He’d summoned Phillip to his chambers a few
moments before, and the young man arrived
suddenly, stumbling into the room with a roll of
parchment under one arm and his quill, ink, and
rasorum gripped tightly in his hands. His eyes
shone brightly in curiosity and anticipation.
Hugues smiled. Even those who served as pages and
servants sensed the presence of the Lord. Hugues
could feel it. They moved so quickly to carry out
his orders—orders that came from his faith, not
from any desire for personal gain. That was his
strength. Phillip was a slender lad, but he was
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growing quickly, and despite his propensity for
books and letters, he was beginning to take on some
weight. He’d make a knight, one day, and Hugues
looked forward to the time when he could tell him
so.
“I want you to write a letter for me, Phillip,” he
began, turning his back on the young man and
clasping his hands behind him. “I spent long hours
at study, but though I have been granted to read the
words of our Lord, the forming of my own words on
paper never came easily to me...I envy you that
gift.”
Spinning, his eyes blazing with the passion that
seethed just beneath the surface of his mind, he
continued. “I need you to listen to me, and I need
you to take what I say and bring my words to the
paper. It is vital that they understand the
importance of this message. They must see what I
mean to do. It is important that they believe what
I tell them.”
Phillip nodded. He felt a lump forming in his
throat, and rather than risking words that might
sputter out like a snuffed candle, he set his
materials out on the desk and waited in respectful
silence. De Payen watched as he went about these
familiar tasks. It was different this time. There was
an energy in the air. Reaching out to that energy,
he attempted to pull it about himself as he began
to speak.
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184
“Make the letter to Father Bernard,” he said,
turning away once more to concentrate on his
thoughts. “I want it to go further—it must go
further—but he is the man to take my message to
the Church.”
Phillip nodded again, making a note on the paper
with a quick flourish.
“To the most reverend Father Bernard,” he
began. “I have begun the fight for the Holy Land,
as you instructed, and it is a glorious feeling. Lives
have been saved, and our numbers are growing.
Praise the Lord.”
There was more. De Payen spoke of his
commitment, of the need for a written code that
his men could use to pattern their lives. He’d seen
the discipline in Bernard’s abbey, and he sought
that for his men. He spoke of the need for
reinforcements. The road to Jerusalem was a long
one, and the intrigues and battles waged between
the Moslems, the Patriarch, Baldwin, and the other
nobles were myriad. The Crusade had begun as a
wonderful thing, but the focus had been warped by
greed and the desire for personal power.
Somewhere along the way the crusaders had
forgotten that the goal of occupying the Holy Land
was to return it to the followers of the One God.
What Hugues wanted was an army, and he
intended to go back, personally, and lead them to
the Holy Land. He could train his men to hold the
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
road for his return. With or without his leadership,
they could do great things for Baldwin and the city.
The only thing in question was, would the Holy
Father in Rome understand? Would he be able to
see the need—the desperate void that Hugues
yearned to fill? Would he mobilize the righteous,
or would he send Hugues back to Jerusalem with a
pat on the shoulder? The not knowing was the
worst of it.
Phillip finished his notes, short symbolic
representations that would return Hugues’s words
to his mind. He had little parchment to waste on
memories, but he dared not forget a detail. He
cleaned his quill, and placed his hands on the desk
as if to rise. His careful, even script filled page after
page of the paper he’d brought with him, and his
brow was furrowed in thought. De Payen caught his
eyes…held them, and the young man took his seat
once more.
“You have heard what I have to say,” Hugues said
slowly. “You know the truth of my words, the
immensity of our task…do you think they will
listen?”
Phillip did not answer immediately. He pursed
his lips, concentrating his thoughts. At last he
spoke.
“I believe that you believe, Lord, and I hear your
words resonating within my heart. I will strive to
bring that emotion to the words I scribe in your
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186
letter. I believe that Father Bernard already
understands, and I know the incredible power of his
voice. If the Holy Father does not listen, it will be
because there is something hidden to us…and I
believe, since you have asked me as a man, that it
is your vision that is true. You speak the words that
need to be spoken…you will be heard.”
Hugues had grown very still as Phillip spoke. His
question had been largely rhetorical...he hadn’t
meant for the younger man to reinforce his faith,
and yet it was happening. The boy was only a
servant—a slight, wispy lad on the verge of
manhood, enmeshed in words and paper, books and
philosophy. The hot blood of the warrior did not
burn through his veins, though the potential was
not completely lost, and the killer instinct had
bypassed him completely. None of this mattered in
those moments.
There had always been times in Hugues’s life
when there were forces beyond his understanding
at work. This was one. Phillip spoke, but Hugues
heard a voice of greater power, a voice of deep
resonance and warm, familiar energy. Phillip spoke
the truth, and the sudden release of tension was a
wonder worthy of a three-day fast. Never more
than in that moment had the words “The truth
shall set you free” meant more to him.
“Go,” he said at last. “Write the letter, then come
to me and read what you have written. I will send
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it ahead of me, and I will follow our words to the
Holy Father himself. I will leave this place in the
hands of Baldwin, and of my knights, but I will
come back at the head of the greatest army of God
that has ever existed.”
Phillip nodded. The voice that had carried him
through the previous moments had departed,
leaving a frightened, if very devout, boy in its wake.
He spun on his heel, scurrying from the room in a
flutter of cloth and parchment. De Payen watched
until the boy was out of sight, then turned to the
window.
So many responsibilities. So many choices. He
didn’t know if he’d done the right thing, but it felt
as though he had, and Hugues had always trusted
his heart. He dropped to his knees, his chin coming
to rest against his chest, and he let the light that
burned within his heart pry the thoughts from his
mind. There would be plenty of time for thought
in the days to come—for the moment, he belonged
to the Lord.
_
Montrovant wasn’t worried about de Payen this
night. He thought of dropping in, just to see what
thoughts might be going through the man’s mind,
but the call of other matters was too pressing. He
had not come to Jerusalem to look after a budding
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188
military order, no matter how responsible he might
be for its existence. Hugues would do fine, and if
Montrovant needed him, it would be a simple
enough matter to appear and make his wishes
known.
In fact, the more closely he associated himself
with the knights of the temple, the greater the
chance that questions would begin to arise.
Montrovant was adept at concealing his nature, but
over a period of time, even the wisest of his kind
would slip. It was best that he keep to himself and
let de Payen go his own way. He had all the
authority to come and go that he needed, and the
knights would make a good screen for his activities.
For a fleeting moment it occurred to him that he
might be underestimating de Payen. He was taking
a great deal for granted, including the total
obedience of the huge knight and his men. The
moment passed swiftly. De Payen was nothing to
him, and if he distracted himself with such
trivialities, he would never reach his goal. None of
them could stand before him. None of them was
worthy of anything but his contempt.
Montrovant’s last meeting with the ancient one
in the desert, though he knew it should have
warned him away, had merely convinced him that
his suspicions were correct. What he sought was
being held beneath the mosque—which he still
couldn’t see as anything but the temple that had
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stood before, grand and impressive. That temple
had been named for Montrovant’s own namesake,
and this fact made it even more personal, though
it shouldn’t have mattered. It made the name
Baldwin had bequeathed to de Payen’s order all the
more amusing and appropriate. The Poor Knights of
the Temple of Solomon.
He did not hesitate as he reached the shadowed
wall of the mosque, but began to climb, making his
way to the spot he now knew to be Le Duc’s
quarters. The window was several stories above the
street level, but it took Montrovant only seconds
to make the ascent. He slid across the surface of the
stone like a huge spider.
This night he was not worried about encounters
with guards, or detection by Santos. He wanted to
get in, see what he could see, and get out before
anyone was the wiser, but if he were caught in the
act, well, that would be too bad for whoever caught
him. None walked the streets in the immediate
vicinity, he’d combed the shadows with his mind
before beginning his ascent, and the entire climb
took only short seconds.
He hesitated at Le Duc’s window. He sensed
something at his back…a presence besides
himself…several presences. He looked quickly over
his shoulder, but he saw nothing. He returned his
concentration to the window and the mosque
beyond. There would be no intrusions this time.
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190
Even if the ancient one called him, he intended to
go in. There were others in the city who might be
interested enough to watch and see what he might
do, but he did not fear them. Let them come for
him, if they dared.
He felt Le Duc’s presence before he saw him, and
he heard the even breathing that told him the man
was asleep. Perfect. He would slip in, take a bit
more of what was his due—then he would wake the
man and they would make their way into the
tunnels beneath the temple. Montrovant’s thirst
was growing, itching at the edges of his control, and
it would be good to feed—however little he was
able to take. It would sharpen his senses.
Le Duc stirred slightly as Montrovant
approached, but he did not wake. Montrovant
placed a strong hand behind the man’s head and
drew Le Duc’s throat to his lips. He felt the man
stiffen, saw the eyes fly open wide, but it was too
late even to mutter a muffled protest. Montrovant
had locked on, and his mind was in control.
Though he trembled and quivered in Montrovant’s
strong arms, Le Duc made no sound.
Forcing himself to release more quickly than he
would have liked, Montrovant lowered his servant
back to the cot and stood over him, watching. Le
Duc was pale, his eyes had closed, and his breathing
was shallow, but still regular. Their bond of blood
was so close that Montrovant could still feel the
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pulse of Le Duc’s blood as it made its way to and
from the heart. The salty, coppery taste lingered on
his tongue, and he savored the moment. If the
ancient one were correct, it might be his last meal.
Montrovant smiled, suddenly, and reached out to
grab Le Duc by the shoulder, drawing him to a
sitting position and holding him there. “Jeanne,”
he said softly. “Arise. We have work to do this
night.”
Le Duc’s eyes opened, but they were glazed, as if
he were looking straight at—and through—
Montrovant’s face. No comprehension. Then the
expression altered subtly, and Le Duc’s shifty,
nervous features began their normal dance,
avoiding direct contact with Montrovant’s gaze and
seeking to orient his mind to its present
circumstances.
“What is it that you want?” the man asked.
“We are going on a little adventure, Jeanne,”
Montrovant explained. “There are tunnels and
vaults beneath this temple, and there are things
hidden there that I would like to find. You are
going to come with me. I will have to concentrate
on my search, and I will need someone to watch my
back and to keep a lookout for Father Santos and
his friends.”
Le Duc eyed him curiously, and he realized that
the man was probably not even aware of Father
Santos’s existence. It didn’t matter. The less he
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knew, the less he suspected, the better, even though
Montrovant could control him easily. The last
thing he needed was a recalcitrant slave. He would
find out about Santos and his minions soon enough
if they encountered them in those dark tunnels.
“Come,” Montrovant said, holding out his hand
to help Le Duc to rise. “I don’t have much time
before I must leave you.”
Le Duc nodded, rising quickly and slipping into
his boots and a robe. Montrovant noted with
approval that the man tucked his sword beneath
that robe before turning and signaling that he was
ready to depart. There was no telling what they
might encounter on the lower levels, and even the
weak sword arm of a human might make the
difference in a tight situation. It would make him
last longer, should he need to be sacrificed for the
seconds necessary to escape.
Montrovant sent Le Duc into the passageway
ahead of him. Though there was a strict curfew, Le
Duc would still command less attention, should he
be spotted, than Montrovant himself. De Payen
required a good night’s rest of each and every
knight under his control. It was their “sacred
responsibility” to be strong and ready to fight at a
moment’s notice. For once, rather than chuckling
under his breath at the notion, Montrovant was
pleased. It meant that most of the inhabitants of
the mosque would be sleeping, or deep in
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meditation and prayer. They were unlikely to hear
him moving about, once he got beyond the main
floor.
Le Duc moved unerringly through the darkness,
and Montrovant followed. Something was
happening, something he had no explanation for.
He could sense it, a menacing, powerful emanation
that rose through the floor and nibbled at the
corners of his mind. He felt a deep, rhythmic
pounding seeping through the stone beneath his
feet, and he had the odd sensation that it was a
heartbeat—the heartbeat of the temple.
Stopping, Montrovant put his hand out to steady
himself against the wall. His thoughts had
wandered, and the sudden notion that he was being
duped, that he might be walking into a trap, hit
him like a sledgehammer. What was that damnable
pounding? The ancient had mentioned nothing of
the nature of the danger he would face in those
tunnels—was he a fool to disregard the warning?
“What is it?” Le Duc whispered softly, turning to
watch Montrovant curiously. There was fear in the
man’s eyes, but behind it Montrovant saw the cold
calculation of a snake. Le Duc was seeking
weakness in his new master, a means of bettering
his own position. This one would have to be
watched closely.
“It is nothing,” Montrovant replied. “Quickly, we
must get below.”
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194
Le Duc watched him for a second longer, then
nodded, turning back toward the stairs that led to
the labyrinthine tunnels below. Montrovant saw
him tense, just for a second, and knew that the
pounding had reached Le Duc’s lesser sensory
perception. It had grown from a tingling vibration
to a steady throbbing beat as they descended
through the temple. If it grew much louder,
Montrovant thought, it would wake the entire
temple.
They continued downward, plastering
themselves against the stone walls to either side of
the stairs. There was no indication of life below,
other than the sound, and the closer they came to
it, the harder it grew for Montrovant to
concentrate. Shadows leapt about the periphery of
his vision to mock him, and his thoughts seemed
intent on losing coherency, despite his efforts at
control.
Le Duc seemed not to feel the effects of the sound
as strongly, but it was clear that the man was nearly
mesmerized by the power of it all the same. He was
not used to assaults of an other-than-human
nature, and his defenses were not strong. A sickly,
greenish glow seeped up from below. Though there
was a clinging malevolence alive in that
luminescence, it was bright and powerful.
Montrovant stopped again. The sounds had
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changed, or his perception of them had deepened.
It was not a pounding, but a series of guttural words
spoken with unbelievable force. He was drawn into
the beat, dragged through the chant as he fought
vainly to understand the meaning of those words.
There were names, some of them angelic, others
he’d never heard, but each drew images instantly
from his memory—images so vivid that he felt his
limbs growing weak.
Pressing himself tightly into the stone, he
concentrated his will. This would not happen. He
would not be led about like a leashed animal. He
fought free of the cloying, grasping tendrils of the
sound, grasped Le Duc suddenly by the wrist and
spun the man to face him. He dropped his lips to
the man’s throat quickly. His fangs sank through Le
Duc’s flesh for the second time that night, and he
and he drew forth just enough to sustain him—just
enough to break free of the hold of the strange
chanting from below.
There was a disturbance in the sound, and
Montrovant knew they had sensed his presence.
Taking Le Duc by one arm, he turned and began to
drag the man bodily up the stairs. His sudden
attack, and the loss of yet more blood, had sapped
Le Duc’s strength.
Montrovant cursed the added delay, but he still
needed someone on the inside, and he certainly
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196
couldn’t leave Le Duc for Santos to find. The man
knew too much already. It was all or nothing,
escape or destruction.
Taking the stairs at a dead run, Le Duc slung over
his shoulder like a sack of grain, Montrovant made
it to the upper floor in three long, leaping bounds.
He slipped quickly into the passageway that led to
Le Duc’s chamber, and moved away from the stairs.
There was no sound behind them, but he could
sense the malevolent energy that permeated the
lower levels seeping upward slowly. He knew there
was a dark intelligence behind that energy, and he
knew it was seeking him.
He paused, drawing back into a shadowed alcove
and placing a hand over Le Duc’s mouth to silence
any sound. Even with the threat that rose from
below, he couldn’t risk being spotted by de Payen
or one of his men. If that were to happen, even Le
Duc would be of no use to him. He waited what
seemed an eternity, but no door opened, and no
footsteps clattered in the passageway.
Montrovant melted from the shadows and made
his way quickly to Le Duc’s door, opening it with
his free hand and dragging the man inside. He
dropped his burden roughly across the hard cot that
lined the wall and turned back toward the door,
concentrating.
The essence of whatever had followed them was
gone. The stone of the temple was as silent as a
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tomb. There was no vibration, no sickly light.
Nothing.
“What is it, Lord?” Le Duc croaked from where
he lay. “What happened?”
Turning back to his servant, Montrovant
frowned. “I’m not certain,” he said at last. “One
thing I know; they expected me.”
“Who are they?” Le Duc’s strength was returning,
and the gleam of curiosity was back in his eye.
Montrovant sensed that the man was seeking a
weakness, even after what had happened, an
advantage that might be gained. He marvelled at
the smaller man’s resiliency and courage.
“I wish that I knew,” he answered. “I need to
know what they are doing, what they are guarding.
There is not much time.”
“I will go to them,” Le Duc said simply. “They
sensed you, but I do not believe that they sensed
me.”
Montrovant’s frown deepened. He concentrated
on remembering. Was it possible that Le Duc was
correct? If so, there might still be hope. He knew
that what they’d experienced had been aimed at
him specifically, but he couldn’t remember
anything that would have indicated a knowledge of
Le Duc’s presence.
“Be careful, Jeanne.” Montrovant said at last.
“Find out what you can, but take no risks. They can
use you to find me—and that would be a mistake.
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198
It would be a mistake for them, and for you…do
you understand?”
Le Duc didn’t speak, but he nodded almost
imperceptibly.
“You must also watch de Payen,” Montrovant
continued. “He will not want you associating with
Father Santos, and he will not like the idea that
you do things on your own. Discipline is very
important to him. Your presence here is too
important to me to be risked by carelessness. There
is time for caution. Take that time and use it to your
advantage.”
“You will find,” Le Duc said softly, “that I am not
a careless man, my Lord.”
Montrovant stared at him for a moment longer,
trying to read the emotion behind the words. He
knew he could have invaded Le Duc’s thoughts and
forced the issue, but something held him back. He
liked this one’s spirit.
“I will see you soon, then,” he replied, moving to
the window.
Without a further word, he launched himself into
the night. He felt Le Duc’s eyes on his back,
watching as he disappeared. The sensation was like
the prickling of sharp ice daggers between his
shoulders.
Before he reached the ground, he sensed the
others, those who’d watched him as he entered the
mosque. By the time they registered in his mind, it
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was too late to avoid them. Shadows drowned the
moonlight, and something powerful and cold
grasped his mind. He tried to fight, tried to cry out
for help, but he could not. Darkness swallowed
him, and the night returned to its silence as he
spiralled down and away…dropping from
consciousness.
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200


TEN
Montrovant awoke to a rustling sound, and the
first impression that came to his mind was that of
a huge swarm of bats. It was dark, and the
comforting sensation of thick walls of stone
surrounded him. Wherever he was, he was at least
safe from the sunlight. He lay still a moment longer,
orienting himself. He didn’t want whoever had
taken him to know he was aware until he had
chosen the moment. He nearly leaped to his feet
in shock when the ancient one spoke.
“You do not listen well, Solomon.”
Rising to a sitting position, Montrovant looked
about himself quickly. They sat in the center of a
small cavern hollowed from the center of a
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mountain, or a hillside. Montrovant could feel the
weight of the stone above them. He and the old
one were not alone. There were others surrounding
them, a large circle of glowing eyes and yellowed
teeth. Nosferatu. He knew that they couldn’t be of
the ancient’s clan, but it was obvious that some
arrangement had been agreed upon.
For the moment he sensed no danger in his
position, despite the method of his arrival.
Montrovant turned his gaze back to meet the eyes
of the old one, dismissing the others for the
moment.
“I have returned to Jerusalem for a reason, as well
you know,” he retorted. “I have seen things that
lead me to believe that I may succeed where others
have failed. You claim to help, but your help comes
in riddles and warnings. With such help, I had no
choice in my actions—my knowledge of Santos and
his powers is limited.”
“There are always choices,” the old one laughed.
His eyes glittered brightly in the darkness,
illuminated by some inner light. “The problem is
not that there are no choices, but that you refuse
to see any choice that does not lead you down the
road you have already decided upon. You have
chosen the outcome of it all, as well, and there is
no way you can be certain you have not chosen
foolishly.
“You are so intent on this grail you seek that you
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202
are blinded to the world around you. There are
signs of most dangers waiting for those who know
how to look. This quest has robbed you of your
sense, and it will be your undoing if you continue
as you have begun. Last night was nearly your last
upon the earth.”
“Who is he?” Montrovant asked, changing tacks.
He decided against asking how the old one would
know what he’d done the night before. It was
enough to realize that he did.
“Santos,” he asked, “who—what—is he really? I
have never felt a power like that from any who
were not damned as I. There was a force behind
those voices, behind their chant. It shook the very
stone of the temple itself, and yet it seemed to
speak only to me.”
“Santos is the tool of an ancient evil,” the old
one said softly. “I felt the touch of his power myself,
long ago. He is not one to trifle with, and if
anything he is even more single-minded in his
purpose than yourself. Of course, that makes it his
greatest weakness. His is not the power of the
night, but of words and form. He also does not have
me to point out his mistakes.”
“He is a guardian,” Montrovant said quickly. “I
have sensed this. But does he guard what I think
he does?”
“He is a guardian, yes, but you do not have a
complete picture of what that entails. I’m not
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certain that you are ready for so much. Santos truly
believes in what he does as the right course. He was
created for this purpose, and he is quite adept at
fulfilling the responsibilities of his post.”
“I am ready for anything you might be able to
share with me, old one,” Montrovant grated. “Who
are you?” he added. “You speak of these others as
though you’ve known them a very long time—you
have mentioned my sire, Euginio, by his true
name—and yet you give no name to yourself.
“I dislike dealing with those who hide their
nature. How shall I call you, and what is your stake
in all of this?”
“I have no stake in anything these days beyond
entertainment,” was the quick answer. “I have no
purpose other than to fill my days with reasons to
continue on into further days. You will understand
that, should you last the lifetimes that I have.
Boredom and entropy are the greatest enemies our
kind face. I consider myself somewhat of an expert
in entertainment.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added, “I hope
I am around to discuss this with you in a couple of
hundred years. One such as you will no doubt have
some truly interesting tales to tell by then. That is
one of the reasons I bother to explain myself.”
“Your name,” Montrovant insisted.
“I do not give my true name,” the ancient one
replied, growing suddenly serious, “and it would be
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
204
a good practice for you to learn to keep yours a
deeper secret, as well. It is the power of your name
that was almost your undoing in the temple, and
Santos is not the only power in the world who can
make use of it.
“All language emanates from a single source, and
at the base of things are their true names. Much
like your essence, your true name is an intimate
part of your makeup. There is a great strength in
the knowledge of these names and the ancient
tongue that spawned them. Santos, as he is now
called, knows the use of this power. He may be the
most adept at it still walking the earth.”
“You know my name, and you have not used it
to control me,” Montrovant countered.
“I do not need your name, Solomon, as well you
know. Were Euginio here, it would be the same
with him. He is old, I am older. You are like a child
to me in many aspects. We have our own ways, you
and I, but they are not the ways of the mystic.”
Montrovant grew silent, waiting. He knew there
was more to hear, but he didn’t know the proper
questions to elicit a useful response. The ancient
one was more irritating than a mortal.
“Some call me Kli Kodesh,” the old one said at
last, and the name set Montrovant’s mind awhirl.
He had heard that name spoken in fear, contempt,
and wonder since the earliest days of his embrace.
Euginio had told him tales of Kli Kodesh long
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before the monastery had claimed him—before
Montrovant had set off into the world on his own.
“Kli Kodesh,” he breathed. “I should have
known. If it were anyone, it would be you who
found me here. I’d thought you long gone from the
earth, from the way Euginio spoke.”
“You have heard the name?” The grin on Kli
Kodesh’s face was mischievous. “I thought Gino
might remember me. He spoke of you, last time I
saw him, and I have looked forward ever since to
the time we would meet.”
“He spoke of you, as well,” Montrovant replied,
wondering at the comfortable intimacy with which
this ancient creature spoke the name of his sire.
Measuring his thoughts, Montrovant continued.
“He named you a lunatic of great power. He said
your mind was filled with visions of fantasy worlds
and beings that never existed. He told me that you
spoke with Christ. He also told me he believed you
must have fallen to dust by now from sheer
madness.”
Kli Kodesh’s expression grew distant, suddenly,
and a wistful smile replaced his grin. “Yes,” he said
at last. “Those things would be an apt description,
I suppose, given that they spring from incomplete
tales and whispered legends. All except the dust,
of course. I assure you, there are a few amusing years
left in this old frame.”
“Did you?” Montrovant asked bluntly, not
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206
wishing to fall into a discussion of times and events
he cared nothing about.
“Did I what?” Kli Kodesh turned to stare at him,
shocked back to the moment by Montrovant’s
question.
“Speak with the Christ,” Montrovant said almost
impatiently. For one so old, the ancient seemed
hardly aware of his surroundings. In a human, this
would be expected from an elder; but among the
damned, age brought power.
“Of course. Did your sire not say it was so? I not
only spoke with him, I traveled with him, shared
bread and prayer with him, and loved him. Not
that any of it is business of yours. You forget
yourself, Solomon, but I will forgive you. Those
were interesting times indeed. One day when your
‘quest’ does not call you so strongly, and we have a
few years to sit around and catch up on things, I’ll
tell you about him.”
Montrovant sat back, stunned. He’d known Kli
Kodesh was ancient, but it had never occurred to
him just how ancient. He’d thought the stories
merely the trappings of a very powerful madman,
but in the ancient’s presence, he had difficulty in
picturing it that way.
There was something hidden about Kli Kodesh,
something odd, but it was not the taint of madness.
Whatever else might be true of what he’d heard, it
would seem that the madness was exaggerated.
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While this was true, the age had been understated,
and the power. Montrovant found himself liking
this ancient buffoon of a vampire a bit more than
he’d counted on. There was much to be said for his
opinions on entertainment, and it occurred to
Montrovant that Euginio would have done well to
listen to those words a bit more carefully himself.
“You sought the grail,” Montrovant broke in,
half in question, half accusingly. “The tales of your
quest were the inspiration that drew me back here.”
“I have done a great many foolish things,” Kli
Kodesh replied. “That is one of them. I sought a
power that I have since come to realize lies within
my own mind. There was no need of the symbol, a
simple cup, to bring it to life. I felt that a piece of
something that had been important to me in my
daylight life might bring me all that I sought in this
second life. What I found was that my time had
been spent seeking children’s tales. I decided not
to spend my second chance at eternity so readily.”
“You speak in riddles,” Montrovant said. “Did
you find the grail? If not, how could you have come
to these conclusions, and what did you do with it?”
“I found what I sought.”
“Father Santos guards something of great power
and importance beneath that temple,” Montrovant
said angrily. “If it isn’t the Grail, if there is no grail,
then what is in those caverns?”
“I do not know,” Kli Kodesh answered simply. “I
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208
attempted to enter those caverns, much as you
yourself, and I met a similar result. I was too
powerful for him to control, but I could not gain
entrance. I decided that the continuation of my
existence was more important to me than the
answers I might find, once inside. Now I find that
there may be some entertainment to be had in
renewing that quest.”
“You quit.” Montrovant knew that the venom in
his voice was a mistake, that the other could end
his existence as surely and easily as he himself
might snuff a candle-flame, but he couldn’t help
himself. He was disgusted that any could come so
close to such power, then cast it aside in fear.
“I did.”
“I am not prone to quitting,” Montrovant went
on. “I have a goal, a purpose, that drives me from
sunset to sunset. What drives you, old one? What
is there left, if you’ve given up your dreams?”
Kli Kodesh laughed then, and the sound chilled
Montrovant through to the bone. Rising and
dancing suddenly in a tight circle, Kli Kodesh
grinned down at him. That grin was more skull
than face, and the eyes were so distant and empty
that stars seemed to whirl in the depths of his skull.
Montrovant jerked his gaze from that trap.
“So young, so certain of yourself,” Kli Kodesh
cackled. The sudden unpredictability of his
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behavior set Montrovant’s senses on edge. Perhaps
Euginio hadn’t been so far from the mark.
“You believe a symbol of the Christ can bring you
power, and yet you miss the point entirely. Do you
really suppose that Jesus was the most powerful
entity of his day? Do you not understand that his
knowledge came from others, that others—truly
ancient powers—walked the earth long before his
birth? Did they leave their magic in a cup for you
to drink? Did they depart at all, or was it the Christ
who fled?
“I walked with him, Solomon, and I learned from
him. His power was great, and his sacrifice was a
true one. You may believe in his Godhood if you
like, or not—it makes no difference to me—but his
power did not come from relics, or from prayer. It
came from within his own mind—his essence. You
seek that power, and you claim a desire to sacrifice
for your sire—for your clan. You sacrifice nothing.
You don’t come at it with sincerity, but with greed.
It is your own gain you seek, and that is why you
will find nothing.
“That is the secret that I lost, then found again,
all during my time on the road. I searched for the
Grail, and I saw that cup when it was first handed
to him, saw the wine spilled into its depths and
heard the words you set such store in. ‘Drink, this
is my blood,’ a very close quote, despite the
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210
inaccuracy of most of the Gospels. Many things
happened on that road, Solomon. Miracles took
place that will never be repeated, but they were
generated by a man, not a relic.
“Did you think he was being symbolic and deep?
He spoke to me, Solomon. He offered, and I
received. ‘Drink, this is my blood,’ he said, and I
did. I walked that road with him; but when his
father was young, I was already old. You would not
believe the savor of that draught, Solomon. You
could not comprehend what it brought to my
mind.”
Montrovant rose, backing toward the wall, but in
that instant he became aware, once more, of the
others. He heard hissing, sibilant voices, and the
feather-touch of gibbering, insane thoughts tickled
at the barriers surrounding his mind. They were
servants, entwined so deeply in Kli Kodesh’s
madness that they had created a pocket of surreality
he found it difficult to resist. It was like a vortex,
drawing him in. He could sense that they were not
mad, but in that instant, reality had warped.
“I see that Euginio was not so far from the truth
in his tales of you,” Montrovant said, expecting the
words to be his last. “Is this the end, then? Did you
only bring me here to entertain you for a few
moments before you cast me to your ghouls? Not
much of interest in such trivial games in the face
of eternity.”
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Kli Kodesh’s features shifted magically back to
the serene, contemplative expression Montrovant
had first witnessed, and the ancient one took a step
forward, holding out his hand. The transformation
was so swift, and so false in its semblance of
normality, that it caused Montrovant to shudder
anew.
“I am sorry. I sometimes forget…things. I brought
you here to explain myself, and I’m afraid that I
may have confused you further. I have that effect
on others.”
“There is no confusion here, except that within
your own mind, Kli Kodesh. You spout madness.
You wish me to believe, now, that you drank the
very blood of the Christ? How would that be
possible? How could you not have been
transformed?”
“I have been,” was the simple answer. “I walk by
the light of day—my thirst is sated. I tell you this,
though I know you will not believe. I have not fed
on the blood of a human being since the Christ
walked the earth, and yet I endure. There is no
hunger, only the eternal wait for His return. That,
and my new quest—the quest for that which can
keep me sane. Entertainment. For that, I thank
you; and for that you have kept your life, such as it
is.”
“If you are as old as that, as powerful,”
Montrovant took a tentative step forward, “then
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212
tell me Santos’s secret. You must know how to
reach those vaults.”
“Did I not tell you that there were powers more
ancient, more powerful, than the Christ, whose
blood you seek? Santos was created in a time before
any you have known of were born, died, or walked
on into the shadows. I am ancient, but I was a child
when Santos came to be. He was created by an
ancient whose name I’ve learned was Hermes. Not
the first to bear that name, certainly, and it is
undoubtedly not a true name, but it gives you a
point to concentrate on. Egypt.”
“Egypt?” Montrovant scowled. “How does
knowing Santos is an Egyptian help me?”
Kli Kodesh appeared to be growing impatient,
and his eyes were dancing again, in agitation. “You
must listen Solomon. I will provide you the keys,
but the locks are yours to fathom. You must find his
name. The power to defeat him, the power to enter
those vaults, lies in the simple word that was
affixed to him at birth.”
“You know this name?” Montrovant asked
excitedly.
“It is possible, but not relevant,” Kli Kodesh
grinned. “The entertainment lies in your own
quest, not in any help I might provide. You must
seek your own answers. Be glad that I have decided
that I will not hinder you.”
Montrovant grew silent. He could not force an
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answer from Kli Kodesh, and he was less than
certain that the old one’s apparent stability would
hold. “Am I free to go, then?” he asked softly.
“You may if you wish,” Kli Kodesh answered
almost dismissively. “You will find it a bit
uncomfortable, though, I believe.”
“Uncomfortable?”
“It is morning, Solomon,” Kli Kodesh said softly.
“I have been holding that knowledge from you,
giving you the energy to continue our
conversation. I knew that you would not take my
words for their face value, and so I have provided
a bit of proof. You see that I am not affected by the
hour. This place is safe—you are welcome to sleep
here, beneath the mountain. We will watch over
you until the sun falls.”
Montrovant sensed that Kli Kodesh spoke the
truth. The lethargy hit him with sudden force,
nearly bringing him to his knees. He felt the draw
of the earth, and though he fought to remain alert,
the torpor seized his limbs, and he fell back softly.
He managed to keep his eyes open long enough to
see Kli Kodesh standing above him, watching, but
he could not force himself to move. More of Kli
Kodesh’s power?
The others danced about madly in the shadows,
flickering across the edges of his vision like a flock
of enormous bats. Kli Kodesh was powerful indeed
if he could hold the lot of them from the sleep the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
214
day should have brought. Or perhaps he’d fed them
from his own blood. Perhaps they shared his
madness.
“Sleep well, Solomon,” Kli Kodesh’s words
seeped through his thoughts. “Rest. You will need
your strength for that which is to come. Seek the
books in the temple—you will find that which you
seek within the halls of Baldwin.”
Blackness rose to consume him, and the room
spun away, leaving him isolated and alone.
That was how he found himself when he awoke.
He made his way through a side tunnel from the
room, sensing the upward slope of the tunnel, and
when he came to the surface of the desert, he could
see the brilliant twinkling of stars in the sky.
Kli Kodesh and his Nosferatu minions were
nowhere to be seen. There was the faintest hint of
their presence lingering in the stone, but
Montrovant stood alone, thinking.
Shaking his head, he softly cursed the night. First
he’d come up against powers he couldn’t
understand or comprehend; now he was forced to
combat those forces with the words of a madman
for a guide. Perhaps Euginio was right. Perhaps he
was a fool.
With a sudden leap, he took to the sky, the
transformation grindingly painful and comfortably
familiar all at once. He needed to return to the city,
to feed, and to plan. He blended with the inky
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darkness, a shadow against the moon. Below,
standing on a mound of stone and sand, Kli Kodesh
watched, and he smiled. The entertainment had
only just begun.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
216


ELEVEN
Le Duc had not managed a moment of sleep after
Montrovant’s dramatic exit from his balcony. His
mind was in a turmoil, fear battling with greed,
desire battling with the first blossoming of loyalty
that had ever entered his mind. Or was loyalty even
a factor? It seemed he would be controlled whether
it was his desire or not. It could hardly be
considered a choice.
He was no fool. Montrovant was the most
powerful being he’d ever encountered. Despite the
cold thrill of fear that screeched through him as his
imagination toyed with his future, that power drew
him to the man. Jeanne had always had something
of a death-wish; who was he to complain when that
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wish came true? If such a one wanted to throw in
his lot with Jeanne Le Duc, then that was a very
good thing indeed.
There had been precious few alliances worth the
time or effort during the span of his years. He
disliked the notion of being little more than a
servant, but it appeared that there might be more
in store for his future, and he put great stock in
planning for the years to come.
It was the control that troubled him. He had
none, not over his life, nor the situation at hand.
That was a factor that would have to change, were
this odd partnership to continue. He could follow
a leader as well as any other, but slavery was out of
the question. He would have to let Montrovant
know how he felt, but the question was, how?
The only thing he might possibly construe as a
weakness in Montrovant was the reaction he’d
witnessed on the stairs leading to the lower levels
of the temple. Something down there was powerful
enough to scare even the dark one; but what could
it be, and could it be used to Le Duc’s advantage?
If it had been enough to set Montrovant to flight,
what would it do to one such as Le Duc? There was
only one certain way to find the answer to that, and
that was to do as he’d been instructed.
He would have to make his way to those lower
levels, preferably by day, and he would have to find
what it was that Montrovant sought. Beyond that
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
218
his hopes lay in the possibility that he would be
able to discover more than Montrovant believed he
would. He had not been told where to stop, and
that left the margin for a bit of spying of his own.
Whatever was down there, it had not been
paying much attention to Jeanne Le Duc when he’d
last dropped in, and that would prove a mistake, if
it were to be repeated upon his return. He might
not have any strange abilities, or be able to leap
from temple windows into the night sky without
falling to his death, but he had a sharp wit and a
sharper blade that it would be best not to ignore,
even minus a few flagons of his own blood.
That was another issue to be taken up with his
new lord. As a child, he’d been told the legends of
the Vampyr. He’d heard tales of dark Lilith
swooping from the night sky to carry off children,
and of the dead rising to feast on the blood of the
living. He’d thought them just that—legends. In
the days of his youth he’d not been truly frightened
by the stories because he’d been able to distinguish
the lack of that fear in the adults telling the tales.
None of them, he now concluded, had met one
such as Montrovant. The boundaries of his world
would have to be redefined, it seemed. Legends
would need to be pushed a bit further into the void
and he would have to come to grips with things
that had previously lain beyond that barrier. He
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
would have to find a way that his mind could cope
with and reconcile this new knowledge.
Rising early, Le Duc went about his morning
rituals, took his breakfast with the others after
prayer, and managed, with a bit of quick thinking,
to get himself assigned to work in the stable for the
day. None of the others liked that detail—Le Duc
didn’t blame them. The stables were beneath the
temple, dark and dank. Cleaning was no easy task,
since everything that was removed from the stalls
would have to be hauled to the surface in small
carts. Stable detail was often handed out as
penance.
Most of de Payen’s knights had come from royal
families. None of these men had been accustomed
to caring for their own animals, or cleaning after
themselves. De Payen’s discipline was a harsh
lesson for such as these. Though Le Duc came from
nobility, he’d been the bastard child of a minor
noble. He’d seen his share of manual labor as a boy,
and the skill of his sword arm was the only thing
that had won him his freedom. He’d signed on with
his uncle’s army as a lad of sixteen and never looked
back.
His plan was simple. It was only a short distance
from the stables to the stairs he and Montrovant
had descended so disastrously the night before, and
since only a small number of men would be on the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
220
detail with him, and none of them in a mood to pay
much attention to their surroundings, he thought
he’d be able to find a moment to do a bit of
preliminary exploring. At the very least, he hoped
to get a glimpse of those who lived in the tunnels
below.
He’d heard stories, rumors that were whispered
between weapons practice and meals. De Payen was
not the only master in the mosque, and apparently
the huge knight was not pleased by that fact.
Another factor to be used in his favor, or another
obstacle to overcome? Only time would tell. Once
he had more information on what was going on
beneath their feet, he might have more answers.
He moved slowly through the halls and down to
the stables with his two companions, trying not to
appear too eager for what was to come. Pierre
Cardin joined him, as did two of the servants, and
he wished it had been anyone but Cardin. The man
had never trusted him, and with more planned than
just stable cleaning, Cardin would be the worst
possible choice of those who might witness his
actions.
Le Duc was trying to make sense of de Payen’s
insistence that his knights perform their own
menial labor. He knew it had something to do with
discipline, or de Payen’s version of it. Their leader
told him that, in battle, the only thing more
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important to a knight than his weapon was his
mount—that it was important to be as familiar with
the animals as possible. Familiarity with the
animals was one thing, but familiarity with their
dung a completely different matter.
Le Duc had always believed in the method of
riding the animal until it was ready to drop, then
taking another. It was a habit he’d paid dearly for
during his short stint in his father’s guard. Horses
were not cheaply come by. For the moment, he did
not complain. The excuse to go below was exactly
what he’d needed, and he grabbed the gear that was
provided and went about his work quickly and
efficiently, if not enthusiastically. He would need
to be done with the section assigned to him well
ahead of the others if he was to have the time to
look around. It was one time in which his
upbringing served him well. He had a lot more
experience in stables than most of the others.
He moved steadily from stall to stall, hauling in
grain and water and cleaning out the manure. The
process was a slow one. The stench began to get to
him after only a short time, and he realized that the
lack of sleep and the loss of blood had weakened
him further than he’d imagined. He wondered what
Montrovant got from what he’d stolen. He rubbed
at the raw spot on his throat and stopped to catch
his breath.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
222
Luckily, neither Cardin nor the servants seemed
in any great hurry to get back to the upper levels.
Cardin, Le Duc knew, was a lover of animals. He
probably found something to enjoy in this dirty,
monotonous task. He wished he could be so lucky.
Jeanne found nothing but frustration. The animals
tended to shy away from him, being uncooperative
and surly. He cuffed more than one, and once he
caught Cardin scowling at him as though he might
say something. Le Duc met the man’s gaze steadily
and waited, almost hoping something would be
said. Anything would be better than hauling off
horse droppings. He knew that any fighting
between knights of the order would result in
punishment—likely another tour of the stables—
but at that moment the distraction would have
been well worth the trouble.
Cardin turned away without speaking, and Le
Duc went back to work with a vengeance. He
turned his anger to the task at hand, and he found
that his strength was returning as he found the
rhythm of the work. It was well ahead of his
allotted time when he rested the handle of his cart
on the ground for the final time and set aside his
shovel.
He was sweating profusely, and the grime matted
his hair and clung wetly to his boots. He wiped his
eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, feeling the burn
of the salt as he ground it deeper into his skin with
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the soaked material. There was light, but it was
dim, and the perspiration had cloaked each torch
with rainbows, blurring Le Duc’s sight.
He slipped away to the right, steering clear of
Cardin’s area, and found himself facing a large
tunnel that led inward. Considering the slope, and
the angle of the passageway in relation to the stable
entrance, it had to be the same that had lain at the
bottom of the stairs he’d climbed the night before.
The answers he needed waited ahead of him in the
darkness, and with a last look over his shoulder to
be certain he wasn’t noticed, he slid into the
shadows. If any asked, he could say he’d gone in
search of something to drink, or had had to relieve
himself.
Cardin and the others would be too tired to
question him, and who else would know? Such
labor as he’d just completed was a torture to them
all. They’d readily forgive any slip of discipline
associated with it, even if de Payen would not.
He passed several branching tunnels as he moved
toward the center of the lower levels, some with
doors, others wide open. There were small alcoves
carved into the stone of the tunnels, and sconces
holding lit torches lined the walls. It would make
a great place for an ambush, he thought to himself,
and that thought doubled his caution as he made
his way further in. There wasn’t much time, and so
far he’d seen nothing worth a second glance.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
224
Suddenly the echo of footsteps rang through the
silence, and Le Duc ducked into one of the small
alcoves, secreting himself just out of sight and
waiting. He could hear voices, one sibilant and
silky, the other light—almost airy. He couldn’t
make out the words, but the sounds were growing
closer. Heart pounding, he drew himself more fully
into the shadows, pressing firmly against the cold
stone at his back.
A sense of dread had dropped over him like a
cloak the second the silky tones of the first voice
had reached his ears, and he felt himself trembling
against the stone, praying to a God he’d long set by
the wayside on any but a cursory level. Even as they
drew near, he could make out none of what they
were saying. They were speaking in a short, guttural
language that he did not understand. He couldn’t
ever remember hearing anything quite so foul
spewing from the mouth of a man, and the
unfamiliar darkness of their language blended itself
with his inability to see who or what they might be,
compounding his fear.
Their steps came level with the alcove where Le
Duc cowered, then continued on beyond it. He was
preparing to draw a breath in relief when the steps
suddenly stopped and the voices grew quiet. A soft,
tingling sensation transited his spine, and he felt
as though something were poking at his mind. He
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concentrated, blanking his thoughts, becoming as
much one with the wall behind him as he could
manage. He felt the hammering of his heart like the
tolling of a bell, and even as he fought to control
his breathing it gasped from his throat like hot air
from a bellows. He was certain it would be heard,
but there was nothing to do but to hold the next
and pray that he was wrong.
Eternities passed as he waited, and images floated
through his mind, childhood fears, nightmares
coming around for a second visit. He gripped the
stone tightly, clawing so deeply into the cracks and
crevices that met his grip that he felt the flesh
separating from his nails...still he gripped tighter.
The shadows swirled about him, the world dropped
away and he saw endless spirals of darkness
descending through the floor of the tunnel,
winding away into surreal realms of madness that
he could not quite comprehend.
Le Duc fought. He felt the grip on his mind, and
he rebelled against it. Each image he replaced with
one of his own. Each new horror that was dredged
from his subconscious he met head on with a
memory of daylight. He felt his sanity slipping, and
that was the one thing he would never release.
They might take his body, and whatever demons
toyed with him might seek his soul, but his mind
was his own. With a sudden insight, he smacked his
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
226
head backward, cracking it on the stone wall and
sending a blinding white rush of pain blossoming
through his failing consciousness.
The sensations that had haunted him departed
as suddenly as they had invaded, and Le Duc
collapsed to his knees in the shadows. He brought
one hand up to the quickly growing knot the wall
had provided him, and he choked back the bile that
threatened to spew from his throat. There would be
plenty of time for sickness once he’d found his way
back out of the tunnels.
There were no sounds in the passageway, and he
sensed that he was alone, but he remained kneeling
in the shadows for several moments longer, reordering
his thoughts and drawing the shreds of his
self-confidence about himself like a shroud. Such
darkness. Such a challenge to his senses and his
self-control.
It was personal now. Irrational as the thought
was, he knew that whoever had done that to him,
whoever had entered his mind and toyed with
things that Jeanne Le Duc held dear, that person,
or thing, would pay for its infraction. He didn’t
know how, but that was a matter for planning and
deep thought. He stuck his head slowly out of the
alcove, and seeing that he was indeed alone, he
began to make his way back toward the stables.
This time he paused at each of the entrances
along the way, checking the alcoves carefully and
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
pulling open any unlocked doors to peer inside at
whatever contents they might conceal. In one he
found what seemed to be the answer to his
dilemma. There were hooks along one wall of the
room, a small table in the center, and on the hooks
hung dark robes. The color was difficult to make
out in the flickering light of the torches in the hall,
but they seemed to be of a deep, dark brown—
rippling with hidden swirls of color and glittering
strangely.
He checked the hall in both directions, then
slipped inside, grabbing the first of the robes he
reached and tucking it beneath his own cloak. He
would have to hide it better, once he got out of the
tunnel. There was no way he could explain its
presence to the others as they ascended to their
quarters.
He exited the room, closing the door softly
behind him, and headed quickly and silently back
the way he’d come. His thoughts were scattered,
and his head was light—he wondered if he might
be feverish. The combination of the lack of sleep,
the morning’s labor, and the confrontation in the
tunnels had drained him more fully than he’d
believed possible, yet his anger goaded him onward.
He would have to complete his day—weapons
practice, confession, devotion, and the evening
meal—all without drawing undue attention to
himself. He reached the end of the tunnel, where
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
228
he’d left his cart and shovel, and looked about
carefully. He could see Cardin just finishing up his
own wing, and, moving slowly and taking care to
conceal the robe tucked under his arm, he made his
way toward where the other man was bundling out
a last load of manure.
Cardin was dripping with perspiration and not
moving too quickly himself. No words passed
between them, and that suited Le Duc just fine. He
had never cared for Cardin, and he knew the
feeling to be mutual. Their induction into the order
had not changed this. They came from two
different worlds, and no amount of ‘camaraderie’
would change that. They might fight side by side,
but they would never be brothers.
They met the two servants on their way out and
upward, and the small group exited the stables. The
fresh air quickly brought new life to Le Duc’s tired
limbs. He hadn’t been aware, until that moment,
just how much he’d hated the stench of the horses,
or how the labor had been dragging at his mind. He
took in great gulps of air, and the sunlight that
filtered through the temple windows energized his
steps.
They separated, and he and Cardin made their
way to their chambers. They had less than half an
hour to get cleaned up and ready for weapons
practice. It would be an intense two hours, and
neither of them was prepared, after a morning’s
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
work like they’d shared, to face de Payen’s wrath for
tardiness. They needed all their energy for the
practice itself.
Miraculously, Cardin either did not see the extra
bulk that Le Duc had added to his clothing, or just
did not have the energy to care about it. Jeanne
made it to his chamber and inside, packing the robe
carefully beneath the stiff mattress on his cot. With
careful arrangement, he was able to obscure the
extra bulk without causing the bunk to appear
untidy.
He wasn’t certain how he was going to use the
robe to his advantage, but his instincts told him it
was his key to the lower levels, and he wasn’t about
to give up any advantage that fate stuck in his path.
He was beginning to wonder if there were not truly
a God in Heaven, and if he himself were not more
blessed than he’d believed. That would be an
interesting thought if he was ever afforded the
opportunity to give it serious thought.
He hurried to clean himself, and buckled on his
sword. Though weak, he felt refreshed enough to
face most of the knights in one-on-one practice.
Maybe even strong enough to hand out a lesson or
two. He’d already garnered somewhat of a
reputation for his quickness and agility in battle
and the vicious concentration he applied to his
swordplay.
As he joined the others in a preliminary prayer,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
230
then faced off with his first opponent, his mind
drifted back to his cot, and to the tunnels beneath
his feet. The night would bring some answers, one
way or the other. As he moved skillfully across the
practice field, pressing his opponent back toward
the wall with a lightning-fast flurry of flashing
steel, plans began to form. Smiling, he slipped past
the other man’s guard and jabbed his blade lightly
against the chain-mail he wore for protection. The
blade came to rest directly over the man’s heart.
_
Far below, two figures made their way silently
back down the passageway and into the catacombs
beyond. Father Santos did not speak this time—all
the words, all the preparations had been made.
None of his followers would have anything useful
to add. It was time to take matters more firmly into
his own hands.
He watched the shadows carefully, spreading his
senses out to encompass each bit of stone lining the
corridor and every hidden alcove. Someone had
been there that morning, and he’d almost had
them—had almost broken their mind. The net had
been falling into place when something had
slammed into his thoughts like a hammer blow.
There was no presence lurking as he passed back
toward the vaults, but he couldn’t erase the
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
thought of that instant of pain, and the power
behind it, from his mind. How could any being
powerful enough to cause him such pain have
slipped in past his guard, and why couldn’t he sense
them now?
He should have been more careful. He should
have spread his guards further into the accesses of
the tunnels, de Payen be damned, but he’d been
arrogant. His control was as absolute as it had ever
been, and there had seemed no need for overzealous
caution. Now, on the heels of his failure to
lure the dark one into his clutches, another had
come into his realm, alone, and had escaped
unnoticed. He couldn’t even say for certain what
he faced, since the pain that had exploded through
his mind had rendered him without any but mortal
sight for a period of hours. It hadn’t felt like
another of the undead, but there was no way to be
certain. And if not the damned, then who?
He’d not sent others to search the tunnels. None
among them could face such a power as he’d felt
alone, and there was, as yet, no indication that the
intruder had posed any kind of actual threat. No
sense sacrificing his followers until he knew that
the sacrifice would do him good. Besides, curiosity
was not an unknown factor among immortals.
Whoever or whatever it might have been, his
visitor might have had no more than passing
interest in Santos, or the tunnels. Still, it wouldn’t
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
232
hurt to consult the oracle, or to draw in some
further support, just in case.
He needed to take out the dark one first and
foremost, but he couldn’t afford to let this new
threat roam his domain freely. The objects in his
charge were too important, and the draw of that
responsibility on his being was absolute. He had
been created for a purpose. That purpose was the
ultimate end-all of his existence, and he could not
fail it and survive.
A quick wave of nostalgia passed through the
dusty corridors of his mind. Other temples—dry
and well-preserved walls, gold and jewels…more
familiar gods. This place was not his home, and he
yearned for the sands and sun of his people. It had
been too long, far too long, since he’d walked
among them. Since there had been any he knew to
walk among.
He turned to the robed figure walking at his side
and grunted a command softly. Without
acknowledgment, his companion turned off and
made his way quickly down a side passage. Emir
would spread the word, and the preparations would
be made. Santos would find some answers this
night, and he would put an end to these new
threats troubling his little shadow-realm once and
for all. All he needed were names, and he knew
well enough how to come by them.
Pressing his hand into a section of stone, he
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
stood silently as a panel opened inward in the
tunnel wall. There was no sound, but the massive
block of stone slid easily inward, and he slipped by
it, pressing it closed behind him and leaving the
wall as seamless and bare as he’d found it. Some of
the secrets of home had made their way to this
place. He’d seen to that.
Beyond lay the vaults, and he made his way past
these as well. He would need to rest and to clear
his mind if he were to reach his goals that night.
What he’d planned was no small feat, even for one
such as himself, and there were preparations to be
made. He passed into the shadows behind a long,
embroidered tapestry that hung from the ceiling of
the cavern and reached nearly to the floor. It cut
off the main chamber of the room from the smaller
alcove beyond. The fabric fell heavily back into
place as he passed.
In one corner of the shadowed cavern, on an
altar of wood brought from lands far away and
crafted carefully—carved with intricate symbols
and draped with a cloth of the same oddly
iridescent brown of Santos’s followers’ robes—the
deep red glow of a pair of eyes flashed for just a
second, then vanished.
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234


TWELVE
Montrovant made his way slowly toward the
temple, but he did not intend to visit Le Duc this
night. The direct approach had failed, and it was
time to bring some of the planning he’d done
before returning to the Holy Land to bear. He
wasn’t without his assets, and Le Duc was only one
of them. This was important because the man was,
after all, only human, and there were limits beyond
which he could not be physically pushed. There
were many useful days and nights remaining to Le
Duc, and Montrovant wanted him as healthy and
alert as possible.
It was also important that de Payen not know
where Le Duc’s loyalties truly lay. The inside
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
information Le Duc could supply would prove
useful eventually, and there was no need to burn
him out so quickly. Montrovant had no desire or
intention of continuing as de Payen’s personal
angel. The order would grow, or fade into oblivion,
on its own. Besides, there were other concerns that
required more delicate handling. As his perspective
on the situation grew clearer, the methods
Montrovant chose for dealing with these concerns
became, as a consequence, more complex.
Santos had proven more powerful than he could
have imagined, and it seemed that to repeat his
attempted entry to the lower levels of the temple
might prove both foolhardy and fatal. This in mind,
alternative plans had begun to form in the back of
his mind, plans that did not involve such direct
risk, but that would bring him as surely, and
possibly more swiftly, to the ends he sought.
Intrigue was an old game to him.
Father Santos had the superior power on his side,
but he shared one thing with Montrovant that was
unavoidable. No one knew the truth of his
existence. He desired—no, needed—secrecy. He
could not let those in the upper levels of the temple
know what was going on below. If it came to light
that anything other than a religious commune
resided in those tunnels, de Payen would never
stand for it. Hugues might not be truly a power in
Jerusalem, but he was well on his way. One thing
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
236
that none could deny was his righteousness, and it
would be that purity of spirit that would force
Daimbert’s hand. It would mean that, if de Payen
wouldn’t stand for Santos’s presence, the Church
would not be allowed to stand for it either.
The Patriarch might be inclined to side with
Father Santos, and not to act against orders from
Rome, but it would not matter. He was the religious
focal point for the Christians of the city. If he made
a decision, they would go with it, and if something
came to light that was unholy, it would be his duty
to stand against it. So much, in such a case, for
secrecy. No matter the word from Rome; if the
citizens and royalty of Jerusalem believed Daimbert
was consorting with or approving of something
evil, they would not hesitate to strip him of his
power.
Montrovant made his way directly to the
mosque. He didn’t slip through the shadows, or
skirt the main streets, but walked straight through
the front door. He called out to the first servant to
meet him and sent him scurrying to de Payen’s
chambers. He was through with midnight balcony
escapades and shadowed entrances. None of this
would exist were it not for him, and it was time to
call in a few cards from those he’d bequeathed it to.
The time had arrived for more direct control of
the matter at hand, and he didn’t intend to allow
the edge to Santos in this. If one of them could
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
walk freely in the city and the temple, there was no
reason that they both could not. Santos would not
be the one to step forward, risking his own position.
It would be a stalemate.
The servant returned almost immediately,
trembling with excitement, and he led the way
down the corridor and up the stairs to de Payen’s
quarters. Montrovant snatched bits of thought from
the young man’s mind. It seemed that visitors for
de Payen were rare enough—a visit in the middle
of the night was beyond belief. The miracle was not
that Montrovant had come at such an hour, but
that de Payen was not only willing, but eager to see
him.
Hugues was a private man. It had been so in his
keep in France, and it was the same here. He
believed in simplicity and devotion to his Lord.
This didn’t leave a lot of time for social occasions.
Montrovant could barely conceal his smile.
Rumors would fly, now, and he would be their
focus. Rather than worrying about being spotted
skulking about in the shadows, he would walk
among them openly. It felt right, somehow, to be
back in the forefront of action. Shadows might be
his home, but they did not suit him as well as the
center stage.
He walked into de Payen’s chambers without
waiting for the servant to perform the introduction.
It would be more fodder for the upcoming rumors,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
238
and it helped to solidify their impression of his
position with their leader. He saw that Hugues had
barely contained the urge to drop to his knees at
his entrance, and he was fairly certain that the
servant had seen it, as well.
“That will be all, Phillip,” de Payen said quickly,
and the young man reluctantly withdrew to the hall
beyond, closing the door behind himself.
De Payen met Montrovant’s eyes, his expression
communicating his questions before the words
could make it to his lips. It had been a long time
since they’d last spoken, and much had happened.
Montrovant held up a hand to keep him silent,
wanting to establish the mood and direction of the
conversation himself before de Payen took it off on
a tangent. There would be plenty of time to answer
questions and set Hugues at ease once he’d finished
with his own business.
“I have come with a warning,” he said quickly.
“You have done well, Hugues de Payen, but evil
walks the very halls you have chosen for your own.
You have accomplished more than you could have
hoped, but the road ahead will be the hardest of
your life.”
De Payen stared at Montrovant in bewilderment.
He’d expected many things upon seeing his patron,
but this had not been one of them.
“But—we devote ourselves to prayer daily, and
only the pure ethics of work and the sword
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consume our time. When we are not on the road,
we are here, working toward the end of increasing
our worth in the eyes of our Lord. I have done
nothing but that which I was tasked to do, yet you
say evil has fallen upon us? Who among us contains
this evil? I will strike it free myself.”
“It is none of your knights, Hugues,” Montrovant
assured him. “It is another evil, a deeper evil. It has
been here all along, awaiting one such as yourself
to see through the veils of secrecy that keep it
hidden. You know of the priest who inhabits the
lower levels. You have seen him yourself. Did you
not feel it seeping from him like the very stench of
hell?”
“Father Santos?” De Payen’s eyes narrowed as the
words passed his lips. “But…he is a priest! I have
seen him at prayer.”
“You have seen him going through the motions
of prayer,” Montrovant corrected, “but you have
seen no devotion to your Lord pass his lips. If you
could hear the words he actually speaks, you would
understand as fully as I what he is. He is an
abomination and his presence here negates the
good you are doing. It is a danger to you, and to
your men—your souls are at risk, Hugues.”
“But what can we do?” De Payen’s eyes were wild.
“He has the support of the Patriarch, and that of
Baldwin himself. I cannot disobey their orders. I
have been told that the chambers beneath the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
240
mosque are to be left to him for whatever purpose
he sees fit.”
“You would rather disobey the Commandments?”
Montrovant asked, pausing to let the words sink in.
De Payen jerked as if he’d been slapped. His eyes
blazed, and for an exquisitely extended moment,
Montrovant believed he would snap. Montrovant
held the reins in this relationship—sinner and
saint, dark angel and mortal man, but even in this
role, there were boundaries. He was stepping
casually across the raw nerves of de Payen’s faith,
his insecurities and self-recriminations. He had
questioned, in a few short words, the very essence
of Hugues’s makeup. The question was, would that
makeup hold.
“I…” de Payen paused, sucked in a great heaving
gulp of air, then took a step forward, ignoring the
icy depths of Montrovant’s gaze. “I obey my God in
all things.”
There was much more behind his words than
simple outrage. There was a depth of faith beyond
anything Montrovant had encountered in all the
days of his life. Bernard believed, in his own way,
but this man lived for God. He might be a warrior,
his body and soul trained to end the lives of others
for a cause, but that cause meant more to him than
his own life—perhaps more than his soul.
“I do not blame you for what has happened here,
Hugues,” Montrovant continued, ignoring the
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
man’s outburst. “There is no way that you could
have known, and that is why I am here. I do not
doubt your faith. I have come to fulfill it. You have
asked to be the strong arm of God, and this is the
first true test of the strength of that arm.”
De Payen’s expression shifted miraculously from
self-reprisal to wonder, then to a stone-set of pure
purpose. “Tell me what I must do. I will gather my
men, and we will take them by night...before they
know what has hit them. If Daimbert wishes to
punish us in the morning, then we will go with a
clear heart. God will forgive us.”
“He already has, Hugues,” Montrovant said with
a wide grin, “but midnight invasions will not serve
your purpose. The evil you will face is no simple
lack of faith, or sin performed in shadowed corners
while the faithful’s eyes are turned away. Santos is
a minion of Satan himself, and his power is nothing
to be taken lightly. You must defeat him at his own
game. I will give you guidance.”
De Payen hesitated. Subterfuge was not his way.
He was made for direct confrontation, and that
solution had answered every conflict to face him
since a very young age. He gave Montrovant’s
words careful thought, but finally he nodded. He
was willing to listen, but the expression he wore
painted anything but a portrait of certainty.
“Do not worry, Hugues. There will be a time for
action, and that time will not be far in the future.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
242
First we must trap him in the light of God and
expose him for what he is. Once his evil is common
knowledge, the time for cleansing will be upon us.
With the Church behind you there will be none to
hold you back. You will be glorified for that which
is to come, glorified in the eyes of man and God
alike.”
Montrovant nearly gagged as the sanctimonious
drivel dribbled from his lips, but it had the proper
effect on de Payen. Over-dramatization was the key
in such an instance, and Montrovant played his
part to the hilt. Each and every action had to
appear of earth-shattering consequence to
maintain the deception. Montrovant could almost
imagine the glow of a halo surrounding his own
brow as he spoke.
“Tell me what we must do, Lord. I have distrusted
Father Santos since I first laid eyes on him. Now
that you have exposed him to me, I can feel the
dark touch of his presence through the very stone
of the temple. I will not be able to sleep, nor to eat,
until he has been brought down.”
“You must keep up your strength,” Montrovant
chided softly. “I have heard you say the same to
your men. It is your sacred duty to be at full
strength when you are called, and how can one ever
know when that moment might fall upon them?
More than ever, you must be ready—you must keep
your thoughts pure and focused.”
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
“Tell me,” de Payen replied.
“You must go to the lower levels,” de Payen
replied, “and find the answers for yourself. There
are things taking place in those caverns, rites so
unspeakable that they defy description in any terms
I can freely use. You must go there secretly, and you
must see for yourself. Once you have found the
proof you need, it will be a simple enough matter
to take that information to Daimbert. You are
known as a man of truth among the Patriarch’s
men. If you say you have witnessed a thing, they
will have to believe. Once exposed, Father Santos
will find that even the misguided protection of
Rome will fail. The flames are licking at his ankles,
even now, and he does not realize it.”
“I don’t understand.” De Payen’s eyes dropped for
a moment as he tried to reason something in his
mind. “If Rome protects him, how can it be that he
is evil? Is the Church not the support of the Lord
on the Earth? There are mysteries, even within the
Church, that I have no understanding of.”
“Even the Pope began life as a man,” Montrovant
answered carefully. A slip here could set things
sliding in directions in which he was not prepared
to take them. “There are things in Rome older than
the Holy Father, and there are things here in the
Holy Land older still. Santos is one such, and the
threads of his power are far-reaching. Do not let the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
244
deception he has so carefully set in place blind you
to the truth, Hugues. Go and see for yourself.”
“You are saying that the Holy Father does not
know he supports this evil,” de Payen replied, still
trying to sort it out in his mind. He was obviously
reluctant to oppose Rome, even if Rome were
wrong.
Montrovant chose not to reply. This was the
crucial moment. He sensed that de Payen was on
the brink of either accepting or rejecting all he had
said, and he resisted the urge to send a tendril of
his own thought out to sway the decision in his
favor. It was more interesting to see how it would
play out without his interference. He could always
reverse things later—it was never truly a matter of
control.
De Payen spun suddenly toward the wall,
slamming the palm of his hand down onto the top
of the table so forcefully that the wood bowed and
nearly broke. It was an impressive display of
strength.
“I am a fool!” he cried, spinning back to face
Montrovant. “How could I not have known? How
could I let that filth remain beneath my very feet
and not have seen the connections? They live
below, as does Satan. Santos—I will not call him
Father again—has the very stink of hell about him.
I knew it, but I let it pass. I forget, at times, that
this is a war. I forget that we have been warned that
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
the enemy will cloak himself in pleasing forms and
walk among us. I remember that there is a God, but
I forget too often that there is a Devil.”
“You cannot blame yourself, Hugues. You
followed the orders of the Church.”
“There are higher authorities,” Hugues muttered,
his hands now clasped behind his back as he paced
about the room. “This is not the first age in which
the Holy Father needed the aid of those around
him to carry out God’s will. I was so eager to please,
so eager to follow orders, that I didn’t see what
stared me right in the face. My orders are, first and
foremost, from God himself. I can read the Bible,
and I know the histories as well as any. I should
have known.”
“It is enough that you see now,” Montrovant said
soothingly. “There is time to wipe this smear from
the Holy Land—time to set things right. Perhaps
Rome will never know the service you perform, but
you will know. God will know. Is that not enough?
Is that not all that matters?”
De Payen stopped his pacing. “You will know, as
well,” he said, “and again, I thank you. You appear
to me when I need you most.”
“I will not leave you this time, Hugues,”
Montrovant asserted. “I will make myself known in
the city, for the time of your great triumph is at
hand. We will see this through together and laugh
about it over a flagon of wine when it is ended.”
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
246
“I have decided to make a journey back to
France, and then to Rome,” de Payen said suddenly,
deciding that the moment was right to reveal his
plans. “I need to speak with Bernard, to build a true
army of God, and to return with that army to
continue my work. What we have done here is only
a beginning, and even in this remote place others
flock to our banner.”
It was Montrovant’s turn to be surprised, if only
for a moment. He did not let his reaction show, but
he waited, wondering where de Payen’s words
would lead him. When he’d spawned the idea of
the Poor Knights, it had been nothing more than
a vehicle toward his own end. It seemed that he
might have chosen better than he’d known in de
Payen. Perhaps, he grinned inwardly, I’ve made
history. Kli Kodesh would be pleased by the
entertainment.
De Payen went on, explaining his plans, the oath
that he would have the knights swear to, and the
code by which they would live. Montrovant
listened, but his thoughts slipped away, downward,
toward the depths of the temple. Somewhere below
him lay the object of his desire. Before the
grandiose plans of de Payen could be allowed to
bear fruit, Montrovant would have his own reward.
Montrovant’s mind suddenly snapped to
attention, and as he stiffened, de Payen stopped his
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
discourse in mid-sentence. “What is it, Lord?” he
asked quickly. “Is something wrong?”
“There is a disturbance below,” Montrovant said
softly. “Santos is performing his evil ceremonies
even now. Can’t you feel it, Hugues? It seeps
through stone and darkness like a tide of blood. He
is mocking you, and he is mocking God.”
Hugues stood very still and his eyes grew cold and
distant. Montrovant saw a shudder run through de
Payen’s frame, and for that instant he knew that
somehow the man did feel what he felt. Whatever
lies Montrovant might be weaving to his own end,
naming Santos evil was not one of them. A darker
force Montrovant had never encountered, nor
more powerful.
As Montrovant concentrated, he began to
unravel the veil that cloaked the power being set
into motion. He felt a sudden tug at his mind, a
sibilant mental whispering that drew at his being
like a vortex, attempting to draw him into its spell.
At first it was only a sensation, but then words
slipped free of the energy. He began to sift those
words, putting structure to phrases.
Your name, dark one, your name. You are called
Montrovant, but this is not your name. Give me your
name.
He fought free of the shadowy hold and made his
way quickly to the door. He’d stayed too long, and
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
248
Santos was making a second attempt to control
him.
“I must go, Hugues,” he said hurriedly. “This is
not truly my fight. Take caution with Santos: he is
not a man as you are, and there are things you do
not yet understand about your own destiny.”
“I will be careful,” Hugues said gruffly, “but I will
not hesitate. I will go this very night and I will
witness this evil with my own eyes. When I have
seen what the enemy has brought upon us, I will
find a way to bring it to an end.”
Montrovant nodded, then turned and
disappeared down the corridor. He needed to get
free of the mosque and put as much space as
possible between Santos and himself. Kli Kodesh
had said that the power of his true name would give
the victory to his enemy, and Montrovant had no
desire to test the veracity of the warning. It was bad
enough that the ancient himself bandied it about
so freely.
_
Le Duc was not aware that any others were
moving about the levels of the knights’ quarters.
He knew the hour of the curfew was past, and he
also knew the route and schedule of the guards. It
was as rhythmic as the works of a German clock, a
fault he’d meant to mention to de Payen on more
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
than one occasion, but was now glad he’d kept to
himself. The huge knight was proud of his security
precautions, but he understood little of strategy.
That worked to Le Duc’s advantage. As long as
he was cautious, he knew that during certain hours
he’d have only Santos and his followers to worry
over. De Payen and the others would remain asleep
and out of his hair, or would be devoting
themselves to prayer. Even if he were spotted, it was
likely that his punishment would be held over until
the following day.
He’d removed the robe from beneath his
mattress. There had been no real reason to hide it,
but somehow he’d felt the need for secrecy. None
of the others paid him any mind, let alone social
calls, and he was responsible for all upkeep of his
cubicle. There was little chance, short of a routine
inspection, of any other entering his quarters.
He held the robe at arm’s length, staring at it.
The cloth felt oily to the touch, and he tucked it
back under his own clothing reluctantly. It gave
him an unclean sensation to have it so near his
skin, but he had no other means of access to the
lower levels. He only hoped that the original owner
hadn’t missed it yet.
He was still weary, but he’d slept from the
moment evening devotion had ceased, and he felt
that he had the strength to carry on. There was no
time to be wasted, and he was fairly certain he
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
250
couldn’t have slept any longer. Too much was
riding on the outcome of what he was about to
attempt to allow his mind to shut down for long.
He opened his door carefully, inching his way
slowly into the passage and listening for the telltale
squeak of hinges, or the groaning of the
wooden frame, that might give him away as he
pulled the door closed behind him. Moments later
he found reason to praise the Moslems who’d
crafted the mosque, because he made it as far as the
hall in silence.
Without a backward glance he sprinted quietly
down the hall to the stairs. He had no memory of
having come back up those stairs on the previous
night, but he knew that he had. He owed
Montrovant for that one, and he meant to pay that
debt, even if he planned to skim something off the
top for himself. Jeanne Le Duc was not the most
moral of men, but he did have his honor.
He heard no sounds from below. All remained
quiet in the wing that housed the knights, and Le
Duc made his way down the stairs toward the lower
levels, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He
did not fear what was to come, but he’d have been
a fool not to admit the danger. Whatever they’d
faced the previous night was old and dark, darker
than anything Le Duc could imagine, and that
would make it dark indeed. He had no intention of
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
barreling down the stairs again and making a target
of himself. Particularly when that which awaited
him was capable of frightening one such as
Montrovant.
Instead of taking the main stairs, as they’d done
the night before, he made his way to the stables.
His adventure earlier that day had convinced him
that this was the safer route. There would be none
to witness his passing but the horses, and they were
as trustworthy a group of companions as he might
ask for under the circumstances.
Once he was out of sight of the main level of the
temple, he stopped and pulled the robes over his
own clothing, pulling the hood up and drawing it
tightly about the contours of his face. He meant to
blend in with those below, and it wouldn’t do to
have someone spot him before he’d even entered
their realm. For the first time in his life he was glad
for his slight stature. A larger man, like de Payen
or Montrovant, would have stood out in any crowd.
He encountered no one, and he’d made his way
past the point in the passageway beyond the stables
where he’d found the robe before he met any
indication of life.
The first thing he noticed was the glow. It was
not the light of torches, or even candles, but a more
subtle illumination. He couldn’t pinpoint the
source, but it filled the passageway, dripping from
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
252
the darkness to run down the walls in flaming
rivulets. The light grew brighter the deeper he
went, and soon he began to hear the sounds again.
It did not seem exactly the same as he
remembered it from the previous night, but his
memories of that time were strangely blurred, and
he could not be certain that it was not the same.
He could feel the power of the chant flowing
through the stone beneath his feet. His hair tingled
as the air around him vibrated in cadence.
Something was going on, something powerful, but
for the moment that power seemed unaware of his
presence.
That was the difference, he decided. He did not
feel as though he were the focus of the power. He
sensed it, but it did not yet sense him. Another
advantage. Perhaps the odd material of the robes
warded him against the probing darkness. More
likely, it was the fact that Montrovant did not walk
at his side. It did not matter why, only that it was
so. He quickened his steps, trying to keep beat with
the hammering of his heart. It lessened the
impression that it could be heard for miles around.
Ahead, he saw a patch of deeper darkness to the
left, and he realized he was approaching the stairs
to the upper level. He’d not made it to the bottom
of those stairs before, but here he was, on his way
into the very interior of Santos’s realm, and none
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
seemed the wiser. If he’d not been half-paralyzed
with nervous fear, he’d have smiled.
It was then that he heard footsteps, and he
slammed himself against the wall. Shocked by the
violence of his own reaction, he caught his breath
and silently cursed himself for a fool. If one of
Santos’s men saw him react in such a manner, he
would be dead. He had to blend in with the others,
and that meant that he would have to steel his
nerves against the growing dread that seeped
through his bones and ate at his concentration. It
was the chanting, he knew. Something in the words
was stealing his control.
The knowledge was strength, it seemed. As soon
as he recognized the enemy he faced, it ceased to
worry him, and he pulled away from the wall,
continuing down the passage slowly. The chant still
had its power, but an enemy known was an enemy
he could face.
Ahead, he saw a furtive, shadowy movement off
to his left, and he slowed a bit more, trying to focus
his sight through the dim light. It did not appear
that the form he’d seen had been wearing robes.
Another visitor? Speeding his steps, he remained
as silent as possible and crept along the wall.
The figure ahead of him was moving even more
slowly, and as Le Duc drew near, he realized with
shock that it was de Payen. He couldn’t decide
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
254
whether to make himself known and risk exposure
of them both, or continue as if he’d noticed
nothing and not take the chance of drawing
unwanted attention to either of them. As he
continued to follow, his heart pounding, the choice
was taken from him.
The pitch of the chanting shifted suddenly, and
de Payen stiffened. At first the knight stood firm,
pulling deeper into the shadows, but Le Duc felt
the energy suddenly pouring from some source
ahead, and de Payen broke and ran for the stairs.
Neither man could see anything, but the sensation
of impending danger was so intense in the air, the
dread that dropped over them like a cloak so
complete and overpowering, that it nearly drove Le
Duc, who had opted not to retreat, to his knees.
The most he could do in his own defense was to
press into the stone wall and hang on. The energy
was not focused on him this time, and as he felt the
power rushing past, he closed his eyes and began to
recite psalms, any verse that came to mind,
soundlessly, over and over. It was ironic that de
Payen’s influence should come to his aid at that
particular moment. He’d never been one for
scripture before he’d come to the mosque.
As de Payen’s steps and cries of anger and outrage
retreated up the stairs, others—countless others,
followed in his tracks. Remaining where he stood,
Le Duc ignored them. He kept his concentration
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centered on his goal. He had not been discovered,
and he knew—somehow—that the only hope of
maintaining that status was to blank his mind from
those who pursued de Payen.
Wishing the knight godspeed, he sank into his
own mind. Darkness greeted him with open arms,
and the tempest thundered past.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
256


THIRTEEN
De Payen had never run from a fight in all the
years of his life. He’d faced each and every
challenge the Lord had set before him stoically. It
was a new experience when fear invaded. For that
single moment in time his mind lost control of his
limbs. He floundered up the stairs, missing as many
as he found and banging himself roughly against
the walls on either side. Twice he fell to his knees,
but he forced himself back to his feet and drove
onward. He ignored the dull, throbbing pain that
pulsed through his knee when he fell the second
time.
He would never have run if all that were at stake
was his body, or his mind. It was a much deeper
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
terror that gripped him; he felt the fingers of
darkness reaching for his soul. It was an awakening.
In that moment, more clearly than in any other, he
knew the reality of his faith. He experienced the
helpless frailty of his belief, and clung fiercely to
the thin, barely cohesive threads that bound him
to a God so far removed He could not be reached
directly, even at a times such as this.
He could pray, and he could cower in the corner,
waiting to see if he would be delivered, but
somehow he knew this would never save him. His
God was benevolent and forgiving, but He did not
coddle His followers. He asked for faith, complete
and unwavering, and it was up to Hugues, or any
other who sought salvation, to provide that faith
without question, and without physical support.
The problem was that the evil on his heels was
real. As real as Montrovant had been, a short hour
earlier, standing before him. As real as the stone
beneath his feet and the air he breathed. His faith
was real, as well, but he could not reach out and
grab it to pull himself free of the dark morass that
seeped up from below, groping for his legs and
confusing his mind. It was trying to draw him back
to the depths of the caverns stretching away
beneath him.
He thought about calling out to his men. They
would come, if they recognized his voice. They
would come, but what could they do? Either he
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258
would make it back to the safety of his quarters, and
he would survive, or the evil would force him to
take a stand, and he would find a way to fight.
Nothing the others could do would stand against
an enemy such as this, should Hugues fall. It was
better to test his strength alone and risk no other
soul than his own.
Montrovant had been right about Santos, right
about the darkness in the tunnels below. More than
any moment since they’d met, he wished he had
the tall, gaunt man at his side. That presence would
have given him a confidence he could find
nowhere in his own makeup at the moment.
Finding the breath to curse, finally, he scrambled
the last few yards up the stairs.
Below, the sounds had shifted subtly. He heard
whispered renditions of his name caroming about
in his mind. The sound seemed to be seeping
through the stone. He felt the breeze that wafted
past his ears picking at his mind with icy, numbing
fingers. Someone—something—was trying to gain
entrance to his thoughts. He surged upward,
barreling into the main passageway of the temple
and staggering to the next set of stairs—the stairs
that led to his quarters—his bible. Sanctuary.
He fixed his mind on that thought, that word.
Sanctuary. He had heard it used by bards and kings,
priests and bandits. He had heard it, and yet he had
never understood it. It had always seemed a
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
cowardly concept to him, hiding behind the
vestments of the Church, rather than facing up to
one’s enemies. Now he saw that it wasn’t the same
as merely hiding. Sanctuary was a state of mind, a
protection against attacks on levels beyond sight
and sound.
He didn’t understand how he knew, but his heart
told him that the one place most sacred to him
would be safe. He spent hours communing with the
Lord in his chambers. The stone of the floor bore
the indentations of his knees. Santos might seek
him there, but he could not enter and take his soul.
He found that his movements came more easily
as he made his way upward, and he felt the tendrils
of thought that had snaked up from the darkness
to grope after him release with a snap. As their
influence sank down and away, he breathed a bit
more easily. He barreled through the last section of
hallway, flying by so quickly that the sound of his
footsteps awoke several of his sleeping men. None
entered the hall, but he heard them stirring. A few
opened their doors tentatively, peering out through
the cracks. They knew only too well Hugues’s strict
views on curfew. They knew there would be a
punishment for breaking that curfew, and it would
not have been the first time Hugues had tested
their obedience.
“Go back to your rooms!” Hugues gasped,
slamming the door to his own quarters wide and
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
260
diving through. “There is a darkness among us. Do
not open your doors unless I call to you, and ready
yourselves for battle!”
He managed to kick his door shut behind him as
the last of his words echoed down the passage. He
heard other doors slamming quickly, as well.
Moving to the window, he fell immediately to his
knees. He prayed for forgiveness of his fear. He
prayed for strength. He prayed for a renewal of
faith, and he prayed his thanks for the lessons and
challenges laid before him.
He was a man of action. A sword, a horse,
battle—these were things he could understand.
Strange chants and beings who could invade your
thoughts—demons from the depths of Hell itself,
he would need to reevaluate his reality to work
them in. He only knew of one way to fight a
spiritual enemy. He knew one weapon against sin,
and that weapon was prayer. He fell to that prayer
with a vengeance, certain that some failing of his
own had caused the weakness that had driven him
to flight. If his words were to be his sword this
night, he would make them sharp and clear.
As he prayed, he planned as well. He would go
to Daimbert, were he to live through the night, and
whatever was going on beneath his temple would
stop. He would gather the strength of the Church
at his side, and he would lead them back into the
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battle he’d fled moments before. He had retreated
for the first time in his long life, and the sensations
this weakness had brought with it ate at his mind
and heart like an acid.
Already his fear was being replaced by righteous
anger. He would have revenge, and it would be
swift and certain. Nothing less could redeem him,
not in the eyes of God, and not in his own mind.
He listened carefully with the part of his mind
that still echoed with the power of his enemy’s
words. He listened for those words to be repeated,
for the clawing sensation that had told him
something sought his name, his being, his very soul.
There was no sound. The mosque had grown as
silent as a tomb, save for the sounds of his men.
The clatter of weapons and the scraping of feet
carried clearly through the stone walls.
The sounds reminded Hugues of the
responsibility he had to those men. He had given
his strong arm and his heart to the Church; it was
time that the Church backed him up in return. He
didn’t know what he would be able to show
Daimbert in the tunnels below, but he knew that
it would have to suffice. Nothing so evil could be
hidden away, not by the light of day.
He would set things to rights, and then he would
make his journey to Bernard, and to the Holy
Father in Rome; but he would not set foot out of
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
262
Jerusalem until this was ended. None could ever
challenge him in such a way and live to tell the
tale.
His prayers continued uninterrupted, and he
drifted into a trance where shadows chased him
across vistas of time and deserts of his imagination.
He did not open his eyes.
_
Le Duc returned slowly to his senses. He stood as
he had before, alone and pressed back into the
shadows of the passageway. The sound of the
chanting had faded into the rustle of a different
sound, the shuffling steps of others moving past,
and then away from him. The situation popped
clearly into focus in an instant, and he took a firm
grip on his nerves. With an effort, he staggered to
his feet.
He’d almost missed his chance entirely. The
robed monks were returning from their pursuit of
de Payen, whatever the outcome of that might have
been, and now was the moment to seize his
opportunity to join in with them. If he could melt
carefully from the shadows, he could blend into the
crowd and follow them into whatever dark place
they were returning to. Questionable as the sanity
behind that act might be, he intended to carry it
through. He realized that it would very likely be the
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last act of bravery accounted to the history of his
lifetime. It was still the lesser of two evils in his
mind. He knew, somehow, that failure in the eyes
of Montrovant would not be less unpleasant than
whatever these dark monks could contrive.
Straightening his shoulders and dipping his chin
so that he watched the ground before him as he
moved, he stepped to the center of the passageway
and began to move forward. There was a long line
advancing ahead of him, and he hurried slightly,
falling in at the rear and matching the shuffling
gait of those ahead of him. There was a hair-raising
moment of uncertainty when the monk just ahead
of him turned—looking back to see who followed.
Jeanne nodded almost imperceptibly,
concentrating every fiber of his being on placing
one foot evenly in front of the other. The man was
apparently satisfied, and turned his gaze back to the
front. Heaving a silent breath of thanks to
whatever God might be listening, Jeanne
continued to follow.
They moved down the corridor, which was no
longer lit as brightly by the torches lining the walls.
There were just as many torches, and they burned
as well, dancing in the shadows to the music of a
slight breeze from somewhere above, but they
didn’t cut the gloom as at this end of the tunnels.
Something ate at the light, licking the edges away
and pushing the shadows farther and farther toward
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
264
the center of each flame. Le Duc shivered, scanning
the shadows furtively. The air felt much cooler
than it had moments before, the damp cold chill of
a fresh grave in the morning. Le Duc had dug his
share of those in times of war, but the scent was so
out of place in the tunnel that it nearly nauseated
him.
He craned his neck at every opportunity, peering
around the monk’s shoulders, but there appeared to
be nothing to see, beyond the long column of robed
figures he followed. Ahead, he heard the
beginnings of the chant growing again. The line
ahead of him seemed to be disappearing, and at last
he saw what had caused the illusion. A large
doorway loomed to his left.
He hesitated, just at the doorway, then stepped
inside. The action had an air of finality about it
that he didn’t care for, but it was too late to turn
away. If they found him now, he would be a dead
man. He preferred to be a dead man who
understood why he’d died.
The lighting inside the large chamber was not
much better, but Le Duc’s eyes were beginning to
adjust to his surroundings. He could see rank upon
rank of the robed monks, gathered in tight semicircles
around an altar that was positioned in one
corner of the room. It was eerily reminiscent of
worshipers gathered in a Christian temple, but he
shook the image from his mind.
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To the right of the altar, and raised slightly, there
was a second platform. One lone figure stood upon
that raised surface, and though he’d only seen the
priest from a distance, he knew who faced the
crowd. Santos.
The man’s head was bowed, as if in prayer, and
he wore the collar and vestments of a priest, though
the chanting that Le Duc heard was not the mass.
Something about the words was off-kilter, and the
chill he’d noticed in the air had deepened
considerably.
He couldn’t make out the substance behind the
words, only a monotonous, rhythmic cadence that
seemed made up more of different sounds than of
words. The pattern of the vibration that arose from
the chant echoed through the room. Visions
coalesced in his mind, dragged from his
subconscious mind by that sound, and he fought to
keep himself centered. Now was not the time to be
losing himself in a new religious experience; he
needed to figure out what was going on, then he
needed to find his way back out of that room and
back to his quarters without being discovered or
killed.
It was like some fanciful tale of heroism and dark
magic told at fireside by a bard with too much wine
beneath his belt. The incessant pounding of the
sound on his eardrums and the eeriness of his
surroundings were combining to confuse him
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
266
beyond coherent thought. He wanted to move
forward, to join the ranks nearest to the altar. He
swayed in time with the chant, as did the others
surrounding him, and lost himself in the sound. He
felt his lips move, knew that his own voice had
joined with that of the others, but the sounds he
emitted did not originate in his own mind. They
were dragged outward by something far more
powerful than he, something that hungered for his
attention, his devotion. It was a drunken
celebration of something so dark and alien to his
mind that comprehension was never an option. He
was an instrument, played by Santos’s hand. Those
surrounding him were the same. It was not a group
chanting, but a single entity using multiple voices
to achieve a single end.
He moved a couple of steps forward, and the altar
came into full view. Despite the shadows and the
poor lighting, he was able to make out the object
on the stone surface with complete clarity, and he
barely bit back the scream that launched itself
toward his throat. Gasping, he took a step back and
slammed his eyes closed, fighting for breath. That
sight had returned his control, but it had also
dropped him out of synch with the group. The
image strobed in his mind like the after-image of a
lightning strike.
On the altar sat a human head. It was not
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attached to any body, but the eyes were open wide.
Staring. He knew that they had been staring
straight at him. The mouth had been open, as well,
and the voice of that shriveled caricature of
humanity had imbedded itself in the intricate
cadence of the chant.
Slowly the sound died away until only one voice
rang out through the chamber. Le Duc had
managed to get his lips moving again, though he’d
lost whatever connection had given him the sound,
and he ceased all movement, thankful for the
moment of control that allowed him to devote his
attention to what was happening at the front of the
room. Lost as he’d been in the emotion of the
ritual, he might have remembered nothing useful
to report to Montrovant.
Santos was dancing about beside the altar. His
expression was one of complete rapture, and his
eyes were backlit by an unholy light. He grinned
down at the gathered monks, striking a leering,
arrogant pose. It did not seem like the same man
at all as he who had prayed so devoutly only
moments before. It was as if some other spoke
through his lips and controlled the features of his
face. The energy that rippled through those limbs
was uncanny.
“He has come,” Santos gloated. “He is here with
us now, and he will speak. He who holds the future
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
268
in his mind like the pages of the books of our
history. He who binds us to the darkness and gives
us direction. He will speak, and you will listen. So
has it been written, so must it be done.”
Santos danced toward the altar, waving his hand
at the head that sat there grinning out at them
through a rictus of death and something more. The
eyes watched him approach with dark intelligence.
“There are questions, and there are
answers...both are as one to him. He will guide us
to our future, and there will be no turning back. We
will protect that which is ours…”
As the priest’s voice died away, Le Duc saw the
head’s features ripple, and the expressions that rode
so oddly upon Santos’s own countenance
transferred to the head. Santos seemed himself
again, but the head had been transformed. It
twisted and writhed for a moment, as though
grasping the strands of control that would work its
features, then it slowly spun to leer at the gathered
monks. The jaws opened wide, exposing sharp,
gleaming teeth, and it began laughing maniacally.
Long, greyish wisps of hair drifted back and away
from the shriveled skin of its scalp, and flames
leaped madly about in the sunken pits that should
have been eye-sockets. The mouth was so wrinkled
at the edges that it seemed to have been sewn shut,
or it had seemed so until the jaws had flown open.
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Its skin was dry—brown and weathered. When the
laughter died away, its lips remained slightly parted.
Madness slipped from the face, and the expression
it wore became more calculating and predatory.
“Flight is upon you!” the head screeched
suddenly. “Darkness and flight, flee the light. He
is here. He is near. He will find what you hold
precious—that which is old and binds you to the
shadows. He is old, as well. All will be revealed and
the future sealed. You must be ready to flee. You
must be ready to fight.”
Le Duc managed to tear his gaze from the
apparition on the altar long enough to sweep the
room. Each set of eyes was locked firmly onto the
apparition that glared back at them from the altar.
There was so little movement among the gathered
monks that it was difficult to tell if they were
breathing. The thrill of power beyond anything
he’d ever encountered seared through Le Duc’s
mind, but he held fast. It was not for him—it was
not his power.
“Give us his name!” Santos chanted, beginning
a mincing dance step about the altar. “Name the
one who would bring us down, and we will put an
end to him. Give us a name, that we may make him
our own, that we may destroy him.”
“Montrovant,” the head said quickly. “His name
is Montrovant…this I have told you.”
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
270
“His true name,” Santos insisted. “There is more.
He is no man, and his name is something more.
What is his name?”
The head began to chuckle, then, and Le Duc felt
his skin growing clammy and colder. Those dead,
empty sockets were staring directly at him. The
ancient lips parted to speak once more, and
suddenly it was very important that the next words
not be heard. He didn’t know where the knowledge
came from, but it burst in upon his thoughts like a
raging tide. This moment would win or lose the
battle. For reasons unknown, Le Duc found that he
did not want the true name of Montrovant spoken
here. He was as surprised as anyone when a cry
burst free of his throat—
“No!”
The sound of his voice cracking through the
silence was so sudden and unexpected that the
others in the room were unable to register exactly
where it had come from. The head grew suddenly
rigid, losing both animation and the sense of dread
that had radiated from it since it had begun to
move. The chanting ceased, but there was no
immediate rush toward where Le Duc stood. His
heart was hammering in his chest, and he knew
there was no way out, but he had to try. Inching his
way toward the door, he milled about as stupidly as
possible, trying to mix in with the confusion of the
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crowd surrounding him. He had almost made it to
the door when a hand fell roughly on his shoulder.
Spinning, he found himself staring directly into
the red pits of Santos’s eyes.
“You have made a grave error, my friend,” the
priest whispered softly. “Very grave indeed.
Welcome to my world.”
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272


FOURTEEN
Montrovant did not pause until he reached the
desert, and then only because he felt the call of Kli
Kodesh drifting to him across the sands. He did not
hesitate. Too much was happening at once for him
to ignore the only one who might hold the answers
he required. Besides, he’d had just about enough of
the old one’s games to last him his second lifetime.
He spun to his left and sped across the sand in
the direction of the old one’s call. Questions
whirled through Montrovant’s mind, and mad or
sane, Kli Kodesh was the answer who presented
himself. He would have to suffice.
Kli Kodesh stood as he had the first night he’d
called to Montrovant, alone upon the hill called
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Golgotha, staring upward into the stars.
Montrovant couldn’t tell if it was posed
indifference that kept the ancient from glancing
his way as he approached, or if Kli Kodesh’s
thoughts were truly focused on those stars. Perhaps
nothing in the world seemed enough of a threat, or
a diversion, to interrupt his thoughts.
“It is time,” the old one said, turning quickly as
Montrovant approached.
There was Montrovant’s first answer. He was
aware, and he was paying attention. “I didn’t think
you’d bring things so far so fast, but it is time—
tonight—to end this. It seems a waste, so much
entertainment so swiftly passed, but there is no
other way. Santos has been disrupted in his ritual,
and the power that he summoned has left him. I felt
it only moments ago.”
“De Payen,” Montrovant said softly.
“No,” Kli Kodesh said, shaking his head quickly.
“De Payen prays and cowers in his chambers. His
own brush with Santos’s power did not differ much
from your own. It is not he, but another who has
saved you—a darker one. I sense a slight taste of
your own essence in his. Did you send him and
forget? Could it be that you lack full control of your
own resources?”
“Le Duc?” Montrovant was momentarily taken
aback. He’d not sent the man to do so much. He’d
only instructed him to gather information. How
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
274
had that gathering become so much more without
his own influence, and what would it mean to the
final outcome of his plans?
“What do you mean, Santos is disrupted?” he
asked at last. There was no sense in dwelling on
things that were already done. He had to focus on
the moments to come.
“Santos called on ancient powers this night,” Kli
Kodesh replied. Then he grinned. “And those
powers answered. He has connections to forces
neither you nor I can fully comprehend, though I
can sense much of what use he is making of them.
Your true name was on the lips of that force when
the disruption came. I don’t know when you chose
this follower of yours, or how you have trained him,
but it would appear that you have done well to
place your trust in him. He must have sensed what
was about to happen, and prevented it. It would
appear that he has sacrificed himself for you.”
Montrovant shook his head slowly. “I still sense
him—he is not dead. Is there further danger, now
that this ritual has been ended?”
“There is no time for Santos to regain the link
tonight,” Kli Kodesh assured him. “For the moment
you are as safe as you will ever be with that one.
That is why I have called you. Another such
opportunity might never present itself—it is time
to strike.”
“How shall I strike?” Montrovant asked. “I have
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but one follower, and he is human. With or without
their old power, Santos has a small army. I am not
foolish enough to believe myself his equal under
such circumstances.”
“You must use the Knights and the Church,” Kli
Kodesh urged him. “Is that not why you created
them in the first place? They can be powerful allies,
once outraged. Go to Daimbert, bring him to the
mosque. Bring him to de Payen and show him what
Santos has wrought.
“They will see, and they will understand. There
is enough evil in that labyrinth to convince any
who doubt the presence of evil. Once they know,
they will fight. Do not underestimate humans.
Many I have known did so, and they have passed
on.”
Montrovant’s mind was whirling. What would
Daimbert do if he burst into the temple
unannounced? Would any among his followers
recognize him? If he acted so openly, chose to risk
so much, would others of his kind make their
presence known and stop him? He’d not bothered
to contact any in the city, but now he wondered if
such absence of alliance was in his best interests.
His discovery would bring to light facts that were
not meant for humans and would bring danger onto
all the damned of the Holy City. It was not
something that was likely to go unnoticed.
He hadn’t been contacted, but that did not mean
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
276
he wasn’t being watched. As old and powerful as
Kli Kodesh was, he did not have the aspect of a
prince, and Jerusalem was too old and powerful a
city to lack its own dark inhabitants. How much
would they stand by and allow before they took a
stand of their own?
He made his decision quickly. “I will go, and I
will do as you say, old one, but I wish I knew what
you stand to gain from all of this. I have never
known anyone to take such risks for no reason.”
Kli Kodesh only smiled, and there was no time
left to pursue the question. Montrovant could
think of no reason to trust the ancient madman,
but he had no other options before him. He also
had no reason not to trust. If Kli Kodesh had meant
him harm, that harm would have been sudden and
swift. He had to move, and swiftly. Midnight had
passed, and the hours before dawn were far too
short for Montrovant’s taste. He spun away, leaving
Kli Kodesh standing as he’d found him.
With his mind set on a goal, Montrovant could
move very quickly, and the old familiarity of the
streets was returning to him. He remembered a
much different Jerusalem, a world and lifetimes
away from that through which he ran, but for all
the years and wars it had endured, it had changed
little in its physical aspect. It was more cluttered,
and there were traces of Moslem influence in the
buildings and temples that had not existed in his
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time. He felt nothing for the loss of his past; the
lifetime that had cared for it had withered to so
much dust.
The palace of the Patriarch was less impressive
than that of Baldwin, but it had a feel of solidity
and permanence that the monarch’s did not. It
belonged to powers more ancient than the royalty
of Jerusalem. There was something about the
Catholic Church that had a way of adding security
and stability to its holdings. When Baldwin and his
descendants crumbled, and there was no trace that
they’d ever walked these streets, Rome would still
be a power. Montrovant had seen empires fall, but
the Church, whatever face and function it put
forward to the world at large at any given moment,
had survived. It rarely seemed to understand or
support the concepts it claimed as a foundation, but
it understood power.
He did not try to slip in past the guards or make
his way to any balconies. He wanted to get
Daimbert’s attention, but not by making a spectacle
that would draw that attention to himself. He
rushed up to the huge front doorway, grabbed the
first guard he could find and slammed his own
thoughts into the man’s brain without hesitation.
There was no cry, nor did the guard cause a
disturbance. Montrovant did not allow it. Glassyeyed,
the man led Montrovant into the entrance
hall of Daimbert’s palace.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
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“Bring the Patriarch,” the guard barked. “Wake
him quickly, it is an emergency.” There was an
urgency to the man’s words, but for all that, they
seemed forced. The reaction was not immediate.
Those inside looked at the first man as though
he’d lost his mind. Then they spotted Montrovant’s
huge form at the guard’s side. They took in the set
of his jaw and the glitter in his eyes, and without
further debate they complied. Better the wrath of
Daimbert, with whom they were familiar, than this
huge shadow of a man. The Church, at least,
purported to be forgiving.
It took longer than Montrovant would have
cared to spend to get Daimbert roused and dressed.
Another few moments and he would have lost
control, tearing through the palace himself to drag
them all from their beds and speed things along.
With an effort, he stood silent and still, holding his
frustration in check.
Guards appeared first, scrambling about with
armor half-fastened and confusion ruling their eyes.
Behind them followed a flustered Daimbert, his
robes askew and his eyes wild. He stumbled into the
room looking as though he’d been awakened from
a deep and troubling nightmare.
“What is the meaning of this?” he cried, eyes
bright with a combination of outrage and fear.
“Who is this man, and why has he been allowed
here at such an hour?”
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Montrovant strode forward, ignoring the
threatening gestures of the guards, to confront
Daimbert directly. “I stand before you, Daimbert,
and you will address me with the respect I am due,
rather than speaking of me as if I were a statue. I
will accord you that same respect. I have been
‘allowed’ nowhere. I go where and when I please.”
The room grew suddenly silent. The guards had
never heard anyone but Baldwin address the
Patriarch in such a manner and live. There was
tolerance in the Church, but this was an outrage
that would not easily be forgiven. Hands on their
weapons, they stood ready to cut Montrovant down
if Daimbert gave the order. He did not.
Instead the Patriarch huffed slightly, as though
he would rebuff his arrogant visitor, then grew
silent. Something in what he saw caught his
attention, and at the last moment he thought
better of whatever words he’d been about to speak.
Montrovant continued. “I have come to you with
a matter more urgent than any you’ve encountered
in all the years of your life. There is an evil afoot
in the city, beneath your very nose and under the
cloak of Rome’s protection. You must move now—
this very night—to put an end to it. You must come
with me. You are the most powerful of God’s
servants in the Holy City. The protection of that
city from evil is your responsibility.”
Daimbert was backing away now. Courage was
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280
not his strong suit, and the mention of evil under
the protection of Rome had put a bad taste in his
mouth. That, coupled with the notion of
responsibility on his part was more than he was
willing to accept before he was fully awake. Still,
he hesitated. Montrovant’s words painted a brave
portrait that it was difficult to find fault with.
“You are mistaken,” he muttered. “You must
bring your complaint during the daylight—there
are proper forms of address. I am a busy man, and
this is most improper. You…”
“I am here now!” Montrovant thundered. “You
are a man of God, are you not? I tell you, there are
followers of the devil himself beneath the halls of
the mosque of al Aqsa. They have begun to draw
upon ancient powers and great darkness. They have
made themselves known to de Payen, and he needs
your support.”
Daimbert’s expression showed that he was
thinking hard, possibly harder than he had in years.
He ceased his backpedaling and began to listen
with more interest.
“De Payen? The Knight of the Temple?”
“He has faced the evil of which I speak,”
Montrovant grated. “You know him to be a man of
great faith, and yet he has retreated in fear. If you
are the power of the Church in Jerusalem, now is
the time to assert that power. Now is the time to
prove your faith.”
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Daimbert’s men were beginning to look askance
at their leader. Many of them knew de Payen, and
the thought of that man retreating from anyone in
fear was news of the darkest sort. It was also an
interesting thing to see their leader put on the spot
over his faith. Faith was not addressed that often
by their Patriarch.
“De Payen?” Daimbert repeated, blustering. “De
Payen is in trouble? Why didn’t you say so?”
It was obvious that the man was, if anything,
more reluctant than before to lend his aid, but he
was backed into a corner. Something else was
happening, as well. Montrovant saw Daimbert’s jaw
stiffen slightly, and his shoulders drew back so that
the Patriarch stood a bit straighter. Frightened and
unwilling as he might be, it appeared that the
decision had been made to answer Montrovant’s
call.
“Quickly,” Montrovant urged. “They will escape,
and it will be too late. You must move now.”
“Muster the guards,” Daimbert cried, moving
toward the door. “Those of you present, come with
me.”
“I will carry the news of your approach to de
Payen,” said Montrovant. “You have renewed my
faith, Excellency.” He bowed low and moved
quickly toward the door. He feared that Daimbert
would question him further, or request that he
remain with the guards, and that would not do at
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282
all. He had to be free to act, and he had to be free
to find his way to safety when the encroaching rays
of the sun drove him below. He had set the wheels
of the Church in motion, but he had no intention
of remaining in the road to be ground beneath
them.
Daimbert said nothing, and Montrovant did not
hesitate to make his exit. Now that he had cast the
gauntlet, Daimbert would have to show himself at
the temple, and in strength. Montrovant had called
the man’s faith into question, and Daimbert’s
reputation since coming to Jerusalem had not been
one of careful adherence to the scriptures. He
couldn’t afford to be lax openly, not in such an
instance.
Besides, Montrovant believed that Santos was
probably a concern of Daimbert’s on many levels.
Though he was the Patriarch of the city, answering
only to the Holy Father in Rome in matters of the
Church, Daimbert had no control over the dark
priest or his small domain. Montrovant hadn’t
mentioned Santos by name, but he was certain that
Daimbert had picked up on the reference to the
lower levels. Nothing would grate on the nerves of
a man like Daimbert more than secrecy and
deception that he was not privy to. If the Church
trusted him to oversee the holiest of cities, it would
be incomprehensible to him that he was not trusted
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to know Santos’s business, and to have a part in it,
whatever it might be.
Montrovant knew that whatever force in Rome
was behind Santos, it was not the Holy Father.
There were powers embedded throughout the
structure of the Vatican. Claudius himself held
great sway there, and Montrovant wished for his
sire’s aid in that moment. Claudius would have
been able to find out who, or what, Father Santos
was, and that knowledge, or the lack of it, might
prove all the difference in the end.
What remained was to reach de Payen and get
him prepared, as well. Montrovant strode through
the front doors of the mosque once more, ignoring
the servants and guards completely as he made his
way up toward de Payen’s quarters. They would
recognize him, and he had no time to bother with
their curiosity.
Reaching de Payen’s door, he slammed it open
violently. De Payen raised his head, turning to stare
at his unexpected visitor in startled fear.
Montrovant saw a different man kneeling before
him than the one he’d left scant hours before. He
hesitated, then slammed the door shut behind him
and moved to de Payen’s side.
“Get up, Hugues. Stand and face your fear.”
De Payen did rise, but his confidence had not
returned. He was trembling, and his voice betrayed
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284
him as he found himself unable to speak.
Something desperately wrong had happened this
night, and Montrovant cursed himself for sending
the knight into that darkness alone. He should
have known it would not be enough.
“Daimbert is on his way,” he said quickly, “along
with his guards. You have to pull yourself together
and rally your men. Now is the time. Santos has
failed in his plans tonight, and one of your men, Le
Duc, is in his clutches even as we speak. For that
man’s soul, and for your faith, Hugues de Payen,
you must act.”
Montrovant saw that his words were having the
desired effect, though not as quickly as he would
have liked. Moments earlier, de Payen had been
alone, trapped within his mind by shadows and his
failing faith. His heart must have nearly stopped its
beating when Montrovant had slammed through
the door.
Now he would have something to place his faith
in—the presence of the Patriarch and Montrovant
himself. He would also have his knights, and a
chance to fight. Sneaking through the passageways
like a thief in the night had not set well with him,
but the notion of a head-on assault worked almost
instantaneous wonders on his state of mind. He
straightened his shoulders, and the fire returned
suddenly to his eyes.
“I…I have failed,” he said, regaining control of
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his voice. “I have fallen to my knees in the face of
the evil that lies below, like a coward.”
“You could not have known what you would
face,” Montrovant said soothingly. “It is enough
that the events of this night have brought new
light. With Daimbert’s support, Santos will not be
long at his dark practices. You should be proud.”
“I will not be proud until this is at an end,”
Hugues replied, his fear melting to a grim
determination.
His features were setting themselves into a mask
of growing anger, and Montrovant fought back the
urge to smile. De Payen’s emotions were so
mercurial as to be refreshing. He almost wished he
had more time to spend here.
“Go then. Go and wake your men. Ready them
for what is to come, but reveal as little as possible.
There is no way to know what you will face below,
and there is no reason to undermine their
confidence.”
De Payen nodded. He moved to the door, then
hesitated. “You will join us, will you not, Lord?”
Montrovant met his gaze steadily, then shook his
head. “I told you before, Hugues, this is not my
fight. This is your moment, and you must trust me
when I say that all you need for victory is in your
heart, mind, and the strength of your body. God has
given you the answers: listen to them.”
De Payen did not answer, turning instead and
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286
leaving Montrovant alone in the room. The sounds
of shouting voices, slamming doors and the clatter
of weapons rang through the walls moments later.
Montrovant could hear the excited voices of the
servants announcing the arrival of Daimbert and
his men.
For just an instant, he considered joining them
after all. He had a score to settle for his own
experiences with Santos, and he wondered how
that might change were he to get the opportunity
to drain a bit of the good “father’s” blood. What
would blood that ancient be like? Did Santos even
have blood? There was no warmth to give it away,
if he did.
The notion passed as quickly as it had risen. He
had a mission, and this was the moment he’d been
waiting for, however premature it might seem. He
needed to get below, but not with de Payen, or with
Daimbert. Whatever the outcome of that
confrontation, he needed to find his way to the
vaults in the confusion, and he needed to find his
way back out past who- or whatever might stand in
his way. The others could fight among themselves
until they were all dead for all he cared, as long as
they stayed clear long enough for him to find his
way clear.
The window beckoned, and he stuck his head out
into the darkness, scanning the walls above and the
ground beneath. No one was in sight. The activity
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was all in the front of the temple, and the moon
wasn’t bright enough for its illumination to put him
in particular danger. Besides, after this night, it
would matter little who knew of him. He took a last
glance over his shoulder to be certain no one was
in the doorway, then leaped into the night, gliding
to the ground in a graceful arc. He was already
running when he hit the ground.
_
Pale figures watched Montrovant’s exit from de
Payen’s window in silence. As he passed them,
rounding the building and making his way toward
the stable entrance, they melted into the darkness.
A shrill, eerie cry broke through the silence,
echoed once in the distance.
On the hillside at Golgotha, standing still as if
he’d not moved an inch since Montrovant left him,
Kli Kodesh heard the cries, and his smile widened.
It was an interesting night, and he hadn’t been able
to say that in many, many years.
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288


FIFTEEN
Le Duc had a thousand questions he’d have liked
answered, but he found himself unable to reply to
Santos’s words. His throat had constricted from the
sudden and overpowering sense of dread that was
creeping over his flesh and invading his mind. It
went beyond anything he’d ever experienced.
Santos stood before him, swaying back and forth
like a snake preparing to strike. His motion still
mimicked the rhythm of the chant, as though not
yet ready to release that power. His eyes blazed in
anger, and something else. Hunger?
“You have caused me a great deal of—
inconvenience,” he said at last. “You have no idea
of the powers you have stumbled upon, but you will
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
know before you cease your miserable existence.
You have disrupted my work of several days, and I
take such offenses—personally. I will make it my
personal goal to instruct you.”
Santos hesitated, cocking his head to one side,
and Le Duc would have sworn that the man was
sniffing the air. He’d seen dogs and wolves do the
same when something at the edge of their senses
caught their attention. There was something odd
about Santos’s skin, the stiff way in which he
moved, but Le Duc was in no position to give these
facts any consideration.
“You have come from him, from this dark one,
Montrovant.” Santos moved closer, sliding his face
in close to Jeanne’s, his eyes glittering. “I sense his
essence within you. You are bound to him.”
Le Duc shook his head, finding his voice at last.
“I am bound to no man,” he croaked. “I follow
whom I choose.”
Santos smiled. “You do not even know the
situation of your own soul. Interesting. Pathetic,
but interesting. It would appear that I have at least
one more lesson I can gift you with before I end
your life. Perhaps, if you listen carefully and learn
well, I will allow you to remain as my servant. You
seem well-suited to the task, though you will
certainly prove his downfall, now that you are
mine.”
Le Duc lurched forward then. His anger overrode
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290
his common sense, and he lunged for Santos’s
throat. Better to die quickly than to suffer this
man’s insults.
Santos never moved, or it seemed that he did
not, but somehow Le Duc missed. He clutched at
the air where Santos’s throat had been, but there
was nothing, and he felt himself falling off balance
and careening toward the wall. His arms were
grabbed from both sides before he could make
contact with the stone, and as he was jerked
upright he saw that he was held tightly by two of
Santos’s shambling, robed followers. Their grips
were as icy and strong as manacles of iron. He
couldn’t move, even if he’d had anywhere to go.
“He will come,” Jeanne said at last. He didn’t
know if there were any truth to his words, but he
had no other weapons close at hand. “Montrovant
might not care about me, but he will not take an
insult lightly. He will come, and we will see who
becomes the servant.”
Santos laughed then, and the sound that
emerged from his throat was as dry and humorless
as wind across a barren desert. It was the sound of
bones clattering on dusty stone and fingers clawing
outward from the inside of graves. Jeanne could
hear the his own death knell in that sound.
“He will come.” Santos agreed. “I do not doubt
that he will come, but he has no more idea than
you what he will face when he does. His is a dark
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power, and he is old, but I am older still. There are
forces at work here that he can’t begin to
comprehend. I think he will find me more than a
match.”
Le Duc didn’t comment further. He didn’t know
if what Santos said was true or not, but he knew
that the man believed it to be so. There was
something ancient in Santos’s eyes, an icy darkness
in the tones of his voice. One could believe almost
anything about such a man, if man he was.
Le Duc let his eyes stray to the altar and the
head, sitting motionless as if it had been carved
from stone. Lifeless as it now was, it had the the
appearance of something stolen from a grave. Le
Duc was outraged at the blasphemy, but he couldn’t
help being curious at the same time. He’d seen that
thing move!
Santos followed his glance, and the dark priest’s
smile deepened.
“You saw, then. You know that the head is more
than it seems. That is the first of your lessons. You
will find that there are many things in this world
that are more than they seem. Never take anything
at face value. That head is no head, but a window—
an oracle. There is no secret it cannot ferret from
the vaults of history, given the proper preparation
and ritual.”
Le Duc was about to ask a question in an attempt
to buy time, but at that moment Santos stiffened
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292
and turned toward the door. The odd, faraway look
returned momentarily to his face, as if he was
listening to a voice from within his mind; then it
passed, and the fire blazed even more brightly in his
eyes. Le Duc would have given a lot to have known
what Santos had seen, or thought, during those few
short moments.
“Bring him,” the priest said, gesturing at Le Duc.
“We must make our escape more quickly than
planned. It is as we were warned—flight is once
more upon us.”
Le Duc was bundled quickly out the door, and
though he kept his eyes roving and his mind
working constantly, no chance at escape presented
itself. He didn’t plan to allow himself to be taken
away and enslaved without a fight, but for the
moment his best move seemed compliance. He
needed them to forget about him as completely as
possible so that he might find a moment when their
concentration had slacked.
Santos paid no more attention to him than he
might have a bothersome gnat. Whatever plans
had been going through the priest’s mind had
changed drastically in the past few minutes.
Something big was happening, something
unexpected. All Le Duc could do was to hope that,
whatever it was, it provided a distraction that
would give him a chance at freedom.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
The robed monks were rushing about madly.
Weapons clattered, and they had formed a chain of
men leading off into the depths of one of the
storerooms to pass the contents out into the
passage.
When they were satisfied, or when Santos
ordered it—there was no way to tell—the door was
sealed once more, and they turned away from the
stables. Their arms laden, a few hauling small
wagons behind them, the entire entourage began
to move in a line that led steadily deeper into the
tunnels. Santos paced up and down the passageway,
barking commands and waving his arms in hurried,
impatient gestures. Whoever was coming for them
was not far behind, and for all the priest’s blustering
about ancient powers and servitude, he seemed in
no hurry to meet with his enemies.
Other sounds were reaching Le Duc now, cries
from behind and above him, and the clatter of boot
heels on stone. Santos’s efforts became more
frantic. Jeanne saw a monk flash past with the head
cradled in his arms, and behind him a small group
had gathered to add speed to the movement of a
particularly heavy cart. Their treasure, whatever it
might entail, was slowing them down considerably.
It might give those pursuing a chance to catch up.
Santos and his men had apparently been
prepared to flee, just not on such short notice. He
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
294
wondered why they would go deeper into the
tunnels when freedom, if it was to be had, would
seem to lie in the direction of the stables. He wasn’t
entirely certain he wanted to know the answer.
Despite his fear, that answer wasn’t long in
coming. He was dragged along in the center of the
pack at a stumbling run. The torches lining the
walls became fewer, but it didn’t seem to matter to
the monks. A different sort of light had begun to
permeate the air, and though there was no obvious
source of illumination, it was enough by which to
see. It surrounded them as they moved, clinging to
the fleeing band and breaking the impenetrable
darkness apart just long enough for them to slip
through, then fading behind as if they had never
passed.
The darkness would be much more of a
hindrance to those who followed. Jeanne wondered
fleetingly if Montrovant would be with them.
Somehow he doubted that his dark master would
have any trouble with the shadows, and Jeanne
wanted very desperately for someone, anyone, to
catch up with them.
He quit trying to count the sudden twists and
turns as the futility of it became obvious. There was
no way he could have recreated their course, not
in total darkness. After what seemed an eternity of
being buffeted along by the guards who still clung
to his arms, he noticed that the floor beneath them
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
had begun to slope upward once more. He could
still make out faint sounds of pursuit, but they were
fading steadily.
Feeling the need for positive action, he began to
drag his feet. He moved more slowly, purposely
tripping and trying to slow progress as much as
possible. It seemed to be working, and he was about
to drop to his knees once more when Santos
appeared suddenly at his side.
He reached out quickly and laid one clammy
hand on Le Duc’s shoulder. The passageway whirled
beneath his feet. There was a strange sensation of
dislocation, and suddenly his mind was no longer
his own. He was aware of what he did, but he was
unable to exert any control over his limbs. His body
straightened, and he began to move forward again.
A single word had imbedded itself in his mind,
and he acted upon it. Come.
Moments later, all sound save the slap of their
feet on the stone and the creaking of the carts they
dragged behind was swallowed by the darkness.
_
De Payen led the way back down the winding
stone stairs to the lower level of the mosque. He
knew the way better than the Patriarch, and he had
a burning desire to redeem his honor, even though
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
296
none present knew the circumstances of his last
visit.
Daimbert and his personal guard followed a bit
more slowly. They descended cautiously,
surrounded on all sides by de Payen’s men. Almost
as soon as they’d begun their descent, they heard
the sounds emanating from below. There was
crashing and the sound of rushing feet. They were
expected, it seemed.
Whatever it was, de Payen knew it could only
mean that the time remaining to him was
becoming even more limited. If Santos and his
minions were to escape, there would be too many
questions left unanswered. It would also put de
Payen in the unenviable position of explaining
himself to Daimbert with no evidence to support
his claims. He could allow neither scenario to
become reality. Santos had to be stopped, and it
had to happen now.
There was none of the shadowy dread hanging in
the air this time to cling to him or drag him down.
None of the dark fear clutched at his heart, as it
had before. The air was damp and cool, and they
made their way down quickly, weapons drawn.
“We must hurry,” de Payen grated. “Do you
hear?” He turned to Daimbert, who nodded, grimfaced.
It was obvious that the Patriarch was not
accustomed to such late-night antics, and his pallor
suggested somewhat less courage than he was
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
putting forth. De Payen could not blame him. This
was a matter for warriors, not priests, and he was
almost sorry that Daimbert had insisted on
accompanying him. He was burdened now by the
necessity of seeing to the Patriarch’s safety.
“It sounds as though they are fleeing,” Daimbert
cried, fighting to keep pace with the guards and
knights. “Is it possible that they already know we
are coming?”
“It must be so, Excellency,” Hugues replied. “We
must not let them leave the tunnels.” He gestured
to Cardin, who ran at his side, and the man moved
a bit closer. “Take three others and seal off the
passageway between here and the stables.”
Cardin nodded, and as they reached the bottom
of the stair, he diverted a few of the knights to the
right, moving cautiously toward the sound of the
animals, who appeared to have been spooked.
Frightened whinnies and the crashing of hooves
against the wood of the stalls echoed through the
tunnels. Pierre doubted that the horses’ fright had
been caused by the sounds of Santos’s flight.
Something else was happening.
He met the eyes of the knight directly at his side,
a young French noble names Louis de Moyer, and
he saw his own confusion and fear mirrored.
Doubling his pace, he gestured for the others to
follow. The small group flew down the passage
toward the stables, their hearts slamming wildly in
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298
their chests and their eyes wide. Pierre wished, just
for a moment, that de Payen had sent more than
four men.
Meanwhile, de Payen and the Patriarch had
moved inward, slowing their pace as they searched
the deeper shadows for signs of Santos. Despite the
sounds of retreat, they couldn’t risk the chance of
an ambush. The tunnels were made to order for
treachery.
They could hear the retreating monks clearly
now, and de Payen pressed ahead urgently.
Darkness and familiarity with the passages would
give Santos an advantage, and he didn’t want to
add too much distance to that imbalance. His
knights pressed around him, and, bolstered by their
energy, he began to run into the darkness.
Daimbert was in less of a hurry, taking time to
search each alcove and room as they went. When
they reached the large entrance that led to the
room where Le Duc had infiltrated the ceremony,
he stopped entirely, staring.
Candles still burned in niches around the walls
in a mockery of a temple of the Church. The
trappings of the dark ceremony that had been
interrupted earlier were still clearly evident. There
was a chill that still hung in the room, dropping the
temperature several degrees from that of the
passageway beyond. It was like a painting
conceived by a madman, or a living nightmare.
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Daimbert moved through the room, sweeping his
gaze from side to side to take it all in. Two of his
guards flanked him nervously, but he paid no
attention to them at all.
He moved to the altar, noting the odd symbols
etched into the wooden surface and the dark velvet
covering that was spread across the center. In the
middle of that cloth was a small indentation. There
was no way to tell what had been placed there, but
somehow the sight of that empty space filled
Daimbert’s heart with an inexplicable dread. He
reached out to run his fingers across the cloth, but
at the last second, he pulled back. A sensation of
unclean power clung to the surface, and he could
not bring himself to let it contact his skin.
“Excellency?” one of the guards asked, confused.
“I don’t know. I truly do not know. Whoever, or
whatever filled this room was evil. We must follow.
What happened here must not be allowed to make
its way back to Rome.”
There was a strength behind Daimbert’s voice
that the guards were unaccustomed to. He moved
more resolutely, his steps sure and firm. Whatever
he was thinking, he seemed to have found a
purpose in the last few moments, and his men
found themselves suddenly pressed to keep the
Patriarch’s pace.
De Payen and his men had continued down the
passageway, moving as quickly as the poor lighting
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
300
would allow. Their run had slowed to a trot, then
to a stumbling, cursing high-speed walk. Torches
had been torn from the walls to light the way, but
it was slow going, and it soon became obvious that
they had lost their quarry. The question became,
where had they gone?
The tunnels were much more extensive than de
Payen would have ever believed, and the deeper he
went into those labyrinthine depths, the less
certain he was that the only way out was through
the tunnels near the stable. It was becoming
obvious that the underground system extended
beneath a wide section of the city, possibly into the
desert beyond. It was also apparent that Santos
knew exactly where he was going. One of the worst
tactical blunders possible was to let the enemy
know the terrain better than you, and to have it
happen beneath the very structure you purported
to be leader of was inexcusable to Hugues’s way of
thinking.
There was also the growing fear that they were
becoming lost. Each turn and twist they followed
loosened de Payen’s grip on his surroundings. There
were niches and crevices lining the walls, and more
than once he had the sensation that someone—
some thing—was watching him, waiting for him
either to make the wrong decision on their route,
or to hesitate and try to figure it all out.
Cursing, he tried to drive his men to greater
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speed, but it was hopeless. He couldn’t be certain
that they were following the same track that Santos
had taken, and he was not going to catch up. If he
continued to wind deeper and deeper into the maze
of passageways, it was possible he would find
himself, and his followers, lost for their trouble, and
a worse fate was difficult to imagine.
Finally he called for a halt, and stood very still,
staring into the darkness and trying to decide what
was the best course of action. It occurred to him
that this was the second time in a single night
when he would very much have liked to have seen
some divine intervention. A sign, anything he
could follow, would have been enough. There was
nothing.
He had just decided to turn back and rejoin the
Patriarch, sparing his men the darkness, when the
silence was shattered by an ear-splitting scream.
De Payen hesitated for only a second, then
turned into the shadows once more and cried out
to his men to move onward again. The going
dragged on more slowly now that they had
something to follow, but with more purpose. The
sounds of a battle raged ahead, and after his
experience earlier that night, de Payen wanted a
good look at just what kind of battle it might be
before he plunged his small band into the center of
it. The blade in his hand had never seemed quite
so inadequate.
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302
_
Le Duc didn’t see the first of the dark ones slip
from the shadows, but he felt the sudden release of
the power that held him. One moment the small
band of refugees was rushing headlong, the next
they were surrounded and infiltrated from all sides
by grinning, pale creatures with burning eyes and
the fangs of some nightmare beast. He was
reminded for a moment of Montrovant, and his
hand went quickly to his throat, then dropped
again.
He continued to run, following the last
command that Santos had planted in his mind, but
those around him came to a startled halt, bunching
toward the center of the passage and surrounding
the carts protectively. With a snap, Santos released
Le Duc’s mind, and Jeanne stumbled, nearly
crashing headlong into the stone wall of the
tunnel. Scrambling for his balance, he caromed off
the wall and managed to remain upright. Though
the temptation was nearly too much to resist, he
didn’t look back. He could hear Santos’s voice
crackling through the air like lightning, could hear
cackling, demonic laughter and muffled screams.
No way to tell what came from the warriors of
which side. The attackers had outnumbered the
priest and his minions considerably, and the short
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glimpse Le Duc had gotten had seemed more a
lingering bit of nightmare than any sort of reality.
Nothing in his world made sense any longer.
They’d forgotten him, and that was all that
mattered beyond placing one foot in front of the
other as rapidly as possible and following the
upward slant of the floor. He was forced to slow to
a staggering walk after only a few hundred feet. All
light had died around him, and he was only able to
continue ahead by dragging one hand along the
wall to his right.
He had no way of knowing how long he’d been
moving, but at last a dim radiance broke the
blackness ahead and he began to be able to make
out the contours of the passage. Soon that light
grew brighter, and he saw an opening ahead. It was
the first traces of the sunrise, and he stumbled into
the sand of the desert beyond the city.
Le Duc almost allowed himself to laugh. So much
danger, and here he stood—alone and free. He took
a deep breath of the fresh night air and leaned
against the stone to catch his wind.
He didn’t notice when the tall, dark figure
emerged from a hidden pocket in the stone
outcropping to his left. A stone shifted beneath the
newcomer’s foot, and Jeanne whirled, ready to
strike out. He was too weary to move swiftly, and
a strong hand clamped easily over his mouth.
Before he could mount any counter-move, he was
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304
dragged back into the tunnel and out of the
growing light.
“Be silent, you fool,” Montrovant hissed. “They
will return at any moment. Are you in that much
of a hurry to die?”
Recognizing the voice, Le Duc breathed a sigh of
relief and allowed Montrovant to draw him back
into the shadows. He didn’t know if Montrovant
meant that Santos would return, or whatever had
attacked the priest in the tunnels, but neither was
a good option. He didn’t want to be caught in the
open if they made it to the desert and attempted to
make their escape.
The two waited, Montrovant brooding and
silent, and Le Duc feeling the sudden fatigue of the
night’s adventure. No one came. The sunlight
began to leak into the passage, and Montrovant
moved suddenly, drawing Le Duc behind him.
“I must get farther in,” he said tersely. “We will
find a safe place inside and wait this out. In the
evening, we will follow.”
Le Duc didn’t bother to respond. He tripped and
stumbled along behind as quickly as he could, as
Montrovant ducked into the tunnels and took the
first twisting turn that they encountered. It was not
the way he had come, but Jeanne didn’t mention
it. Montrovant seemed to know where he was
going, and though there was no light, the dark man
was having no trouble finding his way. For the
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moment it was enough to Le Duc that his life did
not seem in danger of ending in the next few
minutes.
Montrovant stopped, at last, in a small alcove off
of one of the side passages. Le Duc couldn’t see
what was taking place, but it sounded as though a
massive piece of stone were being rolled across the
floor. Then he heard the scrape of boots, and
Montrovant was at his side again.
“We must rest,” the tall man said softly, “but first,
come, Jeanne Le Duc. I would have what is mine.”
Jeanne felt himself drawn forward, felt
Montrovant’s strong arms closing about him, and
then the pain at his throat—suddenly and achingly
familiar. He remembered the faces of those who’d
attacked Santos’s party in the tunnels, and he
shuddered. Surely Montrovant was not of their
ilk—so tall, so strong. As Le Duc passed from
consciousness, Santos’s words floated hazily into his
thoughts.
“You do not even know the state of your own
soul.”
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306


SIXTEEN
De Payen rounded yet another twist in the dark
tunnel, and found himself face to face with
insanity. The creature lunged from the shadows,
eyes alight with hunger, and skeletal, claw-like
hands reaching out to rip Hugues’s throat. The
thing was wickedly quick, and only instinct kept de
Payen’s life from ending in that second. He dropped
to one knee on the stone floor and brought his
blade straight up into the thing’s torso. The sharp
metal sliced straight through its paper-thin frame
and out the other side. It twisted its gaunt face
toward him and grinned, lunging yet again.
De Payen yanked his blade free, but it was too
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
late. The thing had his sword arm in an icy grip,
and it was yanking him forward. He could see its
jaws opening wide, and he knew it would be only
seconds before those impossibly long teeth sank
into the flesh of his throat.
Then a second blade sliced through the air,
narrowly missing de Payen’s head, and that
grinning monstrosity of a face was falling away,
bouncing into the darkness. Its body, now headless,
jerked about for a few moments longer as if
uncertain in which direction it should flee. Then
it fell and lay still.
The thing had still gripped de Payen’s shoulder,
and that grip held for a moment as it fell. It seemed
that it was unwilling to admit defeat, despite the
loss of its head. Hugues wrenched it from him and
the thing crumbled away. Free of its clutches, de
Payen staggered to the side. Ahead, the passage was
a confusion of brown robes, blood, and screeching,
hideous creatures like the one he’d just faced. It was
unclear which side was actually winning the battle,
but there were fallen monks littering the
passageway, and de Payen could see Santos, drawn
up to what seemed twice his actual height, calling
out commands and curses in some twisted, ancient
tongue. A few of the priest’s followers held
attackers aloft in their hands with surprising
strength. Where their hands met that cold, pale
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
308
skin, it burned and flaked away. As they burned,
the creatures snapped and lunged at their captors,
fighting with an insanely focused sense of purpose.
Where Santos turned, their monstrous attackers
burst into flame, or fell back in fear. The power the
priest wielded was astonishing, but there were too
many for him. He couldn’t encompass the entire
passage with his gaze, or his concentration, and the
monks themselves were falling swiftly under the
attack. They seemed more than a match for their
attackers one-on-one, but each was plagued by at
least three.
Hugues drew back against the wall, mesmerized.
“Wait,” he cried to his men, holding one arm out,
palm flat to halt their progress. “What in God’s
name…”
It was madness, and there was no way that he
could sort it out in his mind. Santos and his
followers appeared human, at least, and yet it
would seem that these nightmare—things—were
fighting the battle that Hugues had planned for
himself. Which side should he join, or would both
turn on him if he and his men interfered?
Santos drew a small group of his men into a
tighter circle around a small wagon and a couple of
wooden cases which two of his monks held between
them. The small party began to edge toward the
tunnel on the opposite side of the battle from the
knights, and for the moment Santos was actually
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making headway. The remaining monks fought
with renewed fervor, driving the pale creatures
back in a sudden surge of effort.
Before de Payen could decide what to do, Santos
turned and ran. He was gone down the tunnel,
followed by the small group of his followers who
pulled the cart and carried the crates. Behind him
the battle raged on. For the moment, the attackers
had lost sight of their goal, if they’d ever had a goal.
Santos was getting away! That was all that it took
to galvanize Hugues into action. If he were to die
in these passageways, it would at least be for a
reason.
“We must find a way past this and follow,” he
whispered harshly. His voice carried too loudly, he
thought, but there was nothing to be done about
it. “If we can slip around the right side, maybe we
can flank them and win through to the tunnel
beyond. I don’t know where Santos is going, but I
don’t want him getting away.”
His men nodded grimly, though he read his own
uncertainty mirrored in their eyes. Hugues leaped
from the shadows with a cry and launched himself
forward. In seconds he was abreast of the monstrous
things threatening to overrun the monks. He
slanted past them at an angle and aimed his blade
at the first throat that presented itself. He’d not
calculated for the creature’s swiftness, and it nearly
dodged his blow. He sliced flesh, but its head was
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
310
not cleanly severed. It lolled to one side
grotesquely, but the creature didn’t fall. Instead it
turned, howling in pain and outrage and raked its
claws in a slashing attack. Hugues only just
managed to slip beneath the blow and dive forward.
They were into it now, and there was no way out
but through. De Payen heard the gurgling scream
of one of his men from behind him, accompanied
by the outraged cries of another, and he risked a
glance over his shoulder. One of the things had
grabbed Louis Le Chance, one of his oldest and
most loyal knights, and had dragged him down,
latching onto his throat like an animal. Blood
coursed out of a gaping hole where the thing had
torn le Chance’s throat with its teeth, and that
blood ran down the sides of its face as it glared at
de Payen in hatred.
“Leave them,” he thundered. It was all he could
do to turn his back on that sight and not launch
himself at the creature’s back. It would have been
his last act, and as much as his heart cried out to
him that it was the right thing to do, he had a
responsibility to the rest of his men, and to the
Church. Turning, he drove onward again.
Behind him one of the monks had taken
advantage of the moment to pounce on the
creature who’d turned on Le Chance, and when
Santos’s follower grabbed the thing, its flesh began
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to sizzle and pop. The brown-robed assailant
screeched, its voice a hideous parody of human
speech, and though there were no words
recognizable, de Payen knew it for the same dark
tongue Santos had used earlier. What in heaven
had he gotten himself into now? And what were
these things, if not men?
The ghoul, or whatever it was, dropped Le
Chance and reached with all its dying strength for
the monk, but it was too late. The distraction of
feeding on the knight’s blood had cost it precious
time. It withered and cracked away, flesh flaying
from bone and dissolving to the floor as the monk
turned, dropping it and launching back into the
last of the battle.
De Payen was more concerned with breaking
through without losing any more men, and the
monk had left an opening he’d been waiting for. As
it moved aside, he launched himself through. At
the death of their comrade, the pale creatures
redoubled their assault on the remaining monks,
and the knights dove after de Payen into the
shadows beyond. They had lost their torches, but
they moved ahead blindly. Even total darkness was
better than what they’d just faced. None of them
wanted to become the victory feast for the winners.
Somewhere ahead of them their quarry was fleeing.
That meant there had to be another way out.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
312
“I can feel a breeze,” de Payen called back to
them. “It is fresh air, and it is coming from the
right.”
He groped his way along the wall until he came
to an opening, and without hesitation he slipped
through, grasping the arm of the man behind him
and ordering the knight to do the same for the man
behind him. They moved steadily along the wall,
the sounds of the battle behind them drifting away
until they moved in a silence broken only by their
own heavy breathing and the scrape of their boots
on the floor of the tunnel. Their breath echoed
loudly through the shadows, so loudly that de
Payen had the irrational fear that the sound would
give them away to their enemies.
If Santos’s followers had powers like he’d just
witnessed, Hugues was beginning to have serious
doubts, faith or no faith, in his ability to face down
their leader. Even so, he knew he had to try. He’d
run from this man once, and those few moments
he’d cowered in fear had been the worst of his
existence. He would not bow down so easily a
second time.
Montrovant had said that he had all that he
needed to succeed within him. If this were true,
then it was time he made use of it. Santos would
not have fled if there were no chance of his
destruction, and Hugues kept that thought
foremost in his mind.
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Ahead, a dim light had begun to seep through
the shadows, and he hurried his pace. There was no
sign of movement, no sound from the shadows, but
he did not relax his vigilance. He moved warily,
ready for attack from any side. The swiftness of the
earlier attack from the creature in the tunnels had
proven enough to keep him attentive.
Behind him, pressed into an alcove on the far
side of the passage where de Payen had taken a
right toward the surface, Santos stood, huddled
with a small band of his faithful. They remained as
still as statues as Hugues and his men inched past.
He stood so close, in fact, that he could sense their
fear, and their determination.
He smiled. The mortals had taken the path to the
surface, as he’d known they would, and he was free
to continue on his way to freedom. Darkness and
tunnels were second nature to him, as comfortable
as they were terrifying to those who pursued him.
It would never occur to them to follow him deeper,
only that he would seek the surface and escape.
There were many byways beneath the city of
Jerusalem, and he knew them all. They would not
easily follow his escape, now that he had slipped
free of their sight. He would disappear into the
night and be gone before they even realized they’d
missed him. It was refreshing to see that the new
crop of fools was as easily duped as the last hundred.
He spun, whispering commands to those around
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
314
him, and they slipped on down the larger main
passage, moving deeper into the bowels of the city.
_
When it became clear that he would never catch
up with de Payen, Daimbert turned resolutely back
toward the chambers that Father Santos had fled.
He would need to know as much as was possible
about this place—this evil—before he made his
report to Rome. They might have sanctioned this
man’s actions, but Daimbert could not believe, if
this was the case, that they’d understood them. It
was a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the
Holy Father, and Daimbert suddenly found that he
wanted that very much.
He himself had met Father Santos only twice,
and the man, while dark, had not struck him as
being anything beyond a very mysterious and
perhaps overly arrogant priest. There had been no
indication of otherworldly activities, and even with
the evidence staring him straight in the face it was
difficult to grasp. It bothered the Patriarch that
after so many years in the service of the Church,
albeit not entirely faithful years, he could so easily
be duped by evil.
What his eyes and mind had not seen before, his
heart and soul could now sense. He returned to the
room where the ceremony had been held and began
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a more thorough investigation. He found the
curtained alcove behind which Santos had
meditated. The chill was deepest in that darkened
corner, and intricately embroidered tapestries
covered the walls.
The man had left in great haste, and there were
a number of objects left behind—leather-bound
tomes of a sort Daimbert had never seen, scrolls
that appeared to have been penned in Egyptian
hieroglyphics. He knew he would have to take each
of them to the Temple and have them deciphered
by his scholars. He might have to send some of
them to Rome to make sense of them.
He kicked aside a blanket, and a small box was
revealed. He picked it up and carried it into the
main chamber, calling for one of his guards to bring
a light closer. Setting it on the altar, he examined
it for a long moment. It was gold, that was obvious,
very heavy and inlaid with precious stones. The
workmanship was exquisite. On the top of the box
was a finial in the form of a scarab beetle. He had
to calm his nerves before he could find the courage
to flip open the lid. He backed away a step as it
popped open, but nothing assaulted either his
person or his soul, and he moved in close again to
inspect what had come to light.
There were two things in the box. One was a
pendant, strung on a leather thong. It was in the
shape of a cat, and the two eyes were inlaid
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
316
emeralds. The body was formed of gold, and, just
as the box that held it, the detail of the work was
incredible. He lifted it free, letting it dangle for a
moment. Remaining in the box was a small pouch.
He gazed at it for a long moment, then, very
carefully, he lifted it free as well and handed it to
the guard nearest his side.
“Open it,” he commanded. The man stared at
him, obviously terrified by the situation and the
object resting in the palm of his hand. Daimbert
glared at him, and the strings of the pouch were
loosened. The guard pulled the pouch open wider,
and looked inside. Confused, he tipped the bag,
holding his free hand beneath it.
What poured free appeared to be nothing more
than dust. It piled in the palm of his hand, forming
small drifts like a tiny desert, and he turned his eyes
back to meet those of the Patriarch.
“Ash.” Daimbert didn’t know exactly how he
knew this, but he did. It was ash, and his heart told
him he didn’t want to know of what.
“Carefully now,” he instructed. “Put it all back
into the bag. Be very careful to spill none of it.”
When the operation was completed he beckoned
the guard to draw near. “Bring us water,” he
commanded.
One of the others nearby complied hastily, and
Daimbert took the cup that was offered, blessed it
quickly, and splashed the water over the man’s
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
hands. He said a swift prayer, then raised his head
so that his eyes met the those of the guard.
“I don’t know what it was that you held in your
hand, or who, but the Lord is with you. Go in
peace, and do not fear. We shall cleanse this place,
and God will grant it his light.”
Turning to the doors once more, Daimbert called
his men about him. “Let us find de Payen and set
about the cleansing,” he cried. “There must be no
trace of Santos or his evil left. Nothing. I want this
place scoured and blessed. I will send word to the
Holy Father in Rome myself, telling of the deeds of
each and every one of you this night.”
His men, happy to set about any task that didn’t
involve confronting the demons their imaginations
had already created from the rumors of Santos and
his followers, moved quickly to obey the Patriarch’s
orders. None had seen Daimbert so full of purpose.
None had seen him full of anything except himself
and wine, and that in itself was close on to
miraculous.
Daimbert moved among them in a steady circuit,
calling out encouragement and granting blessings
were they where desired, or required. Everything
that was found was being hauled to the center of
the passage, and Daimbert had sent two of his men
toward the stable after Cardin to fetch some sort of
wagon or cart to carry it all in. Daimbert didn’t
know exactly what they had found, or what more
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
318
might be uncovered, but one thing was certain—
what was deemed important would go to Rome, but
the rest he would burn. All of it. Every trace that
Santos had walked these halls would be eradicated.
He watched as his men disappeared down the
corridor, not turning from them until their forms
had melted into the distance. Outwardly, he was
the man of God he’d always been meant to be. In
his eyes, however, swam only questions.
_
Pierre and Louis had reached the stables without
incident. The disturbance among the animals,
whatever it had been, had ended, and they found
each and every horse in the place it had been left,
resting easily. Pierre was ready to turn back toward
the tunnels and find a suitable place from which to
protect the entrance, when Louis cursed and
dropped suddenly to one knee.
“What is it?” Cardin asked quickly, kneeling
beside his companion.
“This,” de Moyer replied. He held up a shiny
silver pendant. It was an ankh—Pierre recognized
it from tales of Egypt. De Moyer had seen it
flickering in the scattered dirt of the stable floor.
As his eyes neared the floor, Pierre saw that there
were footprints leading away from where the
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
pendant had lain. He followed them with his eyes,
and they led straight at one of the stone walls.
Staring at one another in consternation, they
followed quickly. The trail was joined by the twin
tracks of a small cart, or wagon, and they hurried
their steps. Pierre kept a close watch over his
shoulder to prevent ambush, and Louis, who had
been a skilled tracker as a youth, was bent low,
scanning the ground and the surrounding shadows.
They came to the wall, and the tracks ran
straight into it. De Moyer pointed to the ground on
one side, and Pierre cursed softly. There was a long,
sweeping scrape in the earth, as though a door had
swung open across it.
He pressed his hands against the wall, groping
among the nooks and crevices until he found what
seemed to be a man-made indentation. His fingers
slid into it easily, and he pulled. Nothing
happened. He slid his hand upward a bit, and his
thumb brushed something thin and cold. He
gingerly took hold of it, and found that it was a
lever. Flipping it up, he stepped back and a large
section of wall slid to one side easily.
“That stone must weigh more than twenty
horses,” Louis said, awestruck. “And yet it moves
as easily as the door to my chamber.”
Pierre didn’t reply. He’d heard of such things. His
father had traveled to Egypt, and there were
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
320
architectural marvels there that still set his mind
reeling. This was the first time he’d witnessed
such—magic—in his lifetime.
“Someone has taken this path,” he grated, “and
not long ago. Whoever it was stole one of the feed
carts.”
“Should we follow it?” Louis wondered out loud.
“We cannot,” Pierre answered. “We must guard
the passage, as ordered. I will hold that entrance,”
he pointed to the main tunnel, “and I will keep an
eye out for any who might pass this way. You return
to de Payen, or Daimbert, and tell them what we’ve
found. I will place the others around the stables,
watching from different angles. Quickly—success
could depend on your speed.”
De Moyer nodded and turned away, racing off
down the passage. Pierre hesitated, then grabbed
the recess in the stone door once more and pulled
it to. It slipped back into place as easily as it had
opened, leaving no trace of its existence. Pierre had
to mark the spot by tying a small scrap of cloth
they’d found around the lever to be certain he
could find it easily when de Moyer returned.
This accomplished, he moved back across the
stables, never letting his eyes cease their constant
scan of the shadows surrounding him. He quickly
dispersed the other two knights, one to the back of
the stables, in case there was more than one secret
opening, and the other toward the exit leading to
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
the streets above. If whoever had taken that cart
was to return, he would probably not be alone.
Pierre was in no mood to face Father Santos or his
men with only two others to aid him. It would be
better to follow, and to see where they might
disappear to.
He found a niche just inside the entrance that
shielded him from view in either direction, but that
allowed a clear view of the wall that held the secret
passage. It seemed, already, that de Moyer had been
gone for hours.
_
Santos pressed on through the shadows, his
followers gathered closely about him. The only
sound was the creaking of the cart’s wheels. He’d
lost quite a bit in this encounter, but nothing of
true consequence. Those who had been destroyed
he could replace, and the treasures so long buried
beneath the temple, and then the mosque, had
been removed safely. What they couldn’t carry had
been buried more deeply still in the bowels of the
city, and despite his own disappearance in those
catacombs, he doubted that de Payen, or that fool
of a Patriarch Daimbert would venture in too
deeply to search them out.
He thought with regret of the amulet—the cat
had been powerful, and he’d not wanted to leave
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
322
it, but time had been more important. He thought
as well of the ashes. He wondered what de Payen,
or Daimbert, would do if they had any idea whose
remains those actually were. Some things could be
replaced, others were eternal. He stole a quick
glance at the cart being dragged behind them.
So many years he’d had this burden. There were
few beings, alive, undead, or otherwise, who could
remember a time when he had not guarded the
secrets. His purpose had always been clear. He was
very good at what he did, and each passing year
brought more power, more understanding. His flesh
was not what it had once been, but his mind, his
essence, these were infinitely more. A small price
to pay.
He smiled as he thought of the mortals left
behind, dashing about the tunnels in shock, finding
the tidbits he’d left behind and realizing that it had
all been there from the start. Under the noses of the
Patriarch and Baldwin, and more recently de
Payen, he’d flouted their faith and drawn the
curtains across their eyes so perfectly that they
hadn’t even suspected. If it hadn’t been for
Montrovant, curse his thrice-damned soul, Santos
would still be leading them astray.
Now it was undone, for the moment. He would
have to find a new place, a new haven for that
which he guarded. He would need time to regroup
and build up his forces. It was a game he’d played
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
countless times. The one thing that itched at the
back of his mind was the attack he’d just escaped.
He had followed Montrovant’s actions as closely
as his situation allowed, and the Nosferatu who’d
attacked did not fit into the picture well at all.
Montrovant was old, and dark, but he was not
Nosferatu, nor was he ancient enough to command
any allegiance beyond his own family. That meant
that there was a third party to be considered, and
thus far that party had not made their presence
known. Whatever the meaning behind that attack
had been had not yet come to light.
Santos searched his memories, seeking any who
might know of him, or carry some sort of grudge,
but he came up blank. Many knew he existed, but
most were content to leave him to his task. Others
knew enough to fear him, and left him alone. No
matter. The Nosferatu had failed. He’d escaped,
and that was the end of the issue.
Not far ahead they would make the ascent to the
surface, well clear of any holding of the Church, or
Montrovant. Once clear of the city, they could
make good time, and he knew the Dark One could
not follow him by day. Such a limitation on a
powerful spirit like Montrovant widened Santos’s
grin. It was good to have a challenge, an enemy
worthy of more than passing thought. It had been
too long—centuries.
He felt the slope of the floor shifting gently
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
324
upwards, and he hurried his pace. Time to be free
of these caverns once and for all, and on the open
road. They rounded a bend in the tunnel, and from
the shadows a calm, lilting voice called out to him,
stopping him as though he’d slammed into a wall.
“So good to see you, Astrokhen,” Kli Kodesh
greeted him. “Such a shame it has to end this way.”
As the pale, thin creatures dropped upon them
once again, Santos cursed. Within moments they
were buried in the onslaught, and he had no time
to think of anything except clawing his way
through the pile to where the ancient madman
grinned at him.
“Kli Kodesh,” he grated. “I should have known.”
“That is true,” the slender vampire replied, still
grinning. “But then, where would the fun have
been in that?”
Santos began to feel fuzzy, and he shifted his
thoughts to fight off the sudden inner attack—too
late. Darkness engulfed him, and he cried out in
dismay. The last thing he heard before oblivion
claimed him was Kli Kodesh’s wild laughter ringing
from the walls and driving him farther and farther
into darkness.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON


SEVENTEEN
Le Duc had watched over Montrovant’s prone
form until he could no longer keep the lids of his
eyes open. At last exhaustion stole his final
strength, and he’d begun to nod off, his chin
dropping to his chest and his prone form slumping
against the wall. He didn’t know what he would
have done, had Santos or any other enemy
confronted them in that tiny space. In fact, he did
not believe that there was anything he could have
done against a being powerful enough to move
aside the stone that Montrovant had used to seal
them away, especially not in his own weakened
condition. Somehow he still felt the need to be
vigilant. Montrovant showed no signs of life at the
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326
moment, and it appeared that he would not be
rising any time soon. He’d mentioned sunset.
It was a lot to take in all at once, particularly on
the far side of the last couple of days’ events. Le
Duc had remained conscious during Montrovant’s
feeding this time—and the full memory of the
previous instance had returned as well. He’d known
the tall, dark man had been something more than
what he appeared to be on the surface, and he’d
suspected the truth, though he’d cloaked it in every
form of reality but the obvious. Even Le Duc’s dark
mind wasn’t quite ready for the truth. Vampyr. He
was the servant of a dark spirit, the spirit of a man
gone to the grave and returned to tell the tale, and
for the life of him he could not be upset by the
knowledge.
It was one thing to be attached to the Temple,
to de Payen and his unwavering faith and Pierre
Cardin with his deep-set compassion. These were
men that, while Jeanne could respect them for their
strength, he could also understand all too well.
There was nothing about them that commanded
his emotions in the way that Montrovant had so
accomplished so effortlessly.
It was quite a different matter to know that the
one you served was more powerful than any of them
could imagine, and that you were closer to his
thoughts—and his actions—than any of them
might hope to be. It was a position of power, despite
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
the servitude involved, and Le Duc was determined
to ride it out for all it was worth. The prime rule
of royalty and power was that you got as close as
you could to the top, so that when the time was
right, you could be there to take it for yourself.
He tried a final time to force his eyes open, but
it was pointless. There was no real reason to keep
watch. If something found them, then it was over,
and it had been a grand ride. Otherwise, the night
would bring a chance to explore his options, and
those options were looking more and more
appealing.
Darkness swallowed him before the sounds in the
passage beyond the stone grew near, then faded
once more. He did not note Santos’s passing, nor
that of de Payen and his knights. He slept, and he
dreamed.
_
De Payen saw the light ahead, and he drove his
men onward. He didn’t know what they might face
when they reached the surface, but he knew that
they needed to get out of the tunnels, to feel the
fresh air surrounding them and to see the stars, or
the sun, or whatever filled the sky at the moment,
beckoning from above. The darkness was
suffocating, and the terrors they’d witnessed
continued to occupy his mind.
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328
Besides, the creatures they’d faced would surely
shun the sunlight. By day, nightmares grew dim and
powerless, and the light shining at the end of the
passage was the brightest and purest that Hugues
had ever seen.
Not for the first time since beginning their trek
through the tunnels, he wished that Montrovant
was by his side. Somehow, he believed that all the
strangeness, all the visions of hell on earth he’d
witnessed that night would not have thrown the
man, or angel, or spirit. Whatever he was,
Montrovant was more than met the eye, and in a
world that had suddenly proven to match that, de
Payen was willing to admit he didn’t have all the
answers. It pained him to feel dependent on any
power but that of his God, but situations changed.
It was becoming painfully obvious that faith alone
would not sustain him through all that he was to
face. He’d founded his order in the hopes of one day
facing great challenges. Even after reading the
great epics of the Bible and hearing the tales of the
first Crusade, he’d not been prepared for Santos, or
what the man stood for. He’d thought he
understood evil, but it had been a vain notion.
He’d had no idea of the scope of what had stood
before him, nor the depth of his own inadequacy
in the face of it. Humility, it seemed, was the first
lesson he was to be taught.
He moved toward the daylight more quickly, his
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
men crowding in behind him. He heard muttered
prayers, and he wished them godspeed. If they were
to overtake their quarry, it would be in the next few
moments. He didn’t know exactly what lay ahead,
or where they would win free of the tunnels, but he
knew that the long chase was at an end. That alone
was enough to lift his spirits. When he realized that
the light was that of the sun, he nearly fell to his
knees to give thanks on the spot.
A week, maybe even a day earlier, he would have.
The changes that were being wrought on his mind
and soul were permanent, and he felt his purity
scarred beyond redemption. The urgency of the
moment drove him onward. Santos had not been
overtaken in the passageway by whatever those
fiends had been. That mean he’d made a bid for
freedom, and since that freedom beckoned in the
form of the open desert, de Payen had to believe he
was on the right track. What other course could the
dark priest have taken? Surely not farther into the
tunnels.
The sunlight was too brilliant at first, attuned as
their vision was to the dim half-light of the end of
the tunnel. De Payen and his men staggered blindly
into the desert, and it was long moments before
they could focus on their surroundings. He cupped
a hand over his eyes and stared across the desert in
every direction, but there was nothing to see.
Wavering drafts of heat rose from the desert floor
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
330
to warp his vision, and the damp chill of the
tunnels was giving way to a sheen of perspiration
that stung his eyes and brought a sudden chill to
his bones. Nothing. He turned back to the door of
the tunnel and began to examine the ground at the
tunnel’s mouth. There was a jumble of footprints
outside the entrance, most of them belonging to
himself and his men. There were two other sets,
though, leading to one side of the entrance, then
back inside. He stared at them for a long moment,
trying to rationalize a return to the shadows, even
on the part of Santos. He could not, and yet the
evidence stared him in the face.
“I don’t believe the tracks belong to Santos.” The
words came from Antoine le Puy Doc, a knight
who’d served de Payen all his life, sharing his goals
and later his oath to the Church. “These tracks
were made by a very tall man. Look at the length
of the stride and the size of the boot. Santos is not
so large, and his followers all seem about the same
height and build. This track was left by another.”
De Payen considered the man’s words carefully.
If it were true, then there were others who knew of
this entrance to the temple. How could he have
ever believed his defenses were adequate? How
could he have felt secure? The place seemed riddled
with secrets, and Hugues had been privy to none
of them.
Even as his mind worked out plans to continue
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
the search for Father Santos and to set things right
with the Patriarch, de Payen made a resolution to
himself. From that moment on, he would trust no
man but himself, and no spirit but God himself.
The Church he’d sworn allegiance to had been
fooled by Santos and his evil, and that meant that
any who came in contact with such evil could be
corrupted. It did not mean that the Church was
part of the evil, only that it needed protecting.
Faced with this, the only person one could trust was
one’s self.
This changed his entire perspective on life. He’d
trusted his faith, but he’d also trusted other men of
faith. He’d trusted them, and they’d failed him.
He’d failed them as well, but he had the advantage
that he now knew his enemy. He had no intention
of letting that failure repeat itself.
“Let’s get back to the city,” he growled at last. “I
don’t have any desire to return through there. I’m
not even certain we could find our way back. We
need to regroup, count our losses, and mount a
further search of these tunnels.
“With Santos gone, we will establish our own
perimeters. There cannot be secret passages and
entrances to our halls unless we control them. I will
dispatch a detail to close off any tunnels we do not
have sufficient men to guard. I want this
underground mapped and secure.”
None of his men seemed eager to return to the
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332
shadows, even with the threat removed. If Santos
hadn’t been enough, the strange, pale creatures had
driven the courage straight out of them. Hugues
knew it was going to be more of a challenge than
ever to maintain their support and their belief in
his own strength as a leader. He’d failed them more
than once this day. Worse yet, he’d failed himself.
They began the weary trek across the sands of the
desert surrounding Jerusalem with heavy hearts.
Despite all they’d been through, they were no
closer to their enemy than when they’d begun. Off
to the right, de Payen spied the hill of Golgotha,
and he paused for a moment, turning and letting his
imagination roam back to a day when there had
been three men crucified there. Crosses still stood
as an example to him, a symbol of sacrifice and
endurance. He silently thanked Daimbert for
whatever inspiration had made him erect them.
The images he’d conjured blurred slightly, and
for a moment it seemed that all he saw was a lone
figure standing atop the mount. The man was
slender, white wisps of hair flowing out behind him
and dancing lightly in the breeze. Hugues had the
sudden and insistent impression that his eyes had
locked for an instant with those of the lone man on
the hill—and then he was gone. Shaking his head,
de Payen looked again, and there was nothing to
see but the hill and the three empty crosses.
“For our sins,” he muttered.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
“What?” Antoine asked, half-turning to face de
Payen.
“Nothing, nothing at all. We must hurry.”
As he turned his back on Golgotha and his
vision, de Payen was certain that he heard a voice
in his head. There were no words, and he was
neither frightened nor comforted by what he heard.
The mocking laughter followed him through the
city gates and on to his temple, feeding the fire of
his resolve to put an end to the devilish strangeness
that had engulfed his life.
For the moment he pushed it all aside. There
were too many questions, too few hours in a day—
and he’d had too little sleep. He pushed the
invading mirth aside and stepped ahead more
resolutely than before.
They entered the mosque just as Daimbert and
his men were making their exit. The Patriarch
stopped on the stone steps, staring at de Payen in
obvious amazement.
“We thought you lost, Hugues,” he said quickly.
“It is good that you have made it through. Tell me,
have you found Santos?”
The expression on de Payen’s face should have
been enough, but he gathered his failing strength
about him and replied. “No trace of him,
Excellency. We did find some tracks near a hidden
entrance to the tunnels beyond the city. It was
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
334
there that we won free to the desert. It appears that
our mosque is anything but secure.”
“Who else has dared to invade?” Daimbert
demanded, suddenly passionate.
“There is no way to know,” de Payen said tiredly.
“They have come and gone, and all they left were
their tracks. It is Santos that concerns me. While
we found tracks, none of them belonged to the
‘good father,’ and I would like very much to know
in which direction he was headed. If he didn’t come
back toward you, and he didn’t take the exit in the
desert, where is he?”
“Was there only one track he might have taken?”
Daimbert asked.
“I truly do not know,” de Payen said, considering.
“We followed the tunnels that led upward, and that
is how we made our way back to the surface. We
moved in total darkness, and I could not tell you
how many passages or rooms we might have passed
unknowing. It is possible that he is still beneath the
city, or that there are countless entrances to those
tunnels. In any case, we have lost him, for now.”
“I will set up a perimeter around the city,”
Daimbert said, his brow furrowed in thought.
“Baldwin will support me in this. I will cover every
avenue of escape and await their departure from
whatever hole they’ve crawled into.”
“We will assist you, of course,” de Payen replied
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
quickly, though weariness blurred both sight and
thought.
“Rest, Hugues,” the Patriarch smiled. It was the
first honest emotion that de Payen could ever
remember seeing on that face, and he returned the
smile with a weak grin of his own. “You have done
well this night, and I will see to it that the Church
knows of your deeds.”
“I will rest, then,” Hugues replied. “When the
sun sets, if Santos is not ours, I will lead my men
back into the desert and we will begin the search
anew. We have a lot to learn about this mosque,
and the ruins of the ancient temples it stands upon,
it would seem.”
“We all have a great deal to learn,” Daimbert
said, laughing. “That is what makes it all so very
interesting.”
With this, Daimbert turned, beckoning to his
men to follow, and made his way back to the streets.
Hugues watched until they were out of sight, then
he turned toward the doors to the mosque and
made his way inside. The sun was rising higher in
the sky, and the heat was beginning to beat down
against the base of his skull, bringing a dull ache.
He needed sleep more than he could remember
needing it on any other day of his life, and yet he
desired it less.
He wondered where Montrovant had gotten
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
336
himself to, and what part he might have played in
all the evening’s adventure. One thing was certain.
Montrovant had told Hugues that he had
everything he needed to see it through to the end,
and he’d been correct. Perhaps the dark one was a
prophet.
He slipped inside the mosque, his men following
slowly, and made his way to his quarters. For the
first time since they’d come to the Holy City, no
prayers were heard in the chapel, and no meal was
served in the dining hall. It was a time of deep
thought, deeper exhaustion, and silence. Within
the hour they all slept. Of them all, only de Payen
dreamed.
_
In his dream, Hugues walked across the desert
toward Golgotha, and the thin, willowy figure he’d
imagined there upon his return to the city awaited
him. The man’s eyes were endless and his lips were
turned up in a smile at once full of mirth and
ancient tragedy.
De Payen approached, and the man held out a
hand, beckoning him to come closer.
“I am Kli Kodesh,” he intoned, “and you will
heed my warnings. You play in a game where you
do not know the rules. You must be careful whom
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
you trust, Hugues de Payen. Leave no stones
unturned in your search for the truth. Even the
familiar may prove far different than you’ve
imagined.”
“Who are you,” Hugues asked, “and why would
you help me? Why should I trust a dream?”
There was no answer, and suddenly the hill he
faced was bare. There was no trace of the man, Kli
Kodesh, or any other, and the three crosses, stark
against a backdrop of jet black, glowing softly with
an inner light, filled his sight.
“For our sins,” he repeated his prayer of earlier that
day. “For our sins.” He was still repeating it when he
felt himself drawing back toward the mosque—away
from the hill—back to his own world. With a shiver,
he released himself. The darkness released him as well,
and, rolling over once, he fell to deep, uninterrupted
sleep.
_
When Montrovant awoke he found Le Duc
sitting across from him, wide awake and studying
him carefully. The man did not have a weapon
drawn, but there was a definite tension in the air.
It appeared that a great deal had been going
through the knight’s mind.
Stretching casually, Montrovant rose, giving
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
338
himself the advantage of looking down from the
full extent of his six-foot-plus frame before
speaking.
“Much has changed since I first spoke to you,” he
said quietly.
“Nothing has changed,” Le Duc replied.
“Nothing, except that we stand, facing one
another, in a cavern with no torch, and I can see
you plainly. There is no light here. Perhaps you
could explain this to me?”
“You will find,” Montrovant replied, his smile
widening, “that your acquaintance with me will not
be totally to my advantage.”
“I am not certain that seeing in the dark is a
thing I have dreamed of,” Le Duc replied, rising
swiftly. “This is especially true, my friend, if this is
the only advantage offered.”
Montrovant moved so swiftly that Le Duc was
only aware of the sudden pressure cutting off his
windpipe. He had seen no motion, and yet
Montrovant was so close that the scent of him
filled Jeanne’s nostrils and his cold flesh gripped the
knight’s throat. Montrovant flexed his fingers, then
eased back a bit. He waited for Le Duc to finish
choking and coughing before continuing to speak.
“You will also find,” he grated, “that I am not
long of temper. I do not need you so badly, my
friend, that I cannot cast you aside if you annoy me.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Keep that foremost in your mind, and our
relationship could be—endless.”
Le Duc glared at him still, though fear warred
with anger in his eyes. At last the man nodded, and
Montrovant released him, turning away and
moving toward the stone that blocked their exit
from the small cavern.
He hadn’t moved two steps when he stopped
cold. He ignored Le Duc for the moment, his eyes
faraway. There was a long moment when the
control of his emotions slipped, and he cursed. Le
Duc would have seen that flicker of uncertainty,
and Montrovant knew that the smaller man would
be considering the option of slitting his throat. The
moment passed, and Montrovant returned to
himself.
Cursing, he crashed against the stone that sealed
them in, and it rolled aside as though made of
smoke. Le Duc stared at the opening that loomed
before them for a long moment. Seeing that
Montrovant had not hesitated, and that the tall
man was moving swiftly toward the tunnel that led
to the desert entrance once again, he leaped to his
feet and followed quickly. Though he could now see
his own way out, he had no intention of being left
behind.
Montrovant paid no more attention to Le Duc
than he might have a gnat. He’d felt a summoning,
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
340
and though it had not been directed at him, he
knew the source well enough. The worst of it was,
he knew the one summoned, as well. De Payen
would be no match for Kli Kodesh, and there was
no way of knowing what the ancient madman
might say, or do.
There was nothing to protect the knight from
what might come, and Montrovant would have
given much to have known exactly what it was. Kli
Kodesh was no more predictable than the weather,
and quite a bit more dangerous. Would he give
away Montrovant’s secret, or would he kill de
Payen himself? Perhaps he only found the huge
knight “entertaining.”
With Le Duc in his wake, he burst from the
tunnels into the desert sands and made for
Golgotha. Though he moved far too quickly for his
follower to match his pace, there was a trail—a
bond between them—that could not be denied.
Given time, Le Duc would find him. The important
thing—and Montrovant didn’t even know why it
seemed so important—was to catch Kli Kodesh
before he left Golgotha. Somehow he knew there
were answers to be found if he could only get the
opportunity to ask the proper questions.
The laughter that had ushered de Payen back
into restful sleep died away, and Montrovant
screamed his curse to the night. The summons was
ended, and Kli Kodesh had vanished without a
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
trace. When he reached Golgotha, it was bare. The
crosses stood in a row, mocking him, and behind
him he could hear Le Duc cursing.
“Kli Kodesh!” he cried. “Kli Kodesh, you owe me
an answer. Where is he? Where has he taken it?”
There was no answer. The wind carried away the
dying echo of a madman’s laughter, and
Montrovant dropped to his knees, paralyzed
momentarily by his own anger and frustration.
Then he rose.
From the desert, he heard Le Duc crying out to
him, and he managed a smile. “Interesting.” he
muttered. “You wanted it interesting, old one. It
shall be as you wish.”
He turned to the shadows, and he did not look
back.
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342


EIGHTEEN
When Santos came to his senses he was sprawled
out on the stone floor of the tunnel. As he lurched
groggily to his feet, the image of Kli Kodesh’s face
rose to mock him. His followers cowered against
the walls, watching and waiting. It seemed that the
ancient vampire had allowed them their freedom
once he’d gotten what he’d come for. There was no
sign of the Nosferatu. Santos ignored his followers.
He searched the shadows for the cart they’d pulled
behind them from the caverns, but as he’d feared
it would be, it was gone.
“Damn you,” he cursed, spinning quickly. “Did
you see him? How could he just take it?”
Though he fumed, pacing back and forth in
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
barely controlled rage, Santos knew the answer. If
Kli Kodesh could best their master, these would
never have stood before him. It was a wonder,
under the circumstances, that they’d not
volunteered to pull the cart for the undead one.
One thing was certain. The vampire’s love of
entertainment would be his downfall. He should
not have left Santos alive.
There was no way to know how big a lead Kli
Kodesh had on him, but Santos knew with
certainty that he had to follow. He’d been charged
with the care of certain artifacts and talismans, and
the trust that had been placed in him could not be
betrayed. Not if it meant following to the ends of
the desert, or the world itself. One thing he and Kli
Kodesh had in common was time. Following would
not be a problem, either. The aeons had linked him
to those treasures in ways even Kli Kodesh would
not be aware of. They would draw Santos like a
magnet.
He strode purposefully to the tunnel’s end and
stood, the night wind blowing gently against his
face as he raised his eyes to the stars. He let his
thoughts drift away and blanked his mind, reaching
out to grasp at the strings of essence that would lead
him to his attacker and return what was his to
guard, his to care for and protect. The summoning
was as comfortable as a second skin, and he felt his
anger cooling into steely resolve.
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344
Kli Kodesh was old, and he was wise in many
ways, but he was mad, as well. The objects he’d
taken, if they reached the wrong hands in human
society, could spread havoc; the repercussions of
which might never cease to rock the cornerstones
of reality. Not that Santos cared much about
reality, but the thought that he had fallen short of
his responsibility, that was another thing entirely.
He was always amused by the notion that men—
in particular Christian men—believed him to be
evil. He served a purpose that was in the best
interests of all. If his service did not fall within the
guidelines of their accepted reality, that was a
problem they would have to deal with among
themselves. If he didn’t find and retrieve those
artifacts soon, it was likely that all the world would
find out first hand what they’d owed him for so
long.
He could sense traces, faint and fading fast, but
traces that he could follow. He thought back to the
things he’d left beneath the mosque, and for a
second time he wished he’d not forgotten the
pendant. He’d had it for many years, and it would
have served him well in this instance, as it had so
many times before. It was linked even more solidly
to that which he’d guarded than he himself.
There was no way to return for it. Either that fool
de Payen or the pompous Patriarch had taken it for
his own, and he had no time to trifle with either.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
They could go about their petty business and
meaningless lives, never realizing the safety and
protection his existence had brought to them, and
to their faith. He would go after what was his to
keep.
Not all of the secrets Santos had guarded were
Christian, but there were enough to have made a
difference. There was history, and there was truth.
When you have lived too long with history,
sometimes it is best to let truth remain buried.
Santos had studied artifacts that the Patriarch, or
even the Holy Father in Rome had only read about,
or heard tales of around late-night fires. He had
held in his hands relics that would pale the most
powerful in the coffers of the Vatican, and he’d
walked the sands and times of their savior.
His studies, and his knowledge, had been
sufficient to protect that with which he’d been
charged for so long that the sensation of worry and
the possibility that he might actually fail were as
alien as the humanity he’d forsaken in the Rite of
Rebirth had become to him. His studies had taken
him into darkness his mortal self would have never
comprehended, and yet he’d risen from that, even
from a time spent in the Underworld itself. He
knew the secrets of true names, and his time with
the Cappadocians had given him a means to release
that potential. His time in the lands of Egypt had
given him the secrets of amulets, and relics. He had
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
346
been perfectly molded to the role of guardian. Now
the perfection of that mold had been challenged,
and broken.
There were endless secrets to be uncovered by
one with the combination of endless time and
infinite patience. Even after so many years of study,
he craved more. There was an underlying essence
to all power that Santos could sense, but never
quite grasp. Others believed in specific paths to
that essence of power; Santos believed he would
have to find his own. For the moment, his path led
after Kli Kodesh.
He returned to the passageway. “He took
everything?” It was more of a statement than a
question, but one of the robed monks stepped
forward eagerly.
“No, not everything.”
From beneath his robes, the man produced a
wrapped bundle which he held forth reverently, his
arms shaking so violently in fear that he was
scarcely able to maintain his grip.
Santos reached for the proffered package, but he
knew before he touched it what it was. The head.
Somehow they had kept it from the mad one, the
one object that mattered most of all in the struggles
that were to come. He held it at arm’s length for a
long moment, letting the aura of its magic seep
through his bones and revitalize his mind. Turning
to his followers, he even managed a quick,
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
emotionless smile. The trail would be easier to
follow than he’d imagined.
“We must leave this place immediately,” he said.
“If we give them time, they will hem us in, and we
will never break through. I have no time to play
games with them in the tunnels. Every moment
counts.”
They gathered around him wordlessly, and he
handed the head back to the monk who’d brought
it forward. “You will guard this,” he said, his voice
barely a whisper, “and you will guard it with your
life, and your soul. I tell you now, if you allow
another to touch it, I will take both for my own and
transcendence will be denied you. Do you
understand?”
The man nodded and quickly tucked the head
back beneath his robes. Santos dismissed the issue
from his mind. Kli Kodesh wouldn’t be returning
for the head, or for anything else. He had
everything that he’d come for and was long gone,
trying to put as much space between himself and
Santos as possible before the chase began. He knew
as well as Santos that the chase would end, sooner
or later, and how; but for Kli Kodesh the
amusement of the intrigue that would bring that
end was everything.
For Santos, the question was how much damage
could be done in the interim. As Kli Kodesh
worked to see how much entertainment could be
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348
wrung from the experience, Santos would have to
worry about the rest of the world. Kli Kodesh would
also be wondering if he would make it through the
coming encounter safely. Santos knew the answer,
and he shivered.
Kli Kodesh suffered under the weight of a curse
of his own, and it was a magic beyond Santos’s
ability to counteract. Nothing that he did would
end the existence of that one—it was foreordained
that he walk the earth as long as there was an earth.
Even Santos didn’t expect to last beyond that.
For the moment, flight was the only thing that
mattered. He had sensed another in that
darkness—the dark one, Montrovant. That one
figured into it all somewhere, as well, though he
was hardly old or powerful enough to pose a real
threat. Santos didn’t want to underestimate
another enemy, so he left the Dark One alone.
Everything in his heart and mind cried out the
necessity for speed and distance. There would be
plenty of time to sort out the facts and develop a
plan for chasing Kli Kodesh.
They moved out of the tunnels and into the
lesser darkness of the desert swiftly, crossing a small
patch of sand and rounding the corner of a lowslung
building that loomed from the shadows. It
was a stable. Santos had planned well for this
moment. With their lost cargo, they would have
been pushing their luck, but unhindered by
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
burdens, and with the cover of darkness and
Santos’s abilities, they could easily slip past any
guards Daimbert or Baldwin could have mustered.
Once free of the city, there were innumerable
places they could find refuge.
Within moments of entering the stables, the
group rode out again. Santos rode at the lead, and
the five followers who remained to him closed in
about him protectively. The moon washed the
landscape with silvery brightness, but none rose to
bar their passage.
Santos rode with his eyes closed. He
concentrated on the desert surrounding them with
one part of his mind, scanning for any who might
spot their flight or attempt to attack. De Payen and
Daimbert were not the only ones with men on the
roads. There were bandits littering the desert as
well, and though they were no danger to Santos or
his followers, the disturbance such an encounter
might create could bring others down upon them.
He also concentrated on the fading tendrils of
the essence of his lost treasures. In his hands he
held a stone ankh that dangled from a leather
thong about his neck. The flesh that had formed
that leather had belonged to a lesser Egyptian
sorcerer with big dreams. Santos had taken it when
he’d caught the man searching for his name.
And that was a good question in itself. How had
Kli Kodesh learned so much? The name he’d
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
350
spoken, Astrokhen, was one Santos hadn’t heard in
over a century. It was known to one other living
being, besides himself, and now apparently Kli
Kodesh, and it was a cause for more concern than
even the loss of that which he’d protected. It gave
the old one a defense. That name, in the wrong
hands, could even be Santos’s undoing.
He wouldn’t be taken by such a ruse twice, but
to lose half his true name to one such as Kli Kodesh
was a nightmare from the depths of the Underworld
itself. Not since he’d held the tattered pages of the
ancient writings of the Egyptian mage Cabiri had
he heard any other use that name. He’d expected
that condition to last an eternity, since he’d
destroyed all who had known him, save the one
who had helped create him. Somehow Kli Kodesh
had managed to draw back the veil that covered
Santos’s past. His own power was so closely related
to that which Kli Kodesh had used on him that it
grated on his nerves to have been bested. His was
the mastery of true names, Ren, as the ancient
writings called them. To find the ability to use such
a power in the hands of one of the Undead was a
sign of changing times, and different rules. Already
Kli Kodesh was protected from destruction by his
curse; now he was doubly dangerous by the
knowledge he’d gained.
Perhaps too many years in hiding, alone with his
own followers and the treasures that had been
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
entrusted to him had made him soft. His edge was
fading, and he’d not learned anything new in more
years than any mortal man on the planet had lived.
The night air felt soothing against his skin, and the
steady rhythm of the horse’s gait relaxed him
further.
He gripped the reins tightly and allowed his
mount to carry him forward with the others.
Willing his hands to remain fixed in their grip, he
released his Ka to the Shadowlands, floating free
of the physical restraints of body and form. Those
around him were still visible, but their pallor had
changed. One of his followers’ head lolled to one
side, nearly touching his shoulder and bouncing
erratically as he rode.
Santos ignored the death sight, concentrating on
covering ground as quickly as possible beyond the
Shroud and scanning the terrain ahead. He was
able to travel more swiftly with his spirit form
released from his body, but it was a risk. There were
many things that could harm the part of him he’d
left behind.
He passed over a rise and into a small village.
There was an inn, the doors hanging loosely from
broken, rusted hinges. Outside, the bones of a horse
were still tied to the post as they’d been in life. Dust
rose from the stone lip that was the establishment’s
well. Santos ignored it all, concentrating. He knew
the horse lived, and he knew that what he sought
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
352
could be found inside. He needed to get himself and
his followers out of sight as quickly as possible, and
this appeared to be an opportunity to do so. He let
his spirit form slide through the walls of the inn and
made his way directly to the kitchen, where the
innkeeper, a huge, burly man with a red face and
bulbous nose that spoke of too many pints of ale
stood stirring a huge kettle of stew.
Concentrating, Santos willed his form to
materialize as a glowing, floating spirit, directly
over the man’s pot. He blended his form with the
smoke that already rose from whatever vile
concoction was simmering, and it took a moment
for the man to realize that his situation had
changed.
Choking back a scream, the innkeeper took a
step backward, ripping the ladle free of his stew and
sending droplets of the foul, thick fluid flying in
sparkling arcs to every corner of the room. The man
looked as though he stared into the face of Death
himself, and Santos did nothing to correct this
notion.
Reaching out with his mind, he implanted his
words carefully.
“You will open your cellar door in one hour,” he
directed, “and when you are certain that the party
I shall send to you has entered, you will close that
door once more. If any come to search, you have
seen nothing. They will require food and drink, and
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they will remain in the cellars until I visit you once
again—let none intrude.”
If Santos had not kept an iron grip on the man’s
mind, he would have fallen to the floor, gibbering.
As it was, he stood, mouth agape, quivering like a
large mound of animal fat. Santos released him
slowly, letting his image disperse into the smoke
over the pot and returning to the Shadowlands.
The innkeeper’s slack jaw did not give him great
confidence, but the suggestion he’d planted was a
strong one. He did not doubt that he would find
that cellar open when he arrived in his true form.
If he did not, well, there would be one less stupid
innkeeper watching over the hunger and thirst of
this particular stretch of road. Santos was still in a
foul mood, and his patience was worn as thin as
possible without snapping.
The return to his body was a quicker journey
than the descent to the Shadowlands had been. He
felt the pull of his own form, the two halves that
made the whole drawing one to the other, and he
allowed that pull to take control. There was no
time to waste.
He sat up suddenly on his mount, eyes wide and
seeking, and it was in that moment that the patrol
struck. He saw them coming out of the corner of his
eye and cursed. They wore the white of the Knights
of de Payen’s temple, and they bore down on
Santos’s party like a thundering herd of cattle.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
354
Barking a command to his men, he reined in to
face the onslaught. The monks continued away at
a mad dash, as he’d instructed, and Santos sat
astride his mount calmly, facing the small army
with contempt splashed across his features.
He raised one hand and muttered a quick
incantation under his breath. The names of his
attacker’s mounts came clearly to his mind. Acting
instinctively, he called out in a commanding voice,
demanding that the animals halt. The sudden
cessation of motion threw all but two of the startled
knights to the ground violently. The two who
remained mounted righted themselves, but it was
a short-lived victory. Santos called out a second
command, and the horses reared in fright, dropping
the remaining riders on the ground beside their
fallen companions.
Santos released his hold on the animals’ minds,
and they fled into the desert, ignoring the dismayed
cries of their fallen riders. Santos rode forward a few
paces, smiling down at them. He still wore the
collar and vestments of a priest.
“You do not show the proper respect,” he spat. “I
would hear your confessions, each and every one of
you, and exact penance, but I fear that my time
here is limited. Go back to your weak, pathetic
leader and your insipid, mindless church. Tell them
to leave me, and I will trouble them no further.
Follow me, and it will be the dying act of your
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bodies and the beginning of the torture of your
souls.”
With a theatrical gesture he couldn’t resist,
Santos made the sign of the cross flamboyantly,
then turned his mount and rode hard after the
retreating monks. He needed to throw the men
behind him off the trail. He believed he’d made an
impression on them, but mortals were prone to
foolish acts of heroism, and he was in no mood to
deal with them. They also tended to forget the
supernatural as soon as the natural reasserted itself.
As soon as he’d drawn abreast of the first of his
followers, he diverted their course toward the
village. Rather than riding hard, he planned to lay
low, waiting for the search to slip past them. Before
the next wave appeared, they would be out of the
basement and on the road again, traveling in an
entirely different direction. The chase was an ageold
game, and Santos knew it well, though he’d not
had to involve himself in it for quite some time.
The past few years had been eye-opening. First
the Holy City had fallen to the Turks, and he alone
had remained to keep them from the objects in his
care. His followers had been taken, one by one, and
tortured. None had, of course, revealed anything,
but each loss had been a blow to Santos’s eternal
confidence.
He’d been forced to seal the treasures, those he
could not carry easily, into the vault beneath the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
356
temple as the mosque of al Aqsa was built on the
bones of the ancient structure. It had been the only
way to ensure that the Moslem dogs would be
unable to claim them.
In the months and years that had followed, he’d
been forced away. He’d spent that time in Rome,
following the mincing steps of the priesthood and
recreating his following among the ranks of the
Christian “faithful.” All that time, studying in the
vast libraries of the Vatican and building his power
to new heights, he’d yearned to return to his post—
his mission. The talismans had cried out to him,
and he’d feared that those who’d created him might
return, unhappy with the way he’d carried out his
assignment.
There had been no reappearance of ancient
powers, and eventually the Church had ventured
back to the Holy Land, reclaiming that which had
been lost. Santos had wormed his way into the
front lines of that first Crusade, and he’d remained
behind when his “brethren” returned from the Holy
Land, sending a few agents of his own along to
Rome.
Rumors had been spread, rumors that linked
“Father Santos” and those who followed him to
great secrets, secrets the Church desired to keep
concealed. The rumors were false, in most cases,
but they’d served their purpose. Santos had been
granted his haven in the bowels of the mosque.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
The Church had turned away, ignoring his
actions and protecting his rights, even as he’d
deceived them. Plans had been in place to remove
the treasures, at last, and to transport them to a
safer location. That was before Montrovant, de
Payen, and their damned knights.
Kli Kodesh, Santos knew. The ancient’s
obsessions were documented to the depth of
legend. Montrovant was a different sort of
challenge. The arrogance dripped from him, and
his purpose appeared as single-minded as Santos’s
own. The only question was, which of the treasures
did the vampire seek?
His musing was cut short as they passed within
the confines of the village. There were none about
at such a late hour, and Santos led them unerringly
to the inn. He slipped from his mount, and his
followers did the same, leading the horses to the
stable and inside. A groom staggered from the
shadows, rubbing his eyes to free them from the
stupor of sleep and too much wine.
Santos moved forward and laid his hand quickly
on the man’s shoulder. The stablehand stiffened,
his eyes bulging suddenly, then he slumped forward.
Santos slid him to the side, into the arms of one of
the monks, and the man was deposited to one side
and was propped against one of the wooden walls.
Working quickly, the monks stabled and fed their
mounts. This done, Santos led them into the night
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
358
once more and they made their way to the inn’s
cellar. The door stood wide, just as he’d ordered,
and they slipped inside, pulling it shut behind
them.
As his men attacked the food and wine hungrily,
Santos pulled off to one side and seated himself on
the ground. He let his mind go blank, and he
rested. There was much to do, but as always, he had
nothing if he did not have time. None disturbed
him.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON


NINETEEN
It was nearly midnight, and the city slept quietly.
Regardless of the scale of the battle that had been
joined, the city itself was oblivious. No warnings
had been sounded: what would they have said?
There are ancient evils crawling through tunnels
beneath your homes. Your souls are in danger. It would
have caused a mass panic, and neither Daimbert
nor Baldwin was prepared to handle something on
that scale.
De Payen had slept like the dead, rising just
before dusk to rejoin the search. His men had
already joined the patrols by the time he’d made his
way to the streets, and Daimbert was there to greet
him, harried, but alert.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
360
The leader of the last of Daimbert’s patrols rode
forward and dismounted, climbing the steps slowly
to where his lord and de Payen stood, side by side,
waiting for some word that their quarry had not
eluded them. The set of this man’s shoulders did
not lend them confidence, and his words confirmed
it.
“There is no sign of him, Excellency,” the guard
said, dropping to one knee and lowering his eyes to
the ground at Daimbert’s feet. De Payen gnashed
his teeth. This was the third such report in less
than an hour. There was only one more patrol
out—his own—and if they came in without word
of Santos he would have to concede defeat. It
galled him that, after causing so much grief, the
man, or demon, had slipped between their fingers
and was lost to them. Hugues hated to leave any
business unfinished.
He had to admit that the absence of Santos’s
darkness wasn’t such a bad thing, but the failure to
capture, or destroy evil that had been within his
grasp ate his heart. His own faith had come into
question, his courage had been mocked. These were
not insults he would lightly forgive or easily forget.
His entire world had been changed, and who was
to say for better, or for worse?
Daimbert had been surprisingly strong and
efficient throughout the entire process. Word in
France had made the Patriarch to be a greedy, self-
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indulgent oaf. If that had been true at one time, life
in the Holy Land seemed to have purged it from his
soul. Daimbert had disdained sleep and eaten only
lightly since he’d been awakened by Montrovant.
His desire to find Santos seemed as strong, or
stronger, than Hugues’s own, and his followers had
reacted in kind. De Payen was glad to have the
Patriarch’s support, and their combined forces had
been able to comb the area surrounding the city
with surprising efficiency. A mutual respect was
growing between the two, and de Payen knew that
this would be a good thing when he returned to
France, and then to Rome. It also couldn’t harm his
status with Baldwin.
He stood on the steps of the mosque, watching
the street that led toward the desert beyond, and
waiting. It shouldn’t be long before his men
returned. They’d been the last patrol to go out,
having taken a few hours for sleep and refreshment,
but they hadn’t been so far behind Daimbert’s
guards. The perimeter of the city had been divided
equally between each patrol. He expected their
report to be in within the hour.
The sudden thunder of hoofbeats echoed through
the streets, and all eyes turned to follow the
direction of Hugues’s gaze. A single animal,
riderless, rounded the corner, several guards in
pursuit. None of the men chasing the animal were
his own. The horse’s eyes were crazed, and foam
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
362
flew from its flanks as it turned toward the mosque,
heading directly for the steps where the small party
stood, watching in shock.
At the last moment, the animal veered to the
side, heading toward the entrance to the stables
beneath the temple. De Payen turned to Daimbert,
already moving toward the doors. “It is one of mine.
I will take the remainder of my men and see what
has happened. I only pray that it is not too late.”
“I will send men, as well,” Daimbert called after
him. “The more you have, the more quickly you
can cover the ground. Godspeed, Hugues de
Payen.”
Phillip met Hugues at the door with his gear, and
de Payen nodded at the young servant, allowing
himself a grim smile. One day this one would make
a knight himself, he thought. That was assuming
Hugues ever came back from the ride he was about
to embark on. It seemed that he was too often
thinking such thoughts these past days. The
confidence that had driven him through so many
hard years of life was failing, and he didn’t know
anything to do about it but dive ahead and win it
back.
Phillip’s eyes were bright, and he watched
Hugues with a respect that bordered on adoration.
The tall, broad-shouldered knight was used to such
reactions, but for the first time in his life he began
to wonder how deserving he was of another’s
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respect. Had he not run, cringing, to his quarters
the first time he’d descended to Santos’s lair, might
things have ended differently? He didn’t believe so,
but he had to wonder. Surely he would have died,
but might he not have raised enough of a
disturbance that others could have made their way
below in time to be of assistance? Might Santos be
in chains, or dead, even now? There was no way to
be certain, but it was the uncertainty that goaded
him onward.
Those who’d not been on the first patrol joined
him now, and their numbers were alarmingly few.
He noted that the new man, Cardin, was among
them. He wondered briefly where Le Duc had
gotten himself to. The man was difficult, but in a
battle he was a formidable ally to have by one’s
side.
Then, in shock, he remembered Montrovant’s
words. Le Duc had been the one to disrupt the
ceremony. He’d been in those tunnels, and he’d not
come back. His features growing grim, Hugues
added another mark to the tally of debts Santos
owed him.
Shrugging all other thought from his mind with
an effort, Hugues hurried his steps, making his way
to the lower levels where his mount was being
readied. He would find his own answers, or he
would die in the attempt. One way or the other,
this was the night he would see his heart calmed
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
364
once again. As he moved, he began to pray under
his breath, and the weight on his shoulders lifted
slightly. It was a grand night to die.
He entered the stables lost in thought, and thus
he did not immediately recognize the two mounted
figures who awaited him there. Stopping in shock,
he raised his eyes to meet those of Montrovant.
Those eyes blazed brightly in the deep shadows,
and the torchlight flickering in the background
gave Montrovant the aspect of a great, predatory
shadow, seated as he was on a magnificent,
prancing war horse.
At his side rode Le Duc, and that man had
changed in some subtle way that de Payen could
not immediately recognize. He seemed taller, or
darker, and the set of his shoulders was, if anything,
more arrogant than before. Still, it was good to see
him. It was a very good time to see them both.
“Come, Hugues,” Montrovant urged. “It is time
that we rode together. This is a night upon which
many things will be decided, and there is no time
to waste.”
De Payen didn’t hesitate. He called to Phillip,
who’d been paralyzed by the sudden intrusion of
these unexpected knights. The boy shook himself
free of his momentary paralysis and ran forward to
bring de Payen’s mount. The others filed in behind
him, taking note of Le Duc and their new, dark ally,
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
but keeping their silence. Too many things beyond
the ordinary had taken place in the past day and
half for them to be too surprised at any
development. If Hugues wanted this dark stranger
riding at their sides, then they wanted it as well.
None knew if their tall leader could bring them
through this time of darkness, but they knew that
if he couldn’t, there was none among them who
could.
In moments the entire party was mounted, and
they spurred their horses up the slanting passage to
the streets above. The moonlight was nearly as
bright as day after the shadows of the stables, and
they turned in front of the mosque and made their
way toward the desert without looking back.
The city, unaware of the darkness that had passed
from their midst, or the struggle that continued,
slept on. Larger buildings, white stone that caught
and glistened in the moon’s glow, faded to smaller,
stouter homes and smaller businesses. The scents
and sounds of animals, restless in the darkness,
came to them through the stillness of the night air.
It was as if the beasts sensed what was happening.
They passed a small group of young men who
were making their way from the Temple. Ignoring
the comments and whispered laughter, they moved
on. Daimbert watched them ride away, noting
Montrovant’s presence with keen interest. He
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
366
remembered the dark one well enough from his
bold entrance into the temple. De Payen would
have to explain that one when they returned.
When they had passed from sight, the weariness
overtook him suddenly, and he turned toward his
own temple. His guards fell in around him, but he
spoke to no one.
He made his way through the doors of the temple
and to his quarters, leaving word with his servants
that he was to be awakened the moment de Payen
and his men were spotted returning to the city. He
didn’t take the time to undress, but laid back across
his bed heavily and slept. As he dropped into that
darkness, the words of a half-formed prayer
whispered from his lips.
_
The road was empty and barren, and the
moonlight lent an air of ominous surreality to the
landscape. De Payen thundered along, matching
the pace that Montrovant set, wondering briefly
how the man knew which way to go. He didn’t
question him, but after the dark powers he’d
witnessed in the past few hours, any hint of the
supernatural made him nervous. It would have
been better had the dark knight taken him into
confidence, but he did not.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
Words that had come to him in a dream
resurfaced, and Hugues worried over them as the
road flew by beneath his mount’s hooves. “You must
be careful whom you trust, Hugues de Payen. Even
the familiar may turn out to be far different than
you imagine.”
Everything had turned out to be different. That
was the problem. Hugues was a man of faith, and
that faith, along with the strength of his sword arm,
had been enough to bring him safely through every
situation life had presented to him. Now that had
changed, and the longer he rode at Montrovant’s
side, the more he wondered who, and what, this
dark stranger was, and why he’d intruded himself
into the life of a simple knight. Too many
questions, and no time to seek their answers. He
wasn’t certain at this point that he wanted those
answers, or that they would make any difference.
His path was set.
Ahead the silence was broken by a sudden shout,
and they came abreast of a group of knights
walking. Hugues counted heads quickly and found
that all of his men were accounted for, but none
was mounted.
“What has happened here?” he thundered.
“Where are your mounts?”
Robert de Craon, a young man who’d shown
extreme zeal in following de Payen’s orders in the
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
368
past, moved forward to speak. He lowered his eyes,
as though shamed, then raised them again in an
almost defiant gesture.
“We had them, Lord,” he gasped, tired and
thirsty from a long trek. “They fled before us, and
we were about to move in when the thin one—the
priest—stopped his mount in the center of the
road. The others continued to flee, but he just sat
there—staring at us. I swear by God’s own word
that he was smiling!”
“He waited for you, and you did not take him?”
Hugues asked incredulously.
“He began to speak, Lord, a tongue I’ve never
heard, nor hope to hear again. He cried out, and I
swear our horses fell under his spell. We rode at him
at a full gallop, but when he spoke, the horses
stopped. It was as though they’d come up against a
fence of stone, but there was nothing there. Most
of us were thrown when the horses stopped, the rest
when he spoke again and they all reared up in fear.
Before we could act, he’d sent them running into
the darkness, and he’d turned away again, following
his men.”
Hugues sat still as stone. The man was mocking
them. He could have fought, perhaps they all would
have died, but instead he’d chosen to humiliate
them. Man, demon, or whatever he might be, this
creature had no honor. De Payen didn’t look again
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
toward the men on the ground. He turned instead
to Montrovant.
“What manner of man, or devil, do we follow?”
he asked. “I have seen much, but I have never seen
a man who could speak to animals. I have never
seen a man who could escape an army of knights
and the guards of the Patriarch himself so easily. I
have never felt the fear his words brought to my
heart.”
“Do not despair, Hugues,” Montrovant replied
grimly. “He can be killed, like any man. Santos is
but one name he has gone by. He has many. He is
no priest, rest easy on that count. He is ancient,
older than the earliest ancestor you remember.
When Jerusalem fell to the Turks, he was old then.”
“Then he must be a demon,” de Payen asserted.
“There are other powers, Hugues, than your God
with his angels and demons. Do not be too quick
to apply his mark to every strange thing you
encounter.”
“And you, then,” Hugues asked quietly, fully
expecting Montrovant to remove his head in anger
at the question, “are you of our Lord, or some
other?”
“We walk the same road,” Montrovant replied,
spinning his mount away once more. “Let that
suffice, for the moment. We must move now, or we
will lose him.”
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“Lord,” de Payen called out, still hesitating,
“Who is Kli Kodesh?”
Montrovant drew in his mount once more,
turning quickly. “Kli Kodesh is a madman,” he said
softly. “He is one who prefers games to reality. He,
also, is of an older time, though he is most certainly
enmeshed in the affairs of your Church. Why do
you ask? Have you seen him?”
“Only in my dreams, Lord. He warned me to be
careful whom I trusted.”
Montrovant’s features grew suddenly cold and
distant, and de Payen would have sworn that the
temperature of the air dropped several degrees in
that instant. Perhaps this had not been the time for
such a question. He hadn’t meant to raise doubts
of his own loyalty.
“Whom do you trust, then, Hugues? Be careful
how you answer, because my temper is short these
days. I have given you a purpose, given you these
brave men to fight at your side and Bernard to
support you. You have no reason to doubt my
motives, and yet I see in your eyes that you do.”
“After what I have seen these past days, Lord, I
doubt my own mind.”
“Do not doubt this,” Montrovant said, his gaze
driving spikes of ice into de Payen’s heart. “You will
live, or die, by the decision you make this moment.
There are powers at work here that you do not
comprehend, and there is no time for me to explain
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them. We move now, or I move alone. That is your
choice. Santos must be stopped.”
He spun away and spurred his mount, plunging
along the road at breakneck speed. Le Duc gave de
Payen a quick glance, then followed. After only a
second’s hesitation, Hugues raised his arm and led
the others in pursuit. Montrovant no longer
appeared as the angel he’d once seemed, and that
was a discrepancy that Hugues would have to work
out for himself when time permitted. Nothing else
had changed, though, and if Montrovant was going
after Santos, Hugues would follow. If it cost him his
soul, then he’d probably relinquished that long ago,
when he’d begun his journey from France.
As Hugues felt the wind begin to grip his hair
and drive the tears from his eyes, he blinked once.
It was a sobering concept. Montrovant offered him
choices, but it appeared that the true choice had
been offered when they first met, and Hugues had
made it, for better or for worse.
The dismounted knights watched them tear off
into the distance, then turned disconsolately back
toward Jerusalem and resumed their journey. It
would take the rest of the night to reach the city,
and none of them wanted to be on the road when
de Payen returned.
Montrovant had pulled ahead, and de Payen
spurred his mount onward, bringing himself nearly
abreast of his dark companion. The man rode with
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372
no regard to terrain or the animal beneath him, as
though once he reached his goal he would just cast
it aside and take another. De Payen wondered if
that weren’t the truth of it. Nothing seemed to
matter to Montrovant beyond the dark secrets he
kept and pursued. He wondered briefly how far and
hard he’d have to run before he, too, was cast aside
for another more suited to the moment.
Many things would have to be revised in
Hugues’s own heart and mind. His faith was
unshaken, but his notion of what that faith meant,
and how he would act upon it, were beginning to
shift in focus. There were obviously many powers
abroad in the land that he’d been unaware of, and
many secrets that, if the Church knew of them,
were not spread beyond the priesthood. A week,
even a day before and he would have considered his
own train of thought blasphemous. Now that
notion seemed absurd, and it was the earlier level
of awareness that took on the semblance of lunacy.
How could he have ever hoped to be a “strong arm”
for the Lord if he couldn’t even make a decision for
himself? While he understood that priests were
closer to their Lord, he did not understand
subversion, trickery, or lies. If that had been the
fare the Church had offered for so long, then he
would seek the answers to those secrets himself.
Everything in his world had become suspect, and
that meant that if he were to find any safety, it
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would have to be of his own creation. He would
find those secrets. He would share what he learned
with those who followed him, and he would build
his knights into a power that could reckon with
whatever it came across. These and other
resolutions evolved during that midnight ride, but
all of it was forgotten when the village loomed on
the horizon.
Montrovant reined in suddenly, dropping back to
a trot and gesturing for de Payen and the others to
follow suit. None stirred among the homes or
businesses, and the silence gave the impression of
a large community tomb. Hugues shook off this
vision and concentrated. He didn’t know what
Montrovant was seeking, but he figured that,
whatever it was, he’d know if he saw it.
Montrovant was swinging his gaze from side to
side, and his movements were slow and cautious.
He seemed to be scanning their surroundings,
though what method he might be using beyond
sight Hugues could only imagine. Suddenly,
Montrovant stiffened.
“What is it, Lord?” de Payen asked quickly,
moving up to Montrovant’s side.
Montrovant didn’t answer, but he pointed to one
side of the road where an inn stood, dark and silent.
The place was closed down for the night. A thin
wisp of smoke wound its way up and out of the
chimney from a dying fire. Only a single dim candle
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374
burned in the interior, and there was no movement
at all.
“They stopped at an inn?” De Payen’s voice must
have given away his incredulity, for Montrovant
turned to him crossly.
“Of course not. The basement, Hugues. They
have secreted themselves in the basement. Santos
is a creature of tunnels and darkness. If he could
have found a suitable tomb, you can bet we would
have found him there.”
“Shall I ask the innkeeper to open it?” de Payen
asked, chastised and inwardly cursing himself.
“No,” Montrovant replied. “If we have any
chance to take them, it is in a direct assault. Make
no mistake, Hugues, Santos is not an ordinary man.
If he knows he is in danger, he may destroy us all.
Surprise is our only weapon.”
De Payen did not miss Montrovant’s selfinclusion
in that last statement, and he shivered.
They dismounted, securing their horses to a
railing on the far side of the road, and moved into
positions surrounding the cellar door as quickly and
silently as possible. Montrovant and de Payen
moved directly to the doorway itself, and
Montrovant directed Le Duc, silently, to take the
handle of those doors and prepare to open it.
Gathering his courage, de Payen watched, and
waited. The last time he’d faced the man they
sought, he’d run in fear. This time he would face
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that fear, or he would die in the attempt. The
silence was so heavy that it dragged at Hugues’s
senses. None of it seemed real, but appeared to be
taking place in a slow-motion blur.
In the distance a dog howled. As the sound
echoed through the streets, Montrovant gave the
signal, and under the screen of sound that the
animals provided, the doors were flung wide. De
Payen dove into the darkness on the heels of his
dark companion, praying silently for their souls.
Montrovant prayed for nothing.
_
Santos heard the sound of the doors being flung
wide, and he was up and moving before the first
foot hit the stairs. He’d been seeking Kessel, his
spirit turned away, and he’d been a fool to ignore
the other threats that surrounded him. Somehow
he’d not thought that Montrovant would make
such an open show of his own power. De Payen and
his men would never have found the wine-cellar on
their own.
His followers were floundering about in the
darkness, reaching for weapons and scrabbling
across the floor like animals. They were lost. He
saw it in that moment, and he made the only
decision remaining to him. Turning, he moved to
the side of the man who had carried the head.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
376
Reaching down, he slammed the monk’s head
sideways into the wall, killing him instantly. As
dark forms materialized about him, striking out at
his remaining men, Santos pulled the head free
from the man’s robes and tucked it under one arm.
He had to get out, and he could not lose the only
thing left to him to such as these.
He sensed Montrovant instantly, and he knew
the vampire knew him as well. There was no time
to think. At his back a small tunnel loomed, a drain
to help keep the room dry. He reached out with his
mind for the proper name, and he willed the
transformation. Moments later, as the battle raged
about him, he shrank to the form of a large rat.
Grasping the wispy hair of the head between strong
jaws, he began to back into the tunnel, dragging his
prize behind him.
He knew that Montrovant would detect the
energy dispersed by the magic, but he was counting
on an unfamiliarity with his abilities to grant him
the few moments he needed. The action would
likely be perceived as an attack of some sort, rather
than a retreat. Already he was planning the days
and weeks to come. He would travel more swiftly
without his followers, and perhaps they could buy
him the time to escape. It would be easier to set up
in a new place without having to find reasons and
excuses for his entourage.
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He ascended slowly but steadily and he could feel
the cool air of the street beyond the inn ruffling the
fur on his back. He backed out and dragged the
head through the hole after him, rising swiftly to
his own form once more. He called out another
word, more elegant than the last. It dredged forth
a name in the true language.
At that moment, Montrovant burst free of the
cellar once more, moving swiftly toward him. Their
eyes locked for just an instant, and Santos saw the
hunger in his opponent’s gaze, the fury at being
tricked once again. He smiled. Perhaps Kli Kodesh
had something in his pursuit of entertainment after
all. Santos hadn’t felt so energized in centuries.
Crying out the name he’d discovered, he
transformed once again, taking the form of a
vulture. With the head grasped in his talons, he
took off in a flurry of wings. Montrovant watched
for one long moment, a moment of hesitation that
cost him his prey. Santos was moving with the
swiftness of the wind.
Montrovant leaped to the air himself, but it was
too little too late. Though he shifted form himself,
cloaking his actions to those below with a flicker
of mental energy, it was no use. Santos’s powerful
wings carried him away far too swiftly for
Montrovant to match, and the first glimmers of the
dawn were beginning to send feelers of light over
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
378
the horizon. Even if he could have changed to a
swifter, more powerful form, he had no time left.
Santos flew into the light of the sun.
Cursing, Montrovant dropped back to the earth
in an alley beyond the inn and made his way
hurriedly back to where he’d left de Payen and the
others. The innkeeper had awakened, and many
other inhabitants of the village were making their
way into the streets to find out what the
disturbance was. Montrovant pressed his way
through them roughly, and they fell aside at his
approach.
None of Santos’s men had survived. Hugues was
dragging the last corpse from the cellar when
Montrovant arrived. The knight looked up, and it
was obvious that he read the fact of Santos’s escape
in Montrovant’s slumped shoulders.
“We have taken them,” de Payen said quietly.
“And yet the one we sought has escaped us,”
Montrovant replied. “It is a great victory for you,
Hugues de Payen, and it should serve to return your
faith in your own strength. I will depart now, for I
must continue to seek the one we have lost. We
will meet again.”
De Payen rose to his feet, as though he would say
something more, but Montrovant had no time to
listen. He moved so swiftly that none present,
except Le Duc, who remained with de Payen for the
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moment, noticed the motion. He was there, then
he simply was not, and Hugues was left to stare into
the darkness, his mind more in turmoil than ever.
Montrovant streaked across the sands, crossing
the miles as though they were inches. He slipped
beneath an old church, long gone to the wind and
sand, and pulled open the door to the tomb he
knew lay beneath. He’d spent more than one night
in the bowels of that house of God, though the last
time he’d seen it, it had stood whole and filled with
light. So many things he’d known were gone. So
many years piled on his shoulders.
He pushed aside the bones of the saint who’d
originally been buried there and stretched out,
dragging the tomb’s door closed behind him. Santos
was gone, but he did not have the Grail.
Montrovant had seen the eerie, grinning skull-face
that the ancient one had carried, but that had been
all. Nothing had been dragged free of the cellar. It
could mean only one thing.
Santos had escaped, but not with his treasures.
That left only one loose end untied—Kli Kodesh.
Whatever else the man might be, mad or otherwise,
Montrovant would have to find and face him once
more. For reasons Montrovant could only wonder
at, he’d been duped into putting Santos on the run.
He could only suppose that he was not expected
to have survived the ordeal. That would be one
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
380
surprise he could spring on the elusive Kli Kodesh
when next they met. For the moment, he released
himself to the silence and to the darkness. Above
him the sun rose, bright and hot, and he rested.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON


TWENTY
Two days’ ride from Jerusalem, a party of knights
made their weary way down the road in silence.
They were led by a thin, wiry knight by the name
of Gustav Monterey, and they were bound for the
Holy City to enter the service of Hugues de Payen
and the Church. Their heads swam with visions
brought to life by the words of Father Bernard,
visions that had drawn them from home and hearth
and beckoned them to a new life. They were the
first wave of dedicated knights to attempt that
journey since de Payen himself had departed
France.
There had been little trouble on the road, one
passing band of Turks who’d swung clear when they
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
382
saw how well the band was armed. Pilgrims were
one thing, but no bandit in his right mind would
attack an armed party of knights. This party wasn’t
quite as eager to fight as de Payen’s had been, and
did not pursue. Gustav was a man of deep thought,
and it was the vows and lifestyle of de Payen’s
knights that drew him to the Order.
It had been hours since they’d last rested, and
they were readying themselves to camp. It would
be their last such camp before reaching Jerusalem,
and Gustav had planned it as a special moment. As
he reined in his mount his attention was captured
by a pale, slender figure moving toward them across
the desert.
At first he thought his mind, and the heat, might
be playing tricks on him. The image wavered like
that of a mirage, and the man wore only robes and
sandals—no protection against the light of the day.
There was no way to properly judge the man’s age,
but his hair flowed back over his slender shoulders
in waves of purest white, and his eyes were bright
and intense. Those eyes glittered across the
distance that separated them.
Gustav raised his arm and the line of mounted
knights paused in the road. All eyes had turned to
the desert, and they waited for the old one to reach
the side of the road where he could be hailed. It
would not be the first traveler they’d encountered
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
on their long journey, but he was certainly the
oddest.
As the man approached, a strange lethargy fell
over Gustav. What he’d thought were
hallucinations brought on by the heat intensified
into waves of dizziness that threatened to topple
him from the saddle. He reached for the reins of his
mount, trying to drive his heels into the beast’s
sides. He fell short. His legs would not move as he
bid them, and suddenly—with the old man so near
and those wondrous eyes locked onto Gustav’s own,
the reason for flight was slipping away. He couldn’t
understand why he’d wanted to leave. There was
nothing to fear.
Gustav didn’t know where that thought had
come from, but he knew it had not been not his
own. He slumped against the neck of his mount,
sliding to the side and unable to right himself.
Though he could not lift his head to see, he sensed
that those about him were suffering the same fate.
He heard a crash, as if from a long distance, and a
clatter of weapons as one of the knights behind him
fell from his mount.
Gustav could see that the old one was still
moving closer, but his thoughts were failing him.
He knew that there were things he should do,
things he should say, but he couldn’t form a
coherent sound. He fought to keep his eyes open
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
384
and his mind aware, but he failed. Darkness
claimed him, and he saw nothing at all.
Kli Kodesh stood over Gustav’s slumped form for
a moment longer, then smiled. Grabbing the
horses’ reins he led them off the road and out across
the desert. He wasn’t really in any hurry. They
would not awaken until the darkness, and that
darkness would be the last thing they would see
through mortal eyes. Kli Kodesh had a plan of his
own, spawned by Montrovant’s use of de Payen and
his knights. New entertainment.
Darkness would have to come first, though. Kli
Kodesh’s followers were old, but not as old as he.
They could not walk in the daylight, nor did they
desire to. They shunned society, and they were
not…attractive in bright light. The very nature of
the Nosferatu made them inappropriate for the type
of service he would set for these. His followers
would aid him in the embrace, but it would be Kli
Kodesh’s own blood that supplied the conversion.
That was the beauty of the plan.
The sun blazed away, but he ignored it, taking for
granted what other damned only dreamed of.
Nothing on the earth was a true threat to him, and
the blood that sang through his veins was old and
powerful beyond comparison. Some others he’d
known had considered this invulnerability the
greatest of powers. Kli Kodesh knew it only as a
curse. He had no need to feed, nor did he need to
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
seek the shadows during the light of day. These
factors had allowed him the opportunity to ensure
that he never grew too bored with the world around
him. He could involve himself in any intrigue, and
doors that were shut to others of his kindred
opened wide at his approach. In truth, it was more
cruel a mockery of human life than that of other
undead. He was only a mockery of what they were,
as well. Alone.
It was not enough, of course. It never would be.
He needed to find new purpose each day, new
reasons not to fall to the ground and howl the pain
of his torture to the heavens. He could not bear the
notion of defeat, even at the hands of time. He
knew that his madness could no more destroy him
than the knights on the horses he led, or
Montrovant, or even Santos. He could be harmed,
controlled, changed, but never destroyed.
Eventually, he would defeat any enemy, save
boredom, by entropy if that were the method he
chose. It tended to take the sting from day to day
challenges.
Kli Kodesh was far from the oldest entity to walk
the earth, but if he were any judge of things, he was
in danger of becoming the eldest as the others
dropped away around him. He would be here when
the last days came—waiting. He would wait for the
only being who’d ever mattered to him to return
with answers that could be had in no other way.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
386
Until that time, entertainment would have to serve
to keep him sane.
He crested a large dune and led the horses into
a small valley. Below was a cavern, and within, the
Nosferatu slept. They had served him for so long
that their individuality had melted away, leaving
them almost extensions of his being. He’d never
shared his blood with them, but the scent of it kept
them near, and their minds were easily enough
controlled by one such as he. He longed for more
interesting companionship, but at the same time he
knew the folly of allowing any other to grow too
close. They would die, leaving him alone once
again, and another piece of what had been his soul
would wither. He had far too little of himself
remaining as it was.
In a way it was refreshing to know that beings of
Santos’s ilk still shared eternity with him. Santos
was older than he, and the Egyptian was one of the
only creatures living who knew of Kli Kodesh’s
curse. They had met on more than one occasion—
Santos had had the advantage during most of those
encounters. This time Kli Kodesh had found a way
to come out on top. Such amusement was had only
at great cost. He didn’t want to think of the price
he’d paid his Shadowlands spy for the information
on Santos’s name, incomplete as it had been. Half
a name had been plenty for his purposes.
He tied the horses carefully to the short, gnarled
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trees that surrounded the small clearing, and he
entered the cavern to lie back against the stone. He
didn’t require rest, not in any real sense, but it was
good to slip away from his thoughts. As he drifted
off, he wondered what had become of Santos, and
of Montrovant. He would need to steer them away
once more—a task that should not prove too
difficult. Both were so single-minded and filled
with grand purpose that they had allowed
themselves to be predictable.
Further into the cave, two large crates sat astride
a wooden cart. He’d helped to get the treasures this
far, and this night he would put one of them to use,
but it would be up to others to transport them to
safety. He would have to cover their tracks and lay
down the intrigue that would lead those any who
followed astray.
He was looking forward to the moment, facing
Montrovant again, reading the frustrated anger in
the young vampire’s eyes and knowing that the
hatred burning there was directed at himself—a
gesture of futility that would enrage Montrovant all
the more. Such an excitable boy.
Beyond the cavern’s entrance, Gustav Monterey
and his men slept, still astride their horses. The sun
transited the afternoon sky, and dusk was beginning
to fall before the first man stirred.
_
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388
On the road where Kli Kodesh had waylaid the
group of knights, Pasqual, the young man who’d
fallen from his mount, awoke to a pounding
headache and a parched throat. The sun was falling
beyond the horizon, and he was alone on the road.
Shaking his head groggily, he stumbled to his feet.
His skin was burned where he’d been scorched by
the surface of the road, and he felt as though every
drop of moisture had been drained into the sand.
But he was alive.
He scanned the desert in all directions, but there
was nothing to see. He found the tracks of the
horses, leading off into the desert, but he did not
follow them. There was no way of knowing what
had befallen his companions, but if twelve
mounted knights hadn’t been enough to overcome
it, one fallen knight dying of thirst and without his
mount would be of no use whatsoever. His one
hope of living, and of saving his companions, lay
in continuing along the road they’d been traveling
until he found help.
It occurred to him that neither end was likely,
and that he would probably end up feeding the
buzzards, but he pressed on. He’d left his home in
the hope of adventure and service to the Church.
If God were looking out for him, he would make it
to safety; and if not, then it was his time. Either
way, he had no intention of sliding easily into the
next world.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
If this were the adventure he could expect from
the Holy Land, he was already beginning to wish
for a peaceful existence. There had never been such
heat near his home, and he’d never gone more than
a few hours without prospect of food or drink.
These were lessons, Gustav would have told him.
The lessons were for a purpose, and that purpose
was known only to God himself. Gustav was full of
spiritual guidance. Pasqual found that he missed
the older knight greatly.
Though the sun had dropped beyond the horizon,
the heat still seeped up from the ground at his feet,
soaking through his boots and blistering his feet.
He pushed the pain aside, gritted his teeth, and
moved onward. He walked through a surreal
landscape of twilight until the moon rose, lighting
his way, and finally the heat began to dissipate. It
was not long before he saw the low walls of several
homes lining the road ahead. He hurried his steps
as much as he could, trying to keep his sight from
blurring and his feet from faltering.
There was no movement in the small village, but
he didn’t hesitate. If they would help him, let them
do so, and if he were to die, then let that happen
swiftly. He fell against the first door he came to,
banging his fist weakly on the wood and crying out
in a dry, rasping voice for water. Moments later the
door swung wide and he collapsed across the
threshold. He never felt the arms that circled his
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
390
chest, dragging him inside, or the cool water that
was poured past his parched lips. He didn’t even
know that he’d lived.
_
Kli Kodesh awoke before the others, as he always
did, and made his way from the tunnel. The knights
were still unconscious, and he began to drag them
from their mounts, seating them in a circle around
a small fire he’d laid out before he’d brought them
to the valley.
He worked quickly, securing each man’s hands
behind his back before moving on to the next. He
had no fear of their strength, and there was no
possibility of their escaping him, but he needed to
be certain he could get their undivided attention
for what he had to relay to them. They’d sought a
mission, a Holy Quest. He would provide it. It was
important that no detail of that quest slip past
them.
The Nosferatu were beginning to stir, and the
first of them slipped from the tunnel just as Kli
Kodesh finished placing the last of his captives in
the circle. The vampire circled the bound men,
gazing at each in turn from beneath hooded eyes.
Kli Kodesh paid no attention to him, or to the
others that flooded out behind the first like a
swarm of insects. The Nosferatu had their own
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
reasons for following Kli Kodesh, and whatever
those might be, the ancient did not care. They
served a purpose, and they were reliable. It was
more than could be said for most beings, alive and
undead alike. He trusted them no more than was
wise, but much more than most creatures he’d
encountered in his life.
There was no physical beauty to the Nosferatu.
There was only the strength of their convictions,
and the power of their spirits. Kli Kodesh had long
since given up the search for material pleasure, and
so their partnership, such as it was, had been a good
one. He knew he’d be leaving them behind soon.
They knew it as well. Should he return to the Holy
Land, they would be waiting. In its own way, it was
comforting.
The last real family he’d had had turned on him
bitterly. Those days were the nightmares plaguing
his soul. No matter how hard he worked at
distraction, there were mirrors of his actions on all
sides of him, hemming him in. His true name had
been dropped for more reasons than simple
anonymity. He couldn’t bear the burden of the
knowledge of how others saw him. He knew what
they would do, what they would think, and it was
too much to be tolerated. He had been called
betrayer, but he would not live that role.
His thoughts snapped back to the present as a
groan announced the return of the first of his
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392
captives to consciousness. He moved into the circle
he’d created, seated himself in the center beside the
fire he’d yet to light, and waited. He saw the first
man’s eyes flicker, then open, and he drank in the
confusion and fear that washed over the man’s
features as he comprehended, bit by bit, the
situation he’d awakened to.
The others were moving now, as well, and there
were rounds of curses, moans of pain, cries of anger,
all of it fascinating—a pageant of helplessness. Kli
Kodesh drank it in greedily. He got so little
interaction with mortals that he’d begun to crave
it like the taste of a fine wine or a well-roasted fowl
had tempted him in life. They were so…vital.
Every little detail could be so important to them.
He was handicapped in this regard by a clear view
of the reality of eternity. Nothing mattered that
much to him.
“Who are you?” a voice grated from his left. Kli
Kodesh swung his gaze to the speaker, smiling.
“I am your future,” he said, speaking easily and
calmly. “You are here because I have need of your
service.”
“You will have no service of me after such
treatment,” the man spat. He put on a brave front,
but behind the bravado of his words his eyes danced
with fear and uncertainty. He was a brave man, but
not as foolish as he let on.
“Oh, you will do as you are told,” Kli Kodesh said,
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
smiling. “It will not be so bad, you know. I have
much to offer, as you will find. In fact, this is an
opportunity most men go a lifetime seeking, and
never find. The first order of business, though, is
for you to be introduced to my companions. They
are very thirsty, and it has been a long journey. I
believe they want you to share in a little—drink.”
The Nosferatu poured from the shadows, one for
each of the captive knights, and they latched onto
their prey before any more words could be spoken.
Kli Kodesh watched, fascinated, but he did not rise.
It had been many years since he’d sampled the
blood of a living being. He no longer required it.
Some of the damned would have called this a
blessing, but he knew it as another part of his
personal curse. The savor of blood, the taste of
life—it had been the best of what had remained to
him after his life had ended in shame. Now that
pleasure was denied him, along with the other
things he’d loved, and his closest contact with that
sensation lay in watching others feed.
The deed was done swiftly, and completely. Each
of the knights was drained near to the point of
death, and held there. Another Nosferatu, their
leader, made his way slowly from the shadows.
Clasped in his hand, he carried an old metal goblet.
He moved slowly, his gaze locked on the object in
his hands in reverent awe. Kli Kodesh smiled.
The goblet was handed to him, and without
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
394
hesitation he raised one wrist, slashing it with the
elongated nail of his right index finger. He held the
goblet beneath the tear he’d made in his own skin,
and blood poured forth. The wound was healing,
but the goblet was nearly full before the skin had
knit itself fully back together. He’d known it would
work that way—it had done so years before when
he himself had last fed. It was the same cup, as well.
The Nosferatu stared longingly at the blood, but
none was foolish enough to make a move to try to
take it for his own. They wouldn’t have made a full
step before he’d struck them down, and they knew
it only too well. Kli Kodesh might have been mad,
but he was old, and he was strong. Those gathered
had never known one so strong, and likely never
would again. There were others, but they spent
little time among mortals, and even less with their
kindred.
Kli Kodesh rose, holding the goblet before him,
and he made his way to the knight who’d awakened
first, he of the strong will. The man’s glazed eyes
stared up at him from the arms of the vampire who
held him, and Kli Kodesh smiled down at him in
return. He tilted the goblet over the man’s open
mouth and let a few drops of the blood fall to
trickle between his lips.
Gustav, for it was the leader of the knights who’d
proven the strongest, swallowed convulsively as the
rich, coppery liquid slid over his lips, and the glazed
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
expression of his eyes became a passionate plea for
more. Kli Kodesh complied. He dribbled a small
stream of the blood into Gustav’s mouth, then
moved around the circle. Each of them got his fair
share, gulping greedily at what was offered. When
they had all been fed an equal amount, Kli Kodesh
turned to Mordecai, the leader of the Nosferatu.
“You have served me well, and I would have you
continue that service.”
He offered what remained of the cup’s contents,
and the old vampire took it reverently. There was
a moment’s hesitation in which Kli Kodesh
believed he might have misjudged his servant, but
it passed swiftly. It had seemed that his offer might
be refused. He should not have worried. The
vampire drained the cup in a single gulp, his head
falling back and his eyes gazing in rapture at the
skies overhead. Falling to his knees, the cup
dropping forgotten by his side, he lowered his head
at Kli Kodesh’s feet as the ancient blood coursed
through his veins.
“I will need a leader for these,” Kli Kodesh said,
gesturing toward the newly embraced knights.
“They are too young and too weak to survive
without guidance, and their mission, their survival,
is imperative. You will be that guide.”
Mordecai did not nod, nor did he acknowledge
the new responsibility that had been thrust upon
him. His emotions were perfectly controlled, even
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
396
through the rapture that the blood had brought. Kli
Kodesh knew that the blood Mordecai had
swallowed was pure and strong, stronger than any
draught he’d tasted since his death, and he was
fascinated as he watched the old Nosferatu pull
himself together, holding his ground in the face of
the sensual onslaught. The ancient smiled.
Mordecai turned to his own followers, and he
took a step forward. They retreated, but he held up
his hands, and they stopped, watching him warily.
He had distanced himself from them in that
instant, and nothing between them would ever be
the same, though he was their prince.
“I leave you now, but you will always be a part of
me. My blood lives within you, and my spirit gives
you strength.” He turned to the next in the line of
power, a thin, emaciated creature with a skull for
a head and the face of one centuries dead.
“Samuel,” he said softly. “You have stood by my side
through all that I have faced, save he who brought
me to this existence, and it is to you that I leave
what there is of my inheritance. You will care for
the others, leading them to safety and keeping the
trust of our secrecy. You will wait for my return. I
promise you that I will not remain free of the Holy
Land forever. Watch for me in the shadows.”
Samuel returned his sire’s gaze with mixed
emotion and desire warring in his eyes. He’d
smelled the blood that Kli Kodesh had offered, and
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
he knew the perfection of the sensation that blood
could bring. He knew, also, that his own situation
had improved. He would lead, and the others would
follow. He would be eldest in the blood. It was a
great responsibility, but there were rewards that
accompanied that responsibility. There was
eternity to await the next opportunity for growth.
Mordecai stared at his protégé for what seemed
an eternity, gauging the response to his words and
his charge of leadership. He might have waited
longer, but Kli Kodesh’s hand dropped lightly on
his shoulder, and the ancient’s voice whispered in
his ear.
“We must continue the instruction. There is no
time to wait.”
Mordecai nodded once, then turned to Kli
Kodesh. “You may tell me now what you require,
and it will be done. These,” he gestured at the
knights, “will not be ready for travel before
tomorrow, maybe longer.”
Kli Kodesh smiled. “You may find them a bit
more—resilient—than you believe. You will find
the same of yourself. In any case, it is you who must
understand my charge.
“You will take the treasures I entrust to you, and
you will travel far and fast, stopping only when you
find a defensible stronghold. You will spread rumors
as you go—rumors that speak of your new order, but
speak only in half truths. I don’t want anyone to
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
398
understand exactly what has happened here today,
but I want them to ‘believe’ that they understand.
I want what they believe to amaze them. In this I
have no doubt you will succeed.”
Mordecai’s eyes glittered, and his smile nearly
matched Kli Kodesh’s own enjoyment of the
moment. “It will be as you say, Lord,” he replied.
“There will be none to match our pace, and when
we stop we will find ways to protect that which is
yours.”
“These treasures are not mine,” Kli Kodesh said
softly. “They belong to humanity. I only wish to
ensure that, eventually, when they figure us out and
begin to hunt us as the evil we represent, there will
be secrets for them to divine—powers for them to
unlock.
“I lived in a magical time, Mordecai. I walked
this earth with those who are nothing but legend
and myth, and they called me by my true name. I
would not have that be the last such time before
the end of the world, and this is my part in seeing
that it will not be so. Do you understand?”
“Not completely,” Mordecai replied, “but there
is time, I believe, to learn almost anything.”
“That is the understatement of several lifetimes,
my friend,” Kli Kodesh replied, laying a thin, bony
hand on the old Nosferatu’s shoulder. “There is
nothing but time, and you will find that there is so
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
much of it that it threatens to drive you mad. Do
not fall under that spell. Keep things interesting.”
“As always,” Mordecai replied. “As always.”
Kli Kodesh looked around the circle a last time,
then he beckoned to Samuel, who nodded quickly.
He and the Nosferatu, all but Mordecai, made their
way from the valley. The knights were stirring
again, but to a different world than that which
they’d left behind.
“So young,” Mordecai muttered to himself. “So
young to awake to such power.” He went among
them, laying his hands on each of their shoulders
and loosening their bonds. It was going to be a long
night, but for the first time in a century, he would
awaken to the light of a new day. Kli Kodesh’s
blood would assure it.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
400


TWENTY-ONE
When Montrovant awoke he wasted no time in
climbing free of the debris and making his way into
the ruined church. There were too many things
happening at once for him to risk sitting still for
any length of time. If he missed Kli Kodesh now,
he might not find the elusive ancient again for a
century—if ever. He stopped short as he stepped
free of the debris and ruins. Le Duc sat waiting for
him, carving a piece of olive wood with the blade
of his dagger and staring into the night sky.
“You found me,” Montrovant stated
unnecessarily. Le Duc merely regarded him,
watching to see how Montrovant would react to his
presence.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
“It is not so hard,” Le Duc answered finally. “In
fact, to ignore the ache you have placed in my heart
would be an impossibility, but I suspect that you
know this. It is my hope that you have not done so
with the thought of leaving me behind to suffer it
alone.”
Montrovant shook his head. “I feel the bond as
well, but of course not as powerfully. I would have
come for you eventually.”
“Of course,” Le Duc replied, rising easily. “I
think,” he added, “that I would like to know more
about what is happening to me. I was not
consulted, after all—it would seem only fair that I
understand fully the conditions of my service.”
“Your service is unconditional,” Montrovant
spat. “I will tell you what you are becoming, but it
would make no difference if I did not. You will do
as I bid you, and there is nothing you can do to
prevent that. You can make the best of the
situation. That is what I advise.”
“I am dead, then,” Le Duc said softly.
“You are not. Not yet. You will live until I deem
it is time for you to do otherwise. You have a part
of me within you, and you may become as I am,
eventually, if it is my will. That is, you will do so
should I will it. For the moment, you live. You are
of more use to me as a being of flesh and blood,
even half-changed, than you would be as another
such as I.”
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
402
Le Duc nodded slowly, as if he were beginning to
put together the pieces of some difficult puzzle.
Montrovant strode from the ruins, leaving his
servant to follow as he might.
“There is no time for this now.” he said. “There
is an ancient one, Kli Kodesh, who has stolen the
treasure I desire from beneath our very noses.
Everything we have done is at risk of failure. De
Payen and his knights seek Santos, as does
Daimbert, but they have no chance against such as
he. Even if they did, he lost the treasure as surely
as we. Kli Kodesh has made us to appear as fools,
and it is up to us to find him and make a final
attempt to set things right.”
“And you have a plan for how to handle this
ancient one?” Le Duc was following, his features
alert and attentive. There was a hint of challenge
in the question.
“That remains to be seen,” Montrovant
answered. “I am no match in a straight test of will
or strength, but these are not the only available
avenues of attack. I need to find out where he has
taken certain objects. You will find that I am not
easily discouraged, once my mind is set.”
“Perhaps de Payen is more resourceful than you
believe,” Le Duc said softly. “Might it not be a good
idea to return and see what he may have
uncovered? The man may be too pious, and he is
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
certainly a fool of the highest magnitude, but he is
not without certain abilities.”
“That he is not,” Montrovant agreed. “That is
why I chose him to lead the knights in the first
place. If Kli Kodesh is still near, then he will call
to me, and the most likely place to find him is near
the city. Do you have your horse?”
“Better yet,” Le Duc grinned, “I have yours as
well. You took off in such a hurry, it made things a
bit—difficult—for a few moments in that village.
I told de Payen that I would remain behind, wait
for you and bring you your mount. He didn’t want
to let me stay. I don’t believe he entirely trusts me
anymore.”
Montrovant nearly grinned. Le Duc was proving
a surprising ally in all that was happening.
Montrovant knew he could make much better time
without the horse, or Le Duc, but he held his
emotions in check. There was no real reason to
hurry. If Kli Kodesh were near the city, he’d soon
know it, and if not, well, then the quest would
begin anew. If that were the case, Le Duc would
prove an invaluable aide in crossing the country
and obtaining shelter.
Caution was what was called for. Attention to
detail might mean the difference between success
and failure—even between a continuation of his
existence, or total destruction. He knew the powers
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
404
he dealt with were immense. Only a fool would
plunge into a whirlpool without some scrap of wood
to cling to as he went down, and Kli Kodesh made
a whirlpool seem tame.
They mounted up, and within moments the
ruined church faded behind them in a cloud of dust,
returning to its solitary vigil over the encroaching
desert. Neither man nor vampire looked back.
_
Staggering to his feet at the sound of hoofbeats,
Pasqual lurched toward the door of the hovel. His
hosts started from their seats at his sudden motion.
They’d been seated at a small wooden table, and
they hurried to the door in time to support him as
he flung it wide and stared into the street beyond.
He would have fallen without their aid as a sudden
wave of vertigo swept through him. Surely the
sounds he’d heard would be his companions
returning. If he sat still, they would pass him by,
and he’d be left on his own. He had to let them
know he was here, that he had survived.
He saw two war horses approach, then thunder
past without hesitation. Astride the first was a tall,
pale rider with long ebony hair sweeping out
behind him and the glint of ice in his eyes. Pasqual
met that gaze for an instant, and the eternity that
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
he saw there nearly froze him in place, despite the
weakness of his knees.
Behind the first rider came a second, smaller and
more slender, but with sharp, wary eyes and the
appearance of steel in his wiry frame. This one
looked neither right nor left, but stared intently
after the first, ignoring Pasqual as if he were so
much landscape.
Neither of them was familiar, and the
disappointment robbed the young knight of his
strength. The stablemaster and his wife, who still
held him by his arms, barely managed to lever him
back onto the bed he’d leapt from moments before.
The woman clucked her tongue and tucked the
single coarse blanket around his frame. The man
watched at the door until the two strangers had
ridden out of sight.
“Who were they,” the knight managed.
“I do not know,” the stablemaster replied. “I have
never seen them, nor their mounts, before. Perhaps
they are of de Payen’s knights.”
Pasqual’s eyes grew far away. De Payen. His goal.
He let his head fall back against the softness of the
bed, and his eyes closed almost instantly upon its
contact with the crude pillow. It felt like heaven
to his ravaged body.
“I will go to him tomorrow, or whenever I’ve
regained my strength,” he vowed.
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
406
The two who’d taken him in smiled, nodding
their heads and sharing a quick glance. Their young
guest wouldn’t be moving for at least another day,
but they kept their silence. No sense in upsetting
him unnecessarily. There would be time enough to
talk once he was more coherent.
Darkness engulfed Pasqual, and he drifted into a
world of castles and battle where he wore a bright
red cross and rode to war in the name of the Lord.
He knew, somehow, that he’d reached a new
home—a new fellowship.
_
De Payen stalked the halls of the mosque in a
horrible fit of temper. Santos had escaped, half of
his knights had been dismounted and forced to
walk back to Jerusalem, and the shame of this had
driven three of them to leave his service
permanently to return to their homes in France. He
and his men had been humiliated, and Montrovant
was nowhere to be found. He’d searched the city,
even kept his knights actively patrolling the
perimeters of the city, but to no avail. The tall, dark
knight had left them in the village and disappeared.
Every time things got out of hand, Montrovant
departed. De Payen was beginning to wonder just
what sort of patron he’d given his loyalty to.
There had also been no word from Le Duc, who’d
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
gone after the dark one. De Payen hadn’t wanted
to allow this, and the fact that neither Montrovant
or the knight had returned only served to anger
him further at his stupidity. He should have gone
himself. He should have demanded answers.
Montrovant had all but promised him victory, and
yet it had eluded him. In the face of that, rather
than offering answers, Montrovant had fled
himself, leaving de Payen to explain this second
failure to Daimbert, and to Baldwin, and to bear
the shame alone. It was small consolation that all
of the strange monks had been killed and dragged
back to the city. Daimbert had had them burned.
Now the Patriarch sought Montrovant. Daimbert
had not asked after the dark knight in so many
words, but it was obvious in the tone of his other
queries that he was fishing for information.
Montrovant had that dual effect on people. He was
imposing on a deep, primal level that seemed
always to limit conversations involving him to
whispered, secretive tones; but at the same time, he
inspired a curiosity that would not be stilled. The
longer he remained absent, the more of Hugues’s
curiosity melted to anger.
His journey to France had been delayed. He
knew he couldn’t wait much longer, but he wanted
to see this through to its end, whatever that might
be. Bernard would be paving the way, and his letter
might be arriving at the Vatican even as he stood
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
408
thinking about it. He had to get there while
sentiments were in his favor.
There was also the matter of the three new
pilgrims who’d arrived at his door during the night.
They refused to leave without speaking to him, and
from the expressions on the faces of his servants,
there was little doubt they would remain where
they were until he did see them. They wanted to
join the order—and they claimed to have been sent
by Bernard. More mysteries. Bernard had been
strangely silent throughout the entire odd business.
At least he would end it all with the same number
of followers with which he’d begun.
He knew it would be a new beginning for them
all. There was too much that had changed.
He was nearly ready to head for the stables and
go out himself to search when Phillip burst into his
chambers, breathless. The boy’s eyes shone, and he
could barely contain his excitement.
“He has come, Lord,” the servant blurted quickly.
“The dark one, Montrovant, he is riding through
the city as we speak, and Le Duc is with him.”
De Payen barely acknowledged Phillip’s
presence, but he’d reacted instantly to his words.
Before the young man could elaborate further,
Hugues was out the door and making his way
swiftly down the passageway toward the stairs.
Santos’s trail would be cold, if indeed Montrovant
were still on that trail. It had been too long since
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
they’d last spoken, and if there was new
information to be had, then Hugues wanted to be
there to receive it in person. If not, he wanted to
know why.
Montrovant was dismounting as Hugues burst
through the temple door, and Le Duc was already
on the ground, taking the reins of the larger man’s
horse.
Montrovant spun and headed straight for de
Payen. He moved with an odd, liquid intensity that
nearly drove Hugues to back off a step. He brushed
the notion aside and stood his ground.
“He is gone,” Montrovant said flatly. He made no
apology for his disappearance, nor did he appear
alarmed by, or even interested, in Hugues’s anger.
He stated Santos’s escape in such matter-of-fact
tones that de Payen nearly screamed in frustration.
Did no one but himself care that such an evil man
had gone free?
“You let him go?” he said icily.
“I let him do nothing, Hugues de Payen. I have
told you before, there are forces at work here that
you do not understand. Everything is not the cut
and dried truth of your faith. He has slipped
through our grasp, but without that which he
sought. Santos is a very powerful being, and he has
not lived to such an age by being a fool.”
“How do you know this?” de Payen asked. “Has
he left something more behind?”
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
410
Montrovant shook his head. “No, but I saw him
in his final flight. He carried only what appeared
to be a single human head. The carts that he
dragged through the tunnels were nowhere to be
seen.”
“None of his men made it out of that room alive,”
de Payen said. “There were no carts there, no
treasures.”
“Then there is but one answer,” Montrovant said
shortly. “Someone else got to him before we did.”
“You will pardon my bluntness, Lord,” de Payen
grated, “but if one such as yourself could not stop
him, who else—what else—could have done so?”
Montrovant didn’t answer. He turned back
toward his mount, and de Payen, pushing himself
forward with every ounce of courage granted him
by a long life and strong faith, laid a hand on
Montrovant’s shoulder, stopping him.
“What shall I do now?” he asked earnestly. “We
have failed, and the first great enemy that we have
faced has fled.”
“You will continue with your mission,”
Montrovant replied, suffering the knight’s touch
for the moment, and turning back to face him. “You
have not failed, Hugues de Payen. You have driven
the enemy forth, and he has lost everything but his
life. You should be content, and you should carry
out your plans. They are good plans, great plans,
even, and they will help to shape much of the
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
history that is to come. Be content with this. Go
to Bernard.”
“But…” Hugues could think of no question likely
to elicit a better answer. He wanted to believe that
what Montrovant said was true, but his faith was
founded on shakier and shakier ground the more
often the dark one appeared to him.
“We will meet again, Hugues,” Montrovant said
softly. “I am going to need the services of one of
your knights.” He nodded at Le Duc, whose eyes
had taken on a strange glint since de Payen had last
seen him. The man seemed taller, somehow, more
forbidding. He grinned down with a defiant tilt to
his head as if waiting for Hugues to refuse.
Hugues nodded. He’d never trusted Le Duc fully.
Let him follow whom he wished. There was no
room in de Payen’s order for those divided in their
loyalty.
Montrovant turned to mount up again, and
Hugues merely watched. Just as Le Duc launched
himself into his own saddle, Hugues spoke again.
“I don’t know who you are, and I have come to
doubt who you appear to be. I don’t know from
whence you’ve come, or from whom. Despite this,
I feel honored to have known you. Go with God,
the both of you. May you find whatever it is you
seek.”
“And you as well, Hugues de Payen,”
Montrovant called over his shoulder. The two
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
412
riders thundered into the distance, leaving de
Payen to stand, to watch, and to wonder. Nothing,
it seemed, was as it seemed.
As Montrovant rode away, he heard a young man
rush up to Hugues, out of breath. He heard the
words that followed, and he smiled. De Payen
would do fine.
“Sir—Lord,” the boy babbled, trembling in fear
and with the effort of his flight, “there is a report
that a band of pilgrims—three hundred strong—
has been slaughtered on the road. The Patriarch
has asked that you come to him.”
Montrovant could almost see the big man’s curt
nod. Entertaining indeed.
_
As Montrovant turned toward the desert once
more, he felt a now-familiar call reaching out to
him. He didn’t hesitate, but urged his horse toward
Golgotha. Le Duc rode at his side and a little bit
behind, scanning the desert as they moved through
it. He could sense something, as well, though he
had no idea what it was they sought.
The ground melted away beneath the flying
hooves of their mounts, and what seemed only
seconds later, though it must have been longer,
Montrovant saw the three crosses on Golgotha
silhouetted against the light of the waning moon.
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
There was no one standing on the hill, but he did
not change his course. He made straight for the
edifice, jumping from his mount as they
approached more closely, and leaping to the
summit in a single bound.
Kli Kodesh was nowhere to be seen, and
Montrovant sent his senses questing in every
direction at once, calling out for the old one to
appear. There was no sign that his call had been
heard, but a hint of mocking laughter floated across
the desert.
He saw Le Duc whirl, first one way, then the
next, trying to pinpoint the sound. Ignoring his
servant, he reached out again. Closing his eyes, he
pressed the limits of his ability, reaching further
and finding nothing.
The light, gentle touch of a hand on his shoulder
nearly sent him leaping from the hill in shock. His
eyes flashed open, and Kli Kodesh stood before
him, smiling serenely, as though he’d been there all
along.
“Hello, Solomon,” the ancient greeted him. “You
certainly took your time coming back.”
Montrovant shook his head, trying to clear the
cobwebs the other was weaving in his mind.
“Where is it?” he grated, taking a step toward the
older vampire. “Where did you take it?”
Kli Kodesh only smiled at first, and it nearly
drove Montrovant over the edge. Attacking such
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
414
as Kli Kodesh could have but one end, but anything
would have been better than that silent, mocking
face.
Then the old one spoke.
“I have taken nothing,” he replied. “The secrets
and treasures of that temple do not belong to me,
or to you, but to the world. What I have done is to
release them back into that world. Without the
magic of the ages it has been much too boring for
my tastes.”
“You have given them away?”
“Not exactly,” Kli Kodesh smiled. “I have raised
a new group of guardians from the ashes of your
Father Santos’s failed efforts. They hold the
treasures of ten generations, but they cannot use
them. They are as you and I, walking, not alive, and
not quite dead…not quite undead.”
“Not quite undead? What sort of gibberish is
that?”
“Haven’t you wondered, Solomon,” Kli Kodesh
asked, “why I have been so hard to find? Why, in
fact, my kills have not been noticed? Why none
have sought me?”
“I have never questioned the ways of my elders,”
Montrovant replied. “I always assumed that when
I was meant to understand, I would.”
“Understand this, then, Solomon,” Kli Kodesh
went on. “I have not needed the blood for over a
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DAVID NIALL WILSON
hundred years. I have not needed the touch of the
earth for twice that long. I am as comfortable by
day as by night. My followers will share many of
those traits.
“The secret you seek is cryptic in nature, as are
all great secrets. You seek the Holy Grail, but how
do you know it does not stand before you, even
now? When my savior said, ‘Take, drink, this is my
blood,’ do you truly believe he was pouring wine
into a goblet? Do you believe, even for a moment,
that my kiss in the garden at Gethsemane was
merely a kiss, and nothing more, and that that kiss
has damned me for eternity?”
“I have only the scripture, and my memory, to
guide me,” Montrovant replied. “I have no answers.
I did not walk those roads.”
“And yet, you seek,” Kli Kodesh mused, his smile
widening. “May you find what you wish for,” he
added, “and may it truly be worth wishing for, when
you find it.”
Montrovant was staring straight at Kli Kodesh,
but suddenly he stared at only empty air.
“Wait,” he cried. “Your followers, where are they?
How will I find them?”
“Seek the Order of the Bitter Ash,” Kli Kodesh
replied, his voice floating across the sand as if from
far away. “You will find all that you seek there, and
more.”
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416
Then there was nothing. Montrovant turned to
where Le Duc was watching him, still mounted,
confusion masking his features.
“Who did you speak to?” the knight asked.
Montrovant stared at him, then turned back to
the empty desert. He almost smiled.
“No one. I spoke to no one. Come, we must ride.
There are many things to tell you before dawn
arrives, and we must be long gone from this place
by then.”
Without a backward glance, Montrovant strode
down from Golgotha. He leaped into the saddle
and kicked the animal’s flanks, sending it speeding
across the sand. Le Duc turned to follow, but he
allowed himself one last glance at the crosses on
the hill above him.
Hanging from the cross-bar of the central cross,
a frail, pale figure smiled down at him. The light
of madness was in those eyes, and wild laughter was
bubbling forth from between ancient lips.
Le Duc whirled his mount and followed his new
master into the darkness. The laughter surrounded
him as he rode. He caught Montrovant after a mile
or so, and they rode on in silence. The shadows
beckoned with endless promise as the laughter
chilled his heart.
417
DAVID NIALL WILSON


EPILOGUE
Pasqual had risen early and started on the road
before his hosts could protest. He knew he wasn’t
at full strength yet, but he felt a burning need to
get to Hugues de Payen, and to report the loss of
his companions. He felt that, had he remained
bedridden for another second, he would have gone
insane, despite the wonderful treatment and the
food, which, while simple, had been the best he’d
had in weeks.
He’d left a short note, written on a scrap of the
paper he’d brought along on the journey. Pasqual
had wanted to chronicle his adventures. Eventually
he’d thought to gather the notes of his journey
together and make a book of them. There was
TO SIFT THROUGH BITTER ASHES
418
something magical in the permanence of written
words. Though he knew it had always galled his
father, he’d felt more inclined to the life of a scribe
than that of a warrior.
Now he felt as though he’d be lucky if those
adventures ever made it past their beginnings. He’d
been walking since morning, and though he could
see dim lights from Jerusalem over the skyline, he
knew he was still a long way from reaching his goal.
He’d not brought much water or food, not wanting
to further inconvenience the stablemaster, and
what he’d had was long gone.
The heat was melting into the chill of the desert
night, and the weariness in the young knight’s
bones threatened to drive him to his knees and
leave him lying in the road for the buzzards. It was
then that he heard the thunder of approaching
hoofbeats, and he stopped, waiting. He didn’t know
if it would be a patrol, bandits, or passing travelers,
but he hoped that, whoever it was, would have
water to spare. The food he didn’t miss so much,
but for water he would have killed.
He stepped to the side of the road, just as two
dark shapes flashed out of the shadows astride war
horses. He started to call out to them, then
hesitated. There was something about the lead
rider, the way his cloak billowed behind him like
the wings of a gigantic bat, and the way his eyes
419
DAVID NIALL WILSON
blazed from the darkness as though lit from within.
The two were familiar in some way, but he couldn’t
place them in his mind.
The horses reined in suddenly, and the tall man
stared down at him. Pasqual’s knees nearly buckled
at the expression of hunger masking the man’s
otherwise handsome features, and he backed away
a step before freezing in his tracks.
_
Montrovant saw the young man alongside the
road, and something within him snapped. Kli
Kodesh’s cryptic words and the frustration of
having everything he’d worked for slip through his
hands was too much for him, and he threw caution
to the wind. Baldwin, de Payen, and all their
patrols be damned, he was going to feed.
He would have been fine had there been some
clue, some source he might have wrung answers
from, but there was nothing. He’d tried to make
sense of Kli Kodesh’s words, but he’d found nothing
but more questions, and the growing impression
that he’d appeared a fool ate at him like acid.
He didn’t even bother to reach out to the boy, or
savor the moment. He leaped from his mount as it
came to a halt, rearing and whinnying in fear, and
he drove the boy’s heat-weakened body to the road
mercilessly. Without thought he latched onto the
flesh of his victim’s throat and drank in deep,
heaving gulps.
It was over in moments. Le Duc, who had never
witnessed his new master in such an act, sat
immobile and shocked on his horse, unable to tear
his eyes from the scene before him, and unable to
get the scent of the blood from his mind. He
retched at the thought of drinking another man’s
blood, but at the same time it called to his soul.
Montrovant dropped the boy in the road, but as
he did so, the last dying thoughts seeped from the
broken, wilted body, and Montrovant drank it in
without hesitation. As the images formed in his
mind, a group of knights—an old man beside the
road. The disappearance. He lifted his arms to the
moon and screamed his anger.
Kneeling quickly, he tried to bring the boy back,
but he was gone. Dead, never to return, and his
secrets dead as well.
Montrovant remained kneeling, closed his eyes,
and concentrated, pushing aside the taste of the
blood, fresh upon his lips. There had been twelve
of them—thirteen with this boy. They were gone,
but not that far away.
As suddenly as his anger had come, it passed. He
didn’t have all of the answers yet, but he had
something to follow, and that was enough. Time
was always on the side of he who had the most.
Without a glance at Le Duc, who fought a new
hunger of his own within the depths of his mind,
Montrovant remounted and sped off down the
road. It was just possible that things were about to
become…entertaining.