patient maybe then I’ll think about arresting him. Anyway, I’m not convinced he is a murderer.’
Gilbert looked appalled. ‘How can you say that? You saw what he did to those robbers. He nearly murdered them too.’
‘And saved our necks in the process. What do you think those robbers would have done when they finished with us? Let us live to identify them? I think our lives are worth a little bread and cheese, don’t you?’
I took some out of the saddlebag along with a bottle of ale.
‘Stay here. I want to talk to him alone.’
‘But master!’
‘With you there he may not speak. I’ve a better chance on my own.’
I went back alone to Hamo and handed him the food which he consumed ravenously.
‘So,’ I said, ‘who was it helped you escape?’
He didn’t reply but took a long swig of ale from the leather bottle.
I sighed. ‘It was the apothecary, wasn’t it? Was it the apothecary?’
‘If you know, why ask?’
It was as I feared. Joseph. I tried not to let my feelings show in my face, but there was no hiding my disappointment.
Hamo gave a lopsided grin. ‘You’re him, ain’t ya? Joseph’s brother. He said he had a monk brother.’
‘Yes, he’s my brother,’ I said irritably.
‘You don’t look much like him.’
‘He takes after mother,’ I said irritably. ‘Now look, what exactly happened yesterday? Be honest now.’
Hamo merely shrugged. ‘Honest? The honest truth is I don’t know. One minute that mad dwarf monk was trying to break my leg and the next he’s lying on his back with a pole through him.’
‘That’s right. You grabbed it from him and thrust it between his ribs.’
‘I grabbed nothing, ’cept my bleeding leg,’ he said rubbing it. ‘I was sure he broke it.’
I nodded to his longbow. ‘I saw what you did with that. Quite the marksman. It takes strength to pull a bow like that. You could easily have put that pole through his chest.’
‘Well I didn’t, and that’s all there is to it.’
‘But you must have seen who did.’
‘I didn’t see nuffink. Except stars.’ He rubbed his injured leg again.
‘In that case why not come back with Gilbert and me now? Tell your story. If what you say is true you will be believed.’
‘My word against that French monk?’ He snorted. ‘Fat chance.’
‘Well you can’t stay out here for ever. Not with sheriff’s men looking for you. You know they’ve been to your home already?’
‘I know. And I’ll take my chances. Which is why I’m going to have to relieve you of a little more than bread and cheese. Sorry brother.’
I’d already felt the point of his knife digging into my ribcage.
‘This won’t help you. It will just convince others of your guilt.’
‘Can’t help that,’ he said hobbling up onto his one good leg while holding onto my collar. ‘Get up please, brother.’
He kept hold of my robe as we both got up and he gingerly put his bad foot down on the ground. He seemed satisfied with my binding skills. I could see Gilbert trying to edge closer so I put out my hand to ward him off before he got us both killed by accident or design.
‘You there,’ he called to Gilbert. ‘Fetch me them money bags.’
Gilbert didn’t move, so Hamo made a show of putting the knife up to my throat.
‘Get him the bags,’ I said to Gilbert.
‘But master!’
‘Just do it.’
With great reluctance Gilbert picked up the eight bags and threw them at Hamo’s feet.
‘I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take one of your mules as well.’
‘You can’t!’ protested Gilbert. ‘You can’t leave us out here in the middle of nowhere with no mule.’
‘I’m only taking one. You two can share the other one.’
He then ordered Gilbert to tie the money bags onto Agamemnon’s rump. I knew the mule wouldn’t like that, those bags were heavy. Four had been bad enough. Now Agamemnon had twice the weight and I wondered how he would react. Still holding on to me Hamo hobbled over to Agamemnon. Then
Gilbert looked appalled. ‘How can you say that? You saw what he did to those robbers. He nearly murdered them too.’
‘And saved our necks in the process. What do you think those robbers would have done when they finished with us? Let us live to identify them? I think our lives are worth a little bread and cheese, don’t you?’
I took some out of the saddlebag along with a bottle of ale.
‘Stay here. I want to talk to him alone.’
‘But master!’
‘With you there he may not speak. I’ve a better chance on my own.’
I went back alone to Hamo and handed him the food which he consumed ravenously.
‘So,’ I said, ‘who was it helped you escape?’
He didn’t reply but took a long swig of ale from the leather bottle.
I sighed. ‘It was the apothecary, wasn’t it? Was it the apothecary?’
‘If you know, why ask?’
It was as I feared. Joseph. I tried not to let my feelings show in my face, but there was no hiding my disappointment.
Hamo gave a lopsided grin. ‘You’re him, ain’t ya? Joseph’s brother. He said he had a monk brother.’
‘Yes, he’s my brother,’ I said irritably.
‘You don’t look much like him.’
‘He takes after mother,’ I said irritably. ‘Now look, what exactly happened yesterday? Be honest now.’
Hamo merely shrugged. ‘Honest? The honest truth is I don’t know. One minute that mad dwarf monk was trying to break my leg and the next he’s lying on his back with a pole through him.’
‘That’s right. You grabbed it from him and thrust it between his ribs.’
‘I grabbed nothing, ’cept my bleeding leg,’ he said rubbing it. ‘I was sure he broke it.’
I nodded to his longbow. ‘I saw what you did with that. Quite the marksman. It takes strength to pull a bow like that. You could easily have put that pole through his chest.’
‘Well I didn’t, and that’s all there is to it.’
‘But you must have seen who did.’
‘I didn’t see nuffink. Except stars.’ He rubbed his injured leg again.
‘In that case why not come back with Gilbert and me now? Tell your story. If what you say is true you will be believed.’
‘My word against that French monk?’ He snorted. ‘Fat chance.’
‘Well you can’t stay out here for ever. Not with sheriff’s men looking for you. You know they’ve been to your home already?’
‘I know. And I’ll take my chances. Which is why I’m going to have to relieve you of a little more than bread and cheese. Sorry brother.’
I’d already felt the point of his knife digging into my ribcage.
‘This won’t help you. It will just convince others of your guilt.’
‘Can’t help that,’ he said hobbling up onto his one good leg while holding onto my collar. ‘Get up please, brother.’
He kept hold of my robe as we both got up and he gingerly put his bad foot down on the ground. He seemed satisfied with my binding skills. I could see Gilbert trying to edge closer so I put out my hand to ward him off before he got us both killed by accident or design.
‘You there,’ he called to Gilbert. ‘Fetch me them money bags.’
Gilbert didn’t move, so Hamo made a show of putting the knife up to my throat.
‘Get him the bags,’ I said to Gilbert.
‘But master!’
‘Just do it.’
With great reluctance Gilbert picked up the eight bags and threw them at Hamo’s feet.
‘I’m afraid I’m gonna have to take one of your mules as well.’
‘You can’t!’ protested Gilbert. ‘You can’t leave us out here in the middle of nowhere with no mule.’
‘I’m only taking one. You two can share the other one.’
He then ordered Gilbert to tie the money bags onto Agamemnon’s rump. I knew the mule wouldn’t like that, those bags were heavy. Four had been bad enough. Now Agamemnon had twice the weight and I wondered how he would react. Still holding on to me Hamo hobbled over to Agamemnon. Then
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