Malachi with the words “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shallprepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple” – will make his mark by the creation of a New Jerusalem, a new Temple, established exactly on the pattern of the old. And it is the Copper Scroll alone which contains within it the blueprint for the rekindled Temple of Solomon – and also the location of the treasure with which the building of the Temple is to be funded. That much is clearly written in the Mishraic. It is unequivocal.’
‘Why are you telling me this?’
‘Because I wish you to understand the seriousness of what you have discovered. The only possible answer to the Copper Scroll being in your possession can be that it has been stolen from us by agents of your brother. Neither Gilbert Horal, our Grand Master, nor any of our Seneschals or Marshals, would ever have handed such a thing over voluntarily. They would rather die. So it must have been forcibly taken from us, and is intended to be used, alongside the Holy Lance, as a gathering focus – you may call it a recruiting aid – for the fourth Crusade. I will know more when I peruse these letters. But there can be no other possible reading of the situation. And once von Drachenhertz has the scroll in his possession, who is to say that he will not get his Arab scholars to decode it and steal the hidden treasure – to enrich himself or to fund his crusading army – before it can be used for the purpose King Solomon intended? Namely, to rebuild the Temple as the basis for a New Jerusalem.’
‘And you believe in this New Jerusalem?’
Hartelius shook his head. ‘I used to. I do not now. But I believe that others believe it. My Templar knights for a start.They may not remain loyal to me. But they will, without question, remain loyal to their vows. Each Templar knows of the secret contained within our name. Each has vowed to guard that secret with his life. If I tell them that I have taken back the Copper Scroll, which was unlawfully stolen from us, they will follow me to the ends of the earth if by that means they can ensure that the scroll is returned to its rightful owners.’
‘So you agree that I must marry von Drachenhertz?’
Hartelius threw up his hands. ‘I wish you to live as free a life as you are able. I owe you that and much more besides. When I first met you, you told me what you thought was the meaning of your name. That it meant “to be free”.’
‘But you told me no. That it means “strength in otherness”.’
‘I did. But to you the symbolical changing of your name betokened freedom. Freedom from the confines of the abbey, where you had been known as Agnes – the sacrificial lamb. And freedom from the whims of men. This, I believe, is why you gave yourself to me. Because there was no formality in my request to you. No outside pressure. It was a question of free will. And free will is precious in direct proportion to what one is prepared to lose for its sake. And you have been prepared to lose everything. I cannot sanction such a sacrifice on my account.’
‘It is not your choice to make.’
‘But it is my right to try and convince you of the good sense inherent in my future actions, is it not? I possess such a right, do I not? Thanks to my love for you? A love which I have demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, until mydeath. There will be no other woman for me beyond you in my lifetime. You are my one and only love. You are everything to me. To the extent that I would rather see you in the arms of another man than that any hurt should befall you. With von Drachenhertz you will become a queen. You will have the protection of that title.’
‘And my child will too?’
‘Yes. Any child of yours will thereby be protected.’
The princess put out her hand and touched her lover lightly on the arm. ‘Any child of ours, Hartelius.’
Hartelius flinched, as if her touch had scalded him. ‘I do
‘Why are you telling me this?’
‘Because I wish you to understand the seriousness of what you have discovered. The only possible answer to the Copper Scroll being in your possession can be that it has been stolen from us by agents of your brother. Neither Gilbert Horal, our Grand Master, nor any of our Seneschals or Marshals, would ever have handed such a thing over voluntarily. They would rather die. So it must have been forcibly taken from us, and is intended to be used, alongside the Holy Lance, as a gathering focus – you may call it a recruiting aid – for the fourth Crusade. I will know more when I peruse these letters. But there can be no other possible reading of the situation. And once von Drachenhertz has the scroll in his possession, who is to say that he will not get his Arab scholars to decode it and steal the hidden treasure – to enrich himself or to fund his crusading army – before it can be used for the purpose King Solomon intended? Namely, to rebuild the Temple as the basis for a New Jerusalem.’
‘And you believe in this New Jerusalem?’
Hartelius shook his head. ‘I used to. I do not now. But I believe that others believe it. My Templar knights for a start.They may not remain loyal to me. But they will, without question, remain loyal to their vows. Each Templar knows of the secret contained within our name. Each has vowed to guard that secret with his life. If I tell them that I have taken back the Copper Scroll, which was unlawfully stolen from us, they will follow me to the ends of the earth if by that means they can ensure that the scroll is returned to its rightful owners.’
‘So you agree that I must marry von Drachenhertz?’
Hartelius threw up his hands. ‘I wish you to live as free a life as you are able. I owe you that and much more besides. When I first met you, you told me what you thought was the meaning of your name. That it meant “to be free”.’
‘But you told me no. That it means “strength in otherness”.’
‘I did. But to you the symbolical changing of your name betokened freedom. Freedom from the confines of the abbey, where you had been known as Agnes – the sacrificial lamb. And freedom from the whims of men. This, I believe, is why you gave yourself to me. Because there was no formality in my request to you. No outside pressure. It was a question of free will. And free will is precious in direct proportion to what one is prepared to lose for its sake. And you have been prepared to lose everything. I cannot sanction such a sacrifice on my account.’
‘It is not your choice to make.’
‘But it is my right to try and convince you of the good sense inherent in my future actions, is it not? I possess such a right, do I not? Thanks to my love for you? A love which I have demonstrated, and will continue to demonstrate, until mydeath. There will be no other woman for me beyond you in my lifetime. You are my one and only love. You are everything to me. To the extent that I would rather see you in the arms of another man than that any hurt should befall you. With von Drachenhertz you will become a queen. You will have the protection of that title.’
‘And my child will too?’
‘Yes. Any child of yours will thereby be protected.’
The princess put out her hand and touched her lover lightly on the arm. ‘Any child of ours, Hartelius.’
Hartelius flinched, as if her touch had scalded him. ‘I do
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