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Shun The Dark Martin Nichols
Chapter 16
here was no doubt that Theodbeorht was dead. His head wasaligned with his body, but several feet of ground separated onefrom the other. He had been placed in the midden, rather thanmerely thrown in. This told me that whoever had done this had known the body would be found, and wanted us to know it wasn’t a random killing, nordeath by misadventure. I also took the meaning of the murderer, thatTheodbeorht had lost his mind, and therefore had lost his head. It wasn’t hardto fathom.Godburga was in a corner next to a byre, throwing up, retchinguncontrollably, her eyes red with tears. I went over to her to comfort her aswell as I could, running my left hand through her flowing red hair, whilekeeping my sword arm free, just in case whoever did this was still around.The girl threw me off, angered by the attack on her father and the way he’d been set out dead as if to mock us all. Her mother however was very calm andextremely controlled. There were times when I thought I might understandwhat went on in Godgifu’s head, but this was not one of those. Tunna, whohad arrived puffing a little way behind me, was crossing himself and bothering God with yet another series of prayers. Wulf stood impassive,chewing on something caught in the great gaps between his teeth. But then hehad seen worse than this on the back streets of York. Possibly he washardened to death, particularly a death as violent as the one set out before uslike the paintings of the Hebrews on the church wall in York, left for us by aFrank with a sense of humour, probably Grimbald if truth be told. As far as Iknew, Grimbald was still locked in the chapel, forgotten by me because of myhasty departure. One of the servants was crying quietly into the bosom of her
T
 
Shun The Dark Martin Nichols
sister, who was comforting her tenderly and whispering to her to calmherself. I could see the witch, standing at the back, looking on, shaking herhead. Nobody would stand too near her, and there was a clear belt whichnobody would cross. Death is always with us, but people sense the weirdaround them.Hebbi had been standing around for a time with little to do.“Go and find the most senior of the guards to the vill, and bring whoeveryou can find to me at once!” Perhaps I could turn some of the ones whichTunna had told me Hræfn had left. Hebbi nodded grimly and left withoutfurther word. When he had gone, I turned to my brother.“This has gone far enough. I intend this to stop now.”“All well said, but how do you do that?” He looked uneasy.“The chances of keeping the lid on this are very much lower now. A boygoes missing, and it can be laughed off. One old crippled man can die with aknife in his belly, and people will forget him, and in any case it could have been a drunken argument, or he just pushed someone too far once too often.The head of the lord’s guard dies at my hand. Few mourn him. The worlddoes not change because of that.”“This is not like that.”“You’re right. The murder of a lord, even one as close to death asTheodbeorht may have been, is beyond my power; he will be revenged,whatever the rights and wrongs, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”“So what will you do?” said Godgifu, cool and calm, given that her ownhusband was lying inches away in two pieces. If I had been her, I think Iwould have been looking after my daughter, who had stopped throwing up, but was slumped in a corner with her head in her hands, skirts wrapped
 
Shun The Dark Martin Nichols
around her knees in a stance of gut-wrenching horror that I have seen womentorn into too many times before.“If there must be revenge, let it first be against the right man; Wigræd hadnothing to do with this as I’ve always said. I intend to…” As I started tospeak, Hebbi and Wulf returned with a middle aged man who still had achicken leg in his right hand. When he saw all of us there, he stoppedchewing. The food looked like it stuck in his throat.“You are the senior of the
here
?” He nodded, and swallowed withdifficulty.“I am, sir. Name’s Luhhede.” By instinct he stretched out his hand ingreeting, but it was full of chicken grease, so I ignored it.“You know who I am, and that I am the king’s thegn here, with fullpowers. You were there when the Witan threw me out yesterday? Well, I’m back and I’m taking charge here, right this moment. All right?” Luhhedenodded, slowly, as if addled in his wits, although I could see his arm wasstrong.“First things first. Why were the nobles locked in the stables?“Hræfn said it was to protect them, in case Christ’s not with him todayand they get here over his dead body. He’ll do anything to protect us, hewill.”“You’re seriously suggesting that men of ill-will who have bothered toride all the way to the village will turn and ride off because a bolt has beenshot across a stable door?” Luhhede thought about that one for quite a while,I can tell you.“Well,” I said. “I’ve got bad news for you, Luhhede. Look there, that’s it,down there. I think that Hræfn knew about it, and maybe he’s caught up in it.
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