The Death Ship of Dartmouth: (Knights Templar 21) Read online

  THE DEATH SHIP OF DARTMOUTH

  Michael Jecks

  Copyright © 2006 Michael Jecks

  The right of Michael Jecks to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

  First published as an Ebook by

  Headline Publishing Group in 2014

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

  eISBN: 978 1 4722 1982 4

  HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

  An Hachette UK Company

  338 Euston Road

  London NW1 3BH

  www.headline.co.uk

  www.hachette.co.uk

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  About the Author

  Also by Michael Jecks

  Praise

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Map

  Cast of Characters

  Glossary

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  About the Author

  Michael Jecks gave up a career in the computer industry to concentrate on his writing. He is the founder of Medieval Murderers, has been Chairman of the Crime Writers’ Association, and helped create the Historical Writers’ Association. Keen to help new writers, for some years he organised the Debut Dagger competition, and is now organising the AsparaWriting festival for new writers at Evesham. He has judged many prizes, including the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger. Michael is an international speaker on writing and for business. He lives with his wife, children and dogs in northern Dartmoor.

  Michael can be contacted through his website: www.michaeljecks.co.uk.

  He can be followed on twitter (@MichaelJecks) or on Facebook.com/Michael.Jecks.author.

  His photos of Devon and locations for his books can be found at: Flickr.com/photos/Michael_Jecks.

  Also by Michael Jecks

  The Last Templar

  The Merchant’s Partner

  A Moorland Hanging

  The Crediton Killings

  The Abbot’s Gibbet

  The Leper’s Return

  Squire Throwleigh’s Heir

  Belladonna at Belstone

  The Traitor of St Giles

  The Boy-Bishop’s Glovemaker

  The Tournament of Blood

  The Sticklepath Strangler

  The Devil’s Acolyte

  The Mad Monk of Gidleigh

  The Templar’s Penance

  The Outlaws of Ennor

  The Tolls of Death

  The Chapel of Bones

  The Butcher of St Peter’s

  A Friar’s Bloodfeud

  The Death Ship of Dartmouth

  Malice of Unnatural Death

  Dispensation of Death

  The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover

  The Prophecy of Death

  The King of Thieves

  No Law in the Land

  The Bishop Must Die

  The Oath

  King’s Gold

  City of Fiends

  Templar’s Acre

  Praise

  ‘Michael Jecks is the master of the medieval whodunnit’ Robert Low

  ‘Captivating … If you care for a well-researched visit to medieval England, don’t pass this series’ Historical Novels Review

  ‘Michael Jecks has a way of dipping into the past and giving it that immediacy of a present-day newspaper article … He writes … with such convincing charm that you expect to walk round a corner in Tavistock and meet some of the characters’ Oxford Times

  ‘Great characterisation, a detailed sense of place, and a finely honed plot make this a superb medieval historical’ Library Journal

  ‘Stirring intrigue and a compelling cast of characters will continue to draw accolades’ Publishers Weekly

  ‘A tortuous and exciting plot … The construction of the story and the sense of period are excellent’ Shots

  ‘This fascinating portrayal of medieval life and the corruption of the Church will not disappoint. With convincing characters whose treacherous acts perfectly combine with a devilishly masterful plot, Jecks transports readers back to this wicked world with ease’ Good Book Guide

  About the book

  The twenty-first novel in Michael Jecks’s medieval Knights Templar series.

  Autumn, 1324: when a man is found dead in the middle of a Dartmouth road, many assume his demise to be the result of a drunken accident. Meanwhile, a ship is found ravaged by pirates out at sea, the crew killed or captured. Could this be the beginning of a new onslaught, or something even more sinister?

  Sir Baldwin de Furnshill has been told of spies and messengers being sent to the great traitor Roger Mortimer in France. If this is true, then civil war in England is surely imminent. Together with his friend, Bailiff Simon Puttock, Baldwin is tasked by the most powerful men in the Kingdom with uncovering the truth. Fail, and they will be executed. Succeed, and others may be ready to silence them for ever.

  This book is for Webb and Welk.

  Good friends for more years than I can remember.

  Cast of Characters

  Sir Baldwin de Furnshill The Keeper of the King’s Peace, Sir Baldwin is known as a committed seeker after the truth.

  Simon Puttock A stannary bailiff, Puttock has been a friend of Baldwin’s for eight years, since 1316. Recently he was promoted to act as the Keeper of the Port of Dartmouth’s (see Glossary) representative in the town.

  Rob A teenaged youth who has been taken on by Simon as his servant while he lives in Dartmouth.

  Stephen The latest in a line of clerks to Simon.

  Sir Andrew de Limpsfield A man-at-arms in the service of Lord Hugh Despenser.

  Sir Richard de Welles Coroner to the King, from Lifton in Devon.

  John Hawley One of the four major merchants and shipowners in the town.

  Peter Strete Clerk to John Hawley.

  Paul Pyckard The second of
the leading merchants of the town, Pyckard is suffering from a terminal illness.

  Adam Loyal and devoted to Pyckard, his master, Adam is an excellent captain and leader of men.

  Gilbert One of Pyckard’s best shipmasters, Gil is a well-known and respected captain.

  Moses Pyckard’s closest and most trusted servant, who is like a son to him.

  Danny Moses’s younger brother, Danny chose to serve their master by joining his fleet and became a good sailor.

  Philip Kena The third local merchant, Kena is eager to advance himself.

  Hilary Beauley The fourth of the leading merchants, Beauley is the youngest and most ambitious.

  Hamo Cooper to the ships in Dartmouth’s haven.

  Hamund Chugge A confessed murderer, Chugge has decided to abjure the realm (see Glossary).

  Ivo le Bel Although a sergeant and upholder of the law, Ivo is not known either for his courage or his intelligence.

  Odo Vincent’s closest companion, he is a good sailor, albeit a harsh leader.

  Henry Pyket Known in Dartmouth as one of the best shipbuilders and wrights.

  Vincent Despite his brutality, Vincent is nevertheless respected for his courage and seamanship.

  Alred Paviour A notable professional, Alred is a roadmaker, or paver.

  Bill Bill has worked with Alred for many years.

  Law The youngest of the trio, Law is apprenticed to Alred.

  Cynegils An old sailor fallen on hard times.

  Emma Cynegil’s daughter.

  Sieur Pierre de Caen A French knight who has recently been living in the Queen’s household.

  Bishop Walter II Baldwin’s friend, Walter Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter.

  Glossary

  Abjurer A man who was accused of a felony could agree to ‘abjure the realm’. He would be taken from his sanctuary and led to the gate or stile of the local churchyard, and there made to swear an oath to leave the country. If he deviated from the instruction given by the Coroner, any man could behead him on sight.

  Alaunt Large, tenacious hunting dog: a cross between a mastiff and a greyhound.

  Cog The basic ship of the medieval English merchant navy, the cog was clinker-built i.e. having a hull constructed with overlapping planks. A strong vessel, it could have castles added fore and aft, when required for war.

  Futtock A large framing timber that doesn’t reach as high as the sheer or as low as the keel.

  Halyard The main rope used to raise and lower the yard.

  Hulk Conjecturally from the Greek holkas – a towed ship or merchantman. The hulk had no keel. Instead, the strakes met at the sheer at the prow and the stern. The hull was uniquely curved as a result.

  Keeper of the Port In 1319 the Abbot of Tavistock was made Warden of the Devon Stannaries and Keeper of the Port of Dartmouth for ten years. He had a lease of all revenues for an annual fee of £100. This meant that the Abbot could take all customs from Dartmouth. A good ‘farm’ indeed!

  Ratlines Horizontal ropes set to create a ladder up to the yards.

  Sheer, sheerline Of a hull, the upper section.

  Sheet With square-sailed ships, this was the rope that led to the bottom corners of the sail. Loosening or tightening this rope would change the angle of the sail to the wind.

  Strake Each long plank that ran horizontally along the hull, from stem to stern. Usually these overlapped the strake below.

  Thwart A plank on which a rower could sit.

  Wale A thicker strake than others. When guns were introduced, this led to the stronger strakes being termed ‘gunwales’.

  Yard A wooden spar slung from a mast and used for suspending a sail.

  Prologue

  Late summer 1309, off the Breton Coast.

  Danny would remember that night for the rest of his days.

  He was heartily sick as the wind came up and a powerful gale started blowing from the south-south-west. Only a boy, he had been put on this ship after his father had died. He was an orphan, along with his older brother Moses. Their mother had been gone these last three years, and their father went down a month ago when his little fishing boat was caught in a storm.

  There was a crack, and he felt the ship heel over. The shock was enough to stir him from his bleak mood.

  This was an older ship. The decking was loose board to give quick access to the hold beneath, and the open deck was where the crew slept, under heavy canvas awnings, hoping that the weather and spray would not persecute them too much. From all Danny had experienced so far, that was a forlorn hope. At the rear of the ship was a castle, underneath which was the solitary cabin where the ship’s master would normally sleep.

  Even though he was so young and on his first voyage, Danny could tell that the ship was suffering greatly. The mast was groaning, the canvas taut and straining, while all the sheets hummed with the wind. At the top of the mast, the great flag snapped and curled like a whip with every change in wind direction. It was reassuring that the older hands like Vincent and Odo were not overly troubled. Or if they were, they didn’t show it.

  The men ran to the ratlines, clambering aloft and spreading out over the yards, and when Odo gave the order, they began hauling the sail up, in an attempt to tie it off and stop the hectic wind from ravaging it.

  That was when they had the first disaster of the long night. Even as Danny stood, trembling with weakness and nausea, there was a scream, and one of the younger sailors slipped from his position near the mast itself.

  The seamen depended on their horny feet maintaining a firm footing on the rope that ran under the yard, bellies hooked over the top as they hauled up the sail. This lad was one of the new young members of the crew; his feet were less hardened, and his foot slipped. As the ship swayed beneath him, he lost his balance and fell. One hand clutching wildly at a rope as he toppled, at last he grasped it. But it was a near-vertical sheet, and as he plummeted to the deck the palm of his hand was rasped away, leaving a smear of blood all down the hemp. There was a scream, followed by a crunch like a lettuce being hit by a mallet. Then, silence.

  If the lad hadn’t died, perhaps the men could have reefed the sail, but as they stared in horror, it was too late and disaster struck them all. The sail flapped loose and then tore in half. In moments, the two halves were shredding, and now a tattered medley of flags were curling overhead. Long strips detached themselves and flew off ahead, chased by the wind that drove the ship on – and that was when Danny knew he must soon die. He scarcely noticed the door opening to the master’s cabin. He was staring at the boy’s body as it flopped about on deck with the ship’s roll; in that corpse, he saw himself.

  Without a home, or any family apart from Moses, who was nine, the seven year old would have starved, were it not for the charity of the Church and the kindness of his benefactor. Master Paul Pyckard had sometimes used his father as crew on his ships, and when he heard of the two boys’ plight, he had his men seek them out. Before long, Adam, the sailor with the enormous beard, had tracked him down and taken him in, and the lad had been thankful for the offer of a warm cot for the night. To his delight, there was a fire in the morning, and bread and dripping to eat, washed down with as much ale as he could hold. At the time, still weak after the years of famine, and without food for almost three days, other than scraps from the church, young Danny had scoffed so much, he had promptly brought it all back up, but from that day he began to recover. Now, a month later, he was still weakly and feeling alone and vulnerable, but so much better than before.

  Adam had become his closest friend. Reliable, always cheerful, he was Pyckard’s most trusted lieutenant, and just as it was only natural that Danny should pay his way by serving on Pyckard’s ships, it was as natural that he should want to serve with Adam. Moses had been taken in to live with Master Pyckard, and was settling in happily, learning the work of a servant.

  Usually Adam would not have been on this craft, an older cog of some twenty tuns called the Saint Rumon, but she was strong enough, else Mast
er Pyckard would never have let his most valued possession, his beautiful French wife, travel in her.

  Madam Amandine was as sweet as a sister to Danny. He could admire her beauty, with the juvenile appreciation that noted perfection of form without lust. Amandine was slender and pale-skinned, with a slight peach tone to her cheeks. Her eyes were set wide apart under a high, intelligent brow, and her oval face was regular and unmarked with signs of pox or scurvy, so rare in these years of starvation. She was kind and gentle, and Danny worshipped her, as did the other men on board; she was respectful and attentive even with the lowliest sailors. And when, as now, she suffered from the dreadful consequences of a not-strong belly and vomited, the crew fought to take her little tidbits which were ‘guaranteed to settle her gut’ as the men all believed. It had taken some persuasion from Adam to make them leave the poor woman in peace after their ministrations began to make her feel even worse.

  Rather than leaning over the sheer with him, she remained in her cabin with a bowl. Even over the wind, he could hear her wretchedly moaning. He joined in, spewing and retching as the ship lurched and rolled, men up at the yard attempting to replace the sail, until it grew clear that they could achieve nothing. It seemed to last the whole night. And then there was another, greater shuddering and wrenching, and men began to scream. Danny could hear the panic in their voices, and in the naked terror in the men’s eyes, he saw death. They would drown. He would drown.

  He had no fear. His father too had been killed in a storm. It was the way for a man to die when he spent his life at sea. No, Danny had no fear, but he did think regretfully of the life he would lose, just as he was beginning it with Master Pyckard.

  There was another slamming shock and the ship seemed to settle.

  ‘She’s on the rocks, boys!’

  Over the monstrous howling of the wind, Danny could hear a new noise. No, not hear: he could feel it through the soles of his feet. It was the crackle and shriek of a dying vessel as the water poured in through joints and seams, forcing timbers apart. He clung to a set of oaken planks that suddenly reared up from the loose decking, and lay on them as the ship began to break. Adam was at his side, a hand on his shoulder, peering at him with concern, and then he saw men running from the mast to the sides, desperate men who couldn’t swim and who had nothing to cling to. Adam raced to the master’s cabin, but as he went, Danny saw the door burst wide, and then the wall of the cabin fell away; he saw the green sea thundering through it, sweeping table, benches, pots and cots from inside. And in among it all was Amandine, with blood on her hands and legs as the timbers of the dying Saint Rumon flew about her.