The Moneylender of Toulouse (2 page)

“It's still a disguise,” I said. “Every costume is a disguise.”

“I shall go nude,” she said. “It's the only way you will ever believe me.”

“Fine by me,” I said, hoisting Portia onto my shoulders. “I am only trying to say that acting normal is just another disguise. We are abnormal people.”

“Still, it's nice to come to a new place during Advent,” she said. “It takes the pressure off of trying to break in and perform immediately. We can get to know the place without people staring at our makeup and motley and expecting us to be funny.”

“We should get in touch with the local fools,” I said. “We need to find out how we can meet the Master of Revels.”

“It's two weeks to Christmas,” she said. “We have time. Now, since our clever apprentice has already brought up the topic—why Saint Cyprien? Everyone we need to know is in Toulouse proper. And the city does have those nice, big walls protecting it.”

“Yes, and you remember the last time we lived in a city with nice, big walls protecting it,” I reminded her. “We almost died because we were inside those walls. I'd rather be in a position to flee than be trapped inside if war ever comes to Toulouse.”

“The great Theophilos, running from danger?” she gasped. “Is this the man I married?”

“The very same,” I said.

“Our mission is to prevent war,” she said.

“It is,” I agreed.

“Then why would you run from it?”

“Because if it comes, then we have failed,” I said.

*   *   *

It was the last day of the previous August, at the farm where the Fools' Guild was now living in exile, hidden deep within the Black Forest. One of the novitiates came running up to where I was playing with Portia, who was just beginning to crawl then.

“Father Gerald wants to see you,” he said, panting.

“About what?”

“I am not privy to the thoughts of the great,” he said. “I am only the messenger. I suggest that you find out for yourself.”

“Seen my wife about?” I asked.

“She is out hunting,” said the boy.

“Any good at minding babies?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he said quickly. “The last three entrusted to my care died horrible deaths.”

“Well, little fool, I guess you're coming to see Father Gerald,” I said to Portia, scooping her up. “Don't embarrass me this time.”

Father Gerald was sitting on a bench in front of the barn. Beyond him, teams of jesters unaccustomed to real work were putting up additions to the Guildhall so that there would be solid walls and roofs when the winter came. I hoped to Christ that they knew what they were doing. Every time the wind blew, I thought the building would collapse on top of us. But so far, so good.

The old priest had his face tilted up to the sun, his eyes closed. Not that that made a difference at this point. I cleared my throat.

“Ah, Theophilos. Good,” he said. Then he sniffed the air, and smiled. “And you brought my favorite goddaughter. Give her here, boy.”

“You're one of the few people alive old enough to call me that,” I said, carefully handing Portia to him.

She looked up at him in awe as she always did, then giggled as he nuzzled her belly.

“I shall miss her,” he said softly, and my heart leaped.

“You have an assignment for us,” I said.

“I do,” he said.

“Should we go somewhere private to discuss it?”

He shrugged. “At the old Guildhall I had an office, a desk, a carefully organized system of maps and files,” he said. “Here at the Guildhall in exile, I only have this bench, but the good Lord has compensated me by making me blind, so one place is as good as another.”

“He works in mysterious ways,” I said.

“I confess that I don't always get His sense of humor,” he said. “But not everyone gets mine, so I suppose that I am made in His image. Where is your wife?”

“Hunting,” I said. “Hopefully just deer. Seeing her come back with that boar was terrifying.”

“Terrifying, but delicious,” he said. “I will miss her as well.”

“You haven't said you are going to miss me, I notice.”

“I was getting to it,” he said, smiling beatifically.

“And where will we be when you are missing all of us?”

“Toulouse.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You know the city.”

“I've stopped there a few times. When King Denis returned from Beyond-the-Sea, he made the pilgrimage to Compostela to celebrate his safe return. We passed through Toulouse both coming and going.”

“And that was when?”

“Sometime in '94, thereabouts,” I said.

“Good enough. I am making you Chief Jester there.”

“I am honored. What happened to Balthazar?”

“He died.”

“Sorry to hear that. Of anything that I need to investigate? Avenge?”

“Down, boy,” he admonished me. “Some jesters do live to a ripe old age.”

“Or past it, in your case.”

“Hmph. Anyway, Toulouse has always been in a precarious spot. Balthazar did well to keep things as peaceful as he could, given the ambitions of the counts and every neighboring monarch, and he died as he lived, peacefully.”

“And why me instead of one of the Toulousan fools?”

“Because the other fools there aren't worth a sou, in my opinion,” said Father Gerald, some of the old, familiar sharpness returning to his voice. “And the troubadours I assigned have become positively flighty. Peire Vidal was kicked out years ago for lusting after one of the old count's mistresses.”

“Typical of him.”

“Gui de Cavalhon is riding the circuit, but doesn't have the staying power of a butterfly. I had hopes for this new boy, Peire Cadenet. Tremendous talent for songwriting, but an equal talent for frivolity. He just went chasing off to Aragon after some woman or another.”

“What about Raimon de Mireval?”

“He's at the court of Pedro the Second. He has a commission to constantly praise the king's current mistress.”

“Sweet arrangement,” I said. “All right. To Toulouse.”

“There will be one stop to make along the way,” he said. “Pack your gear, then stop by after the evening meal and Brother Timothy and I will give you all the details.”

“Very well, Father.”

He patted Portia on the head and held her up to me.

“One more thing, Theo,” he said as I took her. “Two more, now that I think of them.”

“Yes, Father?”

“The last time I sent you on a mission, I promised that I would be alive when you came back.”

“And you kept that promise,” I said.

“I did,” he said. “I won't be making it this time.”

I reached down and grasped his hand. He held mine tightly and pulled me down to whisper, “And I expect to hear your confession tonight. It's my last chance. And yours.”

I took a deep breath.

“All right,” I said.

“Tonight, then,” he said, letting me go.

*   *   *

Our new rooms were appreciably cleaner when we returned, and Helga commensurately dirtier.

“Good job, Apprentice,” I said.

“At least I wasn't wearing whiteface,” she said, coughing dramatically. “How is Zeus?”

“Being fed a steady diet of stableboys,” I said.

“Stableboys?” she said, brightening under the dirt. “I should visit him.”

“Easy, girl,” said Claudia. “They wouldn't like you.”

“Why not?” she asked indignantly.

“Because you're an unstable girl,” said Claudia. “It would never work. Now, go back to the well, fill that bucket once more, and wash everything on you that sticks out.”

“Yes, Domina,” she said, curtseying.

“Call her Maman, daughter,” I said. “You must stay in character. You never know who is listening. These walls are so thin we could be overheard in Toulouse.”

“Yes, Papa,” she said.

The men from the furniture shop arrived. Claudia inspected the pallets carefully before allowing them to grace our rooms. Portia waved and burbled at them from her cradle. A substantially cleaner Helga returned from the well, climbing the steps with a bucket of water balanced unaided on her head, which prompted impressed exclamations from the men. She smiled at them as they left.

I got a fire going in the brazier. Claudia tossed me a sack of white beans. “Your turn to cook,” she said.

“This will be our last meal of just beans,” I grumbled. “Tomorrow, I will go to the market and—”

“Tomorrow is Sunday,” said Claudia. “The market will be closed.”

“Tomorrow will be our last meal of just beans,” I said.

She produced two loaves of dark bread and tossed them to me.

“Just beans and bread,” I said.

“What else shall we do tomorrow?” asked Helga.

“Well, since it's Sunday, I think we should go to church,” I said.

The looks of astonishment on their faces gave me a great deal of satisfaction.

*   *   *

In the morning, we brushed our clothes to a close semblance of neatness. When I deemed that we were presentable, I turned to Portia, who held out her arms and chirped, “Up! Up! Up!”

“Up, up, up,” I agreed, tossing her into the air and catching her. She shrieked with delight. I placed her on my shoulders, and she grabbed my hair with both hands.

“Gently, poppet,” I urged her, and she loosened her grip slightly.

Some parents might look askance at a man climbing down a stairway with his infant daughter on his shoulders. But we are fools. Claudia pulled the trapdoor shut and padlocked it.

We walked past the cemetery toward the Garonne river.

“Is that the church?” asked Helga, pointing to a bell tower.

“That is a church,” I said. “Saint Nicholas, the local church. I'm sure it's fine enough for everyday sinners, but I will settle for nothing less than a cathedral for my family.”

“Because we are sinners on a grand scale,” explained Claudia.

We had ridden to Saint Cyprien on the east bank of the river to avoid notice. As a result, we had only seen Toulouse from a distance, the view dominated by the three towers of the Château Narbonnais.

The river was wide but not particularly deep. Indeed, it was more of a marsh than a proper river on the west bank where we now lived. There was a low bridge connecting our new neighborhood with the city proper, built on hexagonal supports made largely of thin red bricks. On the other side and downstream was a narrow island, the Ile de Tounis, every foot of its shores covered with mills vying for the available currents. More mills were nestled between the arches of the bridge, perched on boats and barges anchored off the island, their wheels turning lazily in the water.

The city itself was dotted with a number of towers, indicating the locations of the wealthy and the means they took to protect that wealth.

“It reminds me of Pisa with all the towers,” commented Claudia. “Only they favor brick here.”

“Stone is scarce, clay is cheap,” I said.

“It makes everything pink,” said Helga. “It's pretty. I like it.”

The bridge took us to an opening in the city wall. There were some terraced vegetable gardens descending from an abbey to our left. Beyond them, the banks of the river stopped at a low cliff which was protected in turn by the city wall. To the north, the river curved away from the city, a massive dam stretching across it to an island by the bend. More mills hugged both shores of the island and the bank north of the walls. An immense fortification loomed beyond them.

“Test time, Apprentice,” I said. “We have crossed the Daurade Bridge. Where would you expect the cathedral to be?”

“To the south,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because the Château Narbonnais is to the south, and you would expect the cathedral to be close to where the count lives, so he doesn't have to walk too far to church.”

“More or less correct,” I said. “This is the old city ahead of us. The bourg is the newer part to the north. We'll be walking through it later so you can learn where everything is. The cathedral is actually near the southwestern wall.”

Saint Étienne was not huge as cathedrals go. I don't know when it was built, but at one point they had enough money to bring in some stone for its construction. At least for the front, where the paying customers could see it. There was brickwork at the sides, more of those thin bricks that were favored by the Toulousans. A large rose window dominated the front, but the main doors were to the right of center, so everything seemed thrown off as a result.

There was a cemetery in front of the cathedral, an odd location for the dead. Most churches tuck them out of sight in the rear so they won't disconcert the living, but here they served as a constant reminder of what was coming up next. To the right of the cathedral was a cloister, and a smaller church beyond that. In between the cemetery and the cathedral were statues of the Apostles, their legs crossed as if they were about to start dancing. Behind them, flanking the main doors, were two female figures bearing shields on which were sculpted the zodiacal figures of the lion and the ram. It never hurts to back up religion with a little old-fashioned astrology. Just in case.