Ebenezer watched them go, then walked his own horse beneath the huge beams and stared down at the horrid mess Devorax had made. Maggots writhed in the entrails. He glanced up at the second hanging man, twisting slowly, the rain dripping from the death-darkened feet into a puddle below. He considered trying to cut the body in half with his own sword, but knew his strength was not sufficient. No matter. Soon he would have the strength of thousands. Soon the Covenant would be his.

He smiled, wrenched his rein, spurred back and shouted for his men to follow him. They rode south toward Whitehall. The seals were being gathered.

Thirty

Persuading Sir Grenville Cony was not quite as simple as Ebenezer and Devorax had supposed. Sir Grenville was no fool, he had survived too long in a troubled political world to believe that every opportunity was to be taken. He was skeptical. “I’m an old, old man, Ebenezer. You sip ambrosia, but I smell poison.”

“You don’t believe Devorax?”

“I haven’t met him.” Sir Grenville stared out at the river. Rain pelted on to the surface. He turned back to the desk. “The seals are real enough. Why did he go to you? Why not me?”

“My name was on the reward offer.”

“True.” Sir Grenville said it grudgingly. “Yet Lopez has the reputation of being a generous man. I don’t understand the complaint of this Devorax.”

Ebenezer shrugged. “Lopez has been generous to Devorax. He saved his life, he’s employed him ever since. I don’t think the fault lies with the Jew, it’s with Devorax. He’s greedy.”

Sir Grenville nodded. The bulging eyes looked palely at Ebenezer. “Should we kill him?”

“He doesn’t want much. Pension him off.”

Then news came that the soldiers sent to the Southwark house had been successful. Sir Grenville had feared an ambush, but instead they found Lopez’s house unguarded, and its furniture, books, rugs and ornaments were being removed. Sir Grenville was pleased. “A blow! Ebenezer! A blow against the Jew!” He laughed. “Unless it’s simply a ground bait to take us nearer the hook.” He stood up and sidled his huge belly past the desk. “You say Devorax is taking the bitch to Amsterdam. Why? She only has the use of two seals?”

Ebenezer played his best piece. “Devorax says that Aretine’s alive. That he’ll add the Seal of St. John to hers in Amsterdam.”

Sir Grenville’s face lost its cheerfulness. He turned aghast. “Alive?”

Ebenezer shrugged. “So he says. Perhaps he just meant that Lopez has the fourth seal. I don’t know.” He pointed at the two lumps of red wax on Sir Grenville’s table. “We know the girl has those two, I hate to think of what will happen if Aretine is alive.”

“You hate! You’ve not met the bastard! Dear God! You say Devorax is taking her out of the country at this place Bradwell?”

Ebenezer nodded.

“When?”

“He said he’ll let me know.” Ebenezer was playing the story by ear, but he had been pleased by the panic engendered by the mention of Kit Aretine.