Andrés thought and then squatted and drew a twisting line in the dirt; he pointed to the rising ground meaning the track that curved around it, then he drew an elongated shape. ‘El Talo.’

‘It is called the flatbread. It is open ground between two mountains,’ ben Josef said.

‘Then that is where Andrés must go.’ Blackstone spilled Spanish maravedis from his purse and pressed them into the boy’s hand.

‘Sir Thomas,’ ben Josef said in gentle admonishment, ‘that is too generous. It is a lot of money for someone like him.’

Andrés looked disbelievingly at the coins in his hand.

‘It’s a small price to pay for safe passage,’ said Blackstone.

‘I will offer prayers for your safekeeping, my lord,’ the boy answered.

Blackstone placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘And I for yours.’

*

After they buried Saustin, Blackstone told Killbere and John Jacob his plan and as they went to the captains, he beckoned Santos to him and explained that he had changed his mind about the route to Burgos.

‘North?’ said Santos. ‘That is a long way around. If we climb through the mountains it will take days longer.’

‘Once we pass where Saustin died then I cannot risk a column of men being caught in the open ground. We will ride for the Sierra del Cordel. You know them?’

Santos was confounded. His lips moved but uttered no words until he had collected his senses. ‘I know them, yes.’

‘Good,’ said Blackstone. ‘You will lead the way.’

‘Lord, there is also another chain of mountains that runs from the north all the way to the Mediterranean. Are we to travel across all the peaks once we clear the Sierra del Cordel?’

‘No, we will go down into the valley and then ride west across the Ebro straight to Burgos. If the nights are clear we ride until I call a halt. Understand?’

Santos nodded. ‘My lord, it would be safe enough on my route. It would not slow us down. Ask Ariz, he will tell you the same thing.’

‘I did. He said you had a wine flask hidden and took them on the wrong track. I cannot trust you.’

Santos looked panicked. ‘I did not drink, I swear it. Yes, when the accident happened, I took a mouthful from Ariz’s wineskin. Why would he say that? He’s lying. I am not in the wrong, Sir Thomas.’

Despite the morning chill Santos’s florid face speckled with sweat.

‘As you said: he dislikes you. Perhaps it was not your fault. Did Ariz and Saustin make you ride downwind of them? Is that what happened?’

Santos’s mind juggled with the excuse being offered. Blackstone could almost hear the wind whistling through ear to ear as a thought tried to find purchase.