‘I abandon their bodies. Wherever a soul goes, theirs have already departed. I leave that to the Almighty.’

He eased ben Josef away from the bodies as the old physician murmured, ‘May the All-Merciful One shelter them with the cover of His wings forever. I will offer my own prayers for them. I beg you. A few moments.’

Blackstone looked around the devastation. Ranulph de Hayle had done little damage to the town’s buildings other than burning a few of them. An eerie silence had settled over the place. The scattered bodies seemed out of place. Men, women and children lying as though a powerful wind had cast them down. Perhaps that was God’s hand. Killbere eased his horse forward.

‘We should move on, Thomas.’

‘Gather the men beyond the town. I’ll join you.’

Killbere looked from Blackstone to ben Josef, whose open palms were raised heavenward. His eyes were closed; his lips muttered prayers in a language neither Killbere nor Blackstone understood. Killbere shrugged and turned his horse.

Blackstone stood back from the old man’s prayers. Le Bête and his men had killed for the pleasure of it. Was it simple blood-lust or was there a greater reason to inflict this suffering? ‘It’s time,’ said Blackstone. Too many prayers dulled a man’s brain.

The old man clutched Blackstone’s arm. ‘There is something I should have told you. I did not think it was important before, but now… This killer has evaded God and embraced the low creatures from the shadows. He is in league with the Angel of Death. I believe I know why he returned here and did this.’

‘I offered you my protection. Have you abused my trust?’

‘No, no, Sir Thomas, I pray I have not. But sometimes a man drops a clay dish and it shatters so that we do not find all the pieces. So it is with this killing here. My mind makes the pieces fit.’

‘Ben Josef, I don’t have time for riddles.’

The old man nodded furiously, eager not to have Blackstone dismiss him, yet his steps were faltering, holding back. ‘Before you first came here the killer arrived and paid for prisoners from the battle at Cocherel. He and Godfrey de Claville spoke privately.’

‘De Claville let him inside the walls?’

‘Yes.’

‘But he was afraid of de Hayle. He asked me to kill him. I made him that promise. I failed him and this is the result.’