you. Walter's stricken with a fever. It might be nothing more than a touch of marsh ague, but if it's a contagion then it could spread. We won't know how serious it is till morning. In the meantime, I told him to go to his bed and I'd take his watch.'
Walter and his woman would be sow-drunk by now, and with luck he'd have a raging hangover by morning and would look sick enough to convince anyone he'd spent the night with a fever.
Hugh rocked on the balls of his feet, half of him plainly determined to see for himself, the other not wanting to go anywhere near a sick man for his own safety.
Finally caution won out. 'Bring me word at once, no matter what the hour, if there is word from Raoul. I trust you can get that much right at least.'
Hugh gestured towards the gate. 'Well, go on, gelding. If you're keeping watch, do it. Lie down and keep watch, with the other hounds. At least for once you know your place. I always said it was among the curs.'
Raffe had to force himself to keep silent, though it almost cost a tooth for he was clenching his jaw so hard, but he meekly walked across to the gate and sat down by the brazier, warming his hands.
Hugh stood watching, then, apparently satisfied, he climbed the steps up to the Great Hall. An unnerving silence descended on the dark courtyard. It was so quiet Raffe could hear the leaves rustling on the trees outside, but still he dared not move to release the priest from his tomb. A flicker of movement at one of the darkened upper casements told him Hugh was still watching him. Raffe prayed that the priest would not think himself abandoned, and start hollering and banging to be let out. Raffe wrapped his cloak tightly around himself and let his head gradually droop forward on to his chest as if he was dozing.
There he remained for as long as he dared. Finally he let his eyes flick up to the windows without moving his head. He could not see anyone standing there. Please God, Hugh had grown tired of watching and had at last retired to his bed. Raffe feigned a yawn, stretched and stood up, ambling round the courtyard as if he was merely checking all was well. Once he reached the arches under the Great Hall, where he could no longer be seen, he hurried to the prisoner hole and pulled up the trapdoor; the stench rolled out like a dense cloud of fog.
'Father,' he whispered. 'I've come to take you to the ship.'
There was no reply. Raffe lay on his belly and hung the lantern down as low as he could. The feeble light showed a crumpled figure lying at the bottom of the pit. His eyes were closed and he was not stirring. Sweet Holy Virgin, was he dead, suffocated?
As rapidly as he could, Raffe descended the ladder. There was scarcely room at the bottom for him to stand without treading on the prone form of the priest. Raffe bit his lip hard to stop himself from gagging and carefully avoided looking into the black hole in which the open coffin lay. Awkwardly he bent down and shook the priest, but there was no response. He pushed his hand inside the man's shirt and with enormous relief discovered a faint heartbeat, though the man's skin was fish-cold.
Raffe dragged the limp body upwards and crouched down so that he could hoist it across his shoulders. It wasn't easy mounting a ladder in such a confined space with the dead weight of a man on his shoulders and he repeatedly felt the priest's head bump and graze against the stone wall. They were almost at the top when the rung beneath his foot splintered under their combined weight and Raffe felt himself plunging sideways.
The ladder twisted, almost throwing Raffe off, but for once the narrow space proved his salvation. His shoulder crashed hard against the wall, but the ladder was prevented from falling any further.
Raffe balanced there, trying to get his breath, but the ominous creaking of the wood reminded him that the staves would not bear his weight for long. With a supreme effort he managed to push the priest's body up through the hole so that the weight balanced on the rim. Then, kicking against the ladder, he heaved himself up beside the man.