Chapter 3: Eyes of Esus
In
the morning after mass Father Signoret and the Seigneur de Chambré met at the
fashionable Place Royale apartments of Guy de Bourges. Tonight was the night
for the next ritual killing, but this time they planned to be there ahead of
the murderers. Bondy was on a main road to and from Paris and it was near the
location that would complete the pentagram so they decided to use the Red Fox
Inn in Bondy as a base. It was next to the highway which made it convenient
for travel. The three traveled there in de Chambré’s coach. They were
accompanied by their servants, Signoret by Claude, an old family retainer;
Guy by his valet and apothecary Fabré; and de Chambré by his coachman
Jean-Claude.
On
the way, Father Signoret shared with them the information he had obtained
from his studies on witchcraft and ritual. He
had consulted a number of Classical authorities. In the Pharsalia,
Book I, the Roman poet Lucan mentioned the god Esus along with two other gods
– Taranis and Teutates. Blood sacrifices were made to all three of these gods
among the Ligurian and Treveri tribes of the Gauls. And there were
indications in the areas around Paris of influence by the Treveri. The Jesuit
told them that Esus was the god most associated with blood-sacrifice and
hanging. In carvings Esus was usually depicted with three birds and a bull
and once, in the crypts below the cathedral of Notre Dame, Signoret had even
viewed a piece of old pagan statuary that depicted Esus.
They
ate lunch at the Red Fox. Afterwards they questioned the locals about any news
in the area. The main topic of gossip was a recent murder. The previous day the
body of a murdered gentleman had been found beside his broken-down carriage. He
was found by his driver who had returned after walking to Bondy to get help to
repair the coach. The driver said that they had been traveling late at night
down farm lanes when the coach had broken down. They were met by an attractive
dark haired woman who had flirted with his master and had pointed out the way
to Bondy to the driver. She had stayed with the master while the driver went
for assistance. The gentleman’s body was found at the foot of a post, the sort
of post often used to hold a scarecrow. The victim’s heart had been torn out. It
seemed to the heroes that the witch had claimed another victim.
Based
on the association of several of the previous murders with standing stones and
old pagan sites they asked whether there were any in the area, especially in
the woods to the northeast. From a garrulous old man they learned that there
was an old pagan site in the woods southeast of Nonneville known as the Eyes of
Esus that consisted of an usual stone formation in the shape of a huge face. This
was near the location the mathematician had predicted for the last point on the
pentacle.
The
name of the sight made the connection to the beliefs of the ancient Gauls
clear. Signoret quietly told the others some additional information about Esus.
In pagan myth, Esus was the husband of Rosmerta and was identified with the
Roman god Mercury (Hermes). Also in the ancient Gallic tongue Esus meant Lord
or Master. Witches were known to worship Satan and to call him master which
further confirmed a Satanic association to the murders.
They
waited another hour for Gaston to arrive, they had asked him to meet them here
in Bondy and he had said he would come as soon as his duties allowed. They
decided to leave word for him at the inn and to spend the rest of the afternoon
searching for the Eyes of Esus. They took de Chambré’s coach east along the
highway. On either side they saw that the fields were recently planted with
crops. Peasants still worked some of the fields. Scattered about were planted
the still forms of scarecrows in an attempt to keep the scavengers away from
the freshly planted seeds. Here and there trickles of smoke rose from isolated
farmhouses and in the distance the smoke was visible from the villages of Bondy
and Nonneville.
About
a mile from Bondy they found the path that the old man had told them about. It
led north to the Forest of Bondy. The path was narrow and rutted and not
suitable for de Chambré’s fine carriage. He instructed his driver to park the
coach beside the road near the path and to set up the colorful pavilion he had
brought as well and to set out the cold supper for their return. The others ordered
their servants to assist the driver and then to await their return. The three
heroes proceeded on foot up the path to search for the pagan site.
They
followed the path north. Once they entered the woods their pace slowed as
they took time to follow every game trail or promising detour as they
searched for the Eyes of Esus. Extensive logging had reduced the Forest of
Bondy to barely a shadow of its former self, but as the heroes went deeper
into the woods they could no longer see the fields outside. It became
impossible to tell where the woods ended. They reached a place where the path
sunk into a small bog. As they circled around the depression they found a
clearing with an unusual rock formation shaped like a face half buried in the
earth. The stones were unsettling and it was easy to imagine the thousand
years of pagan ceremonies that must have taken place here. They had found the
Eyes of Esus.
Since
it was still light, they decided to explore the path to the north and they
followed it to the other side of the wood. Exiting they could see Nonneville to
the west. Tired from walking they decided to head for the village to see if
they could hire horses to ride back to the coach or if not so they could get a
bit of liquid refreshment. They were less than half way to the village when Guy
noticed an odd looking small, black cloud. The black cloud moved faster than
any other cloud and eerily it seemed to be heading straight for them.
Fabré
did not normally lose his temper but trying to erect the Seigneur de Chambré’s outlandishly
large, brightly colored pavilion would have been difficult for only three men
under normal circumstances, but when one of the three men was Claude it was an
unpleasant and severe form of penance. Just as they got the last ropes tied
down, he noticed a strange looking black cloud approaching from the south. But
when the cloud suddenly changed direction and dove straight for them he
realized two things. First it was not a cloud but the largest swarm of birds he
had ever seen and second he did not want to trust the hastily erected pavilion
as refuge. He started to run for the coach when he noticed Claude standing
still staring at the birds. Now that they were closer their noise was
overwhelming. Not trusting that Claude would hear him over the noise, nor that
if he did he would understand and act, Fabré grabbled him by the arm pulled him
towards the coach. They just made it inside before the storm hit.
The
black birds were crows. Vicious, angry crows. They pecked at the horses until
the tormented beasts broke their tethers and ran off. The torey holes in the
pavilion and they scratched and clawed at the coach. The loud clamor of cawing
was enough to drive one made. At first the heavy leather privacy curtains were
thick enough to withstand the beaks and claws though it required at least two
hands to hold down each curtain to keep it in place. But soon holes appeared
where beaks had poked through and then claws tore at the holes to make rents.
In another moment the crows would be at them.
Over
the crows’ cacophony they heard the sound of gunfire. As if the sound was a
signal the crows ceased their attack though their noise increased. But another
volley of gunfire sounded and the sound of the crows receded. Still no one was
willing to look or go outside. It was not until Fabré heard a familiar voice
ask, “Is there anyone alive in there?” that he opened the curtain.
Late
that afternoon Gaston left Paris by the Porte Neuve to rendezvous with the
others at the Red Fox Inn. His friends had asked for his assistance and he was
determined they should have it. He didn’t not know what they would face, but his
friends said previous attacks showed that the witch had allies powerful enough
to smash doors and furniture into splinters and to bludgeon men to death.
Gaston brought two of his Red Guards, Duval Delsarte and Francis Fontang. Each had
been with Gaston on the hunt for the Wolf of Soissons. None were in uniform.
Gaston wore his old buffcoat. All three were armed with pistol and sword,
including a few silver bullets, and tucked in one saddle bag and wrapped in
oilcloth Gaston carried a single grenade, just in case.
At
the Red Fox he found that he had missed his friends by several hours, but they
had left word that their destination was a place in the forest called the Eyes
of Esus which he could reach by following the path that went north from the
main road. As he trotted along the highroad, Gaston noticed that the farmland
gradually sloped down to the north towards the wetland pastures west of
Nonneville. To the south the road to Meux marked the northern boundary of the
lands of the Abbey de Livry. To the east and west he saw the remains of the old
forest of Bondy in which woodcutters still collected fallen branches in bundles
to send to Paris to feed its hungry fireplaces. Tree branches were still half
bare after the long winter. They showed only the first few bright green leaves
of spring. There was gap between the east and west woods which, at its
narrowest, was some two hundred yards in breadth.
He
could see the path a few hundred yards ahead. Parked beside it was a coach and
past the coach stood a colorful pavilion. He thought it looked like something
out of the tales of Orlando Furioso. Then his attention was attracted to an
enormous swarm of crows that dove towards the pavilion. Even from several
hundred yards away he could hear the raucous sound of the flock. He noticed
several figures running towards the coach. They dove inside just as the flock
struck. He didn’t think the coach would be any more shelter than the pavilion. I’ve heard crows are smart enough to avoid hunters
with guns. Let’s hope that’s true. “Ready your pistols,” he said calmly.
“We’re going to ride down there and scare away a lot of birds. Nothing to it
lads. Together at a canter…forward!”
Signoret
was the first to realize that the black cloud heading towards them was a huge
swarm of crows. The swarm dove on them cawing, clawing, and pecking. Mobbed by
dozens of the birds it was impossible even for skilled swordsmen to defend
themselves so the heroes ran towards the path and back into the woods in hopes
of leaving the crows behind. Their plan succeeded as the crows didn’t follow
far beneath the branches. They traveled farther into the woods before they
stopped so that Signoret could dress their wounds. Signoret crossed himself and
said, “Thank the Lord that none of us lost an eye.”
“And
thank the Lord my face was spared too,” de Chambré said. “But I’m afraid I need
a new hat and suit. I suggest we all return to my coach for some refreshments.”
The
sun began to set as they followed the forest path back south past the clearing.
They reached the edge of the forest. Daylight was fading and the smoke from the
farmhouses and villages was accompanied by lights twinkling in the gathering
dusk. In vain they looked for the Seigneur’s brightly colored pavilion. It was
with both confusion and relief that they saw Gaston and two others walking
towards them. Guy and Signoret recognized Delsarte and Fontang as two of the
survivors of past encounters with the supernatural. Gaston explained that after
rescuing their servants from a swarm of attacking crows he had sent the
frightened men back to Bondy for safety. Unfortunately the crows had destroyed
the feast that de Chambré had ordered his servants to prepare, but Gaston told
them that he had saved most of the wine as he pulled several bottles out of a
large sack.
Signoret
led them back towards the clearing. The moon was not yet up and beneath the
trees it was dark as pitch. They had to use the lanterns they had brought to
see the path. Their lanterns were hooded so that they could either hide their
light so as not to give their position away or uncover them to see in the
darkness. At the Eyes of Esus they spread out in ambush to wait for the witch.
Beneath
the dark branches it was impossible to tell the passage of time with certainty
but it seemed like hours before they noticed several figures appear. In front two
large figures moved in an awkward, jerky fashion as they led a young girl
towards the stone. They were followed by a woman in a dark cloak. Seeing that
the young girl, who could have been no more than 12 or 13 years old was bound,
de Chambré didn’t wait to act. He leapt out of the bushes to rescue her. As he
did the large figures moved to attack. By the light of their lanterns the
heroes saw that the large figures were scarecrows whose wooden limbs flexed and
creaked to their jerky movements. Their unnatural motion was unsettling and in
the darkness, frightening. More scarecrows creaked forward from among the
trees. In the darkness it was difficult for the heroes to see their foes. On
the other hand the scarecrows seemed to have no such difficulty as they
unerringly headed to attack. Worse still the heroes soon found that their
pistols and rapiers did little if any damage to their unnatural foes.
Thinking
quickly Guy fashioned a torch from a fallen branch. He yelled at Duval Delsarte
who held a lantern to light it, then watched in horror as the brave guard
coolly stood his ground as a scarecrow closed on him to light the torch. The
torch lit just as Delsarte was crushed by a tremendous blow from one of the
scarecrows wooden arms. Guy used his torch to burn the creature. After several
strikes he was able to set its head on fire. Blinded or panicked by the flames
the ungainly creature blindly lurched across the clearing and crashed into a
tree.
Signoret
also fashioned a torch which he used to set on fire a second scarecrow while de
Chambré was kept busy defending the young girl from the scarecrows’ attacks. Gaston
used the grenade he had brought to blow one scarecrow into splinters. Then he
switched from his rapier to a large tree branch which he used to batter a
scarecrow into wreckage. After igniting the one scarecrow Guy saw a human
figure heading deeper into the woods. He followed. He thought it might be the
witch and he was determined not to let her escape. Momentarily he saw a shadow
of something that looked like a small animal, possibly a cat, but in the
darkness he soon lost the figure in the woods.
After
the battle the heroes found that they had destroyed five scarecrows. Neither
rapiers nor pistols had much effect. Gaston’s improvised club had more effect
and fire definitely harmed them, but the most effective weapon had been the
grenade. Afterwards Gaston said, “Next time, grenades. And a bigger sword…or
maybe even an axe.”
It
was well after midnight when they returned to the Red Fox Inn where de Chambré
arranged for a room for the rescued farm girl until her family came to fetch
her. They brought the body of Gaston’s dead man with them so that he could have
a proper burial. Then exhausted by the day’s events they went to sleep.
Chapter 4: Trail of the Witch
The
next morning was April the 15th.
Gaston rose early. He left Françis Fontang with the body of the dead guard, Duval
Delsarte, at the inn in Bondy while he rode alone past Paris to Saint Cloud. He
wanted to scout the woods where the Red Brotherhood had set their meeting with
the Baron-Saint Giron. He wanted to carefully prepare his apprehension of the
Baron. He did not just want to catch Saint-Giron, he wanted to catch the
murderer of Monsieur LeDroit and he wanted to destroy the Red Brotherhood. But
the first step was to capture Saint-Giron red-handed. Then he could be kept
under wraps and questioned while they watched the other members of the Red
Brotherhood. Gaston had far to travel that day so he rode Delsarte’s horse
while leading his own to keep it fresh. It was over twenty miles to Saint Cloud
but he made the journey in just a few hours.
As
he rode he considered how he might discover if Don Martine’s newest second Alvarro
Pietro de Santos was the Spanish sword master of the same name. To learn that
he decided that he would visit the Scuola d’Agrippa. Named for the Milanese
fencing master Camillo Agrippa, author of the 1553 fencing manual Trattato di Scientia d’Arme con un Dialogo
di Filosofia, the salle d’armes of the Scuola d’Agrippa was located in the northern
part of Paris on the Rue de Saint Martin, opposite the Priory of Saint Martin
des Champs. The school was popular among devotees of the Spanish fencing style
inspired by Agrippa and many Spanish students at the Université of Paris made
the trip across town to study at the scuola. It seemed likely that de Santos
would be known to the masters at that school.
Once
Gaston reached the forest of Saint Cloud he carefully followed the directions
that Guy had obtained from the deciphered note on the Spanish Ambassador’s
desk. He reconnoitered the area around the site for the Red Brotherhood’s
meeting with the Baron. He checked the sight lines, examined lines of retreat,
and noted the presence and density of underbrush and other hiding places as he planned
the best locations for his men both to observe the exchange and to effect an
arrest. After this he entered Paris from the southwest and returned to the
Louvre.
Gaston
ordered his lunch to be sent to his office in the Tour du Bois but before he had
a chance to eat, one of his men arrived to tell him that he had visitors.
Downstairs Gaston saw that his visitors consisted of Norbert’s servant Mel with
a young girl and two children in tow. Mel’s explanations were often confusing
and this time was no exception. However he was loyal to Gaston’s cousin so he
held his impatience in check as he listened to a confused tale of long travel
by public coach. When at last Gaston impatiently demanded to know why Mel was
here, the oldest child a girl of about 14 or so stepped forward and held out a
letter. It was addressed to him. He opened it and read.[i]
Most esteemed
cousin,
I commend Mlle. Lisette and her brother and sister
to your protection!
We found them safe at Valence. However, the Mlle. is
no longer a child and her beauty and money makes it unsafe for her to stay
alone in Valence without a male protector. I am sure you would want to see she
was well cared for in Paris. Mlle. is especially concerned that her brother
receive some kind of training for a profession. I am sure Mssr. Guy or the
Father can help. My greetings to all our dear friends!
By the way, cousin, the evil landlord has not
returned and the tavern is abandoned. The gypsies like the spot, though I don’t
think they’ll be coming back soon.
By the way, cousin, please see that Mel is taken care
of until my return, God willing. He is an excellent servant and bootblack. I’m
sure he will be useful to you.
May God bless us all until we are reunited!
Your humble cousin,
Norbert (Thibeault)
By the way, Jacques and Cobweb still live.
By the way, everybody else too.
Yrs.
Gaston
shook his head at the unique way his cousin had of expressing himself. He
thought, That’s all I need. Three new
problems. He glanced at Mel. Make
that four problems. If they were soldiers they could stay in the barracks. But
that won’t work for Mel much less three kids and two of them girls. To gain
some time Gaston told Mel to take the children to his apartments in the
Fauxbourg Sainte-Honoré. He gave Mel a note to show to his landlord should any
questions be asked as well as a couple of livres to buy lunch and dinner for
himself and the three children. He ordered the four of them to wait for him in
the apartment. “I will probably be back very late. We will talk later and then
I will decide what to do with all of you.”
Later
that morning Signoret, Guy, and de Chambré returned to the Eyes of Esus on foot.
Signoret circled the clearing and examined the many tracks. He found one set of
footprints that he decided corresponded to the cloaked woman. On their arrival
to the clearing her tracks were accompanied by several sets of the blocky inhuman
prints he had found at several of the murder sites and which he now realized
were made by the scarecrows. Then the woman’s tracks headed away from the
clearing. He saw where her tracks stopped and where Guy’s tracks showed that he
had walked right past her. He also saw a small set of feline footprints. He
followed the woman’s tracks. They led in an arc through the woods to a game
trail north of the clearing that eventually led back to the main path.
They
followed her footprints north out of the woods to where the footprints left the
path and entered the stream. On the other side footprints led south back
towards the woods but these soon ended at a small patch of rocky ground. No
other prints led away from that point. Signoret concluded the trail leading back
south was a false one and that the witch had used the stream to conceal her true
route. Since she had tried to lead them south, they followed the stream north.
Just outside of the village of Coudray the Jesuit found new tracks leading from
the stream to a riverside shed where it appeared the witch had rested for the
night. Beyond Coudray her trail again disappeared on a country lane heading
west towards the Paris-Chantilly highway. Since west was also in the direction
of Dugny where they knew the witch had previously stayed at the Wild Grasses
Inn, they went to Dugny and asked questions. At the inn they found a carter who
told them that a woman matching the witch’s description had hitched a ride
outside the village of Blancmesnil. He had dropped her off on the
Paris-Chantilly highway where she had said she was heading for Paris. Guy was
suspicious of this obvious clue. He decided that most probably she had gone north
in the opposite direction. However with no more trail to follow the heroes returned
to Paris.
Once
he returned to the Jesuit House Father Signoret learned that Brother Philippe had
tried to reach him and had left a message that he needed to speak to Signoret
immediately. Before going to see Brother Phillipe, Signoret briefed the Provincial
Father and Père Noir, his superiors in the Jesuit Order. As the source for much
of his information, especially the information given to him by his cousin Guy,
he cited an unnamed “trusted spy.” This anonymity was not satisfactory to Père
Noir who insisted that he must know the name of the spy to properly assess his
information. The Jesuit master of espionage requested that the Provincial
Father order Signoret to divulge the identity of his spy. Compelled by his
Jesuit oath of obedience, he revealed that the spy was actually his cousin Guy
de Bourges. Père Noir, in his role as the Jesuit Spy Master for France,
instructed Signoret to infiltrate the Red Brotherhood and to get either the
original Step Rocket Plans or a copy for the Jesuit Order. And the Provincial
Father heard Signoret’s confession and formally relieved him of the oath he had
given to the Red Brotherhood.
Signoret
went to see Brother Phillipe. He found the Knight of Malta at the Black Cross
Club. Brother Phillipe told Signoret that his participation as a second in a
duel against a Spanish noble like Don Martine would cause embarrassment to the
Red Brotherhood and in the event that the duel caused the death or injury of
Don Martine that could disturb the Brotherhood’s efforts to foster peace
between France and Spain. Signoret told Brother Phillipe that he and Gaston
Thibeault had fought several duels together. Then he thanked the knight for
bringing these complications to his attention. He said that he now understood
the issues and would act so as to satisfy his oaths. This left Brother Phillipe
with the impression that Signoret intended to withdraw as a second even though
the famous dueling Jesuit had no intention of missing a chance for a duel.
After
he left the Black Cross Club, Signoret went to see Père Joseph. As he had
agreed he briefed the Capuchin on his progress investigating the murders. Then
he spent the rest of the day copying notes and performing other clerical tasks.
It was late when he returned to the Jesuit Professed House. There he learned of
the discovery of new murder. This one also seemed to be connected to the ritual
killings. That morning, the body of a farmer and his hired hand were discovered
at a farm near the Abbey de Livry. The farmer’s arms had been broken and his
skull smashed. The hired hand had died from a massive wound that had torn open
his entire chest.
[i]
The events leading up to Mel’s arrival are described in the not yet published Volume 10: Swords in Exile: Book I: The Journey South, Chapter 6: “A Pox
Upon You.” Previously, Norbert, Jacques, and Cobweb had sent Lisette and her
siblings to Paris by public coach. The four departed Valence around April 4.
Norbert assigned Mel to accompany them and see that they arrived safely and he
wrote a letter of introduction to his cousin, Captain Gaston Thibeault, which
he gave to Lisette, commending her to the Captain’s protection. It took them
about a week and a half to reach Paris. So they arrived on Monday April 15. Mel
has no money. He spent it all along the way. Lisette has 180L, which is what is
left of her ‘dowry,’ the money she was given by Gaston, Guy, and Lucien.
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