"Katherine Kurtz - Knights Templar 01 - Temple and the Stone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kurtz Katherine)

the preceptories of the Kingdom of Jerusalem."

"By-?"

"By the Reverend Master, of course. Since you were actively involved in the transport of these treasures,
Brother Gaspar requests that you be present to confirm the provenance of certain items."

Arnault's thoughts flashed back to the final days of the siege. When it became clear that Acre would fall,
the Order's treasurer, Theobald Gaudin, had been prevailed upon to have the contents of the treasury
vaults loaded aboard a waiting galley. Arnault had been placed in charge of escorting the treasure safely
to Sidon, with leave to select a small number of knights to assist him.

He had weighed that selection very carefully, not only because those left behind were likely to perish, and
had included Torquil not only out of personal affection. For among the items held in the Order's treasury
at Acre was a small collection of very special artifacts whose value was beyond price. Each object in this
collection possessed some unique attribute or affinity that marked it as an object of supernatural power.
These Treasures, and the lore associated with them, lay at the heart of some of the Order's deepest, most
closely guarded mysteries, watched over by an elite cadre of handpicked and uniquely talented
individuals known as le Cercle. Though Torquil was not yet an initiate in such matters, or even aware of
these hidden dimensions of the Order's work, Arnault had no doubt that one day the younger man's
dormant talents would earn him a place in the ranks of this inner circle.

Meanwhile, counting Bertrand and Arnault himself, that meant that at least three members of le Cercle
were now present at Nicosia, Gaspar des Macquelines being senior of them. Formerly an assistant to the
treasurer at Acre, it was hardly surprising that Gaspar should have responsibility for safeguarding the
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special secrets of the treasury. What was surprising was that, just before Arnault and Torquil left on their
just-completed mission, word had arrived at Nicosia of Gaspar's appointment as a deputy treasurer of
the Paris Temple.

That was the reason Arnault had expected the older knight to have departed for France by now-which
meant that the delay, as well as this present gathering, was likely to touch on matters of extreme urgency
as well as confidentiality.

Summoning a stiff smile, he turned to Torquil.

"It appears I'm to be a juggler of lists. I'm sure you can think of something better to do with your
time-like catch up on your sleep, if nothing else. Why don't you go on to the barracks? I'll be along to
join you, once we've got this business sorted out."

Chapter Three

THE YOUNGER KNIGHT ACCEPTED THE DISMISSAL WITH GOOD grace. Following his
departure, Arnault and Father Bertrand set out across the exercise ground that divided the residential
buildings of the preceptory from the stables, byres, and granaries.