The expression on the face of Grand Master Jean d’Omedes darkened as he listened to Stokely. The Grand Master had been roused from his slumber shortly after the second hour and had berated his servant angrily until the cause of his disturbance eventually penetrated his sleep-encumbered mind. Then he had dressed hurriedly and summoned Romegas, his senior galley captain, and Jean de La Valette to the council chamber of the Order in the heart of Fort St Angelo.
Flickering candles illuminated the hurriedly assembled hearing. Thomas stood between two armed guards in front of the three men sitting behind a long table. To one side Stokely stood and gave his account. When he had finished there was a tense silence before the Grand Master cleared his throat and glared at Thomas.
‘Do you have any idea how much damage you have done to the Order? The Venici family will never forgive us when they hear what has happened. Nor will the Duke in Sardinia to whose son Maria was betrothed. Our position is precarious enough without making new enemies.’
Romegas growled, ‘If we are denied permission to replenish our galleys from the ports of Naples and Sardinia then our ability to strike at the corsairs and the Turks will be hit hard, sir.’
The Grand Master sucked in a breath. ‘What are we to do?’
‘I don’t think there’s any choice, sir,’ Romegas replied. ‘We must punish Sir Thomas, in an exemplary fashion. The Venici family will expect nothing less.’
‘Wait.’ La Valette half turned to address the other men seated at the table. ‘There is no need to act rashly. It is not too late to hide this affair from outside eyes.’
‘I wonder,’ the Grand Master mused and then looked at Thomas shrewdly. ‘Is it too late? Sir Thomas, is the lady’s honour still intact?’
Thomas flushed and his defiant gaze dropped and he stared at the stone floor in front of the table.
‘I see,’ d’Omedes said flatly. ‘Then we must do as Romegas says. Punishment must be swift and severe. The Order must be seen to have acted against this miscreant.’
‘He has broken a sacred oath,’ said Romegas, ‘and betrayed the honour of the Holy Religion. The Venicis will want his head. I suspect nothing short of that will assuage their anger.’
La Valette snorted with derision. ‘You are not seriously suggesting that we execute Sir Thomas?’
Romegas nodded. ‘That is precisely what I am suggesting.’
‘For what? For succumbing to the weakness of the flesh? That is no reason to hang a man. By God, if it were then half the knights of the Order should be strung up alongside him for having mistresses or ravaging the women of our enemies.’
The Grand Master raised a hand. ‘Pray, be quiet. We are not here to judge other knights. Just Sir Thomas.’
‘Unless there is a common standard then I suggest that we have no code of honour worth preserving, sir.’
The Grand Master’s brow furrowed angrily. ‘You go too far, La Valette.’
‘No, sir. It is you who are stepping beyond the bounds.’ La Valette gestured towards Thomas. ‘I know this knight well. He has fought at my side for these last two years. I have not seen his equal for courage and devotion to the Order. Sir Thomas is one of the most promising knights of his generation. It would be foolhardy to eradicate such talent when we are in sore need of fighting men. Punish him, yes. A public flogging perhaps. That should do to remind our men of the need to act with honour and chivalry. That is all that is necessary.’
‘It is not enough,’ Romegas replied. ‘If we did that and permitted Sir Thomas to stay in the Order, he would be a constant reminder of our shame and, worse, our leniency and indulgence of ill discipline and lax morality. Our younger knights need to be taught a lesson. They need a reminder of the depth and solemnity of the oaths that bind the Order together. Let Sir Thomas’s death reaffirm the bonds that tie us. I urge you to have him executed, sir.’
La Valette shook his head. ‘Kill him, and you risk discouraging other good young men from joining the Order. Sir Thomas’s crime is that he is a young man, and we all know full well the powerful desires and needs that we once shared with Sir Thomas. If he is executed for a temporary lapse of judgement then men like him, men whom we need, will refuse to join us. There is a better way,’ La Valette continued. ‘A way that shows we will not tolerate such indiscretions. I say that we expel Sir Thomas from the Order.’
‘Expel him?’ The Grand Master frowned. ‘What kind of punishment is that?’
‘There is nothing more shameful.’ La Valette turned towards Thomas. ‘I believe I have the measure of this man. He counts his membership of the Order the highest honour a man can attain in this life. It is the Order that gives shape and value to his existence. Withdraw that and he lives on in shame, and knows the full weight of his loss every day. That is the punishment that should be imposed. Besides, while he lives, he can still put his talent for war to use in the service of Christendom somewhere, if not here.’
Thomas was grateful for La Valette’s intervention. It might save his life. But the words of his mentor were true enough. There was no dishonour greater in his mind than being cast out of the Order. What would he do then? His honour would be held cheap in the eyes of all those who came to know his fate.
The Grand Master was silent as he pondered the young knight’s fate. At length he drew a deep breath and spoke. ‘I have reached a decision. Sir Thomas Barrett will be stripped of his rank and all privileges pertaining to his membership of the Order. His coat of arms is to be removed from the quarters of the English knights and he will be taken from the island as soon as passage on a ship can be arranged for him. He is never to return here upon pain of death, save by express permission of the Order. He is an exile, and shall remain so until death claim him or it is the will of the incumbent Grand Master to remit his exile, on terms set out in such an eventuality.’ He rapped his knuckles on the table. ‘Take the prisoner away.’
‘No!’ Thomas cried out. ‘Let me see Maria first.’
‘How dare you?’ Romegas said furiously. ‘Take the insolent swine away! At once.’
Thomas felt his arms grasped by the soldiers on either side once again. He struggled as they dragged him towards the door. ‘Let me see her! One more time. I must see her. For pity’s sake!’
‘Get him out of here!’ d’Omedes shouted.
Thomas writhed but the men held him tightly and thrust him towards the door. ‘What is to become of her? What are you going to do with Maria?’
‘Her turn will come,’ the Grand Master told him. ‘She, too, will be judged and punished accordingly. You can be sure of that.’ Thomas felt as if his heart was being torn asunder and he looked pleadingly towards Stokely as he was led away. ‘For the sake of our former friendship, Oliver, swear that you will take care of her. It is I who deserve your wrath, not Maria. She is innocent. Swear that you will protect her!’
Stokely stood still and silent, and only a faint smile of satisfaction betrayed his feelings as Thomas was dragged outside and the door closed behind him.