Keeper of the Grail by Michael P. Spradlin

with knowledge he did not truly possess.
    At any rate, the next few days were a flurry of activity and, as though he wished to keep me from wondering about Sir Hugh’s actions, Sir Thomas piled on the work. Each morning the Master Sergeanto had an even lengthier list of duties for me, and between the chores and the training, I fell exhausted into my bed each night with little energy to think of anything but rest.
    Three weeks later, six large Templar ships arrived in the port with returning Crusaders aboard. These were the vessels that would carry us to the Holy Land. The ships had been delayed in their voyage back from Outremer, and their arrival generated considerable excitement in the city. Crowds gathered at the waterfront to cheer. News from the Holy Land was eagerly debated and discussed. Apparently the Saladin was pressing outward from Jerusalem toward the coastal cities. I learned that our force would land near a city called Acre. From there we would try to push the Saladin back to the desert. King Richard was determined to drive the Saladin south and retake Jerusalem.
    The King had departed Dover shortly after we had met with him that evening in the castle. According to Sir Thomas, he had left for London and his fleet would depart from Portsmouth on the southern coast. I had never been on board a ship or boat of any kind, and now I would be sailing across the sea as part of the King’s fleet!
    On the morning we left, Sir Thomas, Sir Basil and the entire regimento marched onto the docks. Not all of them would be leaving on the voyage. Some would remain behind to staff the Commandery, so good-byes were said all around.
    Sir Hugh brushed past where I stood with Quincy and the other squires but did not glance in our direction. Walking briskly he stepped into a longboat, and its crew used the oars to slowly row it toward one of the ships lying anchored in the harbor.
    Sir Thomas strode up to me. “Are you ready, lad?”
    “Yes, sire,” I said.
    With that we climbed into another longboat. The crews rowed us out to our vessel, and I was relieved to see that Sir Hugh would be on a different ship. The boats pulled up to the sides of the ship where a large rope net had been dropped over the side. Everyone climbed up the netting and scampered aboard.
    I found my spot belowdecks and laid my bedroll upon the small hammock where I would sleep. There wasn’t much room. Bunks were built up and down the wall, little more than strands of rope, really, three beds high. I was happy to have the bottom. Our compartment was in the bow and the only light came from a few small slots that had been cut into the sides of the ship high above the waterline. It was dark and damp, and I would not recommend the smell. But I vowed to survive it for the next few weeks.
    Wanting to see the sun again, I returned to the deck to find Sir Thomas standing at the rear section of the ship with Sir Basil. I climbed the small stairs that led to the quarterdeck and stood next to him.
    “Sire, how long before we meet up with the King’s fleet?” I asked.
    “We rendezvous tomorrow morning in Portsmouth,” he said.
    “And once we’re under way, how long until we reach Outremer?” I asked.
    “It will depend on the wind. The fastest time I know of is two weeks. But I would say three weeks at least. Provided we encounter no problems,” he said mischievously.
    “Problems? What kind of problems?” I asked.
    “Oh, the usual: storms, pirates, attacks by enemy fleets. Sea monsters have been known to slow us down occasionally,” he said.
    Pirates? Storms? Sea monsters? No one had spoken of these things before we left. Why had no one told me this?
    Sir Thomas chuckled when he saw the look that crossed my face. “Rest easy, lad. We’ll be fine,” he said.
    But I wasn’t listening, as I was still considering pirates and sea monsters.
    “Here it is, Tristan. Watch.”
    By then our ship had hoisted sail and cleared the harbor. Looking where Sir Thomas