“That is the only plausible argument in Heinrich’s defense,” Hadmar allowed. “For whatever his other failings, he is not stupid. Of course, he is also one of the most arrogant souls ever to walk God’s earth. You’re as prideful as those lions you fancy, my lord king, but when matched against our emperor, you’re a veritable lamb!” Hadmar seemed pleased with his wordplay, for he laughed loudly. “Heinrich denies any guilt, of course. But the slain bishop’s kin have no doubts. The dukes of Brabant and Limburg are in open rebellion and the archbishops of Cologne and Mainz are expressing such outrage that they are likely to join the rebellion, too.”
Richard leaned back in his chair, shocked that Heinrich could have blundered into such a quagmire, but very grateful for it. Hadmar watched him with a smile that held more sadness than amusement, and then shook his head. “You are thinking that Heinrich’s troubles can work to your advantage, but just the opposite is true. There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered wolf and Heinrich sees your capture as a God-given opportunity to distract his subjects and to gain the money he needs to put down the rebellion. He even thinks he’ll be able to use English or French gold to finance his invasion of Sicily, for he’s still set upon claiming its crown in his wife’s name. So he is desperate to get you into his hands and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
Richard was no longer listening. “French gold?” he echoed, hoping against hope that he’d heard wrong.
Hadmar’s smile vanished as if it had never been. “Heinrich told Leopold that he thought the English would pay dearly to ransom you. But King Philippe might pay even more to keep you entombed in a French prison for the rest of your earthly days.”
“Heinrich would not dare turn me over to the French! He knows the Church would cast him into eternal darkness for so great a sin.” Richard would have argued further, but he was silenced by what he saw now in the other man’s eyes—pity.
Hadmar nodded to acknowledge the truth in that. “You are right. The emperor knows that even the aged, timid Celestine would have to take action then. That is why he told Leopold he intends to put you on trial.”
Richard had a sudden and urgent need for wine and drained his cup in several swallows. “On what charges?”
“He means to accuse you of conspiring with Saladin to keep the Holy City in infidel hands and of arranging the murder of Conrad of Montferrat, but he may well come up with a few other charges, too. The Bishop of Beauvais visited the imperial court on his way back to France and he seems to have spent the time pouring poison into Heinrich’s ear. The good bishop says you ought to be burned as a heretic, for you might well be a secret Muslim—”
“Lies, all arrant, despicable lies!” Richard raged. “I did all I could to recover Jerusalem, only to be thwarted by the French at every turn. Nor did I murder Conrad of Montferrat. Heinrich cares naught for the truth and he’ll burn in Hell for that. But what of Leopold? Does he believe these lies? Do you, Hadmar?”
“Would I be sitting here now with you if I did?” Hadmar shot back, sounding testy for the first time. “Of course I do not believe these accusations. As for Leopold, I doubt that he does, either, for his grievance against you was always personal. He wanted to make you pay for humbling him in Acre and for deposing his kinsman in Cyprus, not to see you dragged before a German court—”
“I’ll make no apologies for deposing Isaac Comnenus,” Richard interrupted angrily. “He usurped the Cypriot throne and treated the people so harshly that they were only too willing to assist in his overthrow—”
Now it was Hadmar’s turn to interrupt. “You need not defend your actions in Cyprus to me. I’d not have cared had you sent Isaac to the Cairo slave market instead of turning him over to the Knights Hospitaller. But Leopold felt obligated to object because his mother was a daughter of the Greek Royal House and thus a cousin to Isaac.”
Richard had far greater concerns than Isaac Comnenus and he fell silent as he considered all that Hadmar had revealed. “It makes no sense,” he said at last. “Heinrich told Leopold that he hopes to collect a large ransom. So why, then, put me on trial if his aim is to turn a profit?”
“Leopold asked that, too. Heinrich does indeed mean to demand a vast sum. But he knows that he’ll be subjected to harsh criticism for holding you prisoner. Not only does your captivity violate the Church’s protection, it breaches the rules of war, for no state of war exists between England and the empire. Leopold said that whilst Heinrich does not seem overly troubled by what the Pope might do, he does not want to add fuel to the rebellion or give German clerics an excuse to join the rebels. He thinks that once you are found guilty of betraying Christendom to the infidels—and you will be found guilty in his court—it will be more difficult for the Church to defend you and he’ll have a free hand to do with you whatever he wishes, even if that means selling you to the highest bidder.”
“If the highest bidder is the French king, it will be signing my death warrant. Heinrich would lose no sleep over that. Would Leopold?”