August 26 1218 A.D. – Damietta, Egypt – Legacy Secured

The Grand Master had decided to leave his headquarters at Acre to see first hand how the Fifth Crusade was progressing. It had proved a fatal move. Guillame de Chartres knew in his heart that he was dying. He’d seen enough people perish from the river sickness in his time. Philip his great friend and comrade, was seated on the ground at the side of his Grand Master. He had just been telling the story of the capture of the Tower of Chains. And of the Templar casualties that had occurred.

So, his young Cathar had perished, here at Damietta. Guillame was long past any capacity for sentimentality and he had received the news calmly. Perhaps he thought, it was for the best, the fewer people who knew the English Secret the better.

The exact plans of the hoard’s location were now lost. But that was a small matter. The northern Abbey could easily be contacted. Guillame had the form of the letter that would be required to release the wealth. The wording was deliberately complex to guard against fraud. And it was stored safely in the Grand Master’s box that remained securely in the Templar Headquarters at Acre.

Despite his grave condition, de Chartres allowed himself a small moment of contentment. Against the odds his plans had come to fruition. The Order was now protected against any foolhardy activity, such as that exhibited by the reckless de Ridefort. The Great Prophecy could be fulfilled. Nothing short of the abolition of the Order and the complete annihilation of the great English monasteries could prevent it now. And how likely was that?