Created by Gigi Vernon
Chandler may have been wrong. Maybe it is a game for knights.
Or at least former knights.
It’s the 12th Century, and the French city of Troyes in the county of Champagne is a major trade center, a crossroads of commerce and culture, ruled by Henri the Generous, the Count of Champagne.
“Merchants of every nationality–Flemings, English, Lombards, Provençals, Saxons, Greeks, and Normans clogged the streets, squares, inns and churches, while nobility from the four corners of Christendom flocked to the palace for the tourneys, troubadour poetry and feasts hosted by the count.”
But THIBAULT won’t be taking part in any of those tourneys. His jousting days are on hold, thanks to injuries sustained in his last bout, which has left him in constant pain, relying on a crutch and too much wine just to get through the day.
Thibault the Cripple. Thibault the Pitiful. But deep down, always Thibault the Knight. A man of courage and honour in a world where courage and honour are increasingly scarce.
He has pledged his service to the beautiful Basilia the Jewess (her name changed to Myrige in the second story, for some reason), a beautiful and savvy moneylender, who relies on Thibault for protection, errands and occasional collections. She holds his armor and sword in hock until the day he can reclaim them. Complicating matters is the fact that Thibault has it bad for her, even if he denies it. And she doesn’t even seem to notice. Or does she?
So far, Thibault and his employer have appeared in only two credible and well-researched stories in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, full of rusty armor, dusty streets, plenty of medieval knavery and occasional flashes of unexpected chivalry and good ol’ detective work, as Thibault fights the good fight, dreaming of his return to the tourney.
More, please. Nine years is too long to wait between stories.
SHORT STORIES
- “Purse Strings” (April 2014, AHMM)
- “For All His Worth” (January/February 2023, AHMM)
Respectfully submitted by Kevin Burton Smith.
