'Thank you!' he shouted across. 'Keep the children well away!'

Bladdersniff led him through the ruined front door, along a hollow passageway and into a dark, smelly parlour where the air reeked of animal urine and excrement. The walls were mildewed, the stone floor cracked and weeds now thrust themselves up through the gaps.

'A terrible place to die,' Athelstan noted. 'At night this place must be dark as…'

'Hell's window,' Bladdersniff offered hopefully.

'Aye, hell's window.'

At first Athelstan could see nothing untoward until he noticed the remains of a fire. He crouched down to examine it more carefully.

'A few twigs. But the nights aren't cold; this was lit to provide light rather than warmth.'

He crawled across the floor and noticed two pools of sticky blood.

'These belong to the young whore and her customer.' Athelstan pointed back to the doorway. 'Only God knows what happened but I believe this dreadful room witnessed hideous murder. The young man was either lured here and killed, or murdered elsewhere, and his corpse brought here to be stripped of any mark of recognition. The assassin lights a fire to provide some light as he carries out his grisly task.'

Athelstan went over and stood by the door.

'Suddenly,' he explained to the gaping Bladdersniff, 'the assassin hears voices: a young whore is bringing one of her customers in. He hurriedly stamps out the fire, takes an arbalest and allows his next victims into the room. He releases the catch, the man dies. The young woman stands terrified.' Athelstan strode across the room. 'She's like a rabbit before a stoat. Before she can recover, he's across, knife out, her throat is slashed and the assassin leaves.'