Knight Templar's Part XV

  Wool, livestock, and other agricultural items also would not have attracted attention.  This also would be a common sight because of frequent thefts and pillaging from soldiers in the area from the frequent battles with France over the last several years.

 The Flemish Knight and brother Yves had their work cut out for them.  In the back of a distillery on the grounds of the Paris preceptor they had acquired 21 large barrels and had transferred the gold, silver, jewels, precious stones, and documents to the barrels and covered them with a thick coat of grease.

 One at a time they were loaded onto a cargo vessel in the Seine River and they made their way to the Atlantic.  At a property close to the mouth of the Seine river they were transferred with other cargo to ships from the seaport at le Rochelle which in turn delivered their cargo without a lot of pomp and splendor to Luys Flanders where they were again met by brother warrior monks who assumed they were just transferring agricultural products to the barn at Cambronchaux.

  They were escorted in company of Knight Templar's in full battle dress, to protect them from the highway robbers, unemployed soldiers, who were laying around waiting for another war, pillaging the local fields and farmers to survive.

  With a large frame in the barn other young monks were waiting to unload the barrels and set them along the side of the interior of the barn one at a time, under the supervision of brother Yves.  The young monks thought it strange that such a man of intellect was doing mundane chores around the barn, but the old monk just smiled and said he had writers block from time to time.

  The old monk's name was Yves le Lessines he came at the Abbot's request, and with a two minute discussion it was decided to take immediate action and left with the Flemish Knight at once.

  When they arrived at the Paris preceptory the Flemish knight gave the signal and certain knights took action like a well-oiled machine.  Immediately the signal was sent to every preceptory in Europe, the knights went to a heightened state of security; all knights were instructed not to discuss any of the orders business with anyone.

 They immediately started an audit of all assets. They started to call in debts,  destroying records, documents pertaining to the order, daily routines, and financial records were all destroyed.

However the audit records which were to be transferred to the Paris preceptory, along with the assets of the treasury from each preceptory were not destroyed.

  The Masters of the preceptories throughout Europe started making excursion with small caravans, transferring farm goods, hay, livestock and normal looking barrels and chests on horse drawn carts from one location to another, throughout the 9,000 properties under the order of the Temple.  The knights making the trips weren't aware of what was in the barrels and chests; they didn't have the need to know.

   The Temple had learned a lesson from seventy years ago when brother warrior monks were persecuted by yet another corrupt King.  Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen (1194-1250) had made the warrior monks his scapegoats for his horrendous behavior during the 6^th Crusade in 1229.

  He had persecuted the pilgrims he was supposed to protect then turned his  wrath on the Italian Templar's after they had rescued him from the fortress of Jean de Arc that he had taken refuge in and was kept under siege for over a month.

  They delivered him under an armed escort to a Templar ship. However he had treated the men of the meat trade poorly and they were waiting for him on the pass through the village on the way to the ship and pelted him with excrement and animal waste. He arrived at the ship humiliated, stinking  and seeking revenge.

  To show his gratitude he persecuted the Italian Templar's raiding their preceptory and stealing their assets and property. 

  The warrior monks had long memories they never again trusted any monarch and they made preparation for future assaults against the Order.

 Seventy years later when the church and the Crown of France were preparing to persecute them they were prepared. They had decided that if they were ever in a crisis in the future they would not obey a brother monk but a signal.

 This would protect them in case they were infiltrated by a traitor. Select monks, not part of the Grand Masters leadership would each have select responsibilities to perform.

  When you hide a treasure it is to be retrieved at a later date, not necessarily by the same knights who had hidden it. It needed to be placed in a safe place where it wouldn't be noticed. The area needed to be politically stable, security and compartmentalized information was of utmost importance.

  Only a few people should know the location and these people shouldn't be in a position of leadership, but have eyes on the ground. Be aware of what’s going on, in a position to observe the daily happenings, whos coming and going, the general gossip, Such as a modern day cab driver.

The area needed to be Templar friendly, a place where they don't attract attention and have had a good relation with the local's. Someplace not in France, England, Germany, Italy, or Spain.

 This left Scotland, Portugal, Flanders or America.  The Templar's knew about America for quite some time, the Norse roots of the Temple run deep.

Question: Where would you hide a pebble?        Answer: On the beach!

  Today Flanders is a political community with in Belgium.  In the Middle Ages Flanders was one of the most urbanized and richest parts of Europe. This was because of the textile industry.

  The Temple was very involved in this industry. They produced wool from their farms, they weaved it into textile, and they distributed it not only on their ships but also on overland caravans into France, Germany and the Netherlands. They of course were also the bankers to the industry.

  Warrior monks were both a common site and well respected in Flanders. The Abbey of Cambron, was outside of Wodecq Flanders, which was a very unique area due to a Papal Decree making it exempt from any civil or religious rule. 

  The local bishop didn't have any rights in that area and he wasn't allowed to excommunicate any of the Cistercian monks or citizens of Wodecq.

The Cambronchaux a very large Cistercian farm outside of Wodecq had an extremely large barn. This was an ideal site for the destination of the Treasure.  No one would question monks going about normal farming activities.  Warrior monks escorting carts of hay, agriculture items, barrels would be normal unassuming cargo.