Here Be Dragons - 1 Sharon Penman (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📖

directed his attention solely to Llewelyn."A strange rumor has reached my ears, that a papal nuncio has been traveling in Wales, that he was, in fact, received at your court, should like you to tell me if this be true and, if so, the purpose of tha visit."So that was why he was in Cantebrigge this Easter Sunday! Uewe lyn smiled, said with complete sincerity, "I should be right pleased to so, Your Grace. Ifear His Holiness the Pope is losing patience. You ' spurn his last offer to compromise your differences, did you not.

359t mistaken, you even went so far as to promise to hang Stephen Langn should he set foot on English soil or words to that effect ""Those very words exactly," John said coldly "But we were not Ikmg of the Pope and myself We were talking of you and the papal uncio What did he want from you?"By now the hall was quieting, people were drifting toward the dais Llewelyn pitched his voice for their growing audience, said, "The Pope has lifted theInterdict from Wales He has also absolved all the Welsh Princes from their oaths of allegiance to you, my liege, and urges us to ioin together in a holy crusade to depose you, claiming you to be a man beyond God's grace, no longer deserving to wear the crown of a Christian King "John's war of wills with the Pope had been dragging on for four years, but thePope had just dramatically and dangerously raised the stakes John caught his breath He would not give Llewelyn or the others the satisfaction of seeing that he was shaken, though, and he summoned up a taut, derisive smile"Tell me," he challenged, "do you, as a good son of the Church, mean to follow the Pope's directive7"Llewelyn was enjoying himself "If I were truly such a good son of the Church, I would not be here at Cantebngge, at your court Your Grace is excommunicate, after all, and a man excommunicated is to be shunned by all Christians, to be treated as an Ishmael, as one facing eternal damnation "There was a strained silence Joanna gave Llewelyn a look that was half resentful, half reproachful, and leaned over John's chair, whispering something meant for his ears alone Llewelyn glanced around the hall, saw on other faces confirmation of his own belief, that he'd taken the honors in that exchangeWith those whom he knew well, Llewelyn could sometimes cornmunicate without need of words, most often with Joanna, occasionally with Ednyved But he experienced now just such a moment of shared, silent understanding with a virtual stranger His eyes happened to catch tustace de Vesci's, for several seconds the two men looked at one another, and in that brief span they reached an unspoken accord, one to be explored further at a more opportune timeThere was a sudden commotion at the end of the hall Llewelyn rned, saw an extraordinary apparition stumbling through the door-l ay ^e was uncommonly tall, so gaunt he looked almost skeletal, clad long, ragged gown of unbleached sacking, his feet grimy and bare, ,air drifting about his shoulders like dirty, windblown snow, his cal th W'^ anc^ un^emPt But although he'd obviously reached his bibh-reescore years and ten, his face was curiously unhned, untouched

360T362by time, and his eyes, a startling shade of blue, were utterly with0guile.Joanna turned toward her father. "Whoever is that strange 0lHman?""A crazed hermit who has been wandering about Yorkshire f0 some weeks, prophesying my death. When reports first reached rne i did not pay them any mind. If I concerned myself with every lunati roaming about the countryside, I'd have time for little else. But this IDnatic," John said dryly, "is beginning to attract crowds."The old man seemed bewildered by his surroundings. He had to be shoved forward by his guards, and when he reached the dais, he stood there, blinking, until one of the men put a hand on his shoulder, directed him to kneel.John leaned forward. "Are you the one they call Peter of Wakefield?""Yes, lord." He did not sound frightened, just confused. He squatted back on his heels, waited patiently for John's will to be revealed."I was told you've been preaching that I'm to lose my crown by Ascension Day.Is that true?""No, lord!" The astonishing blue eyes opened wide. "Not this Ascension Day, lord. The Ascension Day next to come."John gave an abrupt, incredulous laugh, one that did not sound very amused."God tells you this, I suppose?" he said sarcastically, and the hermit nodded."Yes, lord," he said, so calmly that John lost all patience."Who put you up to this, old man? Who's paying you?"Peter blinked. "No one, lord. I am an instrument of the Almighty. He has given me second sight."There was something unexpectedly compelling in the utter simplicity of that statement. People murmured among themselves; a few surreptitiously made the sign of the cross. Llewelyn had less than the normal amount of superstition in his makeup, but even he was affected by the old man's composure, by his eerie certainty, and he was suddenly glad that the hermit's prophecy was not directed at him. He glanced curiously over at John, but the latter looked more angry than uneasy."You try my patience, old man, in truth you do. Go back to Wake field, keep your foolish babblings to yourself, and I'll overlook the trou ble you've caused me. But you'd best not expect me to be so lenien second time." , "I am sorry, lord; I do not mean to displease you. But I canno that. My visions are not my own. They come from Almighty Godhas chosen me to spread His word, and I cannot fail Him."The hall was very still. John stared balefully at the elderly hermit, habby ar>d emaciated and perplexingly tranquil; he met John's eyes ujte placidly, as if his own fate was a matter of utter indifference to h'm He did not flinch, did not react at all as