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

blood Nor had John mended his C° nS after making peace with the Holy Father Thomas had been ap" n d to hear that John had allowed his soldiers to stable their horses in P Brew's priory church during his siege ofRochester Castle And not weeks ago he had burned and plundered the Benedictine abbey atQoylandNo such a man was damned forever and aye, as surely as if he were jew or infidel Saracen, and Thomas cursed his own cowardice, the fear that froze his tongue and kept him from crying out in ringing, clarion tones that liars are loathsome to the Eternal and the wrath of God is fearful to behold"I shall have to depart on the morrow, but I'll leave one of my most trusted captains, Savanc de Mauleon, in Lynn to see to your safety Not that I expect the rebels to threaten you again," John added, sounding so cheerful, so confident that Thomas could endure no more"You said a number of disloyal lords had returned to their true allegiance, disavowed the French," he blurted out, half-rising from his seat Was one of these lords your brother Salisbury7"His words seemed to echo endlessly in his own ears All heads turned in his direction Those seated beside him drew back so precipitantly that, in other circumstances, their recoil might have been comical Thomas sat alone, seeing through a blur the shocked and outraged faces of his Pnor, the townspeople, awareas he'd never been aware of anything beforeof the sudden and utter stillness of the KingIt seemed forever to those watching before John moved, completed an action frozen in time and space at mention of Will's name Bringing s ^P UP to his mouth, he took a swallow of verney The sweet white^ne burned his throat like vinegar Setting it down, he glanced toward mas, saw only a fearful youngster, beet-red and speechless, as if in ated realization of his gaffe Sj^ , °' "e said, his voice very measured and remote, "the Earl ofThJ W3S n0t amon8st them "Prior ST^ were re'leved murmurings among the people at that The5c°ith ° lcnew Thomas as John did not, gave the errant monk a "lent k *nat promised retribution at the earliest possible mo-'0|>n s old ec^ I0r a more suitable topic of conversation It was nend and comrade Peter des Roches who came to their res-

488T489cue. He was not deceived by John's icy demeanor; he knew the monk had lacerated anew a wound that had yet to show any signs of healing and he acted now to turn attention away from John and to himself."We shall need your help, Prior Wilfrid," he said swiftly. "We encountered some difficulty in crossing the River Wellstream yesterday Can you suggest a safer passage?""Indeed, my lord Bishop. The safest way is to ford the river at Wisbech, fifteen miles to the south. There is a castle there, so the King's Grace will have suitable lodgings for the night. But since your baggage train is so much slower and cumbersome, I would suggest you dispatch it by the shorter route, between the villages of Cross Keys and Long Sutton. It's some four miles across the estuary, but when the tide is out, much of the sand is exposed, and with local guides who know where the quicksands lie, it can be safely forded."John had been only half listening to the Prior's long-winded explanation. He looked up, though, as a man rose and approached the high table."My liege, might I have a word with you? I am Roger of the Bail, and I""I know a Lincoln man by that name, Peter of the Bail. At Michaelmas, Iappointed him as city bailiff. Are you kin?""We are cousins, Your Grace." Roger beckoned, and two other men brought forward an iron coffer. As he lifted the lid, the torchlight fell upon a multitude of shimmering silver coins. "This is for you, my liege, from your subjects in the township of Lynn. It's not as much as we could wishone hundred marksbut we wanted to give you tangible proof of our loyalty. Use it, withGod's blessing, to fight the French invaders and drive them back into the sea."John was touched, for that was no small sum for these merchants and fishermen to have raised. "I thank you; your offering shall be well spent." He gazed about the hall, heartened by sight of so many friendly faces. "In the pastI've granted many a borough the right to elect a mayor, London and Lincoln amongst them. A while back it pleased me to confer such a privilege uponLynn." Rising, he unsheathed his sword, handed it, hilt first, to the young merchant. "Here," he said when Roger made no move to take it. "Your mayor shall need a ceremonial sword."Whatever else he might have said was lost in the sudden explosion of sound, the wave of cheering that engulfed the hall. When John coul"T will make himself heard again, he laughed and signaled for silence.of sound, the wave ot cheering mat enguneu me ndu. wucu j^«-- make himself heard again, he laughed and signaled for silence. "I wl drive the French invaders into the sea," he said, "and then I shall corn back to Lynn and celebrate my victory with those who stood by f1 when my need was greatest."THE sun rose at 6:20 A.M. on Wednesday, October 12, but heavy mists overhung the marshes, did not begin to burn away until midmorning. John crossed theRiver Wellstream at Wisbech, turned north along the embankment toward the village of Long Sutton. The cold was damp and penetrating, and the wind whistled eerily through the billowing salt grass. Birds cried mournfully, invisible in the mist, and occasional splashes heralded the passage of unseen animals."I hate the fenlands," John said grimly, "hate these barren, accursed swamps.What man in his right mind would live here of his own free will? Only a water snake could thrive in these stinking bogs."He'd been in