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

a vile mood all morning, but his companions understood why. He'd been taken ill the day they left Lynn, had spent a sleepless night at Wisbech.He was still queasy this morning, and at Peter des Roches's troubled queries, he finally admitted that he felt as if one fox were gnawing at his belly,

another at his bowels. But he'd refused to lay over at Wisbech, or even to slow their pace, although he'd twice had to dismount while he vomited into the marsh grass."It's no surprise to me that you're ailing, John. I've been with you these six weeks past, have seen firsthand the way you've been abusing yourself. It's a rare day when you do not cover forty miles; there've even been a few fifty-mile days! And then you spend half the night tending to matters of state. You keep burning a candle down to the wick, my friend, and it gets harder and harder to light.""How profound," John said caustically, and spurred his stallion forward to ride beside John Marshal, the Earl of Pembroke's nephew. They began to trade marshland folklore, arguing whether it was true that men born in the Fens had webbed feet, whether the flickering swamp lights known as will-of-the-wisps were truly the souls of unbaptised babies. Peter des Roches started to urge his mount to catch up with them, but after a few strides he let his horse slacken pace. What good would it do? John was not about to listen.When they reached the village of Long Sutton, the tide was out and " sands lay naked to a pallid autumn sun. Hungry gulls circled overbad, shrieking. The few houses huddled by the estuary did nothing to essen the bleak desolation of the scene. There was no sign as yet of John's baggage train. But the wind was biting, and John's stomach was Burning, and he let Peter des Roches persuade him not to wait, to press ahead toward Swineshead Abbey.They turned west, and after a few miles John consented to stop for hlSfiretr-,,,._---lrst food of the day. The little hamlet of Holbeach was no less dismal !«_ ^.. -, . . ...-.^y lurnea west, ana arter a tew miles John consented to stop for's first food of the day. The little hamlet of Holbeach was no less dismal a H° 8 Sutton. The awestruck villagers shyly offered John shelter tyhat meagre hospitality they could. But as soon as he stepped in-°ne of the wattle-and-daub huts, he was assailed again by nausea;

490the second room of the cottage was used as a stable, and the rank ^nim odors sent him reeling back into the icy sea air.One of the peasants produced a blanket, and John's servar»ts un packed a basket of wheaten bread and cheese. John could rrlana e just mouthful, but even though the villagers could offer only a|e . g0at, milk, he could not get enough to drink; he was as thirsj , e sa . bemusedly, as if he'd gorged himself all week on nothing u . Baited herring.Sitting back on the blanket, he studied the cottage, "truck frame thatched roof. As hard as it is for me to believe it, my dau&ujp joanna passed the first five years of her life in a house not much better tu^n that one." He waved away a preferred chunk of bread. "What wer-e you telling me about the tides, Jack?"John Marshal took the bread John spurned. "The Prior ^j^ ~e ]ow water is at noon, high water at six. The half-tide comes in ^bout three or so, so they'd have to cross between twelve and two." He scmintfd UP~ ward, shook his head."I've yet to see enough of the sun to hazard even a blind guess as to the time now. But I see no cause for Concern/ Your Grace. The local guides know these waters better than the fls^ (JQ )e kingd0"1 But de Burgh has one hundred forty knights and a full garrison at £>°ver Castle. I'd wager he can hold out against Louis till Judgment fW » need be.""My lords!" One of the villagers was pointing. "A rider Comes'The men were already on their feet, swords half dravn i\e fl wore John's colors, was one of the men left behind to wait for tine ^a* gage train. At sight of John, he jerked his lathered stallion t0 an a^ halt, spraying sand in all directions. ."I waited and waited, my liege, and then ventured out ont'1 5t sands in search of them ..." He swung from the saddle, leaned $ ,$ his horse, sobbing for breath. "Theyoh, Jesus, my lord, ^&, bogged down! They're out there in the river, caught in th^ quick" and the serfs say the tide is coming in!"

491THE villagers of Long Sutton were clustered upon the bank of the Wellstream, kneeling as their priest offered prayers for the souls Of the doomed men trapped out m the estuary They scattered as the horsemen came galloping out of the mist The priest waved his arms fran. tically- ran after them, shouting that the incoming tide would turn the sands to quickmire and they'd all drownJohn swerved his stallion jUst ,n time to avoid trampling the man, but he did not slow down, the horse plunged onto the sands Most of John's companions followedThe sounds reached John first, as the wind carried to him the cries Of fear and rage, the shrill neighing of the sumpter horses But until he saw the trapped wagons and animals, he did notcould notrealize the full extent of the catastrophe The heavy carts and wagons were hopelessly mired down in midnver, the more the terrified horses struggled, the deeper they sank John knew at once what had happened The vanguard had become bogged, but the baggage train was more than two miles long, and those coming up behind were unaware of the disaster until they stumbled onto the lead wagons And by that time, retreat was made impossible by the rearward As