A Queen's Spy, - [best books under 200 pages .txt] 📗

an edge generated by the unsettling scene and a temper about to break.

“That, Sir, is what I have been attempting to find out. If these were your men maybe you can provide an explanation.”

The soldier’s interest in Harry kindled as he looked up into the puffy, emotionally confused visage. Harry’s eyes were unable to prevent themselves from flicking back to Peter’s face. Tearing himself from it, he stared instead at the white trembling fingers grasping his whip. He seemed not to have heard the soldier’s words.

“These are all your men?” the soldier tried again.

“Yes.” The answer was reaction only; Harry’s composure was still not fully recovered.

“What were they at here?” the soldier persisted.

“Trying…to find…a criminal…” Harry stammered, “a man who appears now also to be a murderer. Do you have him?” Harry leant forward in the saddle, suddenly eager. His mind had conjured up a picture of a fourth corpse. A pleasing image of a partially dismembered, disfigured, and bleeding body, one that replaced the horror in the cart, and this vision disturbed him not at all.

“That, Sir, was what I was trying to find out from the landlord,” the soldier replied patiently, gesturing back at the man who had been helplessly waving his arms about. “He let the room where this deed took place, but to a man he has no name for, and it appears that person is no longer here. The man can describe him; perhaps the description could help you to put a name…”

“You fool!” Harry yelled, a nasty sneer sliding across his features. “I know well who is responsible.” Any intention Harry had of wanting to keep the identity of the man he sought to himself was lost to him as his temper flared. “Richard Fitzwarren is who you seek for this day’s work, and let that be known.”

He roughly yanked the reins in his hands and the leather straps tightened as the startled horse was hauled away from the courtyard. More questions would follow but Harry was not prepared to be grilled by some underling in a common yard in front of his both living and dead retinue.

Away from the inn, his path was blocked by a glut of street children fighting boisterously over fruit fallen from a market cart. The owner had abandoned his seat on the cart and was bobbing up and down among them. Eventually retrieved, unspoilt fruit clasped to his chest, a free arm aimed ineffectual blows at any ragged urchins who came too near. Harry took in the scene in a second. None of the children had heard his approach. The ugly sneer he had turned on the soldier spread once more across his lips. Cruelly he spurred the horse forwards, flesh squashing as easily as ripened fruit below the iron-shod hooves. The stallholder fled, his wares falling forgotten from his arms as he threw himself from the advancing horses.

 

†

 

Dan had served Richard since he was a child. Mat, although he had only been with Richard some two years, had been saved from a sword point by the master and was equally loyal. They had half-carried Richard from the inn in London and made good their escape before the soldiers turned up, relocating to another inn some five miles distant. Although Richard’s injury was not severe, he had lost a fair amount of blood and was certainly not fit for a long ride. Mat, at Richard’s direction, had returned to the original inn, spending two hours all eyes and ears. After Harry had left, two of his men had remained drawn to the scent of ale. Mat had joined them. A curious observer with enough coin to buy ale, he had been welcome.

Dan met Mat in the inn downstairs. It was a quiet place frequented by local folk. Patrons scattered in small clustered groups of twos and threes amongst the tables, filling the inn with the low undertone of conversation, the words indiscernible. The blacksmith’s huge hands dwarfed the cup he held as he used it to gesture to the wheelwright who had joined him in friendly conversation. Farm workers, knees browned with soil, hands tinted with ochre, spoke in tired voices. The landlord finally brought cups and a jug of ale drawn from the barrel in the corner.

“Well?” Dan asked.

“Harry’s men alright; the place was crawling with them. Bastard turned up himself while I was there,” Mat replied.

“Are you sure no one saw you, did not connect you?” Dan leant closer to his companion.

“It isn’t me you should worry about,” Mat said grimly.

Dan cast an enquiring look over his companion. “Go on?”

“Ah well now, who do you think, eh?” Mat paused for effect; he could already see the suspicion forming on the other’s face. “Aye, you’re right. Put his sword in hock, and got himself followed, stupid bastard.”

“For Christ’s sake!” Dan bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. “Has Jack got no bloody sense?”

“Apparently not.” Mat lifted his drink. “And the master?”

“A fouler temper I have never seen him in, which is why I am down here and he’s…” Dan looked to the ceiling.

“He has some of the devil in him, that’s a fact.” Mat took a lengthy draught. Belching, he continued. “You going to tell the Master how Harry found him then? I bloody would. Jack doesn’t use this,” Mat tapped his head with a thick, hairy forefinger.

Dan seemed to be in agreement. “I’ll tell him if he asks. Jack’s no fool but put him in the same room as the master and he doesn’t know whether to run round yapping like a pup or bite.”

“Well, I wonder what he’s at sometimes.” Mat pointed a finger sternly at Dan to underline his words. “He’s no pup. He’s a bastard and it’s in his bloody nature to want what he hasn’t got. The Master knows that as well. It vexes me though why he puts up with him sometimes.”

“However it’s been mixed, they’ve got the same blood in them, and that counts for something,” Dan spoke firmly. There was more he could have said, more he knew, but he couldn’t share it.

“Not bloody much, judging by the fact that Robert wants to bleed every last drop from them both, blood kin or no,” Mat scoffed.

“Well that’s it, isn’t it?” Dan leaned forward. “Perhaps the Master doesn’t want another brother itching to put a blade through him. It’ll go one way or the other. I hope for their sakes and ours they’ll stand together.”

“If Jack acts like this again he’ll be standing alone,” Mat said bluntly.

Dan sighed. “There was no intention in what he did. It’s as you said, he didn’t think.”

“I’m sure you’d not be so quick to defend me.” Mat sounded angry that Dan did not share his disgust at Jack’s foolishness.

“I don’t defend him, Mat. Jack’s here because the master wants him here and while that’s the case I’ll follow his wishes.” Dan gestured with the jug for Mat to present his cup for a refill. “Now, let’s see if a little more of this will lessen some of that temper of yours.”

Mat sighed and pushed his cup forward. “Well, it’s the way I feel. The Master would have either of our hides for an act such as that.”

“That’s as may be.” Dan used an easy voice, aimed at calming the other’s ire before it flared again fuelled by ale. “But let’s drink to the fact that as yet we have avoided it.” Dan paused and placed the jug carefully back on the table. “Although, if I do recall, there was a moment when you almost managed it.” Dan looked at the furrows on Mat’s brow and his grin widened. “How did it go again? Ah yes, I remember… One wench, one husband, three brothers, and more kinfolk than can gather at a market. You did try and start your own war that day didn’t you?”

A smile spread across Mat’s face. “I do remember how a tumble in a hayfield in France had brought the whole village out. Armed with forks, sticks, rolling pins and anything they could find to thrash the Englishmen who they thought were set to despoil all their womenfolk. No sense of humour, that was their problem,” Mat chortled. “Mind you, she was worth it. If I had the chance again I’d take the lot of them on for her.”

“As I recall, your wenching cost me a right good stab in the arse with a hay fork trying to keep you in possession of your manhood,” Dan said with mock seriousness.

 

†

 

While Dan and Mat shared the evening, Jack sat alone staring at the meal set before him. A sludge of unidentifiable vegetables hid at the bottom of the bowl below a thin layer of lukewarm broth purporting to be rabbit stew. Jack stared at the greasy surface as it cooled, the dark wheaten bread in his right hand forgotten, as now was the desire to eat.

What was he going to do? It was the only thought he found himself capable of; he could not move beyond it. Breathing deeply he pushed his hair back out of his eyes and looked around him for the first time since the light had disappeared from the sky. In the shadows he recognised the faces of the men he had ridden with, waiting and sitting in groups. He saw some glance over at him surreptitiously. If they caught his eye, they quickly looked back to their companions. He didn’t know what to do. The questions from the men he had ignored or, when pressed, spat back at them contemptuous answers until they had stopped asking, for which he was thankful.

Well, you’ve ruined everything now, Richard, haven’t you? Jack thought. Pete was Harry’s man all right. He was there because you thought you could best Harry. I told you that it was bloody mad, but oh no, you wouldn’t take heed, would you? And now what do you expect me to do? Jack silently cursed his absent brother. It didn’t help. He still did not know what he was going to do.

“Do you want that, eh?” The voice from above him filtered through his angered thoughts. “You’ll still have to pay, whether you eat it or not.” The woman’s voice above him increased in intensity. “I said, do you want it or not?”

Jack looked up at the pock-marked face. Grey, grease-matted hair snaked from beneath the once white cap. A lace edge, frayed away, hung over the wrinkled, dirty forehead in a curtain of straggling threads. Jack said nothing but he matched the crone’s stare. Pulling a coin from his belt, he sent it skittering across the table. A bony-knuckled hand snatched it, ending the spinning dance. She muttered something, tucked the coin from sight and turned, leaving Jack alone once more. Straightening his back from the slump his body had been drawn into by the weight of his thoughts he pushed his bowl away. Some of the partially congealed contents slid over the rim to join the thick heavy veneer of dried food and spilt ale already on the table.

Jack resolved to do something but characteristically decided to put off the decision until the following morning. He turned his thoughts to whether he should rent a room for himself above the Inn or share the communal quarters with the rest of the men. Though he badly wanted to divorce himself from his questioning companions, it was not possible. Jack, as usual, had few coins in his pocket.