in the army. Christ’s bones, but we could do with more like him. You are sure of this?’
‘Another ship saw them being captured by a galley. They had little chance against that when it rammed them.’
The knight clenched his fist and was about to slam it onto his trestle table, when his esquire appeared.
‘Sir? I was roused by the commotion.’
‘Aye, I daresay you were, Richard. Have you heard this tale about the men with Fripper?’
‘That they have been captured or killed, yes.’
Richard Bakere had been Sir John’s esquire for six years now; he was a dependable, resilient fellow with a Norman’s face and bearing, but without the arrogance.
‘It’s the worst news of the campaign so far,’ Sir John said, and when Richard retrieved the stool, he sat down heavily. ‘Fripper was a good man.’
‘There is no hope of rescue?’ Richard asked.
‘The Devil only knows where they’ll have been taken. In a galley they could be in any of the river-mouths along the coast here. Were we to ride to their aid, we would not know where
to go. It would be futile.’
‘If they are lucky, their end will be quick,’ Archibald muttered.
‘Yes,’ Sir John agreed, then sighed. ‘I would it were another vintaine, though.’
Archibald nodded, standing quietly until the knight glanced up at him.
‘Well, Gynour? Is there more bad news you wish to impart?’
‘Sir John, I think I may be able to help with the reduction of the town.’
The knight’s attention was taken. ‘Oh? How so?’
Richard Bakere had picked up the platter from where the knight had knocked it over, and placed a roasted capon upon it. Sir John took a leg while Archibald spoke, but his eyes never left the
gynour’s face all the while. Archibald’s enthusiasm and excitement were almost palpable.
‘We are stuck outside the town. The town has excluded us from their harbour, so that their ships can enter the harbour and resupply the town, and there’s little we can do about it.
We cannot get to the north of the town to command the harbour because of their weapons on the Rysbank, and we cannot get scaling ladders to the walls to attack the town directly because of the
moat.’
‘So?’
‘I am thinking that we need to prevent ships from getting to the town in the first place.’
‘I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. You may have noticed that we have been attempting to do just that in recent weeks,’ Sir John said, his voice dripping with
sarcasm. ‘In fact, we have only just lost a number of men because we were trying to protect our own ships!’
‘But if we maintain a number of ships at sea to blockade the harbour, and then also position weapons to sink any that pass by the harbour mouth, we will be able to stop any supplies from
reaching the town. No supplies means no ability to fight. We can starve ’em out.’
‘And what sort of weapon would you install at the harbour mouth?’
‘We have nothing here at—’
‘Then you are wasting my time!’
‘I was going to add “but we do have one at home”. I have a great beast that could easily sweep any ship from the sea. It is in England, but if you can arrange for its
transport, I will do the rest.’
Sir John put the bones on his plate and studied the gynour. He knew that Archibald was a keen exponent of his new gonnes. Personally, Sir John was unconvinced by them. At Crécy he had
seen one blow up, taking an entire team of gynours with it. Bits and pieces of the men were found later, reeking of brimstone as though the Devil himself had passed by and despatched them. Yet the
gonnes had done significant damage occasionally, for instance when a sack of balls had hit a full charge of men-at-arms, and the knight knew that a man of war should never turn up the opportunity
of learning new methods of attack. If this could help, then it might be worth pursuing.
‘Where exactly is this gonne of yours?’ he asked, leaning forward.
Berenger saw that escape was
‘Another ship saw them being captured by a galley. They had little chance against that when it rammed them.’
The knight clenched his fist and was about to slam it onto his trestle table, when his esquire appeared.
‘Sir? I was roused by the commotion.’
‘Aye, I daresay you were, Richard. Have you heard this tale about the men with Fripper?’
‘That they have been captured or killed, yes.’
Richard Bakere had been Sir John’s esquire for six years now; he was a dependable, resilient fellow with a Norman’s face and bearing, but without the arrogance.
‘It’s the worst news of the campaign so far,’ Sir John said, and when Richard retrieved the stool, he sat down heavily. ‘Fripper was a good man.’
‘There is no hope of rescue?’ Richard asked.
‘The Devil only knows where they’ll have been taken. In a galley they could be in any of the river-mouths along the coast here. Were we to ride to their aid, we would not know where
to go. It would be futile.’
‘If they are lucky, their end will be quick,’ Archibald muttered.
‘Yes,’ Sir John agreed, then sighed. ‘I would it were another vintaine, though.’
Archibald nodded, standing quietly until the knight glanced up at him.
‘Well, Gynour? Is there more bad news you wish to impart?’
‘Sir John, I think I may be able to help with the reduction of the town.’
The knight’s attention was taken. ‘Oh? How so?’
Richard Bakere had picked up the platter from where the knight had knocked it over, and placed a roasted capon upon it. Sir John took a leg while Archibald spoke, but his eyes never left the
gynour’s face all the while. Archibald’s enthusiasm and excitement were almost palpable.
‘We are stuck outside the town. The town has excluded us from their harbour, so that their ships can enter the harbour and resupply the town, and there’s little we can do about it.
We cannot get to the north of the town to command the harbour because of their weapons on the Rysbank, and we cannot get scaling ladders to the walls to attack the town directly because of the
moat.’
‘So?’
‘I am thinking that we need to prevent ships from getting to the town in the first place.’
‘I don’t think anyone will disagree with that. You may have noticed that we have been attempting to do just that in recent weeks,’ Sir John said, his voice dripping with
sarcasm. ‘In fact, we have only just lost a number of men because we were trying to protect our own ships!’
‘But if we maintain a number of ships at sea to blockade the harbour, and then also position weapons to sink any that pass by the harbour mouth, we will be able to stop any supplies from
reaching the town. No supplies means no ability to fight. We can starve ’em out.’
‘And what sort of weapon would you install at the harbour mouth?’
‘We have nothing here at—’
‘Then you are wasting my time!’
‘I was going to add “but we do have one at home”. I have a great beast that could easily sweep any ship from the sea. It is in England, but if you can arrange for its
transport, I will do the rest.’
Sir John put the bones on his plate and studied the gynour. He knew that Archibald was a keen exponent of his new gonnes. Personally, Sir John was unconvinced by them. At Crécy he had
seen one blow up, taking an entire team of gynours with it. Bits and pieces of the men were found later, reeking of brimstone as though the Devil himself had passed by and despatched them. Yet the
gonnes had done significant damage occasionally, for instance when a sack of balls had hit a full charge of men-at-arms, and the knight knew that a man of war should never turn up the opportunity
of learning new methods of attack. If this could help, then it might be worth pursuing.
‘Where exactly is this gonne of yours?’ he asked, leaning forward.
Berenger saw that escape was
Similar Books
