Crossing To Paradise by Kevin Crossley-Holland Page B

London. Where are the men?”
    â€œThere’s Nakin!” said Tilda, pointing with her toe at the man lying with his face to the wall, snoring. “The others have gone right back to the gate.”
    â€œI did that,” said Gatty. “A long way, that is.”
    â€œYou didn’t catch them, then,” Tilda said. “The boys.”
    Gatty’s eyes brightened. “And all,” she said. She opened her pouch, and pulled Nest’s out of it.
    Nest began to snivel all over again.
    â€œWhat’s in it, then?” Gatty asked.
    â€œMy hairpins.”
    â€œHairpins!” exclaimed Gatty. “Is that all?”
    â€œThey’re beautiful,” said Nest, opening her pouch. “My best ones.”
    â€œWhat’s in those pots, then?” Gatty asked her.
    â€œMy lotions,” replied Nest. “My eye-blacking.”
    â€œI don’t remember Austin blessing those,” Lady Gwyneth said. “Who said you could bring them?” And then she turned to Gatty. “Rushing off on your own like that was foolhardy,” she said.
    â€œAfter hairpins and lotions and all!” said Gatty, slapping her forehead.
    â€œAnd you put us all at risk,” Lady Gwyneth continued. “You put our whole pilgrimage at risk. Are you listening?”
    Gatty lowered her eyes.
    â€œYou heard me calling after you,” Lady Gwyneth said angrily. “There’s no place whatsoever for disobedience on this pilgrimage. If you’re going to be disobedient, I’d rather make do with one chamber-servant. And I will.”
    â€œI’m sorry, my lady.”
    â€œNow!” said Lady Gwyneth. “Tilda! Order food and ale for Gatty.”
    But Gatty couldn’t eat. She felt too chastened and upset by Lady Gwyneth’s reprimand, too exhausted. She felt as she used to feel when field-work had worn her to the bone, or Hum had beaten all her energy out of her. She just wanted to curl up like a wood louse. Gatty slipped down onto a wall-bench, and Nest and Lady Gwyneth sat on either side of her.
    After a while, Nest put her mouth close to Gatty’s left ear. “I know I’m sometimes unkind to you,” she whispered. “Forgive me, Gatty.”
    Before they tried to sleep, Lady Gwyneth said prayers for the men, and asked God to guide them safely through the night to The Three Archers.
    Tilda couldn’t stop weeping. “I know I said I wanted a better husband,” she sniveled. “But I’ll be a better wife. Bring Emrys back and I will.”
    Lady Gwyneth put one arm round Tilda and the other round Nest. “It’s in God’s hands now,” she said.
    That night, lying on a straw pallet, Gatty couldn’t get to sleep for a long time because she kept thinking about how angry Lady Gwyneth had been, and kept worrying about the men.
    Snout and Emrys, Austin and Everard didn’t reach The Three Archers that night. And they didn’t get there in time to break their fast.
    So Nakin was unable to visit the Venetian trading house where he had deposited gold and silver coin to check that a credit note had been sent ahead of them to Venice.
    â€œThere’s no point,” he said. “For all I know we’re going to have to turn back.”
    â€œHow long should we wait here, do you think?” Lady Gwyneth asked him.
    Gatty knew it was all her fault. She gnawed her knuckles, and said nothing.
    When the four men did at last troop in, they were footsore, weary, hungry and frustrated. And when they saw Gatty sitting with the other women and Nakin, their first reaction was not so much of relief as indignation and reproach.
    â€œWhere have you been?” Everard demanded.
    â€œWe walked halfway round the city walls,” said Snout. “Four gates.”
    â€œAnd said prayers at each of them,” Austin added.
    â€œWe’ve been halfway to Jerusalem already,” said Snout.
    â€œGatty knows she’s