know.â Athelstan leaned across the table and grabbed Cranstonâs gauntleted hand.
âI heard what you said about the scorpion.â Cranston chuckled, tossing his cloak and hat on to the empty stool beside him. âBrother, I owe you an explanation.â Cranston paused to order a capon pastry, a pot of vegetables and a goblet of Bordeauxâs best. He waited until Mistress Rohesia served this, whiling the time away by carefully scrutinizing the rest of the customers. âYou can never be too careful, especially in this vale of tears.â He sniffed. âLife is becoming dangerous, Brother. The Lady Maude, the two poppets, my wolf hounds, not to mention steward Blaskett are all, thank God, in the best of health and safe. Lord knows, Iâve lit enough tapers before the Virgin at Saint Mary-le-Bow in thanks for this. However, once the weather breaks and spring begins to green everything, Iâll send them off to our small manor at Overton.â
âMatters are so bad?â
âNo, but they will be.â Cranston thanked Mistress Rohesia for the food and wine, blew her a kiss and lifted the goblet in toast to Athelstan, who declined yet again Mistress Rohesiaâs litany of mouth-watering delicacies.
âYou should eat, Brother.â
âBrother has eaten and drunk enough for the day.â
âTrue, and you will feast tonight.â
âWhat!â
âNot for the moment.â Cranston took a generous bite. Athelstan glanced away; he was fasting and the smell of hot, juicy chicken in a spice sauce might prove to be a temptation too much.
âNow,â Cranston dabbed his mouth with his napkin, âlet me be brief for the hour will soon be upon us. First, you and I know this city bubbles like a bucket of oil over a fire. Secondly, the day will come when the oil and fire meet. The angels be my witness, London will burn. Thirdly, our king, the noble Richard, is only a child. True power lies with his dear uncle, our self-styled Regent John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster etc., etc.â Cranston waved his hand. âGaunt is also preparing for the evil day. He has brought across his agents in Flanders, powerful Ghent merchants â the city Gaunt was born in â Pieter Oudernarde and his father Guido.â Cranston pulled a face. âThe rest are just minions, household henchmen. On the ninth of January last I was told to meet them north of the old city wall near Saint Johnâs in Clerkenwell. The Upright Men launched an attack. Now,â Cranston took a sip of his claret, âthe Upright Men could have easily discovered something was afoot. Many of them are old soldiers; they disguised themselves in white sheets in order to blend in with the snow, an old trick used many times in France.â Cranston paused. âAnyway, the attack was launched but beaten off â thereâs the rub. At first, I thought they were trying to kill the Oudernardes â they werenât. The Flemings had brought a prisoner, Iâm sure it was a woman, cloaked, cowled and strictly guarded. The fiercest fighting took place around her and certain bundles on the sumpter ponies. The prisoner was kept safe but some of the baggage was plundered and taken.â
âAnd the prisoner?â
âEscorted down to the Tower. I and my men-at-arms parted company with them at the Lion gate. Rosselyn, captain of archers, together with Lascelles, Thibaultâs henchman, were very strict on that. The prisoner, the sumpter ponies and their escort disappeared swiftly inside.â Cranston pulled a face. âMore than that I do not know. And you?â
Athelstan told him about his parish, the troubles faced by Spicer Warde and Athelstanâs own eerie meeting with the envoys from the Upright Men the previous evening.
âI confronted Watkin and Pike,â Athelstan declared. âSir John, what I tell you now is what you already suspect. Both are members of the Great
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