Michael Jecks - The Prophecy of Death

Not that Jack had any more idea what it might be than Tom. Both had discussed Despenser and his attack on Tom over evenings beside the fire, and yet they could not reach a conclusion. Jack wondered whether it could be something to do with the murder of the monk and the theft of the King’s oil. According to the herald, Despenser had asked about the oil and Canterbury. It made Jack interested.

What business such affairs were of Despenser’s, Jack didn’t know. Such things weren’t really any concern of his, and he preferred to keep out of the way of the rich and powerful like the Despenser. Still, he didn’t want to see a man like Tom die just because the fellow had been unlucky enough to be distrusted by Despenser. That was just plain unfair.

But life was unfair, of course.

Baldwin and Simon walked the short distance to the Exchequer, where they could see Bishop Stapledon chatting with a clerk.

‘Ah, Sir Baldwin, and Simon,’ he said. ‘I am glad you arrived safely.’

‘It is a journey we are growing accustomed to,’ Simon said, adding, ‘Sadly.’

‘Simon means, we’re not happy to be parted from our wives again,’ Baldwin said.

‘But you weren’t called to be a part of the council, were you? It’s not a parliament,’ the Bishop said.

‘No. We’re here because we were keen to avoid any more unpleasantness with Despenser,’ Simon said.

Stapledon gave a quick frown and shot a look at Baldwin, before walking from the hall and motioning to them both to follow him. ‘Simon, you must realise that language like that is exceedingly dangerous. Especially here, where you are effectively in his power base. You must not challenge a man like Despenser. And language like that is bound to be viewed by him as a challenge.’

‘He has tried to force me from my own house, Walter,’ Simon pointed out. ‘He petrified my wife, and then sent his henchman to my hall to threaten me!’

‘That is so, and I have already spoken to him and made it clear that I do not expect to hear of any more attempts on your property or life. I think he appreciates that it would be counter to his wishes to do it again.’

‘You think he’d back off that easily?’ Baldwin said.

‘I think that he did what he did to upset you , Baldwin. He doesn’t care about one property in Lydford. If he thought he could take over the whole town, that would be different. He would devote hours and many men to an adventure like that. He stole swathes of land from other lords to consolidate his Welsh lands, didn’t he? He rules the whole of the south of Wales now as a private fiefdom. But one house? No. He did that to annoy you, Baldwin, more than anything else.’

‘But why?’ Baldwin said, genuinely puzzled. ‘I have done little to him, in truth. If he wanted to harm me, I could perhaps understand that, but why try to distract me with Simon?’

‘As punishment for something you have done to him? I don’t know. In any case, while you both live within my see, I think he will leave you alone. If for no other reason than that he has other matters to concern him. As have we all,’ he added almost as an afterthought.

‘We just saw the King’s son,’ Simon said.

‘Oh, the Earl of Chester is here? That is good. Then we may begin to plan matters from here.’

‘What is in the offing?’ Baldwin asked.

‘The King is waiting to hear back from France on the state of negotiations. After the meetings here, he intends to send another embassy to the French with some suggestions. I think the French will insist, since they have the upper hand, but you never know. We won’t, anyway, until we receive a response. And then the King also wants to send a message to the Pope by the Bishop of Orange, pointing out the unfairness of this situation. He is justified, certainly.’

‘Will it work?’ Simon asked. ‘Would the Pope actually take his side in an argument against the French?’

‘No,’ the Bishop said bluntly. ‘But that won’t stop him trying. Meanwhile, we are forced to rely on the King’s wife.’

There was an eloquent pause after that. Baldwin himself wanted to wince to hear the Queen referred to in such a manner. From all he had seen of her, she was a perfectly responsible, dutiful wife. Certainly she had earned the love of her son, and Baldwin knew that many of her staff idolised her, and would hear no bad word against her. A woman who could inspire such adoration was not deserving of the Bishop’s ire.

‘She should be back before long, I suppose?’ he said after a moment.

‘Yes. Depending upon the negotiations over there, she could be home again within the month,’ Stapledon said.

‘Her son will be pleased to know that,’ Simon said.

‘Perhaps so. For the rest of us, her return will make matters more complicated, though. What is the King to do with her?’

‘Live with his wife as a man should,’ Baldwin said quietly. ‘And throw Despenser to the dogs.’

‘You think the King could govern on his own, while maintaining the peace of his realm?’ Stapledon hissed. ‘Baldwin, if Despenser goes, either the Queen will be controlling the government of the realm, assuming she and the King can make some kind of compact, or another baron like Despenser. Which would you trust to be in charge?’

‘Bishop, you may be right. But if it is another baron, at least there is a chance that he will be better than Despenser, and the Queen would undoubtedly be a great improvement. Do not forget, this is the man who just last week sent a man to petrify Simon’s wife. Do you honestly think that he could be better than anyone else?’

Joseph arrived in Westminster late in the day, and the only thing on his mind, when he had at last delivered his messages to the King’s clerks, was to find a goodly jug of wine and sink it quickly.

The court of the palace yard here was as full and loud as ever. There was something about Westminster and the King’s palace which gave the place the air of a bear garden when the betting had been particularly high. It was always frenetic, there was the sound of women laughing, men shouting, calls offering food, quieter voices murmuring suggestively, and all over it, the noise of people making deals. Some making little bargains for drinks or sex, while others, the quieter ones, were trying to decide issues of law. There were many of them.

Joseph walked around to the inn at the gates and bought himself a pint of wine, which he didn’t take long to drink. The second pint was a little slower going down, and he took himself off to a rough stool to watch the passers-by as he drank it.

The last time he had been to the palace, all the heralds and messengers had been here with the King. He had been holding a parliament, and the men were all being prepared to take the reports and commissions to every sheriff in the country. There had been some fun then! All the cursores and nuncii had held competitions to see who could sing the loudest, who could run fastest — all the way to the Temple Bar and back — while others merely gambled and played and drank.

That, he realised, was when he had last seen Richard de Yatton. Yatton and a few heralds had joined them for the fun, and afterwards there had been repercussions. He didn’t know who it was now, but two of the lads had got into a dispute of some sort, and the upshot of it was that some damage had been done to the King’s own property. Some hangings in a wagon or something. Anyway, Joseph and all the others had been called into a little chamber, where they were discussing what they would all say to each other.

‘If you say that we were at the tavern but left early, I’ll back you up,’ one had whispered to Joseph.

‘Yes. What we have to do is back each other up. We will all stick together,’ another had told him.