D. Wilson - The Traitor’s Mark

Gardiner leaned across for a quiet word with the president. Audley nodded and said, ‘Your Grace, before you take your place you should hear something we have agreed earlier.’

Cranmer inclined his head, still smiling. ‘As Your Lordship wishes.’

All eyes were fixed on the archbishop. Some showed anger. Others nervousness. Audley glanced to his left. ‘My Lord Bishop, since you have presented your case so eloquently perhaps you will declare the Council’s will.’

Gardiner looked far from pleased. He shuffled his papers. He cleared his throat. ‘Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury,’ he announced solemnly, ‘it has come to the attention of his gracious majesty’s Council that you and others – encouraged, supported and set on by you – have infected the whole realm with heresy.’

‘Tell me what erroneous doctrine I am guilty of spreading,’ Cranmer said quietly.

Gardiner extracted a sheet from his pile. ‘Here is evidence that you said of the mass-’

‘We are not here to argue doctrine,’ Norfolk interrupted. ‘We’ll not listen to your damnable, foreign ideas. You’ll not spread your Lutheran poison here. You will be handed over to the Captain of the Guard. He will convey you to the Tower of London. It is there that you will be examined – and condemned.’

Several heads nodded. Other councillors, including Gardiner, looked displeased at the outburst.

Cranmer moved to the bottom of the table which was untenanted. ‘My Lords, I am truly sorry that you compel me to appeal directly to the king’s majesty.’

‘Too late for that!’ Norfolk snapped. ‘Your evil influence over him has come to an end.’ He stood and began to saunter down the room, his eyes gleaming with triumph and hatred.‘You are under arrest.’

Cranmer stood his ground. He opened the palm of his right hand and held its contents for all to see. ‘I think you all know this ring,’ he said calmly. ‘It is his gracious majesty’s token. Last evening he summoned me to his presence and entrusted it to me. “If my councillors lay anything to your charge,” he said, “show them this ring. Inform them that I have taken the matter into my own hands and tell them to meddle with it no further”.’

After a moment of stunned silence pandemonium broke out.

‘’Sblood! I warned you this would happen!’ Russell bellowed.

‘This was your doing, Norfolk,’ Wriothesley whimpered. ‘You know I wanted none of it.’

‘Who’s for the Tower now?’ Seymour wagged a finger at Gardiner.

Audley banged the table, demanding silence. ‘We must to his majesty straight and seek pardon for our presumption.’

Everyone rushed for the door.

The last man to leave the chamber was Cranmer. He placed the ring back in his purse, with a long sigh and a short prayer: ‘Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.’

The failure to destroy the Primate of All England had taken fewer than three minutes.