Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [295]
‘I think they know I heard them,’ she said. ‘Rob Grey and Jamie, at the booths.’
‘But they let you leave,’ Nicholas said. He sat her down with her cup and fixed himself beside her, one arm still holding her steady. ‘They can’t kill us all, and by now they’ll guess that we all know. And in any case, you have just acquired an infectious disease, and are not going back to the Princess Mary ever again. Slightly better?’
The cup was empty. It had been spirits, not wine. She said, ‘Yes. Drunk, but much better. I’ll tell you the rest; then you’d better get the others in. Who is here?’
John and Moriz were there, and someone found Wodman, and brought across Tobie. Then they were all together in the small room and heard her, composed now, repeat her story. Moriz frowned, Andro swore, John banged his fist on his knee and Tobie glared at her. She had slurred a few words.
Nicholas said, ‘Well, come on. Assessment?’
Tobie’s pale eyes switched to his. He said, ‘It can’t be true. It’s a lie. It must be. Kathi’s right in a way. It’s a warning to her. They’ve guessed what she’s doing, and this is their way of telling her so. Who would use Jamie Boyd as a courier?’
‘Perhaps someone who wanted to be overheard,’ Nicholas said. ‘But if so, are we supposed to believe what he said?’
Wodman said, ‘Not unless we’re daft. Sandy’s whole quarrel with King James was because James wouldn’t make war on England. That’s why he’s in France, for God’s sake. If anyone gives him an army, it’s going to be Louis. Who in England would be crazy enough to think Sandy would join an English invasion of Scotland?’
‘The King of England, perhaps?’ said Adorne. ‘He has become very autocratic, we are told, and not entirely reliable. As with ourselves, there is perhaps a limit to what his advisers can do. And he is receiving a pension from France.’
There was a little silence. Father Moriz said, ‘Am I interpreting correctly the complacent expression on Nicol’s face? His reasoning is the same. Louis is ill; France is beset; she cannot possibly send an army to Scotland, but would welcome anything that would prevent England from sending archers to Brittany or Maximilian. Edward is foolish enough to want to waste his time fighting in Scotland. France, when sending over his pension, lets it be known that he would be very ready, for a consideration, to lend out the Scottish King’s brother for any purpose Edward might wish.’
‘Such as to overrun Scotland?’ said John le Grant. ‘Never. That would leave England free to turn her whole attention to France from now on.’
‘If she did manage to overrun Scotland,’ Adorne said. ‘Louis might have a private view about that.’
Kathi felt very happy. She said, ‘I think I see. Sandy is restless; the King is unwell and doesn’t want to take action, so he hopes to get rid of Sandy and send England off on an abortive invasion to gain time. But he doesn’t know—he can’t know how much Sandy hates England. As do his sisters. They’d go mad if they thought he’d dream of doing this.’
The large grey eyes of Nicholas were encouraging her. ‘But?’ he said. ‘Louis is not the Universal Spider for nothing. He knows that Sandy loathes England. He and Sandy both know that Sandy won’t get back to a rich position in Scotland unless an army puts him there, and Louis will now have told him that it won’t be a French army, mon cher. So settle down with your Bourbon and baby, or get someone else to make you a king.’
‘A king!’ Tobie said.
‘Oh yes. That would be the English inducement,’ said Anselm Adorne. ‘We know you don’t like us, but we are prepared to place you selflessly on the Scots throne, to the joy of your sisters, provided we receive one or two presents.’
‘Such as?’ Tobie, still belligerent.
‘Such as Berwick-upon-Tweed,’ said Kathi dreamily. ‘Do you know, I thought I was hearing a garbled version of some ludicrous plot. But it could be real.’
‘Or it could be a garbled version of some ludicrous plot,’ said John le Grant. ‘How do we tell?’
‘We don’t. Rob Grey and his friends will keep us indirectly