Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [301]
‘And the English would kill Nicholas if they dreamed that that was why he had come. No,’ said Robin vehemently. He sounded cold sober, and frightened.
‘No?’ Nicholas said. He wasn’t looking at Julius.
There was a silence. Then Robin said, ‘You don’t need to over-perform because I’ve been doing the opposite. No.’
‘Were you performing?’ Nicholas said. ‘I didn’t think so. You were faced with a situation, and you have now dealt with it. I am facing one, too. If I go, it is not because I want to. It is because I ought.’
Sometimes Nicholas sounded like one of Julius’s Bologna lecturers, except that he stressed the wrong words. Julius said irritably, ‘Well? I’ve got to go back with your answer.’
Nicholas turned to him. ‘What do you suggest that I do?’
Robin was scowling. Damn Robin. Julius said, ‘If spying wasn’t supposed to worry Kathi or me, I don’t see why you need to hesitate. Good God, man: you’ve played the fool in your time with every merchant in Bruges. Surely you can do the same with the English?’
‘I expect so,’ said Nicholas. ‘Robin, I’m sorry.’
‘No. It’s all right,’ Robin said. ‘I knew you would. Go and tell Gelis. Kathi will be back directly. It’s all right.’
Julius was glad to get out.
ADORNE SAID, ‘YOU’VE told Avandale and he agrees?’
‘He hasn’t much to lose,’ Nicholas said. ‘He thinks, as I do, that the message is genuine. England’s used to agents, single and double. She’s already bribed half the population of Scotland, and invited the remaining half to come into the fold. I might prove a waste of time, but I’m not a threat to them. They’ll let me come back.’
‘They may not harm you, but they may expect you to stay. And that’s only half the story. What about your reputation in Scotland, if and when you come back?’
‘There is some security,’ Nicholas said, ‘in the fact that you all know about it. That, and my honest face. And another thing. Andro Wodman has gallantly volunteered to come with me in secret. He’ll lurk. If I can’t get back myself, I’ll try to send back what I find out. At least it should be obvious if they’re splitting the army, or attacking only through Albany’s land. And how long they’re being paid for. That’s vital.’
Of course, he was right. Up till now, an attack of this size would normally concentrate first upon Berwick, and then diversify to other Border strongholds. But with Albany there, the fall of Berwick, if it happened, might be followed by an invasion through the supposedly friendly lands of Albany’s East March. And if that occurred, it was not enough to garrison the Borders, as they had done. The Scottish host would have to be called out. And the size of the Scottish host was in doubt.
They had talked through all these options. To summon an army to fight a pitched battle against far superior English numbers was good news for the poets, but little else. You might win by a ruse, but more likely you’d end up with smoking fields and dead men. Rather, you avoided general warfare. You negotiated.
On the other hand, if the attacks were to be limited to the Borders, the entire host needn’t be drawn in at all. The frontier garrisons were tough. They might well hold out until the season had ended, or the English pay came to a halt.
If they knew what Albany was going to do, they would know how to handle the King. Once the King knew his brother was present, he would try to lead the entire army against him. And that, of course, was unthinkable. Whatever was in Sandy’s mind, Gloucester was bound to want the King out of the way. Unambiguously and probably finally out of the way.
Adorne had allowed a long silence to develop. He wished he could say something different. Instead, he turned to Nicholas de Fleury and said, ‘I do see. We need this information. I shall not try to dissuade you.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Kathi and I have to thank you about something.’
‘No,’ said Nicholas. ‘Courage is like gold. It only needs to be burnished, now and then.’
GELIS SAID, ‘IT’S like being ill: everyone has been so kind. Colin Argyll