Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [364]
‘And had he?’ said Adorne. He turned to the Sinclairs. ‘We speak of a singular priest, who has travelled the world for his faith. If the Deity deigned to address anyone, I should think Ser Ludovico da Bologna would be the man.’
The Bishop remarked, ‘I am prepared to believe that He did, although I trust that, if so, Our Lord used the vernacular rather than Latin. The Patriarch mentioned Ethiopia.’
‘Ethiopia?’ Nicholas said. The young nephew—Henry—looked at him.
The Bishop said, ‘You went there with his encouragement once? Or part of the way?’
‘Part of the way,’ Nicholas said.
‘I thought I was right. He spoke of taking another route, and doing better this time than you and the priest. I am sorry. He did not mean to be harsh. Indeed, he had set aside a memento he wished me to give you.’
It was a stout battered rosary, clipped and mended and caulked with what appeared to be fragments of food. You could almost imagine it smelled.
Nicholas suddenly laughed, moved by that affection which can sometimes alleviate grief. He said, ‘Oh, he meant to be harsh.’
• • •
WITH NOWIE FOR master, no meeting ever wasted too much time on the personal. The first time Nicholas had ever met Camulio, over an alum deal, had been in Bruges, long before Africa, and had taken place during the last days Nicholas had been vouchsafed with Marian, his first wife. Camulio had known Adorne and Julius then, and had brought messages for them both from Genoa and Bologna, and news of Gregorio in Venice, and Tommaso Portinari and Maria and the six children, struggling to survive without their Medici credit; and, of course, from Diniz and Tilde and their family in Bruges, whence he had just come. These he was allowed to deliver, and some account of his journey. Then Nowie stepped in, with an interrogation which found an equally ready response.
The French-English truce? Genuine enough at the time, the Bishop thought, but now being used to trap larger fish. ‘Maximilian is horrified. He now knows that England has been cheating him, and never intended to help him with archers. More, he knows he can never defeat France on his own, for the Estates of Flanders will now refuse him men and money. So—who will take a wager? Maximilian and France will make peace.’
‘And England will take her revenge on France, or on Scotland, or on both?’ Adorne said.
Camulio said, ‘We are not speaking of England, but of Edward. Edward is impulsive and angry and, I am told, not very fit. Sick men take risks.’
Adorne said, ‘They may, but Parliaments are more cautious. I doubt if Edward will be allowed to attack France, but he might send Gloucester back north in the spring. And if he does, what will Albany do? Nicholas? We need a report from the interior.’
‘Then I need one from the exterior,’ Nicholas said. ‘Where is Liddell?’
Nowie Sinclair smiled. His nephew—Henry—who had been watching in silence, stretched suddenly and smiled also. Since Orkney, it had become clearer that this was one of the Sinclairs to watch. He was contracted, by God, to marry the granddaughter of Princess Joanna.
Nowie said, ‘Sir James Liddell is back in Dunbar. But you are right. Sandy sent him to London. He was escorted by Dickon’s own servant, and they paid him forty pounds for his trouble. My reading is that Gloucester demanded to be reassured that Sandy’s intentions and loyalties were unchanged, and Sandy obliged. Also, Sandy wanted some encouragement for Bell-the-Cat.’
‘Bell the cat?’ said the Bishop of Caithness. They were talking, for his benefit, mostly in Latin and French.
‘The Earl of Angus,’ Nicholas said. ‘He got the nickname from arresting the King. He lives in a very large seacastle close to Dunbar, and Albany would like him as a possible ally. Angus is holding back, because he may lose land to a rival branch of the family favoured by Gloucester. I think he’ll still hold back, just as Sandy is watching the honours roll in, and weighing his chances. My report from the interior says that Sandy will have decided by Christmas whether he wants to oust