Gemini - Dorothy Dunnett [393]
‘Shall I fetch them?’ said Jordan. ‘She’s in … She went somewhere safe with the children, but I expect it’s all right now.’
So she had gone to the cellars. Nicholas said, ‘Let’s be sure first. We have to await Bishop Prospero’s triumph.’ And, to the boy, ‘I’m sorry it happened like this. But if it’s any consolation, you may have saved some very wretched things happening in a holy place, which really wouldn’t help the Duke’s case. Without a leader, men sometimes get out of hand.’
‘David will lead,’ the boy said. ‘Master Purves. He was Sander’s friend. He’ll be angry.’ Then he broke off, for he heard, as they all did, the shouting below.
‘I am afraid,’ the fat man said, ‘dear Nicholas, I am afraid that my lord Boyd is right.’
Then the door burst open on Crackbene and Adorne, escorting a flushed Bishop Prospero.
His exhortation had been thrown in his face. Far from accepting the chance to escape, far from bargaining for the release of Lord Boyd, Master David Purves had produced a demand of his own. He asked for the persons of Cortachy and de Fleury. Unless he got them at once, he would attack. And should he be forced to attack, Purves had added, the Bishop would have to answer for the nuns’ fate. Two Sisters had already strayed into their hands. He could not speak for their safety.
‘Is that true?’ said Kilmirren. ‘Of the nuns?’
‘Yes,’ said Adorne. ‘One went to get her dog, and the other to find her.’
Kilmirren said, still to Adorne, ‘You must make up your mind. But if you go, they will kill you.’
The Princess’s son raised his voice. Since the Tolbooth, it had started to break. He said, ‘This expedition was to take and imprison my lord of Cortachy and M. de Fleury. That was all.’
‘I am glad that you thought that was all,’ Nicholas said. He was conscious of his son’s eyes.
Adorne said, equally gently, ‘The Prioress will tell you that Master Jardine’s plan was more radical. His friend may share his view.’
The boy said, ‘So you told Master Purves to go away, or I would suffer.’
And Adorne said, ‘Yes, we did. It was less than honest, for I, for one, would see that you came to no harm. Perhaps Master Purves has realised as much. As you heard, he has said that he will still attack, despite your presence, unless I give myself up.’
His voice was deprecating, for it was not a pleasant thing to convey to a young man, a Princess’s son, that he appeared to have been jettisoned by his own side. He waited, and then said, ‘I am sorry. The captain is obsessed by a single idea, and can think of nothing else. Also, as I said, he probably saw through the deceit. That being so, we have no need now to keep you. If you wish, you may walk out and join him.’
The Bishop looked startled, and Nicholas looked sharply at Adorne. Then he saw that he was right. Released, Jamie could report on their defences, for what that was worth. But, more to the point, he could repeat something of what had been said to him. If he had been half convinced, he might find his doubts shared.
It was a gamble. Everything had been a gamble, from the moment they had refrained from closing the traitorous gates, and so tempted Applegarth to try and abstract his victims. Applegarth’s effort had failed. With luck and some guile, this new threat might have been countered. Then, in theory, the troop would march off rather than attack a Cistercian priory. An assault, whether it succeeded or not, would be political madness.
But there had been little luck, and perhaps not enough guile, and, sadly, Sander Jardine and David Purves were political madmen. Furthermore, the gates were still open, and two hundred men could be deployed round the outer precinct with longbows and crossbows and swords; with maces and axes and battering-rams. And inside were women. And outside, it seemed.
Adorne was