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By Root 1550 0

are probably less balanced than the rest. Lord d’Aubigny, if it hasn’t already struck you, is a slightly stupid man of exquisite culture who has been living for years off the fat of his ancestors’ reputations. Up until quite recently he assumed that being the King of France’s dear friend meant that you became a Marshal of France like Bernard, or Regent of Scotland as Stewart, Duke of Albany, did. When Henri took him out of prison on coming to the throne, d’Aubigny arrived fully primed for his role in history as the man behind, beside and very nearly on the throne of France. Instead, he found himself merely a foundation member of the Valois old compère society, the circle of dear old friends whom Henri had rescued from the displeasure of his father. And inside, in an exclusive circle around the King were his mistress, the Queen, the Constable the de Guises, St. André. Lord d’Aubigny wasn’t going to be the Great Man of Europe.’

‘So that after a bit he goes seeking a different throne to support.’ O’LiamRoe, his voice austere, tried a guess in spite of himself.

‘Of course. Lennox, his brother, had a claim to the Scottish throne and even to the English throne though his wife. Mary’s death would give Lennox at least a chance with the Scottish succession. And if the English King were to die, Catholicism would come back with his sister Mary—or even before, if there were a Catholic revival. The Lennox family are dear friends of Princess Mary Tudor. You can see—or at least d’Aubigny could see—a Lord Chancellorship waiting for the man who should put all this into motion by disposing of Mary of Scotland. He was going to make a new career of being brother to royalty—I shouldn’t be surprised if the original hint even came from the Earl of Lennox. So Lord d’Aubigny set out to sweep aside Mary of Scotland—of course; but also to teach a lesson to the French Court he was attempting to despise. He devised his murders like a masque … a poor, perverted vehicle for all the ingenuity of his fathers. And I think he will want to end Mary’s life with equal ceremony, now that he has the perfect theatre. I think he hopes to kill her during the English envoys’ visit, before brother Lennox’s very eyes. A triumph indeed.’

Lymond’s soft, even voice paused a moment to give point to this, and then went on unaltered. ‘Robin Stewart in prison is an embarrassment to him. Robin Stewart dead,’ as we have seen today, would be better. Robin Stewart free would be best of all. Phelim, have you seen Stewart?’

‘Since the boar fight? No,’ said O’LiamRoe politely. ‘They’re taking him to Plessis-Macé tomorrow, you know?’

‘Have you tried to see him?’ said Lymond directly.

O’LiamRoe flushed. Then he said, ‘I have, then. He’s in the north tower this minute, with a power of young men guarding him. No one is allowed through.’ He paused, his lips pressed with uncommon firmness against their wreathing habit of irony, and then said, ‘You may as well know this thing: that Stewart and myself—’

‘Oh, the pact. I know,’ said Lymond with brief contempt. ‘God, did you think there was anything new in it? And you are going home now, are you?’

‘You have the right of it.’ It was amusing to note, said the Prince of Barrow’s mind to him angrily, that whatever humanitarian impulse prompted him that afternoon, he was getting no thanks for it. ‘I am for home after the execution,’ O’LiamRoe continued, ignoring Abernaci’s jerk of surprise. ‘I owe it to the fellow to stay the length of that, at least.’ He did not add, You can live for seventy hours on the wheel.

‘And the woman?’ said Lymond.

He had expected that. He had known, when Stewart’s denunciation of Lord d’Aubigny failed, that all this pitiless excellence would turn against Oonagh. ‘The woman is no concern of mine,’ said O’LiamRoe. ‘Nor of yours either, if you are wise.’

‘If you won’t go to see her, my dear,’ said Lymond, ignoring the threat, ‘you may be quite sure that I shall. Haven’t you seen Cormac O’Connor?’

‘I have done more than that,’ said Phelim O’LiamRoe, and his pleasant voice was quite changed. ‘I have seen Oonagh