The Ringed Castle - Dorothy Dunnett [323]
‘His name is still Kuzúm,’ Lymond said.
‘I am becoming used to it,’ said Philippa curtly. ‘We are not all able to arrange our changes of sentiment quite so quickly. I called on Surian and told him of the lady Elizabeth’s concern that the King of France’s good name should not suffer as a result of anything found in the Earl of Devonshire’s papers at Padua. The Ambassador was most sympathetic. I was to tell the Queen’s grace’s sister that there was not the remotest cause for anxiety. All the relevant papers, he revealed, had been extracted by the Council of Ten before the casket ever left Padua. There followed a good deal of talk.’
‘But at the end of the talk?’ Lymond said.
‘He gave me the documents. That is, the papers affecting France and the lady Elizabeth. I took them to John Dee. And John Dee sent the clockwork owl to Madam Elizabeth. She sent it back last week, saying she had no desire to keep it, but that she wished to know of any piece of my property which I was discarding, that it might come to her. And in the owl’s belly, where we had put the papers, were the ashes of the letters, and a glove, addressed to the new mapmaker from Scotland.’
‘A happy conceit,’ said Lymond blankly, ‘I seem to attract them.’
‘I left it with Dee. It should be with the rest of your baggage.’ He could hear her prepare to ask the next question. ‘Did you find your gold?’
‘If you had waited,’ Lymond said, ‘you would have seen.… We appear, from what I can see, to have launched a combined attack, you and I, on the worthy ministers of France and Venice and Spain. While you were making heartless use of the Venetian Ambassador, I had already warned King Philip that the Doge had taken Courtenay’s more treasonable papers. King Philip didn’t want a rush of opinion against his wife’s sister either. I felt sure he would find and suppress them.’
‘Not for nothing,’ said Philippa flatly, ‘have you and Master Dee between you the best espionage network in Europe. If Queen Mary dies, Philip is preparing to marry Elizabeth.’
‘He must have been puzzled,’ said Lymond restlessly, ‘when the Venetian Ambassador helpfully made him a gift of all Courtenay’s missing correspondence, and it proved to make no mention whatever of Elizabeth. Do you suppose they think we have been in collusion?’
‘I can’t imagine,’ Philippa said. She sounded abstracted. After a moment she said, ‘Are you feeling better? It is much lighter now.’
‘And …?’ said Lymond. He was beginning to recognize the signs of deceit. ‘And there are two boats this time, following us. We are quite close to the ships,’ Philippa said. And now he could hear the edge of anxiety in her clear voice.
‘How close? Do they have hackbuts?’
‘I can’t see.’ After a moment, Philippa said, ‘I have tied a white kerchief to an oar. I think the Primrose might see us.’
‘The tide?’ said Lymond, sitting up. While they had been speaking, the motion of the small boat had altered.
‘It’s slack water. Someone is waving from the Evangelist. And the Primrose. The Primrose …’ She stopped the quick, chattering commentary.
‘What?’ Lymond said, overwhelmed suddenly with exhaustion and anger at his helplessness.
‘She is weighing her anchor.’
Behind them, a hackbut spoke, like the single bark of a dog, unmistakable through the coarse orchestration of their sailing. ‘Is she moving yet?’ Lymond said.
‘No.’
‘Is she towing her pinnace?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then,’ said Lymond, ‘can you get me at least to the pinnace? Or are the other boats coming too fast? In any case.… Wait: What will you say when they question you?’
Philippa considered. ‘That you told me this was a French ship,’ she said.
‘Called,’ said Lymond curtly, ‘the Primrose?’
‘It isn’t quite light,’ Philippa said. ‘I could be imposed upon very plausibly. I am afraid,’ as a ball whined suddenly just over their heads, ‘that we shall have to take to the water.… Or no. Here we are.’
There was the little shock of two boats touching, and they came into the shadow of something so high that it made the wind