connection; I need to keep Reuben alive, or ... well, I must keep him alive,’ he said simply, then: ‘I think this is going to be very bad, very bad indeed, and so I must urge you to leave - tonight. This is not your fight.’
I squared my shoulders, and looked back into his pale, grey eyes. ‘When I first entered your service,’ I said stiffly, ‘I swore that I would be loyal to you until death. I will not break that oath. If you will stay here and face battle against these madmen, then I will remain with you.’
‘You really are an idiot, Alan,’ said Robin but in a kindly voice, ‘a sentimental idiot. But thank you.’ And he smiled and slapped me on the shoulder. ‘So be it, then. We fight. Now I suppose I’d better go and rally the troops.’
With that, he was gone. I remained at the battlements staring out into the darkness and wondering whether I had made an enormous, possibly fatal mistake. The bailey seemed to be settling down for the night and I saw in the light of the few remaining torches hundreds of people making up beds under the eaves of the castle buildings while others, armed any-old-how with rusty spears and axes, rakes and scythes were standing guard, almost like regular soldiers. The white monk had ceased his shouting and gone, and of Sir Richard Malbête there was nothing to be seen. I looked down to my right, at the black Ouse, and saw that dozens of campfires had been now built between the bottom of the Tower mound and the river. The Jew-hating rabble had not dispersed, not at all: they appeared to have grown in number, and someone was organising them, almost certainly a soldier - for they surrounded us like a besieging army. Whatever Robin had said, it would not have been easy for me to escape. The blood-hungry mob had not gone away, back to their homes, calmed by the falling of night, they were there to stay. And, come morning, they would try to get into the Tower. We were in for a hard fight. My hands went to my waist, to the hilts of my poniard and sword on either side of my body. If I were to die the next day, I would take a few of these damned lunatics with me, I said bravely to myself, but the ice-snake in my belly gave a little slither of fear.
Just then a small hand touched my arm and I jumped like a startled rabbit, jerking the poniard half out of its scabbard. Ruth was at my side, and she was proffering a steaming wooden bowl. ‘Don’t do that,’ I said crossly, ‘don’t sneak up on people. I could easily have killed you.’
She frowned. ‘I am sorry for frightening you like that,’ she said.
‘You did not frighten me,’ I said, still annoyed. ‘I was merely regarding the enemy and considering our best stratagems for tomorrow.’ I was being pompous and I regretted it as soon as the words were out of my mouth.
She said nothing, but handed me the bowl of fish stew, gesturing that I should eat. I sank down on to the floor of the parapet, back against the thick wooden wall and began to spoon the mixture into my mouth. She crouched down beside me, watching. The food was absolutely delicious, and I was surprised that somebody had bothered to make a proper hot meal in these difficult circumstances. I flashed a smile at her, and she smiled back. Friends again.
‘I never thanked you for escorting us here,’ she said. Her brown eyes above her veil filled with warmth and gratitude. ‘I was so scared and you were so brave, like a hero, like Jonathan fighting the Philistines ...’
I seemed to be losing my appetite as I stared into those deep twin pools. Gruffly, I said: ‘I’m no Jonathan, I was merely doing my duty...’ I couldn’t think of anything more to say, there was a lump in my throat and my cheeks were glowing. I was secretly very glad that she thought me a hero. But I hoped she could not see my blushes in the darkness.
‘Will you stay and protect us against...’ she made a sideways jerk of her head, indicating the bailey of the castle, ‘... them?’ I
I squared my shoulders, and looked back into his pale, grey eyes. ‘When I first entered your service,’ I said stiffly, ‘I swore that I would be loyal to you until death. I will not break that oath. If you will stay here and face battle against these madmen, then I will remain with you.’
‘You really are an idiot, Alan,’ said Robin but in a kindly voice, ‘a sentimental idiot. But thank you.’ And he smiled and slapped me on the shoulder. ‘So be it, then. We fight. Now I suppose I’d better go and rally the troops.’
With that, he was gone. I remained at the battlements staring out into the darkness and wondering whether I had made an enormous, possibly fatal mistake. The bailey seemed to be settling down for the night and I saw in the light of the few remaining torches hundreds of people making up beds under the eaves of the castle buildings while others, armed any-old-how with rusty spears and axes, rakes and scythes were standing guard, almost like regular soldiers. The white monk had ceased his shouting and gone, and of Sir Richard Malbête there was nothing to be seen. I looked down to my right, at the black Ouse, and saw that dozens of campfires had been now built between the bottom of the Tower mound and the river. The Jew-hating rabble had not dispersed, not at all: they appeared to have grown in number, and someone was organising them, almost certainly a soldier - for they surrounded us like a besieging army. Whatever Robin had said, it would not have been easy for me to escape. The blood-hungry mob had not gone away, back to their homes, calmed by the falling of night, they were there to stay. And, come morning, they would try to get into the Tower. We were in for a hard fight. My hands went to my waist, to the hilts of my poniard and sword on either side of my body. If I were to die the next day, I would take a few of these damned lunatics with me, I said bravely to myself, but the ice-snake in my belly gave a little slither of fear.
Just then a small hand touched my arm and I jumped like a startled rabbit, jerking the poniard half out of its scabbard. Ruth was at my side, and she was proffering a steaming wooden bowl. ‘Don’t do that,’ I said crossly, ‘don’t sneak up on people. I could easily have killed you.’
She frowned. ‘I am sorry for frightening you like that,’ she said.
‘You did not frighten me,’ I said, still annoyed. ‘I was merely regarding the enemy and considering our best stratagems for tomorrow.’ I was being pompous and I regretted it as soon as the words were out of my mouth.
She said nothing, but handed me the bowl of fish stew, gesturing that I should eat. I sank down on to the floor of the parapet, back against the thick wooden wall and began to spoon the mixture into my mouth. She crouched down beside me, watching. The food was absolutely delicious, and I was surprised that somebody had bothered to make a proper hot meal in these difficult circumstances. I flashed a smile at her, and she smiled back. Friends again.
‘I never thanked you for escorting us here,’ she said. Her brown eyes above her veil filled with warmth and gratitude. ‘I was so scared and you were so brave, like a hero, like Jonathan fighting the Philistines ...’
I seemed to be losing my appetite as I stared into those deep twin pools. Gruffly, I said: ‘I’m no Jonathan, I was merely doing my duty...’ I couldn’t think of anything more to say, there was a lump in my throat and my cheeks were glowing. I was secretly very glad that she thought me a hero. But I hoped she could not see my blushes in the darkness.
‘Will you stay and protect us against...’ she made a sideways jerk of her head, indicating the bailey of the castle, ‘... them?’ I
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