her newest pie. She hated to throw it aside. Waste of any sort offended her sensibilities.
"Psst. Fine lady. Over here."
Alice glanced up from the pie and saw a youth of about sixteen years hovering in the shadow
of a nearby awning. He gave her a grimy-faced grin.
"Excellent bargains, m'lady. Come and see." The young man glanced hurriedly over his
shoulder and then whipped a small dagger out from beneath his dirt-stained tunic.
Alice gasped and took a step back. Thieves and pickpockets were a constant threat at fairs.
She clutched her skirts and made to run.
"Nay, nay, do not fear, fine lady." The youth's dark eyes filled with alarm. "I mean you no
harm. I am called Fulk. I offer this beautiful dagger for sale. See? 'Tis fashioned of the best
Spanish steel."
Alice relaxed. "Aye, 'tis a pretty little dagger but I have no use for such."
"Mayhap you could give it to yer lord as a gift?" Fulk suggested with a determined gleam in
his eye. "A man can always use a good dagger."
"Sir Hugh has arms enough as it is," Alice retorted. She was still fuming over the fact that
Hugh had elected to fritter away the afternoon on the jousting field.
"No man has enough good steel. Come closer, m'lady, and examine the workmanship."
Alice studied the dagger with little interest. "Where did you get this?"
"My father sells daggers and knives in a stall on the other side of the fairgrounds," Fulk said
smoothly. "I assist him by mingling with the crowd to search out customers."
"Try another tale, lad."
"Very well." Fulk groaned. "If ye must know the truth, I found it lying by the side of the road.
A shame, is it not? I believe it to be the property of some passing traveler. It must have been
dropped by accident."
"More likely it was filched from a knife-seller's stall."
"Nay, nay, m'lady. I give ye me oath that I came by this blade in an honest fashion." Fulk
turned the dagger to display the inlaid handle. "See how beautiful it is. I'll wager these be rare
and valuable gems."
Alice smiled wryly. " 'Tis no use practicing your wiles on me, lad. I have only a few coins
left in my purse and I intend to use them to purchase something far more useful than that
dagger."
Fulk gave her an angelic smile. "What do ye wish to purchase, fine lady? Just let me know
what ye want and I shall fetch it for ye. Then ye can pay me for it. 'Twill save ye a lot of
dashing about amongst these dirty stalls."
Alice eyed him thoughtfully. "Very helpful of you."
He swept her an almost courtly bow. " 'Tis me great privilege to serve ye, m'lady."
It occurred to Alice that he just might be able to assist her. "What I am in need of is some
information."
"Information?" Fulk slipped the knife back inside his tunic sleeve with a businesslike flick of
his wrist. "That won't be any problem. I frequently sell information. Ye'd be surprised how
many people wish to purchase that particular commodity. Now, then, just what sort of
information do ye seek?"
Alice plunged into the tale she had concocted for the pie-sellers and peddlers. "I am searching
for a handsome troubadour who has long brown hair, a small beard, and pale blue eyes. He
favors a yellow and orange tunic. I heard him sing earlier and I wish to listen to some more of
his songs but I cannot find him in this crowd. Have you seen him?"
Fulk tilted his head to one side and gave her a shrewd look. "Are ye in love with this
troubadour?"
Alice started to utter an indignant protest and then caught herself. She gave what she hoped
was a fluttering sigh instead. "He is most comely."
Fulk snorted in disgust. "Ye be not the only lady who thinks so. By the teeth o' Saint Anselm,
I don't know what it is about troubadours. They all seem to have pretty ladies swooning at
their feet."
Alice stilled. "Then you have seen him?"
"Aye. I've seen yer fancy poet." Fulk lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. "His tunic is very
pretty, just as ye said. Always favored yellow and orange
"Psst. Fine lady. Over here."
Alice glanced up from the pie and saw a youth of about sixteen years hovering in the shadow
of a nearby awning. He gave her a grimy-faced grin.
"Excellent bargains, m'lady. Come and see." The young man glanced hurriedly over his
shoulder and then whipped a small dagger out from beneath his dirt-stained tunic.
Alice gasped and took a step back. Thieves and pickpockets were a constant threat at fairs.
She clutched her skirts and made to run.
"Nay, nay, do not fear, fine lady." The youth's dark eyes filled with alarm. "I mean you no
harm. I am called Fulk. I offer this beautiful dagger for sale. See? 'Tis fashioned of the best
Spanish steel."
Alice relaxed. "Aye, 'tis a pretty little dagger but I have no use for such."
"Mayhap you could give it to yer lord as a gift?" Fulk suggested with a determined gleam in
his eye. "A man can always use a good dagger."
"Sir Hugh has arms enough as it is," Alice retorted. She was still fuming over the fact that
Hugh had elected to fritter away the afternoon on the jousting field.
"No man has enough good steel. Come closer, m'lady, and examine the workmanship."
Alice studied the dagger with little interest. "Where did you get this?"
"My father sells daggers and knives in a stall on the other side of the fairgrounds," Fulk said
smoothly. "I assist him by mingling with the crowd to search out customers."
"Try another tale, lad."
"Very well." Fulk groaned. "If ye must know the truth, I found it lying by the side of the road.
A shame, is it not? I believe it to be the property of some passing traveler. It must have been
dropped by accident."
"More likely it was filched from a knife-seller's stall."
"Nay, nay, m'lady. I give ye me oath that I came by this blade in an honest fashion." Fulk
turned the dagger to display the inlaid handle. "See how beautiful it is. I'll wager these be rare
and valuable gems."
Alice smiled wryly. " 'Tis no use practicing your wiles on me, lad. I have only a few coins
left in my purse and I intend to use them to purchase something far more useful than that
dagger."
Fulk gave her an angelic smile. "What do ye wish to purchase, fine lady? Just let me know
what ye want and I shall fetch it for ye. Then ye can pay me for it. 'Twill save ye a lot of
dashing about amongst these dirty stalls."
Alice eyed him thoughtfully. "Very helpful of you."
He swept her an almost courtly bow. " 'Tis me great privilege to serve ye, m'lady."
It occurred to Alice that he just might be able to assist her. "What I am in need of is some
information."
"Information?" Fulk slipped the knife back inside his tunic sleeve with a businesslike flick of
his wrist. "That won't be any problem. I frequently sell information. Ye'd be surprised how
many people wish to purchase that particular commodity. Now, then, just what sort of
information do ye seek?"
Alice plunged into the tale she had concocted for the pie-sellers and peddlers. "I am searching
for a handsome troubadour who has long brown hair, a small beard, and pale blue eyes. He
favors a yellow and orange tunic. I heard him sing earlier and I wish to listen to some more of
his songs but I cannot find him in this crowd. Have you seen him?"
Fulk tilted his head to one side and gave her a shrewd look. "Are ye in love with this
troubadour?"
Alice started to utter an indignant protest and then caught herself. She gave what she hoped
was a fluttering sigh instead. "He is most comely."
Fulk snorted in disgust. "Ye be not the only lady who thinks so. By the teeth o' Saint Anselm,
I don't know what it is about troubadours. They all seem to have pretty ladies swooning at
their feet."
Alice stilled. "Then you have seen him?"
"Aye. I've seen yer fancy poet." Fulk lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. "His tunic is very
pretty, just as ye said. Always favored yellow and orange
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