negotiation, my lord.’
‘I leave all that to you, Rolfe.’
‘Fortunately, her uncle was very amenable.’
‘What about her parents?’ asked Firethorn.
‘Both dead, alas,’ said Harling. ‘She lives with her Uncle Bror. His full name is Bror Langberg and you will see a lot of him. He’s a man of great influence.’
‘Does he know that an entire theatre company is on its way?’
‘You were mentioned in all my letters.’
‘How are we likely to be received?’
‘With open arms,’ said Lord Westfield. ‘According to Rolfe – and he has been to Denmark – they will not stint us. The king is very wealthy, is he not?’
‘Yes, my lord,’ replied Harling, ‘and he has Kronborg Slot to thank for that. It’s the name of the castle in Elsinore,’ he explained to Firethorn. ‘That’s the source of his fortune for it controls the way in and out of the Baltic Sea. Every ship has to sail through a sound less than a mile wide. For centuries now, Denmark has imposed Sound Dues on the vessels. They are not only paid in money. Sometimes, part of a cargo is taken as well.’
‘What if a ship refuses to pay the dues?’ said Firethorn.
‘Nobody would dare to do that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because they would be blown out of the water by the cannon mounted on the ramparts. It all began well over a hundred and fifty years ago when Erik of Pomerania was on the throne. Not that that was his real name,’ he said pedantically, ‘but that’s beside the point.’
‘Rolfe is steeped in Danish history,’ noted Lord Westfield.
‘King Erik declared that every ship wishing to sail past Elsinore should dip its flag, strike its topsails and cast anchor so that its captain might go ashore to pay a toll to the customs officers in the town. Well over a thousand vessels a year were involved,’ continued Harling, ‘so the amount of money collected was enormous.’
‘What did the ships get in return?’ wondered Firethorn.
‘Free passage to or from the Baltic Sea and protection from the pirates who used to haunt it.’
‘Pirates?’
‘They are still there but in far smaller numbers. The Danish navy has hunted them for generations. In the days of King Erik, any pirates captured were first broken on the wheel and then executed. Their heads were stuck up on poles as a warning.’
‘The same fate should meet those who pirate our plays,’ said Firethorn vengefully. ‘We’ve had more than one stolen from us. There was a comedy printed last year that bore a close resemblance to one that Edmund Hoode had written for us long ago.’
‘What was the name of the author?’
‘None was given. He skulked behind anonymity. But I’ll swear that he filched Edmund’s work and sold it as his own. That man’s head should be stuck on a pole outside the Queen’s Head.’ He laughed harshly. ‘I’d suggest that the landlord’s head stood beside it but that would only frighten our audiences away.’
‘Nothing will frighten them away in Denmark,’ said Harling.
‘As long as we can keep the company together.’
‘You will have no difficulty doing that,’ said Lord Westfield.
‘We might, my lord. Were we not told that each vessel that sails into Elsinore Harbour had to yield up a portion of its cargo?’
‘True,’ confirmed Harling. ‘Customs officers have the right to come aboard to see what a ship is carrying. At first,the toll was levied on the vessel itself then, about thirty years ago, a man called Peder Oxe, treasurer to King Frederick II, pointed out that they could increase their revenue substantially if the weight of the cargo was the deciding factor. Within twelve months, they had trebled their income from Sound Dues. Most ships carry large and valuable cargoes. The Danes are entitled to a fixed proportion of it.’
‘That’s what disturbs me,’ joked Firethorn. ‘
We
are part of the cargo. I do not want any of my actors confiscated by way of a toll.’
‘They are quite safe, sir – unlike
‘I leave all that to you, Rolfe.’
‘Fortunately, her uncle was very amenable.’
‘What about her parents?’ asked Firethorn.
‘Both dead, alas,’ said Harling. ‘She lives with her Uncle Bror. His full name is Bror Langberg and you will see a lot of him. He’s a man of great influence.’
‘Does he know that an entire theatre company is on its way?’
‘You were mentioned in all my letters.’
‘How are we likely to be received?’
‘With open arms,’ said Lord Westfield. ‘According to Rolfe – and he has been to Denmark – they will not stint us. The king is very wealthy, is he not?’
‘Yes, my lord,’ replied Harling, ‘and he has Kronborg Slot to thank for that. It’s the name of the castle in Elsinore,’ he explained to Firethorn. ‘That’s the source of his fortune for it controls the way in and out of the Baltic Sea. Every ship has to sail through a sound less than a mile wide. For centuries now, Denmark has imposed Sound Dues on the vessels. They are not only paid in money. Sometimes, part of a cargo is taken as well.’
‘What if a ship refuses to pay the dues?’ said Firethorn.
‘Nobody would dare to do that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because they would be blown out of the water by the cannon mounted on the ramparts. It all began well over a hundred and fifty years ago when Erik of Pomerania was on the throne. Not that that was his real name,’ he said pedantically, ‘but that’s beside the point.’
‘Rolfe is steeped in Danish history,’ noted Lord Westfield.
‘King Erik declared that every ship wishing to sail past Elsinore should dip its flag, strike its topsails and cast anchor so that its captain might go ashore to pay a toll to the customs officers in the town. Well over a thousand vessels a year were involved,’ continued Harling, ‘so the amount of money collected was enormous.’
‘What did the ships get in return?’ wondered Firethorn.
‘Free passage to or from the Baltic Sea and protection from the pirates who used to haunt it.’
‘Pirates?’
‘They are still there but in far smaller numbers. The Danish navy has hunted them for generations. In the days of King Erik, any pirates captured were first broken on the wheel and then executed. Their heads were stuck up on poles as a warning.’
‘The same fate should meet those who pirate our plays,’ said Firethorn vengefully. ‘We’ve had more than one stolen from us. There was a comedy printed last year that bore a close resemblance to one that Edmund Hoode had written for us long ago.’
‘What was the name of the author?’
‘None was given. He skulked behind anonymity. But I’ll swear that he filched Edmund’s work and sold it as his own. That man’s head should be stuck on a pole outside the Queen’s Head.’ He laughed harshly. ‘I’d suggest that the landlord’s head stood beside it but that would only frighten our audiences away.’
‘Nothing will frighten them away in Denmark,’ said Harling.
‘As long as we can keep the company together.’
‘You will have no difficulty doing that,’ said Lord Westfield.
‘We might, my lord. Were we not told that each vessel that sails into Elsinore Harbour had to yield up a portion of its cargo?’
‘True,’ confirmed Harling. ‘Customs officers have the right to come aboard to see what a ship is carrying. At first,the toll was levied on the vessel itself then, about thirty years ago, a man called Peder Oxe, treasurer to King Frederick II, pointed out that they could increase their revenue substantially if the weight of the cargo was the deciding factor. Within twelve months, they had trebled their income from Sound Dues. Most ships carry large and valuable cargoes. The Danes are entitled to a fixed proportion of it.’
‘That’s what disturbs me,’ joked Firethorn. ‘
We
are part of the cargo. I do not want any of my actors confiscated by way of a toll.’
‘They are quite safe, sir – unlike
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