candles, we were alone with the king and his noble relatives.
‘You may speak freely. Gábor is mute. He is also one of my most loyal servants.’ King Istvan put out a hand, and a golden goblet was placed in it.
Dee nodded thanks for his goblet – more ornate than mine, I noticed – and took a sip. Then he placed it on the table, all the time scrutinising the lady.
‘Countess, may I ask what ails you?’ he said.
‘You know my mother’s story?’ She waved away the servant. ‘Lady Anna was a good and devout woman who deserved a longer life. But she suffered from a weakness, a sickness that can only be treated by certain herbs and remedies. Feel the pulse in my wrist.’ She reached out one hand, the fingers skeletal, the knuckles prominent. Her skin was very white and soft, her nails long and oval. A ring, loose on her emaciated thumb, had a dragon coiled about a ruby the size of a robin’s egg. It was so red it was almost black.
Dee hesitated for a second, and then took her hand. I could see the shock on his face in the candlelight.
‘My lady … you are very cold.’ He pressed two fingers to the pulse in her arm, searching for it gently, failing to find it for a long moment. No one moved nor spoke, and when he breathed out it was a shocking sigh in the silent room, as if we had all been holding our breath.
‘I am no doctor,’ he said, releasing her hand, ‘but your heart beats very slow.’
‘Since my marriage, the treatments my healing woman gives me have become less effective. I am not normally as weak as you see me now.’
Dee spread out his hands. ‘My lady, I am a scholar and, I hope, a good Christian. If I can help—’
The king leaned back in his chair and rested one hand on his spreading belly. ‘We have heard about the speech you have had with angels.’
‘Indeed.’ Dee bowed his head for a moment.
‘How can you be certain that any such communication is with angels, and not demons or evil spirits?’
‘The messages have been for the benefit of mankind. Of that I am sure. There is a … an odour, an atmosphere, when they reveal their wisdoms to me, their servant.’
King Istvan crossed himself and murmured a blessing. I noticed the woman did not.
‘And you saw these beings,’ the countess pressed, like a child.
‘They spoke to me when they inhabited my colleague, Master Kelley. He has seen them.’
All turned to me, and I felt unpleasantly hot.
The king rested his hands on the table and leaned forward. ‘What did you see?’
I could not lie to either and mumbled the truth. ‘I have seen a great radiance, and a sword, and great giants made of blinding light that burned my eyes.’
‘And these beings … possessed you?’ The young woman’s eyes, blue as a summer sky, stared at me. I found myself speaking directly to her.
‘When he appears to me it is like a dream, in which my mouth speaks and Doctor Dee listens.’ I took a deep draught of the strong wine. ‘He – Saraquel – fills me with such hope, but such fear.’
The king put a hand on his niece’s shoulder, as if to prevent her touching me as she leaned forward. ‘I must consult my priests,’ he said in his gruff Latin.
‘We welcome it,’ said Dee, as calm as ever. ‘We have discussed our findings with many bishops and clerics, as well as scholars and philosophers.’
‘Father Konrad will also wish to examine your story.’ The king beckoned to the servitor, who took the goblet from my hand, and when I did not move, twitched his fingers to make me stand. ‘And your piety.’
Chapter 17
Jack shuddered back into consciousness. As she looked around the inside of the car and the crazed windscreen, the noise of the engine intruded, and the memories re-formed in her head. She turned the key, and silence flooded back in. Pushing on the door didn’t even budge it, so she fumbled with the seat belt and dragged herself to the passenger side. That door creaked and groaned open, and she reeled onto the
‘You may speak freely. Gábor is mute. He is also one of my most loyal servants.’ King Istvan put out a hand, and a golden goblet was placed in it.
Dee nodded thanks for his goblet – more ornate than mine, I noticed – and took a sip. Then he placed it on the table, all the time scrutinising the lady.
‘Countess, may I ask what ails you?’ he said.
‘You know my mother’s story?’ She waved away the servant. ‘Lady Anna was a good and devout woman who deserved a longer life. But she suffered from a weakness, a sickness that can only be treated by certain herbs and remedies. Feel the pulse in my wrist.’ She reached out one hand, the fingers skeletal, the knuckles prominent. Her skin was very white and soft, her nails long and oval. A ring, loose on her emaciated thumb, had a dragon coiled about a ruby the size of a robin’s egg. It was so red it was almost black.
Dee hesitated for a second, and then took her hand. I could see the shock on his face in the candlelight.
‘My lady … you are very cold.’ He pressed two fingers to the pulse in her arm, searching for it gently, failing to find it for a long moment. No one moved nor spoke, and when he breathed out it was a shocking sigh in the silent room, as if we had all been holding our breath.
‘I am no doctor,’ he said, releasing her hand, ‘but your heart beats very slow.’
‘Since my marriage, the treatments my healing woman gives me have become less effective. I am not normally as weak as you see me now.’
Dee spread out his hands. ‘My lady, I am a scholar and, I hope, a good Christian. If I can help—’
The king leaned back in his chair and rested one hand on his spreading belly. ‘We have heard about the speech you have had with angels.’
‘Indeed.’ Dee bowed his head for a moment.
‘How can you be certain that any such communication is with angels, and not demons or evil spirits?’
‘The messages have been for the benefit of mankind. Of that I am sure. There is a … an odour, an atmosphere, when they reveal their wisdoms to me, their servant.’
King Istvan crossed himself and murmured a blessing. I noticed the woman did not.
‘And you saw these beings,’ the countess pressed, like a child.
‘They spoke to me when they inhabited my colleague, Master Kelley. He has seen them.’
All turned to me, and I felt unpleasantly hot.
The king rested his hands on the table and leaned forward. ‘What did you see?’
I could not lie to either and mumbled the truth. ‘I have seen a great radiance, and a sword, and great giants made of blinding light that burned my eyes.’
‘And these beings … possessed you?’ The young woman’s eyes, blue as a summer sky, stared at me. I found myself speaking directly to her.
‘When he appears to me it is like a dream, in which my mouth speaks and Doctor Dee listens.’ I took a deep draught of the strong wine. ‘He – Saraquel – fills me with such hope, but such fear.’
The king put a hand on his niece’s shoulder, as if to prevent her touching me as she leaned forward. ‘I must consult my priests,’ he said in his gruff Latin.
‘We welcome it,’ said Dee, as calm as ever. ‘We have discussed our findings with many bishops and clerics, as well as scholars and philosophers.’
‘Father Konrad will also wish to examine your story.’ The king beckoned to the servitor, who took the goblet from my hand, and when I did not move, twitched his fingers to make me stand. ‘And your piety.’
Chapter 17
Jack shuddered back into consciousness. As she looked around the inside of the car and the crazed windscreen, the noise of the engine intruded, and the memories re-formed in her head. She turned the key, and silence flooded back in. Pushing on the door didn’t even budge it, so she fumbled with the seat belt and dragged herself to the passenger side. That door creaked and groaned open, and she reeled onto the
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