it.”
Eileen frowned. “Then who…?”
The king,” said Thomas, keeping his voice as low as Henry’s. “Why?”
“Well, that is the question,” said Henry.
“Hey!” called William. “Stop muttering! We’re late enough as it is!”
“Right!” said Eileen. She took a deep breath, put on a smile and said, “See you at lunch!”
“Have a great day,” said Thomas.
“I will,” promised Eileen. She smiled at her escorts. “Let’s go!”
Thomas watched them run to class and tried to ignore the worry that had started gnawing at the pit of his stomach.
***
Halfway through Thomas’s morning class on Precedence and Law, someone behind him whispered, “Is it true?”
Thomas ignored whoever it was entirely and tried to pay attention to the lecture.
“Seriously, Thomas. Is it true? What those lords said about witchcraft?”
“Is there something you wish to share with the class, Master David?” demanded Professor Smythe, from his place at the front. “Something so vitally important that it is worth missing how to apply the law when standing before a Ducal Trial?”
“Uhhh… not vital,” said David.
“Oh, but it must be. Please repeat it. Loudly, for all of us.”
By the Four, please no, thought Thomas .
“Uhhh…”
“Now!”
“I was asking Thomas if it was true what the young lords were saying about him throwing lightning and being the Duke’s personal witch,” the words came out in a rush with no space for breath between them. There was a moment’s silence. Then the class erupted in sniggers and whispered comments.
“Fascinating,” said Professor Smythe, his cold, hard voice cutting through the noise in the class. “And Thomas, what was your reply?”
“I didn’t reply,” said Thomas.
“Oh, surely there must have been a reply. It takes two to converse.”
“But only one to whisper irritating questions when the other is trying to listen,” said Thomas, glaring at David. “I did not answer him, and had no intention of doing so.”
“You were listening?” Professor Smythe smiled. “Then perhaps you can tell me what precedent was set by Duke Clarence the Third.”
Thomas could and did, in great detail, until the Professor stopped him and resumed his lecture. All was quiet until the Professor gave them their case for the day. “Sir Roland Greensward vs. Pig-keeper Harris, in which Harris’s pigs got into Sir Roland’s garden, and Sir Roland slaughtered them. The Pig-keeper brought Sir Roland to court. Who won, why, and should they have won? Break into groups and discuss, then we’ll find out whether or not you are right.”
Thomas made a point of not being in the same group as David. It didn’t help.
“Witchcraft?” said Fred, as soon as their group sat down together. “Really?”
“There’s no such thing,” said Thomas. “Pig-keeper or knight?”
“Knight,” said Billy Randolph. “I heard what those northerners said about you. Why would they say that?”
Thomas sighed.
“The Archbishop said the raiders used witchcraft,” said Fred. “And he said someone on the other side used lightning.”
“I don’t care,” said Thomas, keeping his words slow and even. “I care about whose side we are going to argue for, and how we are going to win.”
“Maybe you could throw lightning at the Professor,” Fred sniggered.
Thomas wiped all expression from his face and stared at the other student.
“It was just a joke,” said Fred.
Thomas kept staring.
“It was a joke, Thomas,” said Billy. “He didn’t mean anything.”
“Pig-keeper or knight?” Thomas kept his voice soft and as calm as he could make it. “Which side?”
“Knight,” said Fred, sounding very nervous. “The pig-keeper will lose because his pigs were the ones that got loose. And one man is nobility, and the other isn’t.”
“Which is as good a reason to defend the pig-keeper as any, isn’t it?” said Thomas. “Now here’s what I think…”
Thomas made it through the
Eileen frowned. “Then who…?”
The king,” said Thomas, keeping his voice as low as Henry’s. “Why?”
“Well, that is the question,” said Henry.
“Hey!” called William. “Stop muttering! We’re late enough as it is!”
“Right!” said Eileen. She took a deep breath, put on a smile and said, “See you at lunch!”
“Have a great day,” said Thomas.
“I will,” promised Eileen. She smiled at her escorts. “Let’s go!”
Thomas watched them run to class and tried to ignore the worry that had started gnawing at the pit of his stomach.
***
Halfway through Thomas’s morning class on Precedence and Law, someone behind him whispered, “Is it true?”
Thomas ignored whoever it was entirely and tried to pay attention to the lecture.
“Seriously, Thomas. Is it true? What those lords said about witchcraft?”
“Is there something you wish to share with the class, Master David?” demanded Professor Smythe, from his place at the front. “Something so vitally important that it is worth missing how to apply the law when standing before a Ducal Trial?”
“Uhhh… not vital,” said David.
“Oh, but it must be. Please repeat it. Loudly, for all of us.”
By the Four, please no, thought Thomas .
“Uhhh…”
“Now!”
“I was asking Thomas if it was true what the young lords were saying about him throwing lightning and being the Duke’s personal witch,” the words came out in a rush with no space for breath between them. There was a moment’s silence. Then the class erupted in sniggers and whispered comments.
“Fascinating,” said Professor Smythe, his cold, hard voice cutting through the noise in the class. “And Thomas, what was your reply?”
“I didn’t reply,” said Thomas.
“Oh, surely there must have been a reply. It takes two to converse.”
“But only one to whisper irritating questions when the other is trying to listen,” said Thomas, glaring at David. “I did not answer him, and had no intention of doing so.”
“You were listening?” Professor Smythe smiled. “Then perhaps you can tell me what precedent was set by Duke Clarence the Third.”
Thomas could and did, in great detail, until the Professor stopped him and resumed his lecture. All was quiet until the Professor gave them their case for the day. “Sir Roland Greensward vs. Pig-keeper Harris, in which Harris’s pigs got into Sir Roland’s garden, and Sir Roland slaughtered them. The Pig-keeper brought Sir Roland to court. Who won, why, and should they have won? Break into groups and discuss, then we’ll find out whether or not you are right.”
Thomas made a point of not being in the same group as David. It didn’t help.
“Witchcraft?” said Fred, as soon as their group sat down together. “Really?”
“There’s no such thing,” said Thomas. “Pig-keeper or knight?”
“Knight,” said Billy Randolph. “I heard what those northerners said about you. Why would they say that?”
Thomas sighed.
“The Archbishop said the raiders used witchcraft,” said Fred. “And he said someone on the other side used lightning.”
“I don’t care,” said Thomas, keeping his words slow and even. “I care about whose side we are going to argue for, and how we are going to win.”
“Maybe you could throw lightning at the Professor,” Fred sniggered.
Thomas wiped all expression from his face and stared at the other student.
“It was just a joke,” said Fred.
Thomas kept staring.
“It was a joke, Thomas,” said Billy. “He didn’t mean anything.”
“Pig-keeper or knight?” Thomas kept his voice soft and as calm as he could make it. “Which side?”
“Knight,” said Fred, sounding very nervous. “The pig-keeper will lose because his pigs were the ones that got loose. And one man is nobility, and the other isn’t.”
“Which is as good a reason to defend the pig-keeper as any, isn’t it?” said Thomas. “Now here’s what I think…”
Thomas made it through the
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