Wolf Wood (Part Two): The Dangerous years by Mike Dixon Page B
Authors: Mike Dixon
Tags: Romance, Historical, Magic, Witches, sorcery, middle ages, Knights, heresy, family feuds, war of the roses
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became untenable.'
'What is your name?'
'Robin Perry.'
'Ah.' An expression of recognition appeared on Margaret's severe face. 'You will be the Robin who tried to save poor Sir Humphrey Stafford at Sevenoaks. You were there as a secret agent for His Majesty. We have heard great things of you.'
She turned to the limp figure, standing behind her, and pointed to the sword that hung incongruously from the jewelled shoulder harness he wore over his royal robes.
'Henry, this is the Robin I told you about. You know what to do. It has all been discussed.'
The king drew the sword with some difficulty and advanced on Robin who seemed at a loss to know what to do. Then a voice gave the royal command.
'Kneel.'
The tip of the sword touch his shoulders and he received a second command.
'Arise, Sir Robin.'
In the crowd of cheering women, with Steven by her side, Alice sighed. A fleeing monarch, desperate for loyal supporters, had honoured Robin with a knighthood. It was something he could do without. In the wrong place and in the wrong company it would be less like an honour and more like a kiss of death .
***
Steven was desperate for a wee. The ablutions block was clogged and there was no chance of going behind a tree because there weren't any. His best chance was the privy next to his father's office in the administrative wing of the palace. It was reserved for staff but he wasn't going to let that get in his way. As Robin said: desperate times call for desperate measures .
He took a slip of paper from his pouch and presented it at the gate, saying he had to deliver it to his father. The gatekeepers knew him so they weren't greatly fussed. Nor did they bother to check where he went, which didn't matter because he only wanted a wee and wasn't planning to steal anything or assassinate anyone.
The privy stuck out from the palace wall. When you used it, anything that came out of you ended up in the Thames, which was a bit messy if you used it at low tide. Everything about it was very posh. You sat on a wooden seat, with a circular hole, and when you had finished there was a basin of water, complete with little squares of cloth, for you to wash your hands and other things.
Steven sat on the seat and was thinking about how the amenities could be further improved when he heard voices. His dad was speaking with Robin and they were discussing developments in London. Dad was using Robin's new title, calling him Sir Robin and making it sound like a joke. Dad said he would use it when he introduced him to the Lord Mayor of London.
It sounded like the mayor was getting the wind up. It wasn't just the men of Kent and Sussex who were in revolt. The whole of the West of England had taken up arms. Some old bishop had been hacked to death not far from Wolf Wood, where he had been born, and some other bishops had gone into hiding, scared the same thing would happen to them.
Dad said Commander Gough had moved into the Tower of London and they were going to join him. That was a bit spooky because dad had been locked up there. That was before they had gone to live in Normandy and he was still a baby.
It would be exciting though … living in the Tower. Things were hotting up. It had been quiet for a week since the king came through. Now, things were happening again. Steven pulled up his draws, secured the linen straps to his linen belt and sneaked out before anyone knew he was there.
Chapter 14
John Mortimer
Harald stood before Lord Scales, Governor of the Tower of London. He and Matthew Gough had been summoned for urgent discussions. Scales had just returned from a meeting with the Lord Mayor and had some alarming news.
'They are losing control.'
He made the announcement with a note of finality that suggested all was lost. Harald had the feeling that the governor was losing control himself.
'Cade is back and he's now calling himself John Mortimer. It has to be a reference to the House of York. At any rate, that's what
'What is your name?'
'Robin Perry.'
'Ah.' An expression of recognition appeared on Margaret's severe face. 'You will be the Robin who tried to save poor Sir Humphrey Stafford at Sevenoaks. You were there as a secret agent for His Majesty. We have heard great things of you.'
She turned to the limp figure, standing behind her, and pointed to the sword that hung incongruously from the jewelled shoulder harness he wore over his royal robes.
'Henry, this is the Robin I told you about. You know what to do. It has all been discussed.'
The king drew the sword with some difficulty and advanced on Robin who seemed at a loss to know what to do. Then a voice gave the royal command.
'Kneel.'
The tip of the sword touch his shoulders and he received a second command.
'Arise, Sir Robin.'
In the crowd of cheering women, with Steven by her side, Alice sighed. A fleeing monarch, desperate for loyal supporters, had honoured Robin with a knighthood. It was something he could do without. In the wrong place and in the wrong company it would be less like an honour and more like a kiss of death .
***
Steven was desperate for a wee. The ablutions block was clogged and there was no chance of going behind a tree because there weren't any. His best chance was the privy next to his father's office in the administrative wing of the palace. It was reserved for staff but he wasn't going to let that get in his way. As Robin said: desperate times call for desperate measures .
He took a slip of paper from his pouch and presented it at the gate, saying he had to deliver it to his father. The gatekeepers knew him so they weren't greatly fussed. Nor did they bother to check where he went, which didn't matter because he only wanted a wee and wasn't planning to steal anything or assassinate anyone.
The privy stuck out from the palace wall. When you used it, anything that came out of you ended up in the Thames, which was a bit messy if you used it at low tide. Everything about it was very posh. You sat on a wooden seat, with a circular hole, and when you had finished there was a basin of water, complete with little squares of cloth, for you to wash your hands and other things.
Steven sat on the seat and was thinking about how the amenities could be further improved when he heard voices. His dad was speaking with Robin and they were discussing developments in London. Dad was using Robin's new title, calling him Sir Robin and making it sound like a joke. Dad said he would use it when he introduced him to the Lord Mayor of London.
It sounded like the mayor was getting the wind up. It wasn't just the men of Kent and Sussex who were in revolt. The whole of the West of England had taken up arms. Some old bishop had been hacked to death not far from Wolf Wood, where he had been born, and some other bishops had gone into hiding, scared the same thing would happen to them.
Dad said Commander Gough had moved into the Tower of London and they were going to join him. That was a bit spooky because dad had been locked up there. That was before they had gone to live in Normandy and he was still a baby.
It would be exciting though … living in the Tower. Things were hotting up. It had been quiet for a week since the king came through. Now, things were happening again. Steven pulled up his draws, secured the linen straps to his linen belt and sneaked out before anyone knew he was there.
Chapter 14
John Mortimer
Harald stood before Lord Scales, Governor of the Tower of London. He and Matthew Gough had been summoned for urgent discussions. Scales had just returned from a meeting with the Lord Mayor and had some alarming news.
'They are losing control.'
He made the announcement with a note of finality that suggested all was lost. Harald had the feeling that the governor was losing control himself.
'Cade is back and he's now calling himself John Mortimer. It has to be a reference to the House of York. At any rate, that's what
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