was the picture of dejection.
Fair enough, Berenger thought to himself. It was how he felt, too. What a wretched way to end their days.
Berenger had thought that they were to be taken straight to the place set aside for their public humiliation, but to his surprise, when the guards took them out into the open
air, they did not force them along the roads to the church, but down a dark alleyway and along a wider street to a small door in a great wall. Once through this, they found themselves in a broad
courtyard paved with cobbles. They were led up some stairs to a large hall, and in here they found themselves confronted by the same cardinal who had selected their punishment, talking to the same
red-headed Scot whom Berenger had seen on that first day.
‘You should be gone, Sir David,’ the prelate said. ‘Godspeed, my son.’
‘Thank you, my Lord.’ Sir David bowed to the cardinal, kissed the prelate’s ring and, with a disgusted look at the prisoners, left the room.
‘Now! Is there one among you who speaks French well enough to communicate?’ the cardinal asked. He was standing at a large fireplace as he spoke, curling his lip at the sight and
smell of them.
Berenger could understand why. They all had the same pale, drawn features and eyes that glittered with an unhealthy feverishness, and their clothes stank of the midden.
‘We all speak French,’ he said.
‘Then know this, all of you: you will
all
be forced to suffer,’ the cardinal said. ‘You have committed grave acts against the Peace of the King, and for that, the
penalty is usually death. You are fortunate enough to have won his lenience, and for that you will live, but only after . . .’
‘You have had our eyes put out and hacked off our string-fingers,’ Berenger said.
‘So you did hear what I commanded the other day.’ The cardinal eyed him dispassionately. ‘Your men will all be blinded. If you help me, you can be the one to keep an
eye.’
‘How can I help you?’
‘If you tell me the disposition of the men about Calais, that will help. And any news of the army.’
Berenger frowned. ‘The disposition of the men? Calais is under siege and our army is strong. What more could I tell you?’
‘Which men stand where. Which noblemen lead the forces there. We will win this battle, Englishman. With God on our side, we cannot fail. But I would see it ended sooner so that fewer women
and children are hurt or slain. You English trample the poor folk of France underfoot like a peasant stamping on ants, but as the peasant will regret it when he disturbs the nest, you will regret
your impudence in coming here to challenge the right of the King of France to command his people. If you wish to keep your sight, I may be able to help you.’
‘We will tell you,’ Tyler blurted out. ‘Ask us! We can help you with any questions you have, and—’
With a loud rattle of the chain at his wrists, Jack’s hands slammed into his belly and Tyler collapsed in a heap on the floor, gasping and retching. Two guards set upon Jack immediately,
beating him with their clubs, and soon he too went down, writhing as they kicked at him.
‘Tell them to stop or you’ll have nothing from me,’ Berenger snarled.
The cardinal raised his hand and the assault stopped as suddenly as it had begun. ‘So? Will you help me?’
‘If you swear that we will all be treated equally. None of us to be blinded.’
‘No.’
‘Then we will not help you.’
The cardinal nodded, then pointed to Tyler, lying on the floor huddled about the pain of his belly. ‘Raise him and bring him here.’
Berenger felt alarm surging. ‘Leave him, he’s only a—’
‘Someone silence this fool!’ A blow to the back of Berenger’s head made him fall to his knees, and he tumbled onto all fours, heaving. The cardinal stood over him. ‘I
gave you your chance. You will not help me, so you will be blinded like the rest. If this man helps me, he may keep an eye.’ The
Fair enough, Berenger thought to himself. It was how he felt, too. What a wretched way to end their days.
Berenger had thought that they were to be taken straight to the place set aside for their public humiliation, but to his surprise, when the guards took them out into the open
air, they did not force them along the roads to the church, but down a dark alleyway and along a wider street to a small door in a great wall. Once through this, they found themselves in a broad
courtyard paved with cobbles. They were led up some stairs to a large hall, and in here they found themselves confronted by the same cardinal who had selected their punishment, talking to the same
red-headed Scot whom Berenger had seen on that first day.
‘You should be gone, Sir David,’ the prelate said. ‘Godspeed, my son.’
‘Thank you, my Lord.’ Sir David bowed to the cardinal, kissed the prelate’s ring and, with a disgusted look at the prisoners, left the room.
‘Now! Is there one among you who speaks French well enough to communicate?’ the cardinal asked. He was standing at a large fireplace as he spoke, curling his lip at the sight and
smell of them.
Berenger could understand why. They all had the same pale, drawn features and eyes that glittered with an unhealthy feverishness, and their clothes stank of the midden.
‘We all speak French,’ he said.
‘Then know this, all of you: you will
all
be forced to suffer,’ the cardinal said. ‘You have committed grave acts against the Peace of the King, and for that, the
penalty is usually death. You are fortunate enough to have won his lenience, and for that you will live, but only after . . .’
‘You have had our eyes put out and hacked off our string-fingers,’ Berenger said.
‘So you did hear what I commanded the other day.’ The cardinal eyed him dispassionately. ‘Your men will all be blinded. If you help me, you can be the one to keep an
eye.’
‘How can I help you?’
‘If you tell me the disposition of the men about Calais, that will help. And any news of the army.’
Berenger frowned. ‘The disposition of the men? Calais is under siege and our army is strong. What more could I tell you?’
‘Which men stand where. Which noblemen lead the forces there. We will win this battle, Englishman. With God on our side, we cannot fail. But I would see it ended sooner so that fewer women
and children are hurt or slain. You English trample the poor folk of France underfoot like a peasant stamping on ants, but as the peasant will regret it when he disturbs the nest, you will regret
your impudence in coming here to challenge the right of the King of France to command his people. If you wish to keep your sight, I may be able to help you.’
‘We will tell you,’ Tyler blurted out. ‘Ask us! We can help you with any questions you have, and—’
With a loud rattle of the chain at his wrists, Jack’s hands slammed into his belly and Tyler collapsed in a heap on the floor, gasping and retching. Two guards set upon Jack immediately,
beating him with their clubs, and soon he too went down, writhing as they kicked at him.
‘Tell them to stop or you’ll have nothing from me,’ Berenger snarled.
The cardinal raised his hand and the assault stopped as suddenly as it had begun. ‘So? Will you help me?’
‘If you swear that we will all be treated equally. None of us to be blinded.’
‘No.’
‘Then we will not help you.’
The cardinal nodded, then pointed to Tyler, lying on the floor huddled about the pain of his belly. ‘Raise him and bring him here.’
Berenger felt alarm surging. ‘Leave him, he’s only a—’
‘Someone silence this fool!’ A blow to the back of Berenger’s head made him fall to his knees, and he tumbled onto all fours, heaving. The cardinal stood over him. ‘I
gave you your chance. You will not help me, so you will be blinded like the rest. If this man helps me, he may keep an eye.’ The
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