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believe, return while he has his eyes on the Low Countries. Queen Mary, meanwhile, is barren; we can safely expect her to remain so, and that points to one thing.’
    We all nodded our approval for, although most men believed a Queen to be a poor substitute for a King, Princess Elizabeth was the next in line and offered the prospect of a return to the religion we favoured. For all of us, the idea of reversing the damage that had been done by the accession of Mary Tudor was our greatest hope for the future of our country, and one we would fight for.
    ‘We must play a long game, gentlemen, one that ends with the confounding of the plans of our enemies and with Princess Elizabeth as Queen of England. Sir John, we all have to accept that your health is not what it was and we must not overburden you. Your role will be to influence the many English students who pass through this great institution, and also to convince our foreign neighbours that such an outcome would lead to peace and prosperity for all.’
    Cheke nodded, clearly saddened by the recognition of his condition but, nevertheless, accepting the reality of it.
    ‘Sir Peter, you are to travel to Venice and will, I know, influence many men in power there to recognize the merit of our cause. We have a potential problem with Doge Venier, for he is old and set in his ways. He is also a committed Catholic and trusts Sir Peter Vannes. Nevertheless, you must do what you can.’
    Sir Peter Carew lifted a soldierly hand, He was used to receiving instructions and to implementing them, and if the task required bravery, energy and drive, he looked like the man for it.
    ‘Richard, your task is a difficult one, for you will be tied to a loose cannon during your time in Venice. Edward Courtenay has been dealt a poor hand of cards and has experienced hardship and solitude beyond many men’s understanding or endurance during his short life. That being said, he has, since his release, proved himself to be vain, easily led and spineless. His involvement in Wyatt’s movement against Queen Mary with Sir Peter here in January 1554 made no contribution to the plan, and as soon as he was interrogated by Gardiner he let out the whole story, with names, including Sir Peter’s. That loose tongue nearly cost Sir Peter his life, and you will not be surprised to hear that the two are no longer friends.’
    I looked across at Carew, who nodded sagely to confirm this fact.
    ‘Since then, he appears to have become a greater braggart and a bigger fool. He is dangerous and cannot be trusted with any information, however unimportant. Richard, I fear that your ties to him will, in the end, be to your personal disadvantage.
    ‘Dr Marwood is less well-known. We know he is a committed Catholic and makes no secret of it, but that should not damn a man, and everything I have heard about him suggests he is a good man and might be trusted. But the journey upon which we are about to travel is a long and potentially dangerous one and I, for one, dare not risk the lives of others on the basis of a mere friendship.
    ‘You have described the doctor as an “honest Catholic”. All I can reply is that, in my experience, that is a very dangerous combination, and one I would be most wary of in the world in which we find ourselves today. I mistrust most Catholics, but the most dangerous ones are those who believe themselves honest, for being without guile (or, in most cases that I can recall, individual thought); they are likely to blurt out the most damaging information in the name of “truth”. I have nothing against the doctor, and would not ask you to terminate your friendship, but for all our sakes, we must ask you not to take him into your confidence about our meeting or the content of our discussions. Do you agree?’
    I had no choice, and although I believed they would all feel differently if they knew Thomas Marwood better, I could understand their concerns.
    ‘I agree and I accept. Thomas has been a