An Ensuing Evil and Others by Peter Tremayne Read Free Book Online

not Constable Drew’s jurisdiction. He was constable on the south bank of the river but he was not perturbed about crossing out of his territory. He knew the City Watch well enough.
    The boat rasped against the bottom of Blackfriars Steps. He flipped the man a halfpenny and walked with a measured tread up the street toward the tower of St. Paul’s rising above the city, which was shrouded with the acrid stench of coal fires rising from a hundred thousand chimneys. It was not far to the Blackfriars Theatre.
    He walked in and was at once hailed by a tall man who fluttered his hands nervously. “I say, fellow! Away! Begone! The theater is not open for another three hours yet.”
    Master Drew regarded the man humorlessly “I come not to see the play but to seek information.” He reached behind his jerkin and drew forth his seal of office.
    “A constable?” The man assumed a comical woebegone expression. “What do you seek here, good Constable? We have our papers in order, the license from the Lord Chamberlain. What is there that is wrong?”
    “To whom do I speak?” demanded Master Drew.
    “Why, to Master Page Williams, the assistant manager of our company—Children of the Revel.” The man stuck out his chin proudly.
    “And are any of your reveling children astray this afternoon?”
    “Astray, good master? What do you mean?”
    “I speak plainly. Are all your company of players accounted for today?”
    “Indeed, they be. We are rehearsing our next performance, which requires all our actors.”
    “Is there no one missing?”
    “All are present. Why do you ask?”
    Master Drew described the body of the young man that had been fished from the river. Master Page Williams looked unhappy.
    “It seems that I know the youth. An impetuous youth, he was, who came to this theater last night and claimed to be a playwright whose work had been stolen.”
    “Did he have a name?”
    “Alas, I have forgotten it, if I were even told it. This youth, if it be one and the same, strutted in before the evening performance of our play and demanded to speak with the manager. I spoke with him.”
    “And what did he want?” pressed Master Drew.
    “This youth accused our company of pirating a play that he claimed to be author of.”
    Constable Drew raised an eyebrow. “Tell me, was there reason behind this encounter?”
    “Good Master Constable, we are rehearsing a play whose author is one Bardolph Zenobia. He has written a great tragedy titled The Vow Breaker Delivered . It is a magnificent drama….” He paused at the constable s frown and then hastened on. “This youth, whom you describe, came to the theater and claimed that this play was stolen from him and that he was the true author. As if a mere youth could have penned such a work. He claimed that he had assistance in the writing of it from the hand of some companion of his—”
    “And you set no store by his claim, that this play was stolen from him?”
    “None whatsoever. Master Zenobia is a true gentleman of the theater. A serious gentleman. He has the air of quality about him….”
    “So you know him well?”
    “Not well,” confessed Master Williams. “He has been to the theater on diverse occasions following our acceptance of his work. I believe that he has rooms at the Groaning Cardinal Tavern in Clink Street—”
    “Clink Street?”
    It was across the river, in his own Bankside jurisdiction.
    “What age would you place this Master Zenobia at?”
    “Fully forty years, with graying hair about the temples and a serene expression that would grace an archbishop.”
    Master Drew sniffed dourly. Theater people were always given to flowery descriptions. “So did the youth depart from the theater?”
    “Depart he did, but not until I threatened to call the watch. When I refused to countenance his demands, he shouted and threatened me. He said that if he did not recover the stolen play or get compensation, his life would be in danger.”
    “His life?” mused