Wolf Wood (Part One): The Gathering Storm by Mike Dixon Read Free Book Online Page B

Sir Humphrey and the King's Peace. But
Roger had a short memory. As the mole continued to produce legal
arguments, he looked like he was going to explode.
    'There is, ipso
facto , no sound basis …'
    The mole's
excursion into Latin sparked the bang.
    'Get him out
of here!'
    Roger pointed
at Robin and two men grabbed him from behind. He decided to go
quietly. The barn was no place for a fight. Bystanders might get
hurt. He shuffled his feet and was dragged outside. As he expected,
the hitching rail was empty.
    'What's
happened to our horses?'
    'They've been
confiscated.'
    'I'm not going
until you give them back.'
    Robin sank
down on his haunches. It was a trick he'd learnt from Guy. Let them
think you were a useless, whimpering kid. It wouldn't enter their
stupid heads that you were out to maim them.
    'Move!'
    They yanked at
his shoulders and Robin hurled himself up. One man was head-butted
and bit his tongue. The other was kneed in the groin. A third
suffered a flesh wound from Robin's dirk. The barn emptied and
people scattered. Their only casualty was the mole whose nose was
bleeding. His main concern was for his eyeglasses that had been
trampled underfoot.
    ***
    Robin
displayed his new sword proudly. They were in the Julian with the
usual crowd. Richard was there with Betty and so were Thomas Draper
and John Tucker. The sword had been taken from one of Roger
Knowles' men and Robin was giving a blow-by-blow account of his
heroism.
    'He looked
real surprised when I nipped him with my blade. He thought I'd come
unarmed.'
    Thomas Draper
grinned across the table.
    'The mole
would have been a bit surprised too. He'd never have guessed you
had that dirk strapped under your arm.'
    'Jonnie Baret
wasn't. He saw I had it.'
    Thomas nodded.
'He's all right, that Jonnie ... knows a thing or two.'
    Betty tapped
Richard's arm. 'You listen to what Tom says. I've always said
Master Baret is a good sort ... no matter what you might
think.'
    Richard turned
towards the door. An old woman was standing there with a tray of
spring flowers. She was poorly dressed and seemed hesitant. He
beckoned her to the table.
    'Primroses and
cowslips for you and your ladies.'
    She placed
some bunches before them.
    'All picked
with my own hands from God's own garden.'
    Richard
produced a silver coin.
    She stared in
amazement.
    'Sorry,
Reverence ... I don't have no change.'
    Richard
squeezed the coin into her hand. 'Keep it and God be with you.'
    The old woman
made the Sign of the Cross and shuffled backwards, touching her
forehead and bowing.
    'God bless you
... God bless Your Reverence.'
    She reached
the door and Richard called after her.
    'Remember ...
don't give it to any old friar who wants to sell you absolution.
He'll only spend it on wine.'
    'Yes ... I'll
remember.'
    She touched
her forehead and vanished.
    Richard handed
round the flowers.
    Betty put hers
in a basket. 'I'll give them to Sister Alice when I go to the
almshouse for our meeting.'
    'What
meeting?'
    'It's for the
midwives ... You're not invited.'
    'I thought the
almshouse was for old people.'
    'It's for the
poor and needy ... That's what Alice says.'
    'Struth! Has
she told Richie Rochell that?'
    'Master
Rochell approves and so does Master Baret.'
    'Hmm …'
Richard split the ends of the primroses and started to make a
flower chain. 'What are you going to talk about at your
meeting?'
    'Babies and
how they get born.'
    'I thought a
big bird brought them.'
    'You're a man
... you would say that.'
    Betty adjusted
her girdle.
    'You don't
know anything about the suffering a mother has to go through. There
was a young girl this morning. Her poor little child was delivered
before time and she knew it wouldn't live. She was distraught. She
thought its soul wouldn't be received into the Kingdom of Heaven
because there was no priest there to baptise it. Alice said you
didn't need a priest. She said anyone could do it if the child
looked like it was going to die.'
    Thomas Draper
leant forward
    'What