men he had slain in battle, praying them out of purgatory and into heaven.
“By the Virgin, the cost is heavy!” muttered William. “Intolérable, eh? It is all I can do to pay my father’s debt, and I have not yet begun to pay my own.”
“A very great pity, yes,” Tuck allowed.
“Pitié, oui,” sighed William. “Très grande pitié.”
“Begging your pardon, mon roi,” said Tuck. “I am but a lowly priest, but it seems to me that the way out of your predicament is not more money, but fewer souls.”
“Eh?” said William, only half paying attention. “Fewer souls?”
“Do not kill any more soldiers.”
The king laughed outright. “You know little about warring, priest! Un innocent! I like you. Soldiers get killed in battle; that is the whole point.”
“So I am told,” replied Tuck. “But is there no other way?”
“It could all be settled tomorrow—Dieu sang, today!—if the blasted Welsh would only lay down their weapons. But they have raised rebellion against me, and that I will not have!”
“A great dilemma for you,” conceded Tuck. “I see that.”
Before he could say more, William continued. “This cantref infortuné has already cost me more than it will ever return. And if I do not collect my tribute in Normandie in six days’ time, I will lose those too. Philip will see to that.”
Tuck seized on this. “All the more reason to make peace with these rebels. If they agreed to lay down their arms and swear fealty to you—”
“Et payer le tribut royal,” added William quickly.
“Yes, and pay the royal tribute, to be sure,” agreed Tuck. “Your Majesty would not have to feed an army or pay for the souls of the dead. Also you could go to Normandie and collect the tribute that is due—all this would save the royal treasury a very great load of silver, would it not?”
“Par le vierge! Save a great load of silver, yes.”
Tuck, hardly daring to believe that he was not in a dream, but unwilling to wake up just yet, decided to press his luck as far as it would go. “Again, forgive me, mon roi, but why not ask for terms of peace? This rebel—King Raven, I believe they call him—has said that all he wants is to rule his realm in peace. Even now, I believe he could be convinced to swear fealty to you in exchange for reclaiming his throne.”
There was a long and, Tuck imagined, baleful silence on the other side of the curtain. He feared the king was deciding how to slice him up and into how many pieces.
Finally,William said, “I think you are a man of great faith.” The wistful longing in that voice cut at Tuck’s heart. “If I could believe this . . .”
“Believe it, Sire,” said Tuck. “For it is true.”
“If I am seen to allow rebellion, every hand will be raised against me.”
“Perhaps,” granted Tuck. “But if you are seen to practice mercy, it would inspire others to greater loyalty, would it not?” He paused. “The sword is always close to hand.”
“Hélas, c’est vrai,” granted the king.
“Alas, yes, it is too true.”
There was silence again then. Tuck could not tell what was happening beyond the curtain. He prayed William was seriously considering the idea of suing for peace.
When he spoke again, the king said, “Will you yet shrive me?”
“That is why I am here. Bow your head, my son, and we begin,” replied Tuck, and proceeded with the ritual. When at last the king rose to depart, he thanked his priest and walked from the church without another word.
Tuck waited until he heard the sound of horses in the square, and then crept to the door. King William and his knights were riding away in the grey dawn of a new day. He waited until they were out of sight and then ran to his own horse and flew to the greenwood as if all the hounds of hell were at his heels.
CHAPTER 41
The sun was well up and climbing towards the tops of the higher trees by the time Tuck reached the safety of the greenwood. The combined armies of Cymry rebels were already amassing at the edge of the forest. Hampered by the trees and undergrowth, Tuck worked his way along the battle line, searching for Bran. By the time he found him, the sun was that much higher and the assault that much nearer.
“Bran!” cried Tuck. “Thank God, I’ve found you in time.” He slid from the saddle and ran to where Bran was waiting