though, for Richard’s men were used to his free and easy ways. “The Duke of Burgundy has arrived, my liege, says he needs to see you straightaway.”
Grimacing, Richard got to his feet and started toward the door. When Anna didn’t move, he stopped and beckoned. “I’m not about to leave you alone with Fauvel, lass. You might get it into your head to take him for a ride.” She widened her eyes innocently, and he smiled. But he made sure she followed after him.
THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY was looking without favor at one of Joanna’s cirnecos. When a servant brought in wine and fruit, he grabbed a goblet, draining it in several swallows. Richard leaned back in his seat, watching the older man with speculative eyes. He’d known Hugh for years, but this was the first time he’d ever seen the duke fidgeting like this, obviously ill at ease.
Putting his cup down, Hugh wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Will we be ready to head south as soon as Saladin honors the surrender terms?”
“Yes. The ships are loaded already.”
“We’ll have trouble dragging the men out of the bawdy houses and taverns,” Hugh prophesied gloomily. “Half of our men have not drawn a sober breath in weeks, and the other half would be drunken sots, too, if they were not so busy whoring the night away.”
Richard was not happy, either, with the drunkenness and debauchery that had ensnared his army after the fall of Acre. He’d never worried about the morals of his men, leaving that to the priests to sort out. But this was no ordinary war and it was unseemly for soldiers of Christ to be sinning so blatantly, for surely such brazen behavior was displeasing to the Almighty. Moreover, it would be no easy task to get their minds focused upon the hard campaign ahead, not after weeks of carousing and self-indulgence. Perversely, though, he refused to admit that he shared Hugh’s concern, instead saying flippantly, “Soldiers whoring and drinking ? Who’d ever have expected that?”
Hugh scowled, first at Richard and then at the hound sniffing his leg. “Do you think it was wise to accede to Saladin’s demand, agreeing to let him pay the money due in three installments? He might well take that as a sign of weakness.”
Richard set his own cup down with a thud. “If he does,” he said coldly, “he’ll soon learn how badly he’s misread me. If we’d insisted that all two hundred thousand dinars be paid when the True Cross and the Christian prisoners are handed over to us, we would have to release the garrison to Saladin then and there. And how am I to do that when so many of them are still in Tyre? By agreeing to this compromise, I gained us the time we need to pry them away from that whoreson Montferrat, and you well know this, Hugh. You raised no objections at the time. So why are you blathering on about it now? Why are you here? Whatever you’ve come to say, for Christ’s sake, spit it out, man!”
Hugh half rose, then sank back in the chair. “I need money to pay my men. Can I get a loan from you to do that? I’ll be able to repay it with our share of the two hundred thousand dinars.”
“You’re saying Philippe sailed off without leaving you the funds to provide for your army?” Richard shook his head in disgust. “Why should that surprise me? But I’d not count upon getting much of that ransom if I were you. Philippe gave his half of Acre and the hostages to Conrad, remember?”
Hugh jumped to his feet. “Are you saying you will not lend me the money?” Richard did not like it much, but he had no choice under the circumstances. “Will five thousand silver marks be enough?”
“Yes.” Looking everywhere but at Richard’s face, Hugh mumbled a “Thank you” that sounded as if it were torn from his throat.
“My lord king?” Richard and Hugh had been so intent upon each other that they’d not heard the soft knock upon the door. “The Bishop of Salisbury has just returned from Tyre. Will you see him now?”
“Send him in at once. That is the best news I’ve heard in weeks.”
But Richard’s pleasure did not survive his first glimpse of Hubert Walter’s face. “I am deeply sorry, my liege,” the bishop said somberly, “but we failed. The French king had already sailed, and Conrad was determined to thwart