World Without End Page 0,494

Jonno Reeve have the right to arrest him? And did Sam kill Jonno with his spade? If the answer to all three questions is yes, then Sam is guilty of murder."

Ralph was surprised and relieved. There was no nonsense about whether Sam was provoked. The judge was sound after all.

"What is your verdict?" the judge asked.

Ralph looked at Wulfric. The man was stricken. This is what happens to those who defy me, Ralph thought, and he wished he could say it out loud.

Wulfric caught his eye. Ralph held his gaze, trying to read Wulfric's mind. What emotion was there? Ralph saw that it was fear. Wulfric had never shown fear to Ralph before, but now he crumbled. His son was going to die, and that had weakened him fatally. A profound satisfaction filled Ralph's being as he stared into Wulfric's frightened eyes. I have crushed you at last, he thought, after twenty-four years. Finally, you're scared.

The jury conferred. The foreman seemed to be arguing with the others. Ralph watched them impatiently. Surely they could not be in doubt, after what the judge had said? But there was no certainty with juries. It can't all go wrong at this stage, Ralph thought, can it?

They seemed to come to a resolution, though he could not guess who had prevailed. The foreman stood up.

"We find Sam Wigleigh guilty of murder," he said.

Ralph kept his eyes fixed on his old enemy. Wulfric looked as if he had been stabbed. His face went pale and he closed his eyes as if in pain. Ralph tried not to smile in triumph.

Sir Lewis turned to Ralph, and Ralph tore his gaze away from Wulfric. "What are your thoughts about the sentence?" said the judge.

"There's only one choice, as far as I'm concerned."

Sir Lewis nodded. "The jury has made no recommendation for mercy."

"They don't want a runaway to get away with murdering his bailiff."

"The ultimate penalty, then?"

"Of course!"

The judge turned back to the court. Ralph locked his gaze on Wulfric again. Everyone else looked at Sir Lewis. The judge said: "Sam Wigleigh, you have murdered the son of your bailiff, and you are sentenced to death. You shall be hanged in Shiring market square tomorrow at dawn, and may God have mercy on your soul."

Wulfric staggered. The younger son grabbed his father's arm and held him upright, otherwise he might have fallen to the floor. Let him drop, Ralph wanted to say; he's finished.

Ralph looked at Gwenda. She was holding Sam's hand, but she was looking at Ralph. Her expression surprised him. He expected grief, tears, screams, hysterics. But she stared back at him steadily. There was hatred in her eyes, and something else: defiance. Unlike her husband, she did not look crushed. She did not believe the case was over.

She looked, Ralph thought with dismay, as if she had something up her sleeve.

Chapter 84

Caris was in tears as Sam was taken away, but Merthin could not pretend to be grief-stricken. It was a tragedy for Gv/enda, and he felt desperately sorry for Wulfric. However, it was no bad thing, for the rest of the world, that Sam should be hanged. Jonno Reeve had been carrying out the law. It might well be a bad law, an unjust law, an oppressive law - but that did not give Sam the right to kill Jonno. After all, Nate Reeve was also bereaved. The fact that nobody liked Nate made no difference.

A thief was brought up before the bench, and Merthin and Caris left the courtroom and went into the parlour of the tavern. Merthin got some wine and poured a cup for Caris. A moment later, Gwenda came up to where they sat. "It's noon," she said. "We have eighteen hours to save Sam."

Merthin looked up at her in surprise. "What do you propose?" he said.

"We must get Ralph to ask the king to pardon him."

That seemed highly unlikely. "How would you persuade him to do that?"

"I can't, obviously," Gwenda said. "But you can."

Merthin felt trapped. He did not believe Sam deserved a pardon. On the other hand, it was hard to refuse a pleading mother. He said: "I intervened with my brother on your behalf once before - do you remember?"

"Of course," Gwenda said. "Over Wulfric not inheriting his father's land."

"He turned me down flat."

"I know," she said. "But you have to try."

"I'm not sure I'm the best person."

"Who else would he even listen to?"

That was right. Merthin had little chance of success,