Tombland

There were loud hurrahs. One captain asked when they would be executed, and the man who brought the news said they were to be taken for trial in London.

‘Pity,’ a man at the next table said, ‘I’d like to have seen them die.’

* * *

CLAD IN OUR lawyers’ robes, Nicholas and I crossed to the cathedral, explaining to the soldiers at the gates that we were looking for friends who might be among the injured. They were reluctant to admit us, until we explained we had been among the chained men at Dussindale, and showed them our wrists. This seemed indeed to have become a badge of honour, for they promptly let us through.

As we walked towards the cathedral doors, Nicholas said, ‘If we do find them among the injured rebels, how do we explain they are our friends?’

‘Quick talking. We’re lawyers, after all.’

Inside the cathedral, as after the battle with the Marquess of Northampton a month before, the whole great building had been turned into an infirmary, only this time with far more injured lying on the floor, or on rough straw mattresses behind the great pillars supporting the nave. Coughs and cries of pain again echoed around the vast space. On the left-hand side the beds were guarded by soldiers patrolling up and down; presumably the injured were rebels. On the right the injured were unguarded, and seemed to be receiving more attention from the barber-surgeons going to and fro. I also saw the robed form of Dr Belys tending to them, and steered Nicholas away from him.

A captain sat at a desk near the altar, and I walked towards him, pushing up the sleeves of my shirt so my wrists showed, having gestured to Nicholas to do the same. The captain looked up, then stood. ‘Gentlemen, how can I help?’ he asked in a Midlands accent. ‘Were you among the chained gentlemen yesterday? We saw you run, and thanked God for your escape.’

‘We were. We are looking for three friends, two men and a woman, who were in Norwich. We have had no luck, and wondered whether they may have been brought here, perhaps even put among the rebels by mistake. I believe there was much confusion here during the fighting.’

‘There was.’

‘Are you a Midlands man?’ I asked. ‘I am from Lichfield myself.’

It is wonderful what a local connection may do, I thought. The soldier said, ‘I’m from Aldridge, quite near you. A yeoman farmer, head of the local muster; we were conscripted by the Earl of Warwick.’ He added more quietly, ‘The troubles were spreading up there last month; he put them down before organizing this army.’

‘I met the earl yesterday. A strong leader, I think.’

The captain looked at me with new respect. ‘Ay, hard as stone but with good judgement.’

‘I came here in June for the Assizes, then suffered an injury and had to stay. Then my assistant and I were caught up in the rebellion.’

‘Well, look for your friends, if you wish. There’s a separate section for women over there.’ He pointed to an area sealed off by curtains. ‘If you find them, you must bring them to me for identification, and authority to be released.’ He lowered his voice again. ‘It’s rebel leaders we’re looking for, I’ve a list.’

‘Thank you.’ I thought, Barak and Josephine would not be on that list, but Edward Brown surely was.

I led Nicholas along the rows of beds. We had scarce begun our task when a familiar figure, sitting up on a straw mattress on the rebel side of the nave, waved a hand made of metal, a hook and sheathed knife on the end, and called out, ‘You two! About fucking time, I thought you were dead!’

‘Jack!’ I ran over and embraced him, as he had embraced me when he found me after the Mary Rose sank. He grasped Nicholas’s hand, and said, ‘You look like shit, lad. Jesus, your wrists. Were you with the chained gentlemen? That story’s all over the infirmary. How did that happen?’

‘We were betrayed, by Michael Vowell. Listen, there is much to tell you, but we must get you out of here first. Are you hurt?’ I looked at him anxiously. He was very pale.

‘When we went back down into Norwich I took a blow on the leg from one of Warwick’s soldiers. It’s not bad, only a flesh wound, but I bled like a pig. Would you believe, I bloody fainted, collapsed into the doorway of a shop. I was found afterwards; I’ve lost a lot of blood, but they stitched me up.’

I spoke quietly. ‘So there’s no actual evidence you were fighting with the rebels.’

‘I had no uniform but my sword was beside me. That was enough to make the soldiers bring me this side of the aisle.’ He pushed aside the rough blanket covering him and showed me his right calf, covered with a bandage. ‘I’ll need a stick to walk for a bit.’

I considered. ‘Perhaps you could say you are a citizen who picked up a sword to protect himself.’

‘With my London accent?’

‘Then you are my assistant, accidentally left behind in the town.’ I smiled. ‘I think I can persuade the captain here it was all a mistake.’ I looked at him closely. ‘But if asked, you must say you’re no supporter of the rebels. Understood?’

Barak set his lips, but nodded quietly in agreement.