The divine flushed. “Forgive. It was a nasty, swift surprise, like clasping of a well-known hand to find that suddenly the fingers are all snakes.” He stood—the cup smashed—pointed at the ring, and intoned, “Thou forging of Beelzebub, beware! Let heaven’s levin blast thee in its wrath!”
Drip, drip said the coffee from his breeches.
“Prithee, peace.” Shelgrave put the ring aside, gripped his guest’s shoulders, eased him back into a chair, stood above him, and spoke rapidly, reassuringly: “See here. We’re men of practicalities, thou and I, as well as pieties; we know what part of both our work and our reward lies in this world. If God Himself, as I say, did use that unholy object to reveal unto me the extent of sin and guile—as the golden calf showed Moses how our ancestors had fallen—why, is’t not a sign of His? Does He not mean for us to use this maggot out of the Devil’s flesh to gnaw the under-devil Rupert?”
Barker squinted a long while up at him before answering, “Thou hast a plan. I know thee, Malachi.”
“That I do, and thou’rt at the core. Listen. When sad, misguided Jennifer wears the ring,’twill always light and guide her whithersoever best serves the enemy’s fell purpose—or would, were she traveling freely.
I’ve studied magic, as one must study a disease to find the cure. It has a blind, mechanic quality; in itself, it no more distinguishes friend from foe than does a loaded cannon.
“Well, then. Does it not stand to reason, both rings will point at the same goal? Let her follow hers, and Rupert follow his—both ought to show plain signs, after their wearers have reached the Midworld Sea—why, inevitably as moths to a candle flame, those two will be brought to a meeting point. Now if she’s under the guard of trustworthy fighting men—bearing in mind Rupert’s a fugitive, who at most has one or two desperadoes at heel—”
“But Rupert is of royal blood as well,” Barker objected. “He’ll first to Holland, and fetch many friends.”
“I’ve thought on that, and doubt it,” Shelgrave said. “He may indeed go there for some funds, though that’s an impoverished court of exiles which his mother maintains. However, the Dutch are mostly Calvinists, who’d recoil in horror, aye, arrest him, did he reveal what his mission really is. And he’d not spend time trying covertly to gather a troop who would go along. Remember, not only is he himself impetuous, his King Charles cannot hold out for many more weeks unaided. Therefore, he’ll sacrifice recruitment for the sake of haste—and, as I say, come to his destination with no following worthy of mention. Oh, I could be mistaken. Those who go after him should proceed with care. But I feel sure they’ll find that a small, determined band can take him.”
Barker gulped. “I have a feeling thou intendest me to lead this expedition, Malachi.”
“That I do. I’m too well-known, have too many affairs, mine absence would too soon be marked. Moreover, none save I can keep a hatch on the news of Rupert’s escape; I know what persons in this household I can use to frighten silence into the rest; if London sends after him too early, I can write back that he’s ill and must not travel. The word that he’s loose would shake our armies.”
“And do thee little good in Parliament,” said Barker shrewdly.
“Well, I own there are spiteful backbiters who’d dearly love to drag me down. They must not; for most of the work remains undone to which the Lord has appointed me. Besides, Jennifer… herewith I give her a chance to win redemption, whereas if her misdeeds became public knowledge whilst Rupert is free, I fear nothing could save her from being hanged for a witch. And, finally but fondly, Nobah, I think of thee. Thine opportunity.”
Shelgrave intensified his gaze on the seated man and continued with slow-voiced earnestness: “Thou hast a godly soul which hell can’t swerve, and understandest witchcraft’s darkling ways, so’twould be hard to hoodwink thee by spells. Moreover, thou art like a son to me, the son wherewith the Lord has not seen fit that I be blessed; unless, like Abraham—Set that aside. A triumph such as this will open every road to thine advancement. In time, thy preaching could make Europe quake.”
Barker moistened his lips. “But traveling’cross country, just with her,” he husked, “to meet at last… not merely devils… him?”
“Thou wilt have company, his eight stout guards,” Shelgrave promised. “Thou know’st them well for strict and valiant men. There’s Righteous Gerson and his younger brother, Sword-of-the-Lord; Jashubilehem Brown; Goforward Meeker; Increase Waterman; Uriah Prickett; Nehemiah Scudder; Zerubbabel Throckmorton—all good men. They’ll lay Prince Rupert low and bring him home, or else his wicked head for London gate.” His words were kindling the dull eyes below his. He shouted forth: “And Nobah, think what glory will be thine!”
XIV
Sky and water reached in the same iron hue. Beneath the overcast went blue-black clouds swollen with rain. Chill, misty, shrill in movement, the air soon blurred out eyesight; there was no horizon. The boat rolled and pitched to the chop of white-caps. It smelled of tar and old catches. A man stood at the tiller, another at the rail beside Will and near Rupert, who sat on a bench at the cabin entrance. Each one wore a shabby woolen pull-over, the prince’s badly strained across chest and shoulders; but the cavalrymen kept their own hose and boots instead of the sailors’ patched wadmal and bare feet thrust into wooden shoes.
Tacking, the boat came about in a creak and thump of boom, a rattle of faded-red canvas. Will lurched, nearly fell, caught a stay, and swore. “God founder thee, thou spavined, knock-kneed jaede! Dwouldst cast me off?”
“Speak not thus,” Rupert reproved. “Or dost thou not know’founder’ has a different meaning at sea?”
“Tha less I know o’ the zea, tha happier I. Dwould’twarn’t zo eager for to make my quaintance. It comes leapin’ o’er tha zide to lick me like a lollopin’ zalty dog.”
The hard-bitten, gingery-haired little man with them grinned. “Pe glad you’re not seasick, Sergeant. Not that anybody e’er died o’t; no, none ha’ peen that lucky.”
“Oh, but I be zick o’ tha zea indeed, Captain Price.”
“Ap Rhys, if you please. Owen ap Rhys.”
“Beg pardon. I forget zometimes how Welsh you Welshmen be. Pray keep your leeks out o’ this hull whilst I be aboard. How long’ll that last, think ye?”
“Hwell, since we’ve lately passed the Scilly Isles—”
“Silly for sure, waterlogged’s tha’ must be.”
“—and the hwind is foul, hwithout sign of pettering soon, and we’ve the Channel to run and then the narrow sea till we reach Holland, it could pe days.”
Rupert frowned. “Meanwhile a Navy vessel might come on us,” he said, “and the Navy’s Roundhead.”
“Have no fears o’ that, your Highness,” ap Rhys assured him. “My folk have been smuccling since Noah came to harbor. Can we not slip free, the hwell has a false bottom, room peneath for you and your man if maybe a touch crowded.”
“To lie liake herrin’s in a crock,” Will grumbled, “an’ smell liake’em a foartnight after.”
Rupert ignored him. “I’d fain tell thee once more, skipper,” he said, “how thankful I am that thou and thy son do hazard this—despite my warning thee that exiled royalty is longer in pedigree than purse.”
’’Tis for the King, sir; though to pe sure, when he’s pack on the throne, if your Highness might say him a hword on pehalf of honest fishermen who must needs eke out their meaccer living py foreign trade—”
“Indeed I shall. Thou’d wish the duties lowered or abolished, eh?”