Part 9 (1/2)

Scott, knowing him less than sober, was unstartled. He nodded.

”Then you should recognize an opening for smothered mate. Which reminds me: copy that, will you? Unless you still despise my cunning clerking?.

This had once been a sore point with Scott: now he had other things on his mind. Taking Lymond's letter, he remarked, ”I suppose you know the men are getting restless, sir?” and was lucky to get instant backing.

”G.o.d, you've hit it.” Mat, entering, yawned and eased his shoulders. ”Too much intrigue, sir, and too little rape: the boys are as unnatural nervy as water fleas. . . . And besides,” he added practically, ”we're nigh out of beer..

The Master, leaning back, crossed his legs. ”Good G.o.d. I knew we were spendthrifts, lechers and soaks: can we possibly be bored as well?.

This was taken at its face value by Mat. ”Well, it's three weeks since they last had a chance to spend anything, and a month since they had anything to spend.” He added reasonably, ”Anything with women and money in it..

Lymond closed his eyes. ”Fie on their labour! Fie on their delight! Must I supply the cattle with toys? No, by G.o.d: I've affairs of my own to look after..

There was a pause. Scott stayed dumb, but Turkey's disapproval could be seen, and even heard. The Master, less characteristically, gave a hiccough of laughter. ”Poor Mat. Sic strange, intestine, cruel strife. Alas, father, my mirth is gone. I see you think we must pander to this levity. What do you suggest?.

Turkey Mat's face broke into a relieved grin. ”Well, now; there's maybe one of the Douglas houses would repay a visit. Or Cothally Castle-Seton's away? Or a nice puckle sows from the Malinshaw-.

”Grey of Wilton's in Hume Castle,” said Scott.

”Or there's old Gledstanes, who broke his bond to us last month-.

”-If you took Grey-.

”-And Jardine of Applegarth must have got a consideration from Wharton-.

”-If you took Grey, you could set Arran and the Protector bidding against each other for him. d.a.m.n it, am I invisible?” said Scott, irritated, as Lymond's eyes remained speculatively on Mat.

Absently, Lymond shook his head. ”Fond Folie, sall I be thy Clark? And answer thee ay, with Amen?” He bent a cornflower-blue gaze on Scott. ”One: have you seen Hume since it was fortified? I thought not. Two: we should be outnumbered roughly four to one. Three:this is a diversion, not an act of war; and four: you have a hole in one elbow, and I wish to G.o.d you'd keep your boots clean..

Scott did not bother to look down. He persevered. ”If the men will follow me, will you give me leave to try it on my own?.

The Master was flippant.

”And he took out his little knifeLoot a' his duddies Ia'And he was the brawest gentlemanThat was amang them a'. . .

He grinned and got up. ”Not yet, my Hinnysopps. My gentlemen are quaint cattle. You must teach them to trust you before you set up as 'their Rex Nemorensis. . . . Well, Mat!” He clapped Turkey on the shoulder. ”Go summon the sheep before the wolf, and we'll see..

By the time the Master walked onto the broken dais and hitched himself on the edge of a board, the men were alerted and waiting, chewing, hugging their knees in the straw, and reasonably quiet.

Lymond collected eyes; began: ”A number of curious blunders have come to light, gentlemen, which seem to be of a piece with your general behaviour over the last week . . .” And finished ten retching minutes later with: ”I would remind you that you're here to carry out orders, not to discuss them. That's the only reason you are here, and not in quicklime at the crossroads. Disobey me in action or in spirit, gentlemen, and you'll stay alive for much longer than you want to. . .

Absolute silence.

”That being so,” continued the Master gently, ”I want volunteers for work tomorrow night. No one who isn't ready to exert his talents to the fullest need trouble. The rest can put up a hand. Now!.

The hands rose, slowly at first, then multiplying. Behind their chief's back, Scott and Turkey scanned the hall. Every arm was up.

The shadow of a smile crossed Lymond's face. He waited as the arms dropped, and spoke into sullen silence.

”At dusk tomorrow night a supply train of wagons is due to leave Roxburgh Castle for Hume. Among other things, it will contain the month's supply of beer for Lord Grey and the Hume garrison-.

The bang of relief and approval hit the ruined roof and brought mouldering plaster down on their regardless heads. An anonymous voice skirling through the din gave it its leitmotif. ”Now you're talking!” it shrieked. ”Now you're b.l.o.o.d.y well talking!.

Scott thought, ”Don't they realize they're sixty to one?” And answered himself wryly. ”He's the Golden Goose. They'll never touch him..

He said to Mat, ”Your credit..

Turkey shook his head. ”Listen. He's had it planned for days.” He sighed. ”Man, man: he can play them like a chanter..

But Scott was listening to the Master's voice explaining the forthcoming raid; giving times, places and numbers, and making it crystal clear that anyone attempting to force Hume Castle itself had no future whatever.

Rightly or wrongly, Will Scott called that an overstatement.

2. Sudden Danger for a Pa.s.sed p.a.w.n

To ride cross-country from Eskdale to Teviotdale is good for the liver; to do it without being seen healthier still.

The forty-five men who pa.s.sed over the hills next day with Lymond and Will Scott were fortified, within and without, and sang impolite songs in discreet harmony, syncopated by beer and rough ground.

They reached the Tweed at dusk, crossed between Dryburgh and Roxburgh, and had the last of the beer and some ham and biscuits apiece, after leaving a couple of men to the north of Roxburgh. Then they lit a very small fire and settled down to a ferocious night at the dice.

The outposts came up just after midnight.

Lymond received them from a comfortable hollow in a stone outcrop, where he played a solitary game of his own with a worn pack of cards.

”They're coming, Master!” Excited in spite of himself, the Lang Cleg was peching. ”They left Roxburgh an hour back, coming the way you said. Thirty horse and five drivers; three carts and two heavy wains with oxen pulling..

”Oxen!” Lymond looked up for the first time from his game.

The Cleg nodded. ”They took them on at Roxburgh and left some of their horses. It'll be the ordnance carts. They're ower heavy, and the castle's hard up for horses..

Lymond said, dealing again, ”Thirty horses. How many mares?.

”Ten geldings and twenty mares, fairly fresh. They must have come up from Berwick yesterday and rested all evening..

”All right.” Lymond gathered up the cards and stood up.

”Scott! Matthew! They're taking the route we thought and should be among the thorn scrub before the moon rises..

He recapitulated briefly. Scott watched sardonically. (”The great leader in action.”)”We aim to disable, not to kill. We take important hostages, if any, and you, Matthew, select the beer and any other goods we need. Then we split: Scott takes as many men as he needs, parcels the rest of the prisoners, loads them into a cart with any goods we don't want, and drives them as near Meirose as he can get, joining us thereafter. Understood?.

Mat, who hadn't heard of the latest refinement, grinned. ”Melrose! Daddy Buccleuch'll be pleased!.

Scott waited for the sour smile. It duly appeared. ”Payment for goods received, let's say. Scott concurs, don't you? All right. Cry boot and saddle, my dears, and we're off..

He turned the impervious gaze on the company. ”To horse, you drouthy maggots. Are you deaf?.

By the time the maggots were duly embedded, one mile south of Hume Castle, the English supply train was still toiling north and everybody in it was sick to death of the oxen.