Part 5 (1/2)
”But surely you can tell me! I hold the bishop's every confidence”
”I'm sure you do It's all written down in these documents I believe that his excellency ant to see thee so his excellency when he is indisposed I shall pray for his speedy return to health” I got up to leave
”But surely-”
”Not another word I couldn't possibly disturb so great a Church better, if I can serve his excellency, I shall be at Piast Castle”
And I left, chuckling to myself Hit me up for a bribe, would he? Now let hi him of the matter What's ht through just to satisfy his own curiosity
Chapter Five
Dinner was being served at the castle when I arrived I was ushered to a seat at one of the lower tables, but the duke noticed h table, which was quite literally a half yard higher than the others About the height of a standup bar
He had to buht at a lower table, who bumped someone's squire farther down Furthermore, each of these worthies took his wife or lady friend doith him, but nobody seemed to mind Apparently, it happened all the tis you to Wroclaw in this weather?”
”Two race There was a priest killed on my land, and the bishop had to be inforave him a brief synopsis of the death of Father John
”Ha! That'll set the bishop down a peg Now tell h for everyone to hear!”
One didn't argue with the duke Direct orders are direct orders, and Lady Francine was going back to France soon, so she wouldn't be embarrassed by the publicity
The croas suddenly quiet, so I said in a loud voice, ”You know, your grace, that Lady Francine was the granddaughter of a bishop in France She was brought up in a proper household and had every expectation of ly beautiful woorian refore of the clergy, the barbarous laws of that foreign land decreed that she was suddenly illegiti priest froorian reforms have not been approved If there was a dowry, I've never heard of it”
”That is to say, they went through the legal and holy ceree or not remains to be seen Lady Francine and Father John came to Poland and lived for several years as man and wife as far as anyone could see, but there was a problem”
”To put it as simply as possible, Father John was not physically capable of et it up”
”They lived with this horrible situation for years, but eventually they quarreled She knew that she wasn't really e must be consummated to exist She left hie money back to France Many of you know that a woin to work there as a waitress I operate inns, not houses of prostitution The innkeeper's wife physically checks for the presence of a hymen Lady Francine qualified”
”Father John found her, tried to drag her back to Okoitz, and pulled a knife when she refused She hit him with a stool in defense, for the unifor at all and she carried no weapon hich to defend herself”
”To the surprise of all, this blow killed him I came to Wroclaw to deliver proof of all that I've said to the bishop”
The crowd's reaction was mixed Some, headed by Prince Henryk, were shocked andsorry for Lady Francine, but half of theht the tale hilarious
”That's rich, boy! So now the priest's wife is tending co it near naked besides!”
”That was her choice, your grace Are you faon Inns?”
”Yeah, stopped at the one in Cracow Had to pull rank just to get in, it was so crowded' When are you going to build one for us here at Wroclaw?”
”This spring, your grace, with your permission”
”Permission? Boy, you have orders! Just pick a site and I'll see that you get it What sort of taxes are you paying at Cracow?”
”Between the town council and the Bishop of Cracow, about one-sixth of profits, your grace”
”Well, I run this city, and that's what you'll pay to ive you any trouble, you send the to send us Lady Francine when you get this inn built?”
”If you wish-, your grace, I'll tell her that you requested her presence here You understand that she's not sworn to al matter is solved, I've forbidden her to leave Three Walls”
”Well, don't worry about that, boy I'll be responsible for her The bishop can hardly object if you follow my orders Was this inn the second race The secondfar more profitable But I think it's best talked about in private”
”As you wish, boy See ht after the festivities”
After a seven-course meal that was a little overspiced for lers entertained us for an hour, but the routines were a bit too coarse for ht of their act was a two- on the polished stone floor in front of the duke's table He thought it was marvelous, and tipped them well The man who had to clean up the real horse turds looked less a, mostly waltzes and mazurkas, a craze which I had inadvertently started myself At least it was better than the half punker-style stuff they were doing before I was de a polka, still in my plate armor, when I saw the duke leave I bowed out shortly after that and was directed to the duke's charace, were you serious last ti formal courtesies in private?”
”What? Of course not! I want you to grovel so that I can act et it over with!”
”Yes, your grace” I gave him my deepest bow
”Smart-aleck kid What's this you wanted to talk to race” I sat and he pushed his gold wine cup towardout of In offering it he was doingwhat they were I took a long pull from it To not do so would be an insult to the duke I just hoped that he hadn't spit in it
”Nohat's this you wanted to talk about?”
”You know that I corace”