Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best inspirational books txt) 📕

champion of the Church; to convince the Pope that he vva _ in good faith, he even went so far as to release the long-suffering ^ borg from Etampes Castle! And Llewelyn, too, has had his tu ^ expense, turning treason into a crusade for Christendom, a'

427ssings You ask what I mean to do, lad7 I mean to show them Pop6 s jay that game, too, and with far greater skill "as currently holding court in the sleepy village of Gravehnes, PH'L'h restive barons were forced to seek livelier sport in the seacoast an, Calais, just twelve miles to the west Hugh de Lusignan, Count tOV Marche, and his younger brother Ralph, Count of Eu, rode into° mst before dusk, headed for their favonte wharfside alehouse"Three days till Ascensiontide " Hugh shoved a drunk aside, med the table closest to the door "Think you that John is keeping count7""I am, for certes I've a wager with our cousin Geoffrey, am hazarding one hundred marks that the old hermit is nght ""Wishful thinking, Ralph I'd have to be able to spit into John's ooen coffin ere I'd believe he was well and truly dead He may have the scruples of aScotsman and the morals of a rutting swine, but he has Satan's own luck ""Anyone using the words 'swine' and 'Satan' in one sentence can only be talking about John Plantagenet John Lackland John of the Devil's brood John, the Pope's sworn man "The room was hazy with smoke from hearth and reeking tallow candles, andHugh's eyes were stinging He blinked up at the man weaving toward their table, said trenchantly, "In your cups already, Fitz Walter7"Robert Fitz Walter straddled the bench, sat down without waiting to be asked"I'm nowhere near as drunk as I hope to get Since you're both still sober, Itake it you have not heard yet7 The papal legate Pandulf landed at Wissant onSaturday, wasted no time joining Philip at Gravejines He earned a right interesting message for Philip, told him the rope demands that he abandon the invasion of England He said that if a'P does n°t heed the warning, the Pope will lay France under Interagain and, if need be, will excommunicate each and every man who sets foot on English soil "amU§h 3nd hlS brotner exchanged startled glances "If that's an exP e of your English humor, it's not much to my hkmg "huip did not find it very amusing, either "are iSet hls 8oblet down, sloshed red wine onto the table "You6 "Resting, are you7"mme j11!"!*' li does sound like a diabolical jest of sorts, but it is notPope'ls° " s the one who is laughing Do you not want to know why the a sudden backing John, taking such a protective interest in

438English affairs? England is now a papal fief, part of the patrimony of StPeter."They were staring at him, dumbfounded. Hugh found his tongue first. "You're daft or drunk, or both!""Pandulf told Philip that on Wednesday last John did freely surrender to God and the Holy Mother Church of Rome the kingdoms of England and Ireland, to hold them henceforth as the Pope's vassal."Fitz Walter helped himself to Hugh's wine, drank too deeply, and gave a harsh, spluttering laugh. "All know those tales told of men who sold their souls to the Devil. But John must be the first to turn a profit by selling his to God!""Wrath of God, man, how can you laugh about it?""What would you have me do? Rant and rave and sicken on my own bile likePhilip? When I left him, he was venting his fury upon God, John, Innocent, his servants, his dogs, all within reach. But it'll change nothing. He's already learned what a confrontation with the Church can cost, is not likely to go that route again. I'll wager that he calls off the invasion as the Pope demands, and turns his rage instead upon a safer target, John's ally, theCount of Flanders. Whilst in England, John will continue to rule as arbitrarily as ever, except that the Pope will now have a vested interest inJohn's survival.""You're taking this rather well for a man who can now expect to live out his remaining days in French exile," Hugh said suspiciously, and Fitz Walter grinned."Did I forget to tell you? My cousin de Vesci and I are included in the Pope's peace. I will be returning to England as soon as my safeconduct does arrive."Hugh snorted. "And of course John will welcome you back with true Christian forgiveness in his heart! Just how long do you expect this papal 'peace' to last?"Fitz Walter rose unhurriedly to his feet. "Long enough to serve my purposes."His eyes fell upon a large calico cat, curled up contentedly upon an empty footstool. He kicked the stool, dumped the startled animal into the fetid, sodden floor rushes."You see," he said. "Not even a cat lands on its feet every time."POPE Innocent In to John, King of England:"Who but the Divine Spirit . . . directed and guided you, at once so pru~dently and so piously, to consult your own interests and provide for theChufC"- Lo! You now hold your kingdom by a more exalted and surer title than Wlore ..."

r429ON Ascension Eve, a large pavilion was set up on the Kentish downs, and thereJohn celebrated Ascension Day with impressive pomp and grandeur. Trestle tables were lavishly laden with food; jugglers and minstrels entertained the crowds that flocked to the meadow, and the day rapidly took on the festive atmosphere of a fair or market day. At sunset the pavilion was taken down andJohn returned in triumph to the Knights Templar at Ewell. It was, for many, a day of bitter disappointment.It remained for Peter of Wakefield to serve as an object lesson for false prophets, would-be rebels. Five days later the aged hermit was escorted toWareham in Dorset, where he was dragged to the gallows behind the sheriff's horse, and there