The Two Confessions by John Whitbourn (good books to read for adults .TXT) 📕

material wealth that always flows to men unfettered bycompassion or fear of Divine judgement. Political activity, aside from thepurely rhetorical, waned in favour of the pursuit of profit. Accordingly, forpresent purposes they are a grouping more of interest to constabulary forcesthan ourselves.

Nevertheless,a minority faction still adheres in more than just sentiment to 'the armedstruggle': sponsoring assassinations and gunpowder-outrages [q.v. TheFishguard Assizes atrocity 2008]. It strives in occasionally bloody feudagainst the business-orientated majority. If their fortunes perchance improveso as to merit attention, his Majesty's agents then ferment strife amongst themby sowing suspicions of treachery or feigning fraud. By these means our work isgenerally done for us, and in the directest manner, by knife and by garrotte.

Therefore,it should rarely be necessary to make arrests amongst the 'Dragons' but, if so,be aware that speakers of their own tongue will be required, both for theinterrogation and in applying inducements. The names, ages and habitations ofall their 'High Council of the Round Table' [our own agents andinformants flagged either † or ‡ respectively] are as follows....

************

EXTRACT.The 'DAY DIARY' of The Wisbech and Spalding Regiment of Foot.

…no sign of the boots left for repair with the cobbler ABBOTT in BLANDFORD FORUMand promised faithfully for today. Cornet GRIFFITHS ordered forth to pursuesame. ITEM: re hire of pack-horse and provision of bread and beef for GRIFFITHS- £0/10/6d.

Friday1st August 1997. Embarked on College of Temporal Trade Privateer 'HABAKKUK' andher 2 sister transports to CAER-DIFF / CARDIFF. Rest and then evening's forcedmarch.

Saturday2nd August 1997. We continued to NEWPORT, arriving privily at 0600 hours,demanding the town gate be surrendered. As General MOTT directed, destroyedentirely were:

ITEM:1 public house. 'The ‘ARTHUR'. Hung from the Inn sign: 1 publican and 2impertinent customers.

ITEM:1 Fire engine. That the townspeople may have even more cause to rue our return.

ITEM:1 Town fishing fleet, save one boat which hastily set sail and anchored beyondcannonshot.

ITEM:1 Town cannon, whose crew meanwhile refused to fire on said boat, and who lostan eye each in consequence.

ITEM:Sundry fishing nets, lobster pots and oyster-draggers.

ITEM:The town powder supply, employed upon:

ITEM:1 Stone and timber Quay. Brand-new built and thus sundered much to thelamentation of the townsfolk.

N.B.The zeal of the attached civilian advisor, TREVAN, was with difficultyrestrained. He was for the drowning of the obstinate cannoners, claiming theGeneral's authority. Our Colonel BRAGG countermanded him.

N.B.The separately listed 'DRAGONS' or sympathisers, to the number of one score,were all taken in their beds or seeking escape in night-clothes. They nowaccompany the Regiment in the provost-marshal's wheeled cage.

Sunday3rd August 1997. En route to LLANTHONY Camp. Cornet GRIFFITHS rejoined uswithout the boots....

U[U[U[U[U[U[U

cHAPTER 31

20/07/97. Galen House. Lewes. Sussex.

 

My dearest, gentle Samuel.

 

I will not hide from you that Father's rage is unabated. If he shoulddiscover our sporadic, covert, correspondence, I would have to box with him tosave my hide from his riding crop. At least Father Omar is no longer implicatedin our intercourse, for I have a new channel to you. Our scullery-maid (whoterms herself a ‘romantic’ and thus my ally!) now takes these missives to thepost in South Malling where she nightly returns home. I should not mock hersimple presumptions, for she risks her position and reference on our behalf.When things are aright again we must see her well rewarded....

... the deceptions and now outright lies I must employ against fatherrend me, Samuel, for I would have you believe that he is at heart a kind man,and by nature the source of half of what I am - which you ever tell meyou so admire. He now proposes alternative matches, which I must, of course,decline. That little sweetens him to your memory, for he hears, second-hand,the gibes against me of 'old maid'. But let such sour souls flap their tongues:I shall not be the one to break our understanding. Be assured I nightlyfall to my knees and pray for some miracle to change minds and circumstances.If only you would unclench your heart to copy my example, it might be that our jointprayers would be answered.

... Father Omar has been unwell, for even a giant must submit to theafflictions of age. But rest easy since he is now recovered and almost fullyhimself. The orphanage gateman, who well recalls you, says he will stillcontinue to hold your letters to me for my collection. And since I speak ofthose, I must charge you that of late your news is sparse. I gain no idea ofwhat you do or how you fill the hours. Be sure to keep busy (innocently so)lest idleness tempts you into bitter and angry thoughts. Write more often andtell me what you do.

 

I await your obedience to my command.

Your faithful love, Melissa

************

Theweather had held for him; it was a lovely day to be on the beach.

Samuelhacked at the quay with zest, imagining the faces of his enemies below eachpickaxe blow. Red Dragons, Mr Farncombe, His Holiness the Pope, and a host ofothers all got it in the mush as the hole grew wide enough to take a barrel ofpowder.

Hewas just one of many such workers in a line down Newport beach, right to thewater's edge. Invisible but very audible teams mirrored the work over on theother side of the great stone structure. Though not strictly his place to lenda hand, it was all part and parcel of entering into the spirit of the day. He'dhad a wonderful time so far, dishing it out for once, rather than the usualopposite.

Theplaintive wails and pleas of locals lining the front competed with thethud-crack-thud of the picks. Smoke drifting from the inferno of the 'Arthur'varied the music with a few coughs. The multitude had been gathered up towitness their quay, that fruit of years of scrimping and public subscriptions, thesure foundation of the Town's livelihood, ascend to heaven in fragments. ForGeneral Mott required that all the stories he span end in an abundantly clearmoral, told to the widest possible audience.

Arenewed keening of distress greeted the arrival of the powder barrels, borne onslings between pairs of bluecoats, and each trailing a prepared fuse. Much thesame noise had preceded the destruction of the fishing boats and nets: to justas