Tombland

‘Young Simon has a way with horses. Give him a trial helping to look after them, and you will see.’

Scambler shouted out, ‘’Tis right, sir. I love horses, I’m good with them.’

Tuddenham nodded. ‘Our Lord said each should follow his talents. Very well. I authorize it as a Hundred representative. I’ll take him to the horses.’ He looked at me. ‘But you, sir, must take responsibility for him. You are Master Shardlake, aren’t you?’

‘The hunchback lawyer that works for the murdering Boleyns,’ someone said.

I turned on the accuser fiercely, ‘Never those twins, who, when this is settled, I myself will ensure are tried for attempted murder.’

‘All right,’ Tuddenham said. ‘I’ll take this Scambler up to the horses now, and then he can join your group; from Swardeston, isn’t it?’

‘I thank you, sir.’

He turned to Sooty. ‘You understand what we’ve said, boy?’

‘Yes, master. I’m to help work with the horses, and stay with Master Shardlake. I’ll do my best, I swear on my oath.’

‘You others, haven’t you work to do? Get on, keep a-doin’!’

As Tuddenham led Simon away I called out, ‘I will see you tonight. Remember, ask for the Swardeston huts!’ I watched as the two threaded their way through the paths between the huts. Simon might surprise them with his skills with horses, though finding his way to our huts that evening might be a different matter. Another bolt of lightning split the sky far off, followed shortly by a distant roll of thunder. ‘We’re in for a drouching soon,’ someone observed.

* * *

I RETURNED TO the huts, where Nicholas cheered up when I told him of Simon’s arrival. I told Goodwife Everneke a new resident would be joining our huts, a poor boy who might seem strange but who would respond well to kindness. ‘I’ll look after him as best I can,’ she said. From a little way off I heard shouting, and she said, ‘Some of the younger men are fighting, others betting on them. Now the main work’s done, the men’ll need entertainment. I hear Captain Kett’s asked his men in Norwich to bring up tumblers and jugglers, and storytellers.’

‘He thinks of everything.’

‘He is a great man. We would have starved come harvest time but for him. I’m an old widow, I hardly have the energy now to keep up my small plot.’

‘I am sorry to hear it.’

‘My husband, God save his soul, died of fever in the winter.’ She closed her eyes for a second, then changed the subject. ‘They’re having other entertainments too; fighting cocks have been brought up and they’re holding a bear-baiting. There’s a sort of natural amphitheatre nearby.’

‘I think I will avoid that.’

I spent the rest of the morning talking with her. We kept looking up at the dark sky, but the storm was not ready to break just yet. Nicholas was set to go and find some new flints to put round our cooking fire, to which he agreed meekly. After lunch Barak appeared. ‘The demands to the Protector are ready,’ he said. ‘Captain Kett wants you at St Michael’s now.’

We walked to the chapel. ‘How did it go?’ I asked.

‘All the representatives of the Hundreds were there, forty-six men. Can you imagine getting so many Norfolk men to agree? All had their own priorities. There have been a few drafts and tearings-up. William Kett threatened to bang their heads together at one point. Robert Kett insisted the demands must be approved at the Oak this afternoon and sent to London, and all was agreed in the end, though it’s a bit of a mish-mash.’

We entered the chapel, where a large crowd stood around, while the clerks sat at the tables, which were covered with scribbled papers. All looked a little frayed. Kett beckoned me up to his table on the dais. ‘Master Shardlake. Good. Cast your legal eye over our demands.’

I looked at a long roll of neatly inscribed paper on Kett’s desk. Although everyone had talked of ‘demands’, each clause began with ‘We pray your Grace’. That would help greatly, for legally this was merely a petition. I read the document through carefully. Many of its twenty-nine articles limited the landowners’ powers – in passing feudal duties on to tenants and claiming excessive rights over commons, while the right to keep dove houses was to be limited, and tenant rights over reed ground, marshes and fishing were to be restored. Several articles were concerned with the priests – their amassing of material wealth, the inability of some to preach the Word of God – here it was demanded that such priests or vicars be put out, and the parishioners were to have a say in choosing their successors. This was radical, with a hint of Calvinism.