Tombland

The three left the room, and there was the sound of a lock turning in the door. I picked up one of the broken shards of vase from the floor. Then I sat down. I found myself shaking, for I knew that the twins would have done exactly as they said. I jumped when the door was thrown open again. The steward and two servants manhandled a cursing, struggling Barak into the room, shoved him to the floor and locked the door again.

Barak said heavily, ‘So those twins got away again. They have the luck of the devil.’

‘Not luck,’ I said. ‘Just rich contacts in the right places.’

He smiled. ‘Every day you sound a little more like a camp-man.’

* * *

AN HOUR LATER , our anger ebbing only slightly, Sotherton’s steward unlocked the door and showed us out of the house, suddenly as polite as though we were ordinary visitors. It was dark as we made our way to Edward and Josephine’s house. Edward was there, and I told them of my visit to the Sotherton house, and stressed that they expected an army from London.

Josephine said, ‘But surely now the Protector sees our strength he will negotiate with us.’

‘We do not know that, Josephine. And if forces do come against us, as I heard today, it will likely be Norwich they’ll aim for first. I must report everything I have learned to Captain Kett.’

She looked at Mousy, asleep in her cradle, then at her husband, who nodded. She looked at me. ‘You truly think we would be safer at the camp.’

‘I do.’

Her shoulders slumped wearily. ‘Then we will come.’

Chapter Sixty

The next morning, I was wakened, as usual, by birdsong. Remembering that Edward had said Captain Kett would likely wish to speak to me about what Sotherton and Reynolds had said about an army, I rose wearily from my bed of bracken and dressed. Beside me in the hut Barak was still fast asleep.

I stepped out into yet another warm morning. In this weather it was a great relief to wear only my shirt, hose and wide hat; sometimes in court in summer, in cap, coif and robe, I felt as though I were being boiled alive.

Everyone else in the Swardeston group of huts was still asleep. I looked into Simon and Natty’s hut; Simon had been given a potion by Dr Belys and had almost immediately fallen into a stupor. Between their hut and Hector Johnson’s, another had been hastily erected for Josephine and Mousy. She had been very quiet travelling to the camp, holding Mousy tightly to her, but the friendly welcome given her by Goody Everneke, who seemed always happy to have someone new to mother, had relaxed her. Goody Everneke had cuddled Mousy, and given Josephine an extra helping of that evening’s meal – stewed dove, no less. We owed much to that kind woman.

I washed hastily and took some bread and cheese from the hut where food was kept, eating it as I walked to St Michael’s Chapel. I glanced across at the great Italianate palace of Surrey Place, where Mayor Codd and the other senior Norwich councillors were being held. The guard opened the door to me. Kett was already up and about, his wife clearing away dishes from the big table while he, his brother William, John Miles and a couple of others in half-armour stood poring over a diagram at the other end of the table. Kett smiled and waved me forward; he was in a better mood after taking Norwich. I wondered again at the relentless energy of this extraordinary man.

‘Master Shardlake! God give you good morrow! I hear you were in Norwich yesterday.’

‘Yes. I met old friends, and some old enemies, too.’ I told him of my terrifying encounter with the twins at the Sotherton house.

‘I have ordered our guards on the road to watch for them. Their friends, John Atkinson and the others, have fled the city, too.’

‘Michael Vowell told me he sent some men to find his old employer Gawen Reynolds, but the men were paid off.’

William Kett frowned. ‘Too much of that is happening. It is bad for discipline.’

‘I know,’ Miles said. ‘And discipline’s what we need now.’ The two men with him, officers appointed by him, I guessed, murmured agreement.

Kett said, ‘Indeed. Norwich must be properly organized. Yesterday I appointed Alderman Augustine Steward as acting mayor. He is aged and respected, and has agreed to act under my orders. Our supporters in the town, like Edward Brown, will be watching him carefully, as he knows. I dare say he would betray us like Mayor Codd, given the chance, but for now he will organize the city efficiently.’ He turned to me and asked, ‘Did you visit young Overton at the castle?’

‘Yes. He is to be moved in with John Boleyn; an attempt was made to poison Boleyn recently.’