Here Be Dragons - 1

as if you care."John caught his breath. "Damn you, of course I care!"Henry groaned, fumbled with the blankets, and Geoffrey at once bent over the bed, making soothing sounds, lulling the older man back into sleep. John watched until Henry quieted again, then turned away with such haste that, toGeoffrey, it seemed not so much an exit as an escape.ENTERING his own chamber, John was reaching for a wine flagon when he caught movement from the corner of his eye, spun around to see the girl cowering in the shadows."Who are you?""Do not be angry, my lord," she pleaded, stumbling forward to make an exceedingly awkward curtsy. "I ... I am Lucy, and I am here because MasterRandolph ... he thought..."Her painful stammer, her flaming face told John quite clearly what MasterRandolph thought. His first impulse was to get rid of her, but even as the dismissal was forming on his tongue, he changed his mind. What better way to exorcise the horrors of the sickroom than with flesh that was smooth and whole and healthy? Moreover, he had ever hated to be alone. Tonight of all nights, even the company of this timid little maidservant was preferable to his own."Remind me to thank Master Randolph," he said and smiled at her. "Be a good lass now and fetch me some wine."But the wine did not help as he'd hoped. Instead of dulling his anxieties, it acted as a stimulant, spurring his imagination into unpleasant excesses, conjuring up half-forgotten fears of boyhood and projecting them into a future that suddenly seemed fraught with menace."He's dying, Lucy. Did you know that?""Yes, my lord," she whispered. Hastening to refill his wine cup, she approached the bed and then skittered back out of range, putting him in mind of a squirrel caught between trees.He'd sent Lucy down to the buttery for another wine flagon when he heard a commotion in the stairwell. He sat up on the bed as Martin Algais andLupescaire burst into the chamber."Look what we found in the stairwell." Shoving Lucy forward into the room."What is that saying about a bird in the hand?"John was not amused. Algais and Lupescaire were Brabanc.ons,
39jnen who sold their swords to the highest bidder. In the past he had permitted, even encouraged, familiarity, dicing and drinking with them, treating them as intimates. But tonight he had no desire for their company*and he found himself resenting the way they were making free with what was his, Lupescaire helping himself to the wine while Martin Algais backed Lucy into a corner, laughing at her ineffectual attempts to fend off his roving hands."I do not recall summoning you," John said irritably, as Lupescaire handed him a brimming wine cup."The talk amongst our men is that the old King is in a bad way. You did see him, my lord; how does he, in truth?"John could not, in fairness, fault them for their concern; their future, like his own, rose and fell with each labored breath Henry drew. But they were servants, companions, handpicked hirelingsnot confidants."Well enough," he said, had his cup halfway to his mouth when Lucy screamed.His hand jerked, and wine splashed onto the bed, splattered his tunic. John jumped to his feet with an oath. "Damn your soul, Martin, look at this!" He stared down at the wine spill in disgust, then turned to glare at Algais."Must you ever have your hand up a woman's skirts? If you want to tumble a wench, you can damned well do it someplace else than in my chamber. Let that girl be, and get a servant up here to change these bedcovers."But Algais did not move. Holding the weeping girl with one hand, with the other he reached for the neck of her gown, jerked until the material tore, baring her breasts."Did you not hear me?" John demanded, astonished. "I told you to let the girl alone.""Why?" Algais sounded sullen, defiant. "We've shared women before; why not now?"Lupescaire put his wine cup down, eyes suddenly aglitter, cutting from John toAlgais and back again. John's mouth went dry; never had either of them dared to defy him before. "Because I say so, Martin. You take what I choose to give you, no more and no less."Algais had very pale eyes, an unblinking, feral stare. But after a few frozen breaths, he loosened his hold on Lucy. "You want me to ask? Then I'm asking. Ihave taken a fancy to this one; let me have her for an hour."It would be so easy to agree, a face-saving solution for them both, and John was very tempted; he'd never had a stomach for confrontation. But he knew better, knew it had to be all or nothing with a man like Martin Algais."No," he said.
40f41Algais's fingers clenched, dug into Lucy's upper arm, and she sobbed anew. But then he pushed her away.John's breathing slowed, steadied. "Go down to the great hall," he said. "Send a servant up to me. You need not come back after. I've no use for you tonight."He'd won. They did as he bade, if not docile, at least unrebelling. John moved to the table, poured the last of the wine with a shaking hand. He knew them for what they were, his pet wolves, but he'd never thought they might turn on him. He knew why, of course. For the same reason that Geoffrey had suddenly dared to voice his dislike. The scent of blood was in the air.Lucy was still sobbing, and he snapped, "Will you stop your whimpering, girl?You were not hurt, after all!" But as he turned toward her, he saw that was not true. There was an angry red welt upon her left breast; there would soon be an exceedingly ugly bruise."Do not cry, lass," he said, more gently, and then she was on her knees before him, clinging to his legs, weeping incoherently. It was some moments before he could make sense of her sobbing, before he realized that she was feverishly, hysterically