Yet the first day of 1644 brought a new excitement to the castle. The murderers came. Murderers and sakers.

They had been expected since early February, but the snow of the hard winter had kept them in Oxford, and even now the roads were so deep in mud that Colonel Washington had been surprised that they had arrived safely.

Caroline brought the news to the long gallery. “They’re here! They’re here! They’ve arrived!”

Lady Margaret looked up from the half-bound book that somehow would not come right. “Who’s here? You sound as if it’s the Second Coming! I heard no trump.”

“The murderers, mother! They’re here!”

The book was instantly forgotten. “Campion! My cloak. Your own too, child. Do hurry! I need boots. Caroline, find me boots. Come along! Come along!”

The murderers were at the front of the Old House, brought in wagons and escorted by thirty men who would be valuable additions to the garrison. Colonel Washington beamed at the wagons. “Aren’t they just splendid, Lady Margaret? Just splendid!”

“I wish to try one, instantly!”

Washington suppressed a smile. He had known that as soon as the cannons arrived Lady Margaret would want to play with one of them. He half bowed. “I thought the honor of the first shot should belong to your Ladyship.”

“How very kind, Colonel.”

Oxford had been generous. They had sent four sakers, big guns, and six of the smaller murderers, though only the latter had been promised. The murderers were mounted on swivels and got their name because the recoil could swing the iron barrels round and kill the men who served the guns. The sakers fired round shot, while the smaller guns blasted out a dreadful fan of bullets and scrap metal that Colonel Washington said could scour a great swathe in an attacking enemy.

Campion watched as one of the big saker barrels was winched slowly on to a wooden carriage. It frightened her. She thought of Toby and she imagined his body caught by one of the great balls, mangled to pulp, and the sight of the assembled guns reminded her that the clouds of war, that had seemed so far away last year, were now closing in on Lazen. Colonel Washington, who was kind to her thought that she worried needlessly. “They’ve bigger fish to catch than us, Miss Campion. They’ll try to capture Corfe Castle first. Besides, I’m keeping them on their toes.” The Colonel had started a vigorous campaign of patrols and raids, encouraging the enemy to stay away from Lazen.

Lady Margaret could scarce contain her impatience. She wanted to fire a murderer, the name appealing to her, but Washington tactfully pointed out that the saker was a bigger gun and would make a bigger bang. Lady Margaret agreed to fire a saker. She watched closely as powder was thrust into the hooped barrel, as the wadding was pushed down and finally as the iron ball was rolled into the muzzle and rammed down. A gunner sprinkled fine powder on the touch-hole and then Colonel Washington ordered everyone to stand clear. The gun faced west, across the moat toward the water meadows that had flooded in the winter.