He studied me again. ‘So, it was you that inclined the Queen to keep its loss a secret?’ A query in his voice now. I remembered Lord Parr telling me how suggestible the King was, how he believed what he wanted to believe, and also that to him disloyalty was the greatest of sins. Now, I was sure, he wanted to believe Queen Catherine had not taken the initiative in hiding the theft of the Lamentation from him. He would rather the blame fell on me, whom he despised and who, politically, counted for nothing at all. Perhaps he had already chosen me as a scapegoat, perhaps that was why he had told me so much. But after what had happened tonight, I no longer cared. ‘Yes, your majesty,’ I answered, perhaps signing my death warrant a second time.

He considered a moment, then he said petulantly, ‘But Kate still deceived me – ’

I took a deep breath. Somehow I was fluent again, fluent as at the climax of a court hearing. ‘No, your majesty. It was I who hunted for the Lamentation behind your back.’

With a struggle, the King managed to sit more upright in his chair. He was silent a moment, trying to decide just what the role of his wife had been in all this. Then he seemed to reach a conclusion. He leaned forward, eyes and mouth set mercilessly now. ‘You are an insolent, base-born, bent-backed common churl.’ He spoke the words quietly, but I could feel his rage. ‘Men like you are the curse of this land, daring to say they answer only to themselves on religion and the safety of the realm, when their loyalties are to me!’ His voice rose again. ‘Me, their King! I call it treason, treason!’ He looked at me in such a vengeful way that, involuntarily, I took half a step back.

‘Do not dare move unless I give you liberty!’ he snapped.

‘I am sorry, your majesty.’

Seeing my abject fear seemed to change his mood again. He turned to Paget and spoke scornfully. ‘How could I ever think such a poor reed of a creature could be any sort of threat to me, hey?’

‘I do not think he is,’ the Secretary answered quietly.

The King considered a moment. ‘You say one of the two men working for Shardlake is dead.’

‘By now, yes.’ Paget’s tone was completely indifferent.

‘And the other, that was brought here with him?’

‘Little more than a boy.’ Paget ventured a smile. ‘A tall young fellow, with red hair, as your majesty was in his youth, though I believe this churl is nothing like so well-looking.’