Chapters (76)
- Title Page
- Copyright Notice
- Dedication
- PROLOGUE
- PART I
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- PART II
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- PART III
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- INTERLUDE
- PART IV
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- INTERLUDE
- PART V
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- PART VI
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- INTERLUDE
- PART VII
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- PART VIII
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Newsletter Sign-up
Guy bristled, but there was no point in arguing. Regardless of who de Lacy blamed for their current situation, the chaos of their effort was already over. The baron seemed to think the city was at its own heels over this, but Guy’s men had already wrestled it back to civility, and a calm it had not known for some time. He didn’t need any praise for that.
“Yes, Sheriff,” he said, as humbly as possible. “Very clear.”
“I didn’t ask if I made myself clear!” De Lacy’s eyes were red, he raced through his sentences with ferocity, just barely able to chomp out each word before the next came on its heels. “I am not interested in your assessment of my clarity. I know I made myself clear by speaking clearly to begin with.”
In a flash he was done, returning to his meal as if there were no argument at all. Guy waited, to see what further instruction or insult de Lacy felt like delivering. But his cares seemed to withdraw to a size no larger than the plate in front of him.
“If I may,” Wendenal broke the silence. “It seems this has gotten out of hand. You say that you want this resolved peacefully? I could arrange to bring the leader of the outlaws here to talk. You may recall that John Little was willing to meet—”
“You and your damned peace talks!” de Lacy burst again with no warning. “I’ve already said no to that idea, why do you keep bringing it up? No, we will not meet with them. No, we will not invite them to the castle and talk it out.”
Wendenal shoved his plate away with both hands. “Why not? You say you want a peace and it’s right in front of you, why won’t you reach your hand out?”
“Do you honestly not understand this?” De Lacy’s jowls shook. “You’re right, we could have a peace with them, today. Today is not a timeline I care about. My duty is to care for Nottingham’s future, William, which means making decisions that protect her beyond the horizon. These thieves, these brigands, they have stolen from the king and attacked our men. What sort of message does it send if we invite them to a table? The next group sees us bending over and knows they can make us bend farther. They learn they can get what they want by hurting us, because we’re willing to compromise. They take that vulnerability and exploit it. No, William, no! We cannot publicly acknowledge them as anything but monsters, not now, not ever. And it’s not because they’re actually monsters, it’s because it would invite the real monsters to come to the feast.”
Guy was dumbfounded. For once, he was in absolute, perfect agreement with Roger de Lacy.