Talk to them again.

JAMES. This isn’t the time or the place for that.

HENRY. No. No. This was the time to fucking show them.

(To the prisoners.) You don’t want your King back, boys? No, no I don’t blame you. What kind of king can’t order an execution?

What kind of king is brought up in a prison reading books and writing poetry? What good will that do Scotland when I come to burn you down? What would you do, James? Stand at the border and shout a few verses at me to send me home? It might just work too, this stuff’s diabolical. Want to hear some of this, boys?

HENRY has taken some paper out and is waving it. JAMES recognises his poem.

JAMES. What are you…?

Where did you get that!?

Give me that!?

JAMES launches himself at HENRY, trying to get the poem back. HENRY throws it down and suddenly they are wrestling. The prisoners are cheering and egging them on. Their lines overlap, ragged and spontaneous.

BIG JAMES. Go on, wee James!

WALTER. Pas de chance! I’m putting five hundred on King Henry.

ALISDAIR. No takers. C’est le roi anglais!… It’s King Henry! BIG

JAMES. Aw come on, wee man! Make a fight of it! He’s beating you!

JAMES has an initial advantage but HENRY quickly overpowers and pins him.

WALTER. You canny win a battle but you got him beat, Henry!

ALISDAIR (shushing him). Shush shush, dinny start him off again.

JAMES is still down, HENRY gets up, breathless coughing.

HENRY. Laws of engagement? Rules of chivalry? Bollocks to it. If you can promise me a ransom of five hundred I’ll let you live. Anything less than that you can hang here while your King reads you verses.

(To GUARDS.) Get them out of here.

BALVENIE. My family is probably only going to offer about four hundred, Your Majesty, but it’s a guaranteed four hundred. We’re talking secure delivery of funds. I promise you! I promise you’d get the money in your hand, King Henry!!

HENRY. Five hundred or they hang!

The GUARDS are pulling the prisoners away.

BALVENIE. Boys! Come on! Help me here! The Earl of Douglas will thank you!

ALISDAIR. If he wants you, why won’t he pay for you? Not even your own uncle cares if you hang.

BALVENIE. I’ll pay you back.

WALTER. When?

HENRY. Get on with it, will you!

BALVENIE. It’s… it’s a cash-flow issue… I have the money in Scotland.

HENRY. Is he paying me or not!?

BALVENIE. Christ, are you helping them hang Scotsmen today? Is that what you’re doing?!

The GUARDS are pulling him off.

BIG JAMES. Alright. Alright. (To HENRY.) He’s with us. I’ll pay his extra.

The GUARDS let BALVENIE go.

BALVENIE. Thank you. Thank you.

You’ll have my service.

I’ll give you service, my lords. I promise. I promise you.

WALTER. And what will we ever want from you, wee Douglas?

BIG JAMES. He’s my wee Douglas now.

HENRY. Get them out of here!