Samson brightened up the wearying trek along the narrow corridors and cramped stairways for Reynevan with a tale. Reynevan had already worked out some of it, but he listened eagerly.

Samson had found out by sheer accident that Reynevan had fallen into the hands of the Catholics at Trosky. The Hussites had a spy at Tolštejn Castle which was occupied by the brothers Jan and Jindřich Berk of Dubá. Sir Lothar Gersdorf had visited the castle with seven prisoners in tow. While Lord Gersdorf was dining with the brothers, the spy questioned the prisoners. One in particular—allegedly a former martahuz—turned out to be particularly talkative and revealed something significant. As a result of that information, Hejtman Vojta Jelínek was seized and thrown into a dungeon, accused of treachery, espionage and criminal private interests. With the help of red-hot irons, Jelínek shed light on many matters in the dungeon. Including Reynevan’s case.

After learning that Reynevan was at Trosky, in the grip of Lord Bergow, Jan Čapek and the Hussite hejtmans wrote him off as missing and wouldn’t hear of a rescue mission. So Scharley, Samson, Tauler and Baťa took the matter into their own hands. After all, Tauler still had in reserve his erstwhile comrade, the head groom. It was thus decided that Samson, not Tauler, would go to the castle. It was observed that peasants often visited Trosky with supplies, not only on wagons, but also on foot. The guards never interfered on condition that the provisioner fitted the image of a peasant, meaning he was very shabby, smelled strongly and had the face of a country bumpkin or idiot. Samson Honeypot fitted. Perfectly. Equipped for the mission with a goose, a barrel of butter and a trug of mushrooms, he entered the lower castle, where, having lost himself in the crowd, he began to search for the head groom. Before Samson found him, he himself was found.

Rupilius the Silesian had quickly learned about the events of a few days before. About the visit of the Silesian and Lusatian lords and knights, about the sale of prisoners. And about some psychic or charmer who’d been put in the hladomorna. Certain that somebody would come looking for the prisoner, Rupilius kept watch on all visitors to the castle by magical means. The magic swiftly uncovered Samson.

“I was speechless,” Samson confessed, “when he surprised me in the stable…”

“I was speechless,” Rupilius was equally frank, “when he seized me by the throat. Fortunately, we quickly recognised each other…”