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.Rhoslyn's angry expression made hersmile.Mary did not like Lord Denno.She gestured and Rhoslyn walked away from Denoriel.He stood looking after her, very much troubled in his mind.There was something different about Rhoslyn,about the way she had spoken, even the way she had held herself while she talked.What she said couldbe a blind, of course, to fix his attention on Vidal so they could.what? They were too cautious toattack Elizabeth directly.Vidal, if he could see a way to direct the blame elsewhere, was not.So was thewarning genuine?And if it was where was the new danger lurking?Although Rhoslyn had been perfectly honest with Denoriel, she had inadvertently misled him.He did notbelieve her enough to relax his guard about Elizabeth, but her conviction that Vidal Dhu was in Scotlandand single-mindedly devoted to Scottish affairs made him less alert to the prince's meddling with others.In fact Vidal was devoted to Scottish affairs.He would have preferred to be in Scotland to keep a closerwatch on Cardinal Beaton, the Earl of Angus, and several others.The men could be pointed in aparticular direction easily, but they were so inconstant of purpose except in the purpose of forwardingtheir own interests that they could not be trusted without close supervision.Thus Vidal had tried toseek out Pasgen to work on Scottish affairs from the English end.Vidal found no sign of Pasgen Underhill or in the World Above.He found Rhoslyn easily enoughattending on Lady Mary in the mortal world, and she replied to his questions with sincerity and byVidal's own reading with perfect truth that she did not know where Pasgen was.The last he had toldher was that he wished to do some research in the Unformed lands.Vidal cursed her for a simple-mindedand incurious fool, and left her to her own business.Control of Lady Mary without overt spells wasimportant.A visit to the servant in Fagildo Otstargi's house in London had already made clear that Pasgen had notbeen there in a long time.Vidal left and returned as Otstargi a few days later.He had spoken to hisFarSeers and was clear headed and well informed.He did not send out any general notice of Otstargi'sreturn but arranged for private messages to be delivered to several men on the council.His note to the Earl of Hertford was returned unopened.Sir Anthony Denny sent a polite rejection ofOtstargi's invitation.Paget made an appointment for the next week.Wriothesley appeared at Otstargi'sfront door only a few hours after the message was received.Vidal received him in Pasgen's study, a place thick with ominously heavy volumes bound in curiousleathers, and sporting upon the shelves a number of curiosities among the books.These were objectsguaranteed to give a visitor pause skulls that few in England would be able to identify, the requisitestuffed owl and crocodile that every self-respecting sorcerer was required to own, crystal globes andmineral specimens, and brass instruments of uncertain use.As he had several years in the past, Wriothesley asked angrily where Otstargi had been and was toldcoldly that he had been away on his own business, which was no business of any other man.SinceWriothesley was not at all eager to hear about Otstargi's magical practices which were illegal by act ofParliament he did not enquire further.What he did ask was how to stem the king's spending on war.There simply was no money to be wrested from the realm."You cannot stop him altogether," Vidal said, leaning across the desk to emphasize his point."KingHenry must conquer something.Now that the Church is in his hand he wants to wrest away parts ofFrance.Guide him into making peace with France ""The French will not accept his terms," Sir Thomas said, all but grinding his teeth."Francis is determinedto have Boulogne back and Henry is equally determined to hold it.""So agree to give it back " Vidal persisted."I just told you Henry would not hear of it.Ask the moon to agree to come down out of the sky andadorn the clock tower at Hampton Court; you will get as much cooperation," Sir Thomas retorted,temper barely held in check."Nor will you hear how to accomplish it if you keep interrupting me," Vidal said, barely holding in his owntemper."All Henry or, thank God the agents he will send to do the negotiating needs to do is to makethe return of Boulogne contingent on something that the French will not want to do but that is possible ofbeing done.Set a high price on the ransom of the city."That gave Sir Thomas pause for a moment, and he sat back in his chair."Hmmm.The king might notreject such a proposal out of hand.I will certainly suggest it to the council.""Yes, but do not cut off all plans for war," Vidal added."If you make peace on all sides, Henry willbecome restless, and his restlessness will burst out in a new and more expensive place like supportingthe Germans against the empire.""God's sweet Grace forefend!" Wriothesley breathed."So.do not make peace with the Scots," Vidal continued, urging the project he truly wanted.In a perverted way, Vidal was enjoying this.On the one hand, the mortals were so easily led but on theother, the machinations he had to go through to lead them, the convoluted plotting and planning, madehim feel challenged, and more like his old, clever self than he had in many a mortal year."Let Henry bend his warlike intentions on the Scots," Vidal continued."You know that war with theScots is cheap.It does not require large mercenary armies because the English of the northern shires arealways willing to fight the Scots.And by God's grace, the Scots are always willing to fight anyone.Letthere be peace for six months, and they will fight each other.""Ah," Wriothesley said, smiling."Yes.I see the wisdom of your advice, Master Otstargi." He laid awell-filled purse on the table between them."And have you any advice for me, personally?""Yes." Vidal now sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the carved arms, steepling his fingers in frontof his chin."Be more circumspect in your support of those who lean toward the old religion except forLady Mary [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]