Dark Fire

Chapter Forty-six

I CAME TO WITH A START, jerking away from a vile smell under my nose. I gasped and looked round in confusion.

I was back in the Wentworths' parlour, but sitting in a chair now. A thickset man in a constable's jerkin stood watching me. Beside me stood Guy, holding the bottle he had just thrust under my nose. I stared around – the constable and Guy in his apothecary's robe both looked completely out of place amid the luxurious domesticity of the room. Barak sat sprawled in another chair, looking pale – but alive, the pupils of his eyes reduced to their normal size.

'The old woman –' I croaked.

'It's all right,' Guy said. 'She has been taken away. And her granddaughters. It was quick thinking to use the mustard to make you sick or you and Barak would both be dead by now. You've been unconscious nearly an hour. I was worried.'

I took a deep breath, aware that I had a mighty headache. 'It was you that told me about vomiting and poison.'

'I remember. You always had the best memory I know.'

'By Jesu.' I managed a hoarse laugh. 'I dread to think of the bill I will have for all you have done this last month.'

'You can afford it. Can you move your arms and legs?'

'Yes. I feel weak.'

'That should pass soon.' Guy reached to a bowl covered with a cloth on the table. He lifted the cloth and a sharp smell filled the room. 'I want you to drink this now,' he said. 'It will act against any poisonous humours remaining in your system.'

I looked at it warily, but suffered him to take my head and tip the stuff gently into my mouth. It was bitter. 'There,' he said, 'sit back now.' I did so, gasping.

The door opened and Joseph came in, his face ashen. But he smiled when he saw I had come to. 'Ah, sir, you are recovered. Thank God.'

I clasped Guy's arm. 'Did Needler get away?' I asked.

'Yes. There's a hue and cry out for him.'

'How did you get here?'

'You called for the constable.'

'Yes, I remember that. But nothing else till just now.'

'The constable found you, Barak and the old woman all unconscious. But you came round for a moment and asked for me.'

'I don't remember. Jesu, is my mind going?'

Guy laid a hand on my arm. 'It will come back to you. But you and Barak are both weak. You must rest.'

The constable spoke up. 'David Needler's been taken, sir, that's what I came to tell you. He tried to ride out through Cripplegate, but the gatekeeper took him. He didn't put up much of a struggle. He's in Newgate now.'

Barak looked at me seriously. 'Sabine and Avice have been taken there already with the old woman, though she hurt her head badly in the fall. The girls were hiding upstairs in their room; the constables had to pull them screaming from under the beds. I told the magistrate everything when I came round. They scratched like cats when they realized the game was up, but they've gone. Not to the Hole, though,' he croaked bitterly. 'The better quarters.'

I looked out of the window. The well was dimly visible in the dull late afternoon. 'Jesu,' I muttered. 'If Needler and the old bitch had had their way, we'd be down there too.' I turned to Joseph. 'I'm sorry. She is your mother –'

He shook his head. 'Always it was Edwin she loved; she had naught but contempt for the rest of us.'

'Barak,' I said, 'you must swear a statement, and the magistrate and constables. They must appear before Forbizer tomorrow…' I tried to stand, but fell back groggily. A thought struck me. 'What has happened to Sir Edwin?'

'He is in his room opposite,' Joseph said quietly. 'Poor Edwin, he's been hard hit. His son dead, his mother and daughters taken –'

I took a deep breath. 'Does Elizabeth know?'

'Yes. She set to weeping when I told her.' A ghost of a smile crossed his face. 'But she held my hand when I left. I will look after her now, sir. But I had to come here,' he added simply. 'My brother needs me.'

I looked at him. I saw clearly the reason I first took the horrible case on at all: it was for his goodness, such natural goodness and charity as few men have.

'I should go to Edwin,' he said.

The constable raised a hand. 'The magistrate's still with him, sir.'

Things kept floating into my mind. 'Cromwell!' I exclaimed. 'It's been hours, is there word from Grey?'

Barak nodded. 'This arrived here a short while ago.' He took a note with the earl's seal from his pocket and handed it to me. I read, in Grey's precise hand: Lord Cromwell has your message. He is seeing the king today and will contact you should you be needed. He thanks you mightily.

'Then it's done,' I breathed. I leant back, relieved. 'He sends us thanks too.'

Guy came over to me. He looked in my mouth and eyes, then did the same to Barak.

'You're both all right,' he said. 'But you should go home, sleep. You will be very tired and shaky for some days.'

'I'll not argue with you, sir,' Barak said.

'And now I ought to return to my shop. I have patients.' He bowed to us and turned for the door, exotic-looking as ever in his long hooded robe, with his oak-brown face, his curly grey-black hair.

'Thank you, old friend,' I said quietly.

He raised a hand and smiled, then went out.

'Odd-looking fellow,' the constable observed. 'When I came here I thought it was him I had to arrest.'

I did not reply.

The door opened again and a tall, thin man I recognized as Magistrate Parsloe entered. He was normally full of cheerful self-importance, but today he looked sombre. He bowed, then turned to Joseph. 'Master Wentworth, I think perhaps you should go to your brother.'

Joseph stood eagerly. 'I was going to, sir. Has he asked for me?'

Parsloe hesitated. 'No, but he needs someone with him, I think.' He looked at me. 'Master Shardlake, I am glad to see you are recovered. It was quite a scene that met my eyes when the constable called me here.'

'I can imagine. You have questioned Sir Edwin?'

'Yes. He says he knew nothing of his family's doings. I believe him; he is a stricken man.' Parsloe shook his head. 'Strange, though, that the old woman should work so closely with a mere steward.'

'Needler was her eyes, she said so herself. She needed him, she was vulnerable in that way if in no other.'

'We found this in the wine cellar.' Parsloe passed a little glass phial to me. 'Your apothecary friend says it is a very strong concentration of belladonna.'

I handed it back to him, suppressing a shudder.

'Can you come to the Old Bailey tomorrow, sir?' he asked. 'Elizabeth Wentworth is up before Judge Forbizer. It would help if you could give evidence.'

'I will. Do you think she will speak now?'

'Yes.'

I looked wryly at Barak. 'Now the facts are known, there will be no martyrdom for her, whether she wishes it or not.' I turned to Joseph. 'Can you be at court at ten tomorrow as well? Then Elizabeth can be discharged into your care.'

He nodded. 'Yes. And thank you, sir, thank you for everything.'

We followed him to the door. Opposite, we could see into a well-appointed bedroom. In a chair by the bed Sir Edwin sat still as a stone, his face white and puffy. Joseph knocked and went in. His brother looked up with dull unseeing eyes. Joseph sat on the bed and reached for his hand, but Sir Edwin flinched away.

'Come, Edwin,' Joseph said gently. 'I am here. I will help you if I can.' He reached out again, and this time his brother let him take his hand.

'Let us go, Barak,' I said quietly, nudging him to the front door.

WE WENT HOME. Though I felt light-headed and kept having to pause I prepared a statement for Forbizer and had Barak, who was in little better case, do the same. Reading his statement over, I was surprised at how neatly and fluently he wrote; the monks' school had taught him well and no doubt he had needed writing for all the reports he must have sent to Cromwell. Afterwards we ate and then, for a second night, went wearily up to bed to sleep like stones.

NEXT MORNING there was no further word from Cromwell. It was the tenth of June, the day of reckoning. As we breakfasted I looked out of the window. It was still cloudy and a little misty. The demonstration before the king would have been today. Greek Fire would have made a more extraordinary spectacle than ever on such a grey, wet morning.

'Time to go,' Barak said. 'Are you fit?'

'Just about. A little trembling and dryness of the throat is all.' I forced myself to my feet. 'Come on. We don't want to be late today of all days.'

At the Old Bailey everything was ready. Parsloe, the constable and three anxious-looking Wentworth servants were waiting in the outer hall; Parsloe had a collection of statements for me to look over. Joseph stood next to him, still pale though more composed than yesterday. For him, this was indeed a Pyrrhic victory.

I took his arm. 'Are you ready, Joseph?'

'Ay. Edwin was unable to come, he is in a bad state.'

'I understand. And he was not there yesterday, he has no direct evidence to give.'

'I stayed with him last night. I think he will forgive me. I am all he has now.'

I nodded. 'He could have no greater support.'

'I may see if I can get him to come to the farm with me. I shall go back there with Elizabeth. It will be a familiar place for both of them, with some happy associations at least.'

'Yes. And it may be better to leave London. The pamphleteers will be busy again once this news is out, pox on their jeering cruelty.' I turned to Parsloe. 'Are we in open court with the rest of the cases?'

He shook his head. 'No. I have seen the judge. As it is simply a matter of Elizabeth's discharge he will see us in his chambers when we are all here.'

I took a deep breath. 'Then let's get it over. There's his clerk.' I looked over to where Forbizer's plump assistant was bustling about. I remembered the day he had brought me the news of the judge's change of mind, just before Barak had shouldered his way into my life.

Parsloe, Joseph and Barak accompanied me to the judge's chambers. Forbizer sat, already swathed in his red robe, behind a desk stacked neatly with papers. He looked at us coldly, his eyes lingering on Barak for a moment, then reached out and snapped his fingers.

'The statements.'

I handed them to him. Forbizer read them though, his face expressionless, occasionally pausing to frown and check something. It was all a charade, I knew, he had already heard the story from Parsloe and there was no alternative but to release Elizabeth now. At length he laid down the statements, straightening them so the edges were all in line, and grunted.

'So she was innocent after all,' he said.

'Yes,' I replied.

'She should still have been pressed,' he said coldly. 'That was the correct sentence for a refusal to plead, that would have been justice.' He stroked his grey beard reflectively. 'I have been considering whether to sentence her to some more time in the Hole for her contempt of court.' He looked at Joseph, whom I saw pale. I could not suppress a frown; this was sheer cruelty, revenge for the pressure Barak had put on him. Forbizer shrugged. 'But I have a busy enough assize this morning without bringing her back into court. I will let her go. At least until the rest of her family are tried – she will need to be a witness then.'

'Thank you, your honour,' I said quietly.

Forbizer drew a paper to him and I saw an order of release had already been drawn. He signed it, his lip curling over his beard again in that revolting gesture of contempt, then flicked it across the table to me.

'There you are, Brother Shardlake.' I reached to take it but he placed two fingers on the edge. I looked into his eyes. They were cold and angry.

'Do not cross me again, Brother,' he said quietly, 'or, whatever political connections you might have, I shall make your life a very hell.' He lifted his fingers and I took the order, rose and bowed. We filed silently out of the room.

Outside, Parsloe shook his head wonderingly. 'You'd think he would be glad to see an injustice righted, a girl saved from a cruel death. But he's an odd fellow.'

'The arsehole didn't like having his authority overruled,' Barak said. He had sat down on a bench. He still looked weak and pale. I was glad to sit beside him.

'How overruled?' Parsloe frowned at us. 'And what did he mean by political connections?'

'Jesu knows,' I said hastily. 'Well, Master Parsloe, I am most grateful for your help. We must not keep you.'

The magistrate turned away. I gave Barak a look. 'You nearly had me in trouble there. Parsloe's an old gossip, if you'd told him you'd brought an order from Cromwell to save Elizabeth, that story would be on a hundred pamphlets by tomorrow and Forbizer would be making my life hell as he promised. Though he'll do his best to achieve that anyway if I ever come before him again,' I added gloomily.

'Not my fault lawyers are all such gossips. Besides, I'm knackered. I should be in bed.'

'But sir,' Joseph asked, frowning, 'what did he mean about political influence?'

I hesitated. But Joseph had a right to know, if anyone did. 'Barak and I have been involved in a – a case for Lord Cromwell. It was very important, that was why I had so little time to give Elizabeth. It was his influence made Forbizer grant Elizabeth that stay. But, please, you must tell no one.'

He nodded. 'I will not, sir.' He shook his head. 'The earl. God bless him, God bless all the reforms he has brought.'

I handed him the order. 'There, take that to Newgate and Elizabeth will be released. Would you like us to come with you?'

He smiled. 'This is something I would rather do alone, sir. If you do not mind.'

'I understand.'

Barak and I watched as he left the Bailey, the precious document held carefully in his hand.

'Well,' I said, 'it's all over. What do you want to do now? I must go to Lincoln's Inn, to catch up on business.' I studied him, realizing, now that the parting of our ways was near, that for all his innumerable annoying habits I should miss him.

'Might I come with you to Chancery Lane?' he asked diffidently. 'I won't be able to sleep again, or settle to anything, until I hear from the earl.'

'Very well. I feel the same.'

'I wish there was some news.'

'Maybe there is a letter at Lincoln's Inn. We should go and see.'

He studied me. 'You did want the earl to win, didn't you? Always you call him Cromwell, and with such an edge on your voice sometimes.'

'Yes. I didn't want him to have Greek Fire but I don't want him overthrown. Norfolk would be a worse master. So I'm not quite like Lady Honor, who doesn't much care either way.' I hesitated. 'I suspected her, you know, there in the warehouse. When they mentioned an aristocrat being behind all this. When Norfolk came in it was almost a relief.' I sighed. 'I wish I could have found the answer sooner. Saved some of those lives.'

'Two of us against those ravening beasts of Norfolk's? It's a wonder we're even alive. You should take more credit. For that and for bringing justice to Elizabeth.'

'Perhaps.'

We both looked round at the chilling sound of chains scraping along the floor. Another trail of ragged felons was led across the hall, dirty and trembling, accompanied by frowning constables. We smelt the gaol's reek as they passed, then the courthouse door closed behind them. We stood silently a moment. I thought of the hanging cart, of justice and injustice and how the two were not always easy to tell apart. Then we turned and went slowly out to the street, glad to be out of that place.

AT CHANCERY LANE there was no message from Cromwell. Skelly was at his copying, still peering painfully at his papers but with less of an anxious air now. Godfrey, though, was gone. I went into his office to find a pile of papers stacked neatly on his desk, a note addressed to me on top.

I sighed. 'So that's that,' I said. I looked through the cases. Everything was meticulously in order, notes left for me summarizing what needed to be done. Then I went through to the outer office. Barak was sitting looking out of the window, his face gloomy. I sat beside him; my legs were still tired. I felt a spurt of irritation at Cromwell for keeping us waiting. But Barak was right, we were small fry.

'That arsehole's here,' he said, nodding to where Stephen Bealknap was crossing the quadrangle. He looked tense, his thin shoulders hunched. He stopped at some noise, casting a fearful glance around him.

I laughed. 'Let us put him out of his misery.'

Barak accompanied me into the courtyard. Seeing us, Bealknap hastened over. 'Brother Shardlake, is there any news?' There was a look of appeal in the rogue's pale eyes.

'You need fear no more, Bealknap,' I said with a smile. 'The issue of Greek Fire is settled. You are quite safe.'

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed with relief. 'What happened?' he asked, his eyes suddenly eager with curiosity. 'Who was behind it all Does Lord Cromwell have Greek Fire?'

I raised a hand. 'Those matters remain confidential, Brother. All I can say is that you may resume your normal life in safety.'

His eyes narrowed. 'And the case about my houses? You'll be dropping that now you know of Sir Richard's interest?' I reflected it had taken no more than a minute for Bealknap's predatory instincts to reassert themselves.

'Why, no,' I replied. 'I am still instructed by the Common Council. I shall be going to Chancery.' And Cromwell, I gambled, would not stand in my way. He owed me too much.

Bealknap drew himself up, frowning. 'You would take a fellow barrister to court! That is dishonourable – I shall make sure it is known. Brother, you do not need to do this,' he added in sudden exasperation. 'The system works to all our advantage and there is much gold to be made with little effort if one chooses the easy path.'

I thought of those hovels, the people made to use that stinking cesspit, the neighbouring houses spoiled. And all the houses like it, mushrooming all over London from the shells of the old monasteries.

'You are a son of sin and death, Bealknap,' I said. 'And I shall fight you every way I can.'

I turned as Barak nudged my arm. A man was running towards us from the gate, red-faced. It was Joseph. He reached us and stopped, taking deep whooping breaths. I felt a terrible apprehension.

'Elizabeth –' I asked.

He shook his head. 'She is safe at my lodgings. But in the City, I heard –'

'What?'

He took a shuddering breath. 'Lord Cromwell has fallen!'

'What!'

'It has just been announced. He was arrested at the council table early this morning, for treason. He is taken to the Tower. They say his goods have been seized, you know what that means.'

'Attainder,' I said. My lips felt heavy, bloodless. 'He'll be condemned unheard.'

'They say the Duke of Norfolk himself ripped the seal of office from his neck. Arrested at the council table itself! All his associates are being arrested too, Wyatt's been taken!'

I took Joseph's shoulder and led him away. Bealknap stood goggle-eyed for a moment, then turned and hastened to the hall to spread the news.

'I thought you should know at once, sir.' Joseph said. 'After what you told me this morning, I thought – you may be in danger –'

I turned to Barak. 'But our message! Grey said he had it. It should be Norfolk that's arrested –'

'Master Grey?' Joseph asked. 'The earl's secretary?'

'Yes. What of him?'

'They're saying he's turned his coat, given evidence against the earl. Half his people have. And no one stood in his favour at the council, not even Cranmer.' He clenched his fists. 'The rogues.'

'Grey!' Barak whispered. 'The bastard. He never even gave the message to Hanfold. It was him all along, feeding news of our doings to our enemies.'

'I've known Grey years.' I laughed bitterly. 'I thought it couldn't possibly be him, but oh, Barak, when we were wondering who was working against us we should have thought of someone at the court, someone in that great cesspit.' I leaned against the wall, overcome. 'We've failed after all. And Norfolk's won.'

Barak looked at me intently. 'And we're in the shit.'