The Long Sword

EPILOGUE

Chaucer was toying with his wine cup, and Froissart looked dismayed over his.

‘But this is not what we hear of the great taking of Alexandria!’ he protested. ‘Percival de Coulanges is a great knight! And de Mezzieres-’

‘De Mezzieres wants another crusade, led by the king of France, to avenge the last one, and to wipe away the stain it left on all of us,’ Gold said. He sat back.

Chaucer smiled. ‘You are quite the hidden man, William. I had no idea you held a barony on Cyprus.’ He raised his cup to me. ‘That was a fine tale. I think I even believe parts of it. Did you go to Jerusalem?’

Gold nodded. ‘We did. But you know Sabraham, so you’ve heard all this before,’ he said.

Chaucer laughed. ‘I don’t need your word on it to know that a crusade manned with the same mercenaries who burned France would come to a bad end,’ he said. He set his wine cup down with a click. ‘But you haven’t made it to the Green Count’s crusade or the Italian Wedding yet, much less to being the Captain of Venice.’

‘By God’s grace, Master Chaucer! Why not regale us with your own Spanish War? You spin words at least as well as Messire Froissart. And you were, I think, with the Prince in Spain?’

Chaucer nodded. ‘Aye, William. We know all of each other’s secrets.’

Sir William laughed. ‘Not all, I think, Geoffrey.’

Froissart finished his wine. ‘I would very much like to hear of the tournament at Prince Lionel’s wedding — from a participant.’

Sir William nodded. ‘The one held in the lists, or the one where we murdered each other behind the curtains?’ he asked.

Froissart looked dismayed.

Chaucer guffawed. ‘Now there’s a tale!’