He went forward alone, fixing the square of darkness with intent eyes, and stood some twenty paces distant from the stable. Behind him in the bushes Liliwin held his breath, and Brother Cadfael felt the boy’s slight body quivering and taut, like a leashed hound, and laid a cautioning hand on his arm in case he slipped his leash and went baying after his quarry. But he need not have feared. Liliwin turned a white face and nodded him stiff reassurance. ‘I know. I trust him, I must. He knows his business.’
At their backs, unable to be still, Walter Aurifaber sidled and writhed about the tree that sheltered him, biting his nails and agonising over his losses, and saying never a word to any but himself, and that in a soft, whining undertone that was half malediction and half prayer. At least all was not yet lost. The malefactors had not escaped, and could not and must not break loose now and run for it westward.
‘Iestyn!’ called Hugh, gazing steadily upward. ‘Here am I, Hugh Beringar, the sheriff’s deputy. You know me, you know why I am here, you best know I am about what it is my duty to do. My men are all round you, you have no way of escape. Be wise, come down from there and give yourself - yourselves - into my hands, without more damage and worse offence, and look for what mercy such good sense can buy you. It’s your best course. You must know it and take heed.’
‘No!’ said Iestyn’s voice harshly. ‘We have not come so far to go tamely to judgement now. I tell you, we have the girl, Rannilt, here within. If any man of yours comes too near these doors, I swear I will kill her. Bid them keep back. That’s my first word.’
‘Do you see any man but myself moving within fifty paces of your doors?’ Hugh’s voice was calm, equable and clear. ‘You have, then, a girl at your mercy. What then? With her you have no quarrel. What can you gain by harming her but a hotter place in hell? If you could reach my throat, I grant you it might possibly avail you, but it can neither help you nor give you satisfaction to slit hers. Nor does it suit with what has been known of you heretofore. You have no blood-guilt on your hands thus far, why soil them now?’
‘You may talk sweet reason from where you stand,’ cried Iestyn bitterly, ‘but we have all to lose, and see no let to making use of what weapons we have. And I tell you, if you press me, I will kill her, and if then you break in here after me by force, I will kill and kill as many as I can before the end. But if you mean such soft, wise talk, yes, you may have the girl, safe and sound - at a price!’
‘Name your price,’ said Hugh.
‘A life for a life is fair. Rannilt’s life for my woman’s. Let my woman go free from here, with her horse and goods and gear and all that is hers, unpursued, and I will send out the girl to you unharmed.’
‘And you would take my word there should be no pursuit?’ Hugh pressed, angling after at least a small advantage.
‘You’re known for a man of your word.’
Two voices had let out sharp gasps at the mention of such terms, and two voices cried out: ‘No!’ in the same breath. Walter, frantic for his gold and silver, darted out a few steps towards where Hugh stood, until Cadfael caught him by the arm and plucked him back. He wriggled and babbled indignantly: ‘No, no such infamous bargain! Her goods and gear? Mine, not hers, stolen from me. You cannot strike such a bargain. Is the slut to make off into Wales with her ill-gotten gains? Never! I won’t have it!’
There was a shadowy flurry of movement in the hatch above, and Susanna’s voice pealed sharply: ‘What, have you my loving father there? He wants his money, and my neck wrung, like that of any other who dared lay hands on his money. Poor judgement in you, if you expected him to be willing to pay out a penny to save a servant-girl’s life, or a daughter’s either. Never fear, my fond father, I say no just as loudly as you. I will not accept such a bargain. Even in peril of death I would not go one step away from my man here. You hear that? My man, my lover, the father of my child! But on terms I’ll part from him, yes! Let Iestyn take the horse, and go back unmolested into his own country, and I’ll go freely, to my death or my wretched life, whichever falls on me. I am the one you want. Not he. I have killed, I tell you so open...‘
‘She’s lying,’ cried Iestyn hoarsely. ‘I am the guilty man. Whatever she did she did only for me...‘
‘Hush, love, they know better! They know which of us two planned and acted. Me they may do as they like with - you they shall not have!’
‘Oh, fool girl, my dearest, do you think I would leave you? Not for all the world’s treasures...‘
Those below were forgotten in this wild contention above. Nothing was to be seen but the agitated tremor of certain pallors within the dark frame, that might have been faces and hands, faces pressed despairingly cheek to cheek, hands embracing and caressing. Next moment Iestyn’s voice lifted sharply: ‘Stop her! Quickly, stir! Mind your fawn!’ And the shadowy embrace broke apart, and a faint, frustrated cry from deep within made Liliwin shiver and start against Cadfael’s arm.
‘That was Rannilt. Oh, God, if I could but reach her... ‘ But he spoke only in a whisper, aware of a tension that ought not to be broken, that was spun out here like the threatened thread of Rannilt’s young life, and his own hope of happiness. His desperation and pain was something he must bear, and keep silent.
‘Since she cries out,’ whispered Cadfael firmly into his ear, ‘she is alive. Since she made a bid to slip away out of reach while they were beset, she is unharmed and unbound. Keep that in mind.’
‘Yes, true! And they don’t, they can’t hate her or want to harm her... ‘ But still he heard the extreme anger and pain of those two voices crying defiance, and knew, as Cadfael knew, that two so driven might do terrible things even against their own natures. More, he understood their suffering, and was wrung with it as though it matched his own.
‘No comfort for you,’ shouted Iestyn from his lair. ‘We have her still. Now I offer you another choice. Take back the girl and the gold and silver, give us the two horses and this night free of pursuit, together.’
Walter Aurifaber broke free with a whimper of half-eager, half-doubtful hope and approval, and darted some yards into the open. ‘My lord! My lord, that might be acceptable. If they restore my treasury... ” Even his lawful revenge did not count for much by comparison.
‘There is a life they cannot restore,’ said Hugh curtly, and motioned him back so sternly that the goldsmith recoiled, chastened.
‘Are you listening, Iestyn?’ called Hugh, raising his eyes once again to the dark hatch. ‘You mistake my office. I stand here for the king’s law. I am willing to stand here all night long. Take thought again, and better, and come down with unbloodied hands. There is no better thing you can do.’
‘I am here. I am listening. I have not changed,’ Iestyn responded grimly from above. ‘If you want my woman and me, come and fetch us forth, and fetch away first this little carcase - your prey, not ours.’
‘Have I raised a hand?’ said Hugh reasonably. ‘Or loosened my sword in the scabbard? You see me, clearer than I can see you. We have the night before us. Whenever you have ought to say, speak up, I shall be here.’
The night dragged with fearful slowness over besiegers and besieged, for the most part in mourn silence, though if silence continued too long Hugh would deliberately break it, to test whether Iestyn remained awake and watchful, though with care not to alarm him, for fear he should be driven to panic action in expectation of an attack. There was no remedy but to outwait and out endure the enemy. In all likelihood they had very little food or water with them. They could as easily be deprived of rest. Even in such tactics there was the danger of sudden and utter despair, which might bring on a massacre, but if all was done very gradually and softly that might yet be avoided. Weariness has sometimes broken down spirits braced implacably to defy torture, and inaction sucked away all the resolution armed for action.