Robin Hood Page #5

the Church's grain to York.

Politics out of London, I hear.

This is our grain. It belongs in this soil.

Lady Marion, I but follow the orders

of my superiors

and abide by their saying and rule.

Does His Holiness

know about your wealth of honey?

There are wolves in York, Sir Robert.

Voracious wolves.

The bees are my family.

I'm a procreator by design.

I'm not a churchy friar. Never was.

My bees give life.

They are my life, Sir Robert.

Should not the Bishop be told

so the clergy can spread

Nottingham honey on Nottingham bread?

What if the grain were not to reach York?

Then the bees need not be spoken of.

I was an old maid

when Robert courted me.

I was a daughter of a respectable widow

with a thimbleful of noble blood.

We were wed, and then a week later

he left to join ship

for France and the Holy Lands.

And that was my married life to a man

I hardly knew.

- A good knight.

- Short, but sweet.

I mean, he was a good knight.

A good knight-at-arms, a soldier.

Oh, yes,

my knight-in-arms, even so.

And I in his.

Stop! You'll break its neck.

Marion.

Easy.

I'm all right.

I can't move me legs.

I can't move me legs.

Thank you.

My Lord?

Oh, is it my turn now?

Thank you.

Nicely done, sir.

And to see Lady Marion Loxley's legs,

beyond my wildest hopes this morning.

I don't believe you know my husband,

Sir Robert.

Allow me to introduce

the Sheriff of Nottingham.

Welcome home, Sir Robert.

You make your mark quickly

by rescuing the King's ram from drowning.

What's this?

What's mine in coin I have the right

to take in goods or livestock.

If it's God's will.

Here's a ram's worth of tax

for the Exchequer.

Your insolence to Lady Marion,

I'll consider a debt between us.

Mead and grain alcohol?

I thought as much.

There's something that we need to do.

At your service.

All right, lads.

Should've left while you had the chance.

Something's afoot. Off we go.

Stop. Stop the horses.

You there! Move aside!

We're on Church business!

None shall pass

unless they can answer the riddle.

Moon-mad!

And what is the riddle, you insolent wretch?

What has 18 legs and isn't going anywhere?

Your next move will be your last.

Evening, friend.

I demand to know who you are.

We are men of the hood.

Merry now, at your expense.

"The Lord taketh... ' '

And we shall giveth back.

My advice is to plant it now, by moonlight.

Why is that, good friar?

When it sprouts,

I can claim it as a miracle from God.

The Church in York

would never deny a miracle.

How much further?

About 11 miles.

I thought you had left.

The fields have been planted.

I didn't want to wake you.

How did you find the seed?

If you have to ask, it's not a gift.

Thank you.

Pikemen, at the ready!

Arms to ready!

Prepare!

This King John is no king of mine!

You! Are you Baldwin? Open these gates!

In whose name do you come against us?

In the name of King John.

Pay or burn.

We have paid in money

and men for King Richard's wars!

And we have no more to give!

- Burn it.

- Archers!

Come on.

My Lord, this way!

In the name of John,

by the Grace of God, King of England,

let it be known to all who abide here

that a tax is warranted!

Those persons

refusing to abide by the law

will hereby be subject

to severe punishment.

By order of His Majesty, King John.

Father Tancred!

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I have lost the confidence of King John,

but he may still listen to you.

Allow me to know better, William.

You are much wiser than your owl.

I dare say. I've lived longer.

Edward, take him.

Your Majesty.

John is no Richard, alas, Your Majesty.

But I serve the throne,

and the throne will endure.

Speak plainly, Marshal.

What's troubling you?

The crown is in peril.

Godfrey has been plotting

with Philip of France.

French troops have already landed

on our shores,

and they are murdering Englishmen

in the name of King John.

The northern barons

will make civil war against the throne.

Leaving our coast defenceless

against the invasion

which is certainly coming.

So it's left to John's mother to scold him

like a child and point him to his duty.

My son has an enemy in his court

closer to him than any friend.

An English traitor. A paid agent of France.

Why are you telling me

when you must tell the King?

Isabella!

It is you who must do that.

Tell King John that you've had word

from France, from Philip himself, if you like.

Why not tell him the truth?

That William Marshal...

Oh! A mother he mistrusts

bearing the word of a man in dishonour?

No.

If you wish to be queen,

you must save John.

And England.

No!

No! No!

Godfrey! The bloody Judas!

By the bowels of Christ, it's a lie.

You lie!

I'm sorry, my love.

- Sheriff.

- Up there.

Man won't give his name.

Demands audience with the sheriff.

Demands?

- Go away.

- My Lord.

Tax collections proceed apace.

Nottingham's turn is coming.

Good. Good.

Tell Sir Godfrey

that the Sheriff of Nottingham is his man.

May he put his stamp on my authority.

I see trouble

coming from Loxley of Peper Harow.

A blind old man gives you trouble?

Aye, and his son will give more.

The crusader, Robert Loxley,

has returned this past week.

Marion.

Go on! Go on.

Has he spoken yet?

He was spying, Loop.

Spying?

Robert, I'm ashamed of you.

Hello, Marion.

I've come to save you.

Know him?

Boys, this is Sir Robert Loxley, my husband.

Sir Robert, the runaways of Sherwood.

Untie him.

No, I don't think spies should be let off

so easily.

That was unkind.

You were a crusader?

Yes.

Did you hear that, boys?

You bested a crusader.

- My men are good fighters.

- I don't know about that.

I think the weight of numbers

might have been in their favour.

But they do move silently

like the creatures of the forest.

But that's only a skill if you stay as a man.

You don't become the creatures you hunt.

- We're soldiers.

No, you're not.

Soldiers fight for a cause. What's yours?

You don't have one.

That makes you poachers.

Common thieves with a lot to learn.

Like what?

I could teach you how to tie knots.

I could teach you which wood to get

to make your bows stronger.

I could teach you how to make arrows

that fly more than 20 feet.

And I can help Marion to teach you

how to stay clean

so you won't get sick.

I don't know who you're fighting, son,

but it's not me. I'm not your enemy.

If you want to chat,

you know where to find me.

Wife?

Marshal.

Stand aside! Make way for the King!

Your Majesty.

What the devil are you doing here? Hmm?

Sire?

Will you keep that animal still?

What's it got, palsy?

Do you think I haven't noticed

how you've deserted me?

If Your Majesty recalls,

our last conversation...

At our last conversation,

Philip of France wasn't coming our way

with an invasion fleet.

Was he, Marshal?

My friend Godfrey

is not the friend I thought he was.

He's stirred up

the northern barons against me.

They come south with an army.

Marshal, how dare they? How dare they?

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