The Black Rose Page #2

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a traveler rest? Let's say if he was born here?

- Master Walter!

- It's good to see you, old Will.

You've grown, and well too.

Come in. Come in.

You're home again.

I hoped you'd come by suppertime.

I laid a place for you.

You knew I'd left Oxford then.

Aye. We have a guest who came

from Oxford. About you, I think.

- Who's that?

- Bacon. Friar Roger Bacon.

Oh. Friar Bacon. He was

a teacher of mine. I'd like to see him.

I'll tell him, Master Walter.

Will-

Uh, what did he say when

he found I'd left school?

- My grandfather, I mean.

- You know him, Master Walter.

He never says anything.

He just looks.

- Well, how is he?

- You saw that pile of iron in the moat?

Yes, I did.

I meant to ask.

We have gone into trade.

A belted knight

of Gurnie in trade...

dealing in armorers'

iron and swine.

And just like he does everything else,

not a word to anyone.

One morning, the horses were gone

and the swine came.

And then the iron.

And when they wanted to know

where he wanted it put...

he told me to have them

put it in front of the gate.

They didn't know what he meant,

but I did.

If we were going to be in trade,

put it out where the world could see.

If there's a price

to pay, pay it.

And when he walks by it...

he looks neither to

the right nor to the left.

I'll call Friar Bacon,

Master Walter.

I trust this reception

is not planned for me.

Oh, Friar Bacon.

L- I couldn't help doing that.

When I was very little,

that was my measure of growing up...

when I could wield

that sword.

I could wish I'd given you

so much of feeling about your books.

Perhaps you would not have

given them up so readily.

Oh.

What happened

concerning your father?

Was it all you hoped for?

No.

Will you return with me then?

I, uh-

I don't know.

Never mind.

There'll be time to talk of that later,

perhaps with your grandfather.

That won't be so easy.

Why not?

Well, you see, my grandfather and I only

talk to each other through someone else.

It, uh- It makes

discussion difficult.

You mean

you don't speak?

Generally we talk

through old Wilderkin...

but I should warn you that it may

very well be you if no one else is here.

No, you mustn't think

that he's unkind.

It- It's just an oath he took after

the great quarrel with my father.

Well, perhaps I ought to tell you

a little bit about it to make it clear.

My father was betrothed to my mother

before he went on his crusade...

but when he was returning, he fell ill

of a wound-very nearly died of it.

They cared for him

in a Norman house.

Well, after a long time,

when he was well again...

he married the daughter of that house,

the one who had nursed him.

It was out of

gratitude, I suppose.

He didn't know that I'd been born.

How could he?

As soon as he found out,

he came straight here.

And then there was a quarrel,

so bitter that I can still remember it.

My grandfather swore that he would

never speak to my father again...

nor to anyone else

of his blood.

That included me,

of course...

although he didn't

mean it that way.

I've often thought that

he was sorry for it afterward.

But my grandfather, you will find,

is a man who does not take an oath...

- nor anything else, lightly.

- I see.

I, uh- I think that

I should tell you something-

Wilderkin! Is our supper ready,

and is our guest here, Wilderkin?

Yes, my lord.

Uh, Wilderkin, tell my grandson

that I'm pleased to see him...

and to see that he's grown

the shoulders of a man.

- My lord wishes me to tell you-

- Tell my grandfather, Wilderkin...

that I'm glad to see him,

and that I hope the shoulders...

are broad enough to be

of service to him soon.

- My lord, Master Walter says-

- Well spoken, Wilderkin. Well spoken.

Ah, and our guest!

- Welcome to our table, Friar Bacon.

- Thank you, my lord.

Ah. Pig.

Not the best of meats to offer a guest,

Friar, but it's stout and it fills the belly.

Uh, Wilderkin, ask my grandson what

he thinks about our venture into trade...

- a course of which no doubt he's aware.

- My lord asks-

Tell my grandfather,

Wilderkin...

that I think he has adopted

a courageous and knightly course.

Ah, well spoken again,

Wilderkin.

Well, now let's fall to.

Talk comes easier

on a full belly.

The Normans haven't

changed that yet.

A pair of boots...

and the privilege of wearing

an iron collar for a Norman king.

- Ask him what else he expects.

- My lord says-

Tell my grandfather I- I had hoped

there would be some help for Gurnie in it.

Tell my grandson

he was a fool to think it.

Tell him he can help Gurnie best

by returning to his studies...

where he can learn to be

a better man than his father was.

Tell my grandfather that...

I'm not going to return to school.

Tell him that I think my place is here

with him at Gurnie, if there is to be a Gurnie.

Ask him by what right he thinks

at all in such a matter.

Ask him who's the best judge

of what he'll need...

to hold this house

against the Norman thieves.

- Ask him if he thinks I-

- Tell my grandson that-

- My lord, will you permit me?

- On whose side will you speak?

- On no one's side, my lord.

- I warn you, Friar...

that if what you say

is not on my side...

I shall pay but little heed

to the fact that you're my guest.

I journeyed here, my lord,

to urge the same point as you-

the return of

your grandson to Oxford.

Few scholars have come to me with such

an aptitude for learning as your grandson.

It would be a personal

and bitter failure to me if I lost him.

What good is it?

How can you fight the Normans

with-with books?

Walter, if I was young and had

no sure place to put my life...

I could think of nothing better than

to give it for the search for knowledge.

The strength in knowledge, it can

win victories that the sword cannot.

There's so much we need to know

and so few people to seek it out.

England will need it someday.

She needs it now.

Just a handful ofbooks in all our land.

Painfully written,

painfully read by only too few.

There is in every land knowledge

that we need to add to our store.

I've heard of Cathay, a country they say

where no Englishman has been...

an old country,

fabulously rich not only with gold...

but with the knowledge

of many ages.

I've heard that they know

of a substance...

which when it touches a spark...

disappears in

a blinding flash of light.

That they have instruments which help them

to travel by sea and land without becoming lost.

Do you believe

those old wives' tales?

Yes, and more.

Walter, what a challenge

when you're young.

What better thing can a man

ask of life than that?

I don't know...

but it's a- it's

a soft blow to strike.

If I'm gonna leave

him here alone, I-

I want to strike

a better blow than that.

Let him go.

He has been hurt.

He'll think better

after he has slept.

You! What are you

doing down there?

- What do you want here?

- Who are you?

- It's the grandson of the old lord.

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