The Black Rose Page #3

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- Nobility then. I don't like it.

Tris. Tris Griffen. You're no thief.

What are you doing here?

- Go on. Let him up.

- But he's Saxon.

Tris, we've played

too often on these walls.

I know you and- and you, Dicken.

You're not thieves.

- What are you doing here?

- Well, it's bad enough.

We had no trouble with Bulaire castle

while your father was alive.

But now the Norman woman has thrown

a dozen Saxons in her dungeons as hostages.

- Yes, I saw them.

- Well, we're gonna get them out.

Out of Bulaire? How?

Well, don't think too little

of the strength of this.

She has a beautiful

long arm.

Oh, but not against

stone walls, Tris.

I told you

he'd be on their side.

Who said I was on

Norman side in anything?

- Who's your leader?

- Well, I am, in a manner of speaking.

- Well, we all are.

- Well, you-

You might stand a chance

if you could get inside the gate.

What's your plan?

Well, that's the hard part,

the thinking.

- Well, maybe I can get you in.

- Look, this isn't your quarrel, Walter.

Give me a few men. I may be able

to get them in the miller's gate.

I know the signal.

If we can get the drawbridge down

from the inside, you might stand a chance.

If we can't, you're still on the outside safe,

to hunt me down if I've betrayed you.

All right, you can go with us.

Come on. Get your weapons.

What do you want?

Who are you?

- Our luck's too good.

- It's probably yours.

Who are you,

out there?

Stay where you are!

Any man coming out of that door

will meet a shaft coming in.

Like this.

The rest of you in there,

throw out your arms one at a time.

You down there,

whoever you are.

I must ask you

to disperse...

and if you have a grievance,

to submit it in the proper fashion.

We'll present it now.

We'll give you five minutes

to yield the prisoners.

For every minute more, we'll hang a man

of the household from the battlements.

Wait there.

Well, that's the end

of your problem.

His new Norman master

has no belly for fighting.

I'll go see about

my problem now.

The prisoners

will be set free.

Who you are,

I have no means of knowing...

but I beg of you

to receive them quietly...

and go to your homes before

deadly harm comes of this night's work.

Oh, I say.

We can't go without young Gurnie.

Stop where you are!

You'll pay for this,

Walter of Gurnie...

and you,

Tris Griffen!

Well, we can't stay here.

They'll hunt us

early in the morning.

I know this forest

better than they do.

They'll hold your family

to bring you out.

There's nobody

but Sarah.

You're lucky.

I have my grandfather to tell, and tonight.

Why did you want the boots

so much, Walter?

Well, they were all I had on the side

of sayin' my father loved me...

when all the world

said he didn't.

Well, if they- if they fit,

they'll keep my feet warm.

It's a letter,

Tris, from my father.

He did care.

Listen.

"Written at Bulaire by candlelight

with the hand of Simeon Bautrie to help.

"To my son Walter:

"I have left a legacy

in gold for you...

"with Joseph at the sign

of the merry- totter in London.

"I could not leave this openly because

to do so might do you hurt.

"And in the matter of bidding you

to the service of the king...

"that was done in the hope that in

helping him to serve this torn England...

"you could earn for yourself

the honorable name I could not give you.

"God bring you

to a good decision...

"and I regret to my heart

all unhappiness I have brought you.

Your affectionate father,

Rauf of Bulaire. "

I'm glad we got the boots.

Tell my grandfather if they find me here,

Gurnie will suffer for it!

Ask my grandson when it was the part of

Gurnie men to run from Norman trouble.

Tell my grandfather, please,

Wilderkin, that we've no choice.

They've won.

The-The Normans have won.

Bulaire is theirs and-

and Gurnie soon will be.

It's their England now,

not ours!

And tell him that I'm not going

to stay in this Norman country.

- Master Walter says that he has-

- Ask my grandson...

where he hopes to find a land

where he can live with himself...

when he knows he's run away

from his obligations.

Tell my grandfather

that I'll find it...

and the farther away

from this land the better.

And the farther away

from this land the better.

That-

Cathay, perhaps.

Tell him if I can get my hands on enough gold

to buy the lands that Gurnie needs...

then maybe

I'll come back.

But until that time,

they can have their England.

I'll not set foot

on Norman soil.

Our guests, Wilderkin,

have a long road before them.

- See that they have what they need for their journey.

- Yes, my lord.

Come on.

The sun will soon be up.

Yes, the Bulaire hounds

will run with the first light.

Master Walter, he said you were

to have all the things you needed.

And... he said you were

to have this standing cup.

It has some value.

It is the last.

Oh, tell him

to keep it.

Maybe I'll fill it

with gold for him someday.

Thank you, Wilderkin,

for everything.

Good luck,

Master Walter.

Well, that's the end

of something...

or the beginning of something,

I don't know.

- I hope you sleep well in your forest.

- Walter, I've been thinking.

- What?

- I was thinking about going with you.

- To Cathay?

- Well, where's that?

Well, it's a long way

from your forest.

Well, maybe Sarah would

like it there.

Now, don't talk

too lightly about it, Tris.

If we should go to such a place,

the chances are all you'll get out of it...

is that in the end you'll be hung

by a Mongol instead of a Norman.

Well, if it comes to that, I'd sooner give

the pleasure to somebody I don't know than-

than a Norman I hate.

A far land it is then.

I guess this is the beginning.

- Well, that's the best.

- So far.

Now, what heathen-

Easy.

Crusades have given these people

reason enough not to love Christians.

Besides, we're not

looking for trouble.

We're looking for the biggest merchant with

the biggest caravan to the farthest places.

He'll likely be

the biggest pirate too.

Good day.

- Are you master of this house?

- No. The master of this house...

is the amiable, gracious

and kindly Anthemus of Antioch...

who I serve

the best I can.

Will you tell him two travelers

of importance are here to see him?

My kindly master concern himself

with only the greatest matters.

Perhaps his servant could-

Look, we've come a long way

to see your master himself.

It will be difficult.

I don't want to disturb him without a reason.

The risk is too great.

I suppose the risk

seems less now, hmm?

I will see my kindly master.

Good day.

You do not look important to me.

I warn you that every minute

of my day must show me a profit.

Well, all we wanted to say, sir, is that we

desire passage with a caravan to the East.

- To what part?

- It's of no matter, sir.

- To Cathay perhaps.

- Well, I have a caravan...

which will go near enough

to, uh, Cathay.

It is a caravan of gifts...

I'm sending to Kublai Khan.

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