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Page 474
If I refused, he would try elsewhere, I feared, or perhaps conceive of another foul plan."
"Whose offer of what?" Simon got out.
"Lord John offered me vassalage, to hold directly by his authority if I would bring him your dead body."
Simon gripped Sir Giles' arm, his eyes lighting. "In fact? You mean you are really supposed to bring my body?"
Sir Giles was taken aback at the joy in Simon's face. "Yes, my lord," he faltered.
"Marvelous! Marvelous!" Simon barely restrained himself from shouting aloud. Perhaps there were spies among Sir Giles' servants. He could not restrain himself from catching the man to him and kissing him soundly. Sir Giles stiffened in his arms, wondering if the stress of hearing that the King's brother wished him ill added to the strain of years on Crusade had driven his overlord mad. Simon added a little to Sir Giles' fear by bursting into harsh laughter when he saw the expression on his castellan's face, but he redeemed himself swiftly by an explanation of the situation. Then the two men drew chairs together and sat down to plan.
Well after midnight but before the false dawn of the following day, a man called across the moat to a guard on the wall near the gate of Kingsclere Keep. The guard seemed a little surprised, staring anxiously through the dark, but he called to another who summoned the master of the guard. A question and answer were exchanged. Then Sir Giles came forward, identified himself, and called a peremptory order backed by a sharp threat of Lord John's anger if the order was not obeyed. The master of the guard hesitated briefly, but the party was far too small to raise fear, and the drawbridge began to crawl downward. Sir Giles came over first, followed by six men-at-arms. Behind them a rough horse litter carried a rigid form in a rent and bloodied surcoat, the stiff hands folded over a naked sword, a cloth over the face. Beside the horse litter

 
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