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although he regretted the necessity, he acknowledged its wisdom. |
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Geoffrey, however, was not at the camp. The messenger missed him by only a few hours. He had ridden out with some of the vassals and a small troop to examine the terrain. The party was out four days and three nights and, altogether, it was a very successful trip. Geoffrey learned which men were flexible and intelligent, which stubborn with fixed ideas; he learned which men spoke glibly but did not see a problem, which grasped the significance of what they observed. As he listened and spoke to the men, Geoffrey vowed again and again that when Ian came back from Ireland, he would kneel down and kiss his mentor's feet. He remembered how often he had been impatient with his lord when Ian had lectured him on the meaning of this or that. Now, more and more often, Ian's voice would echo in his mind while a man spoke or after he spoke, and Geoffrey would see something significant behind the spoken words. |
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The men learned a great deal, too. The older vassals gained confidence in the foresight and earnest application to duty of their young leader. They were pleased by the attentiveness with which he listened to their advice and the politeness with which he reasoned against it when he did not accept it. The older men were less concerned with Geoffrey's absolute fighting skills than with his ability to see and avoid positions or assignments that were impossible. No one doubted Geoffrey's personal courage and, as for the rest, Sir Alfred of Ealand, Sir Walter of the Forstal, Sir Henry of Kingsclere were confident that they could support their battle leader so that, even if he were no Achilles or Ajax, he would do well enough. |
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The younger vassals were less interested in Geoffrey's administrative virtues. They knew him, until this meeting, exclusively as Lord Ian's squire. In battle they knew he supported his master bravely, although in battle Lord Ian did not need much in the way of support. Socially, they knew him not at all. The occasions when the vassals and castellans were called together were formal and Geoffrey |
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