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council to decide the order of battle against Louis, they said with one voice that they would not fight. Treachery, John thundered. Lusignan denied the charge. He had done his lord's bidding in taking Ancennis and Nantes; he had come here to the siege and had done good service. However, he pointed out, Philip was also his overlord; he held lands in France as well as in John's territories. Thus he could not attack his overlord's son. |
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At this point, John lost his hard-won veneer of a rational and moderate king. Instead of discussing reasonably the number of men owed him against the number owed Philip and demanding in a rational way that the men owed to him be left, either with a leader of their master's choice or a leader to be supplied by John, the king said what could not be endured. Ian nearly wept aloud, but he was powerless to interfere in any way, and Salisbury, who might have been able to curb his brother, was hundreds of miles away. |
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Naturally, having been insulted in their own persons, the Poitevin lords gathered up their men, every last one, and deserted. But in their eyes was satisfaction and laughter, not anger. They had counted upon the Angevin temper to extricate them, without violation of their oaths, from a position they were unwilling to hold. John was between two very hot fires. He could not punish them, because Louis would fall upon him from the rear. He no longer had strength enough to fight Louis; if he stayed in Anjou he would be defeated. If Louis pursued him, he would be defeated anyway. |
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Whether John sensed the malicious delight of the Poitevins or his own loss of control affected him, Ian could not decide. All he saw was the effect. Suddenly John was shaken to the core. His absolute belief that God was his supporter had been destroyed. Ian could not understand it. The king had had setbacks before and had not doubted. Agreed, they could not continue the siege or fight Louis, but all was not lost. If Philip was defeated or taken prisoner by the army in Flanders, all might yet be well. The changeable Poitevins would come crawling back, and Louis could be brokenthat is, if they were not first broken themselves. |
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