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find himself lodged in the Tower with no way outif he did not find himself shorter by a head. Other of Richard's adherents hushed Bassett, pointing out that Richard was in no mood to listen, but the castellan of Usk looked very thoughtful. |
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The next day, when orders were given to vacate the keep so that Henry's men could take it over, Simon went to say farewell to the castellan's son, who had been a pleasant companion during idle hours. He could not find him. Fortunately, before he asked for him, Simon noticed that a number of the men in the castellan's troop did not know how to fasten their armor and that the weapons they bore were rusted and battered and broken. Simon shut his mouth hard and hastened away, telling his own troop to mingle with that of the castellan and help them and, if they could, hide the deficiencies of the serfs pretending to be men-at-arms. |
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Perhaps it was not honorable to the letter of the truce for the castellan to have left his son and most of the peacetime garrison of Usk in the keep disguised as servingmen. However, Simon was in perfect accord with him. If the king kept his word, no harm would be done. The castellan's son and his men-at-arms would hew wood, draw water, and have an unpleasant two or three weeks of hard labor. If the king broke his word, on the other hand, it would be his violation of the agreement that caused the harm. When Richard returned and attacked Usk to recover it, there would be no long siege or bloody battle. The castellan's son and his men would throw off their disguises, unearth their weapons, and open Usk to its rightful master. |
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Simon was delighted as he rode north with his men. He had lingered behind the others long enough to send off his letter to Sybelle and, incidentally, to be sure that the castellan's ruse was not discovered. Once he was on the road, he made the very best speed he could, expecting he would have to ride all the way to Aber |
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