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Page 325
So, in spite of her distaste, in spite of the chills of horror that crawled over her when she thought of living in such a place, Rhiannon was aware that she might never see its like again. She wandered and poked and pried, bought seeds of strange herbs, bought silks as thin and as light as a mist. She had no money, but when she named Alinor's house, the merchants brought the goods with eager swiftnessand Simon paid. Rhiannon did not give the matter any thought. Kicva or Llewelyn would settle the debt, she supposed.
These pleasant few days ended on September twenty-ninth when, as dark fell, a tired messenger rode in with a brief note from Ian to inform Simon that Hubert de Burgh had escaped from his prison in Devizes and had taken refuge in a church. Since Rhiannon had heard de Burgh's name often enough but knew virtually nothing about him, she and Simon were up half the night while he explained de Burgh's long and tumultuous career.
"Is he truly still dangerous?" she asked in the end.
Simon shrugged. "Impossible to say. He did many favors, but has virtually no blood kin, and you know how seldom favors make men grateful. But it also depends on the man himself. If he burns with hatred and resentment and cries aloud of his injuries demanding help from those he helped in their need, it is possibleconsidering the ill feeling against the kingthat he could raise supporters. Then, too, he knows Henry. His advice might be of value to Henry's enemies."
"But if he is pent up in a church . . ."
Simon shrugged again. "Not for long. This is an act of final desperation. He must have heard that Henry was ready to give charge of Devizes to Winchester. That, he feared, would be his death warrant. Perhaps the gaolers feared it also and did not want the death to stain their hands, so they let him go. But it is six of one and half a dozen of the other. The king will set men

 
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