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Page 187
Geoffrey realized, and not only war machines but timber and leather to make new ones had been destroyed by the raiders.
The next morning Simon carried his information to Richard. "I have added up what the men told me," he said, "and they cannot take Usk."
"I did not think they could," Richard snapped testily. "If I had thought so, I would have chosen another keep in which to make a stand."
"Pardon, my lord, I said that ill. What I mean is they have not food enough to support the men while they rebuild the siege machines and those they build will do them as much harm as us, I think, from being made of green wood. Nor can they obtain supplies from elsewhere. Bassett is in the south, and I do not think much will come to them from Hereford or Gloucester because Llewelyn's men will be lying in wait for the supply trains. They can try an assault or two, but I suspect there will be little enthusiasm for it from the English levies, and there are not enough mercenaries."
"They will not take Usk by assault," Richard said. "If they could batter down the walls . . . but that would take months. . . ."
"They have not supplies for three weeks. The Flemish leaders have been generous with provender to the troops while in England, so there would be no need for them to harass the local people. I suppose they were warned there would be no easy pickings in Wales, but they did not believe it. You know those mercenary captains always think the local lords are either fools or soft-hearted."
Richard smiled grimly. There were no pickings to be had around Usk. Men and animals were behind the walls. The crops had been harvested, the fruit picked from the treeseven what was not yet ripeand the fields had been burned over so that there would be no grazing for the horses and oxen of Henry's army. It was too early for nuts. Perhaps there were a few

 
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