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have never met him or spoken to him in my life. For all I know, he may be a worthy man. But Sir Heribert was chosen castellan by my brother Henry. You knew Henry. Can you see why I doubt?" |
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Since the earl was not one to speak ill of the dead, he did not answer the question directly. He was sure anyway that Walter's brother was in hell or purgatory and needed no further castigation, but did understand what was troubling Walter. "If the man comes, you must keep him with you." |
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"That is just what Lord Geoffrey advised," Walter acknowledged, "and what I planned also, but if I am to come to you . . ." |
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"Bring him along," Richard suggested, then stopped speaking suddenly as he saw the problem. |
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If Walter brought Heribert along, the castellan could complain to the king that Walter was forcing him into rebel company. In addition to causing Walter's outlawry, which, Richard acknowledged, would probably not trouble Walter at all, but would trouble him. King Henry was almost certain to bestow the keep as a direct vassalage on Sir Heribert. The condition of outlawry might be easily reversed by a royal proclamation, but the vassalage could not be dealt with that way. Even if the king returned Knight's Tower to Walter's overlordship, which he would be reluctant to do, Sir Heribert, who had betrayed Walter in the first place, would be unwilling to accept the situation as, most naturally, Walter would not be overjoyed to have such a vassal. |
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Richard did not go on to detail the further complications to himself. He hastily amended his invitation with "No, you had better not bring him. Perhaps it would not be safe." He stopped there, cleverly implying that Heribert might be a danger to him or to the rebel cause rather than to Walter's future. "If Heribert comes," he went on, "come back aloneit is not so far from Clyro to Abergavenny or Uskand tell me what you have decided about the man. Then together we can think whether you should send him back to Knight's Tower alone or go with him and wait there for us." |
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"But my shoulder will be healed by then," Walter protested. "Already it gives me little trouble." |
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"We will see," Richard temporized. "I am uncertain of my own moves as yet, except that I, too, intend to leave Builth no later than tomorrow. Prince Llewelyn goes today, I |
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