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Page 36
property; they were not masterless rogues and could be controlled. Thus, Sybelle looked down her nose at Walter, who could believe neither his eyes nor his ears and stood, perfectly mute, staring at the goddess of wrath who was castigating him. Then she demanded forcefully that the stolen goods be returned.
"I will leave the punishment of the men in your hands," she added coldly, "although God knows whether you are honest enough, or even competent enough, to manage so simple a matter."
"What are you doing here?" Walter finally managed to get out.
Protecting my property from my enemiesand, it seems, also from so-called friends, who cannot control their henchmen because they are too busy futtering whores."
But Walter was incapable of reacting to this new insult. He was still too stunned to see sybelle apparently leading a troop of armed men into battle. "Here! I mean, what are you doing in the midst of an armed troop? Why are you not safe inside some keep?"
"Are you going to return my property?" Sybelle asked indignantly. "It is none of your affair what I do in defense of my land. Must I order my men to fight for what is ours? You, at least, seem ill-prepared to retain your men's ill-gotten gains by force."
This was all too true, as Walter was clutching a loose, unbelted bedrobe about himself with one hand and holding his sword in the other. If sybelle had not seen the woman, she might have explained that her presence with the men was an accident, a combination of having been caught up in the excitement of the chase and not wanting to cause any delay in the pursuit by ordering part of the troop to turn back with her. As it was, a fury for which she had no explanation made her foolishly act as if what she had done was normal, and, of course, knowing that what she was doing was foolish only made her more furious.
Sybelle's diatribe finally penetrated Walter's bemusement. Suddenly realizing how ridiculous he must look, Walter growled, "See to it, Dai, that the goods are returned, and round up the men and bring them before me." After which he stalked away, stiff with rage.

 
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