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"Who? I?" Walter asked with honest astonishment. "Who told you that, my lord?" |
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"I never reveal my sources," Llewelyn teased. |
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But Richard banged his spoon on the table, nodded his head enthusiastically, and mumbled, "Saved me," holding up three fingers. |
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"Yes, and I nearly killed you at least once," Walter protested, laughing, "by shouting your name and calling attention to you. Also, my lord, you saved me at least as often, so we are quits." |
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Richard waved his spoon about energetically, but what he wanted to say was obviously too complex for his ability, and he gave up and pointed at Llewelyn, who smiled. |
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"There are major advantages," the Lord of Gwynedd said, "to having a conference with an ally who can barely speak. I get to do all the talking, a thing that suits me well. Now, I understand that Lord Pembroke originally desired to take Monmouth keep" |
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"With respect," Walter interrupted, not wishing to leave any chance that Llewelyn would think the earl rash, "rather to see whether Monmouth could be taken." |
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"Very well, but either way that is out of the question now." Llewelyn glanced toward Richard, who shrugged and then, more slowly, nodded. It was apparent that he was not going to attempt to argue. "I would never have liked the idea," Llewelyn went on. "I can see why it would be attractive to you, Lord Pembroke, but with the king's keeps of Goodrich, Grosmont, and even Gloucester so close, so much effort would have to go into defending Monmouth once it was ours that little else could be accomplished." |
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To that, the earl made no reply even by gesture or glance, stolidly spooning food into his mouth with his eyes on his plate. Walter guessed that the "disadvantage" Llewelyn mentioned might have been one of the attractions Richard felt for the project. Pembroke was not interested in loot nor in gaining more property. What he wanted was to make King Henry feel that he was losing the war without actually attacking him, so that the king would desire to make peace. Taking Monmouth and beating off attacks against it would have served that purpose very well while, on the whole, reducing the casualties to Pembroke's army and keeping the war off Pembroke's land. |
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