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and to the fact that there were onlookers. But his attention was drawn from her almost immediately by Sir Roland, who had caught the significance of the words "been out with Bassett and Siward." As he rose to offer his chair to Walter, he asked anxiously what Walter meant by that remark. |
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Usually, Sir Roland knew, a civil war was no easy place for neutrals, who, rather than being protected by not taking sides, were more often targets for both antagonists. Thus far, Clyro had been safe because Richard Marshal would not hear of any attack on the properly of his "aunt" Alinor and "uncle" Ian, particularly when he knew they would make no move against him. But Pembroke was now in Ireland, and Sir Roland did not have the same trust in Richard's lieutenants. If the war had caught fire again, he wanted to know. |
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Walter's reply calmed Sir Roland's momentary anxiety, but led to a lively discussion of the raid itself and then on to a more serious one about whether peace was really imminent and upon what terms that peace would be made. Sir John expressed the hope that Pembroke would not be kept in Ireland too long, since the king might be induced, during a long period of quiet, to change his mind yet again. |
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"I do not think so," Walter replied to that. "For one thing, from what Lord Geoffrey told me about the archbishop-elect, he will not give over his exhortationsand he is a truly holy man whom the king fears and respects. For another," he added, his lips twisted, "there will not be so much peace that Henry will be able to think his barons have forgotten their distaste for the Bishop of Winchester and his minions. I am quite sure this will not be the last raid on lands beholden to them." He paused and frowned. "But I wish I knew the reason why that troop would not close with us, but turned and ran." |
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"Could they have been allies?" Sir John asked. |
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"Then why not call their name and loyalty and ask what we were doing?" Walter countered. |
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"They could have feared they were overmatched," Sir Roland offered. |
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"I suppose so." Walter sounded doubtful. "They could have feared a trap or thought that many more men were with the booty we had taken and would come to our support if we were put to the worse. But I still cannot see why they would not try to come to grips with us. There was a clear road |
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