‘Ay,’ said Maxwell, rubbing his thumb on the clenched muscles in his cheek. ‘Do so.’
Although he knew as well as Dodd that it was unnecessary, Carey went through the motions, rigged a caliver to a tree stump and spattered it all over the clearing.
There was a kind of contented sigh from the Maxwells standing about. Carey left the wagon, came back to his horse and mounted up again in tactful silence. They waited, finding the paths all blocked by Maxwells.
The tension rose, broken by wood-doves currling at each other through the trees and anxious alarm calls from the jackdaws.
Finally Maxwell flung down his tall-crowned hat and roared, ‘God damn it! Bastard Englishmen, bastards and traitors every one, by God...’
He swung suddenly on Carey and at the motion the Maxwell lances seemed to lean inward towards the Deputy Warden and Sergeant Dodd. ‘And what d’ye ken of this, eh, Sir Robert? Sitting there so smarmy and clever and telling me I canna do what I plan because the guns are nae good...’
‘Would you have preferred me to keep silent and let you use them against the Johnstones, my lord?’ asked Carey levelly. ‘I could have done that.’
Ay, thought Dodd viciously, wondering how many of the lances were aimed at his back, and why didn’t you, you interfering fool?
‘Ye’re in it wi’ Scrope and Lowther and the Johnstones, aren’t ye, aren’t ye?’ yelled Maxwell, forcing his horse over close to Carey and leaning in his face. ‘And a clever plot it was too, to gi’ the advantage to the pack of muirthering Johnstones.’
‘Nothing to do with me, my lord,’ said Carey steadily.
‘Lord Scrope’s yer warden, ye’d do what he tellt ye.’
‘I might,’ allowed Carey. ‘If he had mentioned this to me, of course. In which case I would hardly have come here with you, would I? But I don’t think it was him.’
‘And who was it then?’
‘From whom did you buy the guns, my lord? Ask yourself that and then ask who did you the favour of stopping you firing one of them.’
Oh, thought Dodd as a great light dawned on him. So that’s what the interfering fool’s about, is he? Well, well. It took most of his self-control not to let a wicked grin spread itself all over his face. That night spent tediously marking all the guns in the armoury with an x before we even knew there was anything wrong with them, it was time well-spent. And now we’ve found them again and we can go home.
Maxwell’s face was working. He seemed to be thinking and calming down.
‘Ye came to find these, did ye no’?’ he said at last.
Carey shrugged. ‘I knew we had lost the guns during the muster on Sunday, and I knew someone must have put a big enough price on them for... someone to want to take the money and embarrass Scrope at the same time.’ Noticeably he did not mention the previous theft on the road from Newcastle, when the Tower-made guns had been swapped for the deathtraps now owned by Maxwell.
‘The bastard,’ breathed Maxwell repetitiously. ‘God damn his guts.’
‘Amen,’ answered Carey piously.
‘I paid good money for this pile of scrap iron.’
Carey tutted. ‘Who to, my lord?’ he asked casually.
Maxwell’s lowering face suddenly became cunning. ‘I canna tell ye that, Sir Robert.’
Carey sighed at this sudden niceness. ‘No, of course not,’ he agreed. ‘Will you say what you paid?’
‘Twenty-five shillings a gun, English, and we were to send them back once we’d had the use of them.’
Up went Carey’s eyebrows at this unexpected titbit. ‘Really?’ he said slowly. ‘Is that so?’
‘The usual arrangement, ye ken, only we wanted more of them. And for longer. Sir Ri... He was to find them at Lammastide in an old pele-tower near Langholm, ye follow.’
‘Ah yes, I understand. And take the credit for it. Hmm. Well, what will you do with them now, my lord?’
‘Throw ’em in a bog.’
‘Don’t do that, my lord.’
‘Will ye take them back then?’
Carey smiled thinly. ‘I don’t think so, my lord. But will you keep them here for a couple of days?’
‘Why?’
Carey looked opaque and tapped his fingers on his saddle horn. ‘Just in case, my lord, just in case. You never know what might happen.’
Maxwell grunted sullenly. ‘What am I to dae about the Johnstones?’ he demanded to know.
‘Entirely your affair, my lord. But if I were you, I’d let them sweat until you’re ready.’
‘And stay bloody Warden all that time?’
Carey made a self-deprecating half-bow from the saddle. ‘It might not be so bad,’ he suggested. ‘Perhaps you and my lord Scrope could even agree on a Day of Truce and clear up some of the bills that have been accumulating for the past sixteen years.’
Maxwell glowered at him. ‘Good God, whatever for?’
‘For peace, my lord. For the rule of law.’
