kind; Tuan who didn’t tease him; Tuan who tried to help him with his sword-play and archery without making him feel stupid, as Maude did?
‘Who – who is planning it?’ he asked. ‘Are you sure?’
‘I heard Sir Richard and Lady Johanna talking about it,’ said Maude. ‘It’s true.’
Matthieu started to cry.
I should have known better, thought Maude. Matthieu was still a baby, and though she loved him dearly and would have protected him with her life, she could not really depend on him to help. Cry, yes; help, no.
Matthieu caught her look and wiped his eyes. ‘I’m sorry. Look, I’ve stopped. But we have to save him, don’t we? Wehave to get him to safety, like we did with the stag. Cliar will help, and Dame Anna. Can we go and tell Tuan and Cliar what’s happening?’
Maude nodded. ‘Yes, we have to act quickly. Fat John is going to take him away from the castle tomorrow!’
When the four children met on the roof, Maude, despite knowing exactly what she wanted to say, found it hard to start. She suddenly realised that she didn’t know how to tell Tuan that he was going to be killed.
‘I overheard Lady Johanna and Sir Richard talking …’ she began, then stopped.
Matthieu burst out: ‘They’re plotting to kill Tuan. It’s because of what happened with the Mac Conmaras.’
‘But that’s not my father’s family!’ said Tuan angrily. ‘They’re distant cousins, yes, but it is not my father who attacked! He has not broken his promise!’
‘That doesn’t seem to matter to Sir Richard. He is really angry about the raid – and especially about poor Beauvallet. Anyway, he has broken his promise before now. And look at his father.’
Everyone thought of Brian Rua, dragged out from feasting and savagely killed by Thomas De Clare.
Tuan felt his anger rise. How dare they? How dare theNorman English walk all over his people, killing them and taking their lands? The lands that this very castle stood on had once been Mac Conmara lands, his people’s lands. Bunratty castle should not be here at all. Tuan suddenly realised how much he hated being in the castle, living in the enclosed, dark space. It was true that the halls and huts his people lived in were dark and smoky too, but they spent so little time inside them that it hardly mattered. Bunratty smelt bad, he thought, it smelt of blood and it smelt of burning. Its walls were a prison.
‘I will kill De Clare myself,’ he said.
‘Yes, and end up dead with your head decorating the castle walls like one of the deer from the forest. Though without the antlers,’ Maude snapped.
Cliar said slowly, ‘Well … it looks like De Clare himself may be killed in any case.’
‘What?’ Tuan, Maude and Matthieu all spoke together.
She told them about Sir Richard’s visit to Dame Anna. ‘She said something about getting a message to Outlaw. If we go to her, maybe she can tell us how to rescue Tuan and get word to the Prior at the same time. I tried to talk to her earlier, but she was so busy with the wounded there was no time. And now she has gone back into her tower and when I tried to open the door, it was locked.That’s never happened before.’
‘I can try to fight Fat John and Godric when they take me away from the castle,’ said Tuan. ‘At least I know what to expect now.’
‘Fat John and Godric? You wouldn’t have a hope.’ Maude’s voice was scornful. ‘No, the only thing to do is to get away from the castle before tomorrow. And I have an idea how we can do it. But then we have to decide what to do with you when you do get out. It’s too dangerous for you to try to get back to your clan. There are English and Scottish armies everywhere east of Cratloe. What we should do is go to Prior Roger in Knockainy. He said he would help you get back to your people safely. And that way we can warn him of what’s happening, and tell him not to follow Sir Richard to Dysert O’Dea.’
Tuan looked at Maude. He had already begun to
‘Who – who is planning it?’ he asked. ‘Are you sure?’
‘I heard Sir Richard and Lady Johanna talking about it,’ said Maude. ‘It’s true.’
Matthieu started to cry.
I should have known better, thought Maude. Matthieu was still a baby, and though she loved him dearly and would have protected him with her life, she could not really depend on him to help. Cry, yes; help, no.
Matthieu caught her look and wiped his eyes. ‘I’m sorry. Look, I’ve stopped. But we have to save him, don’t we? Wehave to get him to safety, like we did with the stag. Cliar will help, and Dame Anna. Can we go and tell Tuan and Cliar what’s happening?’
Maude nodded. ‘Yes, we have to act quickly. Fat John is going to take him away from the castle tomorrow!’
When the four children met on the roof, Maude, despite knowing exactly what she wanted to say, found it hard to start. She suddenly realised that she didn’t know how to tell Tuan that he was going to be killed.
‘I overheard Lady Johanna and Sir Richard talking …’ she began, then stopped.
Matthieu burst out: ‘They’re plotting to kill Tuan. It’s because of what happened with the Mac Conmaras.’
‘But that’s not my father’s family!’ said Tuan angrily. ‘They’re distant cousins, yes, but it is not my father who attacked! He has not broken his promise!’
‘That doesn’t seem to matter to Sir Richard. He is really angry about the raid – and especially about poor Beauvallet. Anyway, he has broken his promise before now. And look at his father.’
Everyone thought of Brian Rua, dragged out from feasting and savagely killed by Thomas De Clare.
Tuan felt his anger rise. How dare they? How dare theNorman English walk all over his people, killing them and taking their lands? The lands that this very castle stood on had once been Mac Conmara lands, his people’s lands. Bunratty castle should not be here at all. Tuan suddenly realised how much he hated being in the castle, living in the enclosed, dark space. It was true that the halls and huts his people lived in were dark and smoky too, but they spent so little time inside them that it hardly mattered. Bunratty smelt bad, he thought, it smelt of blood and it smelt of burning. Its walls were a prison.
‘I will kill De Clare myself,’ he said.
‘Yes, and end up dead with your head decorating the castle walls like one of the deer from the forest. Though without the antlers,’ Maude snapped.
Cliar said slowly, ‘Well … it looks like De Clare himself may be killed in any case.’
‘What?’ Tuan, Maude and Matthieu all spoke together.
She told them about Sir Richard’s visit to Dame Anna. ‘She said something about getting a message to Outlaw. If we go to her, maybe she can tell us how to rescue Tuan and get word to the Prior at the same time. I tried to talk to her earlier, but she was so busy with the wounded there was no time. And now she has gone back into her tower and when I tried to open the door, it was locked.That’s never happened before.’
‘I can try to fight Fat John and Godric when they take me away from the castle,’ said Tuan. ‘At least I know what to expect now.’
‘Fat John and Godric? You wouldn’t have a hope.’ Maude’s voice was scornful. ‘No, the only thing to do is to get away from the castle before tomorrow. And I have an idea how we can do it. But then we have to decide what to do with you when you do get out. It’s too dangerous for you to try to get back to your clan. There are English and Scottish armies everywhere east of Cratloe. What we should do is go to Prior Roger in Knockainy. He said he would help you get back to your people safely. And that way we can warn him of what’s happening, and tell him not to follow Sir Richard to Dysert O’Dea.’
Tuan looked at Maude. He had already begun to
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