The poisoned chalice

once again, I was reminded of Ralemberg for the duel had stripped him of his heavy-lidded arrogance. 'Well,' Benjamin repeated. 'What shall it be, Roger?'
    Suddenly the door of the garden house was flung open and one of the little girls ran towards me, her baby face soaked in tears. She grasped my leg. 'Soyez gentil, Monsieur, ne tuez pas notre papa!"
    I crouched down and gently wiped the tear drops from her soft cheeks. The door of the garden house opened and the others came out. 'S'il vous plait, Monsieur," the girl repeated.
    I stared into her light blue eyes and wondered if she would be like Agnes when she grew up. What did it matter? I thought. Can death restore life? I got up and walked over to Benjamin. I pushed his sword down and stood facing him, my back to Vauban.
    'Let him go, Benjamin! For God's sake, what would another death prove? And what will it make us?'
    Benjamin tapped the edge of his sword against his boot. He looked past me, his eyes never leaving Vauban. 'You are sure, Roger?' 'As certain as there's a God in heaven!'
    Benjamin re-sheathed both sword and dagger, put on his doublet and picked up his cloak. Vauban just stood staring disbelievingly at me. I still grasped the horse pistol for I didn't trust the bastard as far as I could spit. 'We will leave now.' Benjamin nodded at Vauban and gave Madame Louise the most courtly bow. I grinned and raised the horse pistol.
    'I will treat this as a present, Monsieur, for we intend to leave Paris alive. You will find your guard fast asleep, trussed and bound in the bushes near the gate.'
    I followed Benjamin round to the front of the house when a voice called out. 'Shallot!'
    I turned quickly, lifting the horse pistol, but Vauban just stood there holding the little girl who had clung to me. She now ran towards me, her long, dark hair flying out. I crouched to greet her. 'Monsieur,'' she whispered breathlessly, ‘un cadeau.'
    She opened her hand and showed me her present, a small, blood red stone. The sort of little geegaw or trinket we adults dismiss as cheap but a child regards as more sacred than life itself. I shook my head and gently clasped her fingers back over it.
    'Thank you,' I smiled. 'But there's no need. Comment vous appellez-vouz?' ‘Je m'appelle Marie.' I rose. 'Then, au revoir, Marie.' 'Au revoir, Monsieur"
    I did not look back. Benjamin and I collected our horses, made our way safely out of Paris and thundered along the country lanes back to Maubisson. Only when we were sure of no pursuit did we rein in. Benjamin leaned over and wiped the white lather from the horse's neck.
    'I should have killed him, Roger,' he announced tonelessly. I leaned over and nudged him gently. 'And if I had said "yes", you would have done it?' Benjamin stared back and his face broke into a boyish grin.
    'I don't know.' His eyes narrowed. 'But you are a strange one, Roger. Any other man would have killed Vauban for what he'd done and then danced on his corpse.'
    'Perhaps,' I muttered. 'Vauban said we were the same as him, yet he may be wrong. He may have killed. We wouldn't.' Benjamin kicked his horse into a gentle canter.
    'Come on, Roger!' he shouted. 'We are finished here. We are for Maubisson and then by fast horse to Calais.'
    'What about that bloody ring?' I groaned, drawing close to him.
    Benjamin made a face. 'The king will forget and forgive. Raphael is dead, the murders avenged. Let's pray he will be satisfied.'
    I thought of the Great Killer's brooding eyes and prayed to God my master was right.
    We left Maubisson two days later, accompanied by Doctor Agrippa, still elated by our success and eager to bring the good news to Wolsey and the king. He was as sanguine as Benjamin about our failure over the ring.
    'His Majesty will have to be satisfied with what we have achieved,' he muttered. 'There'll be another day.'
    Both he and Benjamin were in high spirits and chose to ignore my gloomy forebodings, my master chattering about his school at Ipswich and wondering if the good doctor could recommend a tutor of Classics. Talking like two magpies, they rode briskly along the lanes whilst I trailed behind, uncomfortably aware that the king had made me personally responsible for returning his ring. Now, we expected little trouble on our journey. Agrippa carried warrants and safe conducts. We were well armed and Dacourt had informed us before we left Maubisson that horsemen would be at the Pale of Calais to meet us.
    We were within an hour's ride of that,