‘You should have squeezed what else he’s hiding out of him. You shy at every fence,’ he said in sudden irritation.
I glared at him. ‘I do not shy. If I feel someone will say no more, and I’ve no evidence to use as a lever, I go and find the evidence. That’s what I’ve always done and it’s what I’m going to do now with Lady Honor.’
He grunted.
‘What else could I do?’ I raised my voice in exasperation. ‘I pushed him as far as he’d go, how could I make him tell me more? How? Eh?’
‘Threaten him with the earl, as you did with Bealknap.’
‘And look where that led. No, I will leave him to stew in his own juice, see if Lady Honor can tell me more, then come back later. Unless you’ve a better idea.’
He shrugged. ‘No. I haven’t.’
‘I’m going into chambers for a minute.’
I entered the office to find Skelly working by the light of a candle he hardly needed in the full daylight. ‘Here again on Sunday, John?’ I asked, hiding my irritation.
He gave me a shifty look. ‘I’m behind, sir.’
I could not face looking over his scribbles. I turned to Godfrey’s door. ‘Master Wheelwright in?’
‘Yes, sir.’
Godfrey was working quietly at his desk. ‘Here on the Sabbath?’ I asked. He looked at me seriously.
‘God will forgive me. I want to get my cases in order. Word is I am to be disbarred if I don’t apologize to the duke.’ He smiled wryly. ‘That will create a mighty furore. Perhaps it will make our brothers consider who it is we lawyers serve, God and the commonwealth or the Duke of Norfolk.’
‘Many will ease their consciences by saying it was a matter of discourtesy, Godfrey, not religion.’
‘Then they deceive themselves.’
‘What will you do if you leave chambers?’
‘Become a preacher.’ He smiled. ‘I believe that is what God is calling me to do.’
‘Dangerous times may be coming.’ If Cromwell falls, I thought. If I fail. If he doesn’t get Greek Fire. The hideous tangle of loyalties I was caught in made me feel faint for a moment and I clutched at the edge of a chair.
‘Are you all right, Matthew?’
I nodded. ‘I have been working hard.’
‘At least no more of your cases have gone,’ he said.
‘Good.’ I decided to make one last attempt to make him see reason. ‘Godfrey, would it not be a dreadful thing to throw over your position, the talent you have used these many years?’ And yet, I thought even as I spoke the words, was that not what I too had been thinking of doing?
‘Sometimes God calls us to a new life.’
‘And to great tribulations.’ I gave up. ‘I may not be in for a few days now.’
I stepped back into the office, where Barak was talking to Skelly in a low voice. Getting gossip about me, I supposed. ‘I’m going to Lady Honor’s,’ I said.
‘I’ll ride with you,’ he said. ‘Then I can call in at the Old Barge.’
We walked back down Chancery Lane in silence. I cursed inwardly. I had hoped Barak would leave me to go to Lady Honor’s alone, for afterwards I planned to go to Guy’s. But he seemed to be sticking to me today.
Chapter Thirty-seven
WE FETCHED THE HORSES and rode down to the City. Barak was still morose, saying little. As we rode under the Ludgate I noticed a patch of lighter colour in the wall where the repairs had been completed.
‘The stones from the old synagogue came from there,’ I said to make conversation.
Barak grunted. ‘I bet the watchman had some ripe comments about Christ killers ready when you said they came from a synagogue.’
‘I don’t remember,’ I said, though I well recalled that he had.
We rode on past St Paul‘s, the huge spire casting a welcome patch of shade. As we came into the sun again, Barak pulled his horse in close. ‘Look round slowly,’ he said. ’Don’t stop the horse. By the bookstalls near St Paul’s Cross.’
I turned and saw Toky leaning against a rail, ignoring the crowds and scanning the passers-by with that pale ravaged face of his.
‘I thought he’d disappeared,’ I said. ‘Could we not try to apprehend him? Or call the constable?’
‘If Toky’s there, Wright’s nearby and they’ll be armed. I don’t fancy a tussle with the two of them, and some old constable wouldn’t last long.’
‘They know a great deal. Their capture could solve many of our problems.’
‘That’s why Lord Cromwell’s men are looking for them all over town. The yard’s a good place to see who’s coming in and out of the City. I wonder who he’s looking out for.’
‘Us probably.’
‘Well, he missed us. I know who’s dealing with it for the earl - I’ ll send word to them.’ He shook his head, half-admiringly. ‘They’re as smart a pair of rogues as I’ve ever seen, the way they dodge about the City.’
‘They swim in its filthy waters, hidden by its blackness.’
‘You sounded like your evangelist friend Godfrey, then.’ He rode on into the crowds of Cheapside and I followed, keeping a wary eye out even though Toky was far behind us.