‘Well,’ I asked Barak, ‘what do you think? The Bertano story first.’
Barak stroked his beard. ‘If it’s true, and the news got out, then Leeman is right, there would be unrest in the streets. I don’t mean a revolution, but trouble certainly. You have to hand it to them, their tactic of placing spies in sensitive places paid off. But – ’ he looked intently between us – ‘if you’re going to have a tightly controlled group, with secret knowledge, you have to be sure everyone in it can be completely trusted. But with some of the wilder radicals – ’ he shrugged – ‘duping them is easy. Provided the person concerned continually parrots the right phrases, I imagine they’re all too ready to believe they’re genuine.’
‘Yes,’ I agreed. ‘But you said, if it’s true about Bertano.’
Barak grunted. ‘Remember I’ve been out of politics for six years. But don’t forget that after Anne Boleyn was killed, there was no longer any impediment to the King’s going back to Rome. But he didn’t.’ He gave a cynical laugh. ‘He enjoys his power as Head of the Church too much, to say nothing of the money he got from the monasteries. But there’s something else.’ He furrowed his brows, making shadows on his face in the dim candlelight. ‘I know Lord Cromwell thought the key to understanding the King was to remember that he truly believes God has appointed him to be Head of the Church in England. That is why every time he changes his mind on the matter of doctrine, the country has to follow – or else.’ He shook his head firmly. ‘He wouldn’t hand all that power back to the Pope easily – not when he believes God himself has chosen him to exercise it.’
‘And when Henry dies?’ Nicholas asked quietly.
I thought of the shambling wreck I had seen in Whitehall Palace, the groaning figure winched upstairs. ‘The Supreme Headship must pass to his son.’
Barak agreed. ‘Nothing would ever shake Henry on his right – his duty, as he would see it – to bequeath the Supreme Headship to Prince Edward.’
Nicholas asked, ‘But how can a little boy, below the age of judgement, decide the correct path in religion?’
I answered, ‘They’ll have a Regent, or a Regency Council, until Edward comes of age. Probably the King will decide in his Will who will rule.’ And, I thought, it will not be the Parrs, if the Queen has fallen. ‘The council will exercise judgement on matters of religion on Edward’s behalf, I suppose, till he reaches his eighteenth year. It’s theological nonsense, of course, but that’s what they’ll do. No, Barak is right, if this Bertano is truly coming over, he won’t return with a sworn allegiance from Henry in his pocket.’ I considered. ‘But I have heard all sorts of things are happening in Europe. It is said the Pope is attempting a dialogue with some of the Protestants through his new Council of Trent. I wonder if Henry thinks some sort of compromise is on the cards.’
‘What sort of compromise?’ Barak asked impatiently. ‘Either the headship of the Church lies with the King or with the Pope. There’s no halfway house in between. If there was, someone would have proposed it years ago.’
Nicholas shook his head. ‘But perhaps the King thinks there may be some way to compromise, short of accepting papal allegiance. Perhaps Bertano has been sent to explore that? After all, the King has been keen this year to try and make peace everywhere . . .’
Yes, I thought, because he knows he is dying. I nodded. ‘You could be right, Nicholas. A good point.’
‘It’ll never happen,’ Barak said scoffingly.
‘But who was the spy in their group?’ I asked. ‘And who was he reporting to?’
‘It certainly wasn’t Leeman,’ Barak said. ‘He’s a true believer if ever there was one. Nor Myldmore; he knew nothing of Bertano or the Queen’s book. Greening and Elias were murdered. Vandersteyn – I doubt it, he’s crossed the Channel in triumph with Anne Askew’s manuscript. That leaves Curdy, who’s beyond questioning, and the Scotchman McKendrick, who’s still out there somewhere.’
‘And McKendrick was Curdy’s lodger.’ Nicholas knitted his brows. ‘It has to be one of them, or perhaps both.’
‘If it’s McKendrick,’ Barak said, ‘he’ll be running to his master at court by now. Whoever that is.’
‘Someone who’s working with the conservative faction,’ I said. ‘But who? Secretary Paget runs the official spy network. But each of the courtiers has their own network: the Duke of Norfolk, Rich and Wriothesley who have hitched themselves to Gardiner’s wagon.’
Nicholas asked, ‘You think Rich could have been involved with the theft of the Lamentation?’
I sighed. ‘Rich was after Anne Askew’s book, and he didn’t seem to know anything about the Lamentation. But you can never trust that snake.’