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again, whatever the danger. John de Soules and others of our leaders-the Stewart, Umfraville-are not to
be granted safe conducts to return from France until Wallace is given up- and worst of all, Edward has
personally charged various of the earls and barons with Wallace's capture."
"Surely they will not agree to such an undertaking," Torquil said disgustedly.
Lamberton shrugged. "They must, to secure their lands from threat of seizure-and who can blame them?
Moreover, some of them say it is Wallace himself who has brought Edward's wrath down upon us, and
that if he is delivered, Edward will leave Scotland in peace."
"If they truly believe that, then they deceive themselves," Arnault declared.
"Men with their own worldly interests at heart are ever their own dupes," Lamberton said. "However, the
sum of all this is that we must have a leader and we must have a king. Above all they must be one and the
same man, not a struggling Guardian and an absent, powerless figurehead."
The bishop's distress made clear how much it grieved him to speak thus of parting company with a man
whom he so admired and to whom he owed so much. Arnault saw there was nothing to be gained from
arguing the point, and he knew that Lamberton, as always, had Scotland's best interests at heart.
"What course is it, then, that you intend to pursue?" he asked.
"We must have a fresh candidate for the throne," Lamberton replied, "one who can do all that Balliol was
incapable of doing and who, unlike Wallace, can claim the kingship by right. There is only one such man.
Comyn yet has designs upon the throne, but he is tainted with an evil I can scarce contemplate without
feeling my flesh grow cold. He was the ruin of every effort at joint guardianship, and he will be the ruin of
Scotland, if he is given the chance."
"You speak of Bruce, then," Torquil said.
It was offered quietly, but something in his tone caught the bishop's attention.
"That is more than an intelligent guess on your part," he said.
Torquil's hand had drifted to the hilt of the sword Bruce had given him, and he looked to Arnault, who
nodded for him to continue.
"He is the senior Bruce heir, since his father's death two months ago," Torquil said.
"And?"
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Torquil exhaled slowly, not taking his eyes from the bishop's. "When I encountered Bruce some years
ago, on the very day of the battle of Falkirk, I had an intimation that he was destined to be king. Even
though it might have been only a trick of the light as I beheld him, the more I pondered it, the more it
seemed a true sign."
"I pray God that it was," Lamberton murmured.
"Even so," Torquil went on, "it makes me uneasy that Bruce submitted two years ago, and has served
Edward ever since."
"It won him a bride and the promise of future allies in Ireland," Lamberton said. "And in that, he has done
no more than the rest of us, for all that he did it sooner. Perhaps he merely saw, before we did, the futility
of continuing to fight for Balliol's lost cause."
"You think, then, that he has been biding his time, waiting for the right occasion to make his move?"
Arnault suggested.
"That is how I read his mind," said the bishop. "It was only a matter of time before his father died and the
way was cleared in that regard. In these past months, I have come to believe that if victory and freedom
are ever to be ours, then we need a fresh vision of the future. It is my hope that Bruce may be able to
provide that-and today I propose to put the question to the test."
He answered the Templar's questioning looks with an ironic smile. "I have invited him here today to meet
with me secretly, so that I can determine whether or not we have a solid foundation of hope for the
future."
"You intend to speak to him of the kingship, while he is yet in Edward's service?" Arnault asked, caution
in his tone.
"I myself am in Edward's service," Lamberton pointed out, with a droll arch of one eyebrow. "I would
have to look hard indeed to find more than a handful of men who are not.
What I seek is a remedy for that situation."
"Why have you asked us here?" Torquil asked.
"As you were quick to see, the situation is a delicate and difficult one," Lamberton admitted. "I judged it
best to have neutral but sympathetic witnesses on hand, to seal whatever arrangement I can reach with
Bruce. There is also the matter of the Stone of Destiny. While I place every trust in the word of Abbot
Henry, I have it only by his report that the stone Edward stole is, indeed, a mere substitute. You, on the
other hand, can confirm by your own witness that the true Stone is safely concealed, merely awaiting a
king to be crowned upon it and claim its ancient authority."
The two Templars exchanged measuring glances. With Balliol abandoned, Bruce was, indeed, the only
viable candidate-and a good one, if he could be persuaded to put Scotland's good before the mere
advancement of his powerful family. But though Bruce had been discussed and cautiously approved by le
Cercle, based on Torquil's insights, they had not expected Lamberton to endorse him quite so soon.
They had come here half expecting to discuss a plan to ensure the safety of the Stone, should Edward
truly become King of the Scots at last; but instead, the bishop was displaying a sense of imagination and
purpose that might yet rekindle the nation's fortunes.
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"It is a bold step you are taking," Arnault said at last. "And perhaps the time is past for too much caution.
I will confess to certain. experiences which foretell a future king who might answer your prayers. His [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]