THE STROLLING PLAYERS by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2008 written on June 3, 1992 translated by the author English text kindly revised by The Australian
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE STROLLING PLAYERS" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
CHAPTER 8 - Butchers, manure and friar's cowls
It was one year since Vance was prisoner in the tower and three for Lionel. Lord Mountbatten was going on sending each week his servant Delsey to give Vance some money. On the contrary, Lionel was receiving nothing more. Vance decided to share his money with Lionel and only after much insistence the Irish boy accepted.
"Either they have forgotten me or they re no more able to send me money. I don't really think that my brothers forgot me... I'm rather afraid that something bad happened to them. Stewart wasn't able to get any information. I'm worried..."
Vance tried to bolster his friend's morale and, to help him not to think too much to that problem, he started to play for him some parts of the comedies in his repertoire.
Day passed, then weeks.
An afternoon, while Lionel was playing chess with Vance, Stewart came back from his usual purchases tour. As soon as he was in his chamber, he knocked at the door of the internal room where the two youths were.
"Milord... milord..." he started to say then shifting to Irish he started to talk quickly and in a low voice. Vance noticed the excited tone of the servant and the attentive expression of his friend, but he couldn't understand one single word. He heard Lionel asking some short questions then nod. When he dismissed his servant, who went in the other room, Lionel went near Vance, looked him with a smile, bent towards him and with a barely perceptible voice whispered.
"Don't say anything but... we soon will be free."
Vance looked at him knitting his eyebrows.
Lionel again leaned towards his ear and whispered, "No, they didn't forget me, on the contrary... they are finding the way to take us away from here. And even soon, I think. We will flee to Ireland. You will come with me, won't you?"
Vance looked again at him, then approaching his mouth to his friend's ear, whispered, "How can they make you go out of here? How will it be possible?"
"They are organizing something, I don't yet know the details. But you didn't answer me - will you come?"
"Of course. But... will your family risk for one more? Moreover for an Englishman like I am?"
"This is the condition I will make. I don't want, I cannot leave you here."
"The castle is very well watched over. Even if we were able to leave this keep, there are two big walls and three gates to pass through... and soldiers everywhere... You too know it very well."
"I would not be the first to escape from the Tower of London. The Irish have some friend at court, and not all the Englishmen are happy with the child king. At the right moment we will know how everything will work, don't worry. Aren't you happy to flee from here, and with me?"
"Of course I am. I am possibly afraid to dream a too beautiful dream. Anyway we cannot but wait."
They didn't have to wait too long. Little by little Stewart was telling them news and new information. Lionel had informed his family, through Stewart, that they had to prepare the flight for two people and not for just one. The servant tried to persuade Lionel to think only for himself, but the young man was adamant. His brothers made him know that the plan was becoming somewhat more complicated but not impossible - they would just need some more time. The two friends were living days of feverish waiting.
Finally the plan started to take shape. The day of their flight was decided - September 9, in occasion of the eve of a great feast that had to be held at the Court. There would be an intense bustle of carts for the feast organization. The keep warden had been paid dearly to leave the stairway door open. The soldiers on duty would be distracted putting fire to the wooden house adjoined to the keep. A butcher cart, with a double bottom, would wait for them near the keep's door. They had to slip inside the double bottom and the cart would then stop again to unload the meat at the kitchens. Then the cart would leave the castle undergoing the usual inspection check. Also the chief inspector at the door had been well paid in order he didn't made his men to carry a too accurate inspection.
Once the cart leaved the castle walls, they would be brought to a safe hiding place and from there their flight that would lead them to Ireland would be organized. The plan seemed well devised, as the usual cells inspection would be carried just before their flight that is at dusk. Therefore there was a full day before the following inspection.
A few days were missing for September 9 and the two young men had difficulty to behave as usual with the other prisoners. The 8 evening the warden went to Vance's cell.
He whispered him, "Tomorrow evening, when the inspection is ending, I will see the fire and give the alarm. Be ready. When we will run downstairs, as soon as I see the way for you is clear, I will tell you to go then I will lock the door with my key. May God help you. I do just my part, the rest... it's up to you."
"What do you risk, helping us?"
"Nothing. I will discover your flight the day after. And I have anyway good protections at the high levels."
"Will Stewart have consequences?"
"No, he will leave in the morning for his usual purchases, before I discover your flight, and he simply will not come back. Goodbye."
"Thank you."
"I will be thanked with enough gold, don't doubt it."
Vance went upstairs to Lionel and told him the conversation he had had with the warden.
His friend nodded then drew Vance to him, "Let's make love, now. We don't know when we will be able to do it again, in the next days... Tomorrow evening at this time we will probably be out of here, do you think of it?"
They made love with a passion made sharper by the excitation for their impending flight. Then Vance went back to his cell. That night he was quite not able to close eye. The day after passed in an incredibly slow way. Finally the usual evening inspection came. The soldiers carefully searched all the rooms. Checked the windows gratings, first at the upper floor than at the lower one. They were ending the cells tour at the lower level when the warden, who was with them, went to a window.
He at once started to yell, "Fire, fire!"
It was already visible the fire redden out of the window, coming from the wooden house adjoined to the keep. Vance saw that it was the warden's house that was in fire. The boy thought that he put it in fire also to prove himself innocent. He saw the soldiers go downstairs headlong, followed by the warden. Lionel went downstairs and joined Vance who was already waiting for him near the stairway door. He was trembling. Both were looking at the door set ajar trying to hold back the temptation to throw themselves down the stairway. They had the impression that the warden was never coming up again. Could he have changed his mind? And yet the little door had not been locked...
Finally the warden appeared at the door and signalled them to go. The two lovers went to the narrow stairway dashing downstairs and they heard the door at their back locked by the key. The soldiers' hall at the first floor was desert and the door leading outside open. They could see the fire redden the air. Lionel glided near the door and signalled Vance to stay back. Peeped out, then signalled his friend to follow him and ran to the right. A big wooden cart with two stocky draught horses was standing there and a man, as he saw the two youths quickly come out of the keep, opened a side of the cart pointing to the internal hiding-place. Lionel quickly slipped in it followed by Vance. There was barely the space to lay down flat and very close to each other.
The man just said, "Keep silent, whatever happens." and closed the cart side.
Quite immediately the cart moved. The two friends were in a total darkness. In that narrow hiding-place the smell of just butchered meat that the cart was transporting was very intense. After a while the cart stopped. Voices. They understood that the meat was being unloaded - they should be near the kitchens door.
Vance could feel Lionel's body against his own - both were trembling. He searched for Lionel's hand and squeezed it. His lover returned the squeeze. After a time that seemed them endless, the cart started to move again. It stopped at the first gate. He moved again and soon after stopped once more. More voices - it had to be the inspection. They heard bangs to the cart, possibly given with a sword hilt. The two youths in the dark hiding-place squeezed again their hand. Again voices. They weren't able to distinguish the words, but the tone seemed normal. Passed the second gate, the cart moved again. Another stop some more voices, and the cart started almost immediately - they were finally leaving the castle!
The cart passed jolting on the drawbridge and went on the road, always jolting. The wheels were creaking. At times they had the feeling that the cart was changing its direction. Vance was starting to feel aching in that uncomfortable position, but there was no room to move, to change his position. He would have liked to say something to Lionel, now that they were outside the castle, but remembered the man's order and kept silent, contenting himself to squeeze again his friend's hand.
The cart was going on in its slow and shaking march. Once in a while they could hear the man's voice spurting his horses on with appropriate cry. The cart stopped, them moved for a short space, and stopped again. The cart side was opened.
The man said, "Quick, out, we have no time to lose."
The two youths slipped out and stretched, feeling numb. The man guided them through a courtyard to a room, then in an almost dark corridor. They crossed another courtyard, entered a long underground passage made in a zigzag. They surfaced in another courtyard. Here the man knocked to a door in a special signal. After a short time the door opened and on it appeared a man with a lantern.
"Here is your load. Give me the settled price, now."
The man handed the butcher a purse of coins and made sign to the two boys to go in, "Follow me, they are waiting for you."
He guided them through a maze of bare rooms and dark corridors lighted just by his lantern, to something alike a wide storeroom. There, around a meagre fire, were sitting four men. One of them, as he saw the two youths, said something in Irish and Lionel answered.
Then turned toward Vance, "They are my brothers' men. A boat is ready for us."
"Will it take us to your land?"
"No, in the opposite direction, but we can so get out of London without too many problems."
Lionel talked again with the men in his language then explained to Vance, "We will be hidden under a manure load. We will go downstream the Thames and so leave London. We have to pass a control post but without problems - up to now they have never been stopped. Other of our men will be waiting for us at Grays Turrock. There we will wash and disguise ourselves and with horses we will go around the north of London, will cross England and reach Wales. There a ship will be waiting for us and take us to Ireland. It will be a long trip, but we will travel only in day time, at the sun-light."
"Will not it be too risky, in day-time?"
"No, on the contrary. Our disguise will protect us."
"How will be disguised?"
"As humble grey friars. We will escort Cork's bisop who is going back to his seat from Canterbury."
"Also the bishop is in this plot?"
"No, he knows nothing. But Basildon's prior helps us. He will introduce us to the bishop as two of his novices."
"I never played the part of a friar. I'm not able to say Mass and don't know any Latin..."
"I too don't know it. But we are young enough to be two novices who just joined the convent, therefore at our first steps. They will cut our hair and make us the tonsure."
"Oh my god, my beautiful hair!" Vance exclaimed.
Lionel laughed, "I presume that your freedom is much more precious than your beautiful hair, don't you think?"
"Of course. When will we leave?"
"Now. They are preparing the boat. Here we are on the Thames banks. The manure transport is always done in night time."
"First under carcasses of quartered animals, and now under the manure... When we will arrive we will smell like decomposing corpses."
"Never mind. Oh, come, they are making us sign."
They got on the manure boat. In the middle of a layer of malodorous manure was half a barrel lined with straw. The two youths were made lay inside then were covered by two wide wooden plates. A pipe was inserted so that they could breath, and everything was covered with a tall pile of manure. The two boys, buried under there, were lying half embraced. From the pipe came a voice asking something. Lionel answered.
"What was he saying?" Vance asked in a whisper.
"He asked how we are. I said we are fine."
"What a liar! Don't you smell this stench?"
"Yes, but I can also feel your body against mine, therefore I'm fine."
Their hideout started to rock. Lionel sighed and said, "We are leaving..."
They could hear coming through the pipe the oars swashing in the water. Gently rocking, the boat silently glided in the night, running along the banks.
When they got near the checkpoint, a man from the boat yelled, "Brogan, with the manure load!"
From the bank a voice yelled in answer, "We are lowering the chain. Go away fast, you are tainting the air. A filthy work, yours, Brogan!"
"It's useless you repeat that each time, I know it very well!" the man answered and the boat started to rock again, following the lazy river's current.
After a while a voice came again from the pipe. Lionel translated, "He says we are out of London. All went smoothly, up to now."
Vance sighed, then murmured, "I'm still scared..."
"I too am... our journey did just start."
After a time that seemed them very long, the usual voice talked again in the pipe.
"He says we are arrived and that soon we will be freed from here. Courage, Vance. Another step to freedom."
"Will we ever get rid of this stink?"
"I hope so..."
Finally the plates covering them were pulled away and solicitous hands helped them to get out of their hideout. They walked on the manure layer and landed. Another man with a lantern was waiting for them. They followed him. Through a path they reached a small door on a tall boundary wall. They entered a garden. The man told them to wait and went to knock to another door. Another man went out. They confabulated then the newcomer went near the two boys.
In English, he said, "Take out all you are wearing and follow me. I've already prepared a tub with hot water and also a piece of soap. I will later burn your clothes."
The two boys quickly undressed, entered in a room lightened by some candles and sank together in the wide wooden tub filled with steaming water. They started to vigorously brush each other to take away from them the dirty and the bad smell. The man was looking at them, sitting on a stool, his lantern on the near table. When the two boys finished to rinse, the man stood up and gave them a wide piece of cloth.
"Dry yourselves with this, then one at a time sit here, so I can cut your hair and shave your tonsure. If you feel hungry, there you have some roasted pork and some beer. Help yourselves."
Vance sat the first on the stool. He saw big lock of his hair fall around him. He looked at Lionel who was eating and smiled him, shrugging his shoulders. The man was working fast but skilfully - it was evident he was an expert of the trade. Then it was Lionel turn.
Vance passed a hand on his head and said, "Half a friar is done. With the cowl I will be a complete friar. How am I, Lionel?"
"Fine, Vance, fine..."
The man, going on to cut Lionel's hair, asked, "Didn't they prevent you not to use your real names?"
"No, but it's right. Which names do we have to use?"
"You, who will pass for an Irish novice, will be friar Patrick, and you instead, the English novice, friar George. The saint patrons of Ireland and of England. Easy."
"Isn't it too easy?"
"No. As much easy, so much believable. As soon as I'm over with you, I'll give you the cowls then I'll take you to the convent. The prior is waiting for you and will explain you the essential things. Tomorrow more or less at lunch time bishop Thomas O'Leary will come back from his visit to England's primate. You will be of his retinue until you reach Ireland. Well, that's done. Follow me, now."
Still naked, they followed the man. A few steps farther on a bench were ready the two cowls. The man first made them wear short and wide hemp breeches and a kind of sleeveless cot of the same hemp, then made them wear the cowls. He taught them how to tie the cord, how to hang on it the wooden grains rosary, and gave each of them a shoulder hemp bag.
"Keep the hood on your heads - friars take down their hood only when they are in the convent. Good, you're perfect. Now follow me, I'll lead you to the convent."
They leaved from another door. On the road were three asses. They rode them and followed the man. When they reached the convent, in the outskirts of Basildon, it was already the dawn. The man pulled the doorbell rope. Almost immediately a friar came to open the door.
"Here are the two novices that his Reverence, was waiting." the man said.
The friar signalled hem to follow him. The man tied he three asses to an iron ring on the wall and all three followed the friar.
"I'll go to call the prior, now. Wait here."
The prior came soon after. Made a greeting gesture to the man then, in silence, made sign to the two boys to follow him. He lead them through a cloister, then up a stairway to a cell.
"Welcome. Who of you is friar Patrick? Good, so you are friar George. The bishop will be here tomorrow. He will have his lunch, the I will introduce you to him, together with the two real novices. You will probably leave that same afternoon. When at the Tower they will discover your flight, you will already by on journey with his Excellence the Bishop. Remember some basic rules - never drink alcohol, never eat meat. Talk only if you are questioned and say as little as you can - you are under the silence vow. During the prayers imitate in all and for all the two true novices. Remember that none knows you are not real novices. Is it clear?" and he went on so, giving him instructions and asking the two boys to repeat them from time to time, to be sure the two boys had correctly understood.
He then asked Vance, "Are you able to read?"
"Not the Latin, end not either the Irish."
"It's enough if you read English. I will give you a little book with the lives of the saints. Read them during your stops, do nothing else. Now you have to rest for a while, I think you need it. I'll take you to your cells."
"Aren't we going to sleep in the same cell?" Vance asked.
"Each friar has his own cell. Why?"
"We would like to talk between us. All has been so fast..."
"No, it's better you get used to the silence vow, and you start at once to behave like the other friars. If you need to talk, I will leave for a while alone here, while I go to check that your cells are ready. Just a few minutes."
As soon as the prior went out, Vance said to Lionel, "Who knows when will we be able to make again love, you and I? Earlier, while we were washing, if that man was not there looking at us, I would have made love with you."
"I was aware. But I really don't think that two friars are allowed to make love - they have also he chastity vow."
"But we aren't real friars. And I met a bishop who had sex with an actor of our company."
"Be patient, my love. It will be a burden for me too, you know it. But our freedom is worth some sacrifice, don't you think? Let's try to behave like real friars, now."
"You can be right. Prayer and work, they say, don't they?
The prior was back, "Ora et labora, that is pray and work, is the motto of Benedictine monks not our. We are Black Friars, that is of Saint Francis Order and our motto is pax et bonum, that is peace and all good be with you, and you will greet with these words. Now follow me, your cells are ready."
As soon as Vance was in his cell, he threw himself on the bed and immediately fell in a deep sleep, even though it was morning. He was waken up later by a young friar who, after he knocked at the door, went in.
"Peace and good, friar George."
"What? Ah, er... peace and good, brother."
"Soon the lunch bell will ring. Father the prior charged me to come and wake you up."
"You are one of the novices who will come to escort the Bishop?"
"Yes, I'm friar Timothy."
"It's a long time you are in the convent?"
"For two months. You just joined our order, I've heard."
"Yes, but... tell me, don't we have the silence vow?"
The young friar smiled, lowered his eyes, and said, "Nobody can hear us now, and I'm not yet used to it. I was the stable boy of a Lord..."
"Why did you decide to become a friar?"
"I lost my job... Here at least I have food, a shelter, a quiet life..."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Ah, one less than me."
"What were you doing, before?"
"Several jobs..."
"And you, why did you chose this life?"
"To get peace and freedom."
"Why did you sleep in your cowl?"
"I was so tired that I didn't even realise I was falling asleep."
"Are you happy to be moved to Ireland?"
"Yes. And you?"
"So-so. I was fine here, I got some friends. Possibly this is the reason why they are moving me."
"Is it forbidden having friends?"
"It seems so. They don't tell you clearly, but it seems they do their best to discourage them. So they will part me from friar Adrian."
"Is he your friend?"
"Yes, he was him to console me when I was feeling too lonely and sad."
Vance thought he would have liked to be him to console that boy with so lively eyes, whose cowl hid his shapes but who had to be not bad at all.
He then asked, "Do we have to go at once to the refectory or do we have some more time?"
"In a while the bell will ring. I will take you to the refectory. Up to then, we cha chat some more, without problems."
"Sit here, then, near me."
The novice sat on he bed edge. Vance, with a casual gesture, put a hand on the novice's thigh.
"Friar Timothy, we can become friends, you and I..."
"I'd like."
"We have just to be careful that friar Patrick and the other novice don't be aware. What's the other novice name? How is he?"
"Friar Dennis? He is twenty-three. He is here for already four years. He is very faithful to the order's rule, he is a cultivated and ascetic friar. He is neither likeable nor unpleasant. You on the contrary seem likeable."
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 9
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