Episode 09
The Sheriff was at his counting room desk early in the morning, checking over accounts, when the Dungeon Master appeared.
“Begging your pardon, m’Lord …”
“Yes, man! What is it? Out with it. As you can see I’m quite busy.”
“I regret, m’Lord, that I come bearing two bits of unpleasant news.”
“Oh, alright. Better tell me. Out with it!”
“Yes, well … um … the first concerns the outcome of the raid launched, at dawn’s first light this morning, on the intelligence gleaned from the prisoner known as Maid Marion … suggesting that the remainder of Robin Hood’s band might be found in the vicinity of Sherwood Forest’s ‘Great Oak’.”
“And …. ?”
“A total disaster, M’Lord. They was laying in wait for our men … a perfect ambush … nearly all our men lost or captured … only one or two escaped with their lives.”
“Zounds! What treachery lies behind this! If Maid Marion has deceived us she shall pay dearly for it!”
“Quite. She’s already sentenced by your order to be publicly hanged, along with the outlaw, Robin Hood, and your … uh …. dishonored wife.”
“Yes, quite right. They shall swing together on the market square this very afternoon as I have ordered!”
“Well, not quite, m’Lord. That’s where the second bit of bad news comes in. You may remember that, in the absence of the Town Executioner, we’d decided to employ instead a certain T.H. Tree of Lincoln to oversee the executions. Unfortunately, we’ve learned this morning that he’s not available until tomorrow. So, unavoidably, we must wait another day before we can go ahead with the public hangings.”
“And why is this T. H. Tree not available?”
“Seems Tree tied one on after arriving here from Lincoln late last night, and is reportedly too stinking drunk to get out of bed this morning. As a consequence we’ve regrettably little choice but to reschedule the executions to take place on the morrow rather than today.”
“I see. Alright then, so be it. Put a guard on Tree this evening so he doesn’t do it again!”
“Yes, m’Lord. That would be wise.”
“And what of the prisoners? Certainly Maid Marion should be made to suffer for her deceit!”
“I quite agree, m’Lord. And we might as well do likewise to your wife while we are at it? I believe placing them together astride the wooden horse would be quite appropriate.”
“Yes, good man. Do see to it immediately! When I’m finished here I shall come down to the dungeon to see how you’re getting on with it.
**********
“Well done, men! Very well done, indeed!” exalted Little John as he strode amongst the dead bodies of more than a dozen of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s finest. “I do believe this avenges the losses they inflicted on our merry band at Nottingham’s Chapel Bar Gate!”
Raising their weaponry high, the band responded with three huzzahs, followed by some serious drinking.
“But, our duty is not over yet,” remarked Alan-a-lad, a short time later, as the band lounged about on a nearby forest meadow.
“Alan’s right!” agreed Little John. “We must still mount an attempt to free Robin before the Sheriff stages a public execution.”
“And we have some time to plan that,” announced Friar Tuck, sporting a knowing smile on his jowly face. “I hear that some good friends of ours, over at ‘Ye Wild Boar” on the edge of Nottingham town, have helped us out. “Seems they plied the Sheriff’s newly arrived Master Executioner, a certain T.H. Tree of Lincoln town, with more than enough drink last night to lay him low until at least tomorrow!”
TBC
