satisfaction with this good-neighbourliness, “that Ludel gavethe boy as ward into his hands, four years ago, should he himselfnot live to see his son grown to manhood. It seems he made allpossible provision for the future, as if he saw his own deathcoming towards him.” And he added, somewhat grimly: “Aswell most of us have no such clear sight, or there’d be somehundreds in Oxford now hurrying to buy Masses for their souls. Bythis time the king must hold the town. It would fall into his handsof itself once he was over the ford. But the castle could hold outto the year’s end, at a pinch, and there’s no cheap wayin there, it’s a matter of starving them out. And if Robertof Gloucester in Normandy has not had word of all this by now, thenhis intelligencers are less able than I gave them credit for. If heknows how his sister’s pressed, he’ll be on his wayhome in haste. I’ve known the besiegers become the besiegedbefore now, it could as well happen again.”

“It will take him some time to get back,” Cadfaelpointed out comfortably. “And by all accounts no betterprovided than when he went.”

The empress’s half-brother and best soldier had been sentoverseas, much against his inclination, to ask help for the ladyfrom her less than loving husband, but Count Geoffrey of Anjou wascredibly reported to be much more interested in his own ambitionsin Normandy than in his wife’s in England, and had beenastute enough to inveigle Earl Robert into helping him pick offcastle after castle in the duchy, instead of rushing to hiswife’s side to assist her to the crown of England. As earlyas June Robert had sailed from Wareham, against his own bestjudgement but at his sister’s urgent entreaty, andGeoffrey’s insistence, if he was to entertain any ambassadorfrom her at all. And here was September ended, Wareham back in KingStephen’s hands, and Robert still detained inGeoffrey’s thankless service in Normandy. No, it would not beany quick or easy matter for him to come to his sister’srescue. The iron grip of siege tightened steadily round Oxfordcastle, and for once Stephen showed no sign of abandoning hispurpose. Never yet had he come so close to making his cousin andrival his prisoner, and forcing her acceptance of hissovereignty.