Giles was staring at the floor as Luke ended.
‘The King!’ he kept muttering, as though to himself. ‘The King!—Well, he should be rich enough.’
‘Rich enough!’ laughed Luke. ‘Why, he could set your whole family up in comfort for life and pay your father’s debts ten times over and never know that he had opened his purse.’
They spent at least another hour with Luke—talking and working out plans. Giles feared that he would never be able to reach the King. While Luke stuck to it that it was the only thing to be done.
‘But it’s going to be no easy matter,’ said the lame boy. ‘And certain it is that you cannot trust the shell in other hands to be taken to the palace for you. For one thing it is too precious. It is the only one of its kind; and if it be lost or stolen your great chance to help your father’s fortunes will be gone. And for another, should news of such an unusual thing as a Whispering Shell get about the Court you would be questioned—made to tell where you got it. And then poor Agnes would get into more trouble about witchcraft—most likely she’d be charged by the Mayor or the Duke with trying to cast spells over His Majesty himself. No. You, and you alone, have got to put that shell into the King’s own hands.’
‘But why shouldn’t they arrest me for witchcraft?’ asked Giles.
‘Oh, pooh, pooh!’ said Anne. ‘Who ever heard of arresting a boy like you for witchcraft—with your freckles and snub nose? A fine witch!’
‘My nose doesn’t turn up nearly as much as yours does,’ said Giles. ‘Keep your remarks to yourself.’
‘She’s right, Giles,’ said the lame boy. ‘You’re safe on that score, I think. Your being so young is the best protection you could have. You stand a better chance of getting near the King than a grown person would. Your biggest danger lies in having your plans found out by others before you speak to His Majesty yourself. If you fail once you will not likely get a chance a second time.’
‘But what if His Majesty himself accuses me of sorcery? What if he refuses to listen to me, to have anything to do with me?’