"Is the king really dead?"

Much's question first caused Robin's eyes to brim over again, but then, incredibly, gave him hope. Releasing Much from their brotherly embrace, Robin looked himself again, radiant and energetic, and filled with hope.

"It isn't true," he told Marian triumphantly, clasping her happily against him in a joyful embrace. "We've been here before, Much. Remember?"

"Here?" Much asked vacantly. "I don't understand! We've never been prisoners in the Tower before! Guests, in the palace portion, yes, but... Well, you were a guest. I was your servant. But prisoners? Though to be more exact, I'm not actually a prisoner. The Queen Mother allowed me to be snuck in here, to help rescue you. So, do you have a plan to be rescued? Half a plan?"

Marian's head was swimming. "You're saying the king's alive?" she asked her husband.

"No!" Gisbourne shouted. "You delude yourself, Hood. I did not fail to kill him, a third time!"

"So it was you," Robin said, dropping Marian's hands and turning savagely around to face Gisbourne. "You shot the arrow that wounded him, then allowed a boy to take the blame! If Richard wasn't so merciful, Pierre would have hung!"

"What?" Gisbourne asked, sneering at Marian. "Disappointed I'm not a 'good man'?"

"Your plan failed, Gisbourne," Robin said, triumphantly smug, "or was it Isabella's? You aren't clever enough." Turning to face Marian again, he continued excitedly. "The king isn't dead. Prince John is staging his death, to have himself crowned and steal the throne. He did it before, Much, remember? The time he had a wax dummy made and we stole the crown first, and stopped his coronation!"

"I remember that!" Much exclaimed. "You and Kate and I had to hide in coffins, with dead people, just after we discovered the king's body was wax! Ugh!" Much shivered. "I hate dead people!"

"What are you talking about?" Marian asked. "More to the point, why do you think King Richard's alive? Guy admits to shooting him, with Isabella's poisoned arrow."

"I'd feel it if he were dead," Robin answered.

"It's true," Much confirmed. "He felt it before."

"Ooh!" Marian groaned in exasperation. She wanted to believe Robin, but it made no sense. "You didn't feel I was alive, when you thought me dead," she reminded him. "Surely I mean as much to you as your king. Or do I?"

"Of course you do! Marian! Do you know what this means? We need a really good plan to get out of here, steal the crown, and prevent Prince John's coronation! Good thing we're in the same building the Crown Jewels are stored! That makes it easy!"

"Easy?" Much gasped. "Didn't you tell me before, the chest containing the crown was guarded by all kinds of shooting arrows and falling stones, like the sheriff's storeroom?"

"Yes."

"And the chest itself was filled with deadly stinging scorpions, from the Holy Land?"

Grinning, Robin nodded his head.

"So," Much concluded, with good natured sarcasm,"Simple then."

Robin laughed, clapping his hand over his friend's shoulder. "You say you're not a prisoner?" he asked, trying to clarify his plan.

"Not yet, anyway. But after helping you try to steal the crown...if I'm not shot by an arrow or fall to my death, or stung by a poxy, poxy scorpion..."

"We'll be fine! Trust me!" Robin spun around to face Gisbourne, his exuberant mood turning vicious. "All of us, but you. You're no longer a part of my plan. Enjoy the cot, Gisbourne, while you can. The next place you'll be sleeping, is in one of those coffins my friend here mentioned."

"While your spirit burns in Hell!" Much added.

"Better say your prayers, Gisbourne," Robin gloated.

"Stop it!" Marian exclaimed. "Robin! You're not making any sense! I want to believe the king's alive as much as you do, but I don't believe it's true. We know Guy shot him-"

"In his shoulder."

"Will you let me finish? We know Isabella poisoned the arrow-"

"Do we?"

"We can guess she did, by her behavior along the journey here. She didn't try to escape, and she made numerous veiled threats about you receiving 'justice,' not her. Guy! Was the arrow you shot poisoned?"

Guy's steely blue grey eyes looked desperately into Marian's sapphire ones. The sound of his name on her lovely lips was almost too much for him. "Why did you reject me?" he cried out at last. "You can't love him! You can't!"

"Ooh!" Marian groaned again. She felt herself to be the only clear thinking person here, wondering whether the fumes from the foul smelling River Thames below had poisoned their minds.

"Robin," she began again, trying to appeal to his good sense.

Robin, taking both her hands in his, looked deeply into her eyes. "I have to believe, Marian," he told her. "I know it seems unlikely, but I have to. Until it's proved otherwise, I have to believe King Richard's alive!"

"Saladin's armies couldn't kill him," Much reminded them. "I doubt Gisbourne could."

"You see?" Robin grinned. "That's why I love you." He gave Much a series of playful mock punches. "Now," he told Much and Marian, "Here's the plan..."

"Not so fast, Hood," Gisbourne sneered. "Only one us leaves here with Marian today, while the other lies dead. You and me, in hand-to-hand battle, to the death."

"Really?" Robin asked. "You don't know how much pleasure it'll give me, Gisbourne, to take your life."

"Robin, no!" Marian cried, but the two men had already begun their fight.