So yes, I managed another update. I have discovered that Maths lectures are a good playground for my non-existent muse.

As always, have fun reading…

Chapter 19

"Well. That's charming."

Sam's voice broke the silence in the room and Jack glanced at her momentarily, smiling at her sarcasm. The large room was almost filled with a huge bed, the curtains on which were open. Between the red sheets, there were clearly two bodies – a very surprised young girl, and an even more surprised Sheriff.

"Robin!" Announced the Sheriff, for lack of anything else to say. He was getting more than slightly fed up with this outlaw.

"Get out." He hissed to the young girl, who whimpered and pulled a sheet around herself, standing up cautiously.

"Well well well." Jack said; coming to stand in front of the bed, tapping his gun in what he hoped was an imposing manner. "We have been busy. You got over Marian pretty quickly, I must say."

The Sheriff stood up from his bed stiffly, a sheet wrapped tightly around him. "It's none of your business what I get up to, outlaw."

Jack inclined his head slightly in agreement and twitched his weapon slightly. "Back on the bed Sheriff, we have some things to discuss first."

Having taken up posts around the room, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c watched as the Sheriff glared and stole a look around the room, before returning his eyes to Jack.

"Could I at least put a gown on first – or is it true what the rumours say about you men in the forest?"

Jack appeared amiable, but Daniel saw his hand tighten slightly on the weapon. "You can get dressed. Slowly."

The Sheriff stalked to an inelegant dressing table and pulled a dressing gown off the back of the chair in front of it. He quickly covered himself and removed the sheet wrapped around his waist.

"Care for a drink?"

"Back on the bed. We need to discuss Politics I'm afraid. A rather boring subject I always thought."

Daniel shared a look with Teal'c and Sam and smiled. Jack's diplomatic skills might not be up to much, but his humour sometimes made up for it. Not that Daniel would ever admit that meetings were occasionally a little tedious.

As Jack started to 'chat' with the Sheriff, Sam's eyes drifted around the room. Though she stayed alert as she was trained to do, she tuned out of the proceedings and studied the surroundings. So this was where she would have ended up if it wasn't for Teal'c and the men of the forest. Personally, she thought the room was rather distasteful, but then she was used to military décor, and the abundance of red and gold decorations seemed too garish for a bedroom. Royal colours, she thought with a smirk. If ever there was a man with a power complex… Teal'c acknowledged that the room was secure and her eyes drifted over to the window at the view.

Daniel looked over at Teal'c and watched as his eyes swept the room for signs of weapons. Teal'c nodded as their eyes met and cleared his throat.
"We are safe in here O'Neill."

"Thanks T. So, Sheriff, as I was saying…"

Daniel glanced across at Sam and saw her gazing out the window. Leaving his position near the back wall he came to stand beside her and nudged her gently.

"Will seems to be rallying the villagers below." She said in a low voice, gesturing slightly to the view out the window.

"Bit foolhardy, doing it right in front of the castle."

"Presumably the other men are keeping the guards busy."

Daniel nodded. "You ok?"

Sam took her gaze off the scene below. "Yep. You?"

Daniel grinned. "Good. I'm good. Can't wait to get home though."

Sam smiled and nodded. "Same. Doesn't look like it will be any time soon though, Colonel?"

Jack looked up and across the room to where his 2IC stood looking out the window.

"Carter?"

"The plan seems to have gone wrong in the market place."

"What?" Jack glanced back at the Sheriff, "Don't move. Teal'c, if he as much as smiles, shoot him somewhere." Jack went over to the nearest window and looked at the scene below.

"The plan seems to have been flawed at a very elementary level." He remarked. He should've known this wouldn't be an easy task. "Why aren't the villagers fighting Daniel? You said they would want to."

"I don't know Jack," Daniel replied slowly, watching the villagers moving away from Will.

Jack spun round and looked at the Sheriff. "Perhaps the Sheriff has a speech to make to the public?"

"You can't make me say anything." The Sheriff spat back, half standing before realising Teal'c had a weapon trained on him, andsitting down again.

"No, I'm sure we can't. Come on, off we go." Jack turned away from the window and gestured with his gun at the Sheriff.

"I'll never talk."

"That's what they all say. On your feet. Now."

The Sheriff got up reluctantly and was escorted out of the room by the team, and down the corridors.

Prodded onto the scaffolding from the day before, the Sheriff turned to the scene in front of him and cleared his throat.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want their attention." Jack smirked at the Sheriff and received a glare.

"I don't."

"Good people of Nott'am," Daniel began, shouting loudly, his voice carrying across the market place. A few villagers turned around to see who was yelling from the top of a stage. Silence spread over the square as realisation kicked in.

"Good people of Nott'am, why do you not fight against the Sheriff?"

The villagers shifted uneasily on their feet, sharing glances with each other. Daniel looked around at the people and climbed down from the stage. He approached a harassed looking man and smiled.

"Why do you not fight against the Sheriff?" He asked politely.

The man shifted uncomfortably under Daniel's smile and then cleared his throat. "We cannot fight against the Sheriff or we would incur the wrath of King Richard. It is not for us to question the King's motive." The old man looked at the floor.

Daniel turned to look back onto the stage at Jack and the Sheriff.

"The Sheriff isn't working for the King." Jack stated loudly, addressing the villagers. "Everything he has done, he has done for his own greed and power."

"How do you know I haven't been working for the King?"

Jack turned around at the voice and glared at the Sheriff. "Perhaps you should remember who is holding the weapon here."

"How does he know I'm not working for the King?" The Sheriff said loudly again, looking to the villagers.

"Because you're not!" Jack replied hotly.

Daniel climbed back up onto the stage and turned to the villagers. He looked at them for a while, waiting for the murmurs to die down. They seemed to be watching more out of bemused interest than because they actually cared about what was going on in Nott'am castle.

"The Sheriff is not working for the King. King Richard is not receiving any of the tax that you are paying, nor would he condone the Sheriff's behaviour towards any of you."

Jack nodded at Daniel. "Exactly. Wouldn't condone it. Any of it."

The Sheriff looked at the public and raised his hands. "People of Nott'am. These outlaws are deceiving you with their lies. Yes, I have raised your taxes; but I have had to do that because of people like Robin here. Good citizens, is it fair that you must pay more because a select few believe they are above the law?"

The villagers started murmuring again and Sheriff turned to Jack and Daniel smugly.

"Enough." Teal'c's voice silenced the villagers and the Sheriff's smirk reduced visibly.