Chapter Ten: In Which Dick's Mind Whirls and a stupid plan is made.
However, Robin's word wasn't quite enough to get them out of there. In fact, it didn't look (to John) like it was any help at all.
Little John did not want anyone to go into town the next market day, and neither did Will Scarlet. Both cited the fact that Derwynt had just got captured and he was much more wily than them. Friar Tuck had left the next day, leaving them with no backup except Hugh (not much good as he had almost gotten himself killed on his first trip back to town and Robin was a worry-wart about his relatives), Stutely (not enough with both other right-hand men against him) and a reluctant Robin, who took out his frustration on John, thereby making John even more frantic and careless. The rest of the men prudently stayed out of it, but did try to help John out on the sly. He just chose not to notice it, Nancy saw. Lady Marian wasn't due back for another visit for the next couple of weeks, during which, (again, on Derwynt's account) the camp seemed like it was going to stay on lockdown. Even Dick and Wes began to be annoyed by the poor fellow's name, as the other men would rag and complain about it to him. Seeing as (by common consent) Wes and Dick were the most oblivious of the lot, this meant it was getting bad.
John spent the next three days in a ferment of boiling emotions and sullen resentment, which took his mind away from his work. Nancy picked up as much of his slack as she could, but that didn't help with the frequent cuff and cross admonitions that he would receive for his moods. Dick got stuck on woodgathering duty with his mentors both gone (Allan was visiting his lady-love) and soon went back to the old blisters, bruises and bumps routine. There was only so much an increasingly irate Nancy could do to pick up after both of them, not blow off at someone (yes, thank you, I do listen—sometimes) and finish her own work.
Soon, (about the fourth day) Dick came to the conclusion (while gathering kindling sticks about half a mile from the camp) that John was about to explode and Nancy would follow. They had been sniping at each other all early morning and the men were getting cross with them. In the nature of things, therefore, and given their record, time was running out.
He paused in the middle of tying up his bundle to consider it further. The logical thing to do was to get them to Susan as quick as they could.
The knot slipped and the sticks tumbled about. He put his hand up to his chin and ignored the mess. If the proper and right channels did not work out, a stream always found another way, especially if it was increasing in pressure. The thing to do was to open a new, directed channel before it overflowed the banks, making a mess.
Suddenly, his brain started whirling as it had only a few times before, thoughts and trains of thoughts pouring into a great, complex series of deductions.
Hugh was on watch.
Robin was hunting deer with Will Scarlet.
Stutely was on their side.
He was in charge.
Little John was on the West Road, waiting for the bishop who was to arrive that night.
They all would be home late, or not at all until the wee hours of the morning.
The bishop meant a party at the Nottingham Castle.
That meant the market was open and busy.
The servant girls would be out and about.
Lady Marian's girls must come into town to get things that they needed.
This was a slow day in camp.
Most of the men were taking it easy.
They would want the lads out of their hair so they could talk about women and wine and so on.
Camp had enough wood for the night.
And water.
There wasn't going to be a formal dinner.
So chores were taken care of.
There were a few horses in camp that would always come back to the men.
Friar Tuck had shown him the short cut to the village, only ten miles away.
They could 'disappear' if Hugh and someone covered a bit for them and they went 'for a long walk' to 'talk sense into him'.
Why not?
Dick got to his feet, left the sticks, and pelted back to camp as if the Sheriff himself was on his tail.
Naturally, John was all for it at this point in time and after the barest bones of the plot were laid out to him, looked at the sky, said "It's only about half-past nine" and ran off, presumably packing a lunch. However, Nancy (surprisingly) kicked the grass and looked doubting.
"Were you going to tell the whole story to anyone?" she asked.
Dick fidgeted and drew out his words slowly. "Well, maybe Hugh and Stutely...and Allan and Friar Tuck if they were around...but it's not like they need to know for us to slip away during the day...and they could say no and start watching us..."
He brightened up. "And Nan and Bet are really old and no one cares if we ride them. Ken was just talking about how he wishes they would hurry up and die so he doesn't have to gather any more food for them. And they're already out for pasture in that one glen and I don't think anyone is watching those two...the others, yes, but not the mules!"
Nancy still didn't look entirely convinced, but John came hurrying over at that point, a bag and a bottle in his arms. "Look, I got the lunch and told Wes and Nathan that we were going on a picnic that was your idea, Dick and you were trying to cheer me up. I also said we didn't know how long we would be gone, and was that all right? Nathan said that it was fine, just don't get lost."
Dick looked hopefully at Nancy. She broke into her flashing grin. "Looks like we're set, then, don't it?" She grabbed her cloak off the wash line and clasped it on. Dick ducked into his sleeping tent and came out with his satchel. She threw his cloak at him and handed John his as she headed over to get her bow.
"We'd better start walking. It's a long way away," John said, swinging the lunch onto his shoulder and checking the pouch that never left his belt.
"Oh, but we're riding," Nancy answered cheekily, settling her quiver and handing a short blade to John. "Off we go!"
They headed out of the camp at a brisk walk. Martin and Tom looked lazily at them from the watch trees and Tom waved, but they had no problems leaving.
It was only a mile to the pasture and they made good time, the long hours of walks past serving them well. Kevin let them have old Nan and Bet, with halters, one old saddle and a few blankets. "Have a good time, lads. You need it, what with Captain Robin so cross and all, and nought of interest happening. These two will always bring you home," he slapped Nan's rump, "and there's nought in the good green wood that would harm you, except men."
John took all the bags and swung up onto the saddle. Nancy jumped up lightly onto the blankets on Bet's back, leaving Dick to scramble up behind.
"Thank you so much, Kevin!" she called as John guided Nan out of the glen.
"God's blessings go with you!" he called to her.
"And we will need them!" John muttered.