Chapter 16
The Friends with you in the Dark Times
Robin came to with his head inside the fountain in Jerusalem's old city. As Much and James pulled his head from the water he sucked in great lung filling gasps of air. What were they doing trying to drown him? As Robin tried to speak, Much shoved his head back into the fountain. Once again he pulled Robin face back into the air.
Robin spluttered. Much moved to shove his face back into the fountain. "Much! Stop! I'm awake there is no need to drown me!" Robin managed to gasp out. Much and James shoved his face back into the fountain and Robin thrashed. The men were strong and their arms held him solidly in the water. The water began to turn black before Robin's eyes.
In the next moment he was again gasping for air, sitting on the ground next to the fountain. "I told you I was awake why did you dunk me again? Are you trying to drown me now Much?"
"Yes, Master. I am trying to drown you. Every time I think about it the idea seems better and better. I could strangle you, stab you, behead you or beat you to death. Yet, somehow I like the irony of drowning you in this god forsaken pit of a city in the middle of the Arabian desert!" Much screamed.
Robin held his head. What on Earth was Much carrying on about? The last thing he remembered was sitting in the bar with Much and James trying to get drunk on that horribly noxious wine as quickly as possible. Now his head felt like it had been split in two, his tongue felt like he had been eating sand, he was wet and Much was screaming about all the different ways to kill him. To make it worse James wasn't even helping him; he just sat on the side of the fountain and watched the men argue. "Why do you want to kill me Much?" Robin screamed back. 'Oh bad idea,' Robin thought as the words reverberated through his own head.
"What you did to Noor, Master! Why should I say Master to you? You are no longer my Master! I refuse to serve a dog like you!" Much screamed.
Robin placed one hand to his head and another in front of him. "Much what are you talking about? Noor betrayed me Much. Why am I the bad guy here?"
"She didn't betray you, you stupid inbred noble git! We were mistaken; the King spent the night with Nadira. But you refused to listen when Noor told you; instead you struck her, she has cursed you for all time and we drug you out here to sober you up before you did anything more stupid! That would be why you are the bad guy, Master! Now hold still so I can start drowning you again!"
"Much, calm down." James broke in. "Robin was very drunk, very angry and had no idea what he was doing. Am I right?"
Robin nodded miserably. Had he really done all that Much said? James wasn't defending him so it must be true. What had possessed him?
"Now, Much, take Robin's canteen and fill it. Mix in the medicine Noor gave you for him. If she's giving him something to help she must have already forgiven him. Therefore you must as well." James explained calmly.
Robin looked between the two men trying to make sense of what they were saying. Brief snatches of the night were coming back to him. He remembered the bar and then strangely he remembered flashes of battles, widows, orphans and the people of Locksley suffering. The only thing he remembered that had anything to do with Noor was an odd vision of her standing before him holding a small child. The night made no sense and James suggestion seemed strange as well.
"Let me get this straight before we do anything. First King Richard tried to seduce the woman I love. We thought that we saw her betray me and it was a case of mistaken identity. Then you took me to the vilest tavern in the old city and tried to poison me with some strange Eastern alcohol that had a snake in it. Somehow I survived that and ended up at the Palace where I confronted Noor. At some point I hit her and you have drug me to this well to sober me up. Do I have it correct up until this point?"
Much and James nodded silently.
"Now, Noor has cursed me for all time, Much wants to drown me and Noor has given you a poison to kill me? Where I'm confused is that if you want to drown me Much why are you going along with poisoning me?" Looking at James, Robin asked "and what's your position in all of this?"
James sighed deeply. This was not the night he needed. James missed his camp bed and the fleas and the dirt; James missed anything that was not right here right now. "No, Robin. Well yes and no. Noor has cursed you. I believe Much may have calmed now but yes originally he intended to drown you. As far as Noor's medicine I believe that is a hangover cure and not a poison. Which means there may be the chance for her to forgive you but I doubt it. Now shut up and let us mix this in your canteen. Noor told us that it would help you to sober up but my guess is that you won't enjoy it. Personally, I think you deserve some suffering."
"What about you and Much?" Robin asked.
"We shall be using the time honored English hangover remedy." James announced.
"What's that?" Robin asked, taking the canteen from Much. Taking a deep swig Robin gagged on the contents. Oh, that was horrible tasting!
"We shall be taking the hair of the dog that bit us." James explained patiently.
Much looked at James suspiciously. What English remedy involved dog hair?
"We're going to do what?"
"We are going to suck it up and go ahead and taste the hair of the dog that bit us Much. Once we get Robin settled in his bed, you and I will go have some more ale together. Trust me it helps with the hangover."
At that moment, Robin rushed for the nearest alleyway. Learning over in the side street he began to retch against the building. James and Much stared on in amazement.
"What do you think her medicine is supposed to do to him?" Much asked James.
James shrugged his shoulders and responded. "I would assume that it's intended to get every drop of alcohol out of his system. Or kill him in the process. Whichever comes first. Come on lets go back to camp. He'll catch up."
The three men slowly lurched back to their camp. They stopped frequently for Robin; he had a very large quantity of snake bite wine to rid himself of.