Chapter 20
"Well, that's an interesting proposal, Gisborne." The sheriff drawled as he leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk.
"Does that mean you will consider it?" Guy asked.
"A clue." The sheriff answered before shaking his head no.
"My lord," Guy started anxiously, thinking of Marian's disappointment if he were to fail in this endeavor. "Think of the benefit. If we can turn these peasants away from Hood, make them see him for the criminal he is…"
"Oh, it would be a lovely idea if it were to work." The sheriff interrupted him. "But it won't because it's a trap."
"A trap?" Guy asked.
"Who gave you this little idea, hmm? Your boy?" Guy refused to answer him, afraid of what he would say if he revealed it was Marian's idea, and the sheriff, assuming his guess was correct, tutted at him. "If your boy and his little Saracen friend were really so eager to turn on Hood, then why was he with them?"
"My lord, I don't believe he was. It makes sense that he would follow the Saracen girl to Allan if he thought she was betraying him."
"No, Gisborne, catch up. This is just an excuse to get them out of the dungeon so Hood can swoop in to save them. I know you liked having your little friend around, following you around like a lost puppy, all dressed up in your clothes, hmm? But he's turned his back on you. He's gone and run back to Hood with information about our plans."
"I don't believe Allan would do that. He hasn't given me any reasons before yesterday to suspect he would be disloyal."
"Spies are always disloyal, Gisborne." The sheriff replied, but then he stopped, eyes getting wide, and Guy could tell he was coming up with an idea. "You're convinced of this, are you? Certain that your boy is loyal to you?"
"Yes." Guy answered with a conviction he didn't actually feel.
"I'll tell you what, Gisborne. I'll trust your judgment this once. We'll go along with your plan. I'll let your boy and his little Saracen out of the dungeon, we'll take them outside, parade them around so all the peasants can see, and she can entertain them with her tale of what the real Robin Hood is like, the nasty, brutish, beater of women...on one condition."
"What condition?" Guy asked.
"She has to pass a test of loyalty." The sheriff replied. "If this is a trap, we'll have our trap set first."
"A test?" Guy asked, intrigued. He still wasn't certain that Marian was correct, though he wanted to have faith in Allan, and he was as interested in conducting a test to prove their loyalty as the sheriff was.
"Come along now, Gisborne." The sheriff said as he jumped up to his feet. "We're going to the dungeon to pay your little friends a visit."
The sheriff was practically bouncing his way down to the dungeon, a spring in his step that Guy hadn't seen for sometime, and he was struggling to keep up as they wound their way through the castle. When they finally arrived at the dungeon and made their way to the cell, they found the two prisoners sitting side by side inside it, with Djaq leaning her head against Allan's shoulder. The sheriff looked to the jailer and a couple of the guards who were on duty in the dungeon and, without even addressing the two prisoners first, gave them an order.
"Grab the girl." The sheriff demanded. The jailer moved to unlock the cell as Allan jumped to his feet instantly. All he could think about in that moment was Guy's threat from yesterday and the image from his dream of the guards touching Djaq's body all over, now burned into his memory.
"No!" Allan shouted. I can't let this happen to her. "Please, Guy, listen to me. We're telling the truth! She left Robin, her days in his gang are over, trust me!" He turned his attention to the sheriff then. "Please, my lord, I'm begging you. Give us another chance to prove our loyalty."
"That's exactly what I'm doing." He said. "Giving her a chance to prove where her loyalties lie." He turned his attention to the guards who were now dragging Djaq out of the cell. "Bring her, follow me."
The sheriff led her away from Allan, who was still locked inside his cell, and took her to the room designated for torture. She looked around at the many horrid devices that were scattered around the room and could feel her resolve starting to wither. Facing a hanging was one thing, but facing torture was another entirely.
"Oh, don't worry." The sheriff said upon seeing the sick, terrified look on her face. "If you're telling the truth, none of these will be used on you. You'll get to walk out of here a free woman before the end of the day, pardoned for all your past crimes."
"I am telling the truth." She said, mustering up a show of courage that she didn't really feel.
"Well, we'll see about that." The sheriff replied. "This is the plan. If I determine that you're being honest with us, we'll take you outside and then you can tell all the peasants how Robin Hood beats women and you can show off that pretty little bruise of yours." He gave the mark Robin left on her face a few sharp taps as she hissed in pain. "Then, once you're all finished with your little speech, you'll lead us into the forest and take us straight to Robin Hood's camp. Once I have my hands on the Pact, you and Allan will both be free to go with a full pardon. How does that sound?"
She considered this for a moment. She knew she couldn't actually lead him to the camp. Whatever else those men did to her yesterday, they were still the same men who had rescued her from slavery, who had fought alongside her for the past year, the same men she had considered to be her closest friends. She couldn't simply hand them over to the sheriff to be executed, no matter how angry and upset she was with them. But if I can just get outside and into the forest, they'll be able to ambush the sheriff and I can get away.
"It sounds like a good plan." She said. "Is there a catch?" He gave a short laugh.
"There always is." The sheriff replied. "See, I can't just let you go out there without being certain that you're telling the truth, because if you're lying, well, then Hood will show up to save the day and carry you off back into the forest, and we can't have that, can we?"
"How can I prove that I am telling the truth?"
"If you are telling the truth and you really have betrayed Hood, then he won't show up to rescue you." The sheriff answered.
"You will pretend to hang me?" Djaq asked. The sheriff never pretends to hang anyone. He just hangs them. Either Robin will save me, falling into this trap in the process, or I will die.
"My lord, is this wise?" Guy asked. "If she's lying and Hood does show up, then we'll lose her and any chance at a public declaration of Hood's crimes."
"Which is why I don't intend to use her." The sheriff answered. For a moment, Djaq and Guy both looked confused and then the realization dawned on them both simultaneously.
"No!" Guy nearly yelled. "My lord, Anne is innocent in all of this. You cannot use her."
"Gisborne, how many lepers do you need?" The sheriff asked. "One of them hanging around the castle is more than enough."
"My lord, please." Guy continued.
"You know, Gisborne, if she is lying, then that little whore that you and your boy shared had to be in on it."
"And if she is proven to be lying, then Anne will be punished as well, but if she is not lying, then Anne will hang when Hood fails to save her. What you are proposing will mean her death whether she is guilty or not."
"Do you have a better idea, Gisborne? Hmm? Let's hear it then." The sheriff asked. Guy was silent for a moment, considering his options. "I didn't think so. You're not thinking with your head, Gisborne. At least not the right head. You just want to keep her around to bed until you can get Marian to wed you. Give it up already and find a less difficult woman."
"We can just let this one go out and make her speech." Guy answered.
"And when Hood comes in to rescue her and we lose her, then what?" The sheriff answered.
"She will go out alone. We can keep Allan here." Guy answered. "If Hood rescues her or if she runs off, we kill him. I will do it myself, slowly and painfully." Guy turned his attention to her. "If you want to keep your lover alive, you will stay and do as you're told."
"Not bad, Gisborne." The sheriff remarked. "But Allan won't be the only one who dies. Anne will die with him. If Hood saves her, two will die in her place and you will have to kill them both. You will be held personally responsible for your plan failing and will have to clean up your own mess."
"And if Robin does not save me, and he will not, then after I make my speech and take you to the camp, we are free to go?" Djaq asked.
"You will be free to go once I have the Pact back in the castle, not a moment sooner." The sheriff said before giving her a wicked smile. "Are you ready to turn the peasants against Robin Hood?"