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Margery Gascoigne pulled her skirt up to her knees and strode across the far boots and a cape to protect her fro but were the best she had to guard against ery was determined to show her son what could be achieved by resolute action His pussyfooting never ceased to infuriate her Hugh Orpington had won the case at Dorchester and hefty daer Knowles He had chosen to pay in the fornment had arrived

'There you are, Harald' She pointed over the wall 'That's what happens when you do things properly The reeve'sThey're the first of the delivery Roger Knowles has been ordered to make'

Harald peered to where a hundred or so woolly beasts were lance told him all he needed to know

'Aren't they fine?'

'No, Mother'

'Harald, you're only saying that out of spite'

'I' it because they're no use to us'

'Harald, they're beautiful and fat'

'The value of sheep is in their wool, Mother You can only kill a sheep once and, when you do, you have to sell the flesh at the local market You can shear a sheep many times and find a market for its wool as far away as Damascus That's how John Baret makes his ood fodder on a y bunch of animals like these'

'You mean you don't intend to keep them?'

'No I'll send them to market in Dorchester'

'Why not sell them to the abbey? Peter says Abbot Bradford intends to increase his flocks and is prepared to pay in silver'

'I'll have no dealings with that ht you didn't agree with his caed your ed my mind'

'What's he done now?'

'His bailiffs coainst a lady'

A twinkle appeared in Margery's eye 'Are you referring to Alice de La a lot of her'

'What little bird was that, Mother?'

'A little bird that lives in Honeycomb Woods'

Harald shuffled his feet

'There's no need to look sheepish, Harald You should take a s have so little joy in their lives You could provide so'