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troublemaker the Earl of Berwick who led it. He was one of the last to swear fealty to the King, you know. I suppose we shouldn’t have been so surprised when he tried to break away from England.”
    “Was it because of the famine?”
    “In a way. The blight didn’t hit as hard up there, and Berwick thought he’d take advantage of our trouble and make his move while we were weak. He wanted to set up his own kingdom up there in the North, would you believe, and ally himself with the Scots. And he might well have done it too, if Wrexham hadn’t raised an army on the spot. Together, Wrexham and the King rode into battle against Berwick and won. So naturally Wrexham’s leader of the Council now.”
    Naturally. My stomach flipped again.
    “It doesn’t hurt, either, that he’s second cousin to the King,” Sir Samuel added. “They say he saved the King’s life on the battlefield, too—he and his men. ” And then he said no more, for Wrexham was striding toward us, his hair as gold as a coronet, his neck as thick as a tree.
    He halted before me. Only the table—not nearly wide enough—separated us. I braced myself for insults.
    What happened instead was even more shocking: he smiled at me, his teeth gleaming like a wolf’s.
    “My lady Chantress.” His faded blue eyes gazed unblinking into mine. “How good to have you with us.”
    I couldn’t look away, but neither could I smile back. You have nothing to fear from him , the King had said. But my heart was pounding.
    Wrexham slammed himself down into the chair opposite me.
    “The King!” the footmen cried out.
    We all rose as King Henry himself strode in, his red-gold hair shining above the somber black of his clothes. He wasn’t much older than I was, but he had lost his old diffidence. Although he couldn’t match Wrexham for stature, he nevertheless carried himself with the assurance of a true king. He looked like a man who had done battle and won, not only on the field but off it. Yet I saw a glimpse of the old anxiety in his eyes as he sat down.
    Was it Wrexham he was worried about? No, that was my worry. Doubtless Henry had other matters on his mind—including whatever threat had caused him to summon me here.
    Motioning for us all to be seated, he turned to me with grave politeness. “Well met, my lady Chantress. I am sorry I could not welcome you on your arrival, but I trust you were properly received?”
    “Yes, Your Majesty.” I gave the expected answer. I had no intention of explaining that the most important welcome had come from Nat.
    “Very good.” As the guards bolted the doors shut, the King raised his voice to address everyone. “Greetings, my lords and gentlemen. I have called you all here because matters are at a critical point. But at least one in our number”—he nodded atme—“knows nothing of what has transpired in this place. My lord Wrexham, perhaps you would summarize for her?”
    Summarize Wrexham did, in words as blunt as his broad, bejeweled hands. “It comes down to this, Chantress. Some devil’s run off with the Golden Crucible. And you’d better get it back for us, or else.”

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE GOLDEN CRUCIBLE
    There was a chill in Wrexham’s eyes that unnerved me, but mostly I was confused. Had the King called me all the way down to Greenwich to solve a simple robbery?
    “I must say, I had thought to break the news a trifle more gently,” King Henry said, turning to me. “But the gist of what Wrexham says is true. We have suffered a great loss, and we very much need your help.”
    “If I can help, I will,” I said, trying to avoid Wrexham’s gaze. “But I don’t understand. If it’s a matter of ordinary thievery, why do you need me?”
    “Because nothing else has worked,” the King said. “And because the entire future of the realm depends on it.”
    “On a . . . crucible?” I tried to keep the incredulity out of my voice.
    “Yes,” the King said. “If we’re ever to fill the royal coffers,