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suppose, the women who do the cooking and serving might hear bits and pieces of our plans and thoughts even though I always make it a point never to say anything of significance when they are within hearing distance. They can’t help themselves; women are all gossips and tattletales, aren’t they?
           It isn’t just our planning for our voyage to the Holy Land that we discuss every evening.  We also discuss everything from the training of our apprentice Marines and prize crews to the question of where we need to build or improve bridges and roads - and where we don’t want them built or improved because we want Cornwall to remain isolated from London.  We want to be forgotten and left alone by the rest of England and particularly by the king and church. 
          Perhaps it’s wishful thinking and my imagination but I think the boys somehow understand that we’re talking and consulting our parchment maps in front of them as part of their educations - so they’ll know what to do when they grow up; at least I hope so.
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           Thomas’ return and the good news about Hathersage changes everything - and the pace of our activity and planning picks up rapidly when I announce that very evening that we’ll sail for the east in three days.
           Important among the many things that have to be done now that we have a firm sailing date is making sure Martin Archer at Launceston knows when we will be leaving and has enough supplies to withstand a siege.  Our plan is to return late in the Autumn; but what if we don’t return until the spring or even later? Accordingly, one of the very first things I do the morning after Thomas returns is send Peter to Launceston to inform Martin we will be leaving in three days - and to make another inspection of Launceston’s readiness both for long sieges and surprise attacks.
         Then I spend the rest of the morning bringing Thomas up to date on the everyday life of Cornwall and what he’ll have to cope with while I’m gone.  There have been a constantly increasing stream of requests for everyday decisions, particularly from the Cornish speaking people who constitute the majority of Cornwall’s people. 
           It seems that the villeins and churls in the Cornish tithes and hundreds are greatly encouraged by my order freeing Cornwall’s slaves and serfs to be free churls.  Even the people who were already churls and franklins seem pleased. 
           Unfortunately, at the same time my order seems to be distressing some of the priests and the two abbots and the holders of several of the manors.  At least that’s what the priests have been telling me.  But are they telling the truth and what does it mean?
           “Thomas, while you’ve been gone I’ve been getting mixed messages about my freeing of the slaves and serfs.  On one hand the villeins and free men seem genuinely pleased; on the other, several of your six parish priests have come and petitioned me, as the archdeacon of your diocese, to reverse the order. 
           One particularly nasty fellow, the priest at Saint Ives, is quite angry about losing the serfs who are working for him on the church’s three farms.  The abbot of Bodmin came to see me as well.  He’s also upset about Bodmin losing its slaves and serfs. All I could do is tell them you would soon return and that they would have to be patient until you get back and can instruct them further as to the wishes of the Church.”
           “Oh thank you, very much,” my priestly brother says sarcastically with a wry smile.  “And what do you think I should tell such fine churchmen?  That you regret the decision and intend to change it since God wants his people to be serfs and slaves?”
           “No, damn you, of course not.  You know better than that.  What I need you to do is spread a bit of olive oil on the waters – and quietly get rid of them if they start making