“And, indeed, Harry,” Julius said. “They are both in this to their eminently stretchable necks.”
“Explain,” Richard said. “Now. What has Maltravers said, and what does he want?”
“He spoke to Gabriel yesterday,” Francis said. “He expressed a magnanimous readiness not to prosecute. In return, all of you must retract your testimony about the night of the Cato Street Conspiracy.”
“What?” Richard and Dominic said together.
Richard, Ash, and Julius had lied through their teeth, at David’s direction, to keep Mason from prosecution as part of an ill-fated plot to murder the entire British cabinet. He had been part of the conspirators’ group until the day before the planned outrage, and a constable had seen him on Cato Street that night. The Ricardians had given him a false alibi for the afternoon and evening to save his skin. As it happened, he had not been at Cato Street earlier because he had been in bed with Dominic, but that was scarcely something to be offered in evidence.
If Mason were tried, and Richard and the others did not repeat the alibi, Mason’s conviction for high treason would be inevitable.
“How does Maltravers know about that?” Richard asked.
“I expect through Skelton, the Home Office man to whom you all lied so efficiently,” Dominic said. “He’s Maltravers’s protégé, if you recall.”
“He was there.” Ash’s voice shook. “Mal told me he had that accursed letter and shouted at me until I felt like a worm, and then he said he’d tell me what was wanted and went off and brought Skelton in. He was very polite, he kept saying that we’d been ‘mistaken’ or ‘confused,’ but of course he meant lying. He didn’t talk about the letter at all. He just said that Mal was going to prosecute Mason for his part in the conspiracy and he wanted to know we wouldn’t argue it in court. He said there would be no reason for the ‘misunderstanding’ to come up, as long as none of us challenge the evidence against Mason.”
“Or to put it another way,” Julius said, “if any of us makes trouble, Skelton will proclaim to a crowded courtroom that we lied to protect a man from a charge of high treason. And Maltravers may bring a prosecution for sodomy against Ash and Francis.”
Richard put a hand to Dominic’s arm, feeling his tension. “Does Maltravers believe we’ll just let Mason be hanged?”
“He thinks he’s guilty,” Ash said. “Or perhaps he doesn’t care. He said you can all decide if you would rather protect a seditionist or a sodomite.”
“I thought Mason was both. Actually, I am unclear on what Mason is,” Francis said. “He was not in fact a conspirator? Not guilty of this?”
“Not as such, but a radical of the worst kind and involved in the group,” Julius said. “We can’t let him stand his trial and see how the dice fall if that is what you’re thinking. There is no doubt that he could be successfully prosecuted for conspiracy to murder and treason. All that prevents it is that we lied about his whereabouts.”
“He wouldn’t stand a chance,” Dominic said. “The trial is due to start in the middle of this month, and Adams, one of the conspirators, has turned king’s evidence. He can testify that Silas was part of the group almost to the end.”
“Can he can say enough to hang Mason?”
“I don’t know,” Dominic said. “Silas will. Let’s ask him.”
“Wait,” Francis said. “I don’t want to say this—”
“Then don’t.” Dominic’s tone held a warning. “You and I have been friends for a long time, Francis. Don’t say anything that would destroy that.”
“Gabriel could stand in the pillory if Maltravers prosecutes, at the least,” Francis said doggedly. “Men are killed that way. If Mason was implicated, do you truly propose to preserve him at the cost of Gabriel’s skin?”
“It’s not— Sit down, Dominic; I’m speaking. It’s not as simple as throwing either Mason or Ash to the lions,” Julius said as Richard put a restraining hand to Dominic’s arm. “If Mason is convicted of high treason, it will destroy Harry, who was his assistant for so long. Richard is Mason’s employer, and I paid his bail. Hanging Mason will hit us all hard. But—I am still speaking, Francis—but if Ash’s letter becomes public knowledge, do any of you believe we can all survive the scrutiny? How hard would anyone have to look? This is not a choice between two sacrifices. Whatever happens, a number of us are, if I may use the military term, fucked.”