The Warden’s study minutes later.  WHITE, fully clothed, walks about.  COLE hurries in, having put on some clothes but any old way so that he still looks tousled.

 

 

COLE             Did Grymston tell you everything, Warden?

 

WHITE           I find it hard to believe what he told me.

 

COLE             I don’t.  Some things are suddenly very clear to me.

 

WHITE           Such as?

 

COLE             The way Master Phillips always puts politics before religion, for a

                        start.

 

WHITE           He’s clear headed.  He knows religion could be our downfall with the

                        Council.

 

COLE             Oh yes, the Council.  He knows Lord Paget and doesn’t tell us?

 

WHITE           We can’t be sure of that.  Perhaps he lied to Master Forde to stop him

                        leaving at once.

 

COLE             That’s what he’ll say to us, no doubt.

 

WHITE           You’re very sour about him.

 

COLE             Well, wasn’t I right about Jolyff?

 

Silence.  WHITE fiddles with papers on his desk.

 

                        Warden?

 

WHITE           Continue with your opinion of Master Phillips.

 

COLE             It’s obvious.  He’s begun to hedge his bets.  He sees that the Hostiarius may make a case and doesn’t want to hide his own heresy any longer.

 

WHITE           And the Council?

 

COLE             I think Master Phillips does have connections there.  How can we know he hasn’t been in touch with Lord Paget all along?

 

WHITE           We can’t know.  We simply have to trust him.

 

COLE             I wouldn’t trust John Phillips now.  Not that I ever did.

 

WHITE           You must pretend to.  We’ve no other choice.

 

COLE             And do we tell him we know about his talk with the Hostiarius?

 

WHITE           Of course.

 

COLE             But that would weaken our position.

 

WHITE           Our position is already weakened, thanks in no small part to you.

 

COLE             All right, so I’ve blundered, so I didn’t watch the Hostiarius as I should have, so it wasn’t politic to give Jolyff what he deserved, but at least I’m loyal to the true religion.

 

WHITE           I’m sorry.  I spoke out of turn.  I appreciate your loyalty.

 

COLE             Warden, you seem to have listened so much to Master Phillips recently.  And now, when we discover what he is…

 

WHITE           What he may be.

 

COLE             What I believe him to be, then I can’t but help feel bitter.

 

WHITE           Jealousy will destroy you, Mathew, if you allow it to.

 

COLE             Yes, I know.

 

WHITE           In any case, your fears might be unfounded.  Master Phillips may tell us about his dealings with the Hostiarius of his own accord.

 

COLE             He might.  It would be a good double bluff.

 

WHITE looks sharply at him.  Blackout.  End of scene.