Predestination

From Resurrection: The Heresy of a Jesuit: “England had been a Catholic state for almost a thousand years. It had obediently followed all the rites and customs of the See of Rome from St Augustine’s evangelisation of the Kingdom of Kent in 597 AD through to King Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy in 1534. Catholicism … Read more

From Absolution: A Question of Conviction: “The ancient oak had stood sentinel over the crossroads for centuries, enduring harsh Norfolk winters, wet springs, and all too brief summers. If it could have a favourite season, it would be autumn, with golden light and the pleasant buzz of insects. But not the autumn just past. No, … Read more

From Restitution: Fire and fury: “John Dee peered through the drizzle, over the heads of the sizeable crowd, toward the simple wooden scaffold on Tower Hill. This was the first execution he had ever attended, and by preference he wouldn’t be here now. He had no desire to witness the state-ordered ending of anyone’s life. … Read more

From Speculation: Undercurrents of Treachery: “”Ye seek a cave, I hear,” the old man whispered. Dee looked up, surprised. “How did you – ” “Folk talk,” the fisherman shrugged. “And there ain’t much happens ’round here that goes unnoticed.” He hesitated, then added, “There’s places along this coast best left alone, master. Places where the … Read more

From Proclamation: Poetry will be the death of me: “The muffled clink of harness and the soft hoof fall of a hundred horses were the only sounds that emanated from the column of riders as it emerged from the enveloping mist onto a low ridge. Robert Dudley shivered as he gazed south along their planned … Read more

From Restitution: Fire and fury: “The cannon roared. Smoke billowed. A tongue of flame licking out from the muzzle as the ball shot forward, a dark blur against the pale winter sky. It struck the wooden wall with a sound like God’s hammer. And punched straight through – a fusillade of wooden splinters peppering the … Read more

From Divination: A Conspiracy of Blood: “The bruised Cambridge sky threatened to ruin the day of any students unlucky enough to venture outdoors. I’ll be glad when spring finally arrives, thought John Dee, as he hurried across Trinity College courtyard, his scholar’s gown billowing behind him like a sail. He was late, again, and this … Read more

From Divination: A Conspiracy of Blood: “Outside the church, Dee blinked in the sudden brightness of the midday sun. His doublet was dusty from his explorations, and he brushed it off as best he could before setting off towards college. He had just turned onto Trinity Street when he spotted one of the college servants. … Read more

From Absolution: A Question of Conviction: “Frost had painted Trinity College’s courtyard in crystalline silence. The flagstones of the perimeter path twinkled as though studded with a thousand diamonds, whilst the square central lawn revealed the hurried path of students who had dared cut its corners and in one case completely bisected the grassy expanse … Read more

From Restitution: Fire and fury: “Thomas Seymour plucked an iron cannonball from a crate containing dozens. “This one?” he asked. Ned Founder, the ironworker, nodded vigorously as he replied, “A good choice, my lord.” He added hastily, “That looks like one of the better ones.” Wiping his soot-streaked hands on his leather apron, he avoided … Read more