1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:03,320 Speaker 1: Cool Zone Media. 2 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: Book Club book Club, book Club book Club. Hello and 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 2: welcome to Cool Zone Media book Club. I'm your host 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 2: or reader or the person who's talking to you right now. 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 2: My name is Margaret Kiljoy. And this is the only 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 2: book club where you don't have to do the reading, 7 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 2: because I do it for you. Sure, you might say 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: to yourself, there's a lot of podcasts where people read fiction. 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 2: How is that different? And the difference is that this 10 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 2: is called a book club, so it's a book club, 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 2: it's also a podcast. It's weird how things can be 12 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: more than one thing at the same time. This week, 13 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 2: I've got a short and I think a story you 14 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: all will quite enjoy. I guess I'm always reading you 15 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 2: short stories, but this is on the shorter side of 16 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 2: short stories. It's a story called John Simnel's First Gosshaw Book. 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: It's written by an author named Teagan Moore. At First 18 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:07,639 Speaker 2: was published in twenty twenty by the literary fantasy journal 19 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 2: Beneath Ceaseless Skies. And if you're thinking to yourself John Simnel, 20 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: I know all about John Simnel, then you are thinking 21 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: differently than I was when I read the story. Because 22 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 2: even though I read history books, for a living. I 23 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 2: don't know everything about English history because I spent a 24 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 2: lot of my life being like, well, I don't like them, 25 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:34,839 Speaker 2: and that's the wrong medieval because I obviously I'm obsessed 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,000 Speaker 2: with medieval shit. But you know, not specifically an expert 27 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: in English history, even though I run a history podcast 28 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:44,839 Speaker 2: and have covered a ton of English things on the show. 29 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 2: There's just a lot of it, Okay, there's a lot 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 2: of the oldies sword times in England, y, and so 31 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 2: I did a bunch of research about John Simnel. I'm 32 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 2: gonna tell you about it, but first i'm gonna tell 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 2: you about the author. I'm gonna tell you about Teagan Moore. 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: Teagan is an aspirational farmer living on twenty Muddy Acres, 35 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: about an hour outside of Seattle, Washington. She's been published 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: in magazines including Asimov's Science Fiction Tour, dot Com, Clark's World, 37 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,080 Speaker 2: and others. She has a dog agility instructor, can't not 38 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 2: look at crustaceans, and has a biologically improbable, entirely separate 39 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: second stomach for containing dumplings. Deagan's great. You should read 40 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,679 Speaker 2: more of her stories. So this story is called John 41 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: Simnel's First Gossawk, and the first time I read it, 42 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 2: I was like, Yep, that's a name, and then didn't 43 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: think about whether or not it had any historical significance. 44 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 2: And then after I picked it for this show, I 45 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: was like, I should really google this, so I did, 46 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: and I think that this story is enriched by just 47 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: the slightest bit of background. Last week on Cool People 48 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 2: Who Did Cool Stuff, which if you're listening to this 49 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: it could happen here feed. You should really check out 50 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 2: the Cool People Did Cool Stuff feed, which is where 51 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 2: my history podcast is. Last week I talked about Joan 52 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 2: of Arc and the hundred Years War between France and England, 53 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: and in that story, Henry the sixth is sort of 54 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: the main antagonist, even though he's a little kid. Henry 55 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 2: the sixth didn't manage to rule France in the end 56 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 2: because a lady with a sword turned the tide of 57 00:03:19,080 --> 00:03:21,639 Speaker 2: one hundred year War and slowly the French drove him out, 58 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 2: putting a different asshole named Charles the Seventh on the 59 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 2: French throne because you really can't win when you have 60 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: a king. But back in England, Henry the sixth kept ruling, 61 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 2: and then a ton of fuckery happened, and this is 62 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 2: all like fourteen hundreds time or so. And the important 63 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: thing is, at the end of all this fuckery, a 64 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 2: guy named Henry the seventh came into power. But the 65 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 2: fuckery continued during this fuckery just the academic word for 66 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: complicated shit that I don't really feel like is worth 67 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 2: explaining or understanding. That's what fuckery means in this context 68 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 2: admits this fuckery. A common born boy named John Symnell 69 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 2: was groomed to become a pretender to the throne. Basically 70 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 2: he looked like he could be related to this like 71 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 2: one royal who was locked up in the Tower of England, 72 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: Tower of London, whatever, the prison for rich people, and 73 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,359 Speaker 2: so some people who didn't want the current king set 74 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:28,559 Speaker 2: up this common born kid, John to be the fake, 75 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,680 Speaker 2: rightful heir of the throne. When John was ten years old, 76 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 2: and so he became the figurehead of a failed rebellion 77 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: called the Yorkist Rebellion. He was crowned in Dublin as 78 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 2: Edward the sixth. The reason he was crowned in Dublin 79 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: the Irish supported the Yorkist rebellion because the Yorkist faction 80 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: mostly just left Ireland alone like that was like kind 81 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 2: of how that was? Like Their plan for Ireland was 82 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 2: like huh, like, I guess we could call ourselves in 83 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,080 Speaker 2: charge but just not actually do anything. And the Irish 84 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: people were like, yeah, that sounds good. We'd rather you 85 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 2: left us the fuck alone. Whole lot of that throughout history, 86 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,480 Speaker 2: wanting England to leave you alone. Anyway, being a pretender 87 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 2: to the throne didn't go well for our young John, 88 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 2: but since he was all of ten years old, he 89 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: was spared. He wasn't executed when the whole rebellion collapsed 90 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 2: and he was put to work in the king's court. First. 91 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 2: He was like the roast spit turner, you know, when 92 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 2: they like kill a bore and then they have to 93 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 2: like turn it on a spit. That was his job, 94 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 2: which is a step down from king, although morally it's 95 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 2: probably a step up. In the end he ended up 96 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 2: a falconer. That's your history lesson. Now here's the story 97 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 2: John Simnel's First Goshawk by Tiagan Moore. In the light 98 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 2: of a single candle, the goshawk and I regard each other. 99 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: Sleep presses against our eyes, but we are both obstinate. 100 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 2: The hawk has run out of foul names to spit 101 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 2: at me. He does not blink, so I try not 102 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 2: to blink. The sallow light is golden in his livid 103 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: golden eye. One of us will break and the other triumph. 104 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:16,559 Speaker 2: Though in the muffled dark of my room, I wonder 105 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 2: if I might instead go mad. Or perhaps you're mad already. 106 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 2: The goshawk suggests. This is how you break a hawk. 107 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 2: Wait him out. It's simple but not easy. Eventually he 108 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 2: must sleep. If the falconer is alert to see the 109 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 2: moment his hawk concedes slips away to sleep despite his fear, 110 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: then the bird begins to be his. It is a 111 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: game of minds, not of dexterity, but strength. If the 112 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 2: falconer sleeps, he simply begins the excruciating weight again the 113 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: next day. If the hawk sleeps, however, then the bird 114 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 2: has lost forever. And this is how you break a boy. 115 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,599 Speaker 2: Tell him he is king, simple but not easy. You 116 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 2: must watch him hawk like to see how he slips 117 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: beneath your lies. You must seem to believe it enough 118 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 2: that the boy believes too. You must crown him and 119 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: put him at the front of an army. If he fail, 120 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: there is always another, handsome hazel eyed boy somewhere in 121 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: the world, any one might do. If the boy believes 122 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 2: that he is king. Though, and this is true, whatever 123 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 2: circumstances befall him, however low he is brought, he can 124 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 2: never completely unbelieve. I have toiled a lifetime at the 125 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 2: hard labors of the low born, so much longer than 126 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 2: the time I spent his claimant to the throne of England, 127 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 2: designated by God in legitimate secession to take the crown 128 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:52,440 Speaker 2: back from Henry Tudor. For only one short year was 129 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: I misled? One year which I, a small and frightened boy, 130 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 2: spent under the spell of my own belief. One year 131 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 2: in a lifetime of years, Yet which of these returns 132 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 2: to me again and again? I hold my hawks to 133 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 2: the right. The glove must be made to fit. Most 134 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 2: of the King's falconers hawk to their left. I prefer 135 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 2: the right. My forearm there is hardened, scarred from years 136 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 2: at the turnspit, and smelted tough. It is an animal job, 137 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,960 Speaker 2: like an ass at a mill. I have heard that 138 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 2: in some great Flemish houses they turn the spit with dogs. 139 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: I imagine the work is worse for a dog with 140 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 2: the riches of slow baked meat forever just beyond reach. 141 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 2: Worse if they've once tasted it and know they'll now 142 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 2: have none. The sky lightens, slow and patient as it 143 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 2: bleeds into my room. The paling dawn swims flecks of 144 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,320 Speaker 2: silver and my tired vision. The goshawk and I have 145 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 2: watched each other all the night. He looks to me, 146 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: and his head tilts, taking my measure, he turns away. 147 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 2: He's on me, lacking snub me. I say, I don't care. 148 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:10,040 Speaker 2: You aren't the first. His breast feathers puff enoughense. Few 149 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 2: other falconers speak to their hawks. Certainly none have heard 150 00:09:13,320 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 2: the hawks speak in response. Or perhaps they are wiser 151 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 2: than I and simply pretend they cannot hear, much like 152 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 2: you could pretend not to hear the ads that are 153 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 2: now interrupting your story. But I want to say that 154 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 2: this episode was brought to you by peasant rebellions exerting 155 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 2: the power of the working class over the rich. Since 156 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: before anyone bothered writing history down in books, You too 157 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 2: can revolt against the modern day monarchs. All you need 158 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,840 Speaker 2: is a pitchfork, a torch, one hundred friends, and more 159 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: interest in doing right than living to be old. Peasant revolts. 160 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 2: They're fun until you google what drawn in quarter it is, 161 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 2: and then they're no longer fun. Peasant revolts, and whatever 162 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 2: these other the ads are, and we're back. The shaping 163 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: of a free mind into a tamed one is a 164 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 2: fascinatingly predictable process. You begin by stripping away good comes 165 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 2: only from the master's hand. They receive nothing if it 166 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,440 Speaker 2: is not from you. Dress your beast so finely that 167 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 2: it is impracticably conspicuously plumed in clothing unfit for an 168 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 2: innkeeper's boy. If at home it eats pottage and barley bread, 169 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 2: then feed it roast, mallard and stewed fruits from your 170 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 2: own rich table. Give promises like tidbits, dreams like sugared almonds. Next, 171 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 2: you must test the quality of what you've captured. Is 172 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 2: the best suited. Hold it up to a trusted few 173 00:10:56,200 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 2: for evaluation. Once fattened and finally dressed, if it is 174 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 2: of any caliber, it will pass well enough. Then you 175 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 2: hone it. Feed it by hand, gentle it, Teach it 176 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: good French and a little Latin, show it courtly manners, 177 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 2: and how to believe it deserves more than it has. 178 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,080 Speaker 2: Once the beast is trained, examine its skills at work. 179 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: Make the trials easy so that failure is not catastrophe. 180 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 2: Sit it beside you at dinner, and bid it speak. 181 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: The dinners will grow grander, the guests wealthier. Its performance 182 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 2: is more complex. It should be dutiful, but not slavish, 183 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 2: proud as befits the high born, but also demonstrating bidability 184 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 2: and tact. Only after much practice or the long training creances. 185 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 2: Shed your creation unhooded and loosed upon the greater stage. 186 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 2: Even then, it will always wear thongs at its wrists 187 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 2: if escaped or even freed. Is something tamed and trained 188 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 2: in this way ever its own sovereign. The master makes 189 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: his mark not only on the body, but the mind. 190 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 2: He is always there, silently governing, even if his touch 191 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 2: is unseen. On the third day, the gosshawk closes his 192 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 2: eyes on his perch. I let him sleep until supper, too, 193 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 2: aching with exhaustion and relief to sleep myself. Then I 194 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 2: wake him to celebrate by carrying him out to the 195 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 2: sunny grass beyond the meuse. I bring him a haunch 196 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 2: of rabbit. He examines the meat with one eye and 197 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 2: turns his head away. You'll have to trust me eventually, 198 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 2: I say, oh aye, says the gosshawk, voice rough and listless, 199 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 2: And you'll trust me too, I wager. He lifts one leg, 200 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 2: tugging the jesses, and my fist A man's words from 201 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 2: the mouth of a bird. I am mad with the 202 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 2: lack of sleep. The sunlight is so warm and tender. 203 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 2: By close my eyes here I may sleep standing up. 204 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 2: All boys think they are important. All you have to 205 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:08,559 Speaker 2: do to win one's heart is to agree. Father Simon 206 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 2: told me I had been mislaid, a royal cuckoo in 207 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 2: a sparrow's nest. This made my mother a whore and 208 00:13:15,320 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 2: my father a cockold. But I did not consider the 209 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:22,600 Speaker 2: implications of the claim beyond its first greatest consequence. The 210 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 2: king does what he likes, after all, and who's to 211 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,400 Speaker 2: stop him? Who's to judge? I would do what I 212 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: liked when I was king if I obeyed well enough. 213 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 2: Simon told other people other things about where I was 214 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 2: come from and what my name was. They were free 215 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 2: to choose amongst their preferred truths. I was not when 216 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 2: I was called Duke of York. I believed I was 217 00:13:46,679 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 2: the Duke of York when it became advantageous to be 218 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 2: Earl of Warwick. Instead, I was Warwick whole heart, and 219 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,360 Speaker 2: spoke warmly of my uncle Edward, who had only days 220 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,559 Speaker 2: before been my father in Ireland. When I was King 221 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 2: Edward the sixth, I believed that best of all, I 222 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 2: was only ten years old when I was captured, and 223 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 2: my false names stripped like layers of guilding, taken from 224 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 2: me along with the fine clothing. I was taught again 225 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 2: what to perform. After all these rehearsals. It was hard 226 00:14:21,200 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 2: to take a role which did not come with finery 227 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 2: horse to ride the blessings of nobility. I played it, 228 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 2: though I put my heart behind contrition, bewilderment, innocence. It 229 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 2: didn't matter if the role was true. I only needed 230 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 2: to convince the court. Treasonous nobles are beheaded for treasonous commoners. 231 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 2: Oh but death is so much worse, almost as bad 232 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 2: as these ads. This podcast is brought to you by Swords. 233 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 2: Get yourself a sword. Have you ever lacked confidence? Do 234 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,920 Speaker 2: you think that maybe what you really lacked was a sword? 235 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 2: I think so. Swords they're what you can use to 236 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 2: cut people. And we're back. The hawking master comes to 237 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 2: try the goshawk. After I've had him a month at 238 00:15:26,040 --> 00:15:30,040 Speaker 2: my side, he makes his kill. He flies to fist. 239 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: The master offers a silver of cold mutton in exchange 240 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 2: for the sparrow my hawk has taken. The hawk raises 241 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 2: his broad barred wings and threat He hands the bird 242 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 2: to me. Bloody minded, he says, you've still work to do. 243 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: M now, Yes, sir, I say, wrapping the jesses around 244 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 2: my fist. If you won't man fully, there's no use 245 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 2: keeping him, Yes, sir, I repeat, obediently, bloody minded, The 246 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 2: goshawk mutters aggrieved. Once the hawking master is gone, he 247 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 2: has slept. I have slept. There is no reason I 248 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 2: should still hear him speaking. Yet all this month he 249 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 2: has spoken. His words show him to be indeed bloody minded. 250 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,920 Speaker 2: I hide my smile. I fly the goshawk alone, far 251 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 2: from the meuse. He is a blade through the sky, 252 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: an arrow when he falls into his stoop. Neither this 253 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 2: hawk nor I were born into the service of the king. 254 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:35,080 Speaker 2: For me, that past life was squalid and ignorant. The goshawks, 255 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 2: though with some other beast, entirely. He brings me a 256 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 2: gory jed eyed starling, its black feathers flecked with brilliance, 257 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 2: remind me of Simon's priestly robes. I let him keep it. 258 00:16:50,760 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 2: After my Royal Army's defeat at Stokefield, I was imprisoned, 259 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 2: not in the tower, but some nameless dark hole where 260 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 2: I might be ignored. No, not ignored. There were rotten, 261 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 2: mouthed men there who paid me attention I did not like. 262 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 2: I was not a prisoner of the tower like a nobleman, 263 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:13,919 Speaker 2: but in squalor with common wretches. The death prescribed trees 264 00:17:13,920 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 2: and as commoners as something small boys talk about, wide eyed, 265 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 2: squeezing out every drop of sweet dread, but only if 266 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 2: they can't imagine playing any part in it. It's less 267 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,080 Speaker 2: pleasant to dream of it if the dream might be 268 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:30,240 Speaker 2: your life. Henry called me to him, and like any 269 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:34,639 Speaker 2: tamed thing, I went willingly, though stupid with fear. Even 270 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: walking to my doom, I felt terror and pleasure, both 271 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:41,400 Speaker 2: for I was not forgotten. Every boy likes to think 272 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 2: they are important. The King forgave me and sent me 273 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 2: to turn the spit. I thanked God, though it was 274 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 2: animal work. The rest I was allowed to do on 275 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 2: my own, though I never suppose that I'm free. The 276 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 2: goshawk will eat from my hand. He will return to fist, 277 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 2: and he does not bait, but he will not give 278 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 2: up his kills mine. He hisses at the hawking Master. 279 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 2: Wicked man, useless man. The hawking Master does not hear him. 280 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,119 Speaker 2: No other man seems to hear the hawk's voice, or 281 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,199 Speaker 2: at least none will admit to it. I have not 282 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 2: the courage to ask. Perhaps I am mad. Perhaps the 283 00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 2: hawk is mad too. He certainly comports himself like a madman. 284 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 2: The hawking Master offers the hawk a whole dead pigeon 285 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:35,679 Speaker 2: for a scrawny, fledgling crow. The hawk strides for the 286 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 2: Master's fingers with his wrathful golden beak. Eat that yourself, 287 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 2: he says, This one's mine. He does not belong in 288 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 2: the muse, his body fierce but soft, his eyes golden 289 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 2: and terrible. This closed in place offends him, offends God's 290 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 2: hand which made him. He glares at me when I 291 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,120 Speaker 2: collect him the next morning, and mutes in a great 292 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:05,479 Speaker 2: silver spurt of shit. Goshawks are always the most trying, 293 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 2: the hawking Master says, as we undo the goshawks, jesses, 294 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 2: I put two back to the forest before I kept 295 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 2: one on my fist. I will have another hawk in 296 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:20,239 Speaker 2: the springtime. I am at liberty to try again. We 297 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 2: are all tamed by our circumstances. None of us is free, 298 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 2: or perhaps we are all exactly as free as we 299 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 2: wish to be. The hawk lifts from my fist, from 300 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 2: the glove that covers my turn spit scars. It is 301 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 2: a good glove, well fit to me and simple. The 302 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 2: hawk makes one turn over our heads and drifts away 303 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 2: into the sky. I suppose he is his own gosshawk now, 304 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 2: and that's the end of the story. When I asked 305 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 2: Hegan if there was anything important for you all to 306 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 2: know about this story, she told me to say that 307 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:00,119 Speaker 2: she is the direct descendant of both the goshawk and 308 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 2: John Symnell, and has shipped the two together. Well, rather 309 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 2: history did. Because I don't see why Tagan would have 310 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 2: lied to me about being a direct descendant of a 311 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 2: pretender to the throne and a bird. I don't know. 312 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 2: If you meet Tagan, you'd be like, yeah, that makes 313 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 2: some sense. I like the story for a lot of reasons. 314 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 2: I like this story because it's like simple and well told, 315 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 2: and I like what the story talks about, and it's 316 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:33,120 Speaker 2: funny because it's like, you know, me, I like stories 317 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 2: that where the metaphor is fairly blunt, you know, like 318 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 2: it's pretty easy to see the connections that are being 319 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:46,320 Speaker 2: drawn between a commoner who is tamed into believing that 320 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 2: he could be king and a bird, you know, a 321 00:20:51,119 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 2: falcon or whatever, a gossawk. And I like it because 322 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 2: it points out the ways in which you know, they're like, oh, 323 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,400 Speaker 2: once i'm king, i'll be free, and then you're like, well, 324 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 2: you're still just you know, you still have other masters, 325 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 2: and like we basically it's like the act of being 326 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 2: tamed is what undermines your freedom or leaves you in 327 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:15,480 Speaker 2: this situation that whatever this story does a better job 328 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:20,439 Speaker 2: of explaining it, then I could explain it, and you know, 329 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,959 Speaker 2: just to I really like the lines we're all tamed 330 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 2: by our circumstances. None of us is free, or perhaps 331 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 2: we're all exactly as free as we wish to be. Also, 332 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:34,480 Speaker 2: I think it's telling that the gosshawk that wants to 333 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:41,360 Speaker 2: be free has to be bloody minded anyway. Peasant revolt. 334 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 2: It always ends, well, that's our final sponsor, shout out. Well, 335 00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 2: I guess there's probably more ads at the end. But 336 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 2: I don't know anyone who listens to the ads the 337 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:52,240 Speaker 2: end of podcasts. I guess you do if you're like 338 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 2: just listening to a bunch of podcasts while you're doing 339 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,359 Speaker 2: something else and you're like, oh, whatever cu'es up next 340 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 2: to be good, in which case you probably will have 341 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,159 Speaker 2: the other ads. But I want to shout out that 342 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: if you're listening to this on the Cool People Who 343 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 2: Did Cool Stuff feed, you should also check out it 344 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 2: could happen here. And if you're listening to this it 345 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 2: could happen here feed, you should check out Cool People 346 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: Who Did Cool Stuff? And you should check out all 347 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 2: the podcasts from Cool Zone Media and not any other podcasts. 348 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,399 Speaker 2: Except I can't really say that because I have podcasts 349 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,919 Speaker 2: that aren't on this network, like Live like the World 350 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 2: Is Dying, which is on a different network called Oh God. 351 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:28,400 Speaker 2: I get Cool Zone Media and Channel zero Network mixed 352 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 2: up in my head constantly because one of them. I'm 353 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 2: on one network called CZM and another network called CZN. 354 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 2: What are the odds? And none of the words are 355 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 2: the same Cool Zone Media and Channel zero Network. They're 356 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 2: all different words, but they have similar It's not an acronym. 357 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: If it's it doesn't make a word, whatever abbreviation. I 358 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 2: should be done. I'm done, goodbye, see you next week. 359 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: It could happen here as a production of cool Zone Media. 360 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:02,640 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from coal Zone Media, visit our website 361 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: cool zonemedia dot com, or check us out on the 362 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 363 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 1: You can find sources for It could Happen Here, updated 364 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 1: monthly at coolzonemedia dot com slash sources. Thanks for listening.