Hugh O'Donnell was twenty-five years old. Although he was a hunchback, he did not have an enormous hump, rathe he only had a slight curve in his spine. A red-haired man whose dead right eye was perpetually half-closed with the lid slanted one never would have imagined that this Gaelic cyclops had been born into a noble family. His parents had been victims of the Tudor Conquest of Ireland, much as Colman and Gardiner's parents had been, fine and wealthy alchemists who sought to improve the lot of the poor, doing away with poverty and making everyone equal under the law and had even been rumoured to have created the Philosopher's stone. Alas, for as fine, wealthy and well-intentioned as Hugh's parents had been, they were not entirely virtuous for in their burning home, they had abandoned their infant son to die, leaving Gardiner to rescue him and ultimately raise the child as his own.
Deaf as well as half-blind, Hugh stepped forward, with his good eye on Colman's lips. In an attire that seemed to be more that of a stonemason's than anything else, he seemed quite an odd figure within the cathedral, but as the foster son of William Gardiner, who he himself had been assistant to Hugh's parents, he was as much an inhabitant of the building.
Gesturing at Ruby, but still keeping his good eye upon Colman's lips, Hugh inquired: "Who is she?" He did not sound angry at his foster father's insistence that the Walking People stay away from the cathedral was being ignored, by his own student no less. In fact, Colman believed he sounded almost curious, as if wishing to know more before reporting to Gardiner.
"She is my friend." Colman answered, looking Hugh in the eye as he spoke to him.
Smiling, Ruby placed her hands over her heart, an action that caused Hugh to briefly take his eye off of Colman and look at her. Looking her over for a moment, the Hunchback turned his gaze once more to the Young Poet and asked: "Why is she here?"
"For two reasons." Replied Colman.
"What reasons?"
"She gave me her locket to show to Master Gardiner and she wants to see the cathedral."
For a moment, Hugh's eye looked at the locket that Colman was carrying in his right hand. The Hunchback could not see any reason for a locket to be shown to Master Gardiner, especially not one belonging to one of the Walking People.
"She is one of the Walking People, Colman." Uttered Hugh, once more looking at the Young Poet's lips. "She shouldn't be here."
"She is one of the Walking People by adoption, Hugh. Surely that allows for some sort of loophole."
"A Walking Person is a Walking Person, no matter if they were born one or adopted into the tribe." Returned Hugh. "There are no loopholes. Either tell her to wait outside or I shall remove her myself."
Placing himself between Ruby and Hugh, Colman said: "If she wants to see the cathedral, then see the cathedral she shall, besides, I fear thee not, Hugh O'Donnell."
His good eye narrowing and his brow furling in anger, Hugh snarled: "You should!"
In a flash, Hugh had his hands around Colman's throat and was forcing him to the ground. Such an action could have been dangerous, but the fact was death by strangulation was not so easy. Even if Hugh's intention was just to wait until Colman had passed out the fact was, he could have been waiting a while.
Bringing his knee up into Hugh's groin, Colman shoved the Hunchback off of him the moment he felt his attacker's hands loosen. Standing to his feet, Colman next gave Hugh a good kick to the stomach. Raising his hands in defeat, Hugh slowly backed away. Colman knew that Hugh had no problem resorting to violence, but that fact remained that he was only human.
"Colman!" Colman turned to his left to see Master Gardiner approaching, with the King and that little rat Trevor following after him. A wrathful expression upon his countenance, the Acting Dean stared down at his student for a moment before turning his gaze to Ruby. "You dared to bring one of the Walking People here into the cathedral?"
"I did, sir." Colman answered, looking his mentor in the eye as he placed himself between Gardiner and Ruby. "She is my friend and her appellation is Ruby. She wishes to see the cathedral and would like to know about this symbol on her locket." Holding the locket out, he then inquired: "Have you ever seen this symbol before, Master Gardiner?"
Completely ignoring his pupil, Gardiner then asked: "And you dared to attack Hugh? He is one who was born to go straight to Heaven, not knowing the cruelty of man and the temptations of women. By attacking him, you have shown him how cruel man can be!"
"He attacked me first!" objected Colman. "You cannot call what I did cruel to him when he was the instigator!"
"Be silent!" roared Gardiner, standing over his pupil like some dark, terrible deity of old.
Taking a small step back, Colman looked away from his mentor. Looking to the floor of the cathedral, he felt Ruby's gentle hand upon his right shoulder and for a moment, he felt a little less frightened. Alas, it was not to last. What the Young Poet heard next was the Acting Dean yell: "Do not touch him, harlot! Get ye gone from this place before I summon the city guard to have you dragged out!"
Colman turned to see Ruby fleeing in fright. Facing Gardiner, Colman shouted: "You aren't Hugh's adoptive father! You are his brother! His face matches your soul!"
Gardiner would have struck Colman at that moment, had King James not intervened and pulled the Acting Dean aside. Colman knew not what passed between the Stuart Monarch and the Clergyman, all that he knew was that when all was said and done, Gardiner no longer looked wrathful. Alas, he did not look reasonable either. All he did was take Ruby's locket from Colman and return to his quarters.
Approaching the boy, King James gave Colman a warm smile. Placing a hand upon the Young Poet's shoulder, the Stuart King said to him: "My boy, I understand the attraction to the fairer sex, but find yourself a real woman, not one from a lesser people. Get thyself a suitable mistress, one who is affluent and loose, not some girl from the Walking People."
"Your Majesty, do you believe in love?" asked Colman.
"Love, my dear boy?" asked King James, almost incredulously before bursting in laughter. "You believe you love her? Colman, love is an illusion. There is attraction and nothing more. Find yourself a young man or a young woman, the fact is attraction is all there is. I love my queen not, in fact I only brought her along for court functions. I do have a lover at the moment, but like my affections for my queen, my attraction to them will fade, my boy. Your feelings for this lesser girl will fade as well, better find yourself a real woman now."
Colman did not acknowledge what the Stuart King had said. Why would he? What did a man who freely admitted to having no loyalty to his spouse know of love? There were many kinds, but did King James ever love his wife or any lover of his? Colman could only wonder.
Walking away from his monarch, Colman exited the cathedral. He wished to find Ruby, he wished to know she was alright.