With her father and the Duke of Richmond covering her back, Isabel Walton did not mention to anyone else about the unconventional plan to capture the Queen of Scots. On the surface, she is still doing her best to fulfill her duties, but behind the scenes, she is secretly planning and preparing the personnel, weapons, horses, tools, food, drink, and other supplies needed for the capture.

Ralph Earl, the younger brother of the chief of the Eastern Border Guard, actively assisted her in various preparations as instructed by the Duke. In addition, the two men discussed the living conditions and hostile attitudes of some of the people of the two countries living on the Anglo-Soviet border. Soon, the young squire developed a great curiosity about some of the tools Isabel had prepared.

On the morning of August 16, after Baldwin and others left the castle with letters, the squire Ralph Earl arrived in the Duke of Richmond's armory. When he saw the Duke's Privy Counsellor and several of the Duke's Bodyguards standing together and chatting about something, he walked towards the crowd.

After saluting each other, Ralph looked curiously at a crossbow in Guard's hand. He knew that it was a weapon captured by the Duke of Richmond from the enemy's flagship in the Scottish War. When the Duke left the court in the south, His Majesty gave the Duke a portion of the crossbow.

I saw Fast holding the crossbow in both hands, raising it at an angle and aiming at a certain place on the ceiling of the armory. Ralph, who was standing on one side, looked at the crossbow in his hand suspiciously, then turned to Isabel and asked, "Your Excellency, you need to fight with a Burgundian's crossbow?" You know, the crossbow is not as powerful as the longbow. ”

Isabel, who was standing with her arms folded, glanced at the squire, then at a crossbow made of wooden, tough European hornbeams, in Fast's hand, and said, "Squire, I don't need it for battle, I'll use it for other purposes." ”

At this time, Fast lowered his arms and smiled at Ralph with the crossbow in both hands, "Brother, you are wondering how your Excellency will use this crossbow, right?" ”

Ralph glanced at the two and shook his head silently. Seeing that he still did not understand, Isabel explained, "Squire, you can use the combination of the crossbow, the hook (anchor hook), and the rope to climb the walls of the castle. ”

"Climbing the walls of the castle? How? Ralph became even more curious.

"Squire, watch." With that, Fast pulled the bowstring back and hung it on the hook used to hang the string in front of the crossbow. Then, he took a crossbow and arrow with the iron arrow removed from the iron arrow and attached to a sturdy, sturdy iron three-handled hook, and placed it into the grooved arrow above the wooden arm of the crossbow where the arrow was placed. After placing the arrows, he explained to Ralph, "Squire, there is a long rope attached to the back of the arrows. ”

Then, holding the crossbow in firing with both hands, Fast took aim again at a certain position on the ceiling. Isabel, who was standing on the sidelines, explained, "When the arrow hits the top of the castle, the anchor hook in front of the arrow can be hung on the lookout hole in the wall. After that, we can climb into the castle using the rope attached behind the arrow. ”

"Your Excellency, this is a very good idea. I think it's even better than using trebuchets, siege towers, and rammers to breach castles. Ralph quickly understood what the Privy Counsellor was thinking, and complimented him again and again, "Your Excellency, this... A hook like three claws, did you come up with it? ”

Isabel smiled, "Squire, don't you think it's similar to the iron anchor of a sailboat?" An iron anchor can hold on to the stones on the bottom of the sea to stop the ship, and this thing allows us to climb up the castle. ”

Ralph, who lived in the town of Tweed Berwick near the North Sea, had seen the anchors of ships, and began to look at the Duke of Richmond's Privy Counsellor with admiration as he smiled. While a few people were chatting, Ralph glanced at the dozens of wooden boxes placed on the other side, and thought of the 240 Spanish arquebuses in the wooden boxes, and said proudly, "Your Excellency, when we appear in front of the Scots with arquebuses, the Scots will be scared to the core." ”

Isabel came to the wooden box where the arquebus was placed, glanced at the heavy arquebus in the box, and shook her head when she turned to look at the crowd, "Brothers, we can't use arquebuses in this sneak attack. ”

As soon as the words fell, several people, including Ralph, were stunned. After several people looked at each other, Fast said in a puzzled manner, "Your Excellency, if we can't use an arquebus, how are we going to deal with the Scots?" ”

Isabel returned to the crowd and simply asked, "What are you going to do if the gunfire attracts the soldiers and farmers in the castle or the noble manor to besiege us?" ”

"Your Excellency, I will bravely resist the Scots until they are all killed." Ralph replied with a puffed up chest.

"Very well, your courage will make the Scots fear you very much." Isabel nodded in praise and spoke to the crowd again, "But, you know, this time we are attacking the enemy in some Scottish castle or manor far from the Anglo-Soviet border. And we don't have more than 20 people. So, how do you fight hundreds or thousands of Scottish soldiers and farmers? ”

The stern expression and the brutal reality of the narration made the guards a little silent, and Fast whispered, "Just as the year before when he crossed the western border into the baron's castle, changed into a Scots costume and armor, and returned to England." ”

"Fast, tell me aloud if you have any opinions." Isabel looked coldly at the Duke's guard, who had been following her for many years.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency, I have no opinion." Fast hurriedly apologized.

Isabel ignored him and added, "The arquebus is heavy and needs to be carried in a wagon. In addition, the loading process is very cumbersome and slow, it cannot be used in windy and rainy weather, and the smoke from burning gunpowder after shooting is the reason why we cannot use arquebuses in sneak attacks. ”

Fast walked over to the wooden box with his crossbow and looked at the arquebuses neatly arranged in the box with regret. At this time, he thought of a question, turned his head and asked, "Your Excellency, I know that the steps of loading an arquebus with gunpowder and projectiles are cumbersome, and the loud sound of gunfire and smoke will also attract the attention of the enemy. However, once the guns of the merchant ships were fired, they would also arouse the alarm and resistance of the Scots. ”