Chapter 14 Summary

After dinner, the players are finally summoned to perform for the Lord. As they approach the private apartments of Richard de Guise, Nicolas notices a dark passageway that leads off in the opposite direction from where they are going. He sees a door open in the distance, and a stream of light peaks out as a nun exits. She is carrying cloths, and Nicolas recognizes the stench emanating from the room: she is tending to someone with the plague.

The players pass through an arched doorway into a small antechamber. They notice that despite ample room to perform, there is little space for an audience. The room is empty except for a single high-backed chair, and the players' costumes and masks are set up on the floor. Martin asks the steward why he was so hasty to pay the priest and oversee the...