Encore: Guy Fawkes | Plot | 3

The Gunpowder Plot lies in ruin. Fawkes is the first conspirator to face the wrath of the King, and unthinkable torture. With his life hanging in the balance, Fawkes must decide: martyr himself for a lost cause, or betray everything he believes in? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Alice Levine?

  Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of British Scandal ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Just a warning before we start, this episode contains descriptions of torture which some listeners may find disturbing.

• 0:15Alice Levine?

  Oh, thanks, Matt. I thought I'd lost that wallet. Cheers. Thank you.

• 0:18Matt Forde?

  No worries. I knew it was yours, just because obviously your photo ID in here. But I am slightly confused by some of the names on these.

• 0:25Alice Levine?

  What do you mean?

• 0:27Matt Forde?

  Well, on your driving licence, it's your photo, but the name is Alison Gaddafi.

• 0:32Alice Levine?

  Yeah, it's probably just a typo. They maybe couldn't read my handwriting or something on the form.

• 0:37Matt Forde?

  Yeah, good point. So just on your blockbuster membership card, the name's Alicia Al-Baghdadi.

• 0:43Alice Levine?

  Yes, yes, that is just a nickname from school.

• 0:47Matt Forde?

  Okay, I didn't know they'd let you do that. So there is just one other one that slightly bothered me. On your membership card of that coffee place you go to, your name's Alios the Jackal.

• 0:58Alice Levine?

  Ah, yes, that is my married name.

• 1:02Matt Forde?

  I didn't know you'd got married.

• 1:04Alice Levine?

  Well, I'm sadly no longer with Mr. Jackal.

• 1:07Matt Forde?

  I'm so sorry. I feel like a fool for bringing this up.

• 1:09Alice Levine?

  No, it's fine.

• 1:12Alice Levine?

  November the 7th, 1605, London. Robert Cecil's carriage thunders through the narrow winding alleyways. He presses his face against the window, eyes darting through the haze. He watches as merchants lock their doors early, as soldiers patrol in double ranks. Two days have passed since the failed gunpowder plot, but he knows they'll strike again. His spy network has reported whispers of another attack, this time within the walls of Hampton Court Palace. There's even talk of a Catholic army gathering in the north. His mind races as he snaps at the driver. Faster! King James wants answers, and he has none to give. The nameless prisoner in the

• 1:55Alice Levine?

  tower remains silent. He grips the armrest as the carriage sways and then comes to a sudden, violent standstill on embankment. He throws open the door in confusion as a group of king's guards race towards him. What is it? Speak! A breathless captain salutes, his words coming in gasps. Sir, there are rumours of men gathering near St Paul's. Armed men, sir. Cecil sees the fear etched on the guard's face. How many? His voice sounds sharper than he intended. We don't know, sir. Word came just minutes ago. He clenches his fists as he slams the carriage door shut. He must reach St Paul's before it's too late.

• 2:38Alice Levine?

  A few minutes later, Cecil leaps out as the carriage skids to a stop near St Paul's churchyard. He races towards the soldiers stationed at the gate. Sir, there's nothing here. No armed men. It appears it was just a false alarm. Cecil feels anger rise in his throat. I will not have this realm torn apart by your incompetence.

• 3:00Matt Forde?

  I love a false alarm. The relief. Come on, Cecil. At that point, you should say thank God for that.

• 3:07Alice Levine?

  It's like someone cancelling on you on the night. It's just lovely.

• 3:11Matt Forde?

  Oh, what?

• 3:12Alice Levine?

  Oh, no, just me. Have I showed my introverted hand?

• 3:17Matt Forde?

  Oh, yeah, that drives me mad if people cancel on the night.

• 3:19Alice Levine?

  I just think it's the biggest treat you can give someone.

• 3:22Matt Forde?

  Okay, next time we arrange to meet, you're going to get a heck of a treat.

• 3:28Alice Levine?

  But then Cecil's anger turns to panic. Is this some kind of distraction? He strides past the soldiers, searching for something, anything that would make sense of the situation. He has to think clearly. Then, from the corner of his eye, he sees one of his informants rushing towards him through the gravestones, face pale with urgency. Sir Cecil. Out with it, ma'am. Sir, we think we've identified the prisoner. We've caught his powder dealer. His name, his name is Guido.

• 4:02Alice Levine?

  Cecil lets the name roll on his tongue. Guido. He feels his eyes widen. The informant interrupts his contemplation. Guido Fawkes. Cecil rests his hands on one of the gravestones, looks up at the darkening sky. It's time to make this papist talk and shut down this Catholic uprising, once and for all.

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• 5:33Alice Levine?

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• 6:05Matt Forde?

  I'm Matt Fool.

• 6:06Alice Levine?

  And I'm Alice Levine.

• 6:07Matt Forde?

  And this is British Scandal, an Audible original.

• 6:23Alice Levine?

  So, Matt, when they told me we were doing this one, I thought, this is a story I will not need to brush up on. We all learnt about the gunpowder plot in primary school. But if we cast our minds back to the end of the last episode, Guy was being tortured by the king's spymaster.

• 6:37Matt Forde?

  Yes, that is the sort of gory detail we were not taught by Mr. Kelly at school.

• 6:43Alice Levine?

  And I think that that was a dereliction of his duty. He should definitely have found a way to describe in detail torture and capital punishment with year two.

• 6:51Matt Forde?

  He should. I mean, ironic, because he did give me the cane.

• 6:54Alice Levine?

  How old are you?

• 6:55Matt Forde?

  I was just very naughty.

• 6:57Alice Levine?

  We obviously know how this story ends. We've been reminded every year of our lives. But at this point in the story, whose side are you on?

• 7:05Matt Forde?

  It's a bit difficult because they are torturing Guy Fawkes, which I do disagree with on the whole. And King James, obviously, I don't agree with hereditary power in principle, and he's not united the country. Catholics are still being persecuted. But Guy Fawkes and his men want to blow up Parliament, and I don't agree with terrorism. I certainly don't agree with blowing up one of the most beautiful buildings on the planet.

• 7:28Alice Levine?

  So basically, I feel, in summary, you're just pretty glad you weren't alive in 1605.

• 7:33Matt Forde?

  Yes, I am delighted to live in an era of basic human rights, better sanitation, and it's who.

• 7:40Alice Levine?

  I know you mean that. This is episode three, Plot.

• 7:47Alice Levine?

  Early morning, November 5th, 1605, London. Thomas Percy paces the creaking floorboards of his secret lodgings. Guy was due to meet him an hour ago with news of the plot's success. Come on, Guy. Where in God's name are you? Unable to bear the suspense any longer, he grabs his cloak and steps out into the brisk morning air.

• 8:11Matt Forde?

  I know a lot of conditions were worse in the 17th century for people living in London. But the thought of putting on a cloak is so much more enticing than me putting on a mac and a sack.

• 8:22Alice Levine?

  Oh, do you think?

• 8:23Matt Forde?

  I think there's been a lot of progress since then. All I'm saying is, I think certain things have got worse.

• 8:27Alice Levine?

  I definitely thought you were a cag and a bad guy, but also, I think a cloak sounds cumbersome. A wool cloak. Can you imagine if it rained? You'd just be like, be like dragging around a pelt.

• 8:37Matt Forde?

  Yeah, but on your family photos, you'd look great.

• 8:41Alice Levine?

  Percy takes in the familiar London skyline. He looks up at St Paul's Cathedral, spots a thick plume of smoke in the distance. His heart leaps. Could it be the ruins of Parliament? He almost bounces forward until he stops and stares in confusion. There's a second plume of smoke, this one coming from south of the river. He spins around as he sees a third and a fourth. He realises with growing unease that the smoke is coming from hundreds of bonfires blazing at street corners. He turns onto Fleet Street. Snatches of conversation reach his ears. Something's happening in Westminster. The king summoned Parliament in the dead of night.

• 9:26Alice Levine?

  A window shatters nearby, causing Percy to flinch. He looks at the shop, realises that it's a Catholic shop. His eyes flick from one storefront to another, all smashed windows, all owned by Catholics. He pulls his hat lower, trying to blend in with the crowd as cries ring out. Death to the papists! Percy pushes through the mob, keeping his head down. Sweat begins to soak through his fine linen shirt.

• 9:58Alice Levine?

  Unlikely the cloak, I'm just saying.

• 10:00Matt Forde?

  Okay, I'm going off the cloak.

• 10:01Alice Levine?

  I feel in this time, a wicking layer is exactly what you'd need.

• 10:04Matt Forde?

  But a wicking layer just what, gets sweat away from the skin?

• 10:07Alice Levine?

  Yes. Dads like wicking layers. Dads talk about wicking a lot.

• 10:11Matt Forde?

  But do you know what? That's the sort of stuff I used to wear to record this podcast. And I remember you making a comment about all my clothes having like a football crest on. And I've actually changed what I wear.

• 10:21Alice Levine?

  Oh God. Wait, am I your stylist?

• 10:25Matt Forde?

  Um, is that, is that the same as tormentor? Does that mean the same thing?

• 10:29Alice Levine?

  I am flawed by this.

• 10:30Matt Forde?

  I think you've done my wife a huge favour.

• 10:34Alice Levine?

  He freezes as a patrol of the King's Guard approaches, their polished breastplates glinting in the early morning light. Percy's about to duck into a nearby alley when a booming voice calls out. Thomas Percy! Percy straightens and fixes a smile on his face. Captain, what a surprise. I was just... But the guard cuts in. I could use an extra pair of hands. There's been an attempt on Parliament. Catholic plot. We're rounding up suspects. Percy keeps his face neutral. Caught one of the bastards red-handed in the cellars. Percy feels like he's going to be sick. Ca- ca- caught someone?

• 11:18Alice Levine?

  The King's Guard glances at the destruction around him. Lord Cecil's got his eye on a few men. The guard continues. Powerful, some of them, I hear. Percy taps his buckled boot on the cobbled street. He tries to focus his mind. He has to warn Catesby and the others before it's too late. A jeering crowd provides the distraction he needs. I'll manage the crowd. Uh, can't have this rabble interfering with official business, can we? The captain nods. Tipping his hat, Percy edges back. Then slips away into a side alley and disappears into London's maze of streets. Because the real danger, he knows, is just beginning.

• 12:09Alice Levine?

  November the 7th, 1605, the White Tower, London. Guy winces as he feels his body stretched taut on the rack.

• 12:19Matt Forde?

  I don't want to belittle the genuine suffering that people felt on this device. The first-

• 12:25Alice Levine?

  I'll pause you there. Think about what you're gonna say.

• 12:28Matt Forde?

  Ah, I refuse to do that. The first turn or two-

• 12:32Alice Levine?

  Oh my god.

• 12:32Matt Forde?

  You must think, "That looked pretty good." It would slim you off the first couple of notches, wouldn't it? You'd think, "Oh, actually, that's quite comfortable." A really good stretch is a nice feeling.

• 12:43Alice Levine?

  His muscles tense. His breath hitches in his raw throat.

• 12:50Alice Levine?

  Sweat stings his eyes as light floods his cell. He squints against the brightness, his vision swimming with dark spots. As his swollen eyes adjust, he sees a figure silhouetted in the doorway. Even through his pain-blurred vision, Guy recognises the fine cut of the man's doublet. The King's spymaster, Robert Cecil.

• 13:15Alice Levine?

  Well, well, still with us, are we?

• 13:20Alice Levine?

  Guy's heart hammers against his ribcage. He flexes his wrists, feeling the bite of iron shackles against oozing raw skin. I know nothing. Cecil chuckles coldly as his cane strikes the floor. Oh, I think you do, Guy, Fawkes. Guy feels a sickness warm in the pit of his stomach as Cecil smiles. Bring her in. Guy strains to see past Cecil. Your devotion to your Catholic brothers is admirable, but is it worth her suffering? There, a glimpse of a familiar figure, shoulders slumped, their eyes meet, and Guy's heart shatters.

• 14:06Alice Levine?

  Guy. Her whisper reaches him, fragile and broken. My son, what have they done to you?

• 14:16Matt Forde?

  Don't bring his mum into it. There are rules of engagement, surely. I think that's against the Geneva Convention.

• 14:23Alice Levine?

  Guy watches in horror as Cecil orders two guards to step forward. They drag his mother toward another rack, her feet scraping against the stone floor. The names of your co-conspirators, now. Guy's arms burn as he struggles against his restraints, but the leather bites deeper into his wrists. He flinches as his mother's wrists and ankles are bound tight. Her breathing grows shallow, her eyes lock onto his, wide with terror.

• 14:55Matt Forde?

  You'll actually enjoy the first couple of turns.

• 14:57Alice Levine?

  I, I can't believe you're doubling down. I actually can't believe it. You're a monster.

• 15:01Matt Forde?

  It's like a good stretch. Mum, you'll enjoy the first couple of turns, and then I might start piping up after that.

• 15:07Alice Levine?

  The rack cranks once.

• 15:11Alice Levine?

  He feels Cecil's breath hot in his ear. Every moment you resist, she inches closer to death. The names. The faces of his brothers-in-arms swim before Guy. Catesby, Percy, Winter, Wright. Men he'd die for, men he'd kill for. A smell of incense fills his nostrils. He thinks of the Holy Catholic Church, of what they're fighting for, of the revolution. Guy, please. The sound of his mother's pleading voice breaks Guy's reverie. He looks across at her, at the agony etched across her face.

• 15:53Alice Levine?

  Okay, Cecil, I'll, I'll tell you.

• 15:59Alice Levine?

  Cecil thrusts a document in front of Guy's face. The words swim before his eyes. But he recognises it for what it is: a confession.

• 16:10Alice Levine?

  Guy's shaking hand takes the quill and painfully begins to scribble his name. Cecil's stern expression doesn't waver. And the names, Fawkes. Slowly, Guy lowers the quill once more. He knows he's sealing the fate of his co-conspirators, his friends. But right now, all he cares about is saving the only person who's ever really cared for him. He watches, almost detached, as his hand begins to form the letters. P-E-R. The name comes from somewhere deep down inside. Percy. Thomas Percy.

• 17:02Alice Levine?

  Six hours later, Grayson Road, London. Silas Robb crouches in the shadows across from Thomas Percy's London residence. His weathered face, half-hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat, bears the marks of a life spent in service to the Crown as one of Cecil's intelligences.

• 17:21Matt Forde?

  Is intelligences a real word?

• 17:23Alice Levine?

  Did you think I just made it up on the spot? It wouldn't be the first time. So, Robert Cecil's intelligences are, I guess, the first example of something like the Secret Service. They're spies and they operate across Europe. They're sometimes merchants. They're mainly commenting on naval activities and reporting back to Robert Cecil. So, they're his eyes and ears.

• 17:44Matt Forde?

  Just such a bad job title. I'm an intelligencer. At the very least, special intelligence agent.

• 17:53Alice Levine?

  Robb's calloused fingers trace a scar on his face as he watches the house. Come on out, you Catholic dog. I know you're in there. Robb tenses as a cloaked figure appears and slips in the side entrance.

• 18:10Alice Levine?

  He waits a second before crossing the street.

• 18:14Alice Levine?

  He carefully retrieves a set of lockpicks from his coat, eases the door open, and slips inside. His hand rests on the hilt of his dagger as he surveys the moonlit interior. Discarded papers litter the floor. Half-packed trunks spill their contents onto worn floorboards. He slips deeper into the house until he rounds a corner and freezes outside a closed door. Robb presses himself against the wall, hardly daring to breathe. His hand tightens on his dagger as the door handle starts to turn.

• 18:50Alice Levine?

  He sidesteps across the doorframe, dagger drawn. A startled scream pierces the air and he comes face to face, not with Thomas Percy, but with a wide-eyed chambermaid.

• 19:04Alice Levine?

  For a split second, Robb considers silencing her there and then, but information is worth more than a quick kill. Please don't hurt me. I'm just here to clean. Robb lowers his dagger but keeps it visible. He can smell the fear radiating off her, see the rapid pulse in her throat. Looks like I've found myself a little bird, and you're gonna sing for me, aren't you, love?

• 19:30Alice Levine?

  He takes a step closer. I, I don't know anything. Robb's eyes narrow. He's heard that lie a thousand times before. His fingers flex on the dagger's hilt. Oh, I think you do. Where's Thomas Percy?

• 19:48Alice Levine?

  Robb freezes, hearing footsteps on the cobbled street. His eyes dart to the terrified chambermaid as the footsteps pause just outside the front door. Not a sound, or we'll both regret it. Robb's heart pounds in his ears. He waits. Then the footsteps resume, fading into the distance. He turns back to the maid, his voice low and dangerous. I believe you were about to tell me the whereabouts of Thomas Percy. He watches her face, noting every twitch, then slams his hand on a nearby table. He, he left yesterday in an hurry, said- Something about meeting friends up north.

• 20:32Alice Levine?

  Where?

• 20:33Matt Forde?

  I think they were going out on the Lashing Sheffield, but I can't remember. Is it the lead mill?

• 20:38Alice Levine?

  He leans in closer. I overheard him mention some ass. Holbeck, I think. But please, that's all I know. Rob grins to himself. He knows Holbeck. The hunt is on. And he won't rest until Thomas Percy and his co-conspirators are in chains.

• 21:03Alice Levine?

  November the eighth, sixteen oh five. Holbeck House, Staffordshire. Thomas Percy's horse thunders through the dense forest. His once immaculate doublet, now torn, clings to his body as he leans low over the saddle. He squints through the rain, his heart pounding in sync with the hoofbeats.

• 21:24Alice Levine?

  He jolts forward as his horse startles. It rears on its hind legs. Percy clings to the reins, desperately pats his horse as he brings it to a standstill. Easy now. He yanks a sodden piece of parchment from his pocket, a crudely drawn map. It's the best he could muster in his rush to escape London and reach Holbeck House. Squinting through the rain, he struggles to make out the fading ink. With a curse, he stuffs it back into his pocket. Damn this darkness. He digs his heels into his horse's flanks, propels the beast onwards through a tangle of thorny brambles. His mind races as he thinks of Guy, the torture he's enduring.

• 22:07Alice Levine?

  If Catesby's gathered enough men in the north to march on London, his Catholic army as promised, they might yet be able to rescue their friend and turn the tide. The trees begin to thin. Percy's heart leaps as he spots a grand house looming through the gloom. Thank God. He bursts through the tree line. The house stands dark and silent. Percy's exhausted horse stumbles into the courtyard.

• 22:37Alice Levine?

  Catesby, open up.

• 22:42Alice Levine?

  Percy can't help but throw his arms around the haggard Robert Catesby the moment the door opens. But his stomach drops as he looks over his friend's shoulder, seeing only a handful of men. Where are they? The army? We need to move quickly. Cecil has released arrest warrants. I- But Catesby cuts in, dejected. They haven't come, Percy. It's just us.

• 23:08Alice Levine?

  Percy freezes, disbelief etched on his face. What? But you said, thousands of Catholic men, ready to rise up. Catesby's voice is quiet, almost apologetic. I may have overestimated our support.

• 23:30Alice Levine?

  Fury bubbles up in Percy's chest, hot and choking. He grabs Catesby by the collar. Exaggerated. Do you realise what I've risked to get here? What Guy has risked? Their argument is cut short by a shout from the lookout. Riders approaching, at least two dozen. Percy's eyes light up with renewed hope. There, you see? Our allies have come after all. Percy charges out to the courtyard, eager to greet the horsemen approaching over the hill. But his scalp tightens in creeping horror as the lantern light reveals the distinctive red and gold liveries of King James's men.

• 24:12Alice Levine?

  Percy feels the colour drain from his face. The advancing hooves grow as loud as thunder as the reality of their situation sinks in. He dashes back inside and looks at each face, friends, brothers in arms. Gentlemen, this is not the end. The night is dark, but dawn always comes. He grips his pistol tighter, a smile playing on his lips. For England, for our true faith, and for the chance that our fight here might yet ignite the spark of change.

• 24:49Alice Levine?

  Ducks as the first volley of musket fire shatters the windows. Percy exchanges a final look with Catesby. No more words needed. They'll face this battle together, united to the end.

• 25:04Alice Levine?

  He raises his pistol and then his voice and shouts over the growing noise. We are Englishmen. We surrender to no one.

• 25:19Matt Forde?

  That famous phrase now uttered, of course, every other summer by topless men in foreign piazzas.

• 25:28Alice Levine?

  And it makes us proud.

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• 25:59Speaker 03

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• 26:36Alice Levine?

  January the twentieth, sixteen oh six. Palace of Whitehall, London.

• 26:43Alice Levine?

  Attorney General Sir Edward Coke pauses before the ornate doors of the King's Privy Chamber. He straightens his richly embroidered black robes and strides in. At fifty-three, Coke cuts an imposing figure. Tall, broad-shouldered, with penetrating dark eyes that miss nothing. As Attorney General, he stands as the preeminent legal mind in the country and, in his own estimation, the greatest lawmaker of his generation. He kneels before the King, whose eyes remain fixed on an astrological chart in his lap. Coke's lips thin with barely disguised disapproval. As a man of reason and law, he has little patience for such superstitious nonsense.

• 27:27Alice Levine?

  He feels a flash of frustration as the King mutters to himself. Mercury in retrograde, Mars ascendant, ill almonds, ill almonds indeed. Coke clears his throat, his mind already cataloguing the important matters of state they need to discuss instead of this astrological drivel. The King seems to notice him for the first time.

• 27:51Alice Levine?

  Ah, rise, Sir Edward. Coke stands and fixes the King with a gaze that has made hardened criminals and powerful nobles quake. I suppose you're familiar with the name Guy Fawkes. Coke looks at the King with confusion. The entire nation knows the name Guy Fawkes. He searches for an appropriate reply, but the King continues, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. This entire wretched affair is extremely malefic. It's shaking the very foundations of our country. I require more than justice. I, I need a reckoning. King James fixes him with a penetrating look.

• 28:33Alice Levine?

  A reckoning I want you to lead. Coke's ears prick up. Your Majesty, I assure you, the full weight of the law will be brought to bear on Guy Fawkes and all of these traitors. A public trial will demonstrate the Crown's strength and the plotter's depravity. James cuts him off. Not just depravity, their faith, man. We must show that their treachery is rooted in their papist beliefs. I need a spectacle that will crush the very spirit of Catholicism.

• 29:08Matt Forde?

  Well, they did try that when they crucified Jesus and it didn't work.

• 29:12Alice Levine?

  But maybe it's been long enough? I don't know, I just want to point that out in case you've forgotten.

• 29:15Matt Forde?

  It seems to make them stronger, sir.

• 29:18Alice Levine?

  Coke's hands tighten imperceptibly at his sides. He's no fan of the Catholic- But he refuses to bypass the law. He knows he needs to choose his words with care. Sire, if I may, the law is our surest defence against chaos. A trial conducted with utmost adherence to legal procedure will not only convict these men, but will demonstrate the strength and fairness of your majesty's rule. The king drums his fingers on his armrest. And you can guarantee that this legal procedure will give us the outcome we require?

• 29:59Alice Levine?

  Coke hesitates, but he also senses an opportunity, and he's an ambitious man. I stake my reputation on it, sire. It will excise this cancer from our land. Coke's words hang in the air before the king. Very well, Sir Edward. See that justice is done, because if it isn't, it won't just be the plotter's heads on the chopping block.

• 30:25Matt Forde?

  Ah, when I said it would fully excise the cancer, I think we need a long trial, very long trial. Oh, God, what have I done?

• 30:37Alice Levine?

  Coke bows. Then, as he turns to leave, a flicker of anticipation crosses his face. It's time to put his skills to the test. This trial will be his blade to cut Catholicism from the very fabric of the nation.

• 30:58Alice Levine?

  January 27, 1606, River Thames, London. Guy inhales the salty air as the prison barge rounds the bend of the Thames. It's his first taste of the outside world since his arrest three months ago. He takes in the imposing silhouette of Parliament. His eyes settle on the riverbank entrance, now heavily guarded, where he and Percy carried in 36 barrels of gunpowder. He clings to the hope even now that Catesby's forces will soon descend upon London, igniting the Catholic Revolution he still dreams of. The thought steals his resolve as the barge continues its journey towards Westminster Hall.

• 31:41Alice Levine?

  They finally dock, and as Guy is led off, he hears the crowd roar, their faces blurring into a sea of hostility. Move it, Forks! He's marched up the steps and through a side entrance to a small, dank holding cell. The court will summon you shortly. Enjoy your last moments of peace. As the door slams shut, Guy realizes he's not alone. A figure emerges from the shadows. He hopes for a moment it might be his mother, and his heart sinks at the outline of Robert Cecil. Mr. Forks, so good of you to join us. Guy collapses on a small wooden stool. I've told you everything.

• 32:27Alice Levine?

  He fixes his eyes on a spot on the floor. It's now my turn to share some information with you. Guy looks up in confusion. He notices that Cecil is holding a Hessian sack. Guy feels his mouth turn dry as Cecil carefully unties the topknot, gently reaches inside, and then violently throws a severed head onto the stone floor with a thud. Guy falls off the stool in horror as he takes in the bluish skin and exposed spine protruding from the base of the skull. Dried blood splatters its face, matting its hair around the bulging whites of its eyes. Guy feels himself wretch and then vomit onto the floor.

• 33:13Alice Levine?

  I thought you'd like to be reacquainted with your good friend, Robert Catesby.

• 33:20Matt Forde?

  Yeah, but not like this.

• 33:23Alice Levine?

  Guy recoils as he hears another thud. A second severed head hits the floor. Oh, I'm not finished. Guy can't bear to look. He knows it's Percy. He collapses to his knees, his body shaking with horror and grief. Your Catholic uprising dies with them, Forks, and soon with you. Guy's eyes fall on the back of Percy's head, and for the first time, he wishes he was dead too. Plead guilty, Mr. Forks. It will lessen your suffering. Guy can't understand why Cecil hasn't killed him too.

• 34:06Alice Levine?

  He looks back up at the king's spymaster as he starts to realise. Is that what you need? You need me to plead guilty in public? Guy slowly drags himself to his feet. And deny my faith? Never. You've taken their lives, Cecil, but you'll not take our cause.

• 34:27Matt Forde?

  Whatever side you're on in this, the stamina that he's got is incredible.

• 34:32Alice Levine?

  Unbelievable.

• 34:33Matt Forde?

  And the resilience. I mean, even at that point, I'd be like, okay, I'll deny it. Just let's get this over and done with quickly. I love Protestantism, and I love the King.

• 34:45Alice Levine?

  Guy watches Cecil's smirk fade, replaced by the look of cold calculation. Very well, Mr. Forks. As Cecil walks away, Guy is left alone with the grim evidence of his failed plot. He knows the packed courtroom awaits: the judges, the prosecutor, and the weight of the entire English legal system. Guy knows this is his final battleground, and he intends to make one last stand, one last desperate move that might yet salvage something from this disaster. Whatever awaits him in that courtroom, he still has one last act of defiance left in him.

• 35:30Alice Levine?

  A few hours later, Westminster Hall, London.

• 35:35Alice Levine?

  Sir Edward Coke's keen eyes survey the grand chamber. Ornate tapestries adorn the stone walls. High vaulted ceilings echo with whispers of anticipation in the packed courtroom.

• 35:47Matt Forde?

  This is one of the best parts of the Houses of Parliament. It's the oldest surviving part, and when they were doing restoration work on it a few years ago, they found old tennis balls right up in the windows. And this used to be used Westminster Hall because it was a royal palace for big banquets and parties. And they think some of those old tennis balls might have been Henry VIII's.

• 36:08Alice Levine?

  No.

• 36:09Matt Forde?

  And this is the hall where the Queen lay in state, where Churchill lay in state, where the public would queue up and walk around the coffin. It's also where Charles I's trial was upon the steps of Westminster Hall. It's where Obama addressed both Houses of Parliament. And my favourite bit, there used to be, before they repaired the floor, this big hole in the floor, like water damage, and it was right under the spot where after Cromwell was overthrown and the monarch took back control of the country, they dug up Cromwell's bones from Westminster Abbey, put his corpse on trial, and they hung his severed head from the ceiling of Westminster Hall. And all this gunk dripped out of it, created the original hole, and then years of water damage added to it.

• 36:49Matt Forde?

  So you could just walk through Westminster Hall and walk over and touch this original hole.

• 36:56Alice Levine?

  Oh, my God.

• 36:57Matt Forde?

  Yeah, and that's where Forks is. So like, it's the epicentre of so many major moments in British history.

• 37:04Alice Levine?

  Coke fixes Mr. Forks with a piercing stare as he enters. A confident smile dances across his lips. This trial will be the crowning achievement of his career, a swift and decisive blow that will forever eradicate Catholicism in this country. He just needs to extract guilty verdicts from each of the conspirators. Coke adjusts his crisp, white ruff. The hall falls silent, all eyes fixed upon him. We are gathered here today to address a matter of treason. His gaze lingers on Mr. Forks before he turns to the room, drinking in the gravitas of the moment. Coke can feel the weight of history, and he intends to make the most of it.

• 37:50Alice Levine?

  It is a plot so horrifying, no human tongue has ever spoken of its like. Coke faces the prisoners, his gaze locking onto Forks. You stand accused of conspiring to blow up the King, Lords, and Commons. Many of those you wish to kill... Are gathered here today. He looks pointedly at several nobles in the gallery. Let us not forget, my lords and gentlemen, that this man was caught red-handed. Thirty-six barrels of gunpowder, enough to reduce this palace, this very room, to rubble.

• 38:34Alice Levine?

  He pauses, allowing the enormity of the crime to sink in. Shock and outrage ripple through the crowd before he reaches for a document on the table before him and unfurls the signed confession with a flourish. An act of treason the accused has already confessed to. The courtroom falls deathly quiet as all eyes focus on the damning piece of evidence.

• 39:02Alice Levine?

  How do you answer these charges? His jaw clenches, a vein pulsing in his temple as he waits for the response. Not guilty.

• 39:15Alice Levine?

  A collective gasp passes through the courtroom. Coke feels King James's eyes bore into him from his throne in the audience. Mr. Fawkes, you were apprehended in the act. I have a confession. How can you deny your guilt?

• 39:35Alice Levine?

  Coke leans forward, the edge of the oak table pressing into his palms. I was but a servant, following orders. A servant? To God and my conscience, my lord. Coke's nostrils flare, anger rising in his throat. You mean the Pope and his devilish doctrine? He hears a few whispers of agreement from the crowd. The law of England is clear on the matter of treason. But Guy interrupts. I deny that my faith is treason. The law you speak of oppresses Catholics. It forces us to choose between our earthly monarch and our heavenly Father.

• 40:20Alice Levine?

  Coke tugs at his collar. He glances at the king, sees fury etched across James's face.

• 40:28Matt Forde?

  Which you can totally understand because that phrase that he's used, earthly monarch and heavenly Father, is a direct attack on the legitimacy of the king. Because kings and queens believe themselves not just to be appointed by God to be his people on earth, but literally descended from Jesus. So what he's saying there isn't just anti-establishment, it's treason and blasphemy all rolled into one.

• 40:55Alice Levine?

  Yes, at this point you'd be like, ooh. Your lawyer probably would suggest not using such inflammatory language, but as it happens, traitors weren't allowed lawyers. So he's just, he's freewheeling. He's absolutely freestyling here.

• 41:08Alice Levine?

  Mr. Fawkes, I must remind you that our monarch is God's representative, to which your, your faith is clearly antithetical. Catholicism is at odds with the very structure, the very fabric of our society. Coke feels himself finding his stride. Your plot attacked God's own mandate. It would have killed innocents. How does your Catholic conscience justify such slaughter? Fawkes replies coolly. How does your law justify the slaughter of innocent Catholics? The crowd stirs.

• 41:46Matt Forde?

  He's got a fair point there, actually. Never thought of it that way around. Does, uh, does make you think, doesn't it?

• 41:52Alice Levine?

  Coke sees some sympathetic glances towards Fawkes and realizes he's losing the jury. Enough of this philosophical debate. You were caught red-handed. I ask you plainly, do you admit your guilt in conspiring against His Majesty and the realm of England?

• 42:14Alice Levine?

  A tense silence falls over the courtroom.

• 42:18Alice Levine?

  I admit that I acted to defend my faith against unjust laws. If that is treason, then so be it. Coke's shoulders sag. You see before you a man who would twist the very notion of justice to justify his treasonous acts. The law is clear, and it shall be upheld. As the jury retire and Fawkes is led away, Coke gathers his papers with trembling hands. For the first time in his career, doubt drowns him. He wonders, has he underestimated Guy Fawkes?

• 43:08Alice Levine?

  January the 31st, 1606, Westminster Hall.

• 43:14Alice Levine?

  Guy takes a deep, shaky breath, willing himself not to collapse as he's led back into the Great Hall to face his verdict. He feels every eye upon him, nobles and commoners alike. The gallery is packed with a sea of faces. His eyes sweep across the room, taking in the imposing throne where King James sits. His face puce with anger.

• 43:38Alice Levine?

  He tries not to flinch. Instead, he catches Coke's eye. A flicker of satisfaction passes through him. Guy stands tall in the dock, willing his legs not to shake, and the jury enters.

• 43:53Alice Levine?

  Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict? The foreman stands, his voice clear and unwavering. We have, my lord.

• 44:05Alice Levine?

  We find the prisoner, Guy Fawkes, guilty of high treason against His Majesty, King James.

• 44:14Alice Levine?

  A roar erupts from the spectators. Guy spots his mother's bowed head in the gallery. The chief justice raises his hand, silencing the crowd. His gaze fixes on Guy, his voice resonating through the hall.

• 44:31Alice Levine?

  Guy Fawkes, you have been found guilty of high treason against our sovereign lord, King James. It falls to me now to pass sentence. You shall be hanged by the neck, but cut down whilst still living. The room grows deathly quiet. Guy can hear his own heartbeat, rapid and loud in his ears.

• 44:57Alice Levine?

  You shall be taken from this place to the Tower of London. From there, you will be drawn backwards on a hurdle through the streets of London to the place of execution. He pauses, his next words deliberate and chilling.

• 45:16Alice Levine?

  Your privy parts will be cut off and burned before your eyes. Your bows and entrails will be removed and burned, again while you yet live.

• 45:30Alice Levine?

  Guy feels a wave of terror wash over him.

• 45:33Matt Forde?

  Desperate to hear the words, suspended for 12 months.

• 45:37Alice Levine?

  Then shall your head be removed and your body divided into four parts. These parts are to be disposed of at His Majesty's pleasure, and your head shall be set upon a pike on London Bridge.

• 45:53Alice Levine?

  The judge's voice softens slightly.

• 45:57Alice Levine?

  May God have mercy on your soul.

• 46:03Matt Forde?

  Good of him to end on a nice bit.

• 46:05Alice Levine?

  Yours sincerely, Chief Justice. I mean, the detail, the brutal, barbaric detail, this is the exact sentence. To have conjured that up is just so monstrous.

• 46:19Matt Forde?

  I wonder which part of it got the first ooh from the crowd? I'm gonna go with your privy parts being cut off and burned before your eyes.

• 46:26Alice Levine?

  This really does feel like a no ideas, a bad ideas moment, a kind of blue-sky-thinking idea storm. What did you say, entrails? I love that, Judy. I know, I love that. No, don't, that's a great idea. What was that? Head on a spike? We don't do that anymore, do we? We went through a real head-on-a-spike phase. I think bring it back.

• 46:43Matt Forde?

  Left field, because I know we've got a lot of terrible stuff in already. Could we, could we chop off his privy parts and burn them in front of his face?

• 46:53Alice Levine?

  Gina, no matter what it is, you always want to talk about the privy parts. I think you need to look at that, actually.

• 47:00Alice Levine?

  Guy feels the rough hands of the guards lead him away as the court erupts into chaos. Traitor! God save the king! Guy's gaze locks with Coke's. He doesn't see triumph in his prosecutor's eyes, but a flicker of grudging respect.

• 47:20Alice Levine?

  Guy thinks of the families forced to practice their religion in secret. The priests hiding, the constant fear. A grin spreads across Guy's face. He realizes that while they can execute him, they cannot kill what he represents. His act of defiance, his willingness to die for his faith, these will live on. He's no longer just a man, but a symbol. And symbols have a power all of their own.

• 47:59Speaker 03

  By 1779, Benedict Arnold had sacrificed more for the revolution than almost any other man in America. One of George Washington's most effective commanders, he had nearly lost a leg in the Second Battle of Saratoga. But in return, Arnold believed he had been humiliated by Congress and cheated of his glory by lesser men, so he decided to make them pay. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in US history. Presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on his comrades in the Continental Army and secretly defects to the British. With the help of his wife, he plots to hand over the most important colonial fortress to the enemy.

• 48:44Speaker 03

  And doom the revolution he once served. Follow American Scandal wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American Scandal early and ad free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. For decades, two legendary brands fought for the hearts of American bikers, Indian Motorcycle and Harley Davidson. The battle looked a lot like Coke versus Pepsi or Ford versus Chevy, but tastes changed and Indian didn't adapt fast enough. The icon all but died. Then came the con men, the dreamers, a string of spectacular failures that kept Indian in the grave, until one company finally got it right. This is the story of an improbable revival and the reignition of an old rivalry.

• 49:28Speaker 03

  Hey, I'm David Brown, the host of the podcast Business Wars, and every season we bring you the true stories behind the companies that shape our world. Indian's new owners are going all in, but an existential crisis looms. Can Indian and Harley recruit enough younger riders to survive? Make sure to follow Business Wars wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Business Wars early and ad free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 50:00Alice Levine?

  January 31st, 1606, Old Palace Yard, Westminster. Guy winces as the wooden hurdle he's strapped to scrapes over London's cobblestones, each jolt sending pain through his tortured body. Icy air knives into his lungs with every hard-fought breath. The crowd's cheers blend into a dull roar as Parliament looms in the middle distance against the white sky. His heart pounds faster, but a single thought crystallizes. He will not break. Not now, not ever. Twenty minutes later, the bells of St.

• 50:40Alice Levine?

  Margaret's toll eight, each peal echoing through Guy's battered body. He staggers forward, his chains clinking with each agonizing step. Soft snow falls around him, blanketing the yard white, erasing his footsteps as he walks. Guy's gaze fixes on the gallows looming before him. Behind it stands Parliament, the building he desperately wanted to destroy. His heart pounds, counting down the final moments. In the crowd, he looks for his mother, but his swollen eyes can barely differentiate between faces through the snowfall. An official's voice cuts through the winter air, reading the charges.

• 51:25Alice Levine?

  Guy Fawkes, you have been found guilty of high treason against His Majesty, King James. Guy tunes out the voice, his attention drawn to the executioner and to the rope swaying gently before him. The bell tolls for you, Fawkes. Guy bites back a groan as they guide him into position. The coarse, frozen hemp of the noose scratches against his skin as the executioner loops it around his neck. The crowd falls silent, the hush only broken by the soft patter of snowflakes.

• 52:07Alice Levine?

  Each breath he takes feels painfully loud in his own ears. As he prepares to climb the scaffold, Guy's focus is drawn to a hooded figure in the crowd. For a moment, he thinks he sees a familiar face, perhaps a fellow conspirator come to witness his end. The figure nods almost imperceptibly, and Guy vows to not break, even now. He begins to climb the ladder, each rung creaking under his weight. His muscles scream in protest, every movement a battle against his tortured body and the pull of the rope. Any last words, traitor?

• 52:51Alice Levine?

  Guy reaches the highest rung of the ladder. For a fleeting moment, he stands there, an odd calm settling over him. He locks eyes with the hooded man in the crowd, a flicker of his final defiance. Not by your hand. The executioner hesitates. Guy draws himself up to his full height, takes one last look at the crowd. Ave Maria, Gracia plena. May Our Lady have mercy on us all. He pushes off from the ladder, leaping into the void before the executioner has time to react.

• 53:35Alice Levine?

  Pain explodes as the rope tightens around his neck, and he feels a strange calm as darkness closes in. They were so close to tearing this country in two. They came closer than anyone has before. A sense of grim satisfaction flickers through Guy's fading consciousness, before the world and his dreams of Catholic revolution fades to white.

• 54:16Alice Levine?

  Thomas Percy was killed during a shootout with the Sheriff of Worcester's men at Holbeck House on November 8th, 1605. His head was later displayed on a spike at London Bridge as a warning to other would-be traitors. Robert Cecil, first Earl of Salisbury, continued to serve as James I's chief minister until his death in 1612. He's known as being one of the fathers of modern spycraft. King James I used the failure of the gunpowder plot to crush Catholicism in Britain. That very year, he made it law that every November 5th, an effigy of Guy Fawkes should be burned. This was to remind the people of what happens when you try to kill a king.

• 54:58Alice Levine?

  He ruled until his death in 1625. Guy Fawkes's legacy lives on, but not necessarily in the way King James wanted it to. Guy has become an inspiration, his face immortalized by the anonymous mask. His likeness has been used in protests and riots across the world. Okay, Matt, next week, I need you to pack your waterproof, your antihistamines, and a pack lunch, which I know for you means a packet of crisps and ham sandwich, because we are going on a field trip.

• 55:32Matt Forde?

  I can see how that sounds cool, but I do like our warm studio and I like being comfortable. Whatever it is, can we not just do it over Zoom?

• 55:41Alice Levine?

  No, no, I know, but I actually think you're gonna want to come to this one because we are going to the Tower of London.

• 55:46Matt Forde?

  Okay, that's cool.

• 55:47Alice Levine?

  Not only that, but we are going to go into the room where Guy Fawkes's interrogation took place, and we will be speaking to Dr. Olden Gregory, who knows everything there is to know about what happened to Guy Fawkes from the point he was arrested.

• 56:01Matt Forde?

  Did he interrogate him?

• 56:02Alice Levine?

  No, that doesn't make sense.

• 56:08Matt Forde?

  You've been listening to British Scandal, an Audible original, produced by Audible with Samizdat, hosted by me, Matt Ford.

• 56:15Alice Levine?

  And me, Alice Levine. This is the third episode in our series, Guy Fawkes.

• 56:22Matt Forde?

  A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research.

• 56:30Alice Levine?

  If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read Faith and Treason by Antonia Fraser and The Real Guy Fawkes by Nick Holland. British Scandal is hosted by me, Alice Levine.

• 56:41Matt Forde?

  And me, Matt Ford.

• 56:42Alice Levine?

  Written by Andy Sheridan. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor is James Maniac. Sound design by Richard Ward. For Samizdat, our producer is Chica Ayers. Our assistant producer is Redsey Bernard. The executive producers for Samizdat were Joe Sykes and Dasha Lisitzina. Executive producers for Audible were Theodora Leludis and Estelle Doyle. Journalist Tristan Redman goes where no son-in-law should ever go, deep into his wife's family history, digging up the cold case of who murdered her great-grandmother. Because, I should mention, he thinks the murderer might actually be the beloved family

• 57:27Alice Levine?

  patriarch. For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

• 57:34Speaker 03

  There are books that change how you see the world, and there are books that change how you see yourself. In a new podcast series, A Great Book with Barack Obama, President Obama sits down with a series of surprising and sharp guests to explore six books that have shaped his life and perspective on the world. From Song of Solomon and the Fire Next Time, to All the Pretty Horses and Gilead, the president is joined by guests like Tom Hanks and Ta-Nehisi Coates to reflect on how these timeless stories shaped his thinking on everything from fatherhood to leadership, and discover together what they tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create.

• 58:18Speaker 03

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