Sir John's Companie By: Frank D. Macaulay It is 1370 in Yorkshire, England, late in the reign of King Edward III, and Sir James and his mercenary Companie have returned from the wars across the channel. The great nobles and the Church control the wealth and power in the land. The thought of going back to servitude, attempting to claw a subsistence existence from the soil, is more than these veterans can bear. Instead, they parlay their war spoils into a trading network along the river system of the North and enter the lucrative wool trade. Where there are profits there is intense competition and scrutiny from government officials keen to get tax revenues. The king’s ministers abuse their authority to enrich themselves and pursue old grudges. Now it is up to James and his Companie to use guile, influence, and sometimes brutality to fight back.