he tells us any.” And to the wondering patient he
said tranquilly: “You know me “Cadfael, Edmund will be here to relieve me as
soon as Prime is over. You’re in his care, in the infirmary, and past the
worst. Fret for nothing, lie still and let others do that. You’ve had a mighty
dunt on the crown, and a dowsing in the river, but both are past, and thanks
be, you’re safe enough now.”
The
wandering hand reached its goal this time. Master William groaned and stared
indignant surprise, and his eyes cleared and sharpened, though his voice was
weak as he complained, with quickening memory: “He came behind me someone out
of an open yard door... That’s the last I know...” Sudden realisation shook
him; he gave a stricken howl, and tried to rise from his pillow, but gave up at
the pang it cost him. The rents the abbey rents!”
“Your
life’s better worth than the abbey rents,” said Cadfael heartily, “and even
they may be regained.”
“The
man who felled you,” said the sergeant, leaning dose, “cut your satchel loose
with a knife, and made off with it. But if you can help us we’ll lay him by the
heels yet. Where was this that he struck you down?”
“Not
a hundred paces from my own house,” lamented William bitterly. “I went there
when I had finished, to check my rolls and make all fast, and...” He shut his
mouth grimly on the overriding reason. Hazily he had been aware all this time
of the silent and sullen young man sitting beside him, now he fixed his eyes on
him until his vision cleared. The mutual glare was spirited, and came of long
practice. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“Waiting
to have better news of you to take to my mother,” said Eddi shortly. He looked
up defiantly into the sergeant’s face. “He came home to read me all my sins
over, and warn me that the fine that’s due from me in two days more is my
burden now, not his, and if I can’t make shift for it on my own I may go to
gaol, and pay in another coin. Or it may be,” he added with grudging fairness,
“that he came rather to flay me and then pay my dues, as he’s done more than
once. But I was in no mind to listen, and he was in no mind to be flouted, so I
flung out and went down to the butts. And won the good half of what I owe, for
what that’s worth,”
“So
this was a bitter quarrel you had between you,” said the sergeant, narrowing
suspicious eyes. “And not long after it you, master, went out to bring your rents
home, and were set upon, robbed, and left for dead. And now you, boy, have the
half of what you need to stay out of prison.”
Cadfael,
watching father and son, felt that it had not even occurred to Eddi, until
then, that he might fall under suspicion of this all too opportune attack; and
further, that even now it had not dawned on Master William that such a thought
could occur to any sane man. He was scowling at his son for no worse reason
than old custom and an aching head.
“Why
are you not looking after your mother at home?” he demanded querulously.
“So
I will, now I’ve seen and heard you more like yourself. Mother’s well enough
cared for; Cousin Alice is with her. But she’ll be the better for knowing that
you’re still the same cantankerous worrit, and likely to be a plague to us
twenty years yet. I’ll go,” said Eddi grimly, “when I’m let. But he wants your
witness before he can leave you to your rest. Better get it said.”
Master
William submitted wearily, knitting his brows in the effort to remember. “I
came from the house, along the passage towards Saint Mary’s, above the
water-gate. The door of the tanner’s yard was standing open, I know I’d passed
it... But I never heard a step behind me. As if the wall had fallen on me! I
recall nothing after, except sudden cold, deadly cold... Who brought me back,
then, that I’m snug here?”
They
told him, and he shook his head helplessly over the
said tranquilly: “You know me “Cadfael, Edmund will be here to relieve me as
soon as Prime is over. You’re in his care, in the infirmary, and past the
worst. Fret for nothing, lie still and let others do that. You’ve had a mighty
dunt on the crown, and a dowsing in the river, but both are past, and thanks
be, you’re safe enough now.”
The
wandering hand reached its goal this time. Master William groaned and stared
indignant surprise, and his eyes cleared and sharpened, though his voice was
weak as he complained, with quickening memory: “He came behind me someone out
of an open yard door... That’s the last I know...” Sudden realisation shook
him; he gave a stricken howl, and tried to rise from his pillow, but gave up at
the pang it cost him. The rents the abbey rents!”
“Your
life’s better worth than the abbey rents,” said Cadfael heartily, “and even
they may be regained.”
“The
man who felled you,” said the sergeant, leaning dose, “cut your satchel loose
with a knife, and made off with it. But if you can help us we’ll lay him by the
heels yet. Where was this that he struck you down?”
“Not
a hundred paces from my own house,” lamented William bitterly. “I went there
when I had finished, to check my rolls and make all fast, and...” He shut his
mouth grimly on the overriding reason. Hazily he had been aware all this time
of the silent and sullen young man sitting beside him, now he fixed his eyes on
him until his vision cleared. The mutual glare was spirited, and came of long
practice. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.
“Waiting
to have better news of you to take to my mother,” said Eddi shortly. He looked
up defiantly into the sergeant’s face. “He came home to read me all my sins
over, and warn me that the fine that’s due from me in two days more is my
burden now, not his, and if I can’t make shift for it on my own I may go to
gaol, and pay in another coin. Or it may be,” he added with grudging fairness,
“that he came rather to flay me and then pay my dues, as he’s done more than
once. But I was in no mind to listen, and he was in no mind to be flouted, so I
flung out and went down to the butts. And won the good half of what I owe, for
what that’s worth,”
“So
this was a bitter quarrel you had between you,” said the sergeant, narrowing
suspicious eyes. “And not long after it you, master, went out to bring your rents
home, and were set upon, robbed, and left for dead. And now you, boy, have the
half of what you need to stay out of prison.”
Cadfael,
watching father and son, felt that it had not even occurred to Eddi, until
then, that he might fall under suspicion of this all too opportune attack; and
further, that even now it had not dawned on Master William that such a thought
could occur to any sane man. He was scowling at his son for no worse reason
than old custom and an aching head.
“Why
are you not looking after your mother at home?” he demanded querulously.
“So
I will, now I’ve seen and heard you more like yourself. Mother’s well enough
cared for; Cousin Alice is with her. But she’ll be the better for knowing that
you’re still the same cantankerous worrit, and likely to be a plague to us
twenty years yet. I’ll go,” said Eddi grimly, “when I’m let. But he wants your
witness before he can leave you to your rest. Better get it said.”
Master
William submitted wearily, knitting his brows in the effort to remember. “I
came from the house, along the passage towards Saint Mary’s, above the
water-gate. The door of the tanner’s yard was standing open, I know I’d passed
it... But I never heard a step behind me. As if the wall had fallen on me! I
recall nothing after, except sudden cold, deadly cold... Who brought me back,
then, that I’m snug here?”
They
told him, and he shook his head helplessly over the
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