passed, it had gone. We assumed someone in authority had taken it away.’
‘It looked quite valuable,’ the other nun said. ‘Why do you ask about it? Are you saying it was stolen?’
‘It has disappeared, I can say no more than that.’
‘When you first came in to look at him,’ the younger nun said, ‘your eyes were on the dagger and for a moment, forgive me, domina, I thought it was something you desired for yourself.’
Hildegard gave a rueful grimace. ‘I was sent to fetch it and I admit I did stare at it but my look didn’t spring from personal desire for such a thing but from a wish to carry out the errand given me. I saw it’d be impossible to remove it from his grasp at that point and so decided to return later.’
‘And when you returned to fetch it, it had gone, and now you have to account to someone for its disappearance. I see.’ The nun frowned. ‘This is a mystery then.’
‘I understand that the poor young fellow was an acolyte of one of the cardinals?’ the second nun observed, her attention on Hildegard.
‘That is so.’ It seemed that the truth was becoming generally known by now.
The nun asked bluntly ‘Was it the cardinal’s own dagger?’
Hildegard felt a look of uncertainty pass over her face. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, ‘but I suspect not. He only said it was very like one he might have.’
‘Did he think his acolyte might have stolen it from him and decided he wanted a closer look at it?’
‘I don’t think that was in his mind.’
‘So why did he send you to fetch it?’ she persisted, adding, ‘if, indeed, it was the cardinal who sent you.’
Hildegard was silent for a moment. It was a good question but she could hardly admit to these two strangers that the cardinal feared it might lead him to be accused of sending his acolyte on a thieving jaunt. It will lead to me. Besides, it didn’t make sense. As far as she could see there was no reason for anybody to link him with the dagger. Why should they? Wasn’t it part of the papal treasures?
The nun was quick to interpret her silence and stared, horrified. Lowering her voice, she asked, ‘You mean to say it might have been stolen from the treasury and belonged to his holiness?’
‘I’m given to believe so. The task of fetching it came from Brother Athanasius and Cardinal Grizac. They seem to have an interest in the matter.’
‘One would think so. The magister is a power, we’re told.’
Both nuns exchanged wary glances. One of them leaned forward. ‘We understand that you are one of his - ’
‘We have said nothing,’ the elder one broke in. Her tone was colder now. She put a hand on her companion’s arm. ‘We saw nothing. We know nothing. It’s only a few days since we arrived here. We simply do as we’re asked as is our duty.’
‘The magister,’ Hildegard bit her lip, ‘what were you about to say? You believe I am one of his - ?’
‘Nothing,’ the nun shook her head with emphasis. The two women stared at her with hard eyes.
‘I’m in the same situation as you,’ Hildegard told them, lowering her voice. ‘I arrived here only a couple of days ago. I hadn’t met nor even heard of Brother Athanasius before I arrived. I can’t see him having any sort of power, trapped by old age and infirmity in his cell as he is. Surely his influence is exaggerated?’
The younger nun gave her an ironic smile, much like the one she had worn when she thought Hildegard was about to steal the dagger from Maurice. ‘Forgive me, domina, but you would say that, wouldn’t you?’
‘I feel contrite to find you have so deeply misunderstood my motive for wanting information from you. All I know is I was asked to fetch the dagger for Cardinal Grizac only to discover that it was missing. I thought you two were best placed to help me find out what might have happened. You could tell me, for instance, if anyone came in to see the body on a pretext of paying their respects.’ She held her tongue on
‘It looked quite valuable,’ the other nun said. ‘Why do you ask about it? Are you saying it was stolen?’
‘It has disappeared, I can say no more than that.’
‘When you first came in to look at him,’ the younger nun said, ‘your eyes were on the dagger and for a moment, forgive me, domina, I thought it was something you desired for yourself.’
Hildegard gave a rueful grimace. ‘I was sent to fetch it and I admit I did stare at it but my look didn’t spring from personal desire for such a thing but from a wish to carry out the errand given me. I saw it’d be impossible to remove it from his grasp at that point and so decided to return later.’
‘And when you returned to fetch it, it had gone, and now you have to account to someone for its disappearance. I see.’ The nun frowned. ‘This is a mystery then.’
‘I understand that the poor young fellow was an acolyte of one of the cardinals?’ the second nun observed, her attention on Hildegard.
‘That is so.’ It seemed that the truth was becoming generally known by now.
The nun asked bluntly ‘Was it the cardinal’s own dagger?’
Hildegard felt a look of uncertainty pass over her face. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, ‘but I suspect not. He only said it was very like one he might have.’
‘Did he think his acolyte might have stolen it from him and decided he wanted a closer look at it?’
‘I don’t think that was in his mind.’
‘So why did he send you to fetch it?’ she persisted, adding, ‘if, indeed, it was the cardinal who sent you.’
Hildegard was silent for a moment. It was a good question but she could hardly admit to these two strangers that the cardinal feared it might lead him to be accused of sending his acolyte on a thieving jaunt. It will lead to me. Besides, it didn’t make sense. As far as she could see there was no reason for anybody to link him with the dagger. Why should they? Wasn’t it part of the papal treasures?
The nun was quick to interpret her silence and stared, horrified. Lowering her voice, she asked, ‘You mean to say it might have been stolen from the treasury and belonged to his holiness?’
‘I’m given to believe so. The task of fetching it came from Brother Athanasius and Cardinal Grizac. They seem to have an interest in the matter.’
‘One would think so. The magister is a power, we’re told.’
Both nuns exchanged wary glances. One of them leaned forward. ‘We understand that you are one of his - ’
‘We have said nothing,’ the elder one broke in. Her tone was colder now. She put a hand on her companion’s arm. ‘We saw nothing. We know nothing. It’s only a few days since we arrived here. We simply do as we’re asked as is our duty.’
‘The magister,’ Hildegard bit her lip, ‘what were you about to say? You believe I am one of his - ?’
‘Nothing,’ the nun shook her head with emphasis. The two women stared at her with hard eyes.
‘I’m in the same situation as you,’ Hildegard told them, lowering her voice. ‘I arrived here only a couple of days ago. I hadn’t met nor even heard of Brother Athanasius before I arrived. I can’t see him having any sort of power, trapped by old age and infirmity in his cell as he is. Surely his influence is exaggerated?’
The younger nun gave her an ironic smile, much like the one she had worn when she thought Hildegard was about to steal the dagger from Maurice. ‘Forgive me, domina, but you would say that, wouldn’t you?’
‘I feel contrite to find you have so deeply misunderstood my motive for wanting information from you. All I know is I was asked to fetch the dagger for Cardinal Grizac only to discover that it was missing. I thought you two were best placed to help me find out what might have happened. You could tell me, for instance, if anyone came in to see the body on a pretext of paying their respects.’ She held her tongue on
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