waiting for some kind of explanation.
“I was not sent here because of a nun. I came here because, like Christ, I wanted to serve those in need of me. I didn’t take holy orders to fawn on the wealthy that come to the Cathedral.”
Joan’s tired eyes smiled. “That’s just what my Ralph told the neighbours. He said to them—didn’t you, Ralph—he said you’d not been sent here as a punishment. Stands to reason, Ralph said, if you’d been caught doing something like that, they’d have flogged you bloody or worse.”
My shoulders jerked and the scars on my back suddenly burned again against the rough cloth.
I forced a smile. “It is good to know I have some friends in Ulewic.”
Ralph seemed so drawn into himself, it was hard to tell if he was even listening. I’d never seen him so miserable. Normally he was such a cheerful man, full of life, no matter what his hardships. I couldn’t understand what had brought about this sudden change in him. I looked around for a stool and drew it up close to him, but as I did so, he drew away from me.
Joan’s hand darted out as if to pull me back, but she stopped herself. “You don’t want to be getting too close … in case you fall sick, Father.”
“Christ will protect me,” I assured her.
“Is it true what they say about Giles, Father?” she asked anxiously.
I glanced at Ralph; was that what was distressing him? I had not thought the two men to be friends, but it was possible Giles was … had been … a relative. I had still not managed to unpick the tangled web of who was related to whom in this village.
But I did not need to ask what whispers Joan had heard. The whole village now knew that one of their own neighbours had been tortured, then paraded in the saint’s effigy for their entertainment. And the Owl Masters had made quite certain that every man and woman in Ulewic had learned the name of the man who had screamed out his dying agonies in the flames. I shivered. A sour bile rose in my throat. Damn Hilary and damn that bastard, Phillip. It wasn’t me who should feel guilty. It was their fault, all of this.
“May they burn in Hell!” I blurted out; then, seeing the look of alarm on Joan’s face, I tried to control my anger. “An evil deed was done, a great evil, and the men who did it will pay for it, if not in this life then in the next.”
Joan’s brow was creased with anxiety. “But no one knew that poor lad was inside Saint Walburga. My brother was there and he swears he didn’t know.”
“The Owl Masters knew. And no doubt others besides,” I said sternly.
“But you won’t … You’ll not use book and candle against us, will you, Father?”
I studied her carefully before I replied. “I am prepared to accept that most of the villagers were ignorant of what they did, but you all know now. And which of your neighbours will it be next time? Itmight even be one of your own family. You villagers must stand together and shun the devilish rites of the Owl Masters.”
Joan glanced uneasily at the door, as if she feared someone might be listening. “But if the Owl Masters could take a lad just for making love to a maid, then …”
“If anyone threatens you, Joan, you must come to me at once. The Church will protect you, I promise you that.” I jerked my head towards the door. “Leave us now. I need to hear Ralph’s confession, if he’s to receive the sacraments.”
She nodded and dropped an awkward half-curtsy and, with another anxious glance at her husband, opened the door just wide enough to slip through, before quickly slamming it shut behind herself.
I pulled a fat wax candle from my scrip and lit it with the smoking rush taper, placing it on the corner of the rough table. Beneath it I laid a tiny silver box containing the precious Host. Ralph made his confession in a dull low voice, his face turned away from me into the shadows. He confessed nothing that he had not confessed before—pride, sloth—I did not really
“I was not sent here because of a nun. I came here because, like Christ, I wanted to serve those in need of me. I didn’t take holy orders to fawn on the wealthy that come to the Cathedral.”
Joan’s tired eyes smiled. “That’s just what my Ralph told the neighbours. He said to them—didn’t you, Ralph—he said you’d not been sent here as a punishment. Stands to reason, Ralph said, if you’d been caught doing something like that, they’d have flogged you bloody or worse.”
My shoulders jerked and the scars on my back suddenly burned again against the rough cloth.
I forced a smile. “It is good to know I have some friends in Ulewic.”
Ralph seemed so drawn into himself, it was hard to tell if he was even listening. I’d never seen him so miserable. Normally he was such a cheerful man, full of life, no matter what his hardships. I couldn’t understand what had brought about this sudden change in him. I looked around for a stool and drew it up close to him, but as I did so, he drew away from me.
Joan’s hand darted out as if to pull me back, but she stopped herself. “You don’t want to be getting too close … in case you fall sick, Father.”
“Christ will protect me,” I assured her.
“Is it true what they say about Giles, Father?” she asked anxiously.
I glanced at Ralph; was that what was distressing him? I had not thought the two men to be friends, but it was possible Giles was … had been … a relative. I had still not managed to unpick the tangled web of who was related to whom in this village.
But I did not need to ask what whispers Joan had heard. The whole village now knew that one of their own neighbours had been tortured, then paraded in the saint’s effigy for their entertainment. And the Owl Masters had made quite certain that every man and woman in Ulewic had learned the name of the man who had screamed out his dying agonies in the flames. I shivered. A sour bile rose in my throat. Damn Hilary and damn that bastard, Phillip. It wasn’t me who should feel guilty. It was their fault, all of this.
“May they burn in Hell!” I blurted out; then, seeing the look of alarm on Joan’s face, I tried to control my anger. “An evil deed was done, a great evil, and the men who did it will pay for it, if not in this life then in the next.”
Joan’s brow was creased with anxiety. “But no one knew that poor lad was inside Saint Walburga. My brother was there and he swears he didn’t know.”
“The Owl Masters knew. And no doubt others besides,” I said sternly.
“But you won’t … You’ll not use book and candle against us, will you, Father?”
I studied her carefully before I replied. “I am prepared to accept that most of the villagers were ignorant of what they did, but you all know now. And which of your neighbours will it be next time? Itmight even be one of your own family. You villagers must stand together and shun the devilish rites of the Owl Masters.”
Joan glanced uneasily at the door, as if she feared someone might be listening. “But if the Owl Masters could take a lad just for making love to a maid, then …”
“If anyone threatens you, Joan, you must come to me at once. The Church will protect you, I promise you that.” I jerked my head towards the door. “Leave us now. I need to hear Ralph’s confession, if he’s to receive the sacraments.”
She nodded and dropped an awkward half-curtsy and, with another anxious glance at her husband, opened the door just wide enough to slip through, before quickly slamming it shut behind herself.
I pulled a fat wax candle from my scrip and lit it with the smoking rush taper, placing it on the corner of the rough table. Beneath it I laid a tiny silver box containing the precious Host. Ralph made his confession in a dull low voice, his face turned away from me into the shadows. He confessed nothing that he had not confessed before—pride, sloth—I did not really
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