The Heretic's Apprentice (Brother Cadfael Mystery #16)

210 Pages·1991·0.96 MB·English

by  Ellis Peters

The
Heretic’s Apprentice
The Sixteenth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael, of the Benedictine Abbey of
Saint Peter and Saint Paul, at Shrewsbury

Ellis Peters
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter One

ON THE NINETEENTH DAY OF JUNE, when the eminent visitor
arrived, Brother Cadfael was in the abbot’s garden, trimming off dead roses. It
was a task Abbot Radulfus kept jealously to himself in the ordinary way, for he
was proud of his roses, and valued the brief moments he could spend with them,
but in three more days the house would be celebrating the anniversary of the
translation of Saint Winifred to her shrine in the church, and the preparations for
the annual influx of pilgrims and patrons were occupying all his time, and
keeping all his obedientiaries busy into the bargain. Brother Cadfael, who had no
official function, was for once allowed to take over the dead-heading in his
place, the only brother privileged to be trusted with the abbatial blossoms, which
must be immaculate and bright for the saint’s festival, like everything else within
the enclave.
This year there would be no ceremonial procession all the way from Saint
Giles, at the edge of the town, as there had been two years previously, in 1141.
There her relics had rested while proper preparation was made to receive them,
and on the great day, Cadfael remembered, the threatened rain had fallen all
around, yet never a drop had spattered her reliquary or its attendants, or doused
the candles that accompanied her erect as lances, undisturbed by the wind. Small
miracles followed wherever Winifred passed, as flowers sprang in the footsteps
of Welsh Olwen in the legend. Great miracles came more rarely, but Winifred
could manifest her power where it was deserved. They had good reason to know
and be glad of that, both far away in Gwytherin, the scene of her ministry, and
here in Shrewsbury. This year the celebrations would remain within the enclave,
but there would still be room enough for wonders, if the saint had a mind to it.
The pilgrims were already arriving for the festival, in such numbers that
Cadfael hardly spared a look or an ear for the steady bustle far up the great court,
round the gatehouse and the guest hall, or the sound of hooves on the cobbles, as
grooms led the horses down into the stableyard. Brother Denis the hospitaler
would have a full house to accommodate and feed, even before the festival day
itself, when the townsfolk and the villagers from miles around would flood in for
worship.
It was only when Prior Robert was seen to round the corner of the cloister
at the briskest walk his dignity would permit, and head purposefully for the
abbot’s lodging, that Cadfael paused in his leisurely trimming of spent flowers to
note the event, and speculate. Robert’s austere long visage had the look of an
angel sent on an errand of cosmic importance, and endowed with the authority of
the superb being who had sent him. His silver tonsure shone in the sun of early
afternoon, and his thin patrician nose probed ahead, sniffing glory.
We have a more than ordinarily important visitor, thought Cadfael. And he
followed the prior’s progress into the doorway of the abbot’s lodging with
interest, not greatly surprised to see the abbot himself issue forth a few minutes
later, and set off up the court with Robert striding at his side. Two tall men,
much of a height, the one all smooth, willowy elegance, carefully cultivated, the
other all bone and sinew and hard, undemonstrative intelligence. It had been a
severe blow to Prior Robert when he was passed over in favor of a stranger, to
fill the vacancy left by the deposition of Abbot Heribert, but he had not given up
hope. And he was durable, he might even outlive Radulfus and come into his
own at last. Not, prayed Cadfael devoutly, for many years yet.
He had not long to wait before Abbot Radulfus and his visitor came down
the court together, in the courteous and wary conversation of strangers
measuring each other at first meeting. Here was a guest of too great and
probably too private significance to be housed in the guest hall, even among the
nobility. A man almost as tall as Radulfus, and in all but the shoulders twice his
width, well fleshed and portly almost to fat, and yet it was powerful and
muscular flesh, too. At first glance his was a face rounded and glossy with good
living, full-lipped, full-cheeked, and self-indulgent. At second glance the lips set
into a formidable and intolerant strength, the fleshy chin was seen to clothe a
determined jaw, and the eyes in their slightly puffy settings had nevertheless a
sharp and critical intelligence. His head was uncovered, and wore the tonsure;
otherwise Cadfael, who had never seen him before, would have taken him for
some baron or earl of the king’s court, for his clothing, but for its somber colors
of dark crimson and black, had a lordly splendor about its cut and its ornament, a
long, rich gown, full-skirted but slashed almost to the waist before and behind
for riding, its gold-hemmed collar open in the summer weather upon a fine linen
shirt, and a gold-linked chain and cross that circled a thick, muscular throat.
Doubtless there was a body servant or a groom somewhere at hand to relieve
him of the necessity of carrying cloak or baggage of any kind, even the gloves he
had probably stripped off on dismounting. The pitch of his voice, heard distantly
as the two prelates entered the lodging and vanished from sight, was low and
measured, and yet held a suggestion of current displeasure.
In a few moments Cadfael saw the possible reason for that. A groom came
down the court from the gatehouse leading two horses to the stables, a solid
brown cob, most likely his own mount, and a big, handsome black beast with
white stockings, richly caparisoned. No need to ask whose. The impressive
harness, scarlet saddle cloth, and ornamented bridle made all plain. Two more
men followed with their less decorated horseflesh in hand, and a packhorse into
the bargain, well loaded. This was a cleric who did not travel without the
comforts to which he was accustomed. But what might well have brought that
note of measured irritation into his voice was that the black horse, the only one
of the party worthy to do justice to his rider’s state, if not the only one fitted to
carry his weight, went lame in the left foreleg. Whatever his errand and
destination, the abbot’s guest would be forced to prolong his stay here for a few
days, until that injury healed.
Cadfael finished his clipping and carried away the basket of fading heads
into the garden, leaving the hum and activity of the great court behind. The roses
had begun to bloom early, by reason of fine, warm weather. Spring rains had
brought a good hay crop, and June, ideal conditions for gathering it. The
shearing was almost finished, and the wool dealers were reckoning up hopefully
the value of their clips. Saint Winifred’s modest pilgrims, coming on foot, would
have dry traveling and warm lying, even out-of-doors. Her doing, perhaps?
Cadfael could well believe that if the Welsh girl smiled, the sun would shine on
the borders.
The earlier sown of the two pease fields that sloped down from the rim of
the garden to the Meole brook had already ripened and been harvested, ten days
of sun bringing on the pods very quickly. Brother Winfrid, a hefty, blue-eyed
young giant, was busy digging in the roots to feed the soil, while the haulms,
cropped with sickles, lay piled at the edge of the field, drying for fodder and
bedding. The hands that wielded the spade were huge and brown, and looked as
if they should have been clumsy, but in fact were as deft and delicate in handling
Cadfael’s precious glass vessels and brittle dried herbs as they were powerful
and effective with mattock and spade.
Within the walled herb garden the drowning sweetness hung heavy, spiced
and warm. Weeds can enjoy good growing weather no less than the herbs on
which they encroach, and there was always work to be done at this season.
Cadfael tucked up his habit and set to work on his knees, close to the warm
earth, with the heady fragrance disturbed and quivering round him like invisible
wings, and the sun caressing his back.

He was still at it, though in a happy languor that made no haste, rather
luxuriating in the touch of leaf and root and soil, when Hugh Beringar came
looking for him two hours later. Cadfael heard the light, springy step on the
gravel, and sat back on his heels to watch his friend’s approach. Hugh smiled at
seeing him on his knees.
“Am I in your prayers?”
“Constantly,” said Cadfael gravely. “A man has to work at it in so stubborn
a case.”
He crumbled a handful of warm, dark earth between his hands, dusted his
palms, and Hugh gave him a hand to help him rise. There was a good deal more
steel in the young sheriff’s slight body and slender wrist than anyone would
suppose. Cadfael had known him for five years only, but drawn nearer to him
than to many he had rubbed shoulders with all the twenty-three years of his
monastic life. “And what are you doing here?” he demanded briskly. “I thought
you were north among your own lands, getting in the hay.”
“So I was, until yesterday. The hay’s in, the shearing’s done, and I’ve
brought Aline and Giles back to the town. Just in time to be summoned to pay
my respects to some grand magnate who’s visiting here, and is none too pleased
about it. If his horse hadn’t fallen lame he’d still be on his way to Chester. Have
you not a drink, Cadfael, for a thirsty man? Though why I should be parched,”
he added absently, “when he did all the talking, is more than I know.”
Cadfael had a wine of his own within the workshop, new but fit to drink.
He brought a jug of it out into the sunshine, and they sat down together on the
bench against the north wail of the garden, to sun themselves in unashamed
idleness.
“I saw the horse,” said Cadfael. “He’ll be days yet before he’s fit to take the
road to Chester. I saw the man, too, if it’s he the abbot made haste to welcome.
By the sound of it he was not expected. If he’s in haste to get to Chester he’ll
need a fresh horse, or more patience than I fancy he possesses.”
“Oh, he’s reconciled. Radulfus may have him on his hands a week or more
yet. If he made for Chester now he wouldn’t find his man there, there’s no haste.
Earl Ranulf is on the Welsh border, fending off another raid from Gwynedd.
Owain will keep him busy a while.”
“And who is this cleric on his way to Chester?” asked Cadfael curiously.
“And what did he want with you?”
“Well, being frustrated himself—until I told him there was no hurry, for the
earl was away riding his borders—he had a mind to be as busy a nuisance to all
about him as possible. Send for the sheriff, at least exact the reverence due! But
there is a grain of purpose in it, too. He wanted whatever information I had about
the whereabouts and intentions of Owain Gwynedd, and especially he wished to
know how big a threat our Welsh prince is being to Earl Ranulf, how glad the
earl might be to have some help in the matter, and how willing he might be to
pay for it in kind.”
“In the king’s interests,” Cadfael deduced, after a moment of frowning
thought. “Is he one of Bishop Henry’s familiars, then?”
“Not he! Stephen’s making wise use of the archbishop for once, instead of
his brother of Winchester. Henry’s busy elsewhere. No, your guest is one
Gerbert, of the Augustinian canons of Canterbury, a big man in the household of
Archbishop Theobald. His errand is to make a cautious gesture of peace and
goodwill to Earl Ranulf, whose loyalty—to Stephen’s or any side!—is never
better than shaky, but might be secured—or Stephen hopes it might!—on terms
of mutual gain. You give me full and fair support there in the north, and I’ll help
you hold off Owain Gwynedd and his Welshmen. Stronger together than apart!”
Cadfael’s bushy eyebrows were arched towards his grizzled tonsure.
“What, when Ranulf is still holding Lincoln castle, in Stephen’s despite? Yes,
and other royal castles he holds illegally? Has Stephen shut his eyes to that
fashion of support and friendship?”
“Stephen has forgotten nothing. But he’s willing to dissemble if it will keep
Ranulf quiet and complacent for a few months. There’s more than one unchancy
ally getting too big for his boots,” said Hugh. “I fancy Stephen has it in mind to
deal with one at a time, and there’s one at least is a bigger threat than Ranulf of
Chester. He’ll get his due, all in good time, but there’s one Stephen has more
against than a few purloined castles, and it’s worth buying Chester’s
complacence until Essex is dealt with.”
“You sound certain of what’s in the king’s mind,” said Cadfael mildly.
“As good as certain, yes. I saw how the man bore himself at court, last
Christmas. A stranger might have doubted which among us was the king.
Easygoing Stephen may be, meek he is not. And there were rumors that the earl
of Essex was bargaining again with the empress while she was in Oxford, but
changed his mind when the siege went against her. He’s been back and forth
between the two of them times enough already. I think he’s near the end of his
rope.”
“And Ranulf is to be placated until his fellow Earl has been dealt with.”
Cadfael rubbed dubiously at his blunt brown nose, and thought that over for a
moment in silence. “That seems to me more like the bishop of Winchester’s way
of thinking than King Stephen’s,” he said warily.
“So it may be. And perhaps that’s why the king is using one of
Canterbury’s household for this errand, and not Winchester’s. Who’s to suspect
that any motion of Henry’s mind could be lurking behind Archbishop
Theobald’s hand? There isn’t a man in the policies of king or empress who
doesn’t know how little love’s lost between the two.”
Cadfael could not well deny the truth of that. The enmity dated back five
years, to the time when the archbishopric of Canterbury had been vacant, after
William of Corbeil’s death, and King Stephen’s younger brother, Henry, had
cherished confident pretensions to the office, which he certainly regarded as no
more than his due. His disappointment was acute when Pope Innocent gave the
appointment instead to Theobald of Bec, and Henry made his displeasure so
clear and the influence he could bring to bear so obvious that Innocent, either in
a genuine wish to recognize his undoubted ability or in pure exasperation and
malice, had given him, by way of consolation, the papal legateship in England,
thus making him in fact superior to the archbishop, a measure hardly calculated
to endear either of them to the other. Five years of dignified but fierce contention
had banked the fires. No, no suspect earl approached by an intimate of
Theobald’s was likely to look behind the proposition for any trace of Henry of