"(Bell tolls)" "Veni, Sancte Spiritus" "Mentes tuorum visita" "Amen" "(Bell jangles)" "A penny, my Lord?" " A coin for a leper, my Lord?" " Out of my way, vermin." "Take your contagion out of my sight." "Filthy lepers." "Lazarus, are you hurt?" "Leave me alone." "He arrived about a week ago." "A wanderer." "Goes from shrine to shrine." "Nobody knows him here" "The boy Bran looks much improved." "Your lotions have done wonders" "Do you think there is any hope for him, Cadfael?" "There's always hope, Mark." "By God's grace and man's efforts, we may yet send him back whole into the world." "A little something, my Lady?" " Spare us a little." " Please, mistress." "Oh, God bless." "Iveta, you should not waste your coins on lepers." "Simon, ensure the horses are properly stabled." "Joscelyn Lucy, get me a fire and something hot to eat." "At once." "And me, my Lord?" "If it's not beyond your scope, and if you've stopped idling, you can organise this rabble." "(Horse whinnies)" "Ah, Joss, my friend, have you not given up, even now?" "Tomorrow, painful though it may be, my uncle will take a very beautiful young wife and the girl you pine for will be our Lady Domville." "Not so painful for you." "Bide your time as a loyal kinsman and one day his fortune will be yours." " Unless Iveta bears our Lord a son." " God forbid." "There is little danger of that, Guy." "My uncle is well titled "the Baron"." "If he ever had any seed, he would have got a child before now." "(Bell tolls)" "On behalf of Abbot Heribert, welcome, my Lord and Lady Piccard." "My Lady de Massard." "Welcome to the Abbey of St Peter and St Paul." " You received my instruction for the feast?" " Yes indeed my Lord" "Father Abbot has instructed his cook, Brother Petrus, to oversee preparations." "Oh, that's well, but my wife and I would see for ourselves that everything's in order." "As you wish, my Lord." "Perhaps after you have rested?" "God knows Iveta would want no child from that brute." "I hear there is one he prefers to his intended bride." "We know of no mistress." "That is dangerous talk." "Mistress or not, he is unworthy of Iveta and it's time he realised it." "I will serve him no more." "How will that help my Lady de Massard?" "As long as we are in his service, we can at least protect her." "HUON:" "Squires!" "Squires!" "I'll go." "Where's Joscelyn Lucy?" "Fetching your food, my Lord." "When I call my squires, I don't expect to be kept waiting." "The Lady de Massard rode by." "You're here to serve me, not to gawp at my future bride." "No my Lord" "Pour me wine." "These are your quarters, my Lady de Massard, for yourself and your maidservant." "Right next door to your guardians, as I'm sure you would undoubtedly wish." "As our saviour once said, "When I was a stranger, you made me welcome in your home."" "We hope that you'll be comfortable here, despite the... humble surroundings." "Yes." "Well, we'll rest before vespers." "Thank you." "God be with you." "Well, it's only for a few days, Agnes." "Then we'll never have to sleep on a straw mattress again." "I do not like this quietness of hers, Godfrid." "I cannot trust her." "No, she has given over the battle." "Once brought to the altar, she'll speak her words as taught." "Dominus vobiscum" "Et conspiritutor" "Benedicamus" "Domino" "Deo" "Gratias" "Benedicamus" "Domino" "Deo" "Gratias" " I must offer up prayers for tomorrow." " You'll do no such thing." "You'll come with us." "My Lord, you wish to see the preparations Brother Petrus is making for the feast?" " Yes." "Agnes." " Come, Iveta." "I should offer prayers that all goes well for tomorrow." "That is an excellent idea." "My Lord and Lady." "(Door closes)" "(Bell tolls)" "Oh..." "Oh, Joss." "Come on." "We'll be safer in there." "We must get away." "We must escape." "And how far would we get before Huon's pack ran us to the ground?" "He'd kill you, Joss." " You cannot marry him." " I have no choice." "I am the Piccards' chattel, to be disposed of at their will." "No." "No, I will find a way." "He will not have you." "The bargain is struck." "There is nothing to be done." "Then I will quit his service." "You must not." "For my sake." "Iveta, to see you with him every day, to have you within my arm's reach..." "Oh my love it's more than I can bear" "Welcome to my workshop, my Lady." "And gentleman." "(Soft footsteps)" "Oh, your pardon." "I didn't realise I had patients waiting for me." "You did quite right, my Lady, in coming to see me." "A bad headache can often result from a long journey." "And it must not be neglected." "I'll just make you up a nice calming draught." "Iveta, what are you doing here?" "Oh, madam, your lady niece is trying to ensure nothing detracts from her happiness tomorrow." "There you are." "Now, you take that down." "It will do you nothing but good." "Thank you, Brother." "I am sorry I have delayed you, Aunt." "I am ready now." "Good day." "I wish that hag would fall from the bridge and drown." "She'll find some way of making me pay for this" "May God forgive me for the lies I've just told." "She may have some justification." "You tell me." "It is not an ache of the head that ails Iveta, but an ache of the heart." "Whatever the ill, this will go some way towards relieving it." "Go on, drink up." "Wine!" "Mm, one of my most sought-after medicines." "Now, if you'll excuse me, young man, I have a linctus to make." " I could help you Brother?" " Brother Cadfael." "Oh, all right, then." "Um... here, you can encourage the fire." "And if it gives you ease, tell your tale." "Oh, be assured..." "I keep my own counsel." "I share my thoughts with God alone." "My name is Joscelyn Lucy, squire to Baron Huon de Domville." "Yes, I know." "I saw you ride in past the lepers' hospital at St Giles." "Then you are fair witness to the brute I serve" "Only one so black at heart could treat unfortunates in such a fashion." "Would that were true." "I could bear his contempt and his tempers until Iveta came along." "My God, this match is an abomination, utterly against her will!" "Careful, lad!" "You won't do any good setting us all alight." "How long has she been in the Piccards' guardianship?" ""Guardianship"?" "Never was the term more foully used." "She has been beaten by them since she was ten." "But surely they've arranged a very wealthy marriage for her?" "Iveta is the last of a noble house, heiress to a great fortune, but she is to be sold like a chattel." "The baron has struck a deal with the Piccards to carve up her land." "Some young women would find such an arrangement quite acceptable." "Well, Iveta does not." "You say she's the last of her line?" "What was her father's name?" "Haman FitzGuimar de Massard" "And her grandfather?" "Guimar." "They say he fought most bravely in the Crusade." "So he did." "Guimar de Massard had the strength and courage of a lion." "Do you know, at Jerusalem, such was the terror he inspired, the enemy reported ten of him on the battlefield." "To us, he was invincible." "Until Ascalon." "Yes that's right He was captured there and died of his wounds" "Iveta treasures his sword and shield." " The Fatimids sent them back affer his death" " That was a courtesy shown to a brave enemy." "Indeed." "But tell me, Brother, how do you come to know so much of them?" "We fought alongside each other at the taking of Jerusalem." "I took you for a contemplative." "When you've been a soldier, there's a great deal to contemplate." "You're a strange kind of Brother." "You seem to understand the passion I feel for Iveta." "Have you been married?" "No." "That is the one joust of which I have not partaken." "Is it not sinful that the sacrament of marriage should be so misused to defraud Iveta of her happiness?" "If what you say is true." " You think I lie?" " Perhaps your passion makes you blind." "My passion makes me see - like St Paul on the road to Damascus." "Surely you must have something among all these wonders, some poison I can slip into Huon de Domville's cup?" "Be ashamed!" "To invoke the name of a blessed saint and in the same breath speak of murder!" "My potions heal" "They do not kill." "Simon!" "Joscelyn!" "Guy!" "Where is my wedding ring?" "(Softly) Where is my locket?" " My Lord, what's wrong?" " Some valuable items are missing." "Where is Joscelyn Lucy?" "My Lord Domville." "I have news of Joscelyn Lucy which will not please you." "He has been conspiring against you with the Lady de Massard." "Aided by an interfering monk." "So, villain, did you enjoy your secret assignation with my bride?" "Insolent rascal!" "And now you add theft to deception." "Where is the ring?" "(Whispers) And the other item?" "What have you done with it?" "What ring?" "What are you talking about?" "IVETA:" "Joscelyn!" "You're dismissed from my service." "No, Joss." "You'll regret this, Domville." "If the ring doesn't turn up by midnight I want this rogue arrested and horsewhipped!" "You'll not get your hands on Iveta's fortune so easily, boy." "Don't judge all men by your own base measure, Master Piccard." "We have received a complaint against you, Brother, from my Lord Piccard." "He claims you have been conspiring with Joscelyn Lucy against tomorrow's wedding." "Father Abbott, Godfrid Piccard tells me further that the boy is suspected of stealing the wedding ring." "He has just been dismissed from the baron's service." "The boy is certainly hot-headed." "I warned him not to do anything rashly, but he is convinced Iveta is being forced to marry against her will." "And what if the boy's motive is simple greed, as Piccard claims?" "Perhaps Iveta's guardians have chosen well for her." "If so, it'd be a sin to disrupt their plans." "I will only be convinced in my mind if we could but speak with Iveta without her guardians, hear her true views on the matter." "(Footsteps)" "Glad to see you thus at peace, my daughter even though you witnessed Joscelyn Lucy's fate." "Yes, Father." "I had, I think, a better opinion of him than he deserved." "But I have put my doubts behind me now" "I know my duty." "Your mind is at rest about tomorrow's sacrament?" "My mind is settled and content." "I understand that this marriage is very much to the mind of your uncle and aunt." "But is it also to yours?" "Do you undertake it of your own free will?" "I am doing what I know is right and good." "And with all my heart." "Come, Brother Cadfael." "Let us pray for their union." "Go on in." "I've a fancy to take the air awhile." "Send the grooms to bed." "SIMON:" "And your chamber attendants?" " Dismiss them." "Say I want no service tonight, nor until an hour past prime tomorrow, unless I call them." "And if they've not found the ring by now, instruct the authorities to arrest Joscelyn Lucy." "Yes, my Lord." "One day he'll go too far." "Usque in aeternum" "Per singulos dies" "Benedicimus te" "Et laudamus nomen tuum in saeculum" "Et in saeculum saeculi" "Dignare Domine die isto" "Sine peccato nos custodire" "Quemadmodum speravimus in te" "In te Domine speravi" "Non confundari in aeternum" "Shouldn't the Baron de Domville be here by now?" "(Door opens)" "My Lords and Ladies, Baron Huon de Domville did not return home last night." "And... we have no knowledge of his whereabouts." "(Gasps)" "(Muttering)" "I pray silence!" "From your numbers amongst the wedding guests, the good Brothers, and my own men at arms, we must form an organised search party." "When we reach the fork in the road, we shall split into two and proceed to the Long Forest." "Now." "As qickly as possible." "Get the horses." "Domville's horse." "No sign of Domville." "Brother Cadfael." "CADFAEL:" "He's been dead some hours." "Around dawn, perhaps a little before." "The dew of the night is still on him." "He's cooling, but he's not yet cold." "He seems to have hit his head on the bole of the tree when he fell." "He must've fallen from his horse, and heavily." "The fall could have killed him, Cadfael." "It could have, but if the horse had stumbled, then he would have been tumbled forward." " The wound is on the back of his head." " Perhaps the horse reared" "See the heels of his boots have scored deeply into the ground, as if in some kind of convulsion." "Look at this." "Oh." "Perhaps he didn't just fall." "A rope stretched between two trees at a certain height could fetch a man off his mount." "But there's more than the mark of a rope on his neck - bruises too" "That great stain on his Adam's apple." "After being knocked off his horse, the Baron Huon de Domville was strangled." "They have found Lord Domville dead in the Long Forest." "God has punished him for whipping you Lazarus" "GODFRID:" "Murder." "Joscelyn Lucy has taken his revenge." "MAN:" "Open the gate!" "Joscelyn!" " Stay away from the prisoner, my Lady." " Piccard!" "You have done this to me." "Joscelyn Lucy, I'm Hugh Beringar, Undersheriff of Shropshire." "What wrong do you claim has been done to you by Godfrid de Piccard?" "He had me cast out of the baron's service." "I will have satisfaction from you before I turn my back on Shrewsbury." "Satisfaction?" "The baron should've had you horsewhipped before you did this to him." " Seize him, Sergeant!" "Lay hold of the rogue." " Let me give my sergeant orders, Lord Piccard." "Master Lucy has certain concerns, which he revealed to me yesterday." "I ask that we hear his case." " What do you have to say in your defence?" " Iveta is being bought and sold against her will." "Liar!" "On what grounds have I been apprehended?" "Am I being accused of murder?" "I was instructed by my Lord Domville's household that his wedding ring had gone missing." "The baron believed most fervently that Joscelyn Lucy had stolen it." "I am neither a thief nor a murderer" "Apart from my horse and my saddlebags, I have only the clothes I stand up in." "Let an impartial judge search me!" "BERINGAR:" "Brother Prior?" "Sergeant." "My father's medallion from the shrine of St James at Compostella." "But Brother Prior, something fell from this roll of linen." "I caught a glint." "BERINGAR:" "Is this the baron's ring?" "Arrest him on a charge of theft and suspicion of murder." "No." "Take him to the castle, Will." "Iveta!" "(Horse whinnies)" "You two!" "Tell the other men!" "Quick!" "As soon as he breaks the surface, loose your arrows." "Wing him if you can." "Kill him if you must." "The Brother is here with his potions to help you sleep." "At the Abbot's insistence." "Good day, Lady de Massard." "Would you be kind enough to fetch me a cup?" "It is rather chilly in here." "A small charcoal brazier would heat it up nicely." "The lady is obviously in shock and heat would be very beneficial." "They told me..." "They told me they would intercede with the baron over the theft of the ring." "That they'd save Joscelyn if I went through with the pretence, if I told you and the Abbot I was marrying of my own free will." "There, there, child." "I had my suspicions." "Things are not as black as they seem." "They seldom are." "I bring you hopeful news." "Joscelyn has escaped." "Escaped?" "Brother, you do indeed give me hope." "(Whistling)" " (Whistle repeated)" " Joss?" "Simon!" " You're not their decoy, are you?" " No, of course not." "But keep yourself hidden." "The patrols are out in force looking for you." "You can't lie out here tonight." "I know a place of safety." "No-one will think to look so close to our lodging." "Thank you, Simon..." "for believing in my innocence." "The only thing I can be sure of is that you are my friend." "I must get to Piccard." "For God's sake, there are men out searching for you." "You are in grave danger." "Sleep, my friend." "The world will look very different in the morning." "The fall from his horse left him stunned and vulnerable, on his back." "Now, look closely at the inner sides of his upper arms." " They're bruised." " Yes" "His murderer knelt upon his arms while strangling him." "As he thrashed around in a vain attempt to throw off his attacker, his heel boots scored deep ruts in the turf" "Now, the hands that strangled him were strong, strong enough to rupture his Adam's apple." "But the most interesting aspect of this matter..." "Interesting?" "We don't all share your morbid propensities, Brother." "Revealing, then." "...is here, on the left-hand side of his neck, where the middle fingers of the right hand would have gripped." "There's a small, sharp cut and a hollow wound beside it." "That has some significance?" "The murderer wore a ring on the middle or third finger of his right hand." "A ring with a large stone in it to thrust so deeply into the flesh." "Also, the ring must have hung loosely from the finger because it partially turned as he gripped." "Did Joscelyn Lucy wear such a ring, Master Fitzjohn?" "I cannot recall ever noticing it." "But neither can I say for certain that he did not." "Our men sighted him around dawn" "That gives him time, we believe, to have murdered the baron." "I'll look into the business of the ring, but the facts leave small doubt that Joscelyn Lucy is our man." "I think that's enough of murder for today." "May we leave Lord Domville alone with his maker?" "My Lord Piccard." "What, Cadfael?" "No, no, no, no." "As you say, I agree, the boy looks guilty." "But when a man's life and soul is at stake, any doubt, however small, must be investigated." "I can't believe Joscelyn capable of such a thing." "Neither is he." "And I shall do all in my power to prove his innocence." "Well, you're not without influence now, my Lord de Domville." "That title shall not rest easy with me till my uncle's murderer is taken and hanged." "Well, whoever did the deed has brought you great wealth, has he not?" "I would take such an insinuation from Joscelyn, Master Fitzjohn, but you came late to our fellowship." "Do not presume too much." "Be ready." "I tell you, this is the one place he would think we would not search - in the very heart of his enemies' territory." "It's not, perhaps, as mad a notion as I had first thought." "You were right, Jehan." "A shame our bird has flown." "But I will see you are commended for this." "(Bell tolls)" "There he is." "After him!" "Come!" "Quickly!" "Here." "Hide here." "Be still." "He went this way!" "Come on!" "You cannot move yet." "They will be back and everything must be as it was before." "When they are gone, I will make you faceless and nameless." "As we all are here." "(Hissing and cracking)" " I didn't know the pot was cracked." " Oswin, that pot was as sound as a bell!" "One of my best." "Pots are not meant to be taken from the fire and plunged into cold water." "I'm sorry, Brother." "I was thinking of the Lady de Massard's loss." "She's very beautiful." "So she is." "If she ever finds the right husband, they could have great sport together." "And if that opinion is anything of yours, I shall join the Cistercians." " Who told you such a thing?" " One of the lay brothers." "I thought at the time he must be mistaken." "Surely such a lady is too delicate for sport." "Child, you have a lot to learn about life." " Not to mention pots." " You're right, Brother." "There are many things I don't understand." "Why should the Baron Domville have gone out riding on a cold night without a hat?" " Him bald, too." " Mm." "What?" "When I saw him at the Abbot's supper, he left wearing a hat." "Yet when we brought him back from the forest, he was not." "The foregate is clear." "Here." "Here." "The previous owner will not complain." "He's over the wall, in the cemetery." "If you're not afraid of the habit of a dead man, it will prove an adequate disguise." "Follow me." "Creeping gromwell." "But from where?" "Father, these flowers are a vital clue as to where Domville spent his last night." "If I can find that place, it will almost certainly point us towards his murderer." "I'm sorry." "You have too many duties here." "I cannot let you go off on a wild-goose chase." "Father, I promise you, it will only take a few days." "These flowers are extremely rare in these parts." "The occur only where there's an outcrop of chalk or limestone." "Father, I'm too busy to give the matter my full attention." "It would help us if Brother Cadfael could pursue this thread." "You know how well his knowledge has served us in the past." "Lives may depend on it." "Very well." "It is true that God's purpose is justice" "You may have leave, Brother Cadfael, for as long as is necessary." " You have my trust." " And I value it, Father." "Brother Cadfael, may I speak with you?" "Of course, Brother Mark." "Privately?" "Good hunting, Cadfael." " What is it?" " (Talks softly)" "Thank you, my Lady Piccard." "Oh, Simon, is there any news of Joss?" "He is still at liberty." "You must be patient." "Somehow I will prove him innocent." "You are a great comfort to me." "Hey, you!" "Pardon, Brother, I took you for a common trespasser." "No, your pardon." "I thought this place deserted long since." "I am steward here." "Indeed." "In whose service?" "You show commendable loyalty." "Especially to a dead master." "I don't know what you mean." "You do know Huon de Domville, hm?" "Who rode out here last night." "No-one has been here recently." "Oh, in that case, I must have made a mistake." "Beautiful blossoms, these." "Tiny miracles of God's creation." "I don't have time to look at flowers." "Do you keep the lodge all on your own?" "I see to the grounds, the stock and the farm." "My mother sees to the house." "Oh!" "Oh, it's your mother who is the keen horsewoman." "In that also you are mistaken." "She is too old and infirm to ride." "The small horse won't be hers, then?" "What small horse?" "The one whose... footprints I noticed leading straight up to this stable." "Look, I'll show you." "There is no horse!" "Well, then, my eyes must be deceiving me." "Whose can this be?" "This very pretty white jennet." "Side-saddle." "All the decorations suitable to a high-born lady." "Or, perhaps... a lord's mistress." "Well, if you won't tell me who the lady is, you will tell Hugh Beringar, Undersheriff of Shropshire." "Can she not be left in peace?" "I'm afraid there is no peace until a murderer is brought to justice." "This woman - whoever she is - could be a vital witness." "She is a friend of the baron's, that's all." "And what might she be called, this friend?" "Her name is Avice." "Avice of Thornbury." "Thank you." "You see?" "You can learn a lot from flowers." "Dies irae, dies illa" "Calamitatis et miseriae" "Dies magna et amara valde..." "PRIOR:" "Miserare me, Deus," "Deus miserea." "Simon Aguilon." "As kinsman, you're next." "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine" "Et lux perpetua luceat eis" "Inclina, Domine, aurem tuam ad preces nostras." "Libera me, Domine, a porta inferna." "JOSCELYN:" "Simon for friendship and for my freedom do me two things" "(Knock at door)" "Good morrow, Iveta." "Give me a little while, please, Mistress Madlen, to briefly pay my respects." "Listen well, Iveta, for they'll not let me in to see you again." "I have word from Joss." "Shh." "No time." "Tonight, after vespers, you must meet him at the herb garden." "I'll have his horse waiting at the other side of the brook." "Understand?" "Of course." "But why will they not let you in again?" "Why such stealth when so recently they gave permission gladly?" "I spoke up for Joscelyn." "I said I would see him proved innocent of both theft and murder." "They'll have no more of me now." "I'm cast off." "You." "Out!" "I told you not to come here!" "Almost there now, Daisy." "Although Creeping Gromwell would have been a better name for you." "(Bell tolls)" "God bless you, Sister." "God greet you, Brother." "Can I be of any help to you?" "I'm looking for a lady who recently sought sanctuary." "Or so her brother told me" "Back at Thornbury" "Her name is Avice." "Known as Avice of Thornbury?" "Can you bring me to her?" "Very readily." "You've found her." "I am Avice of Thornbury." "You men, keep moving!" "Keep up, men!" "Swiftly!" "No wonder Beringar is angry." "Look at the idiots he works with." "And you, you're not even trying." "Beringar has to do this out of duty." "I'm only following his orders." "But why, Lord Piccard, do you seem to enjoy it so?" "Perhaps because you're looking for the wrong man." "SIMON:" "Guy your tongue will be the death of you Of what were you accusing him?" "I know the baron had a mistress." "And I know who she is." "Who?" "Agnes Piccard." " I have the proof." "A locket that she gave him." " You stole the locket?" "It holds a lock of her hair, an initialled inscription." "Everything." "Oh, Guy, you can be such a fool." "You laugh." "Perhaps you encouraged Piccard to kill your uncle." "Enough." "Or you'll be a sorry fool." "Was your ring always on that hand?" "No." "I moved it from my right." "I did not wish to be wrongly accused." "Or perhaps you're playing a very clever game of bluff and you're not a fool at all." "How... well did you know Huon de Domville?" "That is an impertinent question." "It's one I would never ask unless a man's life - indeed, his very soul - were at stake." "I was Huon's mistress for more than 20 years." "I don't think I surprise you as much as I thought I would, Brother." "I, too, have been abroad in the world, long before I took the cowl." "But he came to you on the eve of his wedding?" "He did." "It was... a habit that sat well with us both." "I was his feather bed..." "when other women plagued and tired him." "But it was to be our last meeting" "When he told me he was to marry again," "I decided to leave the world to come here and to take holy orders." "At what hour did he leave you?" "Past six in the morning." "Do you recognise these?" "Ohh..." "Of course." "I plucked them at the gate and put them in his hat." "Then we kissed goodbye." "And now they're dead." "Like him." "Would you come with me today to the Abbey and swear all this on oath to Hugh Beringar, the undersheriff?" "I'll have to ask permission from the Mother Superior." "I promise you, it's a matter of some urgency." "In all my life, I've avoided one sin at least." "I do not lie." "And in my new life there is no place for either pride or shame." "I'll tell the truth for you." "LAZARUS:" "They will keep this up till dark" "Yes, it couldn't be better." "Beringar has emptied the area of all his armed men till twilight and they'll be tired when they return." "The perfect time for a young couple to make their escape." "I've seen Godfrid Piccard only once." "Which is he?" "He's on horseback." "The one with the hat." "Ah yes" "An easy cap to spot... even at a distance." "Well, farewell, my friend." "I wish you Godspeed." "I saw a side of him that no-one else saw." "You know, he always kept a lock of my hair." "You would not have thought him such a man would you Brother?" "No." "I would not." "He always wanted children, but he never had them." "He thought they would make him less lonely." "Oh, yes, he was lonely." "We all need companionship, don't you think?" "Yes, I do." "Have you ever sought the companionship of another human being?" "I have, yes." "But... it was not to be." "Now I have the company of my fellow Brothers and the companionship of Christ." "That gives you joy?" "Contentment, yes." "That is all I ask for." "You've no regrets?" "Which of us can say that?" "Do you miss human love?" "I've fought in many battles, I've been gravely wounded, but nothing wounds so much as a love that is..." "lost." "God rest his soul." "You shouldn't see such horrors." " Who is he?" " Godfrid Piccard." "(Bell tolls)" "Oh, I thought I'd never see you again." "Take my hand." "This way, my love." "You!" "Down there!" "Run." " Go inside." " No, I'll not leave you." " Go, for God's sake!" " Arrest him!" "Come on, then." "You'll not get me cheap." "Draw on him!" "HERIBERT:" "Stand!" "Let no man move!" "Or strike!" "(Gate opens)" "My Lord Abbot, what is this?" "We've been hunting for him all day and we find him at bay within your walls." "And within our jurisdiction." "Sheath your weapons, every man of you." "I will not have drawn steel here on my ground, nor violence shown to any." "Men." "What have you to say for yourself, young man?" "I'm at your mercy, Father." "Your justice I trust more than I trust the law." "But if either you or the undersheriff wish to question me, I will answer all truthfully." "My Lord, I maintain my claim to this man's person." "He's charged with theft and murder." "But question him as you may." "I'd rather turn the key on a manifestly guilty man and have any doubts set to rest." "Where have you been hiding all this time?" "Under a leper's cloak and veil in the hospital at St Giles." "At what time did you come amongst the lepers?" "At vespers yesterday." "But by then you were already provided with a disguise." "Sergeant, on the day of Domville's death, what time did you give chase near Meole Brook?" "About an hour before prime, my Lord." "I accept the facts that on the morning of the murder" "Joscelyn Lucy was in the vicinity of St Giles well before the seventh hour." "But we don't know the hour of Domville's death." "My Lord Beringar." "There's been another violent death." "In a clearing in the forest, another man lies dead." "Strangled, like the first." "Madam, I grieve to bring such news." "But the dead man is your husband." "Godfrid!" "(Sobs)" "Father Abbot..." "I can speak for Joscelyn's recent movements." " Brother Mark, what is this?" " I was following this young fugitive." "On his arrival at St Giles, his lack of leprous symptoms aroused my suspicions." " For how long did you follow him?" " All day long Father" "Brother Cadfael spoke to me yesterday and advised me to keep a constant watch on the boy." "The evidence of Brother Mark frees you, Joscelyn, of any involvement in the death of Godfrid Piccard." "But not of the Baron de Domville." "No, Hugh." "I know now when Domville was last seen alive and well." "I've found and talked with a witness who will testify under oath that the baron spent the night before his death at his own hunting lodge." "And that he didn't leave until after six the following morning." "So when Joscelyn Lucy was being chased along the banks of the Meole Brook, the baron could have been no more than half a mile from his hunting lodge." "This witness is of the first importance, Cadfael." "Name the man." "No man, Hugh." "A woman." "Domville spent the last night of his life with his mistress of many years." "A scarlet woman?" "That's disgraceful." "I knew he had a mistress." "I have proof of it." "This locket was his." "I took it from his chamber the evening of the wedding feast." "You stole this, Master Fitzjohn?" "I did so, my Lord... in order to prove the baron unworthy of the Lady de Massard." "And by so doing save her from a marriage that was not of her will" "It is inscribed so:" ""To my Huon." "Love always." "From A."" "Avice... of Thornbury." "If all this is so, the charge against the accused cannot stand." "All this is so, my Lord." "Beneath this veil is the hair which you, sir, found in our locket." "I wear the nun's habit now." "But I am that same woman who was escorted to the hunting lodge whenever my Lord Domville wanted me." "And one man and one man alone escorted Avice to the lodge." "The only person who could've known how and where to set a trap for the baron." "Only one man was privy to Huon's amours." "And that man... was you..." "Simon Aguilon his trusted kinsman!" "And his killer." "That is preposterous." "You're mad, Brother Cadfael." "What possible reason could I have to harm him?" "You were his only blood relative." "You stood to inherit his title and his fortune." "But had his marriage to Iveta produced an heir..." "My uncle was incapable of getting a child from any woman." "Oh, your uncle, certainly." "But could you assume so much of Joscelyn Lucy?" "Now, think how it'd been for them, a young couple daily in each other's company, yet constrained from openly expressing their love." "Now, what if they had weakened?" "And if their union had borne fruit?" "What then?" "Would the baron ever admit to being a cuckold?" "Or, rather, would he give thanks for the miracle and proclaim the child his own?" "That is a scandalous suggestion." "I am not saying that such a thing would have happened, only that Simon Aguilon feared the possibility." "So he took steps to ensure the danger to his inheritance never arose." "Murderer!" "You... killed... my... husband!" "The poor lady is mad with grief." "Cadfael's madness is contagious!" "Deny if you will that the evening Huon was brought back dead you came to my husband to make a bargain - that you would step into Huon's shoes, marry Iveta and inherit everything." "Why should I not fairly offer for Iveta?" "Sir Godfrid did not reject me." "He agreed to my suit." "So he did, thinking you an honest man." "But at the service for your uncle, you had to take off your gloves to sprinkle the holy water." "Godfrid saw the pale band on your finger where your ring once was." "He was fool enough to tell of his suspicions when you came round visiting." "I begged Godfrid to sever all ties with you, but greed got the better of him." "He made a bargain with you when you sneaked round to see Iveta." "If only he'd listened to me." "You were afraid he would voice his suspicions, so you killed him, just as you killed your own uncle." "Murderer!" "(Sobs)" "Sergeant, search him." "See if he has the ring hidden about his person." "I need not submit myself to this!" "You take your gloves off!" "(Roars)" "Take him to the castle." "Oh and Sergeant Warden how did you come to keep so apt a watch on Joscelyn here, when we were so busy beating the forest?" "It was Jehan, my Lord." "He came to me proposing that since the young squire was set on the lady, he might try to steer her away when there were but few of us left here." "Come forth, Jehan." "It was Jehan, too, that suggested we search the hut." "Your guesses, Jehan, seem to be blessed by heaven." "Or were they rather blessed by Simon Aguilon?" "He said I was welcome to the credit, if we found our man." "Think yourself lucky to escape a whipping, Jehan." "Now get out of my sight." "Go!" "Sergeant!" "Take special care at the bridge this time." "So Simon wanted me to be caught." " He must have put the ring in my saddlebag." " Oh, he did." "I thought he was helping me out of friendship and goodwill." "A very evil will Joscelyn You provided him with the perfect scapegoat" "He could rid himself of Domville, claim his inheritance and add Iveta and her lands to his great store of wealth." "But he had to ensure that you were captured." "By leaving the so-called sanctuary of the hut, you foiled his plans." "And I thought him my only friend." "I think you have a much truer friend much closer to you than Simon ever was." "One still more my Lord Beringar" "At least now my Lady de Massard is free to take a husband of her own choosing." "I wish you well of her Joss" "With all my heart." "What fragrance." "Yes, I plant for fragrance as well as colour and medicinal use." "I try to make it my own little Eden." "Some day I hope to make our garden at Godric's Ford as beautiful as this." "Oh, I'm sure you will." "Do you know, I sometimes think that the senses are the gateway to the soul." "We should celebrate them more." "That sounds rather heretical, Cadfael." "Sometimes I like to put the sand of doubt into the oyster of my faith." "Well, I must go." "I've a long journey and I need my sleep." "I still haven't thrown off worldly vanity." "(Both chuckle)" " I've something for you." " Oh!" " A daisy chain!" " To remind you of me." "And Daisy, our favourite donkey." "Well, if a donkey was good enough for the son of God, surely Daisy is good enough for us." "Well, my friend..." "seems your instincts were sounder than mine." "If only I'd listened." "If only I'd learnt the truth a few hours earlier, Piccard would still be alive." "No, you have nothing to reproach yourself for." "No earthly power could have saved Godfrid Piccard." "What do you make of these bruises on his neck?" "There's something odd about the marks left by the fingers, isn't there?" "These impressions were not made by the hands of Simon Aguilon." "Oh, yes, he murdered the Baron de Domville." "But he did not kill Godfrid Piccard." "Why didn't you tell me this before?" "Surely you'd never shield a murderer, Cadfael?" "Did I say he was murdered?" "A man dies." "Strangled." "Yet he was armed." "And he'd had time to draw his dagger - to draw, but not strike." "It lay by his side, unbloodied." "Now, those who kill with their hands do so because they have no other weapon." "Who, then?" "Who would engage with an armed man with nothing but his bare hands?" "None but a fool." "Or one with little left to lose." "(Leper's bell clangs)" "Well, Lazarus... everything has been put right." "The murderer of Huon de Domville is taken, guilty beyond doubt." "And your young friend, Joscelyn Lucy, cleared of any suspicion." "All will be well now with Iveta." "The king will approve Abbot Heribert as her new guardian and her wishes and her happiness will now be the prime consideration." "You speak only of Domville." "What of the second murder?" "I hope no innocent man has been accused of that." " Godfrid Piccard was not murdered." " What do you mean?" "He was stopped in the forest and challenged to single combat." "He was armed with a dagger, his opponent had only his bare hands." "Piccard must have thought it was so simple." "He didn't realise he was fighting one who possessed a lion's heart." "They must have had a very grave quarrel." "Oh, the oldest and the gravest." "The shameful mistreatment of a lady." "Does anyone else know of this?" "Hugh Beringar." "And, of course, the one whose hands strangled Piccard in fair combat." "But we alone know that of those hands, the left possessed fewer than five fingers." "Take me one step further, Brother, and tell me his name." "It was you" " Guimar de Massard." "Should I know that name?" "My Lord de Massard, I was beside you at the storming of Jerusalem." "I saw you breach the gate." "I was at Ascalon, too." "Against the Fatimids of Egypt." "Why, after that, did you let yourself be given up for dead?" "Huh." "Brother, I think you ask what you already know." "The Fatimids have excellent physicians." "Wiser than any here." "They recognised the first bitter signs." "I had to protect my wife and son from contagion." "I went to live in a hermitage and sent my shield and my sword back home." "Iveta treasures them." "I decided to return when word reached me that my son had left behind an orphan child." "My granddaughter Iveta." "I wanted to see her enjoy her fortune." "Instead, I found Piccard was ruining her life." "So..." "I ended his." "But your leprosy is no longer contagious." "You're a danger to no man or woman." "And whatever name you've been using these past years, you are still Guimar de Massard." "Iveta would revere you and delight in you." "Why not give her hand in marriage to young Joscelyn?" "Huh." "Brother, you speak of what you do not understand." "Leave my bones and my grave and my legend alone." "I am a dead man." "But there was one Lazarus who did rise again from his tomb" "To the great joy of his kinswomen." "Is this the face that made his sisters glad?" "Let me remain dead, Brother Cadfael." "Iveta and Joscelyn intend coming here to see you." "Well... we wandering lepers are notoriously vague." "Relics, we drift from shrine to shrine, staying nowhere long." "The fit takes us and the wind blows us away like dust." "Tell them all is well with me." "For with the dead, all is very well." "Pray for me, Brother." "I will come no more to Shrewsbury." "Remember, my Lord de Massard God sees not with the eyes of man." "Man beholds only the outward appearance." "God looks on the heart." "Then He shall find it here." "And He shall find it beautiful." "As I do." "(Bell tolls)"