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have never been further east than Lowestoft I’m surprised you know the difference either,’ I countered. ‘Anyway, it’s not holy war that brings the abbot-legate to Bury. His sights are set on more parochial matters. He wishes to put an end to trading on the Sabbath.’
    His eyes lit up mischievously at that. He folded his arms. ‘Whose Sabbath are we talking about, now? Friday is the Muslim Sabbath. For Jews it is Saturday.’
    ‘You know perfectly well he means Sunday. You’re being deliberately obtuse.’
    ‘Not at all. I offer my services on whosever Sabbath it happens to be - Jew, Muslim, even Christian.’
    ‘That’s because you’re a godless heathen who doesn’t believe in the sanctity of anybody’s Sabbath.’
    ‘Oh, and would you refuse to bind a wound on a Sunday simply because it is your Sabbath and let your patient bleed to death?’
    ‘That’s different. We do have some discretion. It’s a matter of priorities. And anyway, I might refuse payment - at least until Monday morning.’
    ‘That would be like offering your services on credit, and I doubt the abbot-legate would approve of that either.’
    I sighed. ‘Look, I’ve not come here to cross intellects with you - you always win. You are perfectly aware that it’s the defilement of the Lord’s Day that the abbot-legate objects to - that is to say our lord. The one true lord, Jesus Christ.’
    ‘You sound like you are making the abbot-legate’s case for him.’
    ‘I’m simply telling you what he intends.’
    ‘Very well. But what has any of this to do with me?’
    ‘He wants you to use your influence with the other traders to persuade them of the abbot-legate’s case.’
    He frowned. ‘I’m not sure I have any influence.’
    ‘That’s what I told him. But you do, don’t you? You make loans to other shopkeepers and tradesmen. They are in your debt.’
    ‘It’s true I occasionally help my neighbours when they are in need - as they do me. We help each other. It’s part of good business practise.’
    ‘Yes, but you’re better at it than most. Abbot Eustache knows this.’
    ‘Oh? How does he know it?’
    I shrugged. ‘The way he knows everything else. Through his clerk, Brother Fidele - a little man with a big book.’
    ‘A book about what?’
    ‘About everybody, as far as I can tell. I don’t know where he gets his information from - bribes and spies I imagine. But there’s very little he seems not to know. He provides the bolts for his master to shoot.’
    ‘In that case he’s a dangerous man indeed,’ frowned Joseph. ‘What does Abbot Samson say to all this?’
    ‘Ah well, there’s the rub. This visit of Abbot Eustache just happens to have coincided with a matter close to Samson’s heart and for which he wants the legate’s support. So Samson is being extra specially accommodating.’
    ‘ Happens to have coincided? Rather convenient from Abbot Eustache’s point of view, wouldn’t you say?’
    I hadn’t thought of it in that way, but of course he was right. Normally Samson would have sent Eustache away with a flea in his ear for even daring to interfere in abbey business. But he seems to have arrived just when Samson was at his most vulnerable. Quite a coincidence if that’s what it was. Was this Brother Fidele’s doing too I wondered?
    ‘Look,’ I tried to reassure him. ‘I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. Samson’s more or less already given the legate what he wants - he’s agreed to change the market day from Sunday to Tuesday. It probably won’t involve you at all. And your people are safe. I have Samson’s assurance on that.’
    ‘This is the same Abbot Samson who preached holy war and then did nothing when the mob came to burn down our houses?’
    I cringed. ‘That’s not going to happen this time. But if it does I’m afraid I won’t be here to see it. Samson is sending me on a mission - to Ely, God help me.’
    ‘Well, thank you for the warning, brother, I’ll give it some