Brother Cadfael 16: The Heretic's Apprentice Read Online Free PDF

family house is near Saint Alkmund's church in the town."
    "And he has been a patron of our house?"
    Brother Benedict the sacristan detailed the many gifts William had made over the years, both to the choir and to the parish of Holy Cross. "He was a close friend of Abbot Heribert's, who died here among us three years ago." Heribert, too gentle and mild for the taste of Bishop Henry of Winchester, then papal legate, had been demoted to give place to Radulfus, and had ended his days quite happily as a simple choir-monk, without regrets.
    "William also gave freely in winter for the poor," added Brother Oswald the almoner.
    "It seems that William has well deserved to have what he asks," said the abbot, and looked up encouragingly at his petitioner. "I understand you went with him on pilgrimage. You have done well by your master, I commend your loyalty, and I trust the journey has done great good to you, living, as to your master, who died still a pilgrim. There could be no more blessed death. Leave us now. I will speak with you again very soon."
    Elave made him a deep reverence, and went out from the chapter house with a buoyant step, like a man going to a festival.
    Canon Gerbert had refrained from comment while the petitioner was present, but he cleared his throat vociferously as soon as Elave had vanished, and said with weighty gravity: "My lord abbot, it is a great privilege to be buried within the walls. It must not be granted lightly. Is it certain that this is a fit case for such an honour? There must be many men, above the rank of merchant, who would wish to achieve such a resting place. It behooves your house to consider very gravely before admitting anyone, however charitable, who may fall short of worthiness."
    "I have never held," said Radulfus, unperturbed, "that rank or trade is valued before God. We have heard an impressive list of this man's gifts to our church, let alone those to his fellowmen. And bear in mind that he undertook, and accomplished, the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, an act of devotion that testifies to his quality and courage."
    It was characteristic of Serlo, that harmless and guileless soul - so Cadfael thought long afterward, when the dust had settled - to speak up with the best of intentions at the wrong moment, and in disastrously wrong words.
    "So good counsel prevailed," he said, beaming. "A timely word of admonishment and warning has had this blessed effect. Truly a priest should never be silent when he hears doctrine misread. His words may turn a soul astray into the right path."
    His childlike gratification faded slowly into the heavy silence he had provoked. He looked about him without immediate understanding, and gradually perceived how most eyes avoided him, looking studiously far into distance or down into folded hands, while Abbot Radulfus viewed him steadily and hard but without expression, and Canon Gerbert turned on him a cold, transfixing glare. The beaming smile faded sickly from Serlo's round and innocent face. "To pay good heed to stricture and obey instruction atones for all errors," he ventured, trying to edge away whatever in his words had caused this consternation, and failing. His voice ebbed feebly into silence.
    "What doctrine," demanded Gerbert with black deliberation, "had this man misread? What occasion had his priest had to admonish him? Are you saying that he was ordered to go on pilgrimage, to purge some mortal error?"
    "No, no, not ordered," said Serlo faintly. "It was suggested to him that his soul would benefit by such a reparation."
    "Reparation for what gross offence?" pursued the canon relentlessly.
    "Oh, none, none that did harm to any, no act of violence or dishonesty. It is long past," said Serlo gallantly, digging in his heels with unaccustomed bravery to retrieve what he had launched. "It was nine years ago, when Archbishop William of Corbeil, of blessed memory, sent out a preaching mission to many of the towns in England. As papal legate he was concerned for