'It's a very important topic. Pivotal.’
'I'm sure it is,' said Wat although his voice wasn't sure at all, 'and did you have any views on it? Before he arrived.’
'No, not really, wasn't my area. I was studying the lexicography of the post-Exodus Prophets.’ Hermitage hoped that they could move on to his favourite topic.
'Right,' said Wat in the tone that most people used when Hermitage said this. He didn't want to explore the lexicography. Shame.
'So why were you at the debate at all?’
'Well, there were a number of us there to start with, but it was clear that Ambrosius was going to take some time. At the end there was just me, Francis and James. And I don't know where they went. Father Genly was supposed to be the debating opponent, but he left quite early. He said that if our Lord had had an hour of Ambrosius instead of forty days and forty nights of wilderness he would have taken Satan's offer. Which I thought was quite rude. If not blasphemous.’
'Back to the point in hand, Hermitage, please,' Wat insisted. 'You were in the room with a living monk and soon afterwards he was a dead monk. You were the only one there, what would you conclude?’
'That the old monk became a dead monk as a result of natural processes. Old monks do that sort of thing all the time. Why didn't Athan believe that Ambrosius had simply died?’
Wat paused for a long time which stretched on so long that Hermitage began to worry he had given up and gone away
'Yes,' he eventually said, 'that's what I'm wondering.’
'So you don't think I did it?’ It was half statement, half question, as Hermitage begged for some support.
'No, of course I don't. You don't have it in you.’
Hermitage was hugely relieved at this. He knew it was what he wanted to hear, but it sounded like an insult. He was sure he could kill someone if he had to.
…
That Athan and Simon made it to Hermitage's cell without another murder being committed was itself a bit of a miracle.
In the time it had taken to get even half way, the King's Investigator had lectured Athan on a number of religious topics. He had spoken with great authority on matters which caused even Athan to frown in doubt, and he was not renowned for his theological learning. Or rather he was, but it wasn't the good sort of renown.
Simon had said some truly ludicrous things about the virgin daughters of Lot, had recited a huge list of animals for some reason or other and insisted that Noah's Ark had in fact come down in Suffolk. Which was odd considering most of that county was still under water.
A lot of the time was taken up by him speaking with great authority about his own great authority.
With Simon's talking, Athan almost missed the entrance to the cell and had to step quickly backwards a couple of paces. This brought him on to the King's Investigator's feet. The King's Investigator had much to say on the clumsiness of the servant classes. If Simon had been a perceptive fellow, he would have noticed that the fingernails on Athan's clenched fists had just drawn blood.
Hermitage heard the squeal and argument from outside the door.
'Quick,' he said to Wat, 'someone's coming.’
'Good.’
Hermitage didn't think it was good at all.
'Perhaps now we'll find out what's going on,' Wat whispered, 'I'll stay up here and listen. Try to get them to speak up a bit.’
Hermitage thought that speaking up was one thing Athan could do, and was about to say so, when the locking bar drew back and the door swung open.
The figures of Simon and Athan presented themselves to Hermitage. He felt some relief at the sight of Simon. The King's Investigator would be able to get straight to the heart of the matter. Perhaps his travelling companion had come to release him. He must share Wat's concern at this blatant miscarriage of justice.
'So you're Hermitage, are you?’ said Simon.
Odd, thought Hermitage, perhaps it was dark and Simon couldn't see who it was. He stepped forward into what little light there was.
'Yes, Brother,' he said, in clear recognition of Simon. 'It's me,' he added, as Simon continued to look blank.
Even Athan was confused.
'The man you travelled from Lincoln with?’ Athan barked.
'Yes, yes,' said Simon as if he were talking to an idiot child. 'I know perfectly well who he is. I am puzzled though.’
'Well there's a thing.’ Athan seemed confident that anything less than a direct insult would go over this man's head and sail off into the sunset.
He looked Hermitage up and down and appeared to be thinking very deeply. Hermitage knew that this had to be a good sign. After a very long pause the Investigator nodded to himself.
'You told us much about the death of this Ambrosius during our travel here, Brother.’
'I did,' Hermitage replied, wondering why he wasn't being let out straight away.
Simon pondered some more.
Surely he could remember it all, Hermitage thought.
'Indeed,' Simon said in a musing sort of tone to imply that he was thinking carefully about this reply.
A suspicious mind might have concluded that Simon didn't know what he was going to say next. Fortunately there were no suspicious minds in the room.
'As I said, Brother,' Athan, interrupted, 'Brother Hermitage was there at the time. The only one there. Apart from the dead body of course.’
Hermitage didn't like the way he said that.
'Indeed,' said Simon again, this time using the tone that said, I know how significant this is so you'd better answer properly. 'And how do you explain that?’
'Erm,' Hermitage wondered why he was having to repeat everything already said on the road from Lincoln. The King's Investigator wouldn't forget things like that.
Realisation dawned. No, of course he hadn't forgotten. This was a brilliant piece of questioning. What technique. Hermitage was very impressed. Simon had obviously taken in everything that Hermitage had said during the journey. He had even done so in a remarkable manner, never asking any questions or probing any statements at all. The ignorant would be easily fooled into thinking that Simon wasn't interested and wasn't particularly paying attention. Now Hermitage was in front of a monastic witness, even if it was Brother Athan, he was being asked to repeat the tale again. By this means Simon would spot any inconsistencies in the two versions. He would soon pierce the case to the core.
Hermitage had the confidence of the honest, of course, but he was still slightly nervous in front of such a powerful, yet cleverly disguised intellect. Simon must be able to lull all sorts of miscreants into false senses of security by his outwardly disinterested and frankly ignorant manner. He would obviously pounce when it was least expected.
'Well, as I said, Brother…' and Hermitage proceeded to repeat many of the words said between Lincoln and De'Ath's Dingle with any bearing on the death. He also included many words that had nothing to do with the death whatsoever, as well as several which were of merely general interest.
Athan's irritation at this experience became more and more visible as it went on. He was clearly controlling the urge to do some physical damage to something.
Simon was doing a very good impression of someone who really couldn't care what was being said to him.
Eventually Athan could contain himself no longer.
'Shut up,' he ordered.
Almost simultaneously Simon said 'Yes, yes, Brother,' for about the seventeenth time.
Aha, thought Hermitage, the investigator was obviously satisfied that his re-telling of events was consistent with his original exposition.
'So, basically, what you're saying is…' Simon said, leaving the sentence unfinished.
'What I'm saying is,' said Hermitage, marvelling again at Simon's ability to make the accused repeat their tale over and over again until they made some mistake, 'that I didn't kill Ambrosius, that he simply died of being old.’ 'And near death,' he added.
'Yeesssssss,' said Simon weighing up complex alternatives.
'Well,
he was near death, wasn't he?’ Athan spat. 'He was near you.’
'But, Brother,' Hermitage now felt a tremor of annoyance slip into his tone, 'I was contemplating. You saw me when you came in. I was carefully weighing up Ambrosius’s argument from my place in the stalls. I had been there for hours.’
'How do we know that?’ Athan retorted.
'Indeed,’ said Simon, as if it was the only word in the Investigator's armoury.
Clever again, thought Hermitage, getting others to pose the questions. It was as if Athan was being allowed to play an aggressive part while the investigator himself took on a more sympathetic role. Sort of good monk, bad monk.
'How do we know that you didn't get up from your stall, do Ambrosius to death and then sit down again?’ Athan was inspired by the topic.
'But why?’ Hermitage asked, 'why would I want to kill Brother Ambrosius? I can't deny that I had the opportunity to do so, that much is clear, but why would I want to? I didn't have anything against him. I was simply interested in his proposal, ill-conceived though it was. Quite apart from that, how did I do it? We don't know that he didn't simply drop dead. What killed him, that's the question, not who?’ Hermitage felt that he had made a very significant point, but it seemed to pass everyone by.
'Ill-conceived, eh?’ said Simon, as if this was a point of some significance.
'Well, yes,' said Hermitage. He was clearly unable to keep up with the Investigator's thinking.
'Yes?’ said Simon, probing again.
God be praised, this man was insightful.
'Yes, ill-conceived. It was clear that our Lord did suffer in the forty days and forty nights because does not Caput four verse two of the book of Matthew say that 'he was hungry'?’
'Yes?’ said Simon clearly leading Hermitage on further.
'So if he was hungry, he suffered. Ambrosius’s argument was that the Lord suffered because of his footwear. There's very little biblical support for that.’
'What?’ Athan seemed shocked for some reason.
'I maintain that as the Bible says,' began Hermitage.
'Yes, I heard what you said. I thought Father Genly's case was that the Lord didn't suffer at all. That was what Ambrosius was against.’
'Oh no,' Hermitage was taken aback and this patently ludicrous step, 'no one would accept that.’
'I don't believe this.’ Athan seemed lost, intellectually, theologically and personally.
'I'm not lying,' said Hermitage, quite offended.
'I'm sure you're not,' Athan went on. 'Are you seriously telling me that this monk spent four days arguing for the bleeding obvious?’
'I'm not sure I understand.’ Hermitage was having trouble following people today.
'You say that our Lord suffered in the wilderness?’ Athan enquired.
'Yes.’ Hermitage was sure of this.
'And the Bible says that our Lord suffered in the wilderness?’ Athan clearly knew this to be the case, but seemed anxious to check.
'Yes,' Hermitage said clearly.
'And Brother Ambrosius put together a debate that lasted more than half a week that our Lord suffered in the wilderness?’ Athan's reasoning was struggling.
'Yes.’ Hermitage was very impressed that Athan was reasoning at all.
'Did any one disagree?’ Athan asked.
'Well, not really. As you say, Father Genly was to take the opposing position, but it was only really on the point about the sandals.’
'Unbelievable,' Athan exclaimed.
'I know,' said Hermitage with sincerity, 'Not only was there no case to make for the sandals, but one could argue that the whole question was futile.’
'Oh, could one?’ Athan still seemed terribly excited about this issue. Perhaps Hermitage had misjudged him.
'And if Father Genly had argued his case, what would have happened?’ Athan wanted to know.
Hermitage was more than happy to tell him. 'Well the record of the debate would have gone to Conclave in Lincoln who would determine for one side or the other.’
'Sandals or not sandals.’
'Exactly.’
'The outcome of which would have made the slightest difference how exactly?’
'Again, that's an interesting point. It could have been a nullity.’
Athan simply looked puzzled.
'It would have no effect at all,' Hermitage explained.
'HA!' Athan threw his hands into the air. 'Why does that not surprise me?’ He stalked away from Hermitage and stalked into something on the floor. He stalked back again.
Hermitage had thought some more and came up with one outcome. 'I suppose there was an outside chance that sandals would be declared anathema. That would obviously affect the shoe industry quite badly, but apart from that…' He shrugged and then realised where his own argument had taken him.
'Which proves I had no reason to kill him because it proves there wasn't one. If his argument was going to have no effect on anyone at all in any way whatsoever, why would anyone want him dead?’ Hermitage was quite triumphant about this. He imagined it was where the Investigator had been leading him.
'To spare the world half a week of life lost,' Athan stalked around some more, only this time in very small circles.
'Perhaps it was personal,' said Simon. 'Perhaps you had a longstanding grudge against this man and chose this insignificant moment as the perfect opportunity, precisely because no one was interested.’ He seemed quite pleased with himself at this. But then he seemed pretty pleased with himself most of the time.
Hermitage almost said that he had already explained this to Wat. His secret, yet growing, reserve of discretion stepped up and kept him quiet. Instead he explained again that he wouldn't have known Ambrosius from a Druid.
'Perhaps,' said Athan slowly, thinking things through carefully, 'perhaps the debate simply drove you mad? One old monk arguing for four days about nothing at all would be enough to drive anyone to distraction. Perhaps you killed him in a moment of madness and don't even remember it.’
'Absolutely not,' Hermitage said with some surprise, 'the debate was fascinating.’
'What?’ there went Athan again, getting all hot under the habit. 'How could it be fascinating, it was a load of rubbish.’
'Oh, not at all,' said Hermitage. There was a cough from Wat's hiding place.
'The argument itself was most illuminating. Ambrosius called on references from several different books of the Bible. He put together a very cogent and consistent line across different time scales and neatly combined some Old Testament prophets with the healthcare instructions from the Book of Leviticus. He even employed a new technique known as deduction. It was very exciting.’
'But you still disagreed with him, even if the result didn't matter?’ Simon asked.
'Well, of course.’
'Violently,' Athan concluded as if this was enough to start building the gallows.
'Even if I did,' Hermitage offered, realising that this was tantamount to a confession although no one else in the room seemed to spot it, 'what killed him? If I had done it, there would be marks of some kind surely. Strangulation, beating, stabbing, suffocation – they must all leave their tracks. Surely it is the job of the Investigator to follow such tracks?’
Hermitage seemed to think this was a rather clever remark, but it obviously meant nothing to the others. They'd probably heard it a million times.
'What are you saying, Brother?’ Simon asked.
'That even if I did have the opportunity to commit the crime we've established that I had no motivation to do so. The argument was certainly not worth killing for and I didn't know Ambrosius anyway. The question we haven't established is how he was killed. Or even if he was killed at all and didn't just die as I maintain. We should examine the body of Brother Ambrosius.’
'All in good time, Brother,' said Simon, who appeared annoyed at Hermitage's presumption.
Despite the senior company Hermitage dropped on to his straw and sat cross-legged. He really couldn't
see what else there was to say. Simon didn't have anything else to say either. Athan was still fuming.
'All in good time,' Hermitage muttered to himself, starting, for the first time in his life, to question his conclusions about people. At one moment Simon seemed brilliant and at the next stupid. It was of course unbelievable that someone of authority could be actually useless at what they were supposed to do. It must be a ruse.
'What if he's still alive?’ Hermitage said, leaping to his feet again.
'Hardly likely, Brother,' Athan said, 'He's been lying in the meat store for several days. I think he'd have let us know if he wasn't really dead.’
'Perhaps he's stunned?’
'Stunned? He'd have to be pretty heavily stunned to lie still in a freezing room for days on end. Anyway, we saw him fall from his chair. Several Brothers carried him between them and covered him with a sheet. I think he'd have responded to some of that.’
'But he fell on his head, that could have stunned him more.’
'Oh, this is ridiculous.’ Athan was nearing the end of his tether, which was never far away. 'Let's see the damn body. This is getting as stupid as the whole argument in the first place.’
Simon frowned at them both and Hermitage was ashamed at usurping the Investigator’s position. The man put on his highest authority and gestured the others to get on with it.
Hermitage just assumed that he would be going with them and so followed the two monks to the door of his cell. Neither Simon nor Athan seemed to object so he stayed at the back and kept quiet, like a child hoping that he hasn't been noticed at bedtime.
Athan turned on the following Hermitage and glared at him.
Resigned to his fate, Hermitage's heart sank.
'In the morning,' Athan said simply.
Hermitage's heart rose again. Then it fell at the thought of spending the night in this place. Probably standing up.
Outside of the wall, Wat rose from his hiding place.
'Examine the body, eh?’ he muttered to himself, 'Good idea Mister Investigator,' he added in a less than respectful tone. 'Still,' he shrugged, 'might provide a new work for the client in Worcester. He likes this sort of thing.’
The Heretics of De'Ath (The Chronicles of Brother Hermitage Book 1) Page 12