On the way back to Theresa’s estate, they barely said a word to each other, though before they arrived, the young woman gave Olaf her thanks.
“Any slave would have done the same for his mistress,” he said in justification.
When they reached the hut, Olaf searched the clothes before casting them in the fire. He kept the knife and shoes, which would serve him well as soon as he dyed them. He offered the dagger to Theresa, for a slave could not possess weapons, but she refused it.
“File the point and you will be able to use it without anyone accusing you,” she suggested.
Olaf thanked her for the gesture as he admired the dagger. It was a crude instrument, but made of good steel. He could modify it so that it would be unrecognizable. To show his gratitude, he bowed to Theresa and Lucile did the same. Then they prepared some dinner, for night would fall soon.
By the time they had finished eating the roe deer leg, the moon was bright in the sky, so Theresa decided to spend the night in the hut. Lucille made a space for her between the two children, and Lucille slept on the floor to her right. Olaf slept outside, covered in a cloak.
That night Theresa purged her sins again. She remembered her father, Gorgias, and speculated on his whereabouts. Perhaps he was dead, but as likely as it seemed, she would not accept it as truth. She evoked memories of Alcuin, yearning for the days of learning, for his kind words and his extraordinary wisdom. Then she thought about everyone who had died because of her: the girl in the fire, the two Saxons at Hoos’s house, and now Widukind… For a moment she wondered whether the wealth of her land was worth all she had been through.
The howling of the wolves made Widukind’s body come to mind. Then she thought of her father and cried, picturing him being devoured by vermin.
Suddenly Theresa sprang up, causing Lucille to also wake, but Theresa told her that nothing was wrong. The young woman wrapped up warm and left the hut. Olaf was surprised because it was still completely dark. The slave came out from behind the ox he was using as a shelter and gave her a confused look as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Theresa admired the moon in silence. In a few hours the sun would come up and then Alcuin would set off for Würzburg. She took a deep breath and looked at Olaf. Then she told him to make ready. “Come with me to Fulda. But before leaving I want to make certain arrangements.”
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the abbey stables were a hive of activity. Dozens of monks ran up and down bearing food, animals, weapons, and equipment under the close scrutiny of Charlemagne’s men. The cart drivers yoked their beasts, who were lowing and thrashing their heads in protest. The maidservants prepared to bring the final supplies of salted belly pork, and the soldiers stayed busy following their commanders’ instructions.
Theresa found Alcuin as he was loading a cart with his belongings. All she had brought for the journey were a change of clothes and her wax tablets. Everything else she had left with Helga the Black, whom she had only woken minutes earlier to tell her that she was leaving. Helga would look after her land until she returned, and Theresa promised she would be back even if it was just to collect the rent that her friend had promised to pay her.
When Alcuin saw Theresa, he walked angrily over to her. “May I ask what you’re doing here?”
“Nothing that concerns you,” she responded without looking at him. She threw her bag onto the cart.
“Remove your bag at once! Do you want me to call the soldiers?”
“And do you want me to walk to Würzburg alone? Because that’s what I’ll do.”
“You’ll end up in a ditch.”
“Then so be it.”
Alcuin took a deep breath through clenched teeth. Never in his life had he come across such an obstinate creature. Finally he murmured something and turned away.
“Pox on you. Get in the cart!”
“What?”
“Did you not hear me? I said get in the cart!”
Theresa kissed his hand, not knowing how to thank him.
At dawn, Izam of Padua appeared, sporting a striking robe of red serge and gleaming chainmail. He was followed by a large group of soldiers that would escort the Roman delegation. When the engineer spotted Theresa, he made as if to go and greet her, but stopped when he saw another young man approach her first.
Theresa let Hoos embrace her and he kissed her on the lips. Izam looked on with a perplexed expression, which Hoos happened to notice.
“How do you know him?” Hoos asked when he saw Izam walk off.
“Who? The one in the chainmail?” she asked, trying to act normal. “He works for Charlemagne. He helped me with the slave I told you about. The one with the wooden leg.”
“He seems very interested in you.” He smiled and kissed her again, making sure Izam could see.
Theresa thought it odd that Hoos was not surprised to see her, for at no time had she told him of her intention to travel to Würzburg. On the contrary, she was a little surprised to see him since she had thought that they would both stay in Fulda and continue their relationship in peace, and yet, there they were: abandoning themselves to whatever fate awaited them without any kind of plan. Hoos explained to Theresa that her friend the engineer had hired him as a guide.
“You should have seen their faces when I told them that snow still blocked the passes. They screamed and shouted like madmen. That’s when I suggested they travel to Frankfurt first and sail upriver from there. The thaw has already begun down there, so with a bit of luck we’ll be able to reach Würzburg by ship.”
“And you were going to leave without telling me?”
“I was certain you would come,” he said with a smile. “And anyway…”
Theresa gave him a wary look.
“Anyway what?”
“If necessary I would have dragged you myself.” He laughed and lifted her into the air.
Theresa smiled, happy in Hoos’s strong arms. She felt that while he was near, nothing bad could happen to her.
Theresa counted around seventy people who had assembled for the journey. A dozen or so belonged to the papal mission, around twenty looked like men-at-arms, and the rest were cart drivers, servants, and townspeople. As she expected, she was the only woman, but it didn’t concern her. Aside from the men, the delegation was furnished with eight ox-driven wagons and as many lighter carts pulled by mules.
At Izam’s signal, the whips cracked against the beasts, which lowed in pain and then laboriously set off in the direction of the city walls. Alcuin traveled on the first wagon with the papal mission. Theresa sat swaying on the second cart with her attention on Hoos, who navigated the march, while Izam brought up the rear of the convoy along with the main body of soldiers, setting course for Frankfurt.
During the journey, Hoos and Theresa traded news. He told her that in Würzburg folks were dying of hunger, which was why twelve carts were transporting grain, and that in Frankfurt they would gather whatever provisions they could fit on the ship. She spoke to him of Alcuin and how he had solved the case of the poisoned wheat.
“I’ll say it again: Don’t trust him. That monk’s sharp as a needle, but as shady as the Devil.”
“I don’t know… he’s been good to Helga. And he’s given me work.”
“It makes no difference. When this is over and they pay me, you won’t have to work anymore.”
Theresa nodded unenthusiastically and admitted to him that all that mattered to her was finding her father alive. When Hoos pointed out how difficult it would be to fulfill her wish, she refused to listen to him and curled up under a blanket.
The delegation trudged on wearily all morning. Two riders equipped with torches led the way in front, ensuring the carts could negotiate any obstacles in their path. Just ahead, four servants wearing gloves removed the stones that would hinder the progress of the convoy, while the cart drivers, with whip and oath, toiled to keep the oxen away from the sheer drops in the embankments. Alert to any dangers, another pair of well-equipped outriders guarded the rea
r.
After passing a muddy section where the men had to do as much pulling as the beasts, Izam called a halt. He judged that the road had opened up sufficiently to provide a safe place to make camp, so the men positioned the wagons in a row along the bank of the stream before tethering the horses to the first cart and unloading the fodder for the animals. A servant lit a fire over which he arranged several joints of venison, while Izam assembled the rest of them into organized watches.
Once all the arrangements for their camp were complete, they made themselves comfortable around the fire and drank until the meat was well roasted. Theresa helped the cooks, who celebrated the presence of a woman who was skilled with the pots. A couple of lookouts returned with some rabbits, much to the delight of the papal mission. The less fortunate had to make do with oatmeal porridge and salt pork—but the wine was shared with all, and the men gabbed and laughed as they emptied their tankards.
As Theresa cleared up some bowls, Izam came up behind her. “You’re not drinking wine?” he said, offering her some.
She turned around, startled. “No, thank you. I prefer water,” she said, taking a sip from her cup.
Izam was surprised. While traveling most people chose to drink watered-down wine, or failing that, beer, for both were less likely to cause illness than contaminated water.
He insisted. “This stream can’t be trusted. Its bed is not stony, and it flows from west to east. Plus, we passed a settlement of tenant farmers a couple of miles back—no doubt all their waste is flowing downstream.”
Upon hearing that, Theresa spat the water out and accepted Izam’s cup. The wine was strong and hot.
“I tried to say hello to you earlier, but you were busy.”
She responded with a forced smile. She saw Hoos eating venison and was worried he might see them.
“Is he your betrothed?” he asked.
“Not yet.” She blushed, without quite knowing why.
“It’s a shame I’m engaged,” he lied.
For some reason she didn’t like his comment, but they spoke for a while about the difficulties of the journey.
Finally, she gave in to her curiosity. “You know what? I don’t believe you really are engaged,” she said, smiling, and instantly she regretted her boldness.
Izam burst into laughter.
At that moment Alcuin arrived to congratulate them. “For your cooking, Theresa, and you, Izam, for your skill guiding the delegation,” he said.
Izam thanked him and left to attend to a couple of soldiers who were demanding his presence. Theresa took the opportunity to interrogate Alcuin about Izam of Padua.
“I really don’t know whether he has a maiden,” the monk answered, surprised he was being asked such a question.
They arrived in Frankfurt early the next day. Hoos and Izam used the morning to scour the port in search of the most appropriate ships. At the wharf they found solid Frankish sailing boats, Danish ships with spacious holds, and broad-bellied Frisian vessels. Izam was keen on strong and capacious hulls, while Hoos preferred light craft.
“If we come across ice, we might have to tug them,” Hoos remarked.
They finally decided on two heavy boats, well furnished with oars, and a light ship that could be dragged up the river if necessary.
At midday they began loading the vessels. They all ate together in a nearby warehouse, and a couple of hours later, the three boats were cleaving through the Main River crammed with animals, soldiers, and priests.
23
Alcuin of York could never have imagined that such a string of blasphemies could come from the mouth of a prelate. However, when Flavio Diacono heard the creaking of the hull, he didn’t stop cursing until the ship became completely stuck in the ice.
“We should never have embarked on this voyage!” Flavio blurted out as he climbed down from the boat with his arms full of belongings. “What is this wretch trying to do? Kill us all?”
Izam scowled back at him as he spat out the piece of meat he had been chewing for some time. He had enough on his plate trying to free the hull, without having to worry about the complaints of a couple of fussy priests. He looked ahead and swore. A completely frozen river stretched out in front of him.
Since they had set sail from Frankfurt, the voyage had been without incident and they had seen nothing more than the random plaque of ice to concern them. Fortunately the ships that were following them had managed to avoid crashing their stern and they were bobbing tamely behind. He quickly positioned a couple of beams at the bow, ordered the crew to empty the hold, and made sure the provisions and animals were located on the most solid part of the ice floe. Hoos led a group across the ice to the bank.
Flavio could not be calmed. “I’ll be damned if I know what’s going on! Now what is that man doing?”
“I don’t know,” replied Alcuin. “Getting us out of here, I suppose. That’s what we’re paying him for,” he said, continuing to gather up his books. “Please hold this Bible for me with care. It’s a very valuable specimen.”
Flavio grabbed the Bible and threw it heedlessly onto a stack of bales. He was annoyed by Theresa’s presence and the carefree attitude with which Alcuin was responding to the serious situation.
“Perhaps we are preparing to go back?” Theresa ventured.
“I don’t think so. In fact, I could swear they are intending to lift the boat out of the water and drag it across the ice,” said Alcuin.
“Have you lost your senses? How is someone going to drag a boat to Würzburg?” the Roman interjected again.
“My dear Flavio, look around you,” he said without lifting his gaze. “If Izam wanted to turn back, he would’ve used one of the other ships to tug us out. However, he has tied the ropes to the cutwater at the prow, not the stern, and then he yoked the oxen, which can only mean he intends to lift it up out of the ice.”
“But that is insane. How are thirty men going to pull a boat?”
“Thirty-one, Father,” said Theresa, who had already counted them.
“And you will be party to this foolishness?” he asked Alcuin.
“If we hope to reach Würzburg, of course,” said Alcuin, putting away some bottles. “And since it doesn’t appear like you are intending to push or pull, you could at least help me with these quills. Secure them in place there, alongside the inkwells.”
“But it’s impossible!” he insisted as he handled the instruments. “Thirty men dragging a boat—or thirty-one, unless they want to die pulling. Look at the size of the hull: It’s over twenty paces wide. And the provisions? What will happen with the provisions that we’re unloading now?”
“Maybe you should ask the commander.”
“Izam of Padua? Perhaps that upstart has spoken to you, but since we set sail from Frankfurt, he hasn’t said a word to me.” He put down the items he was holding and turned to face Alcuin. “Do you know what I think? That you’re delirious. What you’re saying is the ravings of an old monk who thinks he knows more than a prelate. What we should be doing is continuing on foot, following the course of the river. We have oxen, and well-armed men.”
“Well, here is what I think,” said Alcuin, “I think if you spoke less and helped more, we would have already finished unloading the ship.”
“Alcuin! Remember that I warrant respect.”
“And you remember that I deserve rest. As you say, I am not young. If I am to pull the ship, I need repose.”
“My God, you persist with that ludicrous idea? Thirty-one men cannot—”
“Granted, more might be needed. As you were speaking, ten crewmembers from the second boat climbed down a ladder to come and join us,” Theresa pointed out.
Flavio didn’t even look at her. “Then permit me to inform you that you are not the only one who can speculate. If we are unable to refloat the ship, then we must transfer our cargo to one of the other boats and return to Frankfurt to wait for the ice to thaw. Those men who are crossing over now must be coming to help us unload our cargo o
nto their boat.”
“Is that why they are coming with all of their belongings?” Alcuin asked. “They will indeed help us, but in the manner in which I have already explained. Incidentally, if it seems such a bad idea to you, then surely you should board the other returning ships.”
“You know as well as I do that we need to reach Würzburg.”
“Well, then, stop complaining and get your belongings off the boat so that we may lift it a little easier. Theresa, help me with this volume. Look.” He pointed at the crew. “Two of the men onshore have already begun to head upriver, no doubt to see the extent of the ice. As you can see, the rest have started to cut and prepare logs.”
“Timber to repair the ship?” the young woman suggested.
“Actually, it looks like they are making levers for moving the boat. Observe the terrain: In this area, the river pools—and this fact, along with the shade from that great mountain,” he said, pointing at it, “are the likely causes of this unexpected freeze. However, farther up, where there is no shade and the slope of the river steepens, I warrant that the water flows without hindrance.”
At that moment Hoos returned with a satisfied expression. He left his weapons on the ice and boarded the boat to talk with Izam. “As I suspected, we’ll have to go upriver for a couple of miles. But farther up, the ice begins to break up and we’ll be able to continue the voyage.”
“And the bank?” asked the commander.
“There are two or three places where it narrows, but the rest of the passage shouldn’t be difficult.”
“All right. And the lookout?”
“I posted him up high, like you ordered.”
“Then all we have to do is lift this bastard up and drag her upriver over the ice.”
Wrapped in rigging, the crew pulled in unison, clenching and straining every muscle fiber in their bodies. On the first attempt, the boat merely creaked. At each signal, the men lurched forward, jolting the ship forward with an almost imperceptible rattle. Then the creaking turned into a groan, and finally, the keel lifted into the air and dropped down onto the frozen surface. Slowly, as progress was made, the pulling became more constant. With the oxen out front, twelve oarsmen pulled the ropes at the prow. Helping were another eight located on each side of the hull and straining to steer it. Theresa and Alcuin joined in where they could. Only four men remained on the second boat, guarding the supplies and equipment, with everyone else helping. Gradually the ship was dragged up out of the ice like a dying beast, revealing a deep scar in the ice when it finally slid forward all the way.
The Scribe Page 39