Peter Tremayne - The Haunted Abbot

Abbot Cild appeared stunned by Eadulf’s assertive manner. He was obviously totally unused to anyone challenging his power.

Eadulf continued, unperturbed: ‘Next, remove this stigma of black magic and evil doings from her name. That a man intelligent enough to claim the position of abbot of this house should give credence to such tales of witchcraft is beyond belief.’

Abbot Cild rose rapidly from his chair.

‘I shall not! I am abbot here, not you, and let Archbishop Theodore come here in person if he would challenge me.’

Eadulf had not really expected his demand to be accepted immediately and without trouble.

‘That he might well do, for many things have come to his attention about this house.’ Eadulf realised that he was going out on a limb here by departing from the facts.

Abbot Cild’s eyes narrowed.

‘Explain your meaning,’ he demanded.

‘I intend to. But questions first. Why are you so afraid of this reported apparition?’

The question was unexpected and Cild blinked and sat down again with abruptness.

‘What … what makes you think that I am afraid?’

Eadulf merely smiled. ‘I saw a lady near the chapel last night. You were afraid when I described her. Tonight, Brother Redwald saw the same woman in Sister Fidelma’s room. This time, Brother Redwald claimed it was your wife who, it is reported, is dead. Is she dead?’

Abbot Cild’s expression became angry. ‘Dare you call me liar?’

‘I am asking a question.’

‘She is dead. And only a person who practises the black arts could conjure up her image. Nothing happened until you arrived here with the foreign woman.’

‘But I am told that this wraith was seen before we came to the abbey,’ protested Eadulf.

‘The spirit appeared as soon as you entered this kingdom. The foreign woman’s witchcraft must be powerful to conjure the spirit at a distance,’ replied Cild, unabashed. ‘You forced your way in here and demanded hospitality. I should have expelled you both at that very moment. I relented and let you stay. Immediately, the wraith appears. And I have not forgotten that your coming heralded the arrival of Garb and his men who make such vile claims against me. I have not overlooked the fact that Garb and your companion are from the same country. Perhaps they are kin and in conspiracy? I am a logical man. It was your coming that brought this evil into Aldred’s Abbey. Nothing evil had happened until last night, when you both demanded the hospitality of this abbey.’

Eadulf heard him out quietly and then smiled sadly.

‘But it did, Cild. Yesterday morning my good friend Botulf was murdered. And it was by his wish that we came here — too late!’

Eadulf saw no reason to withhold this information any longer. He judged that now was the moment to use it, and he was right, for Cild was quiet for some time, trying unsuccessfully to make his face an expressionless mask.

‘Why did Botulf ask you to come here?’

Eadulf smiled knowingly. He would play mind games with the abbot now.

‘Did someone in the abbey know that he had sent to Canterbury to request my presence at this place?’ Eadulf made his voice reflective.

‘I certainly did not know.’ Abbot Cild’s voice was tight with suppressed anger.

‘I realise that Botulf and you were not the close associates that you would have had people believe at the funeral service. What enmity lay between you?’

‘Did Botulf tell you that there was enmity between us?’ demanded the abbot.

‘Do you deny it?’ countered Eadulf.

‘I do not. I point out that your friend Botulf was forced upon me by the wish of King Ealdwulf. If you must know the truth, Botulf tried to defend a traitor and coward and was ordered by the King to remain in this community, moving no more than a mile from it, until he had expiated his crime. I did not like the arrangement but accepted the order of the King.’

Eadulf nodded slightly. This agreed with the version which Aldhere had told him.

‘Yet you must have found Botulf a useful member of the community to allow him to remain as steward of the abbey?’

‘He had his uses,’ Cild reluctantly agreed.

‘So my friend, Botulf, who helped Aldred found this abbey some years ago, was returned here to serve you as the new abbot?’

Abbot Cild pursed lips thoughtfully. ‘Botulf was one of Aldred’s first community here. But then he was sent to a western part of the kingdom to preach and it was there he fell in with the man who was to be a coward and traitor to the King …’

‘Aldhere?’ The question was swift and caused Cild’s eyes to widen a fraction.

‘How did you know that? From Botulf?’

‘No. I happened to fall in with your brother earlier today.’

There was a silence while Abbot Cild digested this information.

‘You are trying to play games with me, Brother Eadulf,’ he said quietly. ‘And what lies has my young brother been telling you?’

‘Should he be telling any lies?’

‘He doubtless justified to you why he lives outside the law.’

‘He claimed to be innocent of the murder of Botulf for which, as I remember, you were insistent upon hanging him had youcaught him earlier today. I seem to recall that Aristotle wrote that the strife between brothers is bitter and cruel. Would Aldhere have done the same to you, I wonder?’

Cild glowered in annoyance. ‘He has done worse to me by using guile to rob me of my inheritance.’

‘Was that not your father’s decision?’

‘My father was in his dotage and was influenced by Aldhere.’

‘But you went into the Church. Surely that is an end of the matter?’

‘I did not make Aldhere a traitor and coward. Shortly after I returned here, Aldhere came under sentence of outlawry from the King. I merely attempted to regain what was mine by right.’

‘And King Ealdwulf did not agree with you?’

‘He agreed on the principle but not on the practicality, for he decided that there should be no future thane of Bretta’s Ham.’

‘Do you hate your brother to the point where you would personally encompass his death? That is hardly in keeping with the cloth you wear.’

‘Where is it written that I should forbear from vengeance?

“Sing psalms to the Lord, who dwells in Zion

proclaim his deeds among the nations

for the avenger of blood had remembered-”’

Eadulf interrupted the abbot’s quotation with a sharp gesture.

‘I would have thought that you might have considered the story of Cain from the text of Genesis. Cain murdered his brother, and when God came to pass judgment on Cain, Cain fully expected that his life would be forfeit as vengeance. But God told him “No; if anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.” God merely set a mark on Cain so that anyone meeting him should not kill him. For vengeance begets vengeance.’

Cild smiled thinly. ‘Brother Eadulf, I should advise you to read Exodus as well as Genesis — “then shall thou give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning …”’

‘I know the lines, Abbot, but blood cannot wash out blood. Vengeance will prove its own destroyer.’

‘Then, Brother Eadulf, am I to understand that you will disobey the words of the Scriptures?’

‘Are they there to be obeyed without question?’ demanded Eadulf.

‘They are the words of the holy men inspired of God.’

‘They are the words of men who set them forth for the obedience of fools and the guidance of the wise.’

‘Now I see why you travel with a witch. You have no religion!’ snapped the abbot.

Eadulf was forced into silence by the cold illogic of the man. Finally, he found his voice, but he realised that Abbot Cild was a man of narrow mind and total self-absorption. And it brought him back to the main purpose of his argument with the abbot.