Free Holy Thief by Ellis Peters Page A

burden. Somewhere within our walls the reliquary must be hidden. At least,
before we look beyond, every corner of this house and all its outer buildings,
must be searched.”
    The
hunt for Saint Winifred went on for two days, every moment between the Offices,
and as if the honour of all within the walls was impugned in her loss, even the
guests in the hall and the trusted regulars of the parish of Holy Cross trudged
through the lingering mud to join in the search. Even Rémy of Pertuis,
forgetting the tenderness of his throat, went with Bénezet to penetrate every
corner of the Horse Fair stable and the loft over it, from which sanctuary the
translated relics of Saint Elerius and certain minor treasures had already been
reclaimed. It was not seemly for the girl Daalny to mingle with the brothers
throughout the day, but she watched with tireless interest from the steps of
the guesthall, as the hunters emerged from one doorway after another, from
grange court to stable-yard, from the dortoir by the outer daystairs, into the
cloister garth, out again by the scriptorium, across to the infirmary, and
always empty-handed.
    All
those who had helped on the evening of the flood, when the need grew urgent,
told what they knew, and the sum of what they knew covered the hurried
movements of most of the church’s treasury, and traced it back to its proper
places, but shed no light on what had happened to Saint Winifred’s swaddled
reliquary between noon and evening of the day in question. At the end of the
second day even Prior Robert, rigid with outrage, had to acknowledge defeat.
    “She
is not here,” he said. “Not within these walls, not here in the Foregate. If
anything was known of her there, they would have told us.”
    “No
blinking it,” agreed the abbot grimly, “she is gone further. There is no
possibility of mistake or confusion. An exchange was made, with intent to
deceive. And yet what has left our gates during these days? Except for our
brothers Herluin and Tutilo, and they certainly took nothing with them but what
they brought, the very least a man needs upon the road.”
    “There
was the cart,” said Cadfael, “that set out for Ramsey.”
    There
fell a silence, while they looked at one another with misgiving, calculating
uneasily the dangerous possibilities opening up before them.
    “Is
it possible?” ventured Brother Richard the Sub-Prior, almost hopefully. “In the
darkness and confusion? Some order misunderstood? Can it have been put on to
the cart by mistake?”
    “No,”
said Cadfael, bluntly cutting off that consideration. “If she was moved from
her altar, then she was put somewhere else with deliberate intent.
Nevertheless, yes, the cart departed next morning, and she may have gone with
it. But not by chance, not in error.”
    “Then
this is sacrilegious theft!” declaimed Robert. “Offence against the laws of God
and of the realm, and must be pursued with all rigour.”
    “We
must not say so,” reproved Radulfus, lifting a restraining hand, “until we have
questioned every man who was present on that day and may have testimony to add
to what we know. And that we have not yet done. Sub-Prior Herluin and Brother
Tutilo were with us then, and as I know, Tutilo was helping with the removal of
the altar furnishings until well into the evening. And were there not some
others who came in to help? We should speak to every one who may have seen
anything to the purpose, before we cry theft.”
    “Eudo
Blount’s carters who came with the wood,” offered Richard, “left the load and
came in to help, until all was done, before they finished transferring the
timber from the Longner cart. Should we not ask them? Dark as it was by then,
they may have noticed something to the purpose.”
    “We
will neglect nothing,” said the abbot. “Father Herluin and Brother Tutilo, I
know, will be coming back here to return our horses, but that may be some days,