Free Unholy Innocence by Stephen Wheeler Page A

human being. This, after all, is what made Christ – Christ.’
    I nodded then asked the crucial question again: ‘So do you believe these boys really were martyrs?’
    Jocelin looked at me and I could see he was now in deadly earnest. ‘I believe sincerely with Brother Thomas that by the ordering of Divine Providence these Holy Innocents were predestined to their sacred role from the beginning of time. I believe they are pure and unspoilt and free of sin; that they have been absorbed into the Heavenly Host and even now sit among the Blessed Communion of Saints. If I have doubt it is that they themselves would choose to be made mock of and to be put to death in scorn of Our Lord’s Passion. Rather, I believe they were martyred for God’s own purpose the which we cannot know and will for ever remain a mystery.’
    I held my breath while he said all that, and without a single stutter I noticed. ‘But without being martyred for their faith – by Jews - they would not have been recognized as saints,’ I suggested.
    ‘Their miracles would have been p-proof if that’s what is required by doubters. That is why I wrote Robert’s history, to show that he had been ordained for his role at birth and c-continues to reveal himself to us even today.’
    ‘Very well,’ I said impressed with Jocelin’s evident knowledge of the subject. ‘Tell me what you know of our own Robert of Bury.’
    Jocelin’s face cleared. He looked much more relieved. ‘Now I’m on m-much f-firmer ground. I studied this case in great detail and h-have in fact written my own history of the miracles of St. Robert which I entitled, Miracula multa et magna apud Aedmundum per beatum puerum Robertum .’ He beamed. ‘R-rather a neat title, I th-think you’ll agree. Th-that’s the piece Master Samson gave you to read.’ He pointed to the thick wad of papers I had dumped unceremoniously on the floor next to where I was sitting.
    ‘I’ll read them later,’ I smiled, lifting the pages reverentially from the floor and placing them on Jocelin’s crowded desk. ‘For now, could you just précis the more pertinent points?’
    ‘Well, it’s the familiar story,’ he said, warming to his subject. ‘Robert was a twelve-year-old boy murdered once again during the Passover week – actually on Good Friday anno domini 1181. N-notice this time it really was during the Jewish Passover week.’
    ‘Unlike this fuller’s boy today,’ I interjected pointedly. ‘And the marks on the body in this case? Similar to Christ’s?’
    ‘N-no record survives.’ He frowned. ‘As Samson said, it was a time of great confusion.’
    ‘I see,’ I said. ‘Continue.’
    ‘Well, the J-jews were immediately suspected although no individual Jew was ever charged. But what interested me, and what I was most c-concerned to do in my book, was to chronicle the m-miracles performed by the saint after his death.’ He licked his lips. ‘For example, imagine a light shining above the martyred boy’s shrine in the darkened crypt when there was no possible source of illumination, and a nun, blind since childhood, looking towards the light, is s-suddenly able to see again. Th-then there was the instant of the girl with a crooked finger.’ He held out his own hand to demonstrate the scene. ‘I remember she placed her hand on the saint’s t-tomb, thus, and -’
    ‘Yes,’ I said rising and tucking Jocelin’s manuscript under my arm. ‘This is all very interesting, brother, and I will read it – later, I promise. But I think for now we should see the body of the murdered boy, don’t you? It has lain untouched for eighteen hours and it is another hot day.’
    ‘O-oh, y-yes, o-of c-course,’ said Jocelin, reddening deeply and rising so swiftly he nearly knocked over his stool.
    ‘You know where it is? The boy’s body?’
    ‘Y-yes. Master Samson g-gave me the location.’
    ‘Right then,’ I smiled. ‘Shall we go and find him?’

Chapter 7
    THE SUSPECT
    Before we left the