Unholy Innocence by Stephen Wheeler Read Free Book Online Page B

lawyers,’ he dismissed. ‘It will be safer not to tempt fate.’
    I was sad that he should feel so threatened. If he thought there was real danger then there must be.
    ‘Where will you go?’ I asked.
    ‘Best you don’t know, but I will be safe.’
    ‘It’s a pity you can no longer come here,’ I said indicating the strong walls of the abbey buildings. There was a time when he would have been able to find refuge within the abbey precinct. But since Abbot Samson banished the Jews from the town and abbey they can no longer find sanctuary here. Besides that, many of these soldiers must be veterans from the recent wars in the Holy Land. It would only take one man with a grudge to put a length of steel through Joseph’s superb brain. Yes, I could see that he might well feel safer with friends further afield.
    ‘You could go to my mother,’ I suggested.
    He shook his head. ‘No, the lady Isabel is not in good health. I would not wish to burden her further. And it is unnecessary,’ he added quickly before I was able to protest.  He became serious again. ‘Walter, listen to me. There is another reason for my coming here tonight.’ He looked at me earnestly. ‘I have come to warn you.’
    ‘Warn me ?’ I snorted, sitting on the ground. ‘About what?’
    ‘There is one among the King’s entourage who has no great love for you. Indeed, he wishes you nothing but harm. Your mother, I think, knows who it is but she would not tell me. You must be on your guard.’
    I nodded. ‘I have an idea who it might be but for the life of me I have no idea why.’
    ‘You have a name?’
    ‘Yes,’ I said cautiously, but before I could say we were interrupted by a group of half a dozen boys in high spirits nearly colliding with me as they ran pell-mell towards the river, hallooing at the tops of their lungs as they went. Had the gatekeeper been a little less sleepy he might have caught them as they passed through the gate, but they were too quick for him, dodging his cuffs, and out and across the square before he had a chance to react.
    ‘Come back again, yer little beggars,’ he yelled. ‘I’ll whup the lot of you!’
    We heard them disappear up into the town no doubt to cause more pandemonium to some other poor innocent soul.
    ‘I think perhaps you had best get home too,’ I said to Joseph.
    ‘They are only boys,’ he dismissed.
    ‘I know, but high spirits and alcohol make for a lethal combination.’
    As if to prove my point another posse came rushing back the other way down Churchgate Street towards the abbey shouting at the tops of their lungs. These stopped to speak to the gatekeeper. As we watched, intrigued, they stood gesticulating and arguing with great ferocity for a few moments. But instead of berating them the gatekeeper suddenly turned unexpectedly on his heel and ran as fast as his fat legs would carry him towards the barracks. A minute later the posse was back again and shouting in great excitement. I thought at first it was one of the chants for the football match, but then I realised it wasn’t that at all. It was just one word they were shouting over and over, and the word was “ Murder! ”

Chapter 6
    AN INCONVENIENT MURDER
    My initial reaction to the ‘murder’ was that, like the King’s ‘poisoning’, it was nothing of the kind but just another piece of mindless violence in the aftermath of the football match. Either that or someone had taken advantage of the general confusion of the game to settle an old score – unfortunately another all-too-common event. I was forced to rethink both conclusions, however, at Chapter next morning when not only the Abbot but also the Prior were absent and rumoured to be in deep conference with the Justiciar who was still at the abbey.
    Chapter is the daily meeting when notices are given out and the general business of the abbey discussed , and other than when we recite the offices, it is the only time when all eighty of the choir monks assemble together.