Xan and Joshua never found Brother Andrew, no matter where they searched. He wasn’t in the library, the chapter house, the scriptorium, or the church, where several monks hurried around the altar preparing for Mass. The other monks had prayed terce and departed a while earlier.
Then the abbey bells rang out, summoning all for Mass. Xan and Joshua waited for the others. Soon, Lucy and Maud hurried up the path, John and David close behind them.
When they’d all gathered to the side, Xan told them he’d failed to find Brother Andrew.
“We had better luck than you, then,” Lucy said. “Sister Regina told us—”
“—that someone beat up the abbot in his bed,” Maud interrupted.
“Hit him with a club or something, while he slept,” Lucy finished.
David stepped closer. “And you were right about that Brother Leo. He’s up to no good.”
“Yeah, that stinky monk is definitely suspicious,” John said. “We followed him into the forest, near those hedges where we’ve seen the Shadow. There’s a little path behind there.”
“But we couldn’t follow too closely,” David added. “He would have seen us.”
John pointed back over the granges. “After a few minutes, the old grump headed back toward the abbey. But he had something stuck up one of the sleeves of his robe.”
“A sword?” Joshua’s eyes doubled in size, nearly touching the freckles on his cheeks.
John smirked. “Not likely. ’Twas thick and bumpy.”
David lit up. “It could have been a little club, maybe.”
“Whatever it was,” John said, “he brought it back to the abbey somewhere.”
“That’s when the bells rang, and we came here,” David said.
As they spoke, the abbey church filled with monks and servants, boys and girls. Brother Leo walked past, slower than usual. The last to arrive was Brother Andrew, followed by the prior.
“Brother!” Xan said, rushing to him. “Can we speak with you?”
“After Mass, my boy,” the monk said, out of breath. “Come, get with the other children.” There was nothing else they could do except obey and join the others within.
During the service, the prayers and readings passed over Xan’s head like the wind. Why hadn’t the abbot’s attacker used a sword? It was as if he only wanted to injure the old monk, not kill him. And how did any of this reveal anything about the death of his parents?
Xan whispered a prayer for understanding as the monks chanted to God in Latin.
After Mass, the six children gathered out back to speak with Brother Andrew.
“I have but a moment, son,” the monk said, looking stressed. “I must meet with the prior.”
While the others listened, Xan told the monk all that they’d been doing, leaving out no detail. As Xan spoke, the light in Brother Andrew’s blue eye seemed to dim.
“Such evil days,” he said. “The prior and I have been in his cell fathoming who might have done this crime. Brother Lucius saw a robed figure leave the abbot’s house last night with his cowl drawn over his face. We assumed ’twas an intruder disguised as a monk.”
“Nay, it must have been Brother Leo,” John said, perhaps a bit too brightly. “He’s the attacker. Look at the clues.” He listed each fact again. “See? They all lead back to Brother Leo.”
“But he’s a monk,” Maud said.
Joshua nodded. “Yeah, a monk wouldn’t hurt anyone, right Brother?”
The monk didn’t answer. Maybe he was trying to find an answer other than the one John had suggested. Of course, he wouldn’t want to accept that his friend had turned evil. But then, he’d said monks sometimes stray from the path of God because of the temptations of the world.
“You’re right, Joshua,” Lucy said. “Brother Leo wouldn’t hurt a holy man like the abbot.”
“But Brother Leo isn’t like most monks,” John said. “He probably hit the abbot with a club and then hid it in the woods. That must be when Xan followed him back to his cell.”
“But why hurt the abbot?” Lucy asked. “It makes no sense.”
“You heard Xan,” John said. “Brother Leo’s scared of those bandits. He wants Lord Godfrey to send guards down here to protect him, but the abbot won’t allow it.”
“Scared of bandits? Really?” Lucy sounded skeptical.
John’s theory sounded a bit odd, but hadn’t Xan been heading toward a similar conclusion? As manager of Penwood, Brother Leo had turned red when the abbot refused Godfrey’s help.
“Enough!” Brother Andrew said, his tone sharp. “The rest of you get back to your rooms and pray. Xan, you come with me to speak with the prior.”
He followed Brother Andrew down a cobblestone path, the monk marching two paces in front and mumbling to himself. Brother Andrew had never seemed this agitated before.
For a moment, in the mist of Xan’s mind, he was walking two steps behind another man—Father. They were heading to a field with tools. Father turned and smiled, “Come along now, son. Stay close.” Somehow, inside, he knew that was the day Father had taught him to thresh wheat.
Soon they came to the chapter house, where the prior sat at a table with Brother Lucius, the leech. As Brother Andrew entered, the prior stood. “Ah, you are finally here, Andrew. I sent a servant to fetch Leo, so we will begin our meeting shortly.”
The prior noticed Xan and waved to him. “I see you brought this clever boy again, Andrew. Unfortunately, I do not believe it appropriate for children to attend this particular meeting.”
“First hear what he has to say,” Brother Andrew said, motioning for Xan to sit at the table.
Xan repeated all he’d said earlier, including the theory John had proposed that Brother Leo was the attacker. The monks were shaking their heads in disbelief by the time he’d finished.
“Jude’s folly!” Brother Lucius said. “I would not make lightly such scandalous accusations against a man of Leo’s good reputation.”
“But I followed him over the granges,” Xan replied. “He had his cowl over his head, just like the figure you saw.” That one truth could not be denied, no matter how odd John’s theory.
The prior put his hand to his graying beard and pulled his cheek. “That may be, child, but the idea that one of our own order would commit this evil against our abbot. Who can believe it?”
“The circumstances are strange,” Brother Andrew said. “But these are troubled times for our abbey. Must we not look into this possibility, Clement?”
The prior made the Sign of the Cross. “Aye. We cannot allow a poisonous rumor such as this to work its evil in our community.”
“And if it turns out to be true, shall we call the sheriff and bring criminal charges against one of our own?” Brother Lucius asked, scratching at the almond-shaped birthmark on his head.
“Criminal charges against whom?” Brother Leo marched slowly through the doorway. He glared at Xan. “I thought this was going to be a private meeting, Prior.”
“The boy is here for a purpose.” The prior pointed to a chair. “Please, sit down.”
“Criminal charges against whom?” Brother Leo said again, folding his arms as he stood.
The prior sighed. “Something has come to our attention, Leo. As the temporary head of this abbey, I have no choice but to ask you a few questions. I pray you will speak the whole truth.”
Brother Leo pointed at Xan. “I will say nothing in the presence of a child.”
From the first day they’d met, the old monk hadn’t seemed to like him. But it might not be a personal grudge. Maybe the monk just didn’t like children at all.
“But you must,” the prior replied. “This child has details that inform our questions. You deserve the chance to dispel all suspicions.”
“What suspicions?” Brother Leo’s crazy eyebrows stuck up worse than usual.
The prior cringed. “That, perhaps, you may be involved in the attack on our poor abbot.”
He’d said the accusation as gently as any could, yet even Xan could feel the humiliation as it spread over the old monk’s face. It felt sad to see it.
“By Peter’s staff, have you lost your wits?” Brother Leo said.
The prior continued in a soft tone. “This boy saw you last night, walking about on the granges with your cowl over your head, just like the robed assassin Brother Lucius saw. Some wonder whether there is a connection ’twixt you and the abbot’s injuries.”
Somehow in all this, Xan had become the monk’s accuser. All he’d wanted to do was solve his parents’ mystery. How had matters gotten so out of control?
“This is an outrage!” Brother Leo cried. “Why would I attack my dear friend?”
The prior’s voice remained steady. “Your disagreement with the abbot about Lord Godfrey is well known. Some wonder if you may have acted out of fear of those bandits.”
“Fear of losing this mortal flesh?” Brother Leo’s cheeks turned shiny and pink. “Saint Paul tells us to discipline this mortal body and make it our slave.”
The monk had said something similar to John as he’d paddled him in the grass that day.
The prior threw up his hands. “Were you or were you not the one this boy saw last night, with your cowl drawn over your head? ’Tis a simple question—aye or nay?”
“Nay—I mean, aye—I mean, perhaps.” Brother Leo’s voice cracked. “I did walk awhile on the abbey grounds ere nocturns.”
“Without permission?” The prior sounded skeptical as he picked at his beard.
Brother Leo’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I do have permission. But only the abbot knows why I sometimes go to secluded places, away from all eyes and ears.”
“I am your prior, yet I do not know about this arrangement. How strange that the only person who can verify your claim is unconscious and on the verge of Heaven.”
“Then you must simply take my word as a man of God.”
The prior glanced at Xan, as though he expected him to stand up and hurl more accusations at the angry old monk. Nay, he’d said too much already. Brother Leo had more than enough reason now to take the paddle to his backside even worse than he’d done to John.
“There is additional evidence, Leo,” the prior said.
“Then out with it!”
“Today, you went into the woodland and brought back an item in the sleeve of your robe.”
“And why does that matter?”
“I just ask a question, Leo. What did you hide in your sleeve?”
Brother Leo hesitated. “’Twas my prayer scroll. I forgot it in the woodland last night.”
The other monks glanced at one another. Surely they weren’t accepting that explanation.
“You took your prayer scroll into a dark forest with a chill breeze that would blow out any candle?” The prior shook his head in disbelief. “Does anyone else have a question for this monk?”
Brother Andrew raised a hand. “I wonder only one thing, Leo. Have you had any recent contact with Lord Godfrey or anyone from his manor?”
That was exactly the question Xan wanted to ask! Perhaps the key to this was in Chadwick.
“What are you implying? I have never in my life even visited Chadwick Manor.” Brother Leo’s eyes grew fiery as he stormed toward the door. “By Peter’s staff, I will speak not another word to this devil’s inquisition. If you think me guilty of a crime, Prior, then call for the sheriff.”
The old monk exited and slammed the door behind him.
“What now?” Brother Lucius said, his bald head resting despairingly in both his hands.
The prior sat back, stroking his beard. “What would the abbot do if he were here?”
Brother Andrew put his hands on his hips. “The abbot would send me and the boy to Chadwick tomorrow to verify that Leo has not traveled there. If Leo is telling the truth about that fact, then I believe we must take him at his word as a man of God.”
“But what is your theory?” the prior asked. “Why would Leo travel to Chadwick?”
“Leo now manages Penwood Manor,” Brother Andrew said. “Remember how eager he was at that meeting with Sire Roger to find out the terms Godfrey wished to negotiate with us for protection. Perhaps he traveled to Chadwick to learn the details of those terms and has now decided to take matters into his own hands so that the abbot—or you—would be more likely to agree.”
The prior nodded but then became angry. “If it turns out Leo is lying, I will throw him in the confinement cell myself. Indeed, Andrew, if he lies, you shall seek Godfrey’s help in bringing a charge before the sheriff. That wicked monk can face justice in the King’s courts.”
The prior’s anger might be mixing him up. Monks weren’t supposed to like the King.
“I thought the abbot didn’t want the King meddling in the abbey’s business?” Xan said.
The prior paused. “You are right, but I will not see our own monks sitting in judgment upon one of their brothers who attacked his own abbot. It could tear this community apart.”
Brother Lucius nodded. “And also the King’s courts can do something our Church courts cannot: hang a wicked monk by the neck ’til dead.”
There would be Brother Leo hanging from a royal executioner’s noose. If that happened, would Xan be responsible for his death because he’d been the one to raise these accusations?