'Those days are done, my lord,' I said shortly. 'Now you may all go, except Prior Mortimus.'
They passed out, the abbot giving me a vacant, puzzled look as he went. I folded my arms and faced the prior. I dragged reserves of mental energy from somewhere, I know not where.
'I have been considering, Brother, who knew I was coming to the church. You were there, by the pond, when I told my assistant.'
He laughed incredulously. 'I had left you.'
I studied him, but could see only angry puzzlement. 'Yes, you had. Then the person who pushed the stone was not lying in wait for me at all, but had another purpose. Who could have had reason to go up there?'
'Nobody, not till the works are agreed upon.'
'I would like you to accompany me back to the walkway to take another look.' I had remembered the missing relic, the gold that must be concealed somewhere if I was right about the land sales. Could they be hidden somewhere up there, was that why the killer had been on the walkway?'
'As ye like. Commissioner.'
I led the way to the stairs and mounted again. My heart pounded as we came out on the walkway. Down below the servants were still cleaning, squeezing reddened mops into pails of water. This is what a man comes to. I was overcome with sudden nausea and clutched at the rail.
'Are you all right?' Prior Mortimus stood a couple of paces off. It suddenly occurred to me that if he should choose to seize me, he was stronger than I: I should have brought Mark.
I waved him away. 'Yes. Let us proceed.'
I looked at the little heap of tools where the blocks of stone had been, the workmen's basket suspended from its cradle of ropes.
'How long is it since any work was done here?'
'The ropes and basket went up two months ago, so the workmen could get to the statue, which was in a perilous state, remove it and examine the crack. That basket suspended from the wall and the tower by moveable ropes is an ingenious arrangement; the mason devised it. They'd hardly begun when Brother Edwig ordered the work stopped; he was right, Gabriel shouldn't have started before the programme was approved. Then he dragged his heels to show Gabriel who was in charge.'
I looked at the mesh of ropes. 'A dangerous task.'
He shrugged. 'Scaffolding would be safer, but can you imagine the bursar approving the cost?'
'You do not like Brother Edwig,' I ventured casually.
'He's like a fat wee ferret, hunting out pennies wherever he can.'
'Does he consult you much about the monastery finances?' I watched him carefully, but his shrug was casual.
'He consults no one but my lord Abbot, though he wastes my time and everyone else's making them account for every last farthing.'
'I see.' I turned away and looked up at the bell tower. 'How do you reach the bells?'
'There's another staircase leading up from the ground floor. I can take ye up if ye wish. I doubt the works will be continued now. Gabriel's lost that one by getting himself killed.'
I raised my eyebrows. 'Prior Mortimus, how is it that you were moved by the death of a servant girl, yet show no sorrow for the death of a brother you must have worked with many years?'
'I said before, a monk's obligations in this life are clear different from a mere woman's.' He gave me a steely look. 'One of those obligations is not to be a pervert.'
'I am glad you are not a judge in King's Bench, Brother Prior.'
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