“It smells bad, tastes foul and will keep you alive. Drink it.” Cedd complied, and pulled a face. “Now you can have some water to get rid of the taste and the gritty bits.” I helped him to that as well, then laid him gently back on his bed. “Now comes the hard part. I have to use the little healing power I have to get your body to fight the poison. Lie back and relax. But first -” I turned to Chad and Colman “ - I heard talk in the yard of God’s judgement. See if you can strangle it at birth.” The two looked at each other and Colman agreed to go. “Colman, I’ll need to speak to you later.” The Abbott said that he was available whenever I wanted and I turned back to my patient. “Close your eyes, Cedd. I want you to picture some things.” I stood, took a deep breath to steady myself and started to talk in a steady, forceful, monotonous voice that brooked no interference. Chad looked on the while, feeling helpless but hopeful that his brother might be saved.
“Your body is under attack. Picture the attack. See the attack. Your body is being invaded. It has been invaded. See the invaders. They are an army. It is an army. See the army. It is filled with hatred for all living things. They creep forward, advancing slowly, filled with hate. They are gathering in your stomach, that is their base. They are crowded, they can get out only slowly. They must be stopped. You must stop them. You can stop them. Seal your stomach, close the gates, wall them up.” I breathed deeply and paused to see what effect my words were having. Cedd was lying still, eyes closed, lips moving silently.
“Seal them up, close the gates, shut the walls.” Cedd mouthed the words in response. “Seal them up, close the gates, shut the walls,” I repeated.
I continued with the spell to marshall his body’s own defences, getting him to picture an army of gold and brown forming up and marching to confront the poisonous enemy. After a few minutes I stopped and watched the Abbott again. He was mouthing my last few sentences; I nodded. It was as much as I could do, for now.
I told Chad that I had to go and report to Oswy, and that I would be back as soon as possible.
“Will he live?” I took a breath and looked away before answering.
“Chad, I can’t say at the moment. I honestly don’t know. I’m sorry I can’t say more than that.” I put my hand on the other’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. You must pray for him. I know that prayer will help. And pray for me, too, that I can help him. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Chad nodded and bent to sit by his brother. His face was knotted with concern and his eyes were filling with tears. I gave him a rhyming chant to repeat, quietly and firmly, to help reinforce the resistance. He nodded shortly and I left.
As soon as I entered his chamber, Oswy stood and made for the room at the back, waving me after him. I pushed purposefully past the queries, spoken and unspoken, and followed. Godwin closed the door and joined us. Oswy spoke.
“No ceremonial, no thees and thous, no excess. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Abbott Cedd has been poisoned.” The two Englishmen started. “The poison is Hemlock. It was in his water.”
“Who has done this?”
“I don’t know at the moment, but if you give me time I will find out. I have certain abilities that will help. I think it would be better if it was left to me for the time being, rather than putting your soldiers on the case. I can assure you I will ask for your help if and when I need it.” Oswy had raised an eyebrow.
“Certain abilities, eh? I thought there was something about you. Now, you have told me what you know and don’t know. Tell me what you think.”
“Right now, I don’t know what to think. Enmities and anger have been released by this Synod. I don’t know even from which camp this deed has emanated.”
“Surely not your own?”
“Sadly, I can’t eliminate that possibility. In this charged atmosphere anything is possible.” Oswy considered the answer.
“It would be best, then, if the Synod is brought to a conclusion as soon as possible. I can’t declare for either side yet. My Queen has to be as convinced as I of the right path, and she isn’t, not yet. Not enough to shake off her chaplain at any rate. That’s confidential, by the way. When can you resume?”
“My Lord, I appreciate and agree the need for as much haste as can be. But I would ask your indulgence for the rest of the day.”
“The rest of the day!” Godwin exclaimed. I nodded.
“I need to be with my patient.” The two of them looked astounded.
“He’s still alive?” Oswy demanded. “I thought you’d want a period of mourning!”
“Yes, he is still alive. I have some skill.”
“Can you,” It dawned on Oswy that I was a force with which he was unfamiliar and he suddenly felt nervous. This man was more than “something fey”. He swallowed. “Can you cure him? Of hemlock poisoning?”
“I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t think so. I think I can keep him alive but a cure may be beyond me. I’ll need help for that.” This made Oswy and Godwin even more nervous.
“From where will this help come?”
“Human help, I assure you,” I smiled. “There will be no heavenly visitations to disturb the peace of the monastery or its visitors.” The two of them sighed with relief. “There is someone whose skill may be sufficient to help him recover. I will send for him.”
“I’ll place a messenger at your disposal. Tell him where to go, on my authority.”
“That won’t be necessary. I have,” I smiled again, grimly, “other means.” Oswy gave me one of his keen looks.
“What manner of man are you, master monk? Angel or demon? Are you man at all?” I was briefly nervous in my turn; superstition can make otherwise rational men behave in an irrational manner. I took a breath and answered calmly.
“I’m a man, as much of a man as yourself. God endowed me with certain Gifts, as He has endowed you. To you He gave great courage and ability in battle, as well as the skill to rule a fractious and disputatious kingdom. To me He gave Gifts of the mind. We have been blessed in different ways. That’s all.”
“I may have some use for you and your Gifts in the future. A King needs a perceptive adviser close at hand.”
“You already have one,” I answered levelly and I felt Godwin relax, “and most of the time you would find my Gift of less benefit than you may think. For the most part, it comes unbidden and wrapped in symbols, dreams and obscurity and then stays obstinately away when asked for. My healing skills are minor and mostly dispensed for the benefit of ordinary people, who have no surgeons or physicians to attend them.”
“Still, maybe,” he began, then lapsed into thoughtful silence.
“May I return to Abbott Cedd? And may we have the rest of this day?” The King jerked out of his reverie.
“Oh, yes, yes, go on. I’ll suspend the Synod until tomorrow, three hours after dawn. If you need more time, call on me before then. I wish the Abbott a speedy recovery.” I bowed my thanks and hurried back to the infirmary and my patient.
24
The Druid
There was a commotion in the corridor outside Cedd’s room. Chad was physically restraining two monks, who were trying to get to his brother.
“You will not touch him! Get away!”
“What is going on here?” I demanded. “This is the house of the sick, not a bar-room for brawling! Stop that, all of you! The patient needs peace and quiet!” The three separated at my voice and the two - who I didn’t know, they were not from the Lindisfarne party - turned to me.