The Robin And The Kestrel

exception he had insisted on making to his promise. Then Kestrel told him about Padrik and his Healing Services.

Reymond's eyes grew larger and larger, the more they spoke, but his mouth betrayed, not fear, but dismay. When Robin related her little stay with the Patsonos, his brows drew together in anger_but when Kestrel finally told him about the demon-summoning, and the fate of Orlina Woolwright, he could hardly contain his agitation.

'Dear and gracious God!' he exclaimed in a hoarse whisper when they were done. 'I never thought_I didn't want to think_but this explains all those visitors to the Abbot, the ones who seem to be in a trance, and who disappear, never to be seen again! They all wear pendants like that one'_he indicated the wrought-iron pendant in Kestrel's hand_'and that alone would convince me that you are telling the truth! But I have learned other things since you were last here....'

'Like what?' Robin asked harshly, as his voice trailed off. He flushed with shame.

'About your Ghost,' he said, unhappily. 'I have found manuscripts that told me he was bound there by the first Abbot, some fifty years ago or so. I also learned that there are other manuscripts that would tell me more, much more, if only we could find them.'

'What do you mean?' Robin asked, her face puzzled. 'Are they lost? Were they taken away?'

He shook his head, growing more and more distracted with every word. 'No, they were hidden, somewhere in this Library, but I cannot for the life of me find them, and I have been trying _'

Jonny cleared his throat, very delicately, and Brother Reymond started. 'C-could they b-be b-behind this p- panel?' he asked, touching the offending bit of wood.

Brother Reymond looked at the panel curiously_then suddenly lost all his color. He reached out with trembling fingers, and did something complicated among the carvings.

The panel swung open. Behind it was a deep recess; in the recess was a bound manuscript.

They all reached for it at the same time, but Brother Reymond's reach was longer and he got it first. He removed it from the recess, hands shaking_but he did not hold it as if it was something precious, but as if it was something vile that he did not wish to contaminate them with.

He took it to a reading stand and lit the lamp from one of the vigil-lights. As the steady flame illuminated his face, he began to read, scanning the contents quickly.

This is what I was looking for,' he whispered. 'This is the journal of the first Abbot of Carthell. He was a mage as well as Abbot, but he had been rejected as a Justiciar, and the rejection made him an angry and bitter man. He saw this appointment as an exile_I have read his first journals, and they are full of bile in the guise of piety.'

He turned away; Robin moved belatedly to stop him, but he was only relocking the door. 'Now we will not be disturbed,' he said. 'There may be some other restless souls abroad tonight.'

He returned to the manuscript and scanned a little further. 'Ah, here it is. I have uncovered a new spell, one that will bind the spirit of a being to a particular place, and make it to do the will of the binder. There, that's what we were looking for. I must have a living being for this, for the spell will not work on the dead, not even the newly dead. Dear and blessed God, he is contemplating murder here! There are many travelers upon this road who are not human. I mean to use one of those. It would indeed be a grave and mortal sin to kill a human, but these monsters and monstrosities are beyond the Church pale and law, and therefore, it is no murder to do one to death.'

Reymond was so white that Kestrel feared he might faint at any moment, but his voice was strong enough as he turned the pages.

'Here is the spell itself_no, I shall not read it, I had rather burn it! Here he selects his victim _I have succeeded! My spell has worked beyond the wildest of my dreams! I drugged the creature's food, and carried him out to Bare Hill upon my own donkey; there I wrought the spell which slew and bound him all at once_and the spirit arose a hundred times more powerful and deadly than the monster had been alive!'

Reymond's eyes flickered across the pages, as his voice filled with agony. 'Here he tells how the Ghost he created killed at his command, destroying 'sinners' he sent to it for penance... here he tells how it also began to kill anyone who dared to cross its Hill after sundown. Look, here is the list of victims that the Abbot sent_and here the list of those who died 'accidentally'! One of them is the Priest of Westhaven who tried to banish the poor creature! And he says_oh, monstrous! Horrible, horrible _'

Now his voice broke, and he buried his face in his hands for a moment. Kestrel dared to place a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some sort of wordless comfort. Reymond's shoulders shook, and when he removed his hands, his face was wet with tears.

But his voice was strong again. 'This fiend wrote here, in his own hand, that he told the Priest only 'some things were better left to the hand of God,' and the Priest ignored his warning. His warning! That was no warning_that was not even an attempt at a warning! This man was a monster, a demon in human guise _'