‘For God’s sake, man,’ Athelstan urged, ‘think about where you are! This is a church; I am its priest. I have nothing to do with the escape of your prisoner. You know that.’
The Judas Man opened his mouth to protest but stopped himself just in time. He brushed by Athelstan and stormed out on to the porch, shouting at the others to join him.
‘An exciting start to the day,’ Malachi murmured.
‘Aye, and it’s only begun.’
Athelstan returned to the house, where he and Malachi broke fast. Athelstan was still distracted and puzzled by the Misericord’s disappearance. He excused himself and returned to the church, where Pernel the Flemish woman was trying to place a chaplet of flowers on the statue of the Virgin in the Lady Chapel. Athelstan helped her. The woman stepped back, fingering her strangely coloured hair, tears running down her parchment-coloured face.
‘Father, will you hear my confession?’
‘Oh no, Pernel, not again,’ Athelstan said.
‘But I’ve slept with men, dozens of them!’
Athelstan grasped her face in his hands, staring into those wild, frenetic eyes.
‘Pernel, it’s all your imaginings. You are a good woman.’
‘Do you think I’ll go to heaven, Father?’
Athelstan let her go. ‘Well, if you don’t, Pernel, no one will.’
‘The ghost has been back at the squint hole.’
‘What?’ Athelstan said.
Pernel pointed down the church.
‘Go outside, Father. When I couldn’t get into church this morning I walked round to have a look. She must have carried a candle.’
Athelstan, intrigued, left by the sacristy door and went along the side of the church. He found the diamond-shaped squint hole, crouched down and peered through. He could see Pernel standing at the entrance to the rood screen, and his fingers touched the piece of wax on the edge of the squint hole. He peeled it off, stared across the cemetery and laughed quietly. He recalled the novice in her voluminous gown coming into the church last night, Pike and Watkin in the cemetery, the darkness, the heavy mist. Athelstan went back into the church.
‘Pernel, please do me a favour. Go and tell Watkin, Pike and Ranulf that I want to see them now.’
‘Why, do you want to hear their confessions, Father?’
‘Yes,’ Athelstan murmured. ‘Just before I hang them!’
The old Flemish woman scurried off, and a little while later the three miscreants entered the church. Athelstan told Pernel to stand outside and guard the sacristy door whilst he took the three into the sanctuary. They stood hangdog before him.
‘Yes, you all look as if you are heading for the execution cart.’
Athelstan sat down on the altar steps and looked up at them.
‘You know you can be hanged for helping a felon escape sanctuary?’
‘But, Father, how could you…’
‘Oh, very easily, Pike. I’ll tell you how it was done, then I’ll decide whether or not to inform the Judas Man. The Misericord has quick-silver wits, a nimble mind and a clever tongue. He knew all three of you before he ever took sanctuary here.’
The three stared at the paved floor as if they had never seen it before.
‘Ranulf, where are your ferrets?’
‘With God-Bless in the death house.’
‘That’s where you’ll be, you stupid man. As I was saying, the Misericord is a merry rogue. He’d often leave the sacristy to relieve himself, and he secretly chew you three into conversation. I suspect he had silver coins hidden all over his person. He paid one of you to go across the river and tell his sister Edith, sheltering in the Minoresses, about his predicament. You all know she visited here last night, and one thing about a nun’s robes is that you can hide an army beneath them. She brought a change of clothing, money, food, anything he might need to flee. She asked to speak with him alone and it would have been easy to hide a bundle in a darkened corner of the sanctuary. She left, I left, the posse outside settled down for the night. Somehow you three beauties managed to guard one part of the cemetery wall. You had arranged with the Misericord, in return for a pocketful of silver, to provide a signal when it was safe for him to slip out of the church.’ Athelstan pointed down to the squint hole. ‘And what better plan than to light a candle and place it at the squint hole, the sign that it was safe to leave? The Misericord was all ready, dressed in a wig, a dark cloak. Out of the sacristy he crept, across the cemetery and into the night.’
Watkin jumped in alarm as Bonaventure entered the church and sat next to his master, as if curious to discover what was happening.
‘I may have some of the details wrong,’ Athelstan whispered, ‘but I think the story is true. Yes? How much did he pay you?’
‘Ten marks,’ Ranulf muttered. ‘Three for each of us and one for the church.’
‘I’ve got a better idea,’ Athelstan retorted. ‘You can have one each and I’ll keep seven for the church. Come on.’
The three quickly handed over the coins. Athelstan handed one back.
‘Pike, give that to Pernel, and if I were you, I would keep out of the Judas Man’s way.’ He got to his feet. ‘It’s only a matter of time before his wits follow the same path as mine.’
Athelstan dismissed them and returned to his house. Malachi was fast asleep, head on his arm, so Athelstan left him, quietly going up to the bed loft, removing the warming pan and tidying things up. He heard shouting and went out to the cemetery, but it was only the Judas Man and
