mounted into a boiling, bees-hive hum of consternation. Though not everyone washorrified, as Cadfael plainly saw. Prior Robert, just as startled as the rest,and adept at maintaining a decorous front, none the less glowed brightly behindhis ivory face, drawing the obvious conclusion, and Brother Jerome, quick tointerpret any message from that quarter, hugged himself with glee inside thesleeves of his habit, while his face exhibited pious sympathy and pain. Notthat they had anything against Heribert, except that he continued to hold anoffice on which impatient subordinates were casting covetous eyes. A nice oldman, of course, but out of date, and far too lax. Like a king who lives toolong, and positively invites assassination. But the rest of them fluttered andpanicked like hens invaded by the fox, clamouring variously:

“But, Father Abbot, surely the king will restore you!”

“Oh, Father, must you go to this council?”

“We shall be left like sheep without a shepherd!”

Prior Robert, who considered himself ideally equipped to deal with the flockof St. Peter himself, if need be, gave that complaint a brief, basilisk glare,but refrained from protest, indeed murmured his own commiseration and dismay.

“My duty and my vows are to the Church,” said Abbot Heribert sadly, “and Iam bound to obey the summons, as a loyal son. If it pleases the Church toconfirm me in office, I shall return to take up my customary ward here. Ifanother is appointed in my place, I shall still return among you, if I ampermitted, and live out my life as a faithful brother of this house, under ournew superior.”

Cadfael thought he caught a brief, complacent flicker of a smile that passedover Robert’s face at that. It would not greatly disconcert him to have his oldsuperior a humble brother under his rule at last.

“But clearly,” went on Abbot Heribert with humility, “I can no longer claimrights as abbot until the matter is settled, and these agreements must rest inabeyance until my return, or until another considers and pronounces on them. Isany one of them urgent?”