“So I was, until yesterday. The hay’s in, theshearing’s done, and I’ve brought Aline and Giles backto the town. Just in time to be summoned to pay my respects to somegrand magnate who’s visiting here, and is none too pleasedabout it. If his horse hadn’t fallen lame he’d still beon his way to Chester. Have you not a drink, Cadfael, for a thirstyman? Though why I should be parched,” he added absently,“when he did all the talking, is more than I know.”

Cadfael had a wine of his own within the workshop, new but fitto drink. He brought a jug of it out into the sunshine, and theysat down together on the bench against the north wail of thegarden, to sun themselves in unashamed idleness.

“I saw the horse,” said Cadfael. “He’llbe days yet before he’s fit to take the road to Chester. Isaw the man, too, if it’s he the abbot made haste to welcome.By the sound of it he was not expected. If he’s in haste toget to Chester he’ll need a fresh horse, or more patiencethan I fancy he possesses.”

“Oh, he’s reconciled. Radulfus may have him on hishands a week or more yet. If he made for Chester now hewouldn’t find his man there, there’s no haste. EarlRanulf is on the Welsh border, fending off another raid fromGwynedd. Owain will keep him busy a while.”

“And who is this cleric on his way to Chester?”asked Cadfael curiously. “And what did he want withyou?”

“Well, being frustrated himself—until I told himthere was no hurry, for the earl was away riding hisborders—he had a mind to be as busy a nuisance to all abouthim as possible. Send for the sheriff, at least exact the reverencedue! But there is a grain of purpose in it, too. He wanted whateverinformation I had about the whereabouts and intentions of OwainGwynedd, and especially he wished to know how big a threat ourWelsh prince is being to Earl Ranulf, how glad the earl might be tohave some help in the matter, and how willing he might be to payfor it in kind.”