“Nothing,” agreed Hugh with a short bark oflaughter, “and Ranulf will know that as well as we do.Nothing but his forbearance, but that will be worth welcoming, inthe circumstances. Oh, they’ll understand each other wellenough, and no trust on either side, but either one of them willsee that the other will keep to his part for the present, out ofself-interest. An agreement to put off contention to a moreconvenient time is better at this moment than no agreement at all,and the need to look over a shoulder everyhour or so. Ranulf cangive all his mind to Owain Gwynedd, and Stephen can give all his tothe matter of Geoffrey de Mandeville in Essex.”

“And in the meantime we must entertain Canon Gerbert untilhis horse is fit to bear him.”

“And his body servant and his two grooms, and one ofBishop de Clinton’s deacons, lent as his guide here throughthe diocese. A meek little fellow called Serlo, who goes intrembling awe of the man. I doubt if he’d ever heard of SaintWinifred, for that matter—Gerbert, I mean, notSerlo—but he’ll be wanting to direct her festival foryou, now that he’s halted here.”

“He had that look about him,” Cadfael admitted.“And what have you told him about the small matter of OwainGwynedd?”

“The truth, if not the whole truth. That Owain is able tokeep Ranulf so busy on his own border that he’ll have no timeto make trouble elsewhere. No need to make any real concessions tokeep him quiet, but sweet talk can do no harm.”

“And no need to mention that you have an arrangement withOwain,” agreed Cadfael placidly, “to leave us alonehere, and keep the earl of Chester off your back. It may notrestore any of Stephen’s purloined castles in the north, butat least it keeps the earl’s greedy hands off any more ofthem. And what’s the news from the west? This uneasyquietness down there in Gloucester’s country has me wonderingwhat’s afoot. Have you any word of what he’s upto?”