Even within the cloister they could not choose but keep one earcocked for news of the siege. Success there now might well see theempress a prisoner, and force an end at last to this dissensionthat tore the land apart.

“Not since the king got his armies through the ford andinto the town. We may hear something soon, if some who had time toget out of the city drift up this way. But the garrison will havemade sure the castle larders were well filled. I doubt it will dragon for many weeks yet.”

Siege is slow strangulation, and King Stephen had never beennoted for patience and tenacity, and might yet find it tedious tosit waiting for his enemies to reach starvation, and take himselfoff to find brisker action elsewhere. It had happened before, andcould happen again.

Hugh shrugged off his liege lord’s shortcomings, and setoff down the great court to the abbot’s lodging, to distractFather Radulfus from his cherished if slightly jaded roses.

Brother Cadfael was back from the hospital ofSaint Giles and busy in his workshop, sorting beans for nextyear’s seed, when Hugh came back from the abbot’slodging and made his way to the herbarium. Recognising the swift,light tread on the gravel, Cadfael greeted him without turning hishead.

“Brother Porter told me you’d be here. Business withFather Abbot, he says. What’s in the wind? Nothing new fromOxford?”

“No,” said Hugh, seating himself comfortably on thebench against the timber wall, “nearer home. This is from nofarther off than Eaton. Richard Ludel is dead. The dowager sent agroom with the news this morning. You’ve got the boy here atschool.”

Cadfael turned then, with one of the clay saucers, full of seeddried on the vine, in his hand. “So we have. Well, so hissire’s gone, is he? We heard he was dwindling. The youngsterwas no more than five when he was sent here, and they fetch himhome very seldom. I think his father thought the child was betterhere with a few fellows near his own age than kept around a sickman’s bed.”