To everyone else the news of Geoffrey’s death gaveuniversal satisfaction. It reached the king quickly, relieved himof the most dangerous and implacable of his enemies, and instantlyeased him of the necessity of immobilizing the greater part of hisforces in one region. It was carried from village to villagethrough the Fen country as the raggle-taggle marauders withdrew,and people who had lived in terror emerged cautiously to retrievewhat they could of a plundered harvest, rebuild their burned homesand reassemble their families and kinships. Also, for death hadbeen more than usually busy in those parts, to bury their deaddecently. It would take more than a year for life to get back intoany kind of normality, but at least now it could take the firstwary steps.

And before the year’s end it reached Abbot Walter ofRamsey, with the deathbed charter that gave his monastery back tohim, and he gave due thanks to God, and set about sending the wordon to his prior and sub-prior and all his scattered brothers, whohad been forced out penniless and homeless to find shelter wherethey could, some with their kin, some in other hospitableBenedictine houses. The first and nearest hurried to answer thesummons home, and entered a total desolation. The monasticbuildings were a mere shell, the lands untilled, the manors thehouse had formerly possessed handed out to thieves and vagabonds,all its treasures stripped away. The walls, they said, bled forvery grief. Nevertheless, Abbot Walter and his brothers set to workto restore their house and their church, and sent out the news oftheir return to all those monks and novices who had had to go longdistances to find a shelter during their exile. Being members of awider brotherhood, having all the Benedictine Order as kin, theyalso sent out an urgent appeal for help in alms, material and laborto speed the work of rebuilding and refurnishing the sacredplace.