“But this one thing,” said Cadfael, “is stillunknown to you, though it may be that I should have told you longsince, when first he touched my life. I had not thought that therewas any need, for I did not expect that in any way my commitment tothis place could be changed. Nor did I suppose that I should evermeet him again, nor he ever have need of me. But now it seems meetand right that all should be made plain. Father,” saidCadfael simply, “Olivier de Bretagne is my son.”

There was a silence that fell with surprising serenity andgentleness. Men within the pale as without are still men,vulnerable and fallible. Radulfus had the wise man’s distantrespect for perfection, but no great expectation of meeting it inthe way.

“When first I came to Palestine,” said Cadfael,looking back without regret, “an eighteen-year-old boy, I metwith a young widow in Antioch, and loved her. Long yearsafterwards, when I returned to sail from Saint Symeon on my wayhome, I met with her again, and lingered with her in kindness untilthe ship was ready to sail. I left her a son, of whom I knewnothing, until he came looking for two lost children, after thesack of Worcester. And I was glad and proud of him, and with goodreason. For a short while, when he came the second time, you knewhim. Judge if I was glad of him, or no.”

“You had good reason,” said Radulfus readily.“However he was got, he did honour to his getting. I daremake no reproach. You had taken no vows, you were young and farfrom home, and humanity is frail. No doubt this was confessed andrepented long since.”

“Confessed,” said Cadfael bluntly, “yes, whenI knew I had left her with child and unfriended, but that is notlong ago. And repented? No, I doubt if ever I repented of lovingher, for she was well worth any man’s love. And bear in mind,Father, that I am Welsh, and in Wales there are no bastards butthose whose fathers deny their paternity. Judge if I would everdeny my right to that bright, brave creature. The best thing ever Idid was to cause him to be brought forth into a world where veryfew can match him.”