‘Yes. Find Henry and ask him to meet you at the cathedral near the conduit.’
‘Go!’ Baldwin saw Simon watching and listening. He returned to Sir Peregrine and Simon and shrugged. ‘It is probably pointless, but it may help.’
Friar John was already in the church when he heard the calls for the Prior, and soon he realized that a brother friar was waiting for him to be finished. With a last obeisance, he stood, bowed, made the sign of the cross, and gradually left the room, walking backwards respectfully.
‘What is it?’
‘John, the Prior has asked you to join him in the cloister. There are some men here to see him. They’re asking about the theft of Sir William’s body.’
Friar John rubbed his hands together. He was looking forward to this.
‘Prior,’ he said as he entered the grassed space. This was one of his favourite places, a clear, open area where he could meditate and study without interruption. It was important that he and the other friars should be educated to the highest possible standard about the latest views on natural philosophy, and this was the place to which he retired when he needed to consider new arguments for his preaching.
The men with the Prior were not religious. Two looked like knights, and one was a rather more disreputable-looking character, with strong shoulders and a square face.
‘John, I would be grateful if you could tell these gentles about the late Sir William and how he came to be here.’
‘Sir William was always a keen son of Christ. He fought in the Holy Land to try to protect it from the infidels, and was wounded out there. Returning, he took up the life of a knight in a small manor in Hatherleigh, and as he grew older, with no family, he bequeathed his estates and monies to us here at the priory, and came to live with us as a confrater. He took his part in our duties, shared our food such as it is, and spent his time in prayer. He was a most devout, good man. That was why, when he was dying, he expressed a desire that he should be buried here in our church. And that his funeral should be conducted here. The reason for that was simple — he always believed us Friars Preacher to be more holy than those who live over there.’ He pointed with his chin to the west where the canons had their houses.
‘He bequeathed his all to us, you see,’ Guibert said. There was a touch of triumphalism in his voice, and John could hardly blame him for it. ‘He gave over everything to us, for the safe protection of his soul. And those terrible men in the cathedral’s chapter sought to steal it all, and his body. And now they have held the funeral service for him.’
‘Yes,’ Baldwin agreed mildly. ‘And you owe the cathedral its due. Would you make that money over to them?’
‘I see no reason why I should make any money over to them! They stole his body and his funerary ornaments. All the candles, the cloths, everything was taken by the rowdy villains who came in here. One of my brethren was knocked down and injured.’
‘The Dean is most apologetic for the hurt done,’ Baldwin said. ‘He wishes that the affair might be settled. There is no point in a lengthy argument as there was over Sir Henry all those years ago.’
‘They may think so, but we are not here to accommodate thieves and churls,’ Guibert thundered. ‘First let them bring back the body and all the goods they stole, and make apology before the doors to our church; then we may consider whether we might help them. I promise nothing.’
Sir Peregrine tried to mollify him. ‘To call them all thieves is more than a little strong, when describing the religious men who live so close to you. They are as honourable, surely, as-’
‘Do not think to tell me that they are as honourable as my brethren here,’ Guibert interrupted boldly. He thrust out his chest. ‘We live in poverty, respecting no property whatever. We have nothing of our own, so that we might spend our time more effectively, concentrating on God’s will.’
‘The chapter spends its time in prayer for the souls of the living and the dead,’ Sir Peregrine tried.
‘And hastens the deaths of others so that they might win the funerary goods!’
Baldwin looked up sharply. ‘That is a very serious allegation. Do you have proof?’
‘I was speaking metaphorically,’ Guibert said, unabashed. ‘If you wish me to be literal, you should consider the theft of several pounds from a poor merchant only recently.’
Sir Peregrine had not heard of this. He looked at Baldwin, who, to his surprise, met the Prior’s outraged stare with a bland expression.
‘So, Prior, you are shocked to hear of the robbery? Did not something similar happen here some years ago?’
‘That was one bad apple. It was plucked out and discarded.’
‘And several priors were censured, I believe?’ Baldwin said. He lifted his hand to stem the angry expostulation. ‘Do you know a man called Jordan le Bolle?’
John nodded and glanced at his Prior. To his astonishment, Guibert essayed a frown and gave a firm shake of his head. ‘Who is he?’
‘A man who owns a brothel near the city walls. I am not surprised you do not know of him — he would hardly be fit company for a prior. He also owns a gambling house.’
‘What of it?’
‘I thought that a man such as yourself, always mingling with and preaching to the lowest fellows in the city, might have come across him in your wanderings. That is all,’ Baldwin said.
‘No.’
‘He managed to take several pounds from that same merchant Gervase, you know. Gervase can’t have been so very “poor”, can he? Not if he could lose pounds to Jordan le Bolle. He lost heavily in gambling at Jordan’s house, and then he was persuaded to go to the chapter and swear that it was stolen from him while he stayed there. It would blacken the name of the cathedral, that, would it not? And only an entirely unscrupulous man would ask a fellow to do that. Accuse the innocent in order to gain advantage over them.’
‘As you say,’ Guibert said. His hand was on his pate now, and he appeared to stare into the distance.
John listened with rising horror. The man was known, obviously, about the city, but he had no idea that Jordan was so evil a character. This was appalling.
‘But what interests me,’ Baldwin continued, ‘is what would have motivated this Jordan to demand such a course of action against the cathedral. It seems peculiar to me. Except he had perhaps a reason. He was making money from the cathedral’s rebuilding. We have heard that when each cargo was landed, if there was a valuable item, he would have it stolen and replaced with some cheaper stuff. And then he would sell the more expensive item back to the chapter. Enterprising, that. But people were growing suspicious of his actions. He wanted a distraction. Perhaps, he reasoned, if he were to create a theft at the cathedral, and then let others know of it …?’
John could stand silent no longer. If the man was a thief, and entirely corrupt, John could not seek to conceal his presence in this little priory. ‘I think perhaps you have forgotten the man, Prior — I saw you discussing some affair with him only a few days ago. You were involved in a lengthy conversation.’
‘Me?’
‘Yes. Jordan is a tall man, powerful, energetic. He was here, walking about the place in conversation with you. About the time Sir William died,’ he added sharply.
Guibert looked at him then, and John felt the force of those watery old eyes, but he felt no guilt. Rather, he felt contempt, because he understood Guibert at last. The man he had revered for his courage and integrity had shown himself to be dishonest. He had tried to connive at the shaming of the canons for his own revenge. Perhaps he felt justified, but John thought that although the chapter was too wealthy for the good of the canons, God needed His priests to work together to confound the Devil. If Guibert was prepared to lie and dissemble, he was not honourable. And that meant he was not suitable to be Prior.