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She slipped a hand through the crook of his elbow, drawing hi "But youGavin, have you been ill?" She sat on the cushioned bench in a sure
After a moment of hesitation, he lowered hiht but a srume&039;s sword," he said dismissively "&039;Twas tended by a nun in a nearby abbey"
"You look weary" She tried again to bridge the span betwixt them
"I traveled from York, and I have not rested ere I left &039;Tis no more than that" He formed his lips into a half-hearted smile "Judith, I came only to ask of you some information-I do not wish to keep you from your duties, or your friends"
She sed and looked away If only he&039;d let his guard relax, and put aside his feelings of guilt, he would see that she was pleased at his visit instead of being overset by it Since Papa&039;s death, Gavin was her only living relative, her only faory&039;s death for fear of sha her "I would be most pleased to help you if I am able, cousin"
"You were fostered for a short tihter, were you not?"
"Aye, Gavin, I know that I have spoken of that year in Kent on occasion I was only twelve summers, and she no more than ten She was there for only five moons before he sent for her to return to Tricourten She did not wish to go" Judith clenched her fingers as she recalled the deathly whitening of her friend&039;s face at the h Madelyne spoke little of her father, &039;twas obvious she disliked-even feared-him "&039;Twas only some moons later that I learned she and her mother had drowned in the river near Tricourten"
"Drowned Aye, that was the story I recall hearing as well" Soave Judith pause, and she looked at him more closely
"What is it?"
"Did you not speak to s once that the little girl had some unusual spots near her wrist"
Judith nodded "Aye Three moles near her wrist, just here" She demonstrated on her own flesh "When she first came to Kent Castle, one of the maidservants made mention of it and spread the talk that s But that notion was soon dispelled, for Madelyne was such a kind and sweet girl that none could think ill of her"
It seerim huone so quickly that Judith was sure she had iain "And how exactly were those s placed?"
She showed hi the shape of a sle There was such satisfaction in his face that she suddenly realized what he was about "You do not ether in a sudden show of ferocity such that Judith was taken aback "Aye, the wench does live And it shall be through her that I&039;ll at last get to Fantin"
"You&039;d not hurt her!" Judith forgot herself and the fragility of the tenuous bond between them and clutched at his powerful arm Insult flashed over his face at her words, and she berated herself for causing it But she&039;d not see another worume (if &039;twas truly her of whom he spoke) hurt
"Nay, Judith, I&039;d not hurt her" His voice was gruff as he closed his fingers over her hand to re Fantin to heel"
The rough stones ground into his aching knees, but Fantin de Belgruhted in the discomfort He would bear any such penance or pain whilst he prayed-for any distress he suffered noould be well repaid when his as co the evidence of this work, there on the bare floor, within the sight and smell and feel of it, rather than in the chapel
He twined his fingers together in supplication, finishing the hour of prayer that was as much a part of his work in the laboratory as the foran and ended every session in his laboratory in concert with God, knowing that without His guidance, he would never find the forhtwhich had been pro, that he should be the one to receive the secret once given to the Magdalen-the fascinating, sinful woman who appeared as three different ladies in the Gospels: Mary of Magdala, Mary, the sister of Lazarus, and the woman who anointed Christ&039;s feet with her tears and wiped them dry with her hair
She was a woman who atoned for her sins-a wealthy woman, just as Fantin hih sexual pleasurejust as Fantin did The woman froend had it that this woman&039;s bones-the bones of the Whore Saint, as Fantin preferred to think of her-were interred near Vezelay, in France Coincidentally, it was the village near where his dalen Legend foretold that the blood of the woman saint ran in Fantin&039;s own veins-and he knew that was the reason God had chosen hi the pain that shot down his left leg and knowing that soon it would never bother hiain, Fantin drew in a deep breath of pleasure and joy The stale, earthy sed his nostrils, and he inhaled deeply, drawing its energy into his being
&039;Twas not a pleasant s flesh and h to curdle one&039;s belly-but God had put it on His earth apurpose Every aspect of His creation, every being, every creature served a role in God&039;s worldand Fantin hireatest of these
He s on that as he returned to the table where the last task he&039;d been involved in-crushing the smooth, silky bark of a birch tree with flakes of silver and bronze metals-reht the secret of the Grail: perfect combination of chemistry that would create the substance whose e any old
It would create for Fantin a life of power under which to serve God
He sought and studied and prayed to determine the exact amounts of each element that would be required to complete the ancient process Metals, wood, earth, waterfireall or so that ht-that miracle which had been promised him by his bloodline: the miracle of the Holy Grail and what some called the Philosopher&039;s Stone
Next to the boith curling birch bark and metal flakes, the corpse of an adder oozed blood into another bowl-a metal one, to hold the rich, wine-like liquid without absorbing its essence Another element added to the mixmayhap, it would be the answer this time
The adder, Fantin reflected wisely, was the sy conduit in his work bent on purification and transfiguration
His laboratory, dug beneath the stone floor of Tricourten&039;s Great Hall, had been Fantin&039;s refuge and salvation since he realized he was God&039;s chosen, and hter Three long tables lined the cha than the hall above, due to fifty pitch torches lit by Tavis every ht
Neat stacks of bowls-of every type of wood, rock, and metal-heaped at the end of each table Goblets, skins, boxes, knives, pincers, spoonsall rested in the spot allotted to each of the to God Jars and pots of calendula, roserass, ragwort, and hundreds of other useful plants sat on shelves against the large stone wall near the metal chains and restraints He had taken care that the shelves reht make use of those chains-he did not wish to have his herbalry dashed to the floor by a disturbed or frightened guest
Fantin used a stick to prod the se metal cauldron set into the wooden table The bones of the hare he&039;d skinned earlier had turned to ash alowed a wicked orange on the underbelly of the pot
"My lord"
Fantin looked over at the berobed priest, who had just eed from the tiny chapel built into the corner of his laboratory His breathing quickened and sweat dampened his palms He moved from the table toward the monk "Father, have you word?"
Father Rufus, slender and thin-fingered, bore a sober look upon his narrow face Weariness lined his cheeks, and the pasty whiteness of his skin bespoke of hisand hard and have at last received the anshich you seek"
Fantin gripped the stick, his fingernails digging into his callused pal quick and shallow "Aye, Father, speak! What is it that Iupon me and revive the Philosopher&039;s Stone?"
"You must continue with your work," Rufus told him "God will not make clear the way until you have shown you are indeed fit for the deed You must practice your work, you must continue to rid the world of its evils and tes of the ancients and you uration"
The dry wood cracked in Fantin&039;s hand "Is there naughtfor nearly twelve summers Twelve summers, I have knoas the one chosenand yet, I have not attained that promise When shall I complete my life&039;s work to be pure and holy and one with God?"
"Twelve suht but a drop in the sea for our God," the priest ad i sleeve of his robe over the perspiration that dampened his forehead, then folded his hands, once more, inside the sleeves of his robe "Nine priests I have had, and not a one of you can interpret God&039;s e"
"My lord," the priest replied in a voice raspy with disuse, "do you not fret There is ood rewards from Above will come only to those who show patience and servitude and hun to show you the way &039;Twill appear very soon, nize the e, and follow the direction thus and the difficulty of your journey shall ease"
He stared directly into Fantin&039;s eyes, and Fantin felt hi to calht that had colored his world receded Aye, the father had the right of it Heand hard He must continue the work of purification, the task he had been set to years before
"Aye, Fatheryou have great wisdom," Fantin responded in his warh it moved his face, did not reach completely within He must re stronger each day The red light edging the corners of his vision threatened more oft than not as of late
If only he need not rely on the priest and could pass his own days with prayer, ht ht Yet Fantin did not have the tie his lands, and work his formulas, and conduct those other tasks that befell hie of Gavin of Mal Verne slipped into his ed to attain Aye, at the least that task was complete At any moment, he expected word that Mal Verne had indeed met his demise-left wounded and far froht not have been a direct order from God to send Mal Verne to hell, but Fantin knehat he ht to disrupt his oork He had taken Gregory from him, and Nicola-and if Fantin did not remove the man froe upon Fantin God helped only those who helped themselves
Indeed, and &039;twas surely a test of histhis journey But the end was in sight, according to Rufus
Fantin praised his God for sending him the skinny priest only three months earlier-for Rufus, more than any other, understood his task and his purpose, and acted as a holy conduit between Fantin and the Lord of All
And when he coraced by the formula for the Philosopher&039;s Stone
Fantin&039;s hands no longer shook He and the priest both would watch for the proly And God would find him worthy