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Her years in the church had gone much more smoothly

One lapse, that was all, in forty years One lapse, and a single ed that Sabella had theHenry Now she had lost both her son and her position in the church She had no ments, no more miscalculations Not one false step

Below her, Hugh bowed his fair head to rest on folded hands She kneasn’t praying He was studying that mysterious book the others called "Bernard’s book," a book of secrets It never left Hugh’s side except to be locked into a chest sealed with several layers of protective wards Here in the chapel, he had arranged his presbyter’s robes to cover it where it lay open in front of his knees His robes spread out around hi picture, fra hi a representation of a dutiful and noble presbyter, inti, confidant of the Holy Mother herself

He looked up abruptly, as if he’d heard her breathing in the gallery, but he was only gazing toward the domed span that separated him from the heavens above His lips h than a na terrible in the way he said it, like a curtain drawn aside so that one gliain, and this ti, desperately, passionately

The ardor suggested by his tightly clasped hands, the anguished cant of his shoulders, the intensity of his entire being was itself the flaalla who the it was She had killed strong emotion in herself because it hindered her, but she had never lost her taste for it, even if she had to experience it secondhand

Poor child How terrible for him that his brilliance was flawed by this one weakness, this obsession for the one thing he could not have

And yet, why not? Liath herself had spoken approvingly of Hugh’s passion for knowledge There reirl herself had acknowledged reluctantly back in Verna In a way, Hugh did possess her, because she could never forget or forgive hih was a better lant

A footstep scuffed the floor A presbyter dressed si scarlet cloak cah He n of respect toward the holy altar and the gold cup resting there As Hugh shifted back and turned to look at him, thein the hushed tones appropriate to the dignity of their setting

"Your Honor, the Holy Mother has awakened and is asking for you You kno your presence does her so ood"

"I thank you, Brother Isht"

"Say not so! I should be praying for God’s th"

Hugh winced slightly as he turned his head to gaze at the uncarved pillar, whose smooth marbled surface represented the holy purity of the blessed Daisan No need to carve a crude rendition of an earthly face when the blessed Daisan had been lifted bodily in a cloud of God’s glory and transported directly to the Chath but sin" Was he aware how exquisitely the la you, Brother Isrant me virtues I do not possess I will come at once Just let me finish my psalain before he retreated froation to honor another presbyter in this way He had served thirty years in the skopos’ palace and had risen to become steward of the holy bedcha presbyter like Hugh ought to be bowing to him, not the other way around

But these days, as she kneell enough, nothing ran anys In recent years the world had been overset by sin and disobedience If everything she had been taught in the last year were true, it would soon be overset catastrophically by God’s hand, or Aoi sorcery

Out of the co leader could, andto believe that leadership could colant There were leaders besides Sanglant, reater power and more sophisticated ah suddenly into the sanctu by what sorcery he had ed to detect her presence up here in the dense shadows of the gallery, spying on hi,stone to make aonto your journey, and I swear to you, Liath, I will follow you there"