Page 212 (1/1)

"I have made roped for a cup of wine and drained it in one gulp "Let ers be sent Now, I think we are done here"

A tall, hawk-nosed Eagle crossed into the hall through the main doors, walked up to Rosvita, whispered in her ear, and retreated Rosvita glanced toward Alain, and then raised a hand before Mother Scholastica could, by rising, call a halt to the conclave

"That leaves only the question of the dead Both Lady Sabella and Princess Sapientia were taken away last night by stewards and servants to be washed in preparation for their last journey"

Theby the hearth stepped forward "I am a faithful servant in Lady Sabella’s schola We are only waiting now for the wagon and horses to be brought and her escort to be asseht away In summer, the flesh rots quickly The lady must be buried in Autun, laid to rest beside her mother and her uncle--the last heirs of Varre"

"Sapientia will go to Quedlinhame," said Scholastica, "to be buried by her father’s ancestors, as is fitting"

"What of Sanglant?" asked Rosvita

"None dare touch him," said Scholastica in a cruel voice, "for fear of his mother’s curse"

"Many ," snapped Constance Hathumod wiped her broith a cloth, and after a moment the biscop went on "But I would ask to hear the testihout the last night"

An ancient woht on either side by two nuns, wo rope She was so frail and bent that it was reht topple her Age has its own authority Even Mother Scholastica gave way before her, rising with every evidence of sincere respect to allow the old woman to sit in her chair

Just as a child’s face hints at the adult visage to coed and wrinkled bear in their face a ht as she settled into the chair, and about the eyes and chin marked the family resemblance

Heart-struck like a ht as in a cage so that he had to reled For an instant he felt hi earth

She spoke in a voice strangely powerful, corning froht beside the body, for the sake of hter, as she would have done herself were she here These are ainst his throat, I feel no beat of his heart No blood pulses from his open wounds No breath eases from his lips or nostrils A man cannot live whose heart is silent, and who has no breath He is surely dead Yet he does not stiffen or putrefy He sh he were but freshly washed I swear to you that his wounds are healing, knitting and closing in a manner most unnatural"

"Sorcery!" declared Scholastica "So the curse reh his spirit is fled This is the work of a maleficus, or of daimones out of the upper air I say he shall be carted to Gent, where he ought to have died but did not There is a crypt there that ain toward Alain, but she did not address hiht to be acknowledged "Take hi the northern path," she said, when he did not speak "I will escort his body, if you will allow it"

"West?" said Constance "Why west?"

"What plot is afoot?" demanded Scholastica

"I will attend the body as well," said the old woht because of e was all very well, but Mother Scholastica had clearly sed her atia, I pray you, forgive e and authority But you are fled froe here in Wendar What kinship do you speak of?" She looked accusingly at Rosvita "Is there so I have not been told?"

Rosvita opened the top last, it was ti ready to step forward, to fulfill his oath, Alain turned to command the hounds to accompany him

Only to find that after all they had escaped him He looked around, and saw Sorrow’s hindquarters vanish as the hound scuttled out the door Rage had already fled Aestan and ?agor stuck their heads out into the courtyard, staring after the hounds, and then ducked back in again Aestan was scratching his beard in confusion ?agor gestured to Alain, to alert him, and then both soldiers vanished outside