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Now he had an uneasy feeling that Ulgar
could not be trusted. His former ally had changed. There was not the
look of God in Ulgar's
eyes. He had seen the look of God in his past love's eyes before he took
her. He did not see the lust of a warrior who had fought fiercely at his
side as each helped the Vatican's army hold the day against the Nordics.
He had to press the issue of why Ulgar had given up the warrior's pleasure
of slitting Norsemen's heads and putting them on poles in the full day battle
and bragging in the brothels at night. Fifteen years had passed and
their association had been one of fellow soldiers celebrating their victory. |
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The room felt very cold as a breeze came thru an opening near the
top of the unpretentious wall. Omar looked around the rest of the room and
it seemed so barren and stark that he wondered why no one had even tried
to hang a cross over the bed. Omar raised himself on his elbow and looked
at his wound. "What happened to the tip of the arrow? Did you
keep it as a prize?" Ulgar cast his eyes down and mumbled. "It
must have broke off when we pulled you from the grove were we found you".
"Is it important?" Omar cynically replied. "Not now."
Ulgar began to dab the shoulder wound with the skirt of his brown robe.
He leaned over to whisper in Omar's ear. "Is the abby in any danger?" His
change of tone gave Omar comradely reassurance. Omar reassured Ulgar. "They
left me for dead although I would keep your knives sharp and in the ready."
Ulgar continued to whisper. "We are being watched." Omar quickly
whispered back. "Do you have to report to Rome?" Not receiving
an immediate response he quickly lightened his voice and spoke loudly as
if he expected someone to be listening. "Maybe you will slip back to
the holy whores and gossip about how far I have fallen."
"You know they will turn you in if they feel that it will be worth
their while to get into the bishop's circles." |
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Omar was wincing while clutching his shoulder, but his voice was
clear enough to be full of suspicion. The transformation of his friend to
this quiet fearful monk was too unbelievable. |
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"I left that life and I didn't give it up just to turn spy for the
Vatican. What will it take to convince you?" |
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Ulgar was washing the arrow wound in Omar's right shoulder. . |
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The pain shot up to Omar voice. "Oh Christ - I am so stupid, I should
have known Athanathius had a plan to kill me." |
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Omar broke off the rest of the shaft of the arrow and fell to his
knees near Ulgar's feet. He fell unconscious and was not aware that
he started to talk as Brother Ulgar led him his own cot in this modest monastery.
Brother Ulgar gave a piercing look at the door of his room to warn his fellow
brothers to leave him alone and stop listening at the door.
The other brothers moved out of sight until the door was slammed but were
back tiptoeing with their ears on the door. Neither Brother
Ulgar nor the rambling voice of Omar would know how his tale would become
distorted from within the walls of this monastery of St Denis. |
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Omar cried out while in a delirium. "I didn't know I was her father."
"I didn't know when I was sent to kill her". "Her eyes
were my eyes." |
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Omar head was thrashing about and he was gasping for gulps of air. |
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Brother Ulgar went out of the room to get water and a cloth
to bring Omar back to consciousness and hold what seemed to him to be a
serious fever. The monks heard him approach the door and they
scurried to hide from his cold glare. Daylight was almost gone and
the candle did not reveal them hiding and going into the adjacent room to
try to hear through the wall. |
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The abbot was standing in the shadows with his hood pulled down ominously.
Even though this monastery was his kingdom of God he still spoke with a
low growl as he was tapping the feathers of the arrow in his hand. "Did
he explain why he came here and how he got wounded"? |
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The abbot was putting Ulgar on the spot and he knew how to use his
position of power to get answers. He was also Ulgar's confessor and
there was no way that Ulgar could tell a lie. He truly believed the
abbot was the ultimate representative of God in private. |
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"He has a fever and he is rambling". "I do not know
if he will last more than a couple of days. The wound is is bleeding
badly and he doesn't want to take out the arrow." "He has
not said how he found our haven." " It could just be an accident."
"He asked about the tip of the arrow." "Isn't it a
papal arrow?" Ulgar was looking down at the tip of the arrow in the
Abbot's hand. |
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The Abbot hid the arrow tip. "You have made great strides in
serving God". "Do not ask about things that are beyond your
understanding." Our father, the pope, does not need or want assassins
to carry out the will of God." "Stop interrogating me otherwise
your immortal soul is in danger." |
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Ulgar felt ashamed that he was being pressured so soon after
Omar had challenged his confidence. His shame did not outweigh
his loyalty to the Abbot. But he acknowledge the shame by bowing his
head for an obligatory sign of forgiveness. |
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"Do you need help in caring for that assassin". |
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The abbot's tone was condescending and presented a warning which
Ulgar understood all too well. He knew his characterization was providing
Ulgar with more information and forced him to continue to disclose all that
he heard. |
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Ulgar managed to hide his surprise that the abbot referred to his
old comrade as an "assassin". |
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"I can manage." "I should get back to him before he
gets worse." "He will hurt himself if he turns on the wound."
"Is our sanctuary in any danger from those who attacked him?" |
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The abbot was very cold and dispassionate in his response.
"I will deal with anyone searching for this criminal". "He
has no right to sanctuary. " "Do not mention sanctuary with him."
"You just take care of his wounds." "Your reports
to me will help me determine the outcome of his immortal soul."
"Find out if he was running from justice or if was working on their
behalf of his holy father." "Do you understand your duties,
Brother Ulgar"? |
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"Yes, father". Ulgar felt trapped.
He was worried that Omar would read his soul as easily as the Abbot.
Then he would keep the trust of neither. He had felt mild regrets
of his two year stay at this refuge. But these were the yearnings
for women. This was different. He felt that had no will of his
own to help God from his enemies or help Omar who had been such a renown
fighter against the Norse infidels. God was pulling him apart, pulling
him inexorably from opposite sources. |
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Ulgar returned and cut the flesh of the shoulder to remove the arrow head.
He had helped his comrades in nursing their wounds but he still was sweating
as he pulled out the tip.
He was happy that there was no sign of poison. But Omar was babbling
and his story was disjointed. The Abbot had sent
in a slavish monk to hear all. |
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A loud ramming at the monastery doors had
disturbed the prayers of the monks. They looked to the Abbot for what
to do. "Brother Siegfred, keep them at their prayers. "Brothers
William and James join me to attend to our guests at the door." The
abbot commanded his captive audience with a firm resolve. |
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The ramming did not let up.
Voices from outside shouted to be let in. "Under the name of
his holiness, the Bishop we demand you open your monastery to our inspection."
The abbot calmed his monks. "Do not answer any questions, I will
speak to our noisy guests." "Do you understand my orders,
brothers?" He looked at each of them and they nodded dutifully.
"The abbot shouted to those outside. Cease your noise, we are opening
up the gates now. We will attend to your desires when you stop your proclamations."
"Leave your weapons, they are not allowed in our monastery." Each
of the brothers went to lift the beam that blocked the wooden gates.
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The abbot was face to face with one soldier
who was shouldering another who was wounded in his leg. The one partially
armored soldier addressed the Abbot urgently. "Take care of my
friend, as you see he is badly in need of help." The abbot
looked to Brother James and motioned with his hand. The monk took
the wounded soldier under his arm and led him to be cared for. The
abbot spoke with detachment to the remaining soldier.
"How else may we serve you?" The soldier softened
his tone. "One of my men lies dead up the way." "He
needs last rites and a proper Christian burial." The Abbot turned
to Brother William. "Get Brother Siegfred to organize a proper ceremony
and give the fallen soldier in Christ a proper last rites." "I
will see to this young man's needs". Brother William ran back
to those in prayer but did not speak about the vulnerability of the gates.
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The abbot was looking attentatively on
the ground at the soldier's bow and sheath. His eyes focused on the
feathers. They were black with a white cross. The brothers were
scurrying around waiting for the Abbot to speak before they were to be dispatched.
"Where is your fallen troop?" The soldier motion up the
dirt road. "Just before the edge of your olive grove." The soldier
spoke with a raspy voice. Two brothers rushed off. The abbot
spoke entreatingly to the lone soldier. "How else may we help
you ?" "You look parched." |
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Starts to get the soldier drunk. Abbot
lements his lot. Explains that he has to bully and use fear of damnation
to get monks to obey. Starves for news of outside world.
No intelligent discussion just a bunch of dumb farmers tilling the soil.
No one even knows how to read except his second in command. |
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Asks about news - wars, papal news, mission,
sends soldier to local convent |
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Attitude about women comes out paramour,
challenged vows, chastity , treating soldier well so soldier can send message
back that Abbot wants good reputation back to room |
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Abbot leaves Siegfred instructions to keep
wounded from each other. |
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Abbot escorts soldier to convent garden
at night. Asks if soldier needs to be cut for attention. |
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The soldier shows he knows how to track,
shows footprint can tell much from marks on trail. |
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The Abbot explains the 3 bells at the entrance.
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At the nunnery the Abbess hugs the Abbot
, he has the soldiers purse of coins |
