epeters.amorbidtasteforbones-第2节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ocuous　the　saints　and　martyrs　he　would　have　to　celebrate　at　chapter；　John　would　contrive　to　imbue　them　with　drama　and　gusto　from　his　own　sources。　Give　him　the　beheading　of　Saint　John　the　Baptist；　and　he　would　shake　the　foundations。
　〃You　read　for　the　glory　of　God　and　the　saints；　brother；〃　Columbanus　reminded　him；　with　loving　reproof　and　somewhat　offensive　humility；　〃not　for　your　own！〃　Which　showed　either　how　little　he　knew　about　it；　or　how　false　he　could　be；　one　or　the　other。
　〃The　blessed　thought　is　ever　in　my　mind；〃　said　Brother　John　with　irrepressible　zest；　and　winked　at　Cadfael　behind　his　colleague's　back；　and　set　off　enthusiastically　along　the　aisles　of　shrubs　towards　the　abbot's　gate　and　the　great　court。　They　followed　him　more　demurely；　the　slender；　fair；　agile　youth　and　the　squat；　barrel…chested；　bandy…legged　veteran　of　fifty…seven。　Was　I　ever；　wondered　Cadfael；　rolling　with　his　powerful　seaman's　gait　beside　the　other's　long；　supple　strides；　as　young　and　earnest　as　this？　It　cost　him　an　effort　to　recall　that　Columbanus　was　actually　fully　twenty…five；　and　the　sprig　of　a　sophisticated　and　ambitious　house。　Whose　fortunes；　surely；　were　not　founded　wholly　on　piety？
　This　third　Mass　of　the　day　was　non…parochial　and　brief；　and　after　it　the　Benedictine　brothers　of　the　abbey　of　Shrewsbury　filed　in　procession　from　the　choir　into　the　chapter…house；　and　made　their　way　to　their　stalls　in　due　order；　Abbot　Heribert　leading。　The　abbott　was　old；　of　mild　nature　and　pliant；　a　gentle　grey　ascetic　very　wishful　of　peace　and　harmony　around　him。　His　figure　was　unimpressive；　though　his　face　was　beguiling　in　its　anxious　sweetness。　Novices　and　pupils　were　easy　in　his　presence；　when　they　could　reach　it；　which　was　by　no　means　always　easy；　for　the　extremely　impressive　figure　of　Prior　Robert　was　liable　to　loom　between。
　Prior　Robert　Pennant　of　mixed　Welsh　and　English　blood；　was　more　than　six　feet　tall；　attenuated　and　graceful；　silver…grey　hair　at　fifty；　blanched　and　beautiful　of　visage；　with　long；　aristocratic　features　and　lofty　marble　brow。　There　was　no　man　in　the　midland　shires　would　look　more　splendid　in　a　mitre；　superhuman　in　height　and　authority；　and　there　was　no　man　in　England　better　aware　of　it；　or　more　determined　to　prove　it　at　the　earliest　opportunity。　His　very　motions；　sweeping　across　the　chapter…house　to　his　stall；　understudied　the　pontificate。
　After　him　came　Brother　Richard　the　sub…prior；　his　antithesis；　large；　ungainly；　amiable　and　benevolent；　of　a　good　mind；　but　mentally　lazy。　Doubtful　if　he　would　ever　bee　prior　when　Robert　achieved　his　end；　with　so　many　ambitious　and　industrious　younger　men　eyeing　the　prospect　of　advancement；　and　willing　to　go　to　a　great　deal　of　trouble　to　secure　it。
　After　Richard　came　all　the　other　brothers　in　their　hierarchies。　Brother　Benedict　the　sacristan；　Brother　Anselm　the　precentor；　Brother　Matthew　the　cellarer；　Brother　Dennis　the　hospitaller；　Brother　Edmund　the　infirmarer；　Brother　Oswald　the　almoner；　Brother　Jerome；　the　prior's　clerk；　and　Brother　Paul；　master　of　the　novices；　followed　by　the　monalty　of　the　convent；　and　a　very　flourishing　number　they　made。　Among　the　last　of　them　Brother　Cadfael　rolled　to　his　own　chosen　corner；　well　to　the　rear　and　poorly　lit；　half…concealed　behind　one　of　the　stone　pillars。　Since　he　held　no　troublesome　parchment　office；　he　was　unlikely　to　be　called　upon　to　speak　in　chapter　upon　the　various　businesses　of　the　house；　and　when　the　matter　in　hand　was　dull　into　the　bargain　it　was　his　habit　to　employ　the　time　to　good　account　by　sleeping；　which　from　long　usage　he　could　do　bolt　upright　and　undetected　in　his　shadowy　corner。　He　had　a　sixth　sense　which　alerted　him　at　need；　and　brought　him　awake　instantly　and　plausibly。　He　had　even　been　known　to　answer　a　question　pat；　when　it　was　certain　he　had　been　asleep　when　it　was　put　to　him。
　On　this　particular　May　morning　he　remained　awake　long　enough　to　enjoy　Brother　John's　extraction　of　the　last　improbable　ounce　of　drama　from　the　life　of　some　obscure　saint　whose　day　fell　on　the　morrow；　but　when　the　cellarer　began　to　expound　a　plicated　matter　of　a　legacy　partly　to　the　altar　of　Our　Lady；　partly　to　the　infirmary；　he　posed　himself　to　slumber。　After　all；　he　knew　that　most　of　the　remaining　time；　once　a　couple　of　minor　malefactors　had　been　dealt　with；　would　be　given　to　Prior　Robert's　campaign　to　secure　the　relics　and　patronage　of　a　powerful　saint　for　the　monastery。　For　the　past　few　months　very　little　else　had　been　discussed。　The　prior　had　had　it　on　his　mind；　in　fact；　ever　since　the　Cluniac　house　of　Wenlock　had　rediscovered；　with　great　pride　and　jubilation；　the　tomb　of　their　original　foundress；　Saint　Milburga；　and　installed　her　bones　triumphantly　on　their　altar。　An　alien　priory；　only　a　few　miles　distant；　with　its　own　miracle…working　saint；　and　the　great　Benedictine　house　of　Shrewsbury　as　empty　of　relics　as　a　plundered　almsbox！　It　was　more　than　Prior　Robert　could　stomach。　He　had　been　scouring　the　borderlands　for　a　spare　saint　now　for　a　year　or　more；　looking　hopefully　towards　Wales；　where　it　was　well　known　that　holy　men　and　women　had　been　mon　as　mushrooms　in　autumn　in　the　past；　and　as　little　regarded。
　Brother　Cadfael　had　no　wish　to　hear　the　latest　of　his　plaints　and　urgings。　He　slept。
　The　heat　of　the　sun　rebounded　from　honed　new　facets　of　pale；　baked　rock；　scorching　his　face；　as　the　floating　arid　dust　burned　his　throat。　From　where　he　crouched　with　his　fellows　in　cover　he　could　see　the　long　crest　of　the　wall；　and　the　steel…capped　heads　of　the　guards　on　the　turrets　glittering　in　the　fierce　light。　A　landscape　carved　out　of　reddish　stone　and　fire；　all　deep　gullies　and　sheer　cliffs；　with　never　a　cool　green　leaf　to　temper　it；　and　before　him　the　object　of　all　his　journeyings；　the　holy　city　of　Jerusalem；　crowned　with　towers　and　domes　within　its　white　walls。　The　dust　of　battle　hung　in　the　air；　dimming　the　clarity　of　battlement　and　gate；　and　the　hoarse　shouting　and　clashing　of　armour　filled　his　ears。　He　was　waiting　for　the　trumpet　to　sound　the　final　assault；　and　keeping　well　in　cover　while　he　waited；　for　he　had　learned　to　respect　the　range　of　the　short；　curly　Saracen　bow。　He　saw　the　banners　surge　forward　out　of　hiding；　streaming　on　the　burning　wind。　He　saw　the　flash　of　the　raised　trumpet；　and　braced　himself　for　the　blare。
　The　sound　that　brought　him　leaping　wide…awake　out　of　his　dream　was　loud　enough　and　stirring　enough；　but　not　the　brazen　blast　of　a　trumpet；　nor　was　he　launched　from　his　stillness　towards　the　triumphant　storming　of　Jerusalem。　He　was　back　in　his　stall　in　the　dark　corner　of　the　chapter…house；　and　starting　to　his　feet　as　alertly　as　the　rest；　and　with　the　same　consternation　and　alarm。　And　the　shriek　that　had　awakened　him　was　just　subsiding　into　a　series　of　rending　moans　and　broken　cries　that　might　have　been　of　extreme　pain　or　extreme　ecstasy。　In　the　open　space　in　the　centre　of　the　chapter…house　Brother　Columbanus　lay　on　his　face；　threshing　and　jerking　like　a　landed　fish；　beating　his　forehead　and　his　palms　against　the　flagstones；　kicking　and　flailing　with　long；　pale　legs　bared　to　the　knee　by　his　contortions；　and　barking　out　of　him　those　extraordinary　sounds　of　shattering　physical　excitement；　while　the　nearest　of　the　brothers　hovered　in　helpless　shock；　and　Prior　Robert　with　lifted　hands　exhorted　and　exclaimed。
　Brother　Cadfael　and　Brother　Edmund；　the　infirmarer；　reached　the　victim　together；　kneeled　over　him　one　on　either　side；　and　restrained　him　from　battering　his　brains　out　against　the　stones　of　the　floor；　or　dislocating　his　joints　in　the　flailings。　〃Falling　sickness！〃　said　Brother　Edmund　tersely；　and　wedged　the　thick　cord　of　Columbanus'　girdle　between　his　teeth；　and　a　fold　of　his　habit　with　it；　to　prevent　him　from　biting　his　tongue。
　Brother　Cadfael　was　less　certain　of　the　diagnosis；　for　these　were　not　the　grunting；　helpless　noises　of　an　epileptic　in　an　attack；　but　such　as　might　be　expected　from　a　hysterical　woman　in　a　frenzy。　But　at　least　the　treatment　stopped　half　the　noise；　and　even　appeared　to　diminish　the　vigour　of　the　convulsions；　though　they　resumed　again　as　soon　as　the　restraining　grip　on　him　was　loosed。
　〃Poor　young　man！〃　fluttered　Abbot　Heribert；　hovering　in　the　background。　〃So　sudden；　so　cruel　an　affliction！　Handle　him　gently！　Carry　him　to　the　infirmary。　We　must　pray　for　his　restoration。〃
　Chapter　broke　up　in　some　disorder。　With　the　help　of　Brother　John；　and　certain　others　of　a　practical　turn　of　mind；　they　got　Brother　Columbanus　securely　but　fortably　swathed　in　a　sheet；　confining　arms　and　legs　so　that　he　would　do　himself　no　injury；　wedged　his　teeth　apart　with　a　wooden　spit　instead　of　the　cloth；　on　which　he　might　have　gagged　and　choked；　and　carried　him　on　a　shutter　to　the　infirmary；　where　they　got　him　into　bed；　and　secured　him　there　with　bandages　round　breast　and　thighs。　He　moaned　and　gurgled　and　heaved　still；　but　with　weakening　force；　and　when　they　had　managed　to　get　a　draught　of　Brother　Cadfael's　poppy…juice　into　him　his　moans　subsided　into　pitiful　mutterings；　and　the　violence　of　his　struggles　against　his　confinement　grew　feebler。
　〃Take　good　care　of　him；〃　said　Prior　Robert；　frowning　anxiously　over　the　young　man's　bed。　〃I　think　someone　should　be　constantly　by　to　watch　over　him；　in　case　the　fit　es　again。　You　have　your　other　si