“I have been here oncebefore, you know.”
“Yes.Iremember.”
“I was on board ship, and Isaw you—you and your companion—on the shore.”
“You came to fetch Addy.Forgive me—Aedar of Fara.”
“Yes.And it’s news ofAedar that brings me back now.”The young king spread his palms andlooked into them as if searching for words.“This is difficult.Hespoke very often of you, especially when he was… I know he was yourfriend.”
Fen leaned forwards.“I will tell, ifit is better.”
“Yes, then.If youwould.”
Fen reached for Cai’s hand.Caireturned his grasp on instinct, as if they had been alone.Manyfireside hours had passed for Cai thus, hours when the feel ofdrowning inside his own lungs had put him past thought or speech,and that grip had been a lifeline.“What’s happened,Fen?”
“Addy’s dead,” Fen saidsimply.He laced his fingers through Cai’s.“He was a good bishop,but his heart was here.And when he knew his days were drawing to aclose, he asked King Ecgbert to bring his remains back toFara.”
“Fara?To his island,or...”
“No.To Fara monastery.Heasked that his body be placed in your keeping.”
Cai gazed into the fire.“When did hedie?”
But here even Fen faltered.“It wasfour weeks ago,” Ecgbert supplied.“He was well cared for andpeaceful to the end.”
“But that can’t be.I saw…” Caitrailed off.Reluctantly he let go of Fen’s hand, and the two satin silence, gaze locked on gaze.Whathadthey seen?Cai had fallen sick that night,worn out by his long ride, and Addy and Danan had flickered throughhis fever dreams until memory had merged with delirium.“Did you doit?Did you bring his body here?”
“Yes, just as he asked.Hiscasket is on his funeral bier, under supervision by my personalguard.I have come to ask permission to place him in the crypt ofyour church.”
“Granted.Granted, of course.Iwill come and see it’s done at once.”Cai ran his hands over hishair.He had met old Addy only twice, but still a bitter griefknifed through him.You said we would meet one more time.The world is darkerfor your death.“This land is unsettled and dangerous, Your Majesty.I havenever known a king come so far on such a mission, even for one ofhis bishops.Why?”
Ecgbert sighed.He looked as if hewould have liked to pull off his gold coronet and scratch inbewilderment.“This too is hard for me.I’m a man of Christianfaith, but I have also striven to educate myself.And yet now Ihave seen things that…” He shook his head.“Yes, I am rational.ButAedar’s body hasn’t decomposed.He lay in state for three days inHexham crypt, and we have taken two weeks on our journey here.Itravelled with his casket because I had to see for myself.But itis true.”
The scientist in Cai awoke.He too hadseen things that had challenged his bright, plain view of theworld, part of his inheritance from Broc.But dead men soon faded,reaching out to meet the earth halfway.“I’m a physician,” he said.“Tell me—was the crypt in Hexham cold?You’ve had a cold journey ofit up here, I know.”
“Aye, we have.But this isdifferent, Abbot.He looks as if he’s sleeping.”
“Was there rigormortis?”
“His attending doctorsargued over that.If so, it was quick, and now…”
Cai gestured him impatiently tosilence.King or no king, if some idiotic, beautiful mistake hadbeen made… “These attending doctors did make quite sure he wasdead?”
“There’s no breath, nopulse.”
“I will come and see.Theremay be a catalepsy or some hypothermic state.All men rot, YourMajesty.”
He set off well enough.Pain and hopewere sparking in his blood, a stimulating mix.He knew he shouldhave paused at the door, let Ecgbert precede him, but to hell withthat—he marched out into the dark and made it halfway down the hillto the torchlit church before the breath scraped in his lungs.Fenwas there instantly.Oh, not a second too soon—catching him,restraining the stumble that would have dropped him to his knees.Speaking to him gently, too low for Ecgbert to hear.“Cai, slowdown.”
“I have to getthere.”
“Will you let me help you,then?”
“Yes, love.Thank you.Just…please don’t let him see.”
It was too late—Ecgbert had caught upwith them.He looked them over with the pity Cai had struggled sohard to avoid.With Fen’s aid, he had managed—kept his faintnessand battles for air out of sight of his brethren, a feat that grewharder every day, his determination hardening with it.
“I fear you don’t have yourhealth, Abbot Cai.”
