Chapter Twelve
Richard dismounted his horse behind Father Stephen.He had convinced Father Stephen to loan him a robe to wear in the hopes no one would recognize him. It was a little too short, but it would do. Mercy had done an adequate job of darkening and cutting his hair, and he had shaved. He hoped it was enough to keep from being identified.
The cathedral rose far above his head, and bells rang out. It reminded him of a smaller Canterbury Cathedral. He pushed the images and thoughts aside. He was here only to find Kit.
Father Stephen pointed to the tall tower where a large cross was situated. “That was struck by lightning two years ago. Bishop Devdan had it replaced.”
Richard stared up at the cross. “Isn’t that an ill omen?”
Father Stephen shrugged. “Many saw it as such. Now that it is replaced, the talk of evil and omens has died down.”
Not by all, Richard thought. He followed Father Stephen toward the door. If he could only find Kit. He longed to see Mercy smile and hold her child. He wanted her to be happy. Despite her dishonesty about his identity, he admired her. She was steadfast in her concern and protection for her boy. He couldn’t explain it, but he wanted to please her. He wanted to remain at her side even though he knew she would hand him over to the bishop to get Kit back.
Father Stephen pushed the door open. He stepped into the corridor that was lit by tall windows on either side of the door. “This way leads to the cathedral. That to the monastery.”
“The monks all serve the bishop?” Richard asked, peering down the corridor toward the monastery.
“We all serve the Lord,” Father Stephen replied. He nodded to a monk who passed them from the cathedral, heading toward the monastery.
Richard was surprised at his answer. He followed him down the corridor. “As a servant of the Lord, if you saw something…” He gaged his words. Father Stephen might be loyal to the bishop. He might not know what the bishop was doing with the children. But Richard did. “…suspicious, you would be required to report it.”
“Suspicious?” Father Stephen stopped and turned. “Probably not. Proof would be required. Are you referring to something in particular?”
“No. No.” Richard ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just that you say your loyalty is to God.”
“It is.”
“And yet, men are fallible. Human. Any man can be corrupted.”
“We all do our best. I am not here to judge.”
“If you’re not here to judge, how could you report evil if you saw it? How would you know it if you saw it?”
“Evil?”
Richard nodded.
“God guides us all. I hope he would give me the courage to do the right thing.” Father Stephen pointed to a small statue in an alcove on the wall. “This is Abraham. God ordered him to sacrifice his only son.”
Richard stared at the small statue of an elderly man looking up toward the sky with a young boy at his side. “The story of Abraham was never one I understood. Why would God tell Abraham to sacrifice his only son? Why would Abraham do it?”
“God wanted Abraham to prove himself loyal. He wanted Abraham to prove he placed his faith in God completely above all else, even his own son.”
Richard ran a finger along the boy statue’s head. “And what of the boy? What of the child? He was just a pawn?”
“The child was saved. God did not have Abraham harm him.”
Richard couldn’t stop thinking of Kit. “The child was innocent,” he whispered. “Scared. It wasn’t fair to him.” He shook himself and looked toward the monastery. “Are there any boys here, at the cathedral?”
“I have never seen any children here.”
Richard turned to the statue. The children should never be sacrificed. They were innocent. Unlike Bishop Devdan. Why he hadn’t known the bishop taking the children was Devdan until recently, escaped him. He couldn’t remember Mercy voicing the bishop’s name. But once he got his memory back and realized who the bishop was, everything fell into place. Now, there was an urgency to find Kit.
When he looked at Father Stephen, Richard found him gazing at him in thoughtfulness. “Shall we continue?” Richard asked.
The Father nodded and continued toward the cathedral.
Mercy didn’t wait long after Richard and Father Stephen left before beginning her search for Thomas. She scoured the church thinking the boy would remain close for safety and for food. When she couldn’t find him, she remembered she had first seen him in the village near the apple merchant. After exploring the church, she went into the village.
