Brother Cadfael 07: The Sanctuary Sparrow

between quarry and hounds, and Hugh was out of the saddle with a hand on Liliwin's shoulder, in a grip that could have been ambiguously arrest or protection, and his neat, dark, saturnine visage turned blandly towards the threatening assault. The foremost hunters froze discreetly, and thawed again only to draw back by delicate inches from challenging his command.
    The nimble young novice had acquitted himself well, and shown an excellent grasp of his charge, for Hugh had the half of it clear in his mind already and understood its perilous application here. He kept his hold - let them read it however they would - on Liliwin throughout the questioning that followed, and listened as narrowly to Daniel Aurifaber's heated witness as to Cadfael's account.
    'Very well! Father Prior, it would be as well if you yourself would convey this in due course to the lord abbot. The drowned man I must examine, as also the place where he was cast ashore and that where his boat came to rest. I must call upon the help of those who found out these matters. For the rest of you, if you have anything to say, say it now.'
    Say it they did, intimidated but still smouldering, and determined to pour out their heat. For this was no chance death in the river, of that they were certain. This was the killing of a witness, close, curious, likely of all men to uncover some irrefutable evidence. He had found proof of the jongleur's strenuously-denied guilt, and he had been slipped into the Severn to drown before he could open his mouth. They began by muttering it, they ended by howling it. Hugh let them rave. He knew they were no such monsters as they made themselves out to be, but knew, too, that given a following wind and a rash impulse, they could be, to their own damage and that of every other man.
    They ran themselves out of words at length, and dwindled like sails bereft of wind.
    'My men have been camped outside the gates here,' said Hugh then, calmly, 'all this while and have seen no sign of this man you accuse. To my knowledge he has not set foot outside these walls. How, then, can he have had any hand in any man's death?'
    They had no answer ready to that, though they sidled and exchanged glances and shook their heads as though they knew beyond doubt that there must be an answer if they could only light on it. But out of the prior's shadow the insinuating voice of Brother Jerome spoke up mildly:
    'Pardon, Father Prior, but is it certain that the young man has been every moment within here? Only recall, last night Brother Anselm was enquiring after him and had not seen him since just after noon, and remarked, moreover, that he did not come to the kitchen for his supper as is customary. And being concerned for any guest of our house, I felt it my duty to look for him and did so everywhere. That was just when twilight was falling. I found no trace of him anywhere within the walls.'
    They took it up gleefully on the instant and Liliwin, as Cadfael observed with a sigh, shook and swallowed hard, and could not get out a word, and drops of sweat gathered on his upper lip and ran down, to be licked off feverishly.
    'You see, the good brother says it! He was not here! He was out about his foul business!'
    'Say rather,' Prior Robert reproached gently, 'that he could not be found.' But he was not altogether displeased.
    'And go without his supper? A half-starved rat scorn his food unless he had urgent business elsewhere?' cried Daniel fiercely.
    'Very urgent! He took his life in his hands to make sure Baldwin should not live to speak against him.'
    'Speak up!' said Hugh dryly, shaking Liliwin by the shoulder. 'You have a tongue, too. Did you leave the abbey enclave at any time?'
    Liliwin gulped down gall, hung in anguished silence a moment, and got out in a great groan: 'No!'
    'You were within here yesterday, when you were sought and could not be found?'
    'I didn't want to be found. I hid myself.' His voice was firmer when he had at least a morsel of truth to utter. But Hugh pressed him still.
    'You have not once set foot outside this pale since you took refuge here?'
    'No, never!' he gasped, and dragged in breath as though he had run a great way.
    'You hear?' said Hugh crisply, putting Liliwin aside and behind him. 'You have your answer. A man penned securely here cannot have committed murder outside, even if this proves to be murder, as at this moment there is no proof whatsoever. Now go, get back to your own crafts, and leave to the law what is the