Brother Cadfael 09: Dead Man's Ransom

Hugh! I am Welsh and you are English. We Welsh recognise degrees. Theft, theft absolute without excuse, is our most mortal offence, and therefore we hedge it about with degrees, things which are not theft absolute, taking openly by force, taking in ignorance, taking without leave providing the offender owns to it, and taking to stay alive where a beggar has starved three days, no man hangs in Wales for these. Even in dying, even in killing, we acknowledge degrees. We make a distinction between homicide and murder, and even the worst may sometimes be compounded for a lesser price than hanging.'
    'So might I make distinctions,' said Hugh, brooding over the placid ford. 'But this was my lord, into whose boots I step, for want of my king to give orders. He was no close friend of mine, but he was fair to me always, he had an ear to listen, if I was none too happy with some of his more austere judgments. He was an honourable man and did his duty by this shire of mine as he best knew, and his death fetters me.'
    Cadfael was silent and respectful. It was a discipline removed now from his, but once there had been such a tie, such a fealty, and he remembered it, and they were none so far apart.
    'God forbid,' said Hugh, 'that I should hurl out of the world any but such as are too vile to be let live in it. And this is no such monster. One mortal error, one single vileness, and a creature barely, what's his age? Twenty-one? And driven hard, but which of us is not? He shall have his trial and I shall do what I must,' said Hugh hardly. 'But I would to God it was taken out of my hands!'
    Chapter Fifteen.
    Before he left that evening he made his will clear for the others. 'Owain may be pressed, if Chester moves again, he wants his men. I have sent to say that all who are clear now shall leave here the day after tomorrow. I have six good men at arms belonging to him in Shrewsbury. They are free, and I shall equip them for their journey home. The day after tomorrow as early as may be, around dawn, they will be here to take Elis ap Cynan with them, back to Tregeiriog.'
    'Impossible,' said Cadfael flatly. 'He cannot yet ride. He has a twisted knee and a cracked rib, besides the arm wound, though that progresses well. He will not ride in comfort for three or four weeks. He will not ride hard or into combat for longer.'
    'He need not,' said Hugh shortly. 'You forget we have horses borrowed from Tudur ap Rhys, rested and ready for work now, and Elis can as well ride in a litter as could Gilbert in far worse condition. I want all the men of Gwynedd safely out of here before I move against Powys, as I mean to. Let's have one trouble finished and put by before we face another.'
    So that was settled and no appeal. Cadfael had expected the order to be received with consternation by Elis, both on Eliud's account and his own, but after a brief outcry of dismay, suddenly checked, there was a longer pause for thought, while Elis put the matter of his own departure aside, not without a hard, considering look, and turned only to confirm that there was no chance of Eliud escaping trial for murder and very little of any sentence but death being passed upon him. It was a hard thing to accept, but in the end it seemed Elis had no choice but to accept it. A strange, embattled calm had taken possession of the lovers, they had a way of looking at each other as though they shared thoughts that needed no words to be communicated, but were exchanged in a silent code no one else could read. Unless perhaps Sister Magdalen understood the language. She herself went about in thoughtful silence and with a shrewd eye upon them both.
    'So I am to be fetched away early, the day after tomorrow,' said Elis. He cast one brief glance at Melicent and she at him. 'Well, I can and will send in proper form from Gwynedd, it's as well the thing should be done openly and honestly when I pay my suit to Melicent. And there will be things to set right at Tregeiriog before I shall be free.' He did not speak of Cristina, but the thought of her was there, desolate and oppressive in the room with them. To win her battle, only to see the victory turn to ash and drift through her fingers. 'I'm a sound sleeper,' said Elis with a sombre smile, 'they may have to roll me in my blankets and carry me out snoring, if they come too early.' And he ended with abrupt gravity: 'Will you ask Hugh Beringar if I may have my bed moved into the cell with Eliud these last two nights? It is not a great