Murder most holy

for thy house has eaten me up’. Yet, with this precious pair, their enthusiasm and zeal for eating up heresy might swallow everyone. He stared back at the top of the table. Brother Henry sat there, hands apart, waiting for the debate to continue.
    ‘Father Prior,’ Brother Niall spoke up, ‘we have paused to sing Nones and eat and drink, so shouldn’t we continue?’
    His question drew a chorus of approval from his companions. The prior nodded and waved at Brother Henry. The young Dominican smiled, smoothing the top of the table with his finger tips.
    ‘Father Prior,’ Brother Henry’s voice was low but quite distinct, ‘my general thesis is this: too much emphasis has been laid on the fact that Christ became man to save us from our sins.’ He held up one hand. ‘But if the venerable Aquinas is correct in his study of the Divine Nature, God is the “Summum Bonum”, the Supreme Good. How, therefore, can the Supreme Good, the Divine Beauty, be motivated by sin? Moreover,’ Brother Henry turned and looked fully at William de Conches, ‘if God is omnipotent, why couldn’t he save us from our sins by a simple decree?’
    The prior tapped the top of the table. ‘Brother Peter, Brother Niall, how will you answer that?’
    Brother Peter chuckled and grinned at him.
    ‘We do not try to answer it for Brother Henry speaks the truth. God is the Supreme Good, the Divine Beauty, he is omnipotent. We do not challenge such a thesis.’
    The two inquisitors leaned forward like hawks waiting for Brother Henry to continue. The prior suddenly felt tired.
    ‘We cannot go on,’ he announced to his startled companions. ‘What do you mean?’ William de Conches grated. ‘Father Prior, we are assembled here to debate and dispute certain matters. The purity of the Church’s teaching is the issue at hand.’
    ‘No, Brother William!’ the prior snapped. ‘The issue at hand is a matter of life and death. Brother Bruno was killed in mysterious circumstances. Sometimes, I fear he may have been murdered!’
    His pronouncement drew gasps of surprise from everyone. ‘And you think Alcuin may have been the perpetrator and sought refuge in flight?’ Eugenius asked silkily.
    ‘No, Alcuin is no murderer but I am frightened for him. You accuse him of murder and flight, Eugenius. How do we know he is alive at all?’
    ‘This is ridiculous!’ Eugenius snapped. ‘Why should anyone kill Bruno, and what makes you think Alcuin is dead?’
    ‘I don’t know, but since this Inner Chapter assembled, I sense an atmosphere of intrigue and malevolence not suited to these hallowed walls.’
    ‘So what do you propose?’ Brother Henry asked.
    ‘I have asked for the services of Sir John Cranston, Coroner of the City.’
    ‘He is a lay man, an officer of the crown! He has no authority in this monastery!’ William de Conches exclaimed.
    ‘He has the King’s authority!’ Callixtus spoke up sharply and turned weak eyes towards the prior. ‘I suspect, Father, he will not be alone.’
    Now the prior beamed with pleasure. ‘Callixtus, you have read my thoughts. Sir John will not be alone. I am going to ask his secretarius, his clerk, Brother Athelstan, a member of this Order and parish priest of St Erconwald’s in Southwark, to assist him.’
    Callixtus leaned back and cackled dryly as William de Conches banged on the table.
    ‘Athelstan is disgraced!’ he shouted. ‘He broke his vows and fled the novitiate!’
    ‘God is compassionate,’ Brother Henry intervened. ‘So why shouldn’t we be? Brother Athelstan’s art in questioning is as skilful and ingenious as yours. I agree with Father Prior. We assembled here to debate certain theses but I sense something else here, a malevolence and hostility which has nothing to do with theology or philosophy.’
    ‘Do you really?’ Callixtus asked so sardonically the prior flinched at the old librarian’s patent dislike of the young theologian.
    ‘Yes, I do!’ Henry retorted.
    ‘Then,’ the prior intervened, ‘these matters are adjourned until the arrival of Athelstan and Sir John Cranston.’ He rose. ‘Until then, brothers.’ He nodded, sketched a blessing in the air, and the meeting ended.
    The rest of the Chapter trooped out but William de Conches and Eugenius stayed behind. They waited until the door closed before rounding on the prior.
    ‘What are you doing?’ William snarled. ‘We have not travelled from Rome to waste time on the mundane tasks of a monastery.’
    ‘I