Cadfael

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Mentes tuorum visita

Amen

Let the King's messenger pass!

My Lords, a deputation has come from Stephen's camp, to parley.

Arnulf of Hesdin!

I am charged by His Grace King Stephen to demand your immediate surrender.

Let the bastard rant all he will!

We do not kneel before thieves and usurpers!

You took an oath, all of you.

You all swore allegiance to His Grace.

We stand as we did, for Empress Maud - rightful Queen of England!

You cannot hold for ever.

Come then, dig us out!

In God's name, hasn't there been enough slaughter?

Yield now

Deliver the rebels Adeney and Fitzalan into the King's hands, and you may yet be spared.

You have our answer, Courcelle.

Run back to the villain you serve, and pray that he receives your report kindly.

I shall tear Arnulf's tongue from his head myself

I give them land, position. Fitzalan I created Sheriff of Salop!

And now they sit in a castle - my castle - in this miserable dunghill of a town,

and pour scorn on me.

Lord King, it is time to strike terror.

So you have said, Captain Ten Heyt. Yet still, we are here and they are there.

I promise, what we have planned for the morning will get Your Grace into Shrewsbury.

Honour that promise, Prestcote, and the office of Sheriff is yours.

Be assured, Arnulf, we'll not run and leave you to face Stephen alone.

Adeney has already got his daughter safely away.

She'll be taken to the Abbey tomorrow.

But my treasury - that must now be got to the Empress Maud in France at all costs.

It contains enough silver and jewellery to raise an army ten times Stephen's strength.

My Lords...

...I will undertake the mission.

No, Giles.

We will need every soldier here tomorrow.

I've chosen two squires to make the run.

They're completely unknown in this county.

And how will they know where to find your treasure?

The town butcher, Edric Flescher, remains loyal.

He'll escort them to Frankwell and show them where it's hidden.

They can rest out the day there and make the run to Wales under cover of darkness.

And who are these lads?

Halt! Who comes up on the watch?

My name is Giles Siward. I beg an audience with the King.

I'm from the rebel garrison.

Take him to the officer of the watch

Come on! Run forward!

Forward!

Come on, men!

- Run! - We're lost!

Where are they, Hesdin?

I fought you fair, and look to be treated with honour!

As a nobleman of England and France, I am worth an earl's ransom.

You were foul-mouthed before. I swore then to have your life.

No earl's ransom can buy it back.

You have my price.

I find your price too high.

Where are Fitzalan and Adeney?

King Stephen commands all to provide food and lodgings for his army.

Et lingua nostra exultatione

Tunc dicent inter gentes

Magnificavit Dominus facere cum eis

Magnificavit Dominus facere nobiscum

Facti sumus laetantes

Converte, Domine, captivitatem nostram

Sicut torrens in austro

Brother Cadfael!

Hm? Brother Prior?

You were late to God's work.

Father Abbot gave leave to take my place in the choir.

Father Abbot's mind is distracted by the strife beyond these walls.

Were it not so, he would doubtless have sought satisfaction.

What delayed you, Brother?

An old man needed his dressing changed.

Work for an assistant, surely.

Ordinarily, yes. But events have robbed me of my usual help, as Brother Jerome is aware.

One has left to take up arms on King Stephen's side,

and the other has declared for Empress Maud and fled for his family's manor.

Is not even this holy enclave immune from such conflict?

But why should it be? Like castle and town, we are also besieged.

But in our case, it's the innocent and the dispossessed.

People least able to defend themselves. We have a duty to them.

Do you tell me?

Our duty is first to God, Brother.

Remember that.

Leave him be.

Leave him alone! How dare you raise a hand against this holy brother!

Go on! Get back to your duties now. Go!

It's hard enough keeping these bastards in check at the best of times.

This morning, one of them had his throat cut.

Rebels, no doubt, fleeing for their lives.

Stephen has taken the castle?

And those within?

Your voice is familiar, Brother.

I feel I should know you.

So you should, Sergeant Rhys.

But small blame if my name escapes you.

40 years have passed since we last fought together.

At the fall of Jerusalem.

No!

You can't be.

Cadfael?

This woman and her boy have business at the Abbey. Best let them pass.

Clear off! Go!

Brother Cadfael, I have a new assistant for you. His name is Godric.

A good woman of the town brought him in. Her nephew from Hencot.

Both his parents are dead, so she says. And she asks that we take him in as novice.

I thought instantly of you, Brother - that your labours may be eased, and agree to have him.

And I bring ten shillings as a gift to the Abbey, Brother.

Well, that was very thoughtful of you, Brother. I'm sure the boy will do very well.

Yes, well, he's in your care now, Brother.

This is my herb garden.

Between the offices of the day I prepare medicines from these plants

For the sick from the Abbey and the town

What is this place?

Hm? My workshop.

And for the present, your sleeping place.

Certain of these medicines need tending regularly. Some, quite early.

So, there you have your bed.

And unlike the novices' quarters, these doors can be barred.

You may shut out the world and myself also, until you're ready to come out to us...

...daughter.

I thought I could pass all trials.

Child, I was 40 years about the world from end to end of it before I took the cowl.

What will you do now?

What should I do?

Help you, as best I can.

But... you don't know who I am.

A child. Left forlorn here to weather the storm until restored to your own people.

- Is that not enough? - No.

I'm a danger to anyone who befriends me now.

Even to you.

I am daughter to the King's sworn enemy

My name is Godith Adeney.

Nick, what is it?

The horse is lame.

Caltrops.

The path's covered with them.

She'll never make it out of the woods, never mind to Wales.

Go back to Edric Flescher's barn and wait. I'll try and find another mount. I'll take the treasury.

Somebody knows our road.

Where are they?

Answer me!

And the rest. How many of the garrison were taken alive?

Apart from him, 93 in arms.

Hang them.

- All, Your Grace? - And at once.

Have them all out of the world before tomorrow.

Come on. You're next

No! Not me!

I am to be spared!

It was promised!

I am Giles Siward. No!

Nick?

Nick, are you there?

Nick?

Oh, my God. Nick? Nick!

Nick!

You sent for me, Father.

Father Abbot is going this night to ask the King's leave

to give Christian burial to the dead prisoners.

94 men, Brother. Disposed of as animals.

If His Grace consents, tomorrow we must take up their bodies and prepare them for the grave.

You have yourself been a soldier.

Will you take charge of this work?

Yes, Father.

70, 80, 90,...

Five?

Goosegrass?

Sheriff Prestcote!

I was told 94 had been dispatched on the King's orders. There are 95 here.

One more or less. What does it matter?

Traitors all, and condemned.

Am I to tear my heart out because the number does not tally?

94 you had orders to slay But the 95th?

No king authorised his removal.

And whoever destroyed him is guilty of murder.

An officer, in the heat of fighting, miscounts by one.

One, mark you.

And you make a murder case of it.

He rebelled like the rest. He is hanged like the rest. And that, I tell you, is an end of it.

He was not hanged like the rest.

His hands have not been bound like the rest. He is in no way comparable.

Yet someone took it for granted that we'd miss this one leaf, hidden in the middle of your forest.

My Lord Prestcote, this man was murdered.

It would be well if you could at least come and look at him.

You have 95 dead here.

By my reckoning, that's one corpse too many.

These are the keys to all our estates.

My brother Giles should be here to offer allegiance

but when Your Grace assumed the crown, he took the Empress' side.

It is rumoured he made his way to her in France

Mistress Siward,

no blame may light on you for your brother's... lack of wisdom.

I hold your loyalty dear to me as that of any baron.

Tell me what I can do to serve you.

I understand you've made no provision for yourself.

I had hoped to stay at the Abbey.

A sign of goodwill from the Abbot is long overdue.