Read Online Brother Cadfael 10: The Pilgrim of Hate by Ellis Peters - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellis Peters
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having so much more need to observe and record, to fill up the hours of his day.
"They were here?" asked Rhun, shifting obediently to allow Cadfael to strip down the long hose from his hips and his maimed leg.
"They were here. Yes, I know."
"I would like her to be happy."
"She has it in her to be very happy," said Cadfael, answering in kind, almost without his will. The boy had a quality of dazzle about him that made unstudied answers natural, almost inevitable. There had been, he thought, the slightest of stresses on 'her'. Rhun had little enough expectation that he could ever be happy, but he wanted happiness for his sister. "Now pay heed," said Cadfael, bending to his own duties, "for this is important. Close your eyes, and be at ease as far as you can, and tell me where I find a spot that gives pain. First, thus at rest, is there any pain now?"
Docilely Rhun closed his eyes and waited, breathing softly. "No, I am quite easy now."
Good, for all his sinews lay loose and trustful, and at least in that state he felt no pain. Cadfael began to finger his way, at first very gently and soothingly, all down the thigh and calf of the helpless leg, probing and manipulating. Thus stretched out at rest, the twisted limb partially regained its proper alignment, and showed fairly formed, though much wasted by comparison with the left, and marred by the intumed toe and certain tight, bunched knots of sinew in the calf. He sought out these, and let his fingers dig deep there, wrestling with hard tissue.
"There I feel it," said Rhun, breathing deep. "It doesn't feel like pain - yes, it hurts, but not for crying. A good hurt..."
Brother Cadfael oiled his hands, smoothed a palm over the shrunken calf, and went to work with firm fingertips, working tendons unexercised for years, beyond that tensed touch of toe upon ground. He was gentle and slow, feeling for the hard cores of resistance. There were unnatural tensions there, that would not melt to him yet. He let his fingers work softly, and his mind probe elsewhere.
"You were orphaned early. How long have you been with your Aunt Weaver?"
"Seven years now," said Rhun almost drowsily, soothed by the circling fingers. "I know we are a burden to her, but she never says it, nor she would never let any other say it. She has a good business, but small, it provides her needs and keeps two men at work, but she is not rich. Melangell works hard keeping the house and the kitchen, and earns her keep. I have learned to weave, but I am slow at it. I can neither stand for long nor sit for long, I am no profit to her. But she never speaks of it, for all she has an edge to her tongue when she pleases."
"She would," agreed Cadfael peacefully. "A woman with many cares is liable to be short in her speech now and again, and no ill meant. She has brought you here for a miracle. You know that? Why else would you all three have walked all this way, measuring out the stages day by day at your pace? And yet I think you have no expectation of grace. Do you not believe Saint Winifred can do wonders?"
"I?" The boy was startled, he opened great eyes clearer than the clear waters Cadfael had navigated long ago, in the eastern fringes of the Midland Sea, over pale and glittering sand. "Oh, you mistake me, I do believe. But why for me? In case like mine we come by our thousands, in worse case by the hundred. How dare I ask to be among the first? Besides, what I have I can bear. There are some who cannot bear what they have. The saint will know where to choose. There is no reason her choice should fall on me."
"Then why did you consent to come?" Cadfael asked.
Rhun turned his head aside, and eyelids blue-veined like the petals of anemones veiled his eyes. "They wished it, I did what they wanted. And there was Melangell..."
Yes, Melangell who was altogether comely and bright and a charm to the eye, thought Cadfael. Her brother knew her dowryless, and wished her a little of joy and a decent marriage, and there at
"They were here?" asked Rhun, shifting obediently to allow Cadfael to strip down the long hose from his hips and his maimed leg.
"They were here. Yes, I know."
"I would like her to be happy."
"She has it in her to be very happy," said Cadfael, answering in kind, almost without his will. The boy had a quality of dazzle about him that made unstudied answers natural, almost inevitable. There had been, he thought, the slightest of stresses on 'her'. Rhun had little enough expectation that he could ever be happy, but he wanted happiness for his sister. "Now pay heed," said Cadfael, bending to his own duties, "for this is important. Close your eyes, and be at ease as far as you can, and tell me where I find a spot that gives pain. First, thus at rest, is there any pain now?"
Docilely Rhun closed his eyes and waited, breathing softly. "No, I am quite easy now."
Good, for all his sinews lay loose and trustful, and at least in that state he felt no pain. Cadfael began to finger his way, at first very gently and soothingly, all down the thigh and calf of the helpless leg, probing and manipulating. Thus stretched out at rest, the twisted limb partially regained its proper alignment, and showed fairly formed, though much wasted by comparison with the left, and marred by the intumed toe and certain tight, bunched knots of sinew in the calf. He sought out these, and let his fingers dig deep there, wrestling with hard tissue.
"There I feel it," said Rhun, breathing deep. "It doesn't feel like pain - yes, it hurts, but not for crying. A good hurt..."
Brother Cadfael oiled his hands, smoothed a palm over the shrunken calf, and went to work with firm fingertips, working tendons unexercised for years, beyond that tensed touch of toe upon ground. He was gentle and slow, feeling for the hard cores of resistance. There were unnatural tensions there, that would not melt to him yet. He let his fingers work softly, and his mind probe elsewhere.
"You were orphaned early. How long have you been with your Aunt Weaver?"
"Seven years now," said Rhun almost drowsily, soothed by the circling fingers. "I know we are a burden to her, but she never says it, nor she would never let any other say it. She has a good business, but small, it provides her needs and keeps two men at work, but she is not rich. Melangell works hard keeping the house and the kitchen, and earns her keep. I have learned to weave, but I am slow at it. I can neither stand for long nor sit for long, I am no profit to her. But she never speaks of it, for all she has an edge to her tongue when she pleases."
"She would," agreed Cadfael peacefully. "A woman with many cares is liable to be short in her speech now and again, and no ill meant. She has brought you here for a miracle. You know that? Why else would you all three have walked all this way, measuring out the stages day by day at your pace? And yet I think you have no expectation of grace. Do you not believe Saint Winifred can do wonders?"
"I?" The boy was startled, he opened great eyes clearer than the clear waters Cadfael had navigated long ago, in the eastern fringes of the Midland Sea, over pale and glittering sand. "Oh, you mistake me, I do believe. But why for me? In case like mine we come by our thousands, in worse case by the hundred. How dare I ask to be among the first? Besides, what I have I can bear. There are some who cannot bear what they have. The saint will know where to choose. There is no reason her choice should fall on me."
"Then why did you consent to come?" Cadfael asked.
Rhun turned his head aside, and eyelids blue-veined like the petals of anemones veiled his eyes. "They wished it, I did what they wanted. And there was Melangell..."
Yes, Melangell who was altogether comely and bright and a charm to the eye, thought Cadfael. Her brother knew her dowryless, and wished her a little of joy and a decent marriage, and there at
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