Read Online The Scribe by Antonio Garrido - Free Book Online Page B

was treading on thin ice, but his only chance was to put pressure on Wilfred. Otherwise his head would end up on a dung heap alongside Theresa’s.
    “I don’t doubt that you will be able to find someone. Of course you could. All you would have to do is find a scribe whose mother tongue is Greek, who knows the customs of the ancient Byzantine court, who has equal mastery of both diplomatics and calligraphy, who can distinguish an unborn calf’s vellum from a lambskin parchment, and, who of course, knows how to keep his mouth shut. Tell me, Your Grace, how many men like that do you know? Two scribes? Three perhaps? And how many of them would be prepared to undertake such a risky commission?”
    Wilfred growled like one of his animals. His head tilted to one side, aglow with rage. He was more grotesque than ever.
    “I could find that man,” he said defiantly as he turned away.
    “And what would he copy? A charred piece of parchment?”
    The count stopped dead. “What do you mean?”
    “You heard me, my Lord. The only complete copy in existence went up in flames, so unless you know someone who can read ashes, you will have to accept my conditions.”
    “What do you want? For us all to end up in hell?”
    “That is not my intention, for luckily I remember the contents of the document word for word.”
    “And how exactly in the Devil’s name do you think I can help you? I represent the law in Würzburg. I owe obedience to Charlemagne.”
    “You tell me. Or is the powerful Wilfred, count and guardian of the greatest of secrets, unable to arrange for a simple burial?”

    As soon as they heard the news, Reinold and Lotharia rushed to Saint Damian’s to help with Theresa’s interment. Lotharia was Rutgarda’s older sister, and after her marriage to Reinold, the ties between the two families had only grown stronger. Once the arrangements had been made to bury the body in the cloister cemetery, Gorgias and Reinold left to retrieve the body.
    Arriving home, Gorgias placed the body on the straw mattress that his daughter slept on. He looked upon her with tenderness and his eyes reddened. He could not accept that he would never again enjoy her smile, never again see her bright eyes or glowing cheeks. He could not understand how all that remained of her sweet features was a disfigured face.
    It was going to be a long night of digging and the cold would numb their limbs, so Rutgarda suggested they have something hotbeforehand. Gorgias agreed and he lit a fire. Once it was burning brightly, Rutgarda heated the turnip soup she had prepared the day before, topping it up with water and thickening it with a piece of lard that Lotharia had brought, while her friend busied herself tidying a corner that she thought would be appropriate for shrouding Theresa. The woman, despite her ample size, worked with the agility of a squirrel, and in a blink of the eye she had cleared the area of clutter.
    “Do your children know you are spending the night away from them?” Rutgarda asked.
    “Lotharia told them,” Reinold replied before whispering to Gorgias, “I shouldn’t say it, but that woman is a gem. As soon as she heard what happened to Theresa, she ran to the midwife’s house to ask for a vial of essence. I know it’s improper for me to say this, but sometimes I think she has more sense than some men.”
    “It must be a family thing. Rutgarda is sensible, too,” Gorgias confirmed.
    Rutgarda smiled. Gorgias did not say nice things to her often, but he was a good man, and it made her proud.
    “Stop your flattery and go chop some firewood. I have to prepare the shroud. I’ll let you know when I’ve finished,” Lotharia grumbled.
    Rutgarda filled a bowl with soup and handed it to Gorgias.
    “See what I mean. They have more sense than some men,” Reinold repeated.
    The two men drank their broth eagerly. Before going out, Gorgias’s eyes turned to the single chest in the room. He examined it closely and after a moment’s