“Tell the Inquisitor that Magistrate Caiaphas would not speak with you,” Magistrate Caiaphas said to me. “Tell him that you asked at the Inn and were sent away.”
“But Master Gottlieb—” I began, and was very glad to be interrupted.
“Tell him only that! Only that!”
I looked at Master Johann, who had stood back from the conversation. He frowned, then sighed. Then he nodded.
“Yes, sir,” I said.
“And you must go,” Johann said, and I thought he meant me, but he was speaking to Caiaphas.
“We have not finished.”
“I have finished,” Master Johann said. “Your Inquiry will be held as you demanded. I will not stop it.”
“I want it stopped.”
“It is too late. I will not stop it.”
Caiaphas was shaking in anger. “The truth is perilous for you—”
“And for you, sir. You should not have demanded an Inquiry before learning more. I will manage it.”
“Else, I will act!” Caiaphas said loudly. Then he seemed to notice again that I was there. “If I must act, I will,” he said quietly. He looked at me. “Give that message to your Inquisitor,” he said. “I will act.”
He swept past me. I was pushed back, and I thought to make my own retreat in his wake. But my Master caught me with his eyes.
“Leonhard.”
“Yes, Master.”
He had not forgotten I was there. “Master Gottlieb sent you.”
“Master Johann, I—”
“You will be at the Inquiry today.”
“I will, sir.”
“Use wisdom.”
It was unclear what he meant. The last thing at that moment I felt was wise. “Yes, sir.”
“And this moment will not be discussed again.”
That seemed only somewhat more clear. “And I’m sorry to have knocked so loudly—”
“Did you?” he said, and I didn’t know how to answer. “I know the lion by his paw.” Then he closed the door.
“Masterful!” Daniel said. Exactly as the door closed, he was present again. “Pure mastery! Oh, I knew you were the man. That was wit, to throw in Cousin.”
And I was still shaking and it was difficult to move my muscles even to turn to face him. “Daniel, I’m the one thrown. What lunatic scheme was this?”
“That’s no matter, now it’s over. Come along, get downstairs before the beast comes out of his lair.”
“No matter?” I let him pull me to the stairs and down them. I was more concerned with breathing again. “How can you say that? Look, Daniel,” I said as we reached the dark hall where just some crack of light was cutting through the door and air, “I’m near dead of fright and you’re saying it’s no matter. What were they doing in there that you’re so desperate to stop?”
“I wasn’t desperate to stop. Not ever.”
“You weren’t?! Yes you were! What were they talking about?”
“How would I know?” Daniel said. He was calm now, joking as his usual self. “I can’t hear through walls, can I?”
“Then why did you want me to interrupt them?”
“I wouldn’t have done, would I? There’s no cause for either of them to know I even knew they were there.”
“But you were. You wanted it stopped.”
“It’s no matter now, I said.” He put his arm on my shoulder and put the most calming comfort into his voice and eyes. “Leonhard, there’s nothing to even remember about it.” He opened the door and the light of the Munster Square, slowly filling from the low rising sun, came billowing in. It was full morning now. “See, here’re your buckets. Just get them filled and be on with your day. You’ll be back for Mother’s chores?”
“I will.”
“Then hurry, you’ll be late to it. And the Inquiry! It’s no day to be late for anything.”
He was right on that, and I didn’t waste more time talking. I took my buckets. They were empty from the running and spilling, and I was feeling empty and spilled, too.
I came to the Barefoot Square. The sunlight had moved on. It wouldn’t be shining into the church window as it had been. But then of a sudden I was caught in a white circle, so bright I had to turn my eyes from it. The sun was reflecting from a window, concentrated lens-like on just me.
When I returned a half hour later to my Master’s house I saw only Mistress Dorothea, and she whipped me and her maid girl with work. But before I was done she paused, and I paused.
“That’s enough. Be away, Leonhard, for your true day’s work. There’ll be hard tasks, to make chopping wood seem like play.”