Arnold spat. “I’m waiting for Mattias. The fool porter went looking for him.”
The monk shielded his eyes from the sun and surveyed the grounds. “Ah, there. He is coming toward us. He looks worried.” He turned to Arnold. “Well then, good day, brother. May God treat you well.”
Arnold ignored the kindly fellow and strutted toward the prior. The two met by a flower garden in the center of the courtyard. Mattias bowed nervously.
“Prior Mattias, I shall come directly to the point. I know a secret, and I have it tucked safely away.”
The monk paled. “Follow me,” he mumbled. Mattias led Arnold through a labyrinth of gardens, past a small orchard, and into the shade of the cloister. Standing by a windowless wall, he stared down his long nose at the ground, deep in thought. He nodded, then fixed a hard eye on Arnold. “I do not like thee. I think thee to be a wicked man destined for hellfire. Thy soul shall become a smoldering ash that never cools. I have been in this place for more than twenty-five years, and I’ve known only one other to be as evil as thee. That would be thine very own brother, Baldric. May he suffer in torment always.
“If thou hast robbed my chamber, thou shalt surely hang. Thee and thy nephew and his wicked son. I should summon my guard now.”
“Please do. I am weary of this world. But do you think I am such a fool as to keep such a treasure to myself? Hang me, have me tortured if you will, but there are others who would then demand an even higher price.”
The monk clenched his hands in fury. “What is it you want? I’ve not much silver left.”
Arnold shrugged, then grinned. “So you’ve a thought to squeeze Lord Heribert?”
“It is legal to collect a debt.”
“You did not buy the debt with your own money.”
Mattias’s jaw tightened. “I did.”
“No, methinks not. I suspect you had a partner.”
“I’ve … I’ve no partner,” insisted Mattias.
“If you keep lying to me, I shall have to raise my price.” Arnold smiled slyly.
The monk began to pace and look nervously about.
“Your partner is Steward Hagan. He stole money from Heribert. With the loss, the poor lord had to borrow from the Jew to pay his debts. Then you and Hagan used Heribert’s own money to buy the debt from the Jew! Now the two of you expect to sell it back to Heribert… or perhaps the abbot… for your own profit. You, sir monk, sir godly man, are a genius.” Arnold smirked.
Mattias was perspiring. White as winter’s snow, he stammered and paced about the grass. “What is it that you want?”
Arnold smiled. “Well, what would Hagan pay to not be hanged for this plot?”
“I do not know,” muttered the monk.
It was then that Arnold knew. He had thought it to be a good conjecture, but knowing that he had hit the mark made him nearly cry out for joy! His eyes sparkled. “Well, you’ll need to speak of it with him, and quickly.”
“He is not yet returned from a journey. He is to come on Thursday.”
“And he is to hold court on Friday?”
“Ja.”
“I see. Well, first, tell me why you do this thing. You put your abbot in a bad place, you have Hagan betray his lord, you betray your own vows. I am interested in such a man as you—you remind me of myself.”
Those words made Mattias feel suddenly sick. “I … I am nothing like thee.”
“Oh, but you are!” Arnold grinned a toothless grin. “So tell me.”
“You were not the second all your life! I am always to be the prior, never the abbot!”
“Ah, but I was! I was second to Baldric always.”
Mattias cursed. “What do you want?”
“I want the baker and his son set free … and I want to share in one-third of the profit of your little scheme.”
Shocked, the prior stared blankly at the man.
“Aye, that is my price.”
“No! Never. It cannot be. It would bring too much suspicion on Hagan or even the abbey if we … if we withdrew the charges.”
Arnold turned and walked away. “Have a care, brother, have acare.”
“Wait!” cried Mattias. He hurried after the man. “How do I know you even have it? Hagan will want to know that I’ve seen it.”
Arnold kept walking. “How else would I know it is missing? You just had it delivered by the Jew yesterday.”
Grinding his teeth, Mattias trotted alongside Arnold. “You … you might have heard of it from another. You may not have it at all.”
Arnold stopped and sighed, feigning boredom at the ridiculous assertion. “Monk, how long have you known me?”