The Straw Men smoba-12 Read online

  ‘In which case. .’ Athelstan pushed back the chair and raised his hand in blessing. Thibault opened the small coffer on his right. He took out a small purse of clinking silver which he tied securely and pushed across the desk for Athelstan to take.

  ‘Please distribute that among the poor of your parish, Brother Athelstan.’ He gestured at the coroner. ‘Sir John, you have done my master a great service — it shall not be forgotten. Now, it’s best if you go.’

  Within the hour Cranston and Athelstan had left the Tower and joined the noisy, colourful throng on the approaches to the bridge.

  ‘Athelstan!’ Cranston paused and pointed to the severed heads displayed above the gatehouse.

  ‘Do you ever despair at the sheer, squalid wickedness, the weariness and waste of it all?’

  ‘Isaiah, twenty-six,’ Athelstan replied. ‘God’s promise that one day he will wipe away the tears from every eye. I truly believe that, Sir John. In the end, time will run backwards and full justice will be done.’ Athelstan closed his eyes. He shivered as he recalled that beautiful young woman falling against the coming night, tumbling into the hands of God and those other souls cruelly snatched from life and dispatched to judgement.

  ‘I must not despair,’ he whispered. He opened his eyes and tugged at Cranston’s cloak. ‘For the moment, Sir John, let me wipe away a few tears and what better place than the Holy Lamb of God!’

  FB2 document info

  Document ID: fbd-f6de96-a09f-b744-9599-6593-3c39-4de007

  Document version: 1

  Document creation date: 02.01.2014

  Created using: calibre 1.17.0, Fiction Book Designer, FictionBook Editor Release 2.6.6 software

  Document authors :

  Paul Doherty

  About

  This file was generated by Lord KiRon's FB2EPUB converter version 1.1.5.0.

  (This book might contain copyrighted material, author of the converter bears no responsibility for it's usage)

  Этот файл создан при помощи конвертера FB2EPUB версии 1.1.5.0 написанного Lord KiRon.

  (Эта книга может содержать материал который защищен авторским правом, автор конвертера не несет ответственности за его использование)

  http://www.fb2epub.net

  https://code.google.com/p/fb2epub/