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Warning: This page includes information most players should not know.
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March 1229 |  |
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At last, the Lord has blessed us with a break in the weather! It has been a very miserable, cold, wet winter, but today the sun is shining through the clouds. Mass was well attended at Caribet today, and the restful calm that always seems to settle over the congregation after I have distributed Holy Communion stayed with me as I left the church today. I was really looking forward to my walk to Ploeuc this morning. I am, of course, happy to do the Lord's work, tending my flock of Ploeuc as well as those at Caribet but, just recently, in the unrelenting rain, it has been hard to be light of heart while making the necessary journey. However, today I was very glad to be outdoors.
Sir Achilles took me aside after Mass this morning to have a word in private. He has had a letter, maybe two, since what he told me might have come from the Duke or perhaps from the Bishop himself. It seems that his lordship, the Bishop of St. Brieuc, has remembered that I am acting as a caretaker of the parish of Ploeuc and he may be considering making some alteration in the arrangement. I do not know whether to be glad or sad about this. I do know that Prior Quietus of the Hermitage is unlikely to be pleased that the Bishop is taking an active, one might almost say interfering, interest in this part of the diocese. Both the bishop and his Grace the Duke will be in Quintin at Easter for a great feast to be given there by Lord Gaidon, and I am bidden call on my lord the Bishop there.
I have had a letter from the Hermitage, from Prior Quietus himself, of such importance and urgency that one of the lay brothers has ridden over with it this morning. The prior tells me to call upon him in Quintin after Easter and informs me that the bishop intends to appoint one of his staff to the parish of Ploeuc. He does not quite say so, but it is clear enough that the prior is not entirely pleased with this proposal. As for myself, I must be obedient to my superiors in this and every matter, but I am not entirely clear whether the Prior or the Bishop is the one I must obey, if it happens that their wishes conflict. He also mentions that it seems likely that the bishop will be calling at Caribet on his way to install the new incumbent in Ploeuc. I will pray for guidance and will speak to Constantine about the importance of keeping the other magi out of the way when the bishop and his entourage are in the vicinity.
Because of the necessity of saying the Holy Mass of Our Lord's Resurrection at Ploeuc after celebrating at Caribet, I was unable to set off on the road to Quintin as early as Sir Achilles and his party. For companionship and safety along the way, I had asked Gilles the Quarryman to accompany me and he was happy to do so. I am most grateful for his kindness, and for the grace of God which kept us safe on the road. It was late when we finally reached Quintin, but there was still a great deal of activity in the streets - it seems that everyone from miles around is gathered here. I was more fortunate than some, being able to call upon the hospitality of one of the local priests.
I attended part of the session of the Canon Court. Prior Quietus was presiding; it seems that the bishop had conceded that the prior has that right, but his lordship was not making it easy. He sat to one side, observing everything that went on and, while I was there, interrupted Prior Quietus once or twice with points of law. Once the prior actually called upon the bishop to comment upon some complex matter and it seemed to me that the two of them were playing some intricate, deep game or contest but the substance of their discussion was beyond me.
Early this morning I took the opportunity to call upon Prior Quietus, as I had been instructed. The subject upon which he wished to talk to me was, as expected, the appointment to Ploeuc. The prior confided to me that the Hermitage was desirous of seeing a candidate of their own in that position, but that just at present, there was no-one suitable for the post. There is only Fr. Michael and Fr. Albertus in full orders at the Hermitage so they have to seek from within their wider community, which takes time. The bishop has nominated Fr. Mark of Rennes, a close associate of the bishop himself and well-known as a strict theologian. I found this prospect rather alarming but, remembering my vow of obedience, and putting the needs of the people of Ploeuc before my own preferences, I said that it pleased me that the parish of Ploeuc would be in the hands of a man of learning while expressing my concern that the simple country folk there might find him too erudite. I felt that my expressions of doubt about the suitability of the bishop's candidate pleased the prior, and that he was somehow relying on me to hinder the bishop's intentions. I could no longer struggle with my choice of who to obey.
When I returned, deep in thought, to my room, I found a note waiting for me. It was from the bishop, requesting my attendance upon him. Since, God forgive me, I had made up my mind by now to take the part of the Hermitage in this power struggle, I did not respond immediately to this summons but stayed a few minutes in order to compose a short note to Maga Elise and another to magus Joach. I do not know much about this Elise but she is associated with the covenant and lives near St. Brieuc so it seemed to me that she was in the best position to contrive some calamity or emergency that might require the bishop to make haste back to the city. My note to Joach outlined the problem I faced and requested the aid of the magi in any form that seemed safe and effective. Both notes I entrusted to Gilles to deliver, either by his own hand or via one of the people who serve Constantine, Speranda or Achilles. May God forgive me for wishing ill fortune to anyone, let alone a bishop!
Only then did I set out to call upon the bishop. Philip of Rennes is an intimidating man, or perhaps he just seemed so, with the pangs of my guilt assailing me. He spoke to me of Ploeuc, making out that my duties there were a burden to me, which they have never been, but it did not seem right or wise to contradict his lordship. I kissed his ring and said nothing. His lordship spoke of Fr. Mark, praising him and his firm views on doctrine, describing them as 'black and white'. I hope my face did not betray my feelings when he went on to say how he intended to conduct the installation of the new parish priest at Ploeuc in person at the end of the week, and that he was looking forward to travelling there via the Hermitage. I mentally thanked the Lord that the chosen route was not via Caribet, then took my leave.
First I went to report this interview to Prior Quietus, then I sought out Fr. Mark himself. He was not hard to find. My fears about his suitability for Ploeuc were quickly confirmed. I was surprised and disappointed that the bishop should think that this man was suitable to give spiritual guidance and comfort to the simple folk of Ploeuc. He emphasised to me his intention to draw his parishioners back onto "the straight and narrow path" in such a way that I felt he was directly insulting me, as if I had misled them. I gently suggested that he may find they had not strayed, but he would not listen. What a harsh confessor he would make! May God forgive me for thinking badly of him. I wondered whether Fr. Mark's enthusiasm for Ploeuc might be dimmed on being shown the intellectual poverty of the place, its social isolation, or the privations of the long-neglected presbytery, but, to his credit, worldly concerns were of no import to him.
I next went to talk to Canon Philbert, one of the bishop's followers who had proved himself a man of good will and understanding over the business with Fr. Mattheus the Inquisitor at the Hermitage in the year 1225. He remembered me and was happy to take up my suggestion that we take a walk out to the fairground and there procure a mug of ale to aid our conversation. Without actually saying so, I think we both felt we would be safe there from being overheard, and we might wish to say things that it were better the bishop did not hear of.
So it was. Canon Philbert was worried about the motivations of the many clergy he described as "clinging to and climbing up the bishop's robes". I fear that Fr. Mark is one of these, but it is not for us to judge our fellows, so I said nothing of him. I was astonished to learn from Canon Philbert that the bishop was funding the Duke's visit to this part of the world. There must be some political motivations behind all this, and I pray that God guide the bishop to do His will. As we talked about the close friendship between the Duke of Brittany and the Bishop of St. Brieuc, I learnt that the duke proudly displays the stuffed head of the wyrm he slew on his hunting trip from Caribet a few years ago, and often tells the tale of its capture. Canon Philbert believes that the tale, so often repeated in the hearing of the bishop, has made his lordship quite nervous about taking the road through the forest. I passed this news on to Constantine as soon as I could!
Today I was to travel to Ploeuc with the duke and the bishop and all their entourage. Such a crowd took a long time to assemble, and all the while I grew more nervous about what might lie ahead. I knew the magi had some sort of plan to scare the bishop but sometimes their odd view of the world leads them to very strange actions. I was afraid that someone might notice my jumpiness and enquire after the cause, but fortunately I was spared. My position in the procession was well to the rear, walking with the minor clergy in the bishop's retinue. I could not see and hear what was going on up ahead but once we got deep into the Forêt de Lorge, I did notice strange and disturbing noises off in the forest to left and right of the track. I tried to reassure myself that these were probably nothing to worry about, but those around me had no reason to feel the same way and their anxiety affected me also. Thus it was that when we walked into a cold mist, the shivers running through me were not just from the unseasonable chill, and when a loud cry from the men at the front was followed by a crash of thunder and a great commotion amongst the riders, I threw myself off the track into the undergrowth and took refuge in a thicket. It was as well that I did, for a moment later I saw the bishop and several other riders carried at a gallop back along the track towards Quintin, pursued by a two large bears and a pair of ferocious boars!
Very soon there was not a man of the cloth in sight, and only the duke's men, brave soldiers all I am sure, on the road. I was just trying to make the decision to leave my hiding place when I heard a voice behind me. It was the Duke himself! He seemed amused, and not at all concerned by what had just happened. Nor did he seem surprised to find me there, and I suspect that he thought I knew more about what we had just witnessed than I actually did. He said something about the scholars of Caribet, and I felt I could, with a fairly clear conscience, murmur something vague about possibilities and uncertainties. His Grace was in good spirits, such that I could only think that he too was glad to see the back of the bishop. He invited me to accompany him as he intended to press on to the Hermitage and thence to Ploeuc, where he was to meet Sir Achilles to talk about his stewardship there.
I fervently pray that this delay in replacing me as caretaker at Ploeuc will give Prior Quietus sufficient time to locate a suitable priest and establish him in Ploeuc before there is any further attempt to inflict Fr. Mark on us.
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