Heart of Ice Read Free Page A

glance lighted on the remains of the broth in its blackened pot. ‘And, in charity, how could the sternest heart object to the provision of hot broth to hungry people?’
         Brother Firmin decided her question was rhetorical and kept his peace.
         The Abbess put a light hand on his arm. ‘Sister Euphemia will not thank us if there are too many broken limbs to be treated,’ she said, ‘but, otherwise, you and the brethren have done splendidly. Carry on, Brother Firmin.’ With another smile, she gave him a quick nod of approval and, turning, set out along the path that led back up to the Abbey.
         Brother Firmin could not be sure – his eyesight was not what it had been – but he saw his dignified superior stop and turn as she left the pond’s shore and he was pretty sure she gave the frozen water and the happy revellers a very wistful look.
     
    There were two more days of fun and games on the ice. Then overnight a thaw set in and the next morning the ice had begun to melt. The pond was declared strictly out of bounds and everyone went back to work.
         In the middle of the afternoon, Brothers Adrian and Micah were sent off along the path that ran alongside the pond to repair a large hole that had been opened up by the frost and which Brother Firmin had declared might be dangerous; ‘Some poor innocent soul,’ he suggested, ‘might come a-hopping and a-skipping along the track, all unsuspecting, and catch their foot in that great crack and, what with the water being so near, it could be very dangerous.’
         Adrian forbore to point out that even if this poor unsuspecting person did fall in the pond, then the mishap would be unlikely to prove fatal, the pond being only as deep as the length of a man’s forearm just there where the crack in the path snaked its way across the packed earth. Micah was about to remark that it was rare for visitors to the Vale to hop or skip but, catching sight of Brother Firmin’s careworn and concerned face, he changed his mind. ‘Of course, Brother,’ he said gently, ‘Adrian and I will see to it straight away. Don’t you worry; there won’t be any nasty accidents.’
         The two monks collected some tools and set off along the track, remarking to each other – softly, since they did not want to hurt his feelings – on Brother Firmin’s engaging little ways and his general resemblance to a fussy old mother hen. They found the crack in the path and were just rolling up their sleeves and spitting on their palms in preparation for beginning their excavating, digging and filling work when something in the water a few paces along the bank caught Micah’s eye.
         He hurried off to have a closer look. Then, as soon as he saw what it was, he paled and, in a voice that sounded as if there was a strong hand at his throat, said in a hoarse whisper, ‘Adrian, run for help. God help us all, but it looks as though Brother Firmin was right – there’s some poor soul face-down in our pond and I reckon he’s drowned!’
     
    Two brothers raced back along the track with Brother Adrian, carrying a hurdle between them. With gentle hands, the four monks pulled and dragged at the sodden clothing until they managed to get a good enough grip to haul the body out of the pond. Even this short immersion turned their hands blue with cold; the waters of the pond had, after all, only lately thawed. The body was laid on the hurdle and, with one monk at each corner, they bore the dripping burden back to the settlement by the chapel. Brother Firmin was deeply distressed – ‘If only I had noticed that crack sooner! Oh, but it is all my fault!’ – and it was left to Brother Saul to take charge. ‘You four, take the corpse up to the infirmary,’ he said quietly, very aware of the dead body so close by, ‘and I’ll go on ahead and warn Sister Euphemia.’
         Shortly afterwards, Sister Euphemia was standing in a curtained recess at one end of the long