07- An Order for Death by Susanna Gregory

Author:Susanna Gregory [Gregory, Susanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: blt, rt, Historical, Mystery, Cambridge, England, Medieval, clergy
ISBN: 9780316856799
Google: 15VrPwAACAAJ
Amazon: 0751531359
Publisher: Little, Brown
Published: 2001-06-07T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

A SMALL FIRE BURNED IN LANGELEE’S ROOM, AND TWO lamps placed on the windowsills filled the chamber with a warm yellow glow. Bartholomew looked around him appreciatively, noting the tasteful wall-hangings and the clean but functional rugs that lay on the floor. Here was no wasteful decadence, but a pleasant and simple room that managed to create an atmosphere of industry and efficiency. Bartholomew, who had known Langelee for two years before the philosopher had been elected Master of Michaelhouse, was impressed by the room and the changes that had occurred in the man.

‘Where is this pie?’ demanded Michael, sitting in the best chair and looking aggrieved. ‘And what do you want to discuss? It is not those damned latrines again, is it? I have already told you that I do not care whether they are cleaned once a year, twice a year, ten times a year, or never again.’

‘All the Fellows except Bartholomew concur,’ said Langelee. ‘So, we will have them cleaned once a year, and we will use the money we save to buy a new bench for the hall.’

‘You will spend that money on medicines for intestinal disorders when summer comes,’ warned Bartholomew. ‘The latrines are not a problem now the weather is cold, but you remember how many flies they attracted last summer. The air was black with them.’

‘Please, Matt!’ said Michael with a shudder. ‘I am about to eat. And there is a very simple solution to this fly problem: only use the latrines at night. There are not nearly as many then.’

‘That is not the point,’ began Bartholomew, exasperated by their refusal to acknowledge that dirty latrines were likely to have serious repercussions on the health of Michaelhouse’s scholars.

‘I did not bring you here to talk about sewage,’ said Langelee, cutting across Bartholomew’s words as he sliced a decadently large piece of pie and handed it to Michael. ‘I brought you here because Clippesby told me the disturbing news that Prior Morden plans to commit murder.’

Michael gave a small smile. ‘That is not what transpired at the Dominican Friary. Trust that lunatic Clippesby to get it wrong! What Morden said was that Walcote discovered evidence that there was a plan afoot to harm me, and that meetings were organised between the religious Orders to discuss what should be done about it.’

‘Why would anyone want to kill you?’ asked Langelee, tearing the bread into pieces and passing it to his guests. ‘I know that as Senior Proctor you cannot be popular with everyone, and that there are men who hate the power of the University that you embody. But it is another matter entirely to murder someone for it.’

‘So far, there has only been a plot to murder me,’ corrected Michael. ‘I am still alive, remember?’

‘But Walcote is not,’ said Bartholomew. ‘Do you think he was killed because he was trying to uncover the identity of the person who was planning to strike at you?’

Michael nodded slowly. ‘As you pointed out earlier, the fact

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