Poison and Perfidy: A Case for Brother Daniel by Sergei Chechnev

Author:Sergei Chechnev
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reid Publishing
Published: 2014-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Kiev Pechory Monastery,

February 8, 1171,

around noon

There is a noise of war in the camp.

(The Second Book of Moses, called Exodus

Chapter 32, Verse 17).

THE dulcet tones from the mass in the Dormition Cathedral of the Kiev Pechory Monastery – a painful sacrifice of precious time which alas could be by no means neglected – consumed Daniel. While the brethren were dispersing after the Dismissal, he inquired where he could find the chancellor Father Theodosius and was directed to the Superior Brethren Quarters.

During the service he had plenty of time to consider soberly his conversation with the Metropolitan. Whether he was right or wrong to have resorted to the offensive instead of persuasion, he most certainly did not have a choice. He might have overstepped a line, but he was in a winning situation anyway. The Metropolitan surely would want to do something about Daniel’s allegations and his next move would reveal a little more of the shady side of Kievan affairs: if he suspended the appointment of Nestor, it would mean that his brave face was not to be feared; if he went on with it, though, this could spell trouble, could give reason to suspect that there was indeed some ghastly scheming afoot, well-planned, far-reaching and difficult to frustrate. In any case, Daniel would have acquired knowledge that would allow him to make the right decisions. All he could do now was wait.

As he emerged onto the snow covered yard, he smiled to himself. The sun doused the ancient monastery in a shower of merry speckles. Monks trudged busily in small groups to and fro, the soft hum of their voices forming a lively backdrop to the wonderful view of Kiev Pechory. For no particular reason, Daniel felt a burden lifted from off his heavy heart. After all, things were not as gloomy as they seemed. In Kiev, some two versts away, Vsevolod was cudgelling his brains over how he should approach his cousin, and Borislav was languishing in his room, cooped up within the four walls and redundant, at least for the present. And here, in this stately and quiet asylum of Christian faith, he, Daniel, was almost enjoying himself, knowing that at least one difficult part of his mission was behind him. He had plenty of cares still – the death of Prince Gleb to resolve, the malice of Metropolitan Constantine to brave – but he chose to lay them aside for a short while. He just wanted to see his old friend Theodosius.

The Dormition Church was in the middle of the monastery’s central square. On his left was the Metropolitan’s House. Across from him, by the bell tower, was the residence of Father Superior. And on his right were the Brethren Cells. With a resolute step, he crossed the spacious yard and turned left, to the door of a large three-storey house made of white stone, which he decided had to be the Superior Brethren Quarters, unless he had misconstrued the directions.

But he had not, for

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