No Murder Here

There is no murder here.

And even if there were, under no circumstances is Brother Hermitage, King William’s investigator, to be allowed anywhere near it.

This is a very sensitive matter for the Duke of Normandy, now King of England, and he wants it dealt with properly. He doesn’t want a band of Saxon idiots trampling all over the place, offending everyone.

But, in a far-off outpost of the duchy, an ancient ritual has been enacted, which immediately went horribly wrong. Someone must be sent to find out what happened and who is behind it.

Negotiating the way through scheming and feuding locals will demand sensitivity.

Untangling superstition from fact will require careful analysis.

Appreciating custom and practice will need a sympathetic ear.

And you’ll need to speak the right language, obviously.

So, this is really not a job for Brother Hermitage. It’s probably even more inappropriate for the weavers, Wat and Cwen – the woman who stares at people and the man who made those disgusting pictures. Keep them away.

However, the more explicit the instruction, the greater the chance of mistake…

In any case, there is no murder here.

Oh, really?