I must say that the pace of things today is remarkable. It is barely 17 years since the first evidence of Brother Hermitage came to my attention and now people expect a further volume. Why the rush?

I continue my researches into the case of The Garderobe of Death and what a sorry tale it is.

If there was any hope of Brother Hermitage gaining an understanding of the evils of the world it is dashed.

If there was an inkling that Master Wat the weaver might be abandoning production of incredibly rude tapestry I have not found it.

If there was a chance that the characters and events in this latest tale would demonstrate at least a modicum of moral behaviour, it hasn't appeared.

To date the death is not resolved. Virtually everyone who appears in the manuscripts is a possible suspect and most of their effort goes into blaming one another rather than trying to find the true culprit.

The Norman Lord lives in constant fear of the King arriving, and is in such a rush to get the case resolved that he tries to execute anyone who stands still long enough.

Hermitage is coming and going between Saxons and Normans, none of whom have much of a clue about what's going on. (Although the Saxons do appear to have heard of Wat. What they have heard is probably not good but at least he is known.)

There is a Saxon Noble Lady who is involved somehow. From what I have seen she is neither Noble nor a Lady.
This lady's maid is an upstart who is "friends" with one of the guards who himself is no help at all.

There even appear to be strange people lurking in the very walls of the castle who claim to know everything.

To cap it all off I have just discovered, in a separate and dog-eared parchment, that Brother Simon has appeared on the scene.

We know from the tale of the Heretics of Death that this man is incapable of, well anything really. His brand of blind obedience coupled with innate idiocy will not help this situation resolve itself. Mind you, if he claims to be Saxon King Harold's Investigator in front of the Normans, his attendance may be short lived.

I will continue with my work and hope to draw a conclusion to events very soon.


My eye has also been caught by a newly uncovered source relating to the tapestries of Master Wat. It was hidden inside the cover of a remarkably tedious commentary on the Lexicography of the post-Exodus Prophets.

Howard
Warwick, England
June