Page 252 of The Pillars of the Earth
Andrew was quick to take advantage of his slip. “Humbly?” he said, and his face began to turn red as he feigned outrage. “It wasn’t veryhumbleof you to announce to the masons of Paris three months ago that you hadalreadybeen appointed master builder here.”
Once again there was a hubbub of indignant reactions from the monks. Jack groaned inwardly. How the devil had Andrew got hold of that little tidbit? Reynold or Edward must have been indiscreet. He tried to shrug it off. “I was hoping to attract some of those craftsmen to Kingsbridge,” he said as the noise died down. “They will be useful, no matter who is appointed master here. I don’t think my presumption did any harm.” He tried an engaging grin. “But I’m sorry I’m not humbler.” This did not go down very well.
Milius Bursar got him out of trouble by asking another prearranged question. “What do you propose to do about the existing chancel, which has partly collapsed?”
“I’ve examined it very carefully,” Jack said. “It can be repaired. If you appoint me master builder today I will have it usable again within a year. Furthermore, you can continue to use it while I’m building the transepts and the nave to the new design. Finally, when the nave is finished, I propose demolishing the chancel and building a new one to match the rest of the new church.”
Andrew said: “But how do we know the old chancel won’t fall down again?”
“The collapse was caused by Alfred’s stone vault, which was not in the original plans. The walls weren’t strong enough to hold it up. I propose to revert to Tom’s design and build a timber ceiling.”
There was a murmur of surprise. The question of why the roof had fallen in had been a matter of controversy. Andrew said: “But Alfred increased the size of the buttresses to support the extra weight.”
This had puzzled Jack, too, but he thought he had found the answer. “They still weren’t strong enough, particularly at the top. If you study the ruins you can see that the part of the structure that gave way was the clerestory. There was very little reinforcement at that level.”
They seemed satisfied with that. Jack felt that his ability to give a confident answer had enhanced his status as a master builder.
Remigius stood up. Jack had been wondering when he would make his contribution. “I should like to read a verse of the Holy Scriptures to the brethren in chapter,” he said, rather theatrically. He looked at Philip, who nodded consent.
Remigius walked to the lectern and opened the huge Bible. Jack studied the man. His thin mouth was nervously mobile, and his watery blue eyes bulged a little, giving him a permanent expression of indignation. He was a picture of resentment. Years ago he had come to believe that he was destined to be a leader of men, but in truth he was too weak a character, and now he was doomed to live out his life in disappointment, making trouble for better men. “The Book of Exodus,” he intoned as he turned the parchment pages. “Chapter Twenty. Verse Fourteen.” Jack wondered what on earth was coming. Remigius read: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” He closed the book with a bang and returned to his seat.
In a tone of mild exasperation, Philip said: “Perhaps you would tell us, Brother Remigius, why you chose to read that short verse in the middle of our discussion of building plans?”
Remigius pointed an accusing finger at Jack. “Because the man who wants to be our master builder is living in a state of sin!” he thundered.
Jack could hardly believe he was serious. He said indignantly: “It’s true that our union has not been blessed by the Church, because of special circumstances, but we’ll get married as soon as you like.”
“You can’t,” Remigius said triumphantly. “Aliena is already married.”
“But that union was never consummated.”
“Nevertheless, the couple were wed in church.”
“But if you won’t let me marry her, how can I avoid committing adultery?” Jack said angrily.
“That’s enough!” The voice was Philip’s. Jack looked at him. He seemed furious. He said: “Jack, are you living in sin with your brother’s wife?”
Jack was flabbergasted. “Didn’t you know?”
“Of course I didn’t!” Philip roared. “Do you think I could have remained silent about it if I had?”
There was a silence. It was unusual for Philip to shout. Jack saw that he was in real trouble. His offense was a technicality, of course, but monks were supposed to be strict about such things. Unfortunately, the fact that Philip had not known that he was living with Aliena made matters much worse. It had enabled Remigius to take Philip by surprise and make a fool of him. Now Philip would have to be firm, to prove that he was strict.
Jack said miserably: “But you can’t build the wrong sort of church just to punish me.”
Remigius said with relish: “You’ll have to leave the woman.”
“Piss off, Remigius,” Jack said. “She has my child—he’s a year old!”
Remigius sat back with a look of satisfaction.
Philip said: “Jack, if you speak like that in chapter you’ll have to leave.”
Jack knew he should calm down but he could not. “But it’s ludicrous!” he said. “You’re telling me to abandon my woman and our child! This isn’t morality, it’s hairsplitting.”
Philip’s anger abated somewhat, and Jack saw the more familiar light of sympathy in his clear blue eyes. He said: “Jack, you may take a pragmatic approach to God’s laws but we prefer to be rigid—that’s why we’re monks. And we cannot have you as builder while you’re living in a state of adultery.”
Jack remembered a line of Scripture. “Jesus said: ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.’ ”
