“My name is Baudet. I am here to meet Brother Ferrand.”
“Ferrand, did you say? Then enter!”
The room inside was small square and dark but he could make out a table and chair, a bench opposite and a board on the wall with keys hanging from hooks.
“Sit there.” The fat man pointed to the bench then went to his table and filled a cup from a pitcher. He slurped noisily what Baudet assumed to be ale, belched and refilled the cup. Sitting down, he gazed hard at the visitor. In a charged atmosphere, neither man spoke for a time, Baudet sensing even an innocent enquiry as to the oaf’s condition might not go down too well. Eventually, having topped up his cup a third time, and smacking his lips, the unpleasant character announced: “I’m the Keeper of the Keys and I can lock or unlock any room in t
