Chapter 16Cerdic had started to return to the herb garden frustrated and angry. He felt he had been humiliated in some way. He had tried to help and his offer had been scorned. He was not fooled by Brother Peter. Matthew had been running from him, not on an errand for him. Why had he not been trusted to bring him back? Was it because of that incident the other night? It had been an accident. How was he to know that Matthew would nearly die? Besides, would it have been such a great loss if he had? Why was he, Cerdic, never trusted? Whenever there was something responsible to be done he was passed over. If he had been missing from duty half the time that weasel Lukas had been lately he would have been punished by extra duties or made to kneel on the icy flagstones of the chapel until he was
