Historical Setting: River Tyne, 794 C.E.
I am chatting with Cloother over the ways of Vikings and Christians in these times. I came to him with a coin and bought back my fine cloak.
He says, “So, you’ve found riches since you were my assistant, when we sailed down from Lindisfarne.”
“Riches? I have one coin earned preparing a document for the King’s court.”
Clouds are heavy, threatening a cold rain, so I help Cloothar baton down the cover over the heaps of goods in his boat and we walk back to the main hall of Jarrow.
It is nice to have my fine cloak back again.
“So, you have been hobnobbing with nobility?” He asks.
“Not really. I only did that little task for the Northumbrian king’s man Ousbert, who wants to set a guard around every holy place in Anglia to pretend he is saving us all from Vikings.”
“It sounds like a good plan, but I’ve not seen any guards here.”
“Have you not wondered why the Northumbrian royalty is buying up extra wide monk’s robes? The guards have swords under those robes — but that is a secret from the Vikings.”
“It’s not a very good secret if you tell it to me. I deal with the Norsemen in the markets you know. But they already assume the monks’ robes hide swords. And now that’s true.”
“I think the swords and soldiers hide in monks’ robes so the monks won’t feel guarded, rather than it being about soldiers finding ways to surprise the Vikings. Ousbert is initiating lots of protections against the Viking incursions, and so far, everyone applauds his success. Jarrow hasn’t been attacked.”
“It’s winter. Of course, the Vikings haven’t attacked.”
“We both know that.”
Distant thunder rolls as we reach the shelter of the library outer hall. Cloother is not one to value books, not being fully literate, but he does keep his ear to gossip for rumors. I ask, what of the rising king of the Franks?
“You ask me that? Even though you are here in a monastery in the midst of a churchmen’s huddle.”
“Does King Charles always take the pope’s side?”
“You’ve been gone for a long while. It is well-known he is the pope’s finest sword, demanding baptism of the worst of the worst pagans even among the Lombards and the Saxons. He will soon beat the missionary bishops at the work of baptizing the whole world.”
(Continues tomorrow)
Lazarus Ink 