You figure that there are lots of people around, and this would-be assassin wouldn't dare attack you if they know they may be caught. Screaming as loudly as you can, you shrink back into the corner of your cell. The person in the doorway backs out quickly, letting the door slam shut behind them.

Your scream definitely has an effect; you hear murmurs from the nearby cells almost immediately, and the sound of doors being flung open along the hallway. Lighting your candle with a simple spell, you peer out into the hall.

Three other visitors are standing in the hallway, and several more poke their heads out their doors as you emerge. The Prior hurries toward you, and asks "Are you all right? I was on my way to visit Baron Ellsworthy, when I heard you scream and a dark-robed man ran down the hall past me, nearly knocking me over! I certainly hope we didn't have a thief in our midst."

The other visitors are all crowding around now, staring at you as though you had sprouted horns or wings. The Baron emerges from his room, wrapped in a cloak, and asks "What's all this, then?" in an affronted tone. The small crowd quickly parts so he can make his way to the front of the group.

The Prior makes a little bow to him, and quickly answers, "I was just on my way to bring you the medicinal herbs you asked for, and a small, dark-robed man came running from this person's room, and nearly knocked me down. He left by the far door."

The Baron nods curtly, and says "You can take the medicine to my room; let's have a quick look about the grounds for the scoundrel who tried such a thing on sacred ground! He can't have got far."

The Prior starts to move toward the Baron's room. You wonder about his story of the man who nearly knocked him down. It seems impossible that anyone could have escaped that quickly down this long hall, and the sound of footsteps would have echoed. You don't remember hearing anything like that. "Did anyone else see the man before he escaped?" you ask quickly, glancing in turn at the three people who were in the hall already when you looked out your door. They shake their heads.

A few other monks are now arriving, pressing closer to see what is happening.

You touch the Prior's arm. "What kind of medicine were you bringing the Baron?" you ask him.

The Baron glances at the Prior and responds, "sleeping draught. I've been having a bit of trouble sleeping lately."

You think furiously, and then say "I don't imagine I'll be able to sleep very well tonight either. I wonder, could I have a bit of it too?"

The Prior looks annoyed for a moment, and then smiles at you. "Of course, I'll have someone fetch you some as well. I'm sure this must have shaken you up. He glances about and calls out to one of the other monks "Brother Francis, could you go and get this fine young person some of the sleeping draught that Brother Aurdel makes?"

"Wait a moment," you say, pushing your advantage before you lose it. "I'm afraid that I have a bit of an allergy to a few things, could I just see the draught you've brought His Lordship, before you take it to his room?"

The Prior definitely doesn't look happy now. "Why should you need to see it? How will that help you? You can't tell by looking at a thing what's in it. I'm sure that Brother Aurdel would be more than happy to tell you what he puts in it."

"I could smell it," you insist.

"Really, I don't think that is necessary," the Prior says, and begins to push his way through the crowd.

One of the other visitors, however, looks at you as you stare desperately after him, and she suddenly winks at you. As the Prior goes to pass her, she jostles his arm.

A nasty, jagged knife falls from the arm of his habit. Now you are certain that he is the person who tried to murder you in your bed.

The Prior, however, is a quick fellow. He jumps back from the young lady, and cries out "It was her! She had a knife!"

Not wishing to let him go, you shout "A moment ago you were saying that a dark-robed man ran by with a knife, and now you are accusing this lady."

One of the other visitors quickly agrees with you. "It would seem wrong to accuse a man of the cloth, but it is true that you have just contradicted yourself. I didn't see where the knife came from, but there is one way of seeing if your story is true or not; show us the medicine you brought for His Lordship."

The Prior looks around wildly, and tries to break through the ring of onlookers. He is quickly grabbed. You look around for support from the Baron, but to your surprise he has disappeared.

The Abbot calls for you, the Prior, and the first onlookers at the scene to come before him. He is obviously deeply unhappy, but allows each person to have their say about what happened.

You tell your story first, then the others take their turns. The Prior sits grim-faced and tight-lipped throughout. When it is his turn to be questioned, however, he breaks down and confesses;

"I did it for the best!" he wails. "the Baron came several weeks ago, seeking help from me. He promised to donate all the fields along our north border to the monastery, and two thousand gold coins, if I would just see to this small matter for him. Compared to the glory of Bjorn, what are two lives? It was the right thing to do."

The Abbot shakes his head sadly, and asks him "what do you mean, two lives? Were you going to take another life tonight also?"

"No, no." the Prior says, waving his hands fervently. "The other one is already dead. Lord Ellsworthy asked me to have someone steal a map, only. But he said that the owner must likely be killed as well. I had it all arranged. The people I hired went and murdered the man he wanted killed, but they searched the house and couldn't find the map anywhere. I was beside myself; here I had committed a sin, and no reward was forthcoming. Then, just a few days later, this child comes to me and tells me the whole story."

You bristle at being called a child by this man. Before, it seemed like just the normal thing for a cleric to say to anyone, but now that you know he is evil, it irritates you.

The Prior goes on. "Here is the apprentice of the man who was killed, and carrying the very map we searched for." He turns an appealing face to the Abbot. Don't you see? Bjorn himself has intervened and caused this to happen. We are meant to take the map and give it to the Baron. It is ordained."

The Abbot sighs deeply, a look of pity mixed with revulsion on his face. You see tears forming in his eyes as he says "No, I do not see that at all. Here was an opportunity for you to repent of your sin and make good, to make restitution for what you have done, and you have misjudged it and added to your damnation."

The Prior is taken away, to be held until the sheriff comes the next morning. The Abbot apologises profusely to you.

The Baron is eventually found, and both Prior and Baron are tried and found guilty. Because the Baron is unmarried and the last of his line, you are offered his lands as restitution for what he did.

You have many paths open to you. Here are but some of them:

You decide to return home, having found the people who killed your master and friend

You decide to stay at the monastery and join the order

You decide to take the land offered to you, and settle down on the Baron's estate

You decide that you'd like more adventures; you head off for Gerriton.