from its course," the master admitted. "Abbot Olin should have been elected Father Abbot those years ago when Master Fio Bou-raiy was given the mantle."
"Even now, Abbot Olin shows us his worth as a great leader!" De'Unnero interrupted, seizing the moment. "He is expanding the Church beyond anything that has been done since the sixth century. His strides exceed everything that was attempted by all the Alpinadoran missionaries combined. " He moved about as he spoke, basking in the glow of admiring eyes. "But," De'Unnero said, stopping suddenly and holding up his index finger to punctuate his words, "Abbot Olin's duties will keep him away for many months, for many years, perhaps. In his absence, King Aydrian has other intentions for the Abellican Church within Honce-the-Bear, and we ignore the wishes of our wise young king at our peril."
"Father Abbot De'Unnero!" one enthusiastic young brother cried out, and many others cheered their assent.
De'Unnero watched Master DeNauer as the applause grew, and noted that the man, though obviously less enthusiastic, was not openly disagreeing. Even his body posture hadn't gone tight and defensive.
"Master DeNauer," De'Unnero said when the cheering died away, "do you disagree with this premise."
"If I did, then I would not be here at this time, brother," the older monk replied, and De'Unnero did not miss the double entendre of his words.
"But I am no fanatic for Avelyn Desbris," DeNauer went on, "though I believe him to have been a godly man, and perhaps worthy of sainthood. I question your decision concerning the magical gemstones not out of disrespect, but out of painful memories. How will Palmaris react this time when brothers arrive at the doors of merchants, demanding the precious stones? Stones purchased from the Abellican Church, no less, and for tidy sums?"
De'Unnero nodded as the man played out his reasoning. "We must first identify every stone," he explained. "And then we will contact the owners of such stones privately. We will not take the stones, as Father Abbot Markwart once desired, but rather, we will procure them with generous payment. King Aydrian understands the potential for anger in this action, and so he has provided us with the wealth we require to buy back the sacred stones that the Church should never have sold in the first place.
"We enter a new Chapter in the history of our faith, brothers," De'Unnero went on, his voice excited and almost breathless. "No more will the Abellican Church operate outside the secular society of Honce-the-Bear.
We now have a joining, of Church and State. King Aydrian is our ally." He turned a sudden sharp look over DeNauer, anticipating a retort. "And not as Jilseponie was supposedly our ally when she served as queen," he said before the man could offer an argument. "For King Aydrian understands the truth of our faith. His teacher was not Avelyn Desbris - yes, a godly man in many respects, but an errant one in many others! No, King Aydrian understands the truth of Brother Avelyn, and of Father Abbot Markwart. He knows where each was correct, and where each ultimately failed. We have the wealth, brothers. We have the strength of the throne behind us. Let us go now and reshape the Abellican Church in our wisdom."
That brought another cheer from the enthusiastic gathering, one that elicited a grin from Marcalo De'Unnero. He hated giving Brother Avelyn any credit, of course, but he understood the need to temper his orders with generosity. These younger brothers only knew Avelyn from the words of his admirers, men like Braumin Herde, and from those who had survived the rosy plague, they believed, because of Avelyn's "miracle." De'Unnero knew better than to openly compete with those beliefs. No, he would build upon them instead, nudging the brothers along the course he desired.
That same day, the brothers of St. Precious, armed with gemstones that could be used to detect magic and with lists compiled during the reigns of Bishop Francis and Bishop De'Unnero of merchants known to possess other enchanted stones, began their march across Palmaris. Watching them go out, Marcalo De'Unnero considered again the good fortune that had brought him to Aydrian. If this day's meeting had happened a few years ago, Master DeNauer would now be dead, torn apart by the weretiger. And all would have been for naught, with the brothers of St. Precious turning away from De'Unnero in horror.
But now... Now there was hope. Aydrian had taught De'Unnero the control he needed to complete his rise within