The Pillars Of The Earth Page 0,309

tried to flog him.

Tom said: "We mustn't forget that our employer also has a strong view about this. He says he will not have both Alfred and Jack working on the site. One of them must go."

"Might he be talked out of that?" said Peter.

Tom looked thoughtful, but after a pause he said: "No."

Jack was shocked. He had not taken Prior Philip's ultimatum seriously. But Tom had.

Dan said: "If one of them has to go, I trust there's no argument about which it will be." Dan was one of the masons working for Alfred, rather than directly for the priory, and if Alfred went Dan would probably have to go too.

Once again Tom looked thoughtful, and once again he said: "No, no argument." He looked at Jack. "Jack must be the one to go."

Jack realized he had fatally underestimated the consequences of the fight. But he could hardly believe they were going to throw him out. What would life be like if he did not work on Kingsbridge Cathedral? Since Aliena had withdrawn into her shell, the cathedral was all he cared about. How could he leave?

Peter Carpenter said: "The priory might accept a compromise. Jack could be suspended for a month."

Yes, please, thought Jack.

"Too weak," said Tom. "We must be seen to act decisively. Prior Philip will not accept anything less."

"So be it," Peter said, giving in. "This cathedral loses the most talented young stone carver most of us have ever seen, all because Alfred can't keep his damn mouth shut." Several masons voiced their approval of that sentiment. Encouraged, Peter went on: "I respect you, Tom Builder, more than I've ever respected any master builder I've worked for, but it must be said that you've got a blind spot about your pigheaded son Alfred."

"No abuse, please," Tom said. "Let's stick to the facts of the case."

"All right," Peter said. "I say Alfred must be punished."

"I agree," Tom said, to everyone's surprise. Jack thought the remark about his blind spot had got to him. "Alfred should be disciplined."

"Why?" Alfred said indignantly. "For beating an apprentice?"

"He's not your apprentice, he's mine," Tom said. "And you did more than beat him. You chased him all over the site. If you had let him run away the lime wouldn't have spilled, the masonry wouldn't have been damaged and the carpenters' lodge wouldn't have burned down; and you could have dealt with him as soon as he came back. There was no need for what you did."

The masons agreed.

Dan, who seemed to have become the spokesman for Alfred's masons, said: "I hope you're not proposing we expel Alfred from the lodge. I for one will fight against that."

"No," Tom said. "It's bad enough to lose a talented apprentice. I don't also want to lose a sound mason who runs a reliable gang. Alfred must stay-but I think he should be fined."

Alfred's men looked relieved.

"A heavy fine," said Peter.

"A week's wages," Dan proposed.

"A month's," said Tom. "I doubt whether Prior Philip will be satisfied with less."

Several men said: "Aye."

"Are we of one mind on this, brother masons?" Tom said, using a customary form of words.

"Aye," they all said.

"Then I will tell the prior our decision. The rest of you had better go back to work."

Jack watched miserably as they all filed out. Alfred shot him a look of smug triumph. Tom waited until they had all gone, then said to Jack: "I did my best for you-I hope your mother will see that."

"You've never done anything for me!" Jack burst out.

"You couldn't feed me or clothe me or house me. We were happy until you came along, and then we starved!"

"But in the end-"

"You won't even protect me from that mindless brute you call your son!"

"I tried-"

"You wouldn't even have this job if I hadn't burned the old cathedral down!"

"What did you say?"

"Yes, I burned the old cathedral."

Tom went pale. "That was lightning-"

"There was no lightning. It was a fine night. And no one had made a fire in the church, either. I set light to the roof."

"But why?"

"So that you would have work. Otherwise my mother would have died in the forest."

"She wouldn't-"

"Your first wife did, though, didn't she?"

Tom turned white. Suddenly he looked older. Jack realized that he had wounded Tom profoundly. He had won the argument, but he had probably lost a friend. He felt sour and sad.

Tom whispered: "Get out of here."

Jack left.

He walked away from the towering walls of the cathedral, close to tears. His life had been devastated