The Pillars Of The Earth Page 0,359

aisle, and he suddenly remembered his responsibilities. There would be plenty of time later to agonize over who was to blame. Right now there were scores of people injured and many more trapped in the rubble. He had to organize the rescue operation. He glared at Bishop Waleran and said fiercely: "Get out of my way." The startled bishop stepped aside, and Philip leaped up on the altar.

"Listen to me!" he called out at the top of his voice. "We have to take care of the wounded, rescue people who are trapped, and then bury the dead and pray for their souls. I'm going to appoint three leaders to organize this." He looked at the faces all around him, checking to see who was still alive and well. He spotted Alfred. "Alfred Builder is in charge of moving rubble and rescuing trapped people, and I want all the masons and wrights to work with him." Looking at the monks, he was relieved to see his trusted confidant, Milius, unhurt. "Milius Bursar is responsible for moving the dead and injured out of the church, and he will need strong young helpers. Randolph Infirmarer will take care of the wounded once they're out of this mess, and the older ones can help him, especially the older women. Right-let's begin." He jumped down from the altar. There was a hubbub of speech as people started to give orders and ask questions.

Philip went over to Alfred, who was looking shaken and scared. If anyone was to blame for this it was he, as master builder, but this was no time for recriminations. Philip said: "Divide your people into teams and give them separate areas to work."

Alfred looked blank for a moment; then his face cleared. "Yes. Right. We'll start at the west end and clear rubble out into the open space."

"Good." Philip left him and pushed through the crowd to Milius. He heard Milius say: "Carry the wounded well clear of the church and put them on the grass. Take the dead bodies out to the north side." He moved away, content as always to trust Milius to do the right thing. He saw Randolph Infirmarer clambering over the rubble and hurried after him. They both picked their way across the piles of ruined stonework. Outside the church at the west end was a crowd of people who had managed to get out before the worst of the collapse and so escaped injury. "Use those people," Philip said to Randolph. "Send someone to the infirmary to fetch your equipment and supplies. Have a few of them go to the kitchen for hot water. Ask the cellarer for strong wine for those who need reviving. Make sure you lay the dead and injured out in neat lines with spaces between them, so that your helpers don't fall over the bodies."

He looked around. The survivors were going to work. Many of those who had been sheltered by the intact east end had followed Philip across the rubble and had already started to remove the bodies. One or two of the injured who had only been dazed or stunned were getting to their feet unaided. Philip saw an old woman sitting on the floor looking bewildered. He recognized her as Maud Silver, the widow of a silversmith. He helped her up and led her away from the wreckage. "What happened?" she said, not looking at him. "I don't know what happened."

"Nor do I, Maud," he said.

As he returned to help someone else, Bishop Waleran's words sounded again in his mind: This is what comes of your damned arrogance, Philip. The accusation cut him to the quick because he thought it might be true. He was always pushing for more, better, faster. He had pushed Alfred to finish the vault just as he had pushed for a fleece fair and pushed to get the earl of Shiring's quarry. In each case the result had been tragedy: the slaughter of the quarrymen, the burning of Kingsbridge, and now this. Clearly ambition was to blame. Monks did better to live a life of resignation, accepting the tribulations and setbacks of this world as lessons in patience, taught by the Almighty.

As Philip helped to carry the groaning wounded and the unresisting dead out of the ruins of his cathedral, he resolved that in the future he would leave it to God to be ambitious and pushing: he, Philip, would passively accept whatever happened. If God wanted a cathedral, God would provide