King Stephen is free, released by the contender Empress Maud in trade for her main supporter, her half-brother Robert of Gloucester.
Father Ailnoth, lately clerk to Bishop Henry, comes with a housekeeper, and her unskilled nephew Benet, seeking work near her.
The Abbot talks with Ailnoth, who does not understand the change in his role, from bishop's clerk to the cure of souls, nor accept advice.
Both Benet and Sanan Bernière appear for the Christmas Eve services (matins) at the Abbey, while her stepfather Giffard attends at Saint Chad.
The purpose of the righteous Ailnoth marching past Cadfael is now clear: to confront the boy, meeting him in Giffard's stead.
Cynric sends Cadfael to aid newborn Winifred, now in the care of her grandmother Nest, mother of the late lovely Eluned.
The ebony staff, with its band of silver, holds long, greying hairs in it, suggesting its victim was Diota.
She clung to him, begging for mercy; Ailnoth beat her on the head with his staff, leaving the wounds Cadfael had tended.
As the baker loudly protests his innocence of murder and guilt of adultery, Ralph Giffard mistakes Ninian as one to hold his horse.
When Ailnoth beat Diota, she grabbed the end of the staff to stop him; he pulled it back as she let go and ran away.
The ruling theme is the importance of humility and human kindness, as the letter of the law is not sufficient for goodness or justice.
When Shrewsbury is visited by an Inquisition-style orthodoxy (The Heretic’s Apprentice) or a harshly punitive version of Christianity (The Raven in the Foregate), the stories end with a reaffirmation of the positive, tolerant faith espoused by Cadfael.
(Source:Cadfael)Abbot Radulfus in his eulogy at the funeral of Father Ailnoth: For even the pursuit of perfection may be sin, if it infringes the rights and needs of another soul.
[5][6] Once King Stephen was released in the exchange for Robert of Gloucester,[7] he and his queen were again crowned at Christmas time,[8] in front of his supporters.
William FitzAlan had been the Sheriff of Shropshire until King Stephen took Shrewsbury, and worked from Normandy to support Empress Maud.
The King proceeded to Canterbury for his Christmas court, where Hugh Beringar met him, nearly 250 miles from Shrewsbury on modern roads.
Many of the supporters of the Empress were gathered in Gloucester, where her half brother was Earl, the planned destination of Ninian and Sanan.
Shrewsbury Abbey was begun about 58 years before the story with French monks from Seez,[19] as mentioned in the later novel The Confession of Brother Haluin, possibly explaining the vineyard and wine making.
[1] The character Torold Blund, squire to a supporter of the Empress, featured in One Corpse Too Many, when Shrewsbury was taken by the King, and Cadfael and Hugh Beringar began their close friendship.
Kirkus Reviews finds thin plotting but excellent characters and narrative: Brother Cadfael, herbalist-sleuth at Shrewsbury's Benedictine monastery in the 12th century (The Devil's Novice, etc., etc.
In fact, Ailnoth's short time in office has made him so feared and hated that there's no mourning when his body is pulled from the mill pond on Christmas morning.
Ailnoth had come from Westminster, now restored, along with most of the country, to King Stephen, accompanied by a widowed housekeeper and her young nephew, Ninian, who is apprenticed to Cadfael and soon wins his trust and affection.
Ninian's guileless indiscretion soon reveals him as an ardent fighter for Empress Maud, the King's archenemy, now regrouping her forces in Wales, and he finds an ally in beautiful Sanan Bernieres.
Rather thin plotting for Peters—otherwise, her usual mix of lively period detail, three-dimensional characters and easy-flowing narrative.
[23] The Raven in the Foregate was adapted into a television program as part of the Brother Cadfael series by Carlton Media and Central for ITV, shown in 1997.