comes.’
‘Leave Kells?’ said Brendan. ‘But where will he go to be safe? And he can’t leave here. We have to finish the Book.’
Tang sighed. ‘Yes, what are we going to do about the Book? All of the brothers want to see it finished. That is why many of us came to Kells, you know. Because it was known as a place of great learning and a centre of illumination. We had heard of the marvellous work that was being done and we wanted to be part of it. And now we have ended up as stonemasons and builders. But there, I have said too much. It is not for me to question the Abbot’s will. Eat up your dinner now. I’ll be with you in the morning with some breakfast. And Brendan, try not to look so sad.’
He turned to go, and then turned back to Brendan and asked him, ‘By the way, is Brother Aidan’s cat with you? She’s been missing all day and he’s very worried about her.’
‘No, I haven’t seen her since I was locked up,’ said Brendan, wondering what Pangur was up to.
Brendan couldn’t eat his dinner, even though he realised that Brother Leonardo had tried to make it especially nice for him. The food stuck in his throat so he fed the oatcakes to the mice.
I have to do something, he thought. I have to goto the forest and get Crom Cruach’s Eye so the Chi Ro page can be written … But here I am stuck inside these walls with no way out.
He felt angry tears come to his eyes. Why couldn’t he make the Abbot see how important it was to finish the Book? How important it was to give people hope? To let them know that the times of beauty and peace would return? To reassure them that there was more to life than terror and darkness?
He lay huddled in the dusk, listening to the voices of the monks singing in the church, and later still to the sound of a blackbird singing from the forest. And when darkness fell and the moon rose, shedding its pale light through his little barred window, he heard a strange noise. He started up and went to the window, where he climbed up to the bars to peer out. What could it be? Listening carefully, he could make out that the voice was calling his name, and something white had appeared at the grating. In fact, two white things appeared: one was Pangur Bán, looking very proud of herself, and the other was Aisling, looking pale. She was not at all happy to be insidethe walls of the monastery.
‘Hello, Brendan,’ she said. ‘Happy to see us?’
‘You could say that!’ said Brendan, grinning from ear to ear with delight. ‘But how did you find me? How did you know I was here?’
‘Pangur was very brave,’ said Aisling, stroking the cat, who purred loudly. ‘She came to find me in the forest, to let me know you were in trouble and needed help. Now, how can I get you out?’
Brendan sighed heavily. ‘The door of the cell is locked and bolted from the outside, and the Abbot has the key of the tower. He keeps it in his bedroom, hanging up on the wall. And he sleeps at the top of the tower. He has shutters on the window so the moon won’t keep him awake. And he is a very light sleeper. He wakes up at even the slightest noise; you would have to be as quiet as a mouse or as quiet as Pangur here, to get the key. Maybe you should get Aidan? Maybe he could help?’
Aisling shivered and then said something very strange, ‘I’m sorry, Brendan. I couldn’t do that. For a start, most likely Aidan would not even be able to see me. But I have another idea. Stay where youare. I won’t be long.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere,’ said Brendan gloomily. He peered after Aisling and saw her leap lightly away. Then she came back and picked Pangur up. Just before she disappeared, with Pangur clasped in her arms, she turned to Brendan and said, ‘The Abbot has shut out the moon, but he can’t shut out the mist.’
Brendan sat by his window in the moonlight, waiting for Aisling and Pangur to return. Despite himself, his eyes began to close, and from far away it seemed
‘Leave Kells?’ said Brendan. ‘But where will he go to be safe? And he can’t leave here. We have to finish the Book.’
Tang sighed. ‘Yes, what are we going to do about the Book? All of the brothers want to see it finished. That is why many of us came to Kells, you know. Because it was known as a place of great learning and a centre of illumination. We had heard of the marvellous work that was being done and we wanted to be part of it. And now we have ended up as stonemasons and builders. But there, I have said too much. It is not for me to question the Abbot’s will. Eat up your dinner now. I’ll be with you in the morning with some breakfast. And Brendan, try not to look so sad.’
He turned to go, and then turned back to Brendan and asked him, ‘By the way, is Brother Aidan’s cat with you? She’s been missing all day and he’s very worried about her.’
‘No, I haven’t seen her since I was locked up,’ said Brendan, wondering what Pangur was up to.
Brendan couldn’t eat his dinner, even though he realised that Brother Leonardo had tried to make it especially nice for him. The food stuck in his throat so he fed the oatcakes to the mice.
I have to do something, he thought. I have to goto the forest and get Crom Cruach’s Eye so the Chi Ro page can be written … But here I am stuck inside these walls with no way out.
He felt angry tears come to his eyes. Why couldn’t he make the Abbot see how important it was to finish the Book? How important it was to give people hope? To let them know that the times of beauty and peace would return? To reassure them that there was more to life than terror and darkness?
He lay huddled in the dusk, listening to the voices of the monks singing in the church, and later still to the sound of a blackbird singing from the forest. And when darkness fell and the moon rose, shedding its pale light through his little barred window, he heard a strange noise. He started up and went to the window, where he climbed up to the bars to peer out. What could it be? Listening carefully, he could make out that the voice was calling his name, and something white had appeared at the grating. In fact, two white things appeared: one was Pangur Bán, looking very proud of herself, and the other was Aisling, looking pale. She was not at all happy to be insidethe walls of the monastery.
‘Hello, Brendan,’ she said. ‘Happy to see us?’
‘You could say that!’ said Brendan, grinning from ear to ear with delight. ‘But how did you find me? How did you know I was here?’
‘Pangur was very brave,’ said Aisling, stroking the cat, who purred loudly. ‘She came to find me in the forest, to let me know you were in trouble and needed help. Now, how can I get you out?’
Brendan sighed heavily. ‘The door of the cell is locked and bolted from the outside, and the Abbot has the key of the tower. He keeps it in his bedroom, hanging up on the wall. And he sleeps at the top of the tower. He has shutters on the window so the moon won’t keep him awake. And he is a very light sleeper. He wakes up at even the slightest noise; you would have to be as quiet as a mouse or as quiet as Pangur here, to get the key. Maybe you should get Aidan? Maybe he could help?’
Aisling shivered and then said something very strange, ‘I’m sorry, Brendan. I couldn’t do that. For a start, most likely Aidan would not even be able to see me. But I have another idea. Stay where youare. I won’t be long.’
‘Don’t worry, I won’t be going anywhere,’ said Brendan gloomily. He peered after Aisling and saw her leap lightly away. Then she came back and picked Pangur up. Just before she disappeared, with Pangur clasped in her arms, she turned to Brendan and said, ‘The Abbot has shut out the moon, but he can’t shut out the mist.’
Brendan sat by his window in the moonlight, waiting for Aisling and Pangur to return. Despite himself, his eyes began to close, and from far away it seemed
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