Wulfnoth's
Mutiny
Part Four
Old Paul found it difficult to continue. He had never lived down the damage he had wrought that day, the murder of the crews of Brihtric's fleet weighed heavily on his soul seventy six years later. He stopped talking. He had forgotten why he had started talking at all. He wished he'd said nothing. There was no healing the wounds, no undoing the past, still no hope for his lost soul. He faced down towards his hands, and felt himself fighting back tears for the first time in years.
The brothers were aware of what he might be facing. They had seen many men come to terms with a long festering conscience, and it was a difficult catharsis. Nevertheless, they knew it was well for brother Paul to face himself in this way. His story had not been for fun after all. It was his confession. They felt guilty for having at first mistaken his confession as a story meant for their entertainment.
Father Anthony was the first to speak up. "What became of you, then, brother Paul. How did you come to survive that mutiny? Surely God has kept you safe all these years, to be here with us and in His favour?" He patted the old fellow on the knee.
Paul took comfort in this extended hand, and answered. "There was nowhere safe for the Commander to land after Kent. The entire coast was alerted to his piracy. We kept to sea for weeks, ranging the coast looking for a safe landfall. One by one the vessels of our fleet broke off. They took their chances alone, thinking to avoid attracting attention. But England is not an empty land. There were shore parties everywhere we went, ready to greet us with force."
"Finally, Wulfnoth decided to brave it out on shore. We landed in force at a remote beach in East Anglia and he sent an advance guard out to scout inland. The Anglians were alerted to our presence and gathered a force from the local Fyrd, a few hundred men marched out to meet us as we tried to move inland. The sailors fought them, but they were overwhelmed."
"I was not up for the fight, and held back. We were near a windbreak of poplar trees, and I crawled as quickly as I could to the back of it and climbed high into the treetops, among the thickest cover. I was followed soon enough into the thicket, but they looked for me among the hedgerows and in the stand of wheat. Other men had run that way and were caught out. The poplars had no low lying branches, so they didn't think any man would climb them. They never even looked for me up there."
"Wulfnoth and the others who survived the pitched battle were taken away. I stayed up there for two days, until I knew nobody was coming back. Then I climbed down and buried my naval buckle. I was not a marked man. Nobody suspected me. That was the end of it. I never told anyone. Of course, I couldn't go home. They knew I'd left with Wulfnoth's crew. As far as they knew, I'd been killed."
He faced Father Anthony. "And I don't know why God has kept me safe from harm. But life itself cannot keep me safe forever from His judgement. I am close to the end no matter how safe I keep. In the end, as in the beginning, He will hold me to account."
Father Anthony and the brothers kept silent counsel for a while, and then the Abbot stood up and helped brother Paul to his feet.
"Come with us once again, Paul, and we will stand together with you before our merciful God. Come on brothers, it is time for Compline prayers. Up to the chapel."
Anthony took Paul's arm and accompanied the blind old monk upstairs.
Part Four
Old Paul found it difficult to continue. He had never lived down the damage he had wrought that day, the murder of the crews of Brihtric's fleet weighed heavily on his soul seventy six years later. He stopped talking. He had forgotten why he had started talking at all. He wished he'd said nothing. There was no healing the wounds, no undoing the past, still no hope for his lost soul. He faced down towards his hands, and felt himself fighting back tears for the first time in years.
The brothers were aware of what he might be facing. They had seen many men come to terms with a long festering conscience, and it was a difficult catharsis. Nevertheless, they knew it was well for brother Paul to face himself in this way. His story had not been for fun after all. It was his confession. They felt guilty for having at first mistaken his confession as a story meant for their entertainment.
Father Anthony was the first to speak up. "What became of you, then, brother Paul. How did you come to survive that mutiny? Surely God has kept you safe all these years, to be here with us and in His favour?" He patted the old fellow on the knee.
Paul took comfort in this extended hand, and answered. "There was nowhere safe for the Commander to land after Kent. The entire coast was alerted to his piracy. We kept to sea for weeks, ranging the coast looking for a safe landfall. One by one the vessels of our fleet broke off. They took their chances alone, thinking to avoid attracting attention. But England is not an empty land. There were shore parties everywhere we went, ready to greet us with force."
"Finally, Wulfnoth decided to brave it out on shore. We landed in force at a remote beach in East Anglia and he sent an advance guard out to scout inland. The Anglians were alerted to our presence and gathered a force from the local Fyrd, a few hundred men marched out to meet us as we tried to move inland. The sailors fought them, but they were overwhelmed."
"I was not up for the fight, and held back. We were near a windbreak of poplar trees, and I crawled as quickly as I could to the back of it and climbed high into the treetops, among the thickest cover. I was followed soon enough into the thicket, but they looked for me among the hedgerows and in the stand of wheat. Other men had run that way and were caught out. The poplars had no low lying branches, so they didn't think any man would climb them. They never even looked for me up there."
"Wulfnoth and the others who survived the pitched battle were taken away. I stayed up there for two days, until I knew nobody was coming back. Then I climbed down and buried my naval buckle. I was not a marked man. Nobody suspected me. That was the end of it. I never told anyone. Of course, I couldn't go home. They knew I'd left with Wulfnoth's crew. As far as they knew, I'd been killed."
He faced Father Anthony. "And I don't know why God has kept me safe from harm. But life itself cannot keep me safe forever from His judgement. I am close to the end no matter how safe I keep. In the end, as in the beginning, He will hold me to account."
Father Anthony and the brothers kept silent counsel for a while, and then the Abbot stood up and helped brother Paul to his feet.
"Come with us once again, Paul, and we will stand together with you before our merciful God. Come on brothers, it is time for Compline prayers. Up to the chapel."
Anthony took Paul's arm and accompanied the blind old monk upstairs.
The brothers were aware of what he might be facing. They had seen many men come to terms with a long festering conscience, and it was a difficult catharsis. Nevertheless, they knew it was well for brother Paul to face himself in this way. His story had not been for fun after all. It was his confession. They felt guilty for having at first mistaken his confession as a story meant for their entertainment.
Father Anthony was the first to speak up. "What became of you, then, brother Paul. How did you come to survive that mutiny? Surely God has kept you safe all these years, to be here with us and in His favour?" He patted the old fellow on the knee.
Paul took comfort in this extended hand, and answered. "There was nowhere safe for the Commander to land after Kent. The entire coast was alerted to his piracy. We kept to sea for weeks, ranging the coast looking for a safe landfall. One by one the vessels of our fleet broke off. They took their chances alone, thinking to avoid attracting attention. But England is not an empty land. There were shore parties everywhere we went, ready to greet us with force."
"Finally, Wulfnoth decided to brave it out on shore. We landed in force at a remote beach in East Anglia and he sent an advance guard out to scout inland. The Anglians were alerted to our presence and gathered a force from the local Fyrd, a few hundred men marched out to meet us as we tried to move inland. The sailors fought them, but they were overwhelmed."
"I was not up for the fight, and held back. We were near a windbreak of poplar trees, and I crawled as quickly as I could to the back of it and climbed high into the treetops, among the thickest cover. I was followed soon enough into the thicket, but they looked for me among the hedgerows and in the stand of wheat. Other men had run that way and were caught out. The poplars had no low lying branches, so they didn't think any man would climb them. They never even looked for me up there."
"Wulfnoth and the others who survived the pitched battle were taken away. I stayed up there for two days, until I knew nobody was coming back. Then I climbed down and buried my naval buckle. I was not a marked man. Nobody suspected me. That was the end of it. I never told anyone. Of course, I couldn't go home. They knew I'd left with Wulfnoth's crew. As far as they knew, I'd been killed."
He faced Father Anthony. "And I don't know why God has kept me safe from harm. But life itself cannot keep me safe forever from His judgement. I am close to the end no matter how safe I keep. In the end, as in the beginning, He will hold me to account."
Father Anthony and the brothers kept silent counsel for a while, and then the Abbot stood up and helped brother Paul to his feet. "Come with us once again, Paul, and we will stand together with you before our merciful God. Come on brothers, it is time for Compline prayers. Up to the chapel." Anthony took Paul's arm and accompanied the blind old monk upstairs.