[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
years.
In response to Falconer s statement, Bonham looked first
greedily at the body, then fearfully at the ring of students above
him.
I cannot do that. Here. With everyone looking on.
He turned to leave, but Falconer stayed him with a hand on
his arm. They are all thirsters after knowledge, like you and me.
Besides, I am not certain we will need your & implements.
Falconer pointed at the neatly tied leather bundle that Bonham
clutched in his nervous hands. He knew it contained a set of
fearsomely sharp knives which Bonham used to cut precisely
into the flesh and muscle of the bodies he dissected. Falconer
had seen one flayed and laid out like meat in a butcher s shop in
the man s basement. His own curiosity had overcome the horror
of seeing the innermost parts of a human being revealed in such
a fashion. Others might not view it so impartially and
scientifically. Bonham and his like had to be very cautious.
Falconer continued, A superficial examination may be enough.
Thus reassured, the little master returned his gaze to the body
on the table. Crossing the room to it, he ran his delicate hands
over the corpse s limbs, then over the eyes.
142
Hmm. The facial muscles are stiffening, but the extremities
not so much. So he has been dead a short time. Perhaps the
length of time between sext and nones. Yet not quite as cold as
the air, so he died less than half a day ago.
Bullock began to protest. What is all this about, William? We
know exactly when he died we were all there. And we saw who
killed him. Even you have to admit it was John Peper.
Patience, Peter, said Falconer. You may think you do not need
to know what Master Bonham can tell you, but please at least
indulge my whim for a little while.
Bullock blew his breath out in exasperation. It emerged as a
visible plume in the coldness of the room. Unaware of the
exchange, Bonham had continued to examine the corpse.
Note the typical waxiness of the skin. He paused as he poked
his fingers in the gash in the lower chest where John Peper had
plunged the sword. I presume you closed his eyes and washed
the body.
Falconer shook his head, and Bonham look puzzled.
Then where is all the blood? Show me his clothes.
Here they are. Falconer went over to where he had dropped
the two layers of clothes and offered Bonham the white gown
first. There was hardly a drop of blood around the tear made by
the sword. Though there were stains on the hem, which was
held in crumpled folds by the dried blood. But when they examined
the robe de Askeles had worn underneath, they found it covered
in blood. Bonham turned the second robe over and over in his
hands. Suddenly he threw it down and rushed back to the body,
struggling with its bulk.
Help me turn it over, he said impatiently.
Falconer stepped forward and together they rolled over de
Askeles s body. Excitedly, Falconer pointed at the marking on
the buttocks. What are these bruises doing here?
Bonham smiled. They are not bruises. You see, when we are
alive our blood is spread evenly around our body. On death it
falls to the lowest points in the body. That bruising is simply
congestion of blood at those points.
Strange, is it not, that it does not then show up so much on
his back? He has been lying flat all the time since his death.
Bonham acknowledged Falconer s comments, and was about to
respond when he spotted something else. Look at this. That s
what I was looking for.
Falconer peered closely where the little anatomist was pointing.
143
There were two wounds in the flesh of the actor s back, not one.
He lifted the body up on its side, and looked first at de Askeles s
back, then at his chest. He pointed to the higher wound in the
back.
This cut aligns with the gash in his chest. And that fits with
the fact that John Peper was below de Askeles when he impaled
him on the sword.
Bullock could not resist interrupting. Ah. You do admit Peper
was on the end of the sword. Not some demon.
Falconer ignored him, and continued, pointing to the lower
wound, While this one is smaller and bloodier.
Exactly, shouted Bonham in triumph, as though Falconer were
a slow student who had suddenly been led through a logical thesis
to a full understanding of the concept under debate. If you look
at the second garment you showed me, the blood is all on the
back, not the front. Meaning &
He paused to allow his student to draw the inevitable
conclusion. Falconer obliged. That de Askeles was first stabbed
in the back.
Bullock was still puzzled. But the blow from John Peper? Could
it not have caused both wounds?
Falconer and Bonham looked knowingly at each other, but it
was Falconer who spoke first. Unlikely. The sword went straight
through him and stuck into the throne and I drew it out cleanly
myself it could not have pierced his back again. We are left with
the inevitable conclusion that de Askeles was killed twice.
144
Chapter Sixteen
GOD: Ay! wicked pride shall ever work thee woe
My joy thou hast made amiss.
I may well suffer: my will is not so
That they should part thus from my bliss.
The Fall of Lucifer
hank you for your expert opinion, master. Though there [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
years.
In response to Falconer s statement, Bonham looked first
greedily at the body, then fearfully at the ring of students above
him.
I cannot do that. Here. With everyone looking on.
He turned to leave, but Falconer stayed him with a hand on
his arm. They are all thirsters after knowledge, like you and me.
Besides, I am not certain we will need your & implements.
Falconer pointed at the neatly tied leather bundle that Bonham
clutched in his nervous hands. He knew it contained a set of
fearsomely sharp knives which Bonham used to cut precisely
into the flesh and muscle of the bodies he dissected. Falconer
had seen one flayed and laid out like meat in a butcher s shop in
the man s basement. His own curiosity had overcome the horror
of seeing the innermost parts of a human being revealed in such
a fashion. Others might not view it so impartially and
scientifically. Bonham and his like had to be very cautious.
Falconer continued, A superficial examination may be enough.
Thus reassured, the little master returned his gaze to the body
on the table. Crossing the room to it, he ran his delicate hands
over the corpse s limbs, then over the eyes.
142
Hmm. The facial muscles are stiffening, but the extremities
not so much. So he has been dead a short time. Perhaps the
length of time between sext and nones. Yet not quite as cold as
the air, so he died less than half a day ago.
Bullock began to protest. What is all this about, William? We
know exactly when he died we were all there. And we saw who
killed him. Even you have to admit it was John Peper.
Patience, Peter, said Falconer. You may think you do not need
to know what Master Bonham can tell you, but please at least
indulge my whim for a little while.
Bullock blew his breath out in exasperation. It emerged as a
visible plume in the coldness of the room. Unaware of the
exchange, Bonham had continued to examine the corpse.
Note the typical waxiness of the skin. He paused as he poked
his fingers in the gash in the lower chest where John Peper had
plunged the sword. I presume you closed his eyes and washed
the body.
Falconer shook his head, and Bonham look puzzled.
Then where is all the blood? Show me his clothes.
Here they are. Falconer went over to where he had dropped
the two layers of clothes and offered Bonham the white gown
first. There was hardly a drop of blood around the tear made by
the sword. Though there were stains on the hem, which was
held in crumpled folds by the dried blood. But when they examined
the robe de Askeles had worn underneath, they found it covered
in blood. Bonham turned the second robe over and over in his
hands. Suddenly he threw it down and rushed back to the body,
struggling with its bulk.
Help me turn it over, he said impatiently.
Falconer stepped forward and together they rolled over de
Askeles s body. Excitedly, Falconer pointed at the marking on
the buttocks. What are these bruises doing here?
Bonham smiled. They are not bruises. You see, when we are
alive our blood is spread evenly around our body. On death it
falls to the lowest points in the body. That bruising is simply
congestion of blood at those points.
Strange, is it not, that it does not then show up so much on
his back? He has been lying flat all the time since his death.
Bonham acknowledged Falconer s comments, and was about to
respond when he spotted something else. Look at this. That s
what I was looking for.
Falconer peered closely where the little anatomist was pointing.
143
There were two wounds in the flesh of the actor s back, not one.
He lifted the body up on its side, and looked first at de Askeles s
back, then at his chest. He pointed to the higher wound in the
back.
This cut aligns with the gash in his chest. And that fits with
the fact that John Peper was below de Askeles when he impaled
him on the sword.
Bullock could not resist interrupting. Ah. You do admit Peper
was on the end of the sword. Not some demon.
Falconer ignored him, and continued, pointing to the lower
wound, While this one is smaller and bloodier.
Exactly, shouted Bonham in triumph, as though Falconer were
a slow student who had suddenly been led through a logical thesis
to a full understanding of the concept under debate. If you look
at the second garment you showed me, the blood is all on the
back, not the front. Meaning &
He paused to allow his student to draw the inevitable
conclusion. Falconer obliged. That de Askeles was first stabbed
in the back.
Bullock was still puzzled. But the blow from John Peper? Could
it not have caused both wounds?
Falconer and Bonham looked knowingly at each other, but it
was Falconer who spoke first. Unlikely. The sword went straight
through him and stuck into the throne and I drew it out cleanly
myself it could not have pierced his back again. We are left with
the inevitable conclusion that de Askeles was killed twice.
144
Chapter Sixteen
GOD: Ay! wicked pride shall ever work thee woe
My joy thou hast made amiss.
I may well suffer: my will is not so
That they should part thus from my bliss.
The Fall of Lucifer
hank you for your expert opinion, master. Though there [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]