"And I will not harm you!" he snapped. "Eat your bread and listen; then perhaps you will understand."

She looked at the bread she held as if seeing it for the first time. "I-really can eat?"

"Slowly," he cautioned. "One small bite at a time. Like so." He took a delicate bite of his own. "Chew it well before swallowing." He was aware that a hungry peasant tended to gulp good food, fearing it would vanish. He did not want the girl to make herself sick.

She took a bite, emulating him exactly.

"Fifteen years ago, the Sorcerer was preparing a major spell," Parry said."For this he required a blood sacrifice.

So he bought a baby. As you know, such babies are for sale by poor families who have too many to feed already."

She knew. She chewed deliberately, watching him. "I was that baby," he continued. "It was my destiny to be cut and bled on the altar, my life's blood lending substance to the potency of the spell. I believe it was a weather spell; there had been a drought, and the Lord of the Manor feared for his crops and the wild animals on his preserve.

He did not want to suffer poor hunting. So he hired this service of the Sorcerer, in the year of our Savior 1190. The sacrifice was to be private. because the Holy Church frowns on human sacrifice."

He paused, glancing at her. She watched him as if mesmerized, slowly chewing.

"But the Abbot somehow learned of it," Parry continued after a moment. "He showed up at the site in person.

'What's this noise of sacrifice?' he demanded. 'You know it is forbidden to cut a living human baby!' And naturally the Lord had to disavow it, because the Abbot could make things very difficult for the progress of his soul to Heaven. 'No, no. Abbot, you misunderstand!' he protested. "This is no human sacrifice! We have a fine sheep for that!' And he signaled his minion to fetch a sheep from the herd."

"Then what is this human baby doing here?" the Abbot demanded, for he was no fool. The Lord had to think fast. "Why, this is the Sorcerer's newborn son," he explained. "But the Sorcerer is not married," the Abbot pointed out. "That is why he is adopting this fine baby," the Lord said.