Then the door was closed.

However, Edgar could still hear something of what was going on inside, and soon the volume of conversation increased. He picked up the unmistakable rattle of dice in a cup. He heard shouted words:

“Ten pence!”

“Double six!”

“I win, I win!”

“The devil’s in those dice!”

Clearly Wynstan had had enough of drinking and whoring and had turned at last to gambling.

After a long wait in the alley, Edgar heard the monastery bell strike for the midnight service of nocturns, the first office of the new day. Soon afterward, the game seemed to come to an end. The players came out into the street, carrying branches from the fire to light their way. Edgar shrank back into his alley, but distinctly heard Wynstan say: “Luck was with you tonight, Monsieur Robert!”

“You take your losses in good spirit,” said a voice with an accent, and Edgar deduced that the foreign-looking stranger was a French or Norman trader.

“You must give me a chance to win it all back some time!”

“With pleasure.”

Edgar reflected ruefully that he had followed Wynstan all evening only to learn that the bishop was a good sport.

Wynstan, Wigelm, and Degbert turned toward Wigelm’s place, and Robert went in the opposite direction. On impulse, Edgar followed Robert.

The foreigner went to the beach. There he hitched up the skirts of his tunic and waded out into the water. Edgar watched him, following the flame, until he boarded a ship. By the light of the torch Edgar could see that it was a broad-beamed, deep-hulled vessel, almost certainly a Norman cargo ship.

Then the light was doused, and Edgar lost sight of the man.

Early next morning Edgar met with Aldred and confessed himself at a loss. “Wynstan spends the church’s money on wine, women, and dice, but there’s no mystery about that,” Edgar said.

But Aldred was intrigued by a detail Edgar had thought trivial. “Wynstan didn’t seem to mind having lost money, you say?”

Edgar shrugged. “If he did mind, he concealed it well.”

Aldred shook his head skeptically. “Gamblers always mind losing,” he said. “There would be no thrill otherwise.”

“He just shook the man’s hand and said he looked forward to a chance to win it back.”

“Something is wrong here.”

“I can’t think what it might be.”

“And afterward, Monsieur Robert boarded a ship, presumably his own.” Aldred drummed his fingers on the table. “I must talk to him.”

“I’ll take you.”

“Good. Tell me, is there a money changer in Combe? There must be, it’s a port.”

“Wyn the jeweler buys foreign money and melts it down.”

“Jeweler? He must have a balance and accurate weights for small amounts of precious metals.”

“I’m sure.”

“We may need him later.”

Edgar was intrigued. He did not follow Aldred’s thinking. He asked: “But why?”

“Be patient. It’s not clear in my own mind yet. Let’s go and talk to Robert.”