Day 1 (Wednesday)
AFTERNOON. Upon their arrival in the village, the churchmen were greeted by the Domina Marcella, a local noblewoman — the priest John was absent, about half a day’s journey away to administer extreme unction to a dying woman. She welcomed them, offered them to stay in her manor rather than the local inn (which the theologians declined), but claimed she did not know any of the people they would like to be introduced to. Nor did she want to enter the church with them.
A villager brought the learned men into the church and showed them the reliquary, and brother Stephen examined it — perceiving a strong smell, perhaps an odor of sanctity.
The churchmen then went to the inn or public house to get lodgings, learning from the publican that Verecundus has died, and that Conrad was the one who found him. They interrogated Conrad in their rooms, he explained how he found Verecundus, and also how he made the provisional reliquary.
VESPERS. The brothers returned to the church to pray, further examined the provisional reliquary, and then went to the Domina Marcella’s manor. They were led by Frederic, and on the path, they examined the place where Verecundus was found; there they found a fingerbone from the relics, which also had a strong and similar, but less floral and more frankincense-like smell.
At the manor, they had dinner with Marcella, and debated the value of pagan myths with her. She gave them strong reasons to doubt her orthodoxy. Further, she suggested that John or other villagers might be involved in Verecundus’ death. After Marcella retired, they went to her library, which is filled with secular and pagan volumes and pornography, but is bereft of Catholic writings. There was an open notebook with some newly copied passage about Iphigenia, which Nicodemus took with him.
COMPLINE. After returning to church and praying compline, Stephen confessed to Abraham that he had had thoughts of consuming the relics. Abraham did not take his spiritual concerns quite seriously.