VI - On the Road to Saint Volusien
A brief twitch of a frown crosses Quin's brow at Will's remark, but he replies without any drop in warmth or humour: "No doubt his mistress or partner in this business sent him this way out of ignorance or the gambling urge to win through at high odds," he returns, scanning amongst their retinue for the cook and hopefully Guilliame and Jehanne with her. It's clear to William that no thought of surety fraud or supplying of bandits by some town accomplice crosses through that ruffled head, despite the sudden cowardice of hired guards.
"Had he more left to him, surely my lord Roquefixade would have had some present of it..." he begins, but then that man draws nigh them with a query that brings the 'thinking' frown briefly back, sorting through what confidences were right to share.
"She told me her father is in much the same condition as she, but feverish, as she is not. By her description I was afraid it was the Rage, but he takes water and seems to lie quiet on his bed, though he has changed in appearance as I have heard tell happens sometimes to the possessed. There are witnesses to the place he was found with his long scratch. As for the maiden herself, she fears the builders as a group but holds no grudge against them that might be fanned to a killing desire; the influence laid on her was strong, as though she were entirely displaced from herself."
"She can pray," he adds after a moment, "-though she trips over her words and I do not know if she is confirmed. I was asking whether a priest or holy one of the heretics had seen her father when we came upon the man in distress."
[Private to William FitzAlan: Perhaps surprisingly to William, the mention of heretics is very neutral, like they're just another religious order around here (feel free to call Quin on it if you like)]