Where the Stones Sing Read Online Free

new friend the various ways to sneak out of the priory and explore what was going on in the city of Dublin.
    Jack had been delighted to have someone he described as ‘normal’ come to the priory. Before that the only person of his own age in the priory had been Roland. When Roland had arrived in the priory just after Easter, he would hardly talk to Jack at all. And then, when he did start to talk, he drove Jack mad. He never stopped boasting about his father, who was somebody very important in the City Assembly. Roland was never clear about exactly what he did and the boys hadn’t even seen him yet. According to Roland he wasover in England, bringing important messages to the king. Neither Jack nor Tom could wait for him to come back and take his son away.
    Now their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Brother Malcolm. He took hold of Jack’s ears and pulled him towards him, glaring into his face.
    ‘Come along, quickly now, you are late already. Really, Brother Albert is far too soft on ye. And what’s this I hear about you dragging poor Roland into trouble?’
    Tom was so outraged by the unfairness of this, he could only stand with his mouth open. Jack, who had had years of experience when it came to Brother Malcolm, laughed. Brother Malcolm always defended Roland, because his father was rich and powerful, and like Roland, Brother Malcolm was a snob.
    Jack said, ‘I don’t know what Roland has been telling you, but you it’s pure rubbish, Brother. Roland is well able to get into fights all by himself.’
    ‘Gross impudence and lying! We will see what the prior has to say about this!’
    They made their way to the refectory, the great dining hall where everybody ate together, but luckily, Brother Albert had already spoken to the prior about their evening’s adventures. When Brother Malcolm began his complaint , Prior Robert merely raised his hand for silence and signed to the Kitchener, Brother Reynalph, to begin theprayer the monks said before meals.
    In most priories the choirboys ate separately, but in Christ Church there were only fifteen monks and it made less work and more sense for everyone to eat together. Also, Dame Maria had made it very clear that she wanted the children to be treated well. This meant that they ate what the canons did, not just the leftovers, as was the case in some priories. As the diet of the priory was quite bland and boring, Roland complained about the food constantly, and even Tom had to agree that it was nothing to get excited about: bread and weak ale, various types of soup, large quantities of salted fish or eels, peas and beans and onions and on feast days the treat of chicken or goose or some other fowl. Sometimes meat and sweet things could be seen being carried into the prior’s private rooms, but that was only when there were important visitors from the castle or from the archbishop’s palace coming to see him. Usually the prior dined at the top table in the refectory and ate what everyone else ate.
    This evening, the meal was interrupted by the arrival of Brother Albert with the new choirboy. Kai was now looking much cleaner, though very tired. It had been a long day.
    She had enjoyed her trip to Dame Maria’s house. She didn’t at all mind becoming a little grubby in pursuit of a good time, but she hated not being able to get clean again and her rags were filthy. After she had given a final hug to her father and Edward, she raced after Dame Maria. She hadcaught up with her very quickly. As she reached her, she gave a final look back at the walls of the priory and the cathedral. Dame Maria’s eyes followed her look and she smiled.
    ‘Isn’t the cathedral wonderful?’ she said. ‘I love the way it stands on the hill over the river, looking as if it is on guard, watching the water and the hills in case danger comes to Dublin. It is our refuge, much more so even than the city walls or the castle. It will be wonderful for you to live there. And interesting.