The Perfectionist

Chapter Thirteen

The hall outside Dieter's cell was alive and ablaze with a wild crowd. The officer, after experiencing difficulty in surveying the crowd, lit a candle from one of the candles resting on the window sill, and placed it in a monk's hands. All twenty-three monks (for Brother Wolfgang was still away), some gypsy men, Maria, and beggars in rags were all crowding in the hall in the state of utmost alarm and agitation. Some pressed their ears against the door, only to hear low metallic shuffling, some complained of the blood droplets on the floor, and went off together in search of mops, some muttered low prayers, though the majority of the company were lost in their surprise, and were not unprone to quarreling.
''I bet one of the gypsies had enchanted him!'' one beggar sneered.
''Hold your tongue!'' another reproached.
''No! It was them all right. Cursed him with their boiling cauldrons and spells!''
''I can have you all arrested. There's an officer here!'' shouted one gypsy man.
''Lord! Lord have mercy upon us Christians!'' came from all corners of the hall.
''O darling Brother Dieter!''
''Has anyone known of this?''
''We must pray! All, we must pray! Come!'' the abbot exclaimed, trying his utmost to remain calm and pacify the raging crowd.

The crowd was immediately tamed, and, calming themselves instantly, began filing out of the hall in a confused haste. As it slowly began to empty, some figures remained standing. Those were Frau Maria, Brother Friedrich, and the abbot (who the officer had halted as they had just begun to make their way, and beckoned them to him), and three figures in the doorway: Brother Pieter, supported by Brothers Johann and Heinrich, was possessed by a severe dread: his face was of a pale pallor, his teeth clattered, and he seemed near a collapse. His utter shock seemed to have weakened him to the point of exhaustion and dumbfoundedness, so that he was not capable of walking independently, but clutched desperately unto his two companions. The abbot took notice, and, begging the officer for two minutes, he went over to him:
''Brother Pieter, pray, what is the matter?''
Brother Pieter only mumbled some inarticulate words, and then, releasing his hands from his brothers' necks, he covered his face with them and exclaimed painfully: ''God!''
''Come now, Brother Pieter! He must rest, take him to his cell.''
Brother Heinrich and Brother Johann took him slowly away, and the abbot returned quickly to the officer. The latter, taking out a small notebook and pen from his pocket, and regarding his company with a hard stare, said with a loud voice: ''The particulars, from one of you. Not you, reverend father.''
After a brief pause, Brother Friedrich said:
''I beg your kind pardon, sir, I hope to God you do not suspect me or Maria here?''
''You are a man of God, sir,'' the officer returned, in a lowered voice, ''I would consider myself damned if I had. But a thorough process is needed, and, seeing that you and madame are the only witnesses, that is, before the crowd had gathered round you: recount, as best you could, what you have seen.''
''Pray allow me, Frau Maria, madame, since you are so pained.'' Brother Friedrich hesitated before he began, somewhat fearfully, ''Well, the good Brother Dieter, he is a good lad, very bright and kind, bid me and Maria and her son good evening not an hour ago. And then he went inside and I thought no more of it. But, then, not five minutes afterwards, I fancied that I heard some groaning and moaning from the other side of the lawn. I was awfully puzzled, so I went to go see what it was all about. Mind you, I hadn't any initial guesses as to what had happened. And it will be terribly difficult for me, sir, to forget the shock I had gained when I had seen him, just outside the kitchen, with a knife in him, and its sharp end just slightly poking out from his back! I could swear now that I saw him attempt to pull it out, but my memory is vague, and I can't trust it on that. No, Maria, do not shriek! It is gone and past now, you are no longer there! Well, officer, I ran back and informed the lad to ring the bells, he knows where they are, and he went off in such a haste as if I had thrown a pair of wolves at him. And so then she went round to see him as well, and she saw the same thing. Not two minutes afterwards all the monks had rushed into the lawn, and, well, that's about all! Some went to call up a doctor by the telephone, and by the chaos created in the monastery grounds one visitor (and old woman fatigued from travel) hastened to call you, sir.''
The officer was noting down Brother Friedrich's recollection as quickly as he could in his little notebook, and once the latter had finished it, he spoke again:
''All is correct, Frau Maria?''
''I wish to Heavenly God that it wasn't! But alas, this cursed day has brought forth such events. And please don't ask my son, he hadn't seen the thing. And he mustn't, I wouldn't suffer him seeing such a horror.''
''Where is this lad?''
''I told him to go home, as it was none of his concern. He went with the carriage.''
''Have you known of Mr Siedemann's intention before?''
''Never, sir! Never in all of life!'' the abbot exclaimed.
''This is utterly unprecedented?''
''Yes!'' cried Frau Maria.
''Brother Dieter is a good lad,'' added Brother Friedrich mournfully, ''Endowed with the best of the best. Such a pure and innocent soul!''
''No strange behaviour as of late? Resignation? Resentment? Ravings? Any behaviour termed odd under any standards?''
The three paused.
''I wouldn't know sir,'' said the abbot finally, ''I do not see him as much as you would think, neither does Brother Friedrich, and Frau Maria seldom sees him. He is mostly with Brother Pieter and Johann and Karl, amongst others. But we mustn't disturb Brother Pieter, he is not well.''
''And Johann and Karl?''
''We can fetch them if you would like, sir.''
''Conduct me, rather, please.''