A Night in the Abbey
A tale of Richard Pudlicote and the royal treasures of Edward I.
The ladder creaked beneath his weight as Richard made his way up to the chapter house window. From previous incursions he knew only a cord held it shut. Thus he was able to easily unfasten it by probing along the edge with a small knife. Just as before the chamber beyond was empty. Richard carefully lifted the ladder from outside to enable him to descend quietly to the stone floor below. Stowing the ladder by the entryway of the chapter house he made his way out and into the hallway beyond.
It was only a few yards to the door that led to the stairs, and even were the distance long none of the brothers were walking the halls at this hour. Once inside the stairwell he took out and lit a candle, the tiny flame casting long shadows in all directions. Descending the candle lit stairs he reached the door and set to work with his tools. Though it had taken a few nights of filing, the bolt at last gave way.
Finally beyond the last door between him and his prize Richard faced the hardest part of his little project, choosing which royal treasures to abscond with.
About the Creator
Christopher Zachary
Nuclear physicist by training, genetic analyst by practice, writer, book lover, and anachronism at heart.
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Comments (2)
Nice story and will think of this when next I walk by the Abbey, which I do from time to time. Congrats on your win
Likely far from the true tale, as some speculate Richard was not acting alone, but a decent diversion.