"This is not a trial," he said, "this is a simple inquiry as to the circumstances leading up to the destruction of army property while resident in this monastery. We are here, gentlemen, to establish the facts of the matter, and also to decide what, if anything, to do next. We are not in any way part of the legal system, and we have no authority to pronounce guilt of innocence on any individual. Our findings, if any, will be passed onto the appropriate authorities." He looked around him to see the impact of his words.

Untercommandant Darmstaedter was looking at his fingernails. His gaunt figure, even sitting down, put his head higher than anyone else at the table, but his face remained impassive. As far as he was concerned, this was just as much a trial as if it were being held in a court room. If the tribunal found Klacel guilty, it would not be long before he would have to leave the monastery, and then -- Darmstaedter smiled at the thought.

Oberstleutnant Reishach looked upset. He had just returned from a difficult confrontation with the senior Commandant of the Staatpolizei during which there had been some loss of temper over the fact that soldiers were being searched by civilian police as they tried to enter Brno. Apparently some Hussite activity was suspected and the appropriate authorities were taking precautions. Nothing had been found, so far, but the Commandant assured the Oberstleutnant that he would be kept completely informed.

Monsignor Schrattenbach simply looked straight across the table, past the heads of the people sitting opposite and out through the tall windows overlooking the garden. His face revealed nothing of his thoughts.

"Very well," Napp said, noting the absence of comment, "we will proceed. Prior Sembera, Hauptman Steefel, and Oberleutnant Gerhard Droz of the Department of Investigation of the Staatpolizei have taken written statements from all the principals in this matter. I call on Oberleutnant Droz to summarize for us what they found."

Rising from his seat, Oberleutnant Droz cleared his throat, picked up a sheaf of papers from the table, and began a measured, unhurried, soft but compelling summary of the facts leading up to the present tribunal. He was a small, round man with a close cropped head of hair that emphasized his lack of neck and weak blue eyes, which never looked directly into those of anyone of superior rank.

As Droz spoke, the nature of the evidence and the conclusions to be drawn from it became obvious. He made no attempt to hide the fact that the police suspected, on good evidence, that Hussite cells of Czech nationalists were at work in Brno. He presented a long list of incidents in which army personnel or property had been defaced, attacked or defiled. He concluded this section of his report by pointing at Brother Matthew, who was sitting relatively calmly for him, and telling the tribunal how the monk had been seen organizing one such attack on army supply carts.

Lunch was digesting steadily, and bringing on a tangible state of torpor in most of the tribunal principals as Droz continued his statement. The discovery of a fire in the guest room of the monastery was recapped, without, Mendel noted, any mention of the mysterious observer outside the monastery who had brought it to the attention of the porter.

The fire, the burning of the lists, the breaking of the beaker were all recounted and Droz concluded by giving a list of his own, which detailed the only people in the monastery at the time. The list ended with the only person who had motive and opportunity to carry out the act; Brother Matthew. Droz stopped talking rather than finishing his presentation, and the abrupt end of the testimony suddenly woke up the listeners.

There was a moment of blank silence before Abbot Napp thanked the Oberleutnant and asked each 'judge' in turn if there were any questions. This being an investigation carried out under the Napoleonic Code, it was the judges that did most of the questioning, not lawyers for the prosecution or defense.

Oberstleutnant Reishach asked a series of questions about the facts of the case, all of which were well known and already clearly presented by Droz. He persisted however, and Abbot Napp became visibly irritated at his nephew, eventually cutting him off. "I think all of those points have been adequately covered," he said at last. "Anything else?"

Monsignor Schrattenbach slowly leaned forward, put his elbows on the table and asked quietly, "Did anyone actually see who went into the guest room that day?"

It was a simple question, but sent a physical shock around the room. Everyone, including the 'judges', had assumed that the Bishop and especially the Vicar General were such enemies of Klacel that they would go to almost any lengths to see him convicted. But Schrattenbach's question, so deceptively easy, clearly indicated that he was far from considering the case closed.

"Er, no," admitted Droz, he had not been told to expect this kind of question.

"So there were no direct witnesses to the incident?"

"Err, well, no, not exactly."

"I see, thank you. I have no more questions Abbot Napp, and I join you in thanking the police for conducting such a complete and thorough inquiry," said the Bishop's deputy, sitting back in his seat and squinting slightly at the sun, which was beginning to stream into the library. Someone had arranged the room so that the judges were facing the windows, as the afternoon proceeded on its course, the rays struck, unopposed, directly in the faces of the principals, causing them some distress.

Darmstaedter, however, was far from considering the matter closed, and led his unfortunate Oberleutnant back through the testimony concerning access to the guest room, when the fire started, and who were the only people who had been around at that time. Again and again the investigator repeated the name 'Klacel' as the only logical, obvious person who could have been responsible.

By now Brother Matthew was far from calm and Mendel could see that he was starting to become agitated and about to say or do something stupid that would prejudice his case even more. Desperately he tried to catch Abbot Napp's eye, and even coughed deeply at one point, but the questioning and the conclusions kept coming.

Eventually the Untercommandant came to his feet, pointed a long finger across the table, and said, "So, all the evidence you have collected leads you to only one conclusion, is that not so?"

"Yes, Herr Untercommandant."

"And what is that conclusion?"

"That the monk called Brother Matthew was the only person who could have started the fire that destroyed the conscription lists. No one else had either the motive or the opportunity. There is no other possible explanation, and no other way the fire could have started!"

Everyone in the room turned towards Klacel, who looked about to explode, so no one saw the hidden doorway in the bookcase open and Brother Joseph appear. He pushed the bookcase wide open on its hinges so the rooms behind were clearly visible, coughed and said, "I think there is something you should come and see."