When sound of all the gasps, shock and then simultaneous conversation had subsided, each of them expressed his opinion at Theimer's news. But it was Klacel's story that they all wanted to hear.

"Katerina and I were born in the same village, Ceska Trebova in Bohemia," he told them. "She was supposed to be the daughter of Therese Plank, a laundress for the Duchess of Loginborz, but my parents always suspected that her father was not Johan Plank, the coachman, but one of the nobility that lived with the Duchess. She was so different, in so many different ways, from her supposed 'parents' that all Mendel's laws of heredity would have to be negated to make it possible.

"Another reason we all thought she might be of noble birth was the way they treated her in the castle. She was tutored, allowed to read all the books in the library and was brought up to be witty, charming and more than a little extroverted. I fell in love with her when we were teenagers, and I would have married her, but in a surprise move her supposed parents forced her to marry a local Czech official in the next village who was a well known nationalist.

"We wrote to each other regularly during the first years of her marriage, and it became clear from these letters that she was adopting more and more of her husband's philosophy and politics. As the years went by, he became too extreme for the local authorities, and they persecuted him enough that he had to move his family several times. I lost track of her when I left the village and the last thing I heard was that her husband died leaving her penniless and that she had written a book.

"This book annoyed just about everyone in power; the army, the police, the politicians and the church so she had to go into hiding to avoid arrest and imprisonment. The Czech nationalist movement was just getting organized at about that time, and I now know that she became one of their leaders, but I swear I had nothing to do with her, or the nationalist groups she led until a few days ago".

At this point Brother Joseph took over the story and related to them all the adventures that had taken place following their visit to Grunewald's mill and dye-works.

Each of the listeners reacted according to their backgrounds and position in society. Karl Theimer was horrified at both the story and the outcome. "Klacel, please don't tell me that you are hiding a fugitive here in the monastery! I could not condone such behavior and I would have to report it". He was assured that Novotna was nowhere on monastery property.

Grete was intrigued by the romance of the situation and strongly identified with a woman battling prejudice and the authorities for her beliefs. "Is she safe?" she asked, and was told she was as safe as anyone being hunted by the Statt Polizei.

"But what are we going to do about you?" the ever practical, and ever worried Mendel asked. "If Herr Theimer's information is correct, they know all about Katerina's escape and the role you played in it. You are in danger of arrest and imprisonment, even if you have not been part of her terrorist activities". Mendel had good cause to worry. Czech nationalism was on the rise in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at that time, and the whole movement was changing from one of politics and theory to one of action and defiance.

"While we should not minimize the danger," Theimer said, thoughtfully, "we should also not over estimate the ability of the Politikteil to arrest a member of the Catholic Church in Brno without some very hard evidence to give to the Bishop. If Klacel here is not a fool, he will break off all contact with this woman and not give them that evidence. He has been in trouble before, and they must have him under constant surveillance".

"We have one advantage in this matter," Brother Joseph said. "Untercommandant Darmstaedter does not know that we are aware of his plans. He will continue to watch Brother Matthew and will not strike until firm evidence is safely in his hands. We must warn Katerina Novotna and beg her never to contact us here at the monastery. She must vanish and never see Klacel again".

Mendel could only shake his head in sorrow and in shame. Since 1848, his friendship with Brother Matthew, or 'Francis' as he now knew his other name to be, had been one long string of scrapes and embarrassing incidents that had led him into various kinds of official and unofficial trouble. Klacel had frequently complained that many of these incidents were not of his doing, but Brother Gregory could not avoid the impression that trouble was attracted to Klacel like iron to a magnet.

It was some time later that Karl Theimer left the monastery and returned to his own business. He was by no means happy that his daughter wanted to stay with the monks and continue her researches, but she was an adult, a widow and had to make her own decisions. He suspected that she found the Novotna woman to be less of a danger and more of an adventure, but all his arguments against helping the nationalist cause any further had fallen on deaf ears.

That afternoon Brother Victor fell ill. He blamed a piece of rancid pork and retired with many purgatives to his bed leaving the monastery without a cooked dinner. To everyone's surprise, Grete offered to help the monks eat that night, and willingly left the laboratory for the kitchen. "Cooking is just another form of chemistry," she told her friends, with a laugh. "I am a very good cook, as you will see. It takes a true scientist to appreciate the art of putting the right tastes in the right combinations".

To her surprise, Brother Joseph offered to help, and the two of them left to inspect Brother Victor's stores and cellars. In the middle of winter they did not expect to find much of interest, but Grete was determined to try her best.

Still in the laboratory, Mendel continued an experiment they had started earlier that morning and fussed with the concentrations of several solutions Grete had been preparing before the news broke. Brother Matthew was uncharacteristically quiet and sat in his chair, watching his friend and pushing some papers around on the table.

Eventually he spoke. "Johann, I have a favor to ask of you".

Mendel almost dropped the beaker he was holding. The only times Klacel called him by his given name was when he was about to ask for something very difficult and unpleasant. "Yes," he said cautiously, pushing his glasses up his nose so he could see his friend more clearly.

"My life here at the monastery is over. I must leave Brno. I must leave Moravia. I must leave the country. It has long been my wish to go and live in America, but in the past I have been too lazy to take that final decision and make a clean break. But now I am in danger. Darmstaedter will not rest until he has found a way to lock me up and throw away the key, so I finally have the motive I need to pack my bags and depart for distant shores".

"But ... but ... but," stuttered Mendel at this announcement. Things were happening too fast. First Grunewald and his dye, then a female chemist, then a Czech terrorist and now his friend proposing to emigrate to a country Mendel did not consider half civilized.

Klacel held up his hand and shook his head sadly. "Do not try to dissuade me," he said. "This is not a spur of the moment decision, I have been considering it for some time, but the urgency was not there until now. I must go".

"Brother Matthew, the danger is not that great," Mendel insisted, thinking that the extremity of his friend's proposed action was driven by his fear of arrest. "If you stay away from that woman they will never have enough evidence to put you in goal".

"There you are wrong, my friend," Klacel told him. "Darmstaedter has made my downfall a personal crusade. You heard what Herr Theimer said. He will not rest until he has me in shackles. Informers have already told him about Katerina, and her life is also in danger. She must flee to her compatriots, who will hide her, and I must get so far away from Austria that the likes of Darmstaedter cannot touch me. I have decided, I will go to America".

"This is too much," Mendel said, "I cannot lose Abbot Napp and you in the same year. Stay at least until the next Abbot is elected and we see what happens".

"Ah," said Brother Matthew slowly. He raised his head and looked directly at the scientist across the room. "That is the favor I must ask of you".

Mendel did not make the connection. "What are you talking about," he wanted to know.

Very slowly Klacel stood up, walked over to Brother Gregory and put both his hands on his shoulders. He stared directly into his face. "My friend, you must be the next Abbot of St. Thomas' monastery".