AVIGNON late October, 1348 AD
It was nearing the end of October, 1348. The temperature had fallen by several degrees to remind the people of Avignon that autumn had run its course and winter approached. The Magistrate sent for Marius and Luc to his office on the quayside.
“Come in, boys, come in.” His tone was less dark than their last meeting, some two weeks earlier, which Marius found strange. He filled tankards with ale, pushed them towards his deputies, and paused while they each took a draught.
“It"s a chilly morning, don"t you think? As I walked here from my house the cobbles glistened and twinkled in the morning half-light, the frost only just lifting. Quite pretty…it"s a pleasant time of year…” and his voice trailed off, abstraction and weariness moving his thoughts from worldly
