Eleven weeks of the infirmarian"s hen broth remedy, Begiloc reflected, would kill all but the hardiest of fighters and he gave thanks the rheumy-eyed monk"s faith extended to the healing properties of red wine and bread but the combined intake proved a violent and daily emetic, disgorging any beneficial effect and prolonging his recovery. Wounds and hard knocks accompanied his life as a warrior but this shredding of his stomach lining made him fear for his existence.
In early convalescence, when the foul gruel snatched him from death"s door, his elderly carer informed him of God"s mercy in guiding the enemy blade so it did not penetrate the lung but instead chipped and broke two ribs. Scrupulous attention to cleanliness – and he admitted this virtue in the monk – prevented the wound from
