“Pssst!” Thurgot regained control over their fears, “Brothers, the Lord is with us, overcome your terror and set about the task of opening this chest. In a matter of seconds, the iron bands were forced open and the lid raised. Within lay a wooden coffin, covered by a coarse linen cloth, the length of a man. The material, they tested with trembling fingers and agreed that it had been impregnated with wax. Leofwin encouraged them to remove the cloth and laid it reverently aside.
“Come,” said the sacristan, Raise the coffin, we’ll move it from behind this altar, into the middle of the choir, where we can better investigate.”
“Excellent thought, Brother, Thurgot commended him, “it is more spacious and more suited to our purpose.”
They took away the lid of the coffin and, in the flickering c
