| Synopsis: |
David Fisher's story, set in eighteenth-century France, follows the fortunes of Chivas. As the tale begins the young man is part-way through a probationary period as a novice monk at an abbey close to the village in which he grew up. Already uneasy about a lifetime in the church, he is thrown out of the Order in disgrace after falling prey to a local harlot intent on blackmailing him. An unexpected call back to the abbey for a meeting with the mysterious El Duc marks the start of an extraordinary journey for Chivas, whose abilities as a strong swimmer have caught the attention of the maverick English nobleman. El Duc's party are heading for Mont St Michel to retrieve the Turin Shroud (a relic claimed to bear the blood stains of Jesus), which has been stolen by a group of French Protestants in protest at their continued persecution at the hands of the Catholics.The charismatic English lord has a plan, making use of cunning and deception, as well as Chivas's swimming skills, whereby he can take back the shroud and return it to the Vatican; his demand, as payment for this service, will be free access to the renowned Vatican library, which contains texts that he hopes will shed light on the one true god. This is his goal. Accompanying El Duc, Chivas is glad to be free from the restraints of the abbey and embarks on a steep learning curve about the ways of the outside world. However, he also gradually becomes aware of just how ruthlessly his mentor pursues what he is seeking. As the plan is executed all that Chivas has learnt comes into play and he realises more clearly than ever before what he has been caught up in. His challenge now is to extricate both himself and a young Huguenot nun, who has become involved, from the threatening predicament in which they find themselves. |