palmer

Many years later, already in the rank of cardinal, Palmer recalled how once, at the age of 17, he ran away from the ball in a hurry. Those were the golden years of Renhorn: thugs fought endless wars with each other, peace and prosperity reigned in the Empire, and noblemen tried to outdo each other with the beauty of outfits, the high cost of wines and the generosity of treats. On that day, another charity reception was held, to which all famous people came. Palmer, the young son of the Earl of Paggory, stood in the corner, cup in hand. He was not interested in the ball, but he waited for the audience to burst into alarmed cries. He had been taunted by Lanvard's offspring recently on a hunt, and now he wanted vengeance. That is why he added a few drops of a mysterious potion to the goblet of the offender and waited for it to work: the scoundrel was supposed to begin unstoppable vomiting. This will be the stage! "Ugh…" Fabulous. Looks like his plan worked - everyone around was disgusted to see Lanvard. "What is it? Quickly, send for the doctor. Guard! GUARD! Well, let! The doctor will think that this idiot ate something rotten. "Bishop?! Your Grace, please wake up!" Damn! How did the goblet end up in Bishop Giovanni's hand? The old man just last year suffered a serious illness... No, it was a harmless joke, the bishop will recover quickly... Besides, that merchant from Rustport said that this potion could not harm anyone... Fear-stricken, Palmer pushed his way through the anxious crowd and slipped away from the ball. News of the assassination attempt on Bishop Giovanni and his illness spread like wildfire throughout the capital. Palmer, terrified, locked himself in his house. His brother told him that the authorities had seized at least a dozen cooks and servants who were at the ball that day and were now interrogating them. A few days later, Palmer heard rumors that the guards had found the culprit: one of the servants had recently received a scolding from the owner, so he had both a motive and an opportunity to ruin the ball. The poor fellow was thrown into prison. Upon learning of this, Palmer lost his peace. He would have been glad to escape punishment for his misdeed, but he could not bear the thought that another person could suffer because of him. As a result, he went to the guards, intending to surrender. The captain of the guard listened attentively to Palmer's story and left the room the next second. Palmer was left alone. He expected that at any moment he would be taken to the casemates. Suddenly the door to the room swung open, and his angry father appeared before him. The captain of the guard, smiling slavishly, motioned for Palmer to go home with his father. Palmer didn't back down. He clenched his teeth and then let out a loud scream that was heard by at least a dozen people. He shouted a confession that he was the one responsible for the poisoning. Earl Paggory's face turned gray, and the captain was so embarrassed that, looking at the earl, he immediately ordered Palmer to be arrested and thrown into prison. Palmer spent a whole month in prison, not seeing a single living soul. He sat and waited for the verdict. From the jailer, he learned snippets of news: the unjustly accused servant was released, Earl Paggory paid a large compensation in the hope that the injured party would forgive his son. Of course, his father still tried to apologize on his behalf, even if that meant selling the family heirloom and building a magnificent new temple—all so that his foolish son would not be excommunicated. He was also relieved to learn that a few days ago Bishop Giovanni came to his senses and began to recover. It was only then that Palmer realized what a commotion he had made. Now he could not close his eyes, wondering what punishment awaited him. Suddenly one evening the jailer winked at him and opened the door of the dungeon. "Come on, get out of here. The Count arranged everything. Palmer was dumbfounded, but his legs were already ready to carry him out of the cell. Suddenly he stopped and asked the jailer: “What will happen to you?” He hesitated and muttered: “The count gave me money ... Most likely, they will flog ...” "Not! I've hurt too many people already and I don't want you to get hurt too." Having said that, Palmer immediately returned to his cell. The jailer was a little taken aback, but left without saying a word or even locking the door. Palmer looked out into the corridor and suddenly saw his father. He was pushing a wheelchair in front of him, in which Bishop Giovanni was sitting. “Your father didn’t lie—you really are a good child,” said the bishop, looking over at Palmer. Then he turned to Earl Paggory, who had begged his forgiveness for many days. “The light will return your son to the righteous path.” The Count bowed and left, leaving Palmer alone with Bishop Giovanni. They looked at each other for a long time, and then Palmer, at a loss for words, knelt before the bishop. The Bishop stroked Palmer's head, and he felt the warmth of his hand suddenly remove all tension and fear from his soul. Then sacred light filled the tiny chamber, and the bishop asked, “My poor boy… Do you have something to tell me?” He spoke in a tone that sounded like they were drinking tea in his garden. For the first time in two months, Palmer could speak frankly. He spoke about all his regrets and fears, about his guilt before the victims, about the shame with which he covered his family. He spoke of his fears that House Paggory had lost its reputation, and of the foolish rivalry between him and the heir of House Lanward. They both thought those who obeyed the rules were idiots and those who broke them were brave. It never occurred to them that the rules were there to protect everyone around them. Bathed in holy light, Palmer covered his face in shame, but Bishop Giovanni gently told him to remove his hands. "Don't cover your eyes, but follow the light." Palmer looked up, and the bishop handed him an old but beautiful copy of the scripture. The young man silently accepted the gift and examined it, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not read a word. Finally, embarrassed, he looked up again. It turned out that the bishop had already left. Only the light remained, which for a long time illuminated Palmer. As a result, Palmer was sentenced to exile from Ranhorn. Bishop Giovanni personally testified at the trial. He claimed that Palmer realized his mistake and understood how to live with dignity. Palmer did not return to Ranhorn until ten years later, when Bishop Giovanni had already died. By that time, Palmer had already become a temple minister. He stood for a long time at the bishop's grave, wanting to tell him how much he had learned from the Scriptures and how the light had guided him all these years. A light breeze stroked the lush green grass in the cemetery, and Palmer himself was illuminated by light. Renhorn again accepted the young man who returned to the path of truth, having strayed from it once. The Scripture that Bishop Giovanni had given Palmer was now with him always and everywhere.