The voices of cold reason were talking, as usual, to deaf ears.

the success of a holiday depends on what you find for yourself on the spot, not what you bring with you.

Here I begin to know that blessedness is what can be snatched out the passing day and put away to think of afterwards.

Truth can be costly, but in the end it never falls short of value for the price paid.

Truth, like the burgeoning of a bulb under the soil, however deeply sown, will make its way to the light.

In the end there is nothing to be done but to state clearly what has been done, without shame or regret, and say: Here I am, and this is what I am. Now deal with me as you see fit. That is your right. Mine is to stand by the act, and pay the price. You do what you must do, and pay for it. So in the end all things are simple.

Bitter though it may be to many, Cadfael concluded, there is no substitute for truth, in this or any case.