Dead on the way to church
"Henry Schomus de Geuzaine allant a la messe 26 mei 1733" - cross seen semi-hidden in a hedge along the road between Geuzaine and Champagne. The sun of May 27 burned with a viciousness uncharacteristic of early morning. Henry's heavy linen tunic chafed rawly against his neck, drenched in sweat even before he had left the first milestone of Gueuzaine behind him. In the hedge flanking the road to Champagne and Faymonville, it buzzed with May beetles; their monotonous humming vibrated in his temples like an approaching fever. He had left this morning before the matins at the Abbey of Stavelot. He had already climbed the long ascent along the Warchenne with a hunk of bread hidden in his tunic. It was not the only thing he carried. Under his waistcoat, close to his chest, he felt the abbot’s parchment tucked out, sealed with his Bordeaux seal. It was the paper wall that protected their village against the Austrian tax collectors, proof that they would not contribute a penny...
