Burning Question

 

It was time to burn another witch at the stake, and so it fell once more to Gustav and Heinrich to make the preparations. Neither man liked the job, but they were paid a small sum for their trouble. Being a woodcutter and a blacksmith respectively, they were also the only two men in the village with the knowledge to do the job right. 

The accused in this case was Ursula, an old widow who kept to herself and lived on the edge of a graveyard. She made living selling herbal healing potions and as a veterinarian. Despite having many satisfied customers over the years, she inevitably fell under a cloud of suspicion as she was rarely seen in church. Most of the other villagers shrugged at this, but when a new, charismatic priest named Father Oswald moved in, it was inevitable that some sort of reckoning was on the way. 

Oswald's brother, Rolf, made a handsome living as an itinerant witch-hunter. He was feared by a few and strangely adored by many others. The bad luck that had struck so many others in the form of illness, hail, and hunger was the basis of his lucrative career. There was never a shortage of scapegoats either. In every town and village, there was always at least one marginalized woman who could be accused and convicted of witchcraft. Once in a while, if no such woman could be found, then any marginalized man would serve the same purpose, though Rolf found it harder to convince the locals in such cases. Even so, Rolf had no doubts about the outcome as he rode into the village of Bergdorf where his brother was now the chief religious authority. Bergdorf was tucked away in a remote part of the Alps. The mountains surrounding it formed a horseshoe shape. In addition to secluding it, the imposing mountains surrounding the town inspired reverence and thought of faith. 

It was founded by a returning crusader knight who brought with him a holy relic: a piece of the true cross. This made Bergdorf something of a minor mecca, and a steady stream of pilgrims trickled in and out of the town. Thus, in spite of its relative geographic isolation, it had excellent access to news and goods even from towns and villages. The relic and the church were in many ways the beating heart of the village's economy. Anything was perceived as a threat to it was stamped out, and by the same principle, anything that stimulated it was encouraged. Witch burnings were a way to kill two birds with one stone, and so there was always a kind of frenzy to find the next victim. When no suitable people were available, a stray cat or dog would suffice. The spectacle of such an execution, however, was nowhere near the level of an actual witch burning.

Rolf knocked on the door of the parish house and was greeted warmly by Oswald. They dined on a succulent feast that evening as they schemed over how to handle the coming trial, which they both knew would be a sham. They agreed that for maximum effect, the whole charade needed to be a kind of pageant, complete with all the proper pomp and circumstance. Rolf insisted that the witch be marched through the village square to the sound of drums and fifes. Oswald thought that was excessive, and that a show trial followed immediately with an execution was better. Eventually, they compromised. After the interrogation and trial, the victim would be whipped and imprisoned for a night during which anyone could visit with her. 

The interrogation was carried out in a perfunctory manner. Rolf saw no reason to drag it out as he would have with younger, more attractive victims. Likewise, the trial was an expedited affair, even more so than usual. The crowd was unexpectedly smaller, and Rolf found it hard to put on the usual performance. There were a handful of sneers and jeers from the onlookers as Rolf made the quips and gestures he had honed through much practice. Something was off this time, and although he wasn't sure what it was, a sense of dread began creeping upon him. He denounced her as a witch and called upon the townsfolk present to pass judgement. "Burn her!", a few of them shouted, without the fervor Rolf was accustomed to. Ursula was led away to a cell at church. For a time, it had been the abode of a local hermit, but when he died with no successor, it became a miniature jail of sorts. 

She sat in the darkness of the cell for perhaps an hour before the first knock at the door came. It was Gustav, who brought bread, soup, wine, and water. It was enough for both of them, and they ate together in contented silence. Before leaving, he told her "Fear not, I'll be praying for you, along with many others." Later, Heinrich came to the cell with a prayer book and some cakes. "I'll never forget how you helped my family when my children were sick. Here, take this prayer book and keep it close to your heart. It will help you when you need it most." Ursula did as Heinrich said. She knew he was a good man and barely glanced at the prayer book before tucking it away. It looked ordinary but seemed a bit heavy for a book its size.   

Dawn broke, and not long after, Ursula was taken from the cell to the village square. Gustav and Heinrich were on either side of the stake. Torches stood ready near a brazier full of hot coals. The heat from it warmed the chilly morning air to an almost pleasant degree. 

"Alright, bind her to the stake", said Rolf, "and disrobe her of anything that will slow the burning."

 

Gustav and Heinrich did as he commanded, and Heinrich took back the prayer book. 

"What's that?", asked Rolf. He beckoned Heinrich to hand it to him. Rolf seemed strangely amused to see that it was a prayer book. "Burn it with her."

"But sir", said Heinrich, "that's blasphemy."

"It could be a sign from God", added Gustav in a voice loud enough for all present to hear.

The crowd began to murmur. Oswald came forward and asked to examine the prayer book. He barely opened it when his heart leapt into his mouth. Rolf was looking over his shoulder and his face turned white by what he saw inside the book. 

Rolf and Oswald both ran to the church while some of the crowd followed them. Once inside, they pushed up against the glass where the relic was held. 

"It's gone from there and it's in the prayer book!", shouted an onlooker, "it's a miracle! Untie Ursula!"

Oswald hastily replaced the relic before returning to the village square. Ursula had been untied, and a crowd was staring down Rolf. Oswald knew there was no chance in saving his brother, so he gave him a quick blessing of absolution and let the villagers bind him to the stake. He looked at the ground as the burning began. His brother's screams were pitiful. Rolf died almost as soon as he stopped screaming. He suffered less than many others who got burned at the stake. Rolf's execution put an end to the witch-hunting craze, at least in that part of the Alps. Oswald became the town hermit and turned over the church to a new priest. Heinrich and Gustav were relieved to free from their grisly duty. Ursula lived many more years before dying peacefully of old age.