Ashen Cross

France, 14th century… The country is slowly recovering from the recent epidemic of the plague that swept through Europe. On behalf of the prior of the Dominican monastery, Guillaume, two young monks, Robert and Antonin, set out for Toulouse to procure vellum — the highest quality parchment — and ink nuts. Both are needed to record the prior's memories of his friendship with Meister Eckhart — an outstanding religious thinker and mystic, accused of heresy by the official Church. Back to the monastery returns only Antonin — Robert, by the order of the chief inquisitor of Toulouse, is seized and thrown into the torture chamber. A hostage is needed by the inquisitor to prevent prior Guillaume from revealing the secrets held in his memory. What are these secrets, and why is the inquisitor so afraid that they will come to light?