Prior Herluin arrives at Shrewsbury Abbey demanding that Abbot Radulfus hand over the reliquary containing the bones of the holy virgin St. Winifred. Pilgrims to Shrewsbury have been generous to the Abbey because of the holy relic and its loss may result in an economic downturn for the Benedictines there. Hurliun bases his claim on the reported visions of his novice monk Tutilo and the need to rebuild Ramsey Abbey, which was burned in the civil war. When a dying wealthy old woman, Lady Donata, takes a liking to the handsome Tutilo and doubts his vocation, she bequeaths a priceless jeweled necklace to him. As the necklace is worth more than enough to rebuild the abbey, Winifred's bones now seem safe at Shrewsbury, but the theft of the gems and a resultant murder throw the issue in doubt again. Among the red herrings facing Cadfael are a minstrel, his slave -- a beautiful singer who's drawn to Tutilo -- an arrogant nobleman, and Tutilo himself.