The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2)

by Bernard Cornwell

as I placed the small lump on the plate. “Oswald was a thief.” “His family will make oaths that he was not,” the priest said. “And I will bring men who will swear he was,” I said. A trial relied heavily on oaths, but both sides would bring as many liars as they could muster, and judgment usually went to the better liars or, if both sides were equally convincing, to the side who had the sympathy of the onlookers. It was better, though, to have the sympathy of the judge. Oswald’s family would have many supporters around Exanceaster, but gold is much the best argument in a law court.

Pyrlig laughed. “Being alive is bad in a Christian! We say people are saints if they’re good, but how few of us become saints? We’re all bad! Some of us just try to be good.”