Part 1: 1135-1136 Summary

Chapter 1: Tom Builder, assisted by a crew of stonemasons and his 14-year-old son, Alfred, lays the stone walls of a fine house he's been hired to build for the earl's daughter and her fiancy. Tom is pleased with this assignment that guarantees his family's security for the next year and a half. Tom is a master builder who originally learned his craft building the cathedral at Exeter. Unlike most masons, Tom is knowledgeable about proportions, materials, and all the other fine details that make up a strong and beautiful building. At Exeter, he had worked his way up from simple apprentice to the master builder's right-hand man. When the cathedral was complete, Tom had been offered a secure job and an excellent salary. Had he taken it, he, his wife Agnes, and their two children would now live in a fine...