William is subsequently convicted of sacrilege by the efforts of both Philip and Tommy, the son of Jack and Aliena, and hanged. At Kingsbridge, Jack meets with a ruined and repentant Waleran, now living as a monk in the priory, to learn why his father was framed. The former bishop explains that a group of barons had arranged the sinking of the White Ship in order to kill the king's son and heir, with the belief that they would be able to influence the succession and gain more independence from the crown as a result. After they learned that Jacques Cherbourg had survived the sinking, the barons had him imprisoned in England to prevent him from exposing their conspiracy. While initially content to leave him there, they eventually chose to have him killed after he learned English and started attracting unwanted attention, hiring Waleran, Percy, and James for this end. Finally understanding the truth behind his father's death, Jack is able to put it behind him. Elsewhere, the Pope forces King Henry's public repentance and symbolic subjugation of the crown to the church, in which Philip, now Bishop of Kingsbridge, participates. In this final scene, Philip muses that the affair has proven the limitations of Royal power; the King could order Becket killed, but faced with the massive popular reaction he had to bow down and let himself be humiliated. Characters Jack Jackson (also known as Jack Builder): Son of Jack Shareburg (Jacques Cherbourg) and Ellen; he becomes an architect and skilled stonemason. Ellen: Daughter of a knight. She was unusual in being literate in English, French and Latin. The lover of Jack Shareburg and the mother of Jack Jackson, she meets Tom while living in the woods. Tom Builder: A builder whose lifelong dream is to build a cathedral. Alfred Builder: Tom's son, a mason who later marries Aliena, but abandons her after she gives birth to Jack's child. Martha: Daughter of Tom, sister to Alfred and Jonathan and stepsister to Jack. Prior Philip: A monk who dreams of Kingsbridge rising to greatness with a cathedral. Brother of Francis. Bishop Waleran Bigod: An ambitious and corrupt cleric constantly scheming his way to more power. Aliena: Daughter to Bartholomew, the original Earl of Shiring, and the planned bride of William Hamleigh. Richard (of Kingsbridge): Aliena's younger brother, a knight who becomes a skilled soldier and leader, who relies on Aliena's