Readers playfully learn a lot about everyday life in a medieval town. Erlenburg on the Rhine in July 1390: When the boatman Klaus arrives at the harbor in front of the city with his barge, his cargo is already eagerly awaited by the innkeepers and merchants of the town. The next day, the cherry festival begins with the grand fair; the town is full, and all the guests want to eat and drink! Boatman Klaus has thought of everything; he has even managed to procure a sack of valuable black pepper, the exquisite basic spice for the legendary cherry sauce that Count Wilhelm of Erlenburg impresses his guests with every year, after much effort. But it has gotten late, and so the goods are stored overnight in the warehouse. No one suspects yet what fatal consequences this will have for the kitchen boy Hannes. The next day, the sack of pepper is missing, and Hannes, who had the sack...