How does the framing device, with Derfel as an old monk under the cruel supervision of Bishop Sansum, shape the actual chronicle? How does revisiting that scene with each new part change your perceptions of the main narrative?

Is Derfel a reliable narrator? Aside from slight changes in detail to make a scene more exciting, are there any aspects that you suspect of being misleading, or untrue?

Evaluate the character of Arthur. He is undoubtedly an effective leader, but is he a truly great man, as Derfel describes him? Why or why not?