Peter Tremayne - The Devil's seal

‘Brother Madagan speaks some of your language, Eadulf,’ the apothecary told him.

‘And fairly well, too,’ agreed Eadulf. ‘I know that, and he told us that he learned the language while in Láirge, the harbour township.’

‘He was quite open about that,’ Fidelma added. ‘He told us that he spent two summers there teaching students from the Saxon kingdoms before they passed on to our colleges. Láirge is a favourite port where ships come from the lands beyond the seas.’

‘Did he say whose school he was teaching at?’ the apothecary wanted to know.

Fidelma glanced at Eadulf and then shook her head.

‘It was his sister’s school,’ Brother Conchobhar said. He saw that they were waiting for him to explain further, so went on: ‘Mella, his sister, had a little school on the right bank of the Siúr not far from the port. She knew your language well, Eadulf, for she had been in the kingdom of Cenwealh and his wife Seaxburh.’

‘That is the Kingdom of the West Saxons,’ Eadulf said immediately. ‘How do you know this?’

‘Because Brother Madagan once told me. That was some time ago. His sister had been a missionary there for a while and then, with her knowledge of the language, she returned to teach our language to those Saxons coming to this land. He went there to help her and thus he also acquired the Saxon tongue.’

‘I did not know he had a sister there,’ Fidelma said, surprised.

‘No longer. Mella is dead.’

‘How did it happen? Was it the Yellow Plague? As I recall, many died in that area during the years it ravaged this land.’

Brother Conchobhar shook his head sadly. ‘No, she was not carried off by plague. One of the Saxon foreigners killed her — after having had his way with her. It was soon after that, Brother Madagan decided to return to Imleach and became steward to Abbot Ségdae.’

‘You learned all this from him?’ Eadulf queried.

‘There were also whispers at the time,’ admitted Conchobhar. ‘But it was several years ago now.’

‘What made you think of this?’ Fidelma enquired patiently.

‘I was reminded of what he told me just the other day. Maybe I should have mentioned it before. Brother Madagan was helping me prepare the body of Brother Cerdic for the funeral rites. I had left him in order to fetch a sheet for the racholl to wind the body in. When I returned, I was shocked.’

‘Shocked?’

‘I have rarely seen a face filled with such malignancy as his, as he bent over the body. I heard him curse it and say that all Saxons should be consigned to Ifrenn , the infernal regions, and not be allowed redemption in the New Faith.’

‘That doesn’t sound like Brother Madagan,’ Fidelma said.

‘It was as if some serpent spoke from him in that moment. Then he turned and saw me staring in horror at him. His face was pale with hate and then he quickly composed himself. He reminded me about his sister; how she was violated and killed.’

‘Was the culprit ever caught?’ Fidelma asked.

Once again, Brother Conchobhar shook his head. ‘Mella’s body was not found until the next day,’ he said heavily, ‘and then it was presumed that the man responsible had sailed back to his own land on the morning tide.’

‘Why was it presumed?’

‘Brother Madagan knew that a man called Ceolwulf had been paying more than usual attention to his sister. A Brehon had the port of Láirge searched for this man. There was no sign of him, but that morning, a ship set sail from Láirge for a foreign port called Clifadun, in the northern part of the Kingdom of the West Saxons. There was nothing to be done, for the Brehon had no jurisdiction to follow the ship. I wondered if the death of his sister had left Brother Madagan bitter against all Saxons.’

‘He has never shown any animosity to me,’ Eadulf said thoughtfully.

Brother Conchobhar smiled without humour. ‘He keeps his temper under control but I think he was named wisely, for at times he can be a snarling little dog.’

‘It does give us some new thoughts about motives for the attack on Brother Cerdic,’ Fidelma agreed slowly. ‘But it gets confusing when we consider the death of Rudgal and the attack on us.’

‘I know we speak of your relative, but were I to make a wager at the moment, it would be on Deogaire’s guilt,’ Eadulf declared. ‘He had the opportunity and the motive — the motive being to fulfil his threat to Fidelma; to create some fear in this place in advance of the arrival of Bishop Arwald and his party.’

Fidelma was not so certain. ‘But again, it lacks a connection with the deaths of the others. In fact, we can find suspects for each murder — but not one to whom we can attribute all the deaths.’

‘So maybe we are looking for several killers,’ Eadulf shrugged.

‘And you think Deogaire simply acted to justify his prophecy?’ she asked. ‘It is true that he does not accept the New Faith, yet there are little isolated pockets, like Sliabh Luachra, where the old ways persist. But the Five Kingdoms are irrevocably committed to the New Faith. For the last several centuries we have become so much a part of it that we welcome others to our shores to educate them, and we send our missionaries over the seas to encourage the pagans beyond to leave the old ways.’

‘I know this,’ Eadulf replied gruffly, ‘but-’

‘It does not explain Deogaire’s behaviour, even if he seeks to create fear at the arrival of Bishop Arwald and his deputation. Why emerge out of the mountain fastness of Sliabh Luachra into a world already set in the New Faith in an attempt to turn back an unstoppable tide?’

Eadulf lifted his arms slightly and let them fall, expressing that he had no answer.

Finally, he said, ‘Well, if you are looking for suspects other than Deogaire, you might as well say that Brehon Aillín had motive and opportunity. He must dislike me intensely.’

Fidelma did not smile. ‘I have not dismissed that possibility,’ she replied.

Eadulf was slightly surprised at her ready acceptance of the idea. ‘I know he doesn’t like me, and he will not take kindly to your brother’s defence of me, but a Chief Brehon of this kingdom attempting murder out of revenge. .’

‘All people have it in them to strike out in fury when they are pushed too far,’ replied Fidelma. She had not told Eadulf that Brehon Aillín had threatened to take action against him and had only been prevented by Colgú’s intervention. ‘But you are right: I don’t believe he was the person who pushed the statue down on us. He is a frail, elderly man. You saw the iron bar that was wielded as a lever to shift that statue. It’s heavy. And the statue is large, the size of a child. It would have taken some strength to shift.’

Brother Conchobhar had been sitting listening attentively as they exchanged their ideas. Now he spoke up.

‘Fidelma, as much as I argue with Deogaire, I cannot accept that one of my own family would attempt this deed. I will not believe that he is guilty.’

‘Try not to worry, old friend,’ she replied. ‘He will not be accused without a thorough investigation.’ Fidelma made to rise and then an afterthought came to her: ‘Did you ask the librarian about that ritual wool collar?’

The apothecary paused for a moment. ‘Oh yes. He confirmed that some generations ago, all the bishops wore something similar during the services as a mark of their rank. But he seems to think that this dress fell into disuse when a new design was ordered by Rome. He is going to look up some manuscripts in the archives which he thinks might explain more about it.’

‘Let us know as soon as you hear, my friend.’ She rose and turned for the door. ‘It has been a long day and I, for one, am tired.’