Peter Tremayne - The Devil's seal

Brother Bosa flushed. ‘What other purpose could there be?’ he blustered.

‘Are you selling anything?’ Eadulf blurted out, even surprising Fidelma.

‘Selling. .? What do you mean?’ demanded the scribe, startled.

‘I had the impression last evening that I was being asked if Abbot Ségdae would give something — presumably pay out for some sort of approval if he made a claim for the primacy. I am told you appeared to be asking the same question of Sister Dianaimh about Abbot Aéd.’

‘King Fianamail had already told us that Abbot Aéd was supporting the claims of Abbot Ségéne of Ard Macha,’ replied Brother Bosa angrily, then realised he had confirmed his interest.

‘So is that why you are here?’ smiled Eadulf. ‘You are here to find the highest bidder among the abbots of these kingdoms for the recognition of the primacy by Rome?’

The muscles in Brother Bosa’s face had tightened. ‘What nonsense is this?’ he spluttered. ‘Do you really think the Holy Father would countenance the buying and selling of such office?’

‘Why not?’ replied Eadulf easily. ‘Buying favours seems a natural human failing.’

‘Absolute nonsense,’ snapped Brother Bosa. ‘Now, if you will excuse me!’ He pushed roughly past them and headed to the steps leading down into the courtyard.

‘Well, well,’ breathed Eadulf after he had gone. ‘That seemed to upset him. But I cannot understand why Abbot Aéd would support Ard Macha, if his abbey has a prior claim of seniority.’

‘Simple enough,’ returned Fidelma. ‘It is a matter of politics rather than religion. The first Bishop and Abbot of Sléibhte, Fiacc, was a prince of the Uí Bairrche. They were once the ruling clan of Laighin. But Fiacc’s brother, Prince Oénghus, slew Crimmthan, a prince of the Uí Cennselaigh. And so the Uí Cennselaigh have gradually erased the power of the Uí Bairrche from all their strongholds in Laighin in retribution. Abbot Aéd is of the Uí Bairrche and he knows that ecclesiastical and political overlord-ship work in tandem. He doubtless fears that the Uí Cennselaigh will take over his great abbey. If he has agreed to recognise Ard Macha as having primacy over his abbey, and thereby receive its protection, then he has obviously been moved by the politics of power.’

For a moment or two, Eadulf stood digesting this information.

‘But that doesn’t seem to fit with what the warrior, Muiredach, told us he saw at Sléibhte. What was it that Sister Dianaimh was meant to acquire — and was her bag of valuable coins to be used to purchase it?’

Fidelma leaned against the wall, her hands clasped before her as she gazed out at the green swathe below. Eadulf waited nervously, in case he had said the wrong thing.

‘It is an interesting point,’ he added in justification.

Fidelma finally turned to him. ‘Interesting? It is a very important question that needs an answer.’

‘Do you really think that Vitalian would give the primacy to someone who offered him money?’

‘No, I don’t,’ replied Fidelma, to his immediate disappointment. ‘Nevertheless, it still remains a good question. Why did Sister Dianaimh carry all that money? What did she hope to achieve with it? To buy something? But what?’

Eadulf uttered a sigh. ‘I am beginning to think that our friend Deogaire was right.’

‘How so?’

‘That this deputation — and he did describe it as a deputation from the east — has been sent by the devil. So far, it has brought four deaths, including this mysterious Victricius — eight if you count the boatmen.’

‘Plus an attempt to kill us,’ Fidelma reminded him with a wry smile.

She pushed herself away from the wall and stretched. There were clouds in the sky but it was still dry and not too cold for the time of year. She examined the wall where it ran towards the south of the fortress complex.

‘I have an idea,’ she said suddenly, starting to move along the walkway. Eadulf trotted after her. There were one or two sentinels on the walkway who stood back respectfully as they passed. One of them, however, called a warning.

‘Be careful of the south-west corner, lady. That’s where the stones crumbled. The builders are still at work there with their scaffolding.’

She raised her hand in acknowledgement. It was precisely to that point she was heading, cursing herself for not having remembered it before.

A mason was at work dressing a stone down on the scaffolding as they came up. Seeing them approaching, he stopped working with his hammer and chisel and saluted them.

‘Have a care, lady,’ he said politely. ‘It is dangerous here.’

‘I shall be careful,’ Fidelma assured him. She leaned forward cautiously and peered down through the wooden structure that went all the way to the ground. There were several workmen below, cutting and hoisting stones to repair the wall which had been damaged in a rock-slip.

‘Is it easy to come up and down that way?’ she asked.

‘Bless you, lady, it’s very easy to the trained. That is our job.’

‘What if one was not skilled — could it still be done? I see ladders in place. Are they always there?’

‘The ladders are lashed to the structure, lady, for security. It would be timewasting to keep removing them and replacing them each day. Already the steward of your household is chiding us about the length of time it is taking to finish. But we are working as quickly as we can.’

‘So they are there during the night?’

‘They are so. But you need have no fear of an enemy attack from here, lady.’ The man chuckled at the idea. ‘The structure is easily defended from the wall.’

‘But anyone could climb up or down without any skill?’

‘There’s no skill in climbing a ladder, lady.’

Fidelma turned to Eadulf with a smile. ‘I think we might have resolved one more question,’ she said in an undertone before turning back to the stonemason. ‘I am going to climb down,’ she announced. ‘I want to test how easy it is.’

The man was astounded. ‘But, lady, we cannot afford it if you slip or have some accident.’

‘If anything happens, Eadulf is witness that I make this climb of my own volition and you are absolved from making any recompense if I injure myself.’

Without a further word, she swung over the wall and, gripping the wooden supports of the structure, lowered herself to the first platform where the stonemason was working. With the astonished man still mumbling protests, she trod carefully over to the first ladder. Eadulf, having stifled his own protests, gave a groan and he, too, swung after her. At the third ladder, she paused and reached forward to where the wood was splintered. Several strands of dyed wool had been caught on the jagged edge. She picked them off carefully. They were of the same material as might be used in a religious robe.

It was a quick and easy descent, from each ladder to each platform and so on, until they had reached the bottom and were gazing up towards the towering walls of her brother’s fortress. As Eadulf, sweating and nervous, joined her, Fidelma was standing with a satisfied smile on her face. Puzzled workmen were standing nearby, gazing astonished at their unexpected descent.

‘So now we know how Sister Dianaimh could have secretly left the fortress without the necessity of coming through the gates!’ she exclaimed in triumph. She showed the strands of wool to Eadulf. ‘I will wager with you that when we examine the robe that Sister Dianaimh was wearing, we will find a match.’

‘I would have believed you without the need for a practical demonstration,’ Eadulf replied glumly. Then he glanced over his shoulder. ‘It is certainly an easy walk from here to Rumann’s inn. But that would mean she was going to meet someone there.’