Peter Tremayne - The Devil's seal

‘It is.’

‘Can you also confirm that it was Brother Cerdic who was sent to the place where the custodes learned that Victricius and his confederate were hiding?’

‘That is so.’

‘He reported that he reached there too late to apprehend them, for they had conveniently fled?’

‘What are you implying?’ Bishop Arwald intervened, catching the intonation in Fidelma’s voice.

‘I never imply,’ returned Fidelma solemnly. ‘But now some questions for you. Did Brother Cerdic specifically ask to accompany you on this pursuit of the thieves?’

‘He was not my first choice, but he was very eager to be a member of our party,’ the bishop agreed.

‘When you arrived in Laighin and heard that Victricius and Egric had landed at Láirge, it was reported that they had started upriver, along the Siúr, making for this kingdom. Whose idea was it to send Brother Cerdic to advise us of the coming of your party? He did not speak our language, whereas Brother Bosa did. Surely Bosa would have been a better choice as emissary?’

‘Brother Cerdic was also keen to fulfil that task,’ the bishop replied quietly.

Fidelma paused for a moment. ‘There are two possibilities for what happened. Firstly, that Brother Cerdic was part of Victricius and Egric’s plan from the first, or secondly, that having discovered them in Canterbury, they persuaded him to let them escape in return for a share in the proceeds.’

The Venerable Verax looked shocked. ‘How do you know this?’

‘By deduction. Muiredach, one of the warriors who escorted you here, escorted Brother Cerdic and Brother Rónán to the Abbey of Sléibhte. Whether by coincidence or design, Sister Dianaimh was at the abbey.’

Abbess Líoch, who had not spoken during the hearing, gave a gasping sob.

‘Brother Cerdic went first to the Abbey of Sléibhte because we were told that it was one of the earliest abbeys,’ Bishop Arwald explained. ‘We thought it might be interested in claiming the primacy.’

‘What you did not know was that Abbot Aéd had, for political reasons, decided to support the claim of Ard Macha. We all know that the abbot is a descendant from the ancient royal princes of Uí Bairrche, and they resent King Fianamail’s family. So Aéd, by supporting Ard Macha as primacy, would be defending himself against any ambitions of the current King of Laighin. However, there was a twist.’

Brehon Fíthel shifted his weight in his chair. ‘A twist? Explain.’

‘Sister Dianaimh had lived in the Kingdom of Oswy, at Laestingau, and so spoke Brother Cerdic’s language well,’ went on Fidelma. ‘He did not need an interpreter to speak with her. In fact, he managed to talk to her privately outside of Brother Rónán’s hearing, and suggest a transaction. Dianaimh felt a loyalty to Abbot Aéd and told him what Cerdic was planning. I suggest the abbot decided to give his new protector Ard Macha a gift. He gave Sister Dianaimh coins to purchase those sacred items. She would, of course, have to come with that money to Cashel, where Brother Cerdic expected Victricius and Egric would meet.’

‘But Sister Dianaimh only came here because she was my female steward,’ protested Abbess Lioch. ‘I knew she had a fondness for the Sléibhte, where she had trained, but she was my bann-mhaor .’

‘One of the matters we could not understand was why Brother Cerdic arrived at your abbey requesting your presence to attend this deputation. You had no interest in their purpose. But Brother Cerdic knew very well that you, as abbess, would not attend alone but insist on bringing your bann-mhaor with you. Thus he and Sister Dianaimh could ensure her presence here with the money when the items were ready to be purchased.’

‘So this Brother Cerdic was working with Victricius and Egric?’ Brehon Fíthel asked.

‘I suspect that he was doing so from the very beginning,’ replied Fidelma. ‘Though that cannot be proved now.’

‘You said two people broke into Brother Conchobhar’s apothecary last night,’ Brehon Fíthel reminded her.

‘Let us return to last night when Brother Bosa broke into the apothecary to get those items he had been informed were there. You entered, Brother Bosa: what then?’

‘You and your companions were there, having laid a trap,’ confirmed the custodes . ‘You told me to remain quiet and we waited until-’

‘Until the second intruder came,’ Fidelma finished. She turned to where Brother Madagan had been sitting with a face of stone. It was only now that the others gathered in the chamber realised that Gormán and Aidan had positioned themselves very near to the steward of Imleach. Brother Madagan raised his head and a sneer formed on his features.

‘I cannot deny that I came to Brother Conchobhar’s shop last night. But as to the rest, you have no evidence, no witnesses, only your theory. I might well have come to Brother Conchobhar’s to collect the items to safeguard them for the abbey.’

‘Which would mean you knew what they were and their value,’ Fidelma smiled.

‘Or perhaps I had a toothache and sought a remedy from old Conchobhar.’

‘By breaking in through a locked door?’

‘Anyway, you have failed to present evidence,’ he went on. ‘You argue that I was in Láirge, that I am a Déisi from Míodán — but of the rest, where is your proof?’

‘If you are to accuse him, you must present something substantial,’ Brehon Fíthel pointed out.

‘Remember how Abbot Ségdae told us that Brother Madagan had just arrived back at the abbey from Láirge’s harbour? He was there when Victricius and Egric landed, and somehow they confided in him what they had for sale. Maybe because he boasted that he was steward of one of the oldest abbeys in the Five Kingdoms.

‘He told Victricius and Egric to hire a boat and go upriver to Cluain Meala, the Field of Honey, where a contact named Brother Docgan would meet them with the money they were asking. But Brother Madagan, of course had no intention of paying. He simply arranged for members of his clan, the Déisi, who dwelled at Míodán, to attack them on the river and steal the items.

‘But when he returned to Imleach, there were complications. Brother Cerdic had arrived and identified himself as part of the group of thieves. More importantly, he revealed that he had another buyer for the items. That was Sister Dianaimh. Brother Madagan had to get rid of Cerdic. Then Sister Dianaimh had to be eliminated, although he did not manage to discover where she kept the money that she was going to pay for the items. Don’t forget, Brother Madagan could not and had no intention of buying them.

‘Brother Madagan was horrified when he heard that Egric had survived the attack on the river. I wondered why he seemed to be avoiding Egric. He had to be at the funeral of Cerdic that night, but wore a cowl which hid his face, since Egric would have been able to identify him. Once Egric knew that his confederate Cerdic was also dead and members of the Canterbury custodia were about to arrive, he contrived to leave Cashel, using a fishing trip with Dego as an excuse.

‘The question Madagan now had to ask was — where were the items ? When he confronted Rudgal in the barn, Rudgal was intent on using the pallium to buy his own freedom, so refused to tell him. He did tell Madagan that, once he was free, he would be rejoining Maon, who was waiting at a hut in the woods. Madagan killed Rudgal, not realising he had the pallium concealed on his body. Madagan thought Egric still had the items. That led to the convoluted method of getting Beccan to pass that information on to Maon while, at the same time, thinking to distract us by placing the blame on Deogaire for a silly attack on us. As I say, that attempted distraction was the biggest mistake he made.’