Peter Tremayne - The Seventh Trumpet

‘This was the complicated part. Still worried about why Bran Finn had not appeared, Tormeid went to meet Ailgesach and Bran Finn. When Bran Finn still failed to appear, they decided to return to Durlus. Tormeid later chose to go to Imleach to try to find him. Gelgéis took their horses back to Durlus while Tormeid attempted to get a boat on the River Suir. Sillán found this out and sent some of his men to abduct Tormeid and Gelgéis, not knowing that Gelgéis had already reached the safety of Durlus. Unfortunately for me, the abductors thought I was Tormeid’s companion. I have already explained that part. I do not want to confuse things by going into that matter again …’

‘But I am confused,’ Tormeid said, stepping forward. ‘May I speak?’

Colgú glanced at Fidelma and she signalled her assent.

‘You said Biasta was on the road south to Fraigh Dubh in order to kill Brother Ailgesach. How could he be, when he had already killed Bran Finn to prevent him meeting with us at Ailgesach’s chapel?’

‘I did not say it was Biasta who killed Bran Finn,’ Fidelma replied. ‘The killer was our fourth conspirator. In fact, he was the man who orchestrated the entire conspiracy.’

For the first time Colgú became alert. Craning forward, he stared at his sister.

‘Did you say — man ?’

‘I did,’ she confirmed. ‘Everyone would be led to believe there was some religious turmoil in this kingdom. Then, Colgú, you would be assassinated. That would be the point when Fianamail would seize the opportunity to march his warriors through Osraige and against Cashel on the pretext of securing peace. He would then place a new ruler — who would be his puppet — on the throne of Cashel.’

‘We have spoken of this before,’ Colgú said with a frown. ‘And I told you that such a successor had to be of the Eóghanacht bloodline to gain approval. Finguine, our cousin, is my tánaiste . He is the one who would succeed me.’

‘That was not the idea.’ Fidelma was grim. ‘Finguine would be disposed of; probably he would be made to seem responsible for the plot to overthrow you, so that the real conspirator could grasp power. Finguine would be declared unworthy by him. So Fianamail would place a new person in Cashel as legitimate ruler, someone the Eóghanacht derbhine , the electoral college of the family, would deem suitable. That person would have to be another Eóghanacht.’

Gelgéis was nodding in agreement. ‘That was why Tormeid and I were not forthcoming with you, Fidelma. You could easily have been in a conspiracy against your brother. Such things have been known.’

Colgú was trying to follow the logic. ‘The succession is clear … If Finguine were to be ousted as my heir apparent, then who would have any legitimate claim?’

Fidelma paused for a moment and then spoke slowly. ‘Our father’s nephew, Máenach, succeeded to the Throne of Cashel and ruled wisely and well for over twenty years. He died eight years ago. But he had a son .’

There was a sudden and complete silence in the hall as many eyes turned on the figure standing behind Dúnliath.

It happened very abruptly. With a cry of rage Ailill sprang forward, drawing his sword and swinging it around his head to clear a path. Using this method, he fought his way towards the doors. With the hall crowded, however, he did not stand a chance. Many voices were calling on him to surrender and he was forced to halt. His sword in one hand, no one noticed that he had also drawn a dagger in the other. Giving one more desperate glance around for an avenue of escape, he drew himself up, uttered a harsh laugh and drove the dagger straight up under his chin. Blood spouted and sprayed from the wound and he fell backwards without a sound.

The profound silence of shock was broken by a shriek of grief as Dúnliath half-rose from her chair and then collapsed senseless on to the floor.

It was a while before those crowded around were brought to order. The body of Ailill mac Máenach was carried away and Dúnliath escorted to her chamber. There was a quiet in the hall.

‘Ailill by his action seems to have confirmed your accusation, Fidelma,’ Brehon Áedo said gruffly. ‘However, it would be best if you explained how you came to your conclusions.’

Fidelma sighed as she spoke. ‘I never thought that he would kill himself,’ she confessed. ‘However, potius mori quam foedari — better to die than to be dishonoured. But the death of any member of our family is a matter of sadness. In this instance, the sadness is intermingled with shame as we of the Eóghanacht claim our true descent from Eibhear Foinn, son of the incomparable Míle Éaspain who brought the Children of the Gael to this land at the dawn of time. We are proud of our lineage and our honour. The fact that our cousin could be party to such a conspiracy against his own family is a grievous blemish on our honour.’

She turned to her brother and those gathered with him.

‘Having discovered the conspiracy, and realising that the death of Bran Finn played a central role in the matter, I come back to that very point. Bran Finn had travelled from the land of the Déisi Muman to visit Étain in the Glen of Lunatics, to ensure that she was adequately provided for and to get information for Brother Ailgesach. Being a noble who believed in protocol, he first came to Cashel, to pay his respects to you. While there, he saw Drón and Ailill — or, rather, they saw him. He must have said something which alerted Ailill to the risk that knowledge of the conspiracy might be obtained by the Prince of the Déisi. Bran Finn went on to see Abbot Ségdae at Imleach and then on to the Glen of Lunatics. By what means I cannot know, he discovered that Étain possessed a Laigin locket containing a message which was evidence of the complicity of Fianamail, King of Laigin. Finn was making his way to keep that rendezvous with Ailgesach at Fraigh Dubh when Ailill came upon him or, indeed, was lying in wait for him.’

‘How was that possible?’ demanded Colgú. ‘Ailill was a guest at Cashel.’

‘You will remember that on the day before Bran Finn’s body was discovered, our cousin Ailill went hunting? He was late back with nothing to show for his pains, but boasted of a near-miss with a red deer. It is possible that a warrior of Ailill’s ability could have a bad day at the hunt, but I doubt that he was hunting for deer. He was hunting for Bran Finn and found and slew him. He took the contents of the locket but, stupidly, he left the locket itself which bore the emblem of the Laigin King.’

‘What was inside the locket?’

‘As I said, we shall never know exactly. I should suspect either an assurance from Fianamail or a message to him. Whatever it was, it would be evidence to implicate Fianamail which we now, alas, lack. With Bran Finn dead, Ailill returned to Cashel. We saw tracks of a horse further along the stream.’

‘But surely Bran Finn was riding a horse?’

‘He was, but Ailill led it away after he had done the deed and turned it loose upon the heath at Fraigh Dubh. The carpenter, Saer, told us that he had seen a horse running wild on the Black Heath that morning.’

‘Are you saying that Ailill killed Drón as well?’ demanded Gelgéis.

‘Dego had requested reinforcement because he was suspicious that the raiders might be laying a trap. Once Colgú had left Cashel with his warriors, it was Ailill who persuaded Drón to bring his daughter to Durlus for safety. I presume the purpose was to meet up with Cronán and await the arrival of Fianamail. This was where Ailill made a mistake. He tried to throw the blame for the decision to come here on Drón. This would have made Drón look guilty. At that stage no one outside the conspiracy knew the raiders were led by Étain or of her religious fanaticism. But Ailill knew. When we spoke at the stables here, he said, “What need we fear of a band of religious fanatics, raiders out of the Glen of Lunatics led by a crazed old woman?”’