Peter Tremayne - The Dove of Death

‘You would have been more competent for the task if you were able to speak our language.’ Trifina sniffed a little in disapproval.

Fidelma flushed for, indeed, it was a weakness that she was well aware of.

There was an awkward silence before Trifina spoke again.

‘So you claim that Iuna left Brilhag in a sailing boat with Iarnbud and they were heading in the direction of this island? Well, I find that hard to believe, and I can assure you that Iuna is not on this island to my knowledge.’ Her words were spoken in a studied fashion and her eyes held those of Fidelma without fear or guile. She was either a good actress or she spoke the truth.

‘You were about to answer my question about Iarnbud,’ Fidelma pressed.

‘Iarnbud is harmless,’ replied Trifina. ‘A crazy man of the woods but my father has known him ever since he was growing up. He is loyal to my family. For charity’s sake, we ensure the man wants for nothing. He employs the fiction that he is my father’s official bretat or judge, although I would not like to be judged by him.’

‘In what way do you mean that?’

‘His idea of judgement is to cut the wood to see if people are guilty or not.’

‘Cut the wood?’ Fidelma was puzzled.

‘We call it prenn dethin …an ancient custom among people where pieces of a sacred tree are cut and these are tossed on the ground. Depending on the way they fall, the person is guilty or not. It is an ancient pagan custom that most people had given up long before Julius Caesar invaded our land.’

The idea reminded Fidelma of something she had heard.

‘I think we had a similar custom in ancient times. It was called crannacher and means the same thing. From what I heard the other evening, when Iarnbud discoursed with Brother Metellus, he was very sharp of mind and knowledge.’

‘Of course. Iarnbud is knowledgeable. But he is one who believes in the old ways, and his old ways stretch back to the dawn of time.’

‘He lives on his boat amongst these islands?’

‘He does. Why do you ask that?’

‘I wondered where he would be going in his boat.’

Trifina frowned. ‘I cannot see that this has anything to do with the Abbot.’ Then she chuckled sourly. ‘You think old Iarnbud persuaded Iuna to kill the Abbot in some dispute about Christianity and the Old Faith? I can tell you that you are wrong. Iarnbud needs people like Brother Melletus and Abbot Maelcar so that he can expound on his criticisms of the New Faith and reinforce him in his own belief. He would not kill Abbot Maelcar.’

‘One of the things I have learned in life is that, given the right circumstances, everyone is capable of killing someone,’ replied Fidelma quietly.

Trifina shook her head in disagreement.

‘Philosophically, you may be right. But practically, I doubt it. Anyway, you are claiming that Iuna and Iarnbud, after killing Abbot Maelcar, ran off…well, sailed off to one of these islands and that is why you pursued them? I don’t believe it.’

‘I am not interested in belief. Only in fact,’ Fidelma responded. ‘Do you have any ideas as to why Iuna and Iarnbud would have any serious business together?’

‘So far as I know, Iuna doesn’t like Iarnbud particularly. She tolerates him out of respect for our family.’

A memory came into Fidelma’s mind.

‘Are you the eldest daughter of the chieftain of Brilhag?’

‘I am the only daughter of my father, Lord Canao,’ replied Trifina sharply.

‘You have had no younger sister?’

‘Of course not. Why do you ask?’

‘Aourken said that she taught Latin grammar to you and-’

‘Oh, you mean Iuna — my foster sister.’

‘Ah,’ sighed Fidelma softly. Of course, that explained the reference to the younger sister. ‘And is there any reason why Iarnbud would arrive at your father’s fortress on the morning after Abbot Maelcar was murdered, seek out Iuna, why they were having an animated discussion and why they would leave without telling anyone, get in a boat and sail out in this direction?’

Trifina was silent, staring at the floor for a while.

‘I have told you, Fidelma, that I cannot give you an answer. I could not even begin to guess at an answer. But I will say this: I can only admire your foolhardiness at taking a small sailing craft and following Iarnbud into these waters.’

‘Foolhardiness?’ Fidelma echoed.

‘What else was it but foolish?’ reproved Trifina. ‘Do you realise how near death you and your Saxon friend came? You obviously took a sailboat without permission and blithely set out after them, sailing into waters you did not know. These are dangerous waters, dangerous rocks. Then you tried to land at the most perilous point of this island. If my men had not been watching you from the shore and reached you in time, you would both have drowned.’

Fidelma let the criticism pass over her with only a slight flush coming to her cheeks. She knew that the girl was right and she was aware that she had nearly been the instrument of Eadulf’s death. She tried to disguise the shiver that passed through her frame at the thought. Trifina saw the movement, however, and was able to sense the cause of it. She smiled humourlessly that her words had had that effect.

‘So long as you know and have learned the lesson,’ she said with harsh satisfaction. ‘But as for your question, I will reiterate once more…I cannot hazard a guess why Iuna and Iarnbud should behave in the manner you claim. Nor, indeed, has it been reported to me that they have arrived on this island.’

‘I assume that you would know if they had?’ Fidelma asked. ‘There is nowhere that they could have landed, unknown to you?’

For a moment the girl’s brows drew together in anger and then her face relaxed and she actually chuckled.

‘You obviously tried to land without me knowing. You see what good that did? There is no way they could land here without being spotted by my men. Of that I am sure.’

‘Where, then, would they be heading?’

‘There are countless islands in the Little Sea. Take your pick.’

Fidelma was disappointed. ‘There are no other islands that come to your mind where Iuna or Iarnbud might be making for — one in this direction?’

‘There are other islands, mostly inhabited by fishing folk. I would not be so foolish as to give you a boat to pursue the useless and dangerous quest that I think you have in mind,’ she added, correctly guessing the thought that had occurred to Fidelma.

Fidelma smiled tightly and rose.

‘Then there is little I can do here. I will, with your permission, go to see how Eadulf is faring.’

‘I am sending one of my men to Brilhag to inform them that you are both safe and well and with me. When your companion is recovered, then I will return you to Brilhag. In the meantime, accept the hospitality of this place.’ She suddenly gazed wistfully around. ‘It was my mother’s favourite residence.’

She also rose and accompanied Fidelma to the door where an attendant waited to guide her back to the chamber where she had left Eadulf.

Fidelma found Eadulf sitting up, leaning against the pillow and looking pale and drawn. He managed to form an expression that was meant as a rueful grin. Someone had brought him a bowl of hot broth, which lay on the bedside but it was untouched.

‘How do you feel?’ she asked, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

‘As if I had nearly drowned,’ responded Eadulf with dry humour.

‘I am sorry,’ she began contritely, but he reached out and caught her hand.

‘I know. I heard you on the shore when they pulled me out.’

‘I was doing what I thought was best.’

‘ Audaces fortuna iuvat ,’ he sighed. Fortune favours the daring. ‘Sometimes it works, sometimes…Are we now in trouble?’