Peter Tremayne - The Dove of Death

Fidelma’s mouth tightened, and the line of Caesar as he crossed the Rubicon came into her mind. Alea iacta est. Truly, the die is cast. So she added: ‘I too saw Iarnbud — in this villa. Do you still deny he and Iuna are here?’

Trifina sat back and regarded them both with a long scrutiny.

‘I see.’ The words were spoken almost as a whisper. ‘So, Eadulf, you saw Iarnbud and, a moment later, you say that you were knocked out?’

‘As I said, Heraclius was standing near me when I came to. I presumed that he had knocked me out rather than let me see what was in the hut. That’s why I went back there with Fidelma.’

‘Did Heraclius admit that he did so?’ Trifina asked mildly.

‘Would he admit it if he had done so?’ Eadulf countered.

‘As I have pointed out, if he wanted to prevent you, all he had to do was tell you not to go there. After all, the door was locked, wasn’t it?’

Eadulf flushed, for it was almost word for word what Fidelma had remarked. He did not reply.

‘Surely a locked door should have been enough to tell you that your attentions were not wanted there? The place is Heraclius’ workshop where some of his mixtures might be dangerous if touched without supervision.’

‘What of Iarnbud?’ demanded Eadulf.

‘Iarnbud,’ repeated Trifina. There was a silence for a while before she spoke again, turning to Fidelma. ‘You seem to take this commission seriously, Fidelma — the one from Riwanon to find Abbot Maelcar’s assassin.’

‘I take all commissions seriously. I am a dálaigh …’ Fidelma searched for the right Latin word. ‘I am a jurisconsultus , a lawyer. This is my job.’

‘As I remarked before, I find it hard to accept that Riwanon would give such a task to a foreigner who does not speak our language or know our laws. But,’ Trifina held up her hand as Fidelma was about to speak, ‘I accept your word that this is what has been done. You seem also to believe that Abbot Maelcar’s assassin is connected with the attack on your ship.’

‘I do. And who or what is the Koulm an Maro — and why would Heraclius conclude we are spies of whoever it is?’

There was another pause.

‘I am going to be honest with you, Fidelma of Hibernia,’ Trifina said slowly, after she had taken a sip or two of wine. Then she glanced at Eadulf. ‘Honest with you both, that is.’

They waited patiently.

‘I admit that Iarnbud was here, but deny that Iuna came with him. I was aware that about two weeks ago, a ship flying the emblem of our family, the flag of the mac’htiern of Brilhag, started to conduct raids around this coast. Each raid became more audacious than the last. Those who saw this ship not only reported that it flew the flag bearing the white dove emblem, but that on its prow it had carved in wood the figure of a dove.’

‘That was the ship that attacked the Barnacle Goose ,’ Eadulf confirmed.

‘Let me state clearly to you both, this ship is not under the authority of my father nor of any member of my family. If you believe that we are involved with this sea raider, then you are mistaken.’

Fidelma looked deeply into the eyes of Trifina and was impressed with the frankness she saw there.

‘Then why is there all this mystery?’ she asked. ‘Why do you behave as if you have something to hide?’

Trifina made a small cutting motion with her hand.

‘Whoever is behind these attacks is using our emblem purposely to bring discredit upon my family. There can be no other explanation. Some of the merchants and farmers who have suffered losses from these pirates are already stirring the countryside against us, poisoning the people’s minds against us.’

‘And what have you done to counter these stories?’ Eadulf asked.

‘It was not until yesterday that I heard about the details of the attack on your ship — that a prince of your country was murdered and that you had escaped. I then heard of the slaughter of Biscam and his men and I realised that things were becoming serious. There had been no significant casualties until this time. But, for the last few days, we have been trying to track down this ship that we have named Koulm ar Maro , the Dove of Death. Our flag with the dove symbolises peace, but this dove brings only death and destruction. The more attacks it makes bearing our family’s emblem, the more people suspect we are responsible.’

‘And for what reason do you think the raiders are trying to impugn your family in this manner?’ asked Fidelma. She suddenly realised that the name was close to her own language: colm marbh — the dove of death.

‘So that we may be dispossessed of our lands and titles. There can be no other reason.’

‘So the flag is deliberately flown or planted to mislead people. You used the term “we” when you mentioned that you have been trying to track down the raider. Who is “we”?’

‘Bleidbara and I. Last night we decided to fit out the Morvran …It is really my father’s ship, the name means the Cormorant, which was the warship that you saw. We have fitted her out to search the Morbihan, to find the sea raider.’

The cormorant, with its dark body and its yellow to orange bill, was exactly how the ship that Fidelma had seen a short while before had been painted.

‘And the lights we saw on the shore below Brilhag the other night?’ Eadulf asked.

‘We told you the truth about it. Bleidbara and I came to the conclusion that this Koulm ar Maro must be hiding in these waters.’

‘I see. Does your father approve of this?’

‘My father has been away from Brilhag for several weeks in Naoned. He has probably not heard the news of the activities of the Koulm ar Maro yet. When he returns, he will be made aware by the growing hostility of the people here, and we must have a solution because he will be in the company of King Alain — and the people will exhort Alain to punish us for these attacks for which we are not responsible.’

‘So it is only you, your brother and Bleidbara who know of this?’ Fidelma asked.

To her surprise, Trifina shook her head. ‘My brother Macliau does not know what Bleidbara and I are doing.’

‘Why is that?’ Fidelma asked sharply.

‘Because Macliau cares for little outside of his hunting, drinking and his pursuit of women.’ Trifina’s voice had a disapproving tone.

‘Argantken?’

‘She is his current dalliance,’ Trifina sniffed, making her disdain abundantly clear. ‘Argantken is the daughter of a local farmer called Barbatil. Macliau would not have dared to bring her to my father’s fortress had he been there.’

‘So your brother…?’

‘Is a silly wastrel, indulged by my father after the death of my mother.’ There was no vehemence in her tone. She stated her view as a simple fact. ‘If there is justice, he will not succeed my father as the mac’htiern .’

‘But you would be willing to put yourself forward to the office?’ Fidelma suggested.

‘In the old days, the women of our people could succeed if there were no suitable male of the family to do so. I am told in your country of Hibernia that this is still so. However, our people have become too Romanised. Five centuries of rule from Rome has all but destroyed our ancestral ways of life.’

Fidelma agreed that there was nothing to prevent women rising to such power among her people.

‘So who else of your household is in this secret? Iuna?’

Trifina shook her head quickly, saying, ‘Only Bleidbara and Iarnbud.’

‘Iarnbud? You trust him in this matter?’ Fidelma was surprised.

‘He has supported our house since before I was born. He has the freedom to sail the waters of the Morbihan and to scour the forests around here, and thus is able to report on any gathering of warriors who might be connected with these raids.’