Peter Tremayne - Dancing With Demons

‘I see. Go on.’

‘Well, everything went as planned. We reached Tara in safety and we found Brother Rogallach awaiting us at the gate with the guard to pass us through. He took us straight to the royal house. I was told to take the horses to the stable, see to their needs and refresh myself and prepare to leave again before daylight … ’

‘Having arrived at what hour?’

‘Just after midnight. In fact, now I recall, it was the very night before the High King’s assassination.’

‘What then?’

‘I did as I was told. I came back well before dawn. I found Brother Rogallach standing guard outside the High King’s bedchamber and the bishop still closeted with the High King.’

‘In his bedchamber?’

Irél heard the note of incredulity and said, ‘I know — it was unusual for anyone to be received there.’

‘So even Brother Rogallach was not privy to the meeting?’

‘It would seem not. Whatever passed between Sechnussach and Bishop Luachan passed in secret. In fact, I asked Brother Rogallach at the time what it was about and he swore that he knew nothing.’

Eadulf rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘A strange affair, to be sure,’ he said to Fidelma.

‘I waited with Brother Rogallach,’ went on Irél. ‘After a while, Sechnussach unlocked the door of his chamber … ’

‘What! He and Luachan were meeting behind a locked door!’ Fidelma exclaimed.

‘Yes. That, too, was unusual,’ agreed the guard commander. ‘He opened the door and saw me standing ready. He asked whether I was ready to escort Bishop Luachan back to Delbna Mór. Naturally, I replied in the affirmative. But Luachan said that it would not be necessary. If I could escort him to the other side of the great river on the road to Delbna Mór, he would be satisfied.’

‘He was prepared to undertake the long journey without adequate rest?’ Fidelma asked curiously.

‘Bishop Luachan is a strong man. Anyway, he explained that he had a friend on the other side of the great river, not far from the ferry landing, with whom he would rest before commencing the journey back.’

‘And on your journey to the place where you left him, was anything said about this strange meeting? No word, no gossip?’

‘Nothing at all. The bishop was just as silent as he had been on our journey to Tara. Grim and taciturn is how I would describe his attitude. All I know is all that I have told you, lady. I can add nothing else.’ He paused and suddenly became thoughtful.

‘Except?’ prompted Fidelma.

‘It is probably nothing at all, but I think that he brought a special gift for Sechnussach.’

‘A gift?’

‘He had a saddlebag. I remember that when we left Delbna Mór he put something in it wrapped in linen cloth. When we arrived here, he took it out and carried it into the meeting with Sechnussach. When he left, he was not carrying it, so it follows that he must have left it with the High King. I noted that it seemed to be a heavy object.’

‘Heavy?’ Eadulf queried.

‘You could tell that by the way he carried it.’

‘What shape was it? Can you recall?’

Irél thought for a moment. ‘The shape may have been distorted by the wrapping of the cloth, but I think it was circular. It was about a troighid in diameter but very thin, like a plate.’

Eadulf quickly calculated the Irish measurement to something like the average foot in length.

‘So it was not too large, but it was heavy. It must have been made of metal or stone — probably metal.’

‘Perhaps.’

‘And you have no idea what it was?’

‘None.’

‘Thank you, Irél. You have been most explicit. I may want to speak with you again.’

The warrior rose and raised a hand to his forehead in half-salute before turning and leaving them alone in the study.

Eadulf sighed. ‘That really does not help us much.’

Fidelma glanced at him. ‘One nut does not help a squirrel pass through a winter,’ she replied. ‘But the squirrel, each day, continues gathering a nut here and another nut there until he has built a pile of nuts which are his store that will help him survive.’

Eadulf regarded her blankly.

‘We are the nut gatherers,’ she relented and explained. ‘We gather the nuts until we have our store, and looking at the store we come to the solution. One thing I should explain to you is that Delbna Mór is not that far away from the territory of the Cinél Cairpre whose chieftain was Dubh Duin. Now let us go in search of Muirgel.’

But the girl was difficult to find. Returning to the High King’s house, Fidelma asked the guard outside where she was but he expressed his lack of knowledge in a disinterested tone and suggested that one of the servants might know. The couple passed inside but found little sign of the servants or anyone else.

Undeterred, Fidelma started up the stairs towards the apartments above. Eadulf followed nervously.

‘Is it the custom to wander around the High King’s house unannounced in this fashion?’ he whispered.

‘I see no one to challenge us on the matter,’ Fidelma replied determinedly.

At the top of the stairs she paused and then stepped towards the door of the apartment in which the High King’s family stayed when in residence. She halted, knocked and listened. There was no response or movement from inside. She waited a moment more and then glanced at Eadulf before reaching to turn the handle.

The room that met their gaze was almost as bare as the High King’s own chamber.

Fidelma and Eadulf gazed around in surprise.

‘Well, it seems as though none of the High King’s family reside here, and I would say that they have not done so for some time,’ Fidelma observed. ‘Abbot Colmán said that Gormflaith and her daughters had another residence within the royal enclosure but it is certainly strange that there is no sign of an occupant of this apartment.’

She went round the room, noticing the layer of dust on the empty shelves and boxes.

‘Who are you?’ cried a commanding voice suddenly. ‘How dare you enter these chambers without permission?’

The pair swung round and saw the figure of a woman standing in the open doorway, regarding them with suspicion. She was not young, like Báine or Cnucha, but she still had a voluptuous beauty, a figure that was mature but eye-catching even with the drab clothing of a house servant. She had dark hair, a pale skin and bright eyes whose colour was indiscernible in the shadowy light of the room.

Fidelma studied her for a moment or two before replying: ‘I am Fidelma of Cashel, the dálaigh investigating the manner of the death of Sechnussach. That is the right by which I dare enter these chambers, and with the approval of Cenn Faelad and the Chief Brehon.’

The woman blinked and her features altered a little in what seemed to be a look of apology.

‘I am sorry, lady. I did not know you. Of course, I have been told that you have arrived at the royal enclosure and are investigating this matter.’

‘And you are?’

‘I am Brónach. I am in charge of the female servants. Is there anything that I may help you with?’

‘Ah, Brónach. Of course. Well, this chamber does not appear to have been cleaned in some while. Why is that?’

The woman moved further into the light. Eadulf regarded her movement and poise with appreciation. As handsome as she was now, she had probably once been a great beauty.

‘There is no need to clean it regularly, lady,’ replied Brónach. ‘It is not used. It would have been a different matter if it were occupied.’

‘It is obvious that it is not occupied,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘But I thought these were the chambers of Sechnussach’s wife and family.’

‘Not for some time,’ the woman replied, but there seemed a reluctant tone in her voice as she admitted the fact.