Peter Tremayne - Master of Souls

As bewildered as Conri they rose hesitantly. As they did so the light from the candles that had now been lit flickered on the sleeve and front of the robe that Brother Cu Mara was wearing. Little pinpricks of light danced on it. Fidelma frowned and reached out to touch the robe. She felt the hard granular objects between her fingertips.

She glanced inquisitively.

‘I deduce that you have been leaning on Sister Uallann’s workbench recently.’

Brother Cu Mara frowned.

‘I have not been in her apothecary since I took you there,’ he replied firmly.

Fidelma’s eyes widened a fraction before she motioned them to leave. Brother Cu Mara and Sister Sinnchene made their way out of the tech-nigid without another word.

Eadulf turned to Fidelma as the door closed but even as he began to open his mouth she shook her head, knowing what was in his mind.

‘The art of a good interrogation is to know when to stop pushing,’ she told him. ‘When to know the moment to allow a space of uncertainty to occur. Often people continue to ask questions when it merely strengthens the suspect. Uncertainty can often work more upon the fears of the suspect than bludgeoning them into forming replies that strengthen their position. But tell me what you make of this?’

She sprinkled half a dozen minuscule grains into the palm of his hand. He went to hold it by the light of the candle.

‘Just ground stone,’ he said after a while. ‘You might pick this up on a beach where the seas grind the stones down into such fine specks. I think it is called corundum.’

Fidelma brushed the rest of the grains from her hands. ‘It is probably of no importance.’

Eadulf walked to the stool that the rechtaire had vacated and slumped down.

‘I think that you had best bring us up to date on your interrogation of Sister Sinnchene,’ he suggested quietly.

Briefly, but without leaving out any of the relevant points, Fidelma gave them an account of her exchange with Sister Sinnchene.

‘If they were lovers, I think we can rule out Sinnchene as a killer,’ Eadulf finally commented.

Fidelma immediately shook her head.

‘There is much power in that word “if”, Eadulf. Certainly one of the two is not being entirely truthful.’

‘But which one? Sister Buan or Sister Sinnchene?’

‘There are inconsistencies in both their accounts,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘But I am more suspicious of Sinnchene at the moment. Did you see the way she reached out for Brother Cu Mara in a moment of stress?’

Eadulf shook his head.

‘I was too busy watching Cu Mara’s face to see if he was lying. I do not think he was being honest.’

‘Those two have something to hide. I think that the good Sister Sinnchene has found another lover with status in this abbey.’

Conri looked shocked.

‘You mean that while she was supposed to be having some affair with the Venerable Cinaed, she was also having an affair with the rechtaire?’

Fidelma smiled cynically.

‘Such liaisons are not entirely unknown. However, this relationship with Brother Cu Mara may have started after Cinaed’s death. Remember the girl is young, emotional and probably needs someone for support.’

‘But-’

‘We have to move on. If the weather is fair tomorrow we sail for the land of the Corco Duibhne. I would like some resolution to this matter before that time. However, I suspect that we will not get it. I have a strange feeling that it is all connected. To disentangle such a mystery, you have to find a path to follow. It is like unravelling a ball of string. You take a piece and pull and hopefully you are able to follow it to the end so that the ball falls apart. I don’t think that we have found the right piece of string to unwind yet. Perhaps we should visit this fortress of Uaman the Leper?’

Conri was shaking his head. ‘We have only the girl’s word for these

Eadulf was in agreement. ‘As I recall, Uaman had only a few men with him and they were slain by Gorman. We let one of Uaman’s warriors go free for he surrendered and could do no harm to us. I saw the local people rise up and torch Uaman’s fortress. So Abbess Faife died within sight of that ruined pile. What does that prove? Certainly Uaman had followers but not many. None of them could be intent on leading a new plot to destroy Cashel.’

‘I think Brother Eadulf and I speak as one here, lady,’ Conri. agreed. ‘There can be no more Ui Fidgente plots. We will argue our case against Cashel under law but not by force of arms. You have our chieftain’s word on that.’

‘Because you and 1 agree, Conri,’ she replied, ‘because your leader Donennach and Colgu my brother have agreed a treaty, it does not mean to say that others agree. Peace is kept by vigilance. Do you know the aphorism of Vegetius — si vis pacem para bellum?’

‘If you want peace, prepare for war,’ muttered Eadulf. ‘It sometimes can be misinterpreted to justify a kingdom’s making itself powerful and then asserting its own terms of peace over its neighbours. The Pax Romana, for example, was nothing but the peace dictated by the strength of the Roman army.’

Fidelma was impatient. ‘Anyway, it is scarcely the time for philosophy and semantics. I merely say that one should not blind oneself to possibilities just because one wants to believe in the good of others. We must be watchful.’

‘Very well, but does that help us now? Remember it is my aunt of whom we speak. Abbess Faife was of the nobility of the Ui Fidgente opposed to the continuation of the conflict with Cashel.’

‘I am not forgetting that fact, Conri.’

Conri blinked at her sharp tone.

‘I have other business to conduct with the abbot so I will meet you at the evening meal,’ he said shortly and left.

After the door had closed on him, Eadulf glanced at Fidelma.

‘I think he is irritated,’ he ventured.

‘I don’t doubt it,’ replied Fidelma gravely but a smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Eadulf was puzzled for a moment.

‘You wanted him to leave?’ he said accusingly.

She leant forward. ‘Eadulf, I need to speak to certain people and I do not want Conri. in attendance, especially if it turns out that there is some Ui Fidgente plot brewing again.’

‘But you have often pointed out that Conri. is on our side,’ protested Eadulf.

‘And if that is true, don’t you think that he would be putting himself in danger if what I suspect is correct? Better that he keep out of the affair until I get more information.’

She rose and went to the door.

‘Where now?’ asked Eadulf wearily, as he joined her.

‘We shall have another word with the physician, Sister Uallann.’

They were passing the tech-screptra when a young religieux came running from it, his hair dishevelled, his breath coming in sobs. He nearly ran into them but Eadulf grasped him by the arm.

‘You are in a terrible hurry, Brother…’ he began.

The young man, who had his head down as he was hurrying, looked up. It was the young library assistant, Brother Faolchair. He was clearly upset.

‘Sorry. I… I…’ he began to stammer, not able to form words.

Fidelma gave the boy a look of encouragement.

‘What is it that makes you upset?’

He focused wide eyes on her with an expression of distress.

‘My work, Sister. My work — ruined.’

‘Your work?’

‘I have just returned to the library and found all my copying work ruined, the book I was copying from…’

Fidelma was suddenly very still.

‘You were copying a book by the Venerable Cinaed, weren’t you?’ she said sharply.

The boy nodded.

‘I was. The book has vanished. I went to the shelves to see if someone had replaced it. All the books of the Venerable Cinaed had been swept off the shelves. Sister, they have been burnt.’