Peter Tremayne - Smoke in the Wind

‘Go on,’ Fidelma said when he paused.

‘I heard voices raised. I recognised Mair’s voice at once. Then I saw Idwal. They both seemed upset and Idwal was quite violent.’

‘Violent? In what manner did that violence manifest itself?’

‘His voice was raised. His expression and attitude seemed threatening.’

‘What then?’

‘I knew that Iorwerth had forbidden Mair to see Idwal and Idwal to see Mair. I hurried on to Iorwerth’s forge to tell him.’

‘Did you like Mair?’ asked Eadulf, causing Fidelma to wonder what had prompted the question. ‘I mean, did you find her attractive?’

Iestyn coloured. ‘I am her father’s friend and old enough to be her father myself,’ he snapped.

‘Just so,’ agreed Eadulf cheerfully. ‘But she was an attractive young girl. Didn’t she have lovers, or men who would have liked to have been her lovers?’

‘Her father had arranged a marriage for her to-’

‘I know. But you must have found her attractive?’ Fidelma saw the anger gathering in Iestyn’s eyes and, not wanting to lose him, decided to interrupt Eadulf’s line of questioning.

‘We were wondering why you left them in the middle of such a terrible quarrel, Iestyn. Why didn’t you intercede in this argument?’

‘I had no right to interfere. It did not occur to me that the boy was about to kill the girl, or I would have done so.’

‘Ah, so you did not think the argument was that serious?’ Eadulf observed quickly.

The farmer looked at him, a frown on his face as he tried to understand the implication of the remark.

‘The argument was serious,’ he said slowly. ‘Otherwise Mair would still be alive.’

‘It is easy to be knowledgeable in retrospect,’ agreed Eadulf. ‘But at the time you did not think that the argument was so serious that physical danger for the girl might result? Otherwise you would have stayed to help Mair, wouldn’t you?’

‘Of course I would!’ snapped the farmer.

‘Instead you hurried to Iorwerth’s forge and told him that you had seen Mair and Idwal quarrelling in the woods?’

‘I did.’

‘Did you see anyone else as you came through the woods? Did you see Gwnda there, or pass anyone else?’

Iestyn shook his head. ‘Not that I recall. . oh, I saw Buddog on the path gathering mushrooms.’

‘There is something which worries me,’ Fidelma commented. ‘You reported that Idwal was meeting Mair in spite of Iorwerth’s instruction not to do so. You observed them quarrelling. Not seriously enough for you to intervene. Nor seriously enough for you to be concerned for the immediate safety of Mair. But this news is enough to set Iorwerth, yourself and several others racing into the woods to punish Idwal. Why was there this hatred of the boy?’

‘The boy needed to be taught to obey, needed to be taught respect. That’s all,’ replied Iestyn defiantly. ‘We were all friends of Iorwerth and we thought that we should help him.’

‘So what happened when you went into the wood?’ Fidelma asked.

‘I led them to the spot where I had seen Mair and Idwal. There was Mair, dead. Almost at the same moment we saw Gwnda, and Idwal stretched unconscious on the ground, a little further on. Iorwerth and the others. .’ He paused, and gave them a stubborn look. ‘We were for hanging the boy there and then. Gwnda stopped us, insisting that the law must be upheld.’

‘As a matter of interest, did Gwnda tell you what he was doing in the woods that morning?’ asked Eadulf.

Iestyn shook his head. ‘The path behind the woodsman’s hut is frequently used by the villagers. It goes to Cilau.’

‘I see. So you brought the boy back to the township? Knowing that a barnwr from the abbey would be arriving, why did you take it into your heads to imprison Gwnda, take Idwal from the stables, where he was being held, and attempt to hang him before we reached here?’

‘There were many people involved. It was the will of the people. Vox . . vox . . the voice of the people is the voice of God!’

‘ Vox populi vox Dei ,’ supplied Fidelma in amusement. ‘Yes, we’ve heard that justification before.’

Iestyn did not answer.

‘I remember that you were brandishing a cudgel on the night we arrived. Was that to ensure the voice of the people was heard?’

‘Had you not interfered then, Brother Meurig would still be alive.’

‘Are you saying that you had no responsibility for Idwal’s death?’

‘The boy killed Mair. We have a way of dealing with killers in our township, Gwyddel.’ For the first time Iestyn’s bitterness broke through the barrier of restraint he had put up.

‘It is a way that is denounced by your own law. Brother Meurig pointed that out to you in no uncertain terms.’

‘The entire township was behind us.’

‘Does that make it right? Morality is not often defined by the will of the majority.’

Iestyn scowled.

‘I suppose,’ Eadulf commented sarcastically, ‘that it is the will of the majority which absolves you from responsibility for Idwal’s death?’

The farmer was equally derisive. ‘Are you saying that was wrong? Brother Meurig was a barnwr and a religieux. Are you saying that you do not want his killer punished? I thought you religious protected your own?’

‘How did you know it was Idwal who killed Meurig?’

The farmer regarded him as if he were mad. ‘What are you saying?’

‘Simple enough. Who said that it was Idwal who killed Brother Meurig?’

‘Why. . everyone knew it.’

‘Everyone stood as witnesses to Idwal’s killing of Brother Meurig?’ Fidelma was scornful.

‘I did not mean that. If it was not Idwal who slew the barnwr , who did so?’

‘A good question,’ said Fidelma. ‘One that should have been considered before Idwal was killed.’

‘Who else was it but Idwal? He was taken to the wood in the custody of the barnwr . That was a stupid thing for Brother Meurig to do. He should have taken someone else to guard the boy. Idwal must have waited for the moment when he could kill the barnwr and escape.’

‘He did not escape far, did he?’ Fidelma put in quickly. ‘In fact, he was waiting in a fairly obvious place only a short distance away.’

‘The boy was simple-minded.’

‘Simple-minded but an evil killer whom you had to hang immediately?’

‘As I would do with a dog turned wild,’ agreed Iestyn sourly.

‘So you murdered the boy without giving him a chance?’ Eadulf was moved to retort.

‘Murdered?’ The farmer was angry. ‘Don’t you dare to talk to me of murder, Saxon. Your people have enough murder on your hands. My grandfather was a wise and learned man who could read Latin. He studied at the school of Illtyd when Gildas the Wise was also a student there. He kept a copy of a book which Gildas wrote. .’

‘ De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae ,’ muttered Eadulf softly. ‘I have read it.’

Iestyn was disconcerted for a moment. Then he said: ‘I only know the name as it was translated to me. It was Concerning the Ruin and Conquest of Britain . My grandfather used to read it to me and translate it. I learnt enough of Saxon perfidy from that work. Alas, that I have no Latin that I can read it now.’

‘Had you been able to, then you might have recalled that Gildas kept his harshest criticism for the kings of the Britons whom he denounced for their iniquities,’ replied Fidelma. ‘His conclusion was that the conquest by the Saxons was a just punishment inflicted by God for the sins of your fathers.’

Iestyn clamped his jaw so tight that it seemed positively painful. Then, without a further word, he turned and swung back up onto his cart, unwound the reins and flicked the patient donkey into movement.