Peter Tremayne - Valley of the Shadow

‘What?’

‘That is a pity,’ repeated Fidelma. ‘A pity the woman did not enter Gleann Geis with Solin and Dianach.’

‘Why so?’

‘Because we could have easily confirmed that this was Orla by finding out, from the sentinels, who it was that escorted Solin and Dianach into the glen.’

‘I was wondering why Brother Solin had gone on into Gleann Geis,’ went on Ibor, ‘not yet having worked out all the permutations of the plot. Pondering this, my men and I found this hiding place and decided to make it our base until we could discover more details. Then two things happened.’

‘What?’

‘Firstly, while we were hiding in the hills, my scouts reported that the warriors of Ailech had slaughtered the hostages. The slaughter had been done in the shallows of a stream back in the hills, presumably to hide the deed for the water would have dispersed the blood. By the time my scouts alerted me, the bodies had been stripped, placed on carts and taken across the glen — as I say, to the spot where the woman had previously accompanied the two others. We were about to follow them when we observed the empty carts returning with the warriors of Ailech. There were no bodies. We saw that one cart was piled with the bloodied clothes of the victims. Then both carts proceeded northward with their escort.’

He passed his hand over his mouth distastefully as he remembered the scene.

‘Go on,’ urged Eadulf, intrigued by the horror.

‘Then my scouts reported your arrival on the plain and that you had halted where the bodies had, as my scouts reported, been dumped. After a while, from our vantage point in the hills, we saw you and Brother Eadulf crossing the plain and then being greeted by a band of warriors with a woman at their head. By her appearance, it was the same woman who had met Mael Dúin’s warriors earlier.’

When he paused again it was Fidelma who urged: ‘Then what happened?’

‘I was considering what plan I should adopt when my men saw the warrior I now know to be Artgal ride to the spot where the bodies were and examine them. You two and the woman had disappeared into the gorge. I was not sure, at that time, who you were or whatArtgal was looking for. I did not know even then what exactly had happened. Only after Artgal and his men had left did we venture to the spot.’

He shuddered involuntarily.

‘I have seen many vicious acts in war, all made while the battle fever gripped men’s minds, but there are none that I recall which approached this horror. I went with my scouts and saw that the hostages had been mutilated — the old Threefold Death of which storytellers used to frighten us as children. Only when I saw how the bodies had been arranged did I realise the significance.’

‘Why didn’t you tell me what you knew when you came to Gleann Geis instead of pretending you were a dealer in horses?’ demanded Fidelma. ‘That was a poor disguise, easily seen through.’

Ibor grinned lopsidedly.

‘It was the only disguise I could think of at the time which gave me a chance of entering the glen. But as for telling you — I did not know who you were. When Laisre introduced us, I knew you only by reputation. But I was told that you were in the company of a Roman monk.’ He glanced at Eadulf. ‘He might have been one of Mael Dúin’s men or one of Ultan’s followers. I could not trust you. I could not know whether you were part of the plot or not.

‘I suspected, however, that Orla was involved because she was the one who met with Brother Solin and the butchers of Ailech. The more I thought about it, it was obvious that Mael Dúin could not conceive or work this plot on his own or just with Solin’s backing. To work accurately, such a plan would have to have at least one supporter in Gleann Geis.’

Eadulf nodded slowly.

‘What happened when Colla came later to investigate? Did you observe what he did?’ he queried.

‘We hid from Colla and his men. I had sent two of my men to track the warriors of Ailech. They did so as far as the borders of the Uí Fidgente and then returned to report that those scions of evil were well on their way back to their master at Ailech. We watched Colla search the valley for a while. He rode as far as the foothills in which we were hiding. Then he returned to Gleann Geis.’

Fidelma sat back.

‘And it was then that you decided to come into Gleann Geis posing as a horse trader to see what was going on there?’

Ibor made an affirmative gesture.

‘Then it all fell into place, or so I thought. Some great charade had been enacted to prompt a terrible war. Only your refusal to panic and cry “wolf!” at the first opportunity stopped the immediate outbreakof hostilities. The problem was, Brother Solin recognised me as a warrior of Ulaidh in the service of Sechnassuch.’

‘I overheard your conversation at the stable. Why didn’t he betray you?’

‘He might well have had not I called his bluff and said I would also denounce him. It appears that there are many in Gleann Geis who are not in this plot. I was trying to find out who was on which side when Solin was murdered and you were placed on trial.’

‘And you fled!’ sneered Eadulf. ‘Thus bringing suspicion down on yourself.’

‘What else could I do in the circumstances?’ demanded Ibor. ‘Someone had to be free to inform Sechnassuch.’

‘And Brother Solin’s death was not at your hands?’

‘That much is obvious.’

Fidelma was frowning as she thought over the details of Ibor’s story.

‘There are many questions to be resolved,’ she brooded.

‘Such as how Mael Dúin in his northern kingdom at Ailech knew that Laisre was going to send to Cashel for a religious to negotiate on matters of Faith? How could he know that this religious was to arrive on a particular day so that his men knew where and when to place the bodies?’ Eadulf interposed.

‘Mael Dúin must have been closely informed as to what was going on,’ agreed Ibor. ‘Orla showed his men to the place where the bodies were found by you. Was she acting on her own? It seems unlikely. But who was in the plot with her?’

Fidelma nodded.

‘She is certainly part of this conspiracy. But … and this is the question we really need to answer … if Orla was thus an ally of Brother Solin, why did she kill him?’

Ibor started forward in surprise.

‘That had not occurred to me. Are you sure that you saw her at the stable? If so that also implicates Colla as her accomplice?’

Fidelma was quiet for a moment.

‘Yes. But we are still left with a mystery — why, if this matter emanates from such a terrible plot to create civil war here, does one ally turn on another? Why kill Brother Solin and then kill Dianach? It simply does not make sense.’

Ibor spread his arms helplessly.

‘I was hoping that you would be able to unravel this knot.’

‘Even I cannot perform miracles, Ibor,’ replied Fidelma grimly.

‘I have never known of such an instance where all paths lead into nowhere; where there is much suspicion but no tangibleline of facts. I am afraid that the answers still lie in the ráth of Gleann Geis.’

Eadulf shuddered slightly.

‘Better to ride for Cashel and report what we know already to your brother.’

Ibor was immediately in agreement.

Fidelma shook her head firmly.

‘I presume that we are now free to travel where we wish?’ she asked Ibor with a touch of irony.

The lord of Muirthemne was contrite.

‘Of course. My men detained you only because I told them to be suspicious of everyone coming from Gleann Geis. I was going to try to contact you and offer to work with you to solve this matter.’

‘In that case Brother Eadulf will remain with you but I shall return to Laisre’s ráth,’ Fidelma announced. ‘It is only there that the final threads of the mystery will link together. However, if you can spare one of your most trusted men to ride to my brother at Cashel …? We need to inform him of Mael Dúin of Ailech’s plans and Ultan’s involvement.’