Peter Tremayne - Valley of the Shadow

‘I can,’ she replied quietly. ‘But before I do so I shall tell you how I came to the conclusion that I have.’

The tension among those gathered increased almost perceptibly.

‘My first mistake, for I made a mistake in progressing a line of thought, which kept me from seeing the truth for some time, was to immediately assume that the killing of the thirty-three young men at the entrance to this valley was inseparably linked to the murder of Brother Solin.’

Colla drew a quick breath.

‘Do you say that they are not?’ he asked in surprise.

‘No, they are not,’ confirmed Fidelma. ‘Although, to be accurate, there is a link, but not the one I had imagined. It follows, by the way, that the murder of Brother Dianach and Artgal, while linked to Brother Solin’s death, was also not part of the ritual slaughter.’

‘We are waiting for your so-called truth!’ sneered Laisre, above the hubbub which she had created in the chamber.

‘You shall hear it soon. I will deal with the matter of the ritual slaughter first. This was simply a crude and foul means to provoke a civil war in Muman. I lay the blame for this at the gates of Mael Dúin, king of the northern Uí Néill in Ailech.’

Again the murmur of surprise interrupted her.

‘Ailech is far from here,’ Colla pointed out in disbelief. ‘And what good would it do Mael Dúin if there was dissension in Muman?’

‘Apparently Mael Dúin wants to seize the thrones of all the northern kingdoms and then sit on the throne of Tara as High King. He wants to dominate all the five kingdoms. To do so, he knows that there is only one kingdom powerful enough to counter his ambitions.’

‘Muman?’ It was Murgal who made the logical conclusion.

‘Exactly so. The Eóghanacht of Cashel would not allow him to usurp the dignity of the High Kingship which is an honour bestowed not a power to be grabbed.’

‘How does it apply to the deaths of the young men? The so-called sacrifices?’ Colla now appeared fascinated by her story, following it carefully.

‘When Gleann Geis called for a representative of Cashel, of the Church of Imleach, to come here to ostensibly discuss the establishment of a church and school, the enemies of Muman had already planned that a simple cleric coming here would see the ritual slaughter and think it was a pagan ceremony. The pagan community of Gleann Geis would be blamed immediately. No cleric could ignore the affront to the Faith. It was believed that this cleric would race back to Cashel and that the king of Cashel and his bishop at Imleach would pronounce a Holy War of retribution on Gleann Geis. That they would attempt to annihilate the people of Gleann Geis as condign judgment.

‘This would provoke Gleann Geis’s neighbours to rise up to protect their kin against the aggression of Cashel and the one step would inevitably lead to another.’

‘And what prevented this great plan being fulfilled … if such a plan ever existed?’ Laisre sounded unconvinced.

‘I was the cleric but, also being a dálaigh, I believed in proof before action. It threw their plan out of synchronisation.’

‘A weak plan,’ observed Colla, ‘with too many ifs and buts.’

‘No. For the plan itself had adherents here in Gleann Geis, people who did not care how many of their clan were killed if it produced the right results because it was a step for them on the road to the greater power which Mael Dúin had promised them should he become High King.’

Murgal laughed outright in disbelief.

‘Are you claiming that some of us in Gleann Geis have been bribed by offers of power or riches from Mael Dúin of Ailech? Are you saying that we, or some of us, are working hand in glove with Mael Dúin of Ailech to destroy our own people in return for crumbs from his table?’

‘Precisely. Mael Dúin’s plan could not work without such an ally or allies. The subversion of Muman had to come from within if it stood any chance to work.’

‘You’ll have to prove that.’

Fidelma smiled at Murgal and she turned around the room, gazing on them each in turn as if attempting to read their thoughts. Finally she said: ‘That is what I now propose to do. I am able to do so thanks to something else which happened here which, as I have said, I had actually thought was related but which was not. Yet this unrelated matter led me to the guilty ally of Ailech.’

‘Who is it?’ demanded Colla, with tension.

‘Firstly, let me do some reconstruction of these events. The plan isset in motion. Mael Dúin has sent a band of warriors with sacrificial hostages to enact the ritual which is to set in motion the wrath of Cashel and Imleach. So far so good. The ally in Gleann Geis has everything arranged. An invitation has been sent to Imleach to ensure that a cleric is on their way to Gleann Geis and will stumble across the ritual killings. Sentinels are set to watch for the arrival of the cleric so that Ailech’s warriors know where and when to perform their despicable crime.’

She paused for dramatic effect.

‘Now Mael Dúin also has a powerful ally in the north. Ultan, the bishop of Armagh, himself. He has promised to give aid to Mael Dúin in his bid for power. How much did Ultan know of the plan? I cannot say. But he sent his secretary and a young scribe to Gleann Geis. It might be that Brother Solin was sent in order to provide a so-called independent witness to Cashel’s awaited march on Gleann Geis who could then report the matter to the other provincial kings so that Armagh could call for the rest of the provincial kings to march on Cashel. Brother Solin however, was certainly in the plot even if Ultan was not.’

‘How do you know that?’ Murgal asked.

‘The fact was that Sechnassuch of Tara surmised that Mael Dúin was ambitious for power and suspected he was plotting something. He also discovered that Ultan was in an alliance with Mael Dúin but to what extent he did not know. So Sechnassuch asked some warriors to keep an eye on Ultan and they discovered Brother Solin’s involvement. They followed Solin and his young scribe Brother Dianach and saw them meet some of Mael Dúin’s warriors. These warriors were marching thirty-three hostages towards Gleann Geis. Thirty-three,’ she added carefully for effect. After a pause she continued.

‘The warriors of Sechnassuch witnessed a woman meet with the men of Ailech and with Brother Solin and Dianach at that rendezvous. When one of the prisoners escaped, it was this woman who rode out and hunted him down. The woman escorted Solin and his young scribe to the ravine entrance of Gleann Geis.’

‘But Solin and Dianach came into Gleann Geis alone,’ interrupted Orla, with a flushed face. ‘Any of our guards at the ravine will tell you that.’

‘I will not argue,’ Fidelma replied evenly, ‘for you are correct. Brother Solin and young Dianach entered Gleann Geis alone … having left the woman. She showed two of Ailech’s warriors the path which the Cashel cleric was likely to come by, the spot where the bodies must be laid out. Then she entered the valley by anotherway she knew, the secret path along the river where Artgal’s body was found.’

Orla was about to say something when her husband intervened.

‘You say these warriors of Sechnassuch followed these people here? Where are they? What proof do we have of what you say?’

‘You ought to have deduced that the warriors who have secured this ráth are the same men. Ibor of Muirthemne is their leader and not a horse dealer. Ibor is commander of the Craobh Rígh of Ulaidh.’

Ibor took a step forward and bowed stiffly towards Laisre.

‘At your command, chieftain of Gleann Geis,’ he said formally but with humour in his voice.

‘Not my command,’ replied Laisre with distaste. ‘Get on with this tedious tale, Fidelma.’