Peter Tremayne - Our Lady of Darkness

Eadulf grinned ruefully. ‘And without food and water,’ he added. ‘I told you that the hospitality of this abbey was not of the best.’

Fidelma stared at him in consternation. ‘What?’

‘It was two days later that Brother Cett came in again and allowed me to wash and eat something. An hour afterwards, a tall man, cadaverous-looking with a brittle voice, came and told me he was the King’s Brehon.’

‘Bishop Forbassach!’

‘Indeed, Bishop Forbassach was his name. Do you know him?’

‘He is an old adversary. But go on.’

‘It was this same Forbasssach who told me that I was accused of raping a young novitiate of the abbey and then strangling her. I was speechless. I told him that I had come to the abbey for food and a bed for the night. That I had been awakened and assaulted and thrown in this cell for two days.

‘He told me that I had been found in bed with blood on my clothes and a piece of the novitiate’s torn and bloody robe.’ He pursed his lips. ‘I thought I was being clever for I said, sarcastically, to the bishop, that I thought he had said the girl had been strangled, so if I had been found with blood all over me it was miraculous. It was then that the bishop told me where the blood had come from. The novitiate was a twelve-year-old virgin. As the final blow, the bishop informed me that there was an eye-witness to my attack.’

‘I am afraid it is pretty damning evidence, Eadulf,’ Fidelma said. ‘Do you have any explanation as to how it was come by?’

Eadulf lowered his head. ‘None. I thought I was having a bad dream,’ he muttered.

‘Was it true that there was blood on your clothes?’

Eadulf held out his hand. She could see dark stains on it.

‘I noticed the blood on my robe soon after I was thrown in here. I thought it was simply my own blood, having been punched and kicked by those who dragged me here. I did have a cut on the face.’

Fidelma could see a small, healing scar. ‘What of the piece of torn robe?’

Eadulf shrugged. ‘That I knew nothing about until a piece of cloth was presented at the formal hearing. I had no knowledge of it.’

‘And the eye-witness?’

‘The young girl? She was either lying or mistaken.’

‘Had you seen her before? Before she accused you, that is?’

‘I don’t think so. I presumed that it was the same young girl who was shown into the cell and pointed to me. I must admit that I was not very alert after my beating. She appeared at the trial and was called Fial.’

‘You say that you attended devotions and a meal before going to bed? Did you see this girl, Fial, at that time?’

‘Not to my knowledge, though she might have seen me. The strange thing is that I could not remember any young novitiates at all in the chapel; at least, not as young as she was. Fial was no more than twelve or thirteen years old.’

‘Did you talk with anyone at all, apart from the stewardess and the abbess?’

‘I did talk a short while to a young Brother. His name was Ibar.’

Fidelma raised her head sharply. ‘ Ibar? ’ She glanced automatically towards the window, thinking of the body of the hanging monk.

‘They say he killed a boatman the day after I was supposed to have killed the young girl,’ confirmed Eadulf. ‘They hanged him this morning.’ He suddenly shivered. ‘There is something vile here, Fidelma. I think you should leave immediately lest anything happens to you. I could not bear to think …’

Fidelma reached forward and laid her hand on his arm reassuringly.

‘Whatever evil it is, Eadulf, they would not dare to harm me for fear that it might bring down a retribution they are unable to contend with. Whoever “they” are. Have no fear for my safety. Besides, I have a couple of my brother’s warriors with me.’

Eadulf shook his head stubbornly. ‘Even so, Fidelma, there is little assurance of safety in this place of darkness. Some evil stalks this abbey and I would rather you abandon me and go back to Cashel for your own safety.’

Fidelma’s jaw came up dangerously. ‘No more talk like that, Eadulf. Here I am and here I stay until we have sorted this matter out. Now, concentrate. Tell me about your trial.’

‘Time passed; I lost count of it. Brother Cett fed me irregularly and allowed me to wash when it took his fancy. He likes inflicting hardship, that one. An evil man. Have a care of him.’

‘I was told that he is somewhat simple.’

Eadulf grinned crookedly. ‘Simple? Yes. He obeys orders and cannot understand anything complicated. But when he is told to inflict pain, he enjoys it. He was the executioner for …’ Eadulf spread a hand towards the window leaving it to Fidelma to assume the rest.

She wrinkled her nose in repugnance. ‘A member of the religious as an executioner? God have mercy on his misguided soul. But you were about to tell me of the trial.’

‘I was taken down to the chapel and Bishop Forbassach sat in judgment with Abbess Fainder. They were joined by a man who looked as grim and stony-faced as Forbassach. He was an abbot.’

‘Abbot Noé?’

Eadulf nodded affirmatively. ‘Do you know him as well?’

‘Both Bishop Forbassach and Abbot Noé are my antagonists of old.’

‘Bishop Forbassach repeated the charges: I denied them. Forbassach said it would go hard with me as I was wasting the time of the court. I denied them again; what else could I do but speak the truth?’ Eadulf was silent a moment, contemplating. ‘Sister Étromma was called as a witness. She told how she had welcomed me to the abbey. Then she identified the body of the murdered girl as one Gormgilla, who was entering the abbey as a novitiate …’

Fidelma interrupted him sharply.

‘Just a moment, Eadulf. What were her exact words? About Gormgilla, I mean.’

‘She said that Gormgilla was a novitiate …’

‘That is not what you said. You said “who was entering the abbey”. Why did you use that form?’

Eadulf shrugged diffidently. ‘I think that was the way she said it. What does it matter?’

‘It matters a lot. But continue.’

‘That was all Sister Étromma had to say, apart from the fact that this Gormgilla was but twelve years old. Then the other girl was called …’

‘The other girl?’

‘The one who had entered my cell and pointed at me.’

‘Ah yes, Fial.’

‘She identified herself to the court as a novitiate in the abbey. She said that she had been a friend of Gormgilla. She also said that she had arranged to meet her on the quay just after midnight.’

‘Why?’

Eadulf stared blankly at Fidelma. ‘Why?’ he echoed.

‘Was she asked why she was going to meet a young novitiate on the quay after midnight? We are speaking of twelve-year-olds here, Eadulf.’

‘No one asked her. She simply said that she went to the quay and saw her friend struggling with a man.’

‘How did she see?’

Eadulf looked bewildered; Fidelma was patient.

‘It was after midnight,’ she explained. ‘One presumes that it was dark. How could she see all this?’

‘I presume that the quay is lit with torchlight.’

‘Was this checked? And could the features of a man’s face be seen clearly by torchlight? Was she asked how close she was and where the light was situated?’

‘Nothing was said. All she told the court was that she had seen her friend struggling with a man.’

‘Struggling?’

‘She said that the man was strangling her friend,’ he went on. ‘The man rose from her body and ran for the abbey. She then identified me as that man. She said she had recognised the man as the Saxon stranger staying at the abbey.’

Fidelma frowned again. ‘She used the words “Saxon stranger”?’