Peter Tremayne - Our Lady of Darkness

‘The scheme was simple: they planted these items in Brother Ibar’s cell. The rest was up to Gabrán. He was instructed to tell Daig that Brother Ibar had tried to sell him the gold chain in the market and he had recognised it as the one worn by his crewman. A search was made of Brother Ibar’s cell and the planted evidence was found. That dealt with Brother Ibar.’

She paused, realising that she held all present spellbound by her story. She saw the scribes looking at her wide-eyed.

‘Verba volant, scripta manent ,’ she admonished sharply. ‘Spoken words fly away, written words remain.’ She wanted all this down in writing. It was a complicated tale and she did not want to repeat herself further. The scribes bent industriously to their tasks.

‘We have the saying that one should not count the eggs until one haspurchased the chicken. Perhaps it was something Gabrán said or that Ibar had told him, but Daig became suspicious that he had arrested the wrong man. Unthinking, Daig probably mentioned as much to Gabrán for, shortly afterwards, on a dark night on the same quay, Daig met his own death.’

‘Are you saying that Daig was murdered?’ protested Bishop Forbassach. ‘It is well-known that it was an accident. He fell, hit his head and drowned.’

‘I would argue that Daig was hit on the head, fell and drowned in that order, that is if he was not dead before he hit the water. The motive was to prevent him proceeding further with his suspicions.’

There was a pause while the resultant hubbub of sound rose and was then allowed to die away. The assembly turned almost as one towards Barrán. The chief scribe banged his staff for their attention.

‘Continue with your presentation, Fidelma,’ the Chief Brehon instructed. ‘I remind you that this is still conjecture.’

‘I am aware of it, Barrán, but I am sure that, at the end of my surmise, I shall bring forward those who will give testimony to the various foundations on which I make it. Thus I hope to confirm a picture that leaves no reasonable doubt in our minds.’

Barrán indicated that she should continue.

‘My unexpected arrival put a halt to some of the plans. It was realised that Fial would not stand up to close questioning from a dálaigh who was looking for faults in her story and so she was replaced on Gabrán’s boat. She had to be disposed of. However, Gabrán being the licentious man he was, decided to use the poor girl until he had grown tired of her. She was kept like an animal, manacled below deck.’

‘Until Fial killed him?’ interposed Abbot Noé quickly.

‘I have already said that she did not kill him,’ snapped Fidelma.

Barrán was irritated.

‘You should listen carefully to the dálaigh’s arguments, Abbot. Fidelma of Cashel has already stated this clearly.’ He turned to Fidelma. ’I have a question.’

Fidelma turned enquiringly.

‘All the while Brother Eadulf and Brother Ibar were alive they were surely a danger because they might prove their innocence or let out some vital information which might lead a thinking person to investigate. Under our own laws, without a death penalty, it would be worthlessto lay the guilt on another as there would always be a chance that they could demonstrate their innocence …’

‘But who questions the innocence of a dead man?’ queried Fidelma sharply.

‘So, does the fact that Abbess Fainder insisted on punishment by the Penitentials, meaning execution, have anything to do with this matter? Does the fact that Bishop Forbassach, apparently forgetting his oath as a brehon, agreed with the abbess relate to this matter? If so, we must bring into account the fact that Abbot Noé influenced King Fianamail to accept the Penitentials in place of the Law of the Fénechus.’

Fidelma did not bother to look at the opposite benches.

‘It has everything to do with it, Barrán. The plan to lay the blame on Eadulf and Ibar rested on the end result that they would be executed. Mortui non mordent! ’

Barrán looked grim.

‘Dead men don’t bite,’ he repeated, savouring the phrase.

Before the murmurs of surprise rose, Fidelma continued: ‘The plan might have worked out, in spite of my appearance, had it not been for the bó-aire of Cam Eolaing.’

Coba glanced up in surprise. He had been sitting in an attitude of close attention.

‘What had I to do with this?’

‘You are against the use of the Penitentials. But neither Bishop Forbassach nor Abbess Fainder realised just how much against them you were nor how far you would be prepared to go in support of the legal system of this kingdom.’

Coba grimaced ruefully.

‘I am too old to embrace new philosophies. What is it that the Brehons say? The soft twig is more durable than the stubborn tree.’

‘Eadulf owes his life to your stubbornness, Coba. You did the one thing that no one was expecting by rescuing Eadulf and giving him sanctuary.’

‘For which you will be accountable,’ muttered Bishop Forbassach with a sideways glance of anger.

‘Not so,’ Barrán intervened sharply. ‘Defence of the law is no crime.’

Bishop Forbassach glowered with hatred at the Chief Brehon but he wisely said nothing further.

‘However,’ Fidelma went on as if the interruption had not occurred, ‘it made me suspicious of you for a while, Coba. You had given Eadulfsanctuary and then claimed that he had abused it and escaped. Thus he could be shot down at will. I knew that there was a good reason for Eadulf to leave the confines of the maighin digona. He understood the law well. I thought it might have been you who had tricked him into leaving the sanctuary. It was not until I spoke with Eadulf a short while ago that I realised you had no hand in the matter.’

Coba looked uncertain and then shrugged. ‘For that, I am glad.’

‘It was Gabrán again, but this time acting on the orders of his employers who had found out where Eadulf was. Gabrán went to Cam Eolaing. He knew a warrior there called Dau, who was in Coba’s service. Dau could be bought and was. Gabrán killed the guard at the gate, hid the body behind it and then, pretending to be acting for you, Coba, he told Eadulf he was free to go. But things do not always proceed according to plan. When Gabrán and Dau tried to shoot Eadulf down, he eluded them and escaped into the hills. Now things began to get really complicated for the puppet-master.’

‘Puppet-master?’ The Chief Brehon was frowning at the unusual expression.

Fidelma smiled apologetically. ‘You’ll forgive me, Barrán. It refers to an entertainment I saw on pilgrimage to Rome. I mean one who manipulates others but is unseen. We have the old expression seinm cruitte dara hamarc. ’

The ancient proverbial expression she used related to one playing a harp without being seen.

‘How did this … er, puppet-master, know Eadulf had been given sanctuary in my fortress?’ demanded Coba.

‘You told them.’

‘Told them? Me? ’

‘You are a careful and moral man, Coba. You obey the Law of the Fénechus. You told me that as soon as you took action and granted Eadulf sanctuary you had sent a messenger to the abbey.’

‘That is correct. He was to tell the abbess that I had granted the Saxon sanctuary.’

‘Lies!’ shouted Abbess Fainder. ‘I received no such message.’

Coba looked at her sorrowfully and shook his head.

‘My messenger returned from the abbey and confirmed that the message had been delivered.’

Every eye in the assembly now turned towards the shaken abbess.

‘I knew it,’ stormed Bishop Forbassach, rising in anger from his seat again. ‘This is some plot to attack and slander Abbess Fainder. I will not tolerate it.’