Peter Tremayne - Act of Mercy

She made her way below deck again and went into the mess-deck in search of the other pilgrims. At first she thought the big cabin was deserted but then she saw a shadow in the corner bending over something. Fidelma cleared her throat noisily.

The hooded figure sprang up, swinging round, with cat-like agility. The cowled hood fell away from the face and revealed Sister Crella. The broad-faced young woman looked red-eyed, as if she had been crying.

‘I am sorry that I frightened you, Sister.’ Fidelma smiled reassuringly.

‘I thought … I did not hear you come in.’

‘With the creaks and groans of this vessel, you would have to possess good hearing to isolate the sound of footsteps,’ Fidelma observed. ‘I should have made my presence known but I thought this place was deserted.’

‘I had dropped something in the corner here and was searching for it.’

‘Can I help you?’ Fidelma looked towards the dim lamp that still spluttered on the table.

‘No,’ Sister Crella replied quickly, apparently having recoveredfrom her fright. ‘I thought I dropped it here but I must have left it back in my cabin. It is of no consequence.’

Fidelma regarded her slightly antagonistic expression thoughtfully.

‘Very well,’ she said. ‘Do you have time to talk with me for a moment?’

Crella’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

‘Talk about what?’

‘About Sister Muirgel.’

‘I suppose you mean about the matter of the service? I shall not apologise. Brother Bairne was always jealous and stupid.’

‘Why would he quote from the Book of Hosea? It seemed a strange thing to do at such a ceremony.’

Crella sniffed in annoyance.

‘ … “For a spirit of wantonness has led them astray and in their lusts they are unfaithful to their God”,’ she recited. ‘I know the passage well. Brother Bairne was jealous that Muirgel and I were found attractive by men as we were attracted to certain men. That is all. He disapproved of it.’

‘I gather that he was not one of the men to whom you were attracted?’

Crella actually laughed sharply.

‘Decidedly not.’

‘Did the same dislike of Bairne apply for Sister Muirgel?’

‘Of course. We both considered Bairne a boor. And now, if that is all …?

‘Not exactly. The main subject I wanted to talk to you about is the tragic loss of Sister Muirgel.’

Crella sat down abruptly at the table. Fidelma lowered herself to the bench opposite her. Clearly now, in the light of the lamp, Fidelma could see that the young woman had, indeed, been crying.

‘I think you mentioned at breakfast that Sister Muirgel was your cousin,’ she prompted gently.

‘ And my closest companion,’ affirmed the girl vehemently, as if it was a matter being disputed.

Fidelma reached forward and laid a sympathetic hand on Crella’s arm.

‘I have been asked by the captain to make some enquiries. You see, under law, he has to present a report about Sister Muirgel’s death to the legal authorities at his home port, otherwise her family may take action against him for negligence.’

Crella’s eyes widened innocently.

‘But I am of her family and I know that Murchad was not to blame for her death.’

‘Well, Murchad has to show that in law. Otherwise, no matter the good intentions of yourself, one of her closer family might claim her honour price. Her father, for example, or her brother. As I am a lawyer, he has requested me to ask a few questions and make up the report for him.’

Crella made a sound halfway between a sniff and a sigh.

‘I do not know anything. I was in my bunk all night, scared to death to even move during the storm.’

‘Of course. Rather, I wanted to ask for some background details. You say that you were Sister Muirgel’s cousin and closest companion? Then you will be able to tell me something of her family.’

Crella seemed reluctant. She regarded Fidelma somewhat warily.

‘We are from the Abbey of Moville. It stands at the head of Loch Cuan. It was founded a hundred years ago by the Blessed Finnian. Colmcille trained there and it is now one of the most celebrated ecclesiastical colleges in the country.’

‘I know of it,’ Fidelma acknowledged. ‘So, you were both members of the community of Moville.’

‘We were cousins. Our fathers were of the chiefly family Dal Fiatach.’

Fidelma looked at her sharply.

‘The Dal Fiatach whose lands include Moville?’

‘And the great Abbey of Bangor,’ Crella added almost proudly. ‘The Dal Fiatach territory is one of the largest sub-kingdoms of Ulaidh.’

‘I see. So Sister Muirgel …’

‘ … would have a high honour price.’ Sister Crella anticipated the question. ‘Seven cumals.’

Fidelma was surprised by the girl’s knowledge.

‘You clearly know your honour prices.’ The sum was equivalent to the value of twenty-one milch cows.

‘Muirgel’s father was chief of the territory and my father was his tanist or heir-apparent. We were raised knowing such things,’ the girl explained.

‘So what made you enter the religious life?’

Sister Crella hesitated only for a moment and then spread her arms in an encompassing gesture.

‘Muirgel. It was Muirgel who suggested it. We had brothers and sisters at home and Muirgel thought it would be good to leave home to study.’

‘How old was Muirgel?’

‘The same as I. Twenty years old.’

‘When did you enter the Abbey of Moville?’

‘When we were sixteen.’

‘Why did you come on this pilgrimage?’

Sister Crella began: ‘It was …’ Then she stopped as if a thought struck her.

Fidelma smiled encouragingly.

‘It was also Muirgel’s idea?’ she guessed.

Sister Crella nodded.

‘Did you always follow Muirgel?’

Crella was on the defensive again.

‘We were always very close. She was more like a sister than a cousin. We were always together.’

Fidelma leant back, fingers drumming unconsciously on the table.

‘Why weren’t you sharing a cabin with Muirgel on this voyage?’

Crella was confused.

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I was just wondering. If you and Muirgel were so close, and you came on this voyage because it was her idea, I would have expected you to be sharing a cabin when the need arose for people to share cabins. When I came on board I was initially asked to share a cabin with her.’

‘Oh, I see. I had promised Sister Canair to share with her because she was frightened. She had never been on a sea voyage before.’

‘I see. But Sister Canair did not come aboard, did she? She missed the sailing time.’

Sister Crella looked troubled.

‘She was the leader of our band of pilgrims. She was from Moville as well and a good friend of ours.’

‘Any idea why she would have led you to Ardmore and then missed the sailing time?’

‘None. I was still fully expecting her to be on board when we sailed, that was why I was in one cabin and Muirgel was in another.’

‘How many of you were from Moville?’

‘Dathal, Adamrae, Cian and Tola were all from Bangor. The rest of us were from Moville.’

‘I gather that there was a Sister who died almost as soon as you set out?’

‘Old Sister Siban? She was very aged. We had not even left the territory of Dal Fiatach when she collapsed and died. She was from Moville.’

‘So twelve of you set out on this journey?’

‘Now there are nine of us left.’

‘Why do you think that Sister Canair did not join you? If she had travelled from Moville all the way to Ardmore with you, why would she stop there?’

Crella gave a quick, nervous shrug.

‘Who knows? Perhaps she was afraid of the sea or perhaps she grew tired of our company.’