Peter Tremayne - Act of Mercy

Thus Fidelma encouraged him, gently leading the youth on and trying to break down his initial hostility to her intrusion. She noticed that his right hand kept going to his left arm to massage it. There was a dark stain on the sleeve.

‘You seem to have hurt your arm,’ she commented sympathetically. ‘Have you cut it? Shall I examine it for you?’

He flushed and a scowl spread over his features again. ‘It is nothing. I scratched it, that is all.’ Then he relapsed into silence.

Fidelma pressed on. ‘What made you decide to come on this pilgrimage, Brother Guss?’

‘Cummian.’

‘I don’t understand. Cummian told you to come on this voyage?’

‘Cummian had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of St James and advised me that I should also take the voyage for my own education.’

‘To see foreign worlds?’ hazarded Fidelma.

The young man shook his head patronisingly.

‘No; to see the stars.’

Fidelma thought for a moment before suddenly understanding what he meant.

‘The Holy Shrine of St James at the Field of Stars?’

‘Cummian says that when you stand at the Holy Shrine you can look up into a clear night sky and trace the Way of the White Cow, curving directly to the kingdoms of Eireann. It is said that our ancestors over a thousand years ago followed the Way of the White Cow and thus they came to the shores of the lands in which they settled.’ For a moment, the youth’s tone rose in enthusiasm.

Fidelma knew that the Way of the White Cow was described by many names; in Latin it was called the Circulus Lacteus, the Milky Way.

‘That is why the spot is called the Field of the Stars because the stars are laid out so clearly,’ added the youth.

‘So Cummian suggested you come on this pilgrimage?’

‘When Sister Canair announced that she was organising the pilgrimage, Cummian arranged for me to accompany her.’

‘You knew Sister Canair, of course?’

He shook his head.

‘Not before the Venerable Cummian introduced me. We students of star lore did not mix with other sections of the community.’

‘So you knew none of the party on this pilgrimage?’

Brother Guss frowned.

‘I did not know Brother Cian, Dathal nor Adamrae, nor even Brother Tola. They were all from Bangor. I knew some of the others by sight.’

‘Sister Crella, for example?’

A spasm of dislike crossed his face.

‘I know Crella.’

Fidelma leaned forward quickly.

‘You do not like her?’

Guss suddenly looked guarded.

‘It is not my position to like or dislike.’

‘But you do not like her,’ repeated Fidelma. ‘Was there any particular reason for that?’

Guss shrugged but said nothing.

Fidelma decided to try another tack.

‘Did you know Sister Muirgel well?’

Brother Guss blinked rapidly, and that guarded look crossed his features once more.

‘I met her several times at the Abbey before the pilgrimage was announced.’ There was a tightness in his voice. Fidelma decided to hazard an interpretation.

‘Did you like Muirgel?’

‘I do not deny it,’ he said quietly.

‘More than like?’ she guessed.

The youth’s jaw clamped shut. His eyes met Fidelma’s and it seemed that he hesitated as if to make up his mind what he should say.

‘I said … I liked her!’ The words came out like a protest.

Fidelma sat back for a moment trying to gauge what was going on in his mind.

‘Well, there is nothing wrong in that,’ she pointed out. ‘How did she feel about you?’

‘She returned my feelings,’ he said quietly.

‘I am sorry,’ Fidelma said, automatically laying a land on his arm. ‘I have been too impertinent. The captain requested me to enquire into the circumstances of her death. So I must ask these questions. You understand that, don’t you?’

‘The circumstances of her death?’ The youth actually laughed — a harsh, unmusical bark. ‘I will tell you the circumstances of her death. She was murdered!’

Fidelma stared into the angry face of the youth, and then she said quietly: ‘You do not accept that she was merely swept overboard then? So what do you believe happened to her, Brother Guss?’

‘I do not know!’ Was his reply a little too hurried?

‘And why would someone have killed her?’

‘Jealousy, perhaps.’

‘Who was jealous? Who would murder her?’ demanded Fidelma. She suddenly remembered Sister Crella’s accusation against Brother Bairne at the memorial ceremony. ‘You were just jealous.’ Those were the words she had used. Fidelma leaned forward. ‘Was it Brother Bairne who was jealous?’

Brother Guss looked bewildered.

‘Bairne? He was jealous, right enough. But it was Crella who killed her.’

Fidelma did not expect the reply and it made her quiet for a moment or so.

‘Do you have evidence for what you say?’ she asked softly.

The youth hesitated and then shook his head firmly.

‘I know that Crella is responsible, that is all.’

‘You’d better tell me the whole story. When did you meet Sister Muirgel? What exactly was your relationship with her?’

‘I fell in love with her when she came to the Abbey. At first, she barely noticed me. She preferred more mature men. You know, men like Brother Cian. He was mature. He had been a warrior. She certainly liked him. ’

‘And did he like her?’

‘At first she was in his company a lot.’

‘Did they have an affair?’

Brother Gus flushed and his lower lip trembled for a moment. Then he nodded.

‘Why was Crella jealous?’

‘She was jealous of anyone who took Sister Muirgel away from her. But in this case …’ He paused, as if reflecting.

Fidelma prompted him to continue: ‘In this case … what?’

‘It had been Sister Muirgel who had taken Cian away from Crella.’

Fidelma had to control her features. Brother Guss was full of surprises.

‘Are you saying that Cian was having an affair with Crella and then turned from her to Muirgel?’

‘Sister Muirgel admitted it was all a mistake. It lasted a few days, that is all.’

‘Did you have a relationship with Sister Muirgel?’ Fidelma was abrupt.

The youth nodded.

‘When did this relationship start?’

‘It was just before we began this pilgrimage. When I told Muirgel that I was joining the pilgrimage because my tutor had instructed me to do so, she forced Canair into allowing her to come. Of course, Crella had to come as well.’

‘She must have liked you a lot to have followed you on this journey.’

‘Well, to be honest, I thought that I never stood a chance of being noticed by her in that way, if you know what I mean. However, she sought me out and told me outright that she had become attracted to me. I had never said anything to her before because I thought she would never have looked at me. When she told me … well, we grew together and we were in love.’

‘Did Crella know about this relationship? She thinks Muirgel was still having an affair with Cian.’

Guss’s eyes grew dark.

‘I believe she knew. I think she knew and was jealous of Muirgel’s happiness. Muirgel told me that she was being threatened.’

‘What — Muirgel told you that Crella was threatening her? Did you hear some argument between them?’

‘They argued — yes. It was a few days before we reached Ardmore. We had stopped at a tavern for a meal and Muirgel had gone to a nearby stream to wash. I had fetched ale and was taking it down to where Muirgel was washing when I heard Crella’s voice raised in argument with her.’

‘And can you recall what was being said? The precise words?’

‘I don’t know whether I can recall the precise words, but Crella was accusing Muirgel of …’ he hesitated and coloured, ‘ … of playing with my affections — those were the words she used. Of playing with my affections as she had played with others. Crella believed that Muirgel still loved Cian.’