Peter Tremayne - Absolution by Murder

‘It is true, Gwid,’ Fidelma said softly, feeling sorry for the large girl. She motioned to the hovering anchoress. ‘Let this sister take you to your dormitorium. Go and lie down awhile and I will come to see you as soon as I can.’

The stocky Pictish sister allowed herself to be guided down the corridor, her great shoulders heaving in renewed anguish.

Sister Fidelma hesitated a moment before turning back into the room.

‘Sister Gwid was a student of the Abbess Étain at Emly,’ she explained, meeting the questioning eyes of the company. ‘She was attending here in the capacity of a secretary to the abbess. I think she had developed a sort of adulation for Étain. Her death is a deep shock. We all have our ways of dealing with grief.’

Abbess Hilda made a sympathetic noise.

‘I will go to comfort the poor girl shortly,’ Hilda said. ‘Let us first agree to this business.’

Oswy nodded. ‘What do you say to the proposition, Fidelma of Kildare?’

Fidelma bit her lip and nodded.

‘Abbess Hilda has already indicated that she wishes me to make inquiries. I will do this, not for politics but for the morality of law and the fact that Étain was my friend.’

‘That is well said,’ observed Oswy. ‘Nonetheless, politics do come into this matter. This slaughter, especially of one so eminent, may well be a ruse to disrupt our debate. The obvious interpretation is that Étain, as a chief representative of the faith of Colmcille, was feloniously killed by someone who is pro-Roman. On the other hand, perhaps the killer wishes us to think that so that those in the hall will, out of sympathy, support Iona against Rome.’

Sister Fidelma gazed thoughtfully at Oswy. Here was no simple mind. Here was a king who had ruled with an iron hand for over a score of years among the Northumbrians and turned back every attempt by the other Saxon kings to invade and conquer his land and oust him. Now most Saxon kings, nominally at least, regarded him as their overlord and even the Bishop of Rome addressed him as ‘king of the Saxons’. She could appreciate the sharpness of his intellect.

‘That will be for me to discover then,’ she observed quietly.

Oswy hesitated and shook his head.

‘Not entirely.’

Fidelma raised an eyebrow questioningly.

‘There is a condition.’

‘I am an advocate of the Brehon courts. I do not work under any condition excepting my duty to uncover the truth.’ Her eyes held a dangerous glint.

The Abbess Hilda’s face was scandalised.

‘Sister, you really do forget that you are no longer in your own country and that its laws do not extend here. You must treat the king with respect.’

Once again Oswy smiled, glancing at Hilda with a quick shake of his head.

‘Sister Fidelma and I understand one another, Hilda. And we respect one another, I am sure. Nevertheless, I must insist that condition be met for, as I have said, this is a matter of politics and the future of our kingdoms and the religion which they will follow depend on the solution to this matter.’

‘I fail to understand—’ began Fidelma slightly bewildered.

‘Let me make it clearer, then,’ Oswy broke in. ‘There are two rumours already circulating through the abbey. One is that the Roman faction have sought this appalling method to silence one of the most erudite advocates of the church of Colmcille. The other story is that this is a ruse by those who support the teachings of Iona to wreck the synod and ensure Iona and not Rome governs the liturgy of Northumbria.’

‘Yes, this I can follow.’

‘My daughter Aelflaed, who has trained under the sisters of Iona, has already spoken of raising warriors to strike at those who would drive them out. My son Alhfrith and his wife, Cyneburh, conspire to use military force to overthrow the supporters of Iona. And my young son’ – he paused and gave a bitter laugh – ‘my son Ecgfrith, who cares only for power, watches and waits for the main chance, for a weakness to be revealed so that he can use it and seize my throne. Do you see why this matter is of importance?’

Sister Fidelma raised a shoulder and let it fall.

‘But I do not understand what condition you have to make. I am capable of investigating this mystery.’

‘To demonstrate to both factions that I, Oswy of Northumbria, am being even-handed and unbiased in my dispensation of the law, I cannot allow the death of the Abbess Etain to be investigated by one of the church of Colmcille alone. No more could I allow the matter to be investigated just by one of the church of Rome.’

Fidelma looked puzzled.

‘Then what are you proposing?’

‘That you, sister, join forces with one who favours the Roman faction. If you investigate jointly no one will be able to accuse us of partiality when the result is made known. Will you agree to this?’

Sister Fidelma stared at the king for a while.

‘It is the first time that I have heard it impugned that a dá/aigh of the Brehon courts would make a biased decision. The motto of our profession is “the truth against the world”. Whether the deed was done by one of my church or by that of Rome, the result would still be the same. I am sworn to uphold the truth, however unpalatable.’ She paused, then shrugged. ‘And yet … yet I do see a logic in your suggestion. I will agree. But who will I work with? I confess that my Saxon is almost non-existent and I know that few of the Saxons have any knowledge of Latin, Greek or Hebrew, tongues I have some fluency in.’

Oswy’s face had relaxed into a smile.

‘In that there is no problem. Among the party of the Archbishop of Canterbury is a young man who is ideally suited to this task.’

Abbess Hilda had turned to her cousin with a look of interest.

‘Who is this?’

‘A brother named Eadulf from Seaxmund’s Ham in Ealdwulf’s kingdom of East Anglia. Brother Eadulf has spent five years as a student in Ireland and a further two years studying in Rome itself. He therefore speaks Irish, Latin and Greek as well as his native Saxon. He has a knowledge of law. In fact, had he not become a religieux he would have been hereditary gerefa – that, Fidelma, is an officer of our laws. Archbishop Deusdedit informs me that he is an inveterate solver of puzzles. So, would you object to working with such a man, Sister Fidelma?’

Fidelma was indifferent.

‘So long as truth is the objective of us both. But how does he feel about working with me?’

‘We may ask him, for I sent a message for him to come here and wait outside. He should be here by now.’

Oswy strode to the door and threw it open.

Sister Fidelma’s lips parted in surprise as the young monk whom she had encountered in the cloisters of the abbey on the previous evening entered and bowed his head before the king. Then he raised his eyes and caught sight of Sister Fidelma. His own face momentarily mirrored the astonishment on Fidelma’s and then it became an impassive mask again.

‘This is Brother Eadulf.’ Oswy introduced the newcomer, continuing to speak in Irish. ‘Brother Eadulf, this is the dálaigh of whom I have already spoken, Sister Fidelma. Do you agree to work with her, bearing in mind what I have told you of the importance of resolving this mystery as soon as possible?’

Brother Eadulf’s brown eyes met the fiery green sparkle of Sister Fidelma’s.

Again Fidelma felt the curious thrill of contact that she had experienced on the previous evening.

‘I am willing.’ His voice was a rich baritone. ‘If it is agreeable to Sister Fidelma.’

‘Sister?’ pressed Oswy.

‘We should begin at once,’ Fidelma said dispassionately, hiding her feeling of confusion under the Saxon’s gaze.