‘Did you carry out my instructions?’ were Fidelma’s first words to her brother.
He chuckled at his sister’s single-minded approach.
‘A sharp greeting for your brother,’ he rebuked. Then he nodded seriously. ‘The instructions have been carried out to the letter, sister. I told our main body to rest last night at BrotherCorbach’s place at Cill Domnoc in the mountains. As you suggested, our party left them there and crossed the mountains to the woods on the north side of the river and encamped there for the night. We forded the river as dawn was breaking. I doubt anyone has seen us.’
‘Who is in charge of the main body?’
‘Dego and Enda,’ replied her brother, naming two leading members of the Nasc Niadh. ‘The orders were given to them, just as you decreed.’
Fidelma heaved a sigh of relief. ‘As a dálaigh I have encountered much evil, Colgú, but never to the extent that I have in this place. I am glad you are here.’
Only then did she greet her brother with a hug. She and Eadulf greeted Abbot Ségdae and Brother Madagan in turn and then Colgú introduced the elderly stranger.
‘This is Brehon Aillín, he will sit in judgement on this matter.’
Fidelma had heard of the elderly judge, who was Chief Brehon of the Eóghanacht Glendamnach, and she knew his reputation to be that of a thorough and a fair man.
‘Do you know who killed Brother Donnchad?’ he asked, as he came forward to greet her.
‘I have suspected for a while,’ Fidelma replied quietly. ‘The question was the main motive. Without the motive, this horrendous crime made no sense at all. When I discovered it, I sent word to Cashel.’
‘And who is the killer?’
‘Tempus omnia revelat.’ Fidelma smiled thinly. ‘Time reveals all things. I have sent messengers to summon several people to come here. Cumscrad of the Fir Maige Féne, Uallachán of the Uí Liatháin, who are staying within two kilometres to the west and south of here, and, of course, Lady Eithne at An Dún to the east. I have told them that the courtwill convene in the abbey refectorium at the etarthráth — noontide.’
‘Are our guards enough if there is trouble?’ Colgú asked her.
‘So long as Dego and Enda do not move before the hour stipulated.’
‘They won’t,’ her brother assured her.
‘Excellent.’ She glanced across the quadrangle. ‘Ah, the first service has ended and here come the dour-looking steward, Brother Lugna, and an anxious-looking Abbot Iarnla. They will be worried by your presence, particularly that of Abbot Ségdae.’
Colgú chuckled. ‘Then we better put them out of their anxiety.’
Eadulf noticed that Fidelma was now walking with a lighter step and he actually heard her singing a snatch of song beneath her breath.
Diesque mirabilium
Tonitruorum forium
Dies quoque angustiae
Maetoris ae trititae
Thunder shall rend the day apart
Wonder amazes each fearful heart
Anguish and pain, deep distress
Shall mark the day of bitterness
The refectorium was so crowded that many of the brethren were forced to stand. The table at which the abbot and his senior advisers usually had their meals was occupied by Colgú, with Brehon Aillín on his right and Abbot Ségdae on his left. Behind Abbot Ségdae, who was there in his role as Chief Bishop of the kingdom, sat his steward, Brother Madagan. Caol, as commander of the Nasc Niadh, stood directly behind Colgú,with the King’s standard bearer. Facing them, but in the main body of the hall, were Abbot Iarnla and his steward, Brother Lugna. Lady Eithne, who had arrived with three of her bodyguards, sat to their left. Clustered behind the abbot were all the senior members of the abbey. The two rival chieftains, Cumscrad, with his son Cunám, and Uallachán, with Brother Temnen of Ard Mór, plus their two bodyguards apiece, had taken seats on opposite sides of the hall. Standing where they could were Saor and his group of builders, with the young boy, Gúasach. The rest of the hall was filled with as many members of the community who could squeeze in. Gormán and the two remaining warriors of the Nasc Niadh had positioned themselves at the door.
Fidelma had taken her position at a small table to the right of the raised platform. Eadulf sat with her, with notes and papers, to aid her if needed. But the arguments before Brehon Aillín had to be made by a qualified dálaigh and so Eadulf could be of no assistance to her in the direct presentation of the case.
Brehon Aillín glanced at Fidelma and then stood up. He raised his staff of office and banged it on the floor three times.
‘At this court we are here primarily to attempt to discover cause and responsibility for the death of Brother Donnchad. However, there are other matters that we must consider. The raids on the Fir Maige Féne and death of Dubhagan of the tech-screptra at Fhear Maighe. We shall also attempt to discover cause and responsibility for the death of the master builder Glassán.’
There was a ripple of subdued but surprised voices. Most knew only that Brother Donnchad’s death had been under investigation, while Glassán’s death had been thought an accident. As for raids and the death of Dubhagan, little gossip had infiltrated the abbey.
Brother Lugna immediately rose, protesting. ‘Are these notseparate matters? How are they to be heard all at once? Sister Fidelma’s only responsibility is to tell us who killed Brother Donnchad.’
Brehon Aillín regarded him with disapproval. ‘This is now a court of law and I have proclaimed the matters it will consider. Fidelma of Cashel, will you proceed?’ he added solemnly.
‘I shall.’ Fidelma bowed her head towards the Brehon, as protocol demanded, before turning to face the assembly.
‘We shall deal first with the murder of Glassán. For that is a separate matter.’
When the astonished murmur died down, Fidelma raised her voice a little. ‘Yes, it was murder even though it was made to look like an accident. Glassán was bludgeoned from behind with a blackthorn stick, dragged to the wall and the scene made to look as if one of the stones from the wall had become loose and fallen on him. This murder had long been in the planning.’
She held the audience’s attention completely now.
‘Sometimes,’ she continued, ‘when one has been so long investigating murders, one becomes too used to looking for the complicated and the unexpected. With the killing of Glassán we were, in fact, dealing with the obvious but thought we were looking for something deeper, more complicated and not so obvious; something that we thought would link up with the murder of Brother Donnchad. We nearly missed what was staring us in the face.’
‘And that was?’ prompted Brother Lugna, unable to restrain himself.
Brehon Aillín rapped on the table and snapped, ‘There are to be no interruptions. I have already pointed out that this is now a court of law and protocol is to be followed.’
‘I shall respond to the steward, with your approval,’ Fidelma replied mildly. ‘This was an act of vengeance, part of a blood feud.’
Fidelma waited for the hall to grow silent again before continuing.
‘The most serious offence in any society is for one person to deprive another of their life. I have travelled in many lands and found that the laws governing what punishment should be given varies.’