‘I did. The person who thought they would succeed to the High Kingship — and I did not mean Cenn Faelad.’
‘And you will name him?’
‘He has named himself. He was the one who introduced Dubh Duin to Gormflaith, engaged himself in supporting Gormflaith’s relationship with him, and, knowing how he could win the support of Cenn Faelad to nominate him as tánaiste, promised Dubh Duin that when he took over as High King, after deposing Cenn Faelad sometime in the future, he would bring about the changes to recognise the Old Faith once more. Whether he would have done so, once firmly in power, I do not know. I doubt it. But promises are cheap. The Old Faith was his route to the High Kingship.’
All eyes in the Council had turned on the urbane figure of Brehon Barrán who had been sitting without any reaction to Fidelma’s recital.
Brehon Sedna looked troubled. ‘You deny this charge, of course, Brehon Barrán?’ he asked, albeit without conviction.
Brehon Barrán looked across to Fidelma. ‘I have seen this dálaigh presenting her cases several times before. I do not doubt that she can produce evidence in support of her claims.’
‘I would be the last person to remind you, Barrán, that the law-texts state how guilt may be judged other than by direct evidence,’ Fidelma said. ‘The law acknowledges that indirect or circumstantial evidence can be applied, provided it is strong. I think that Báine and Cuan will be persuaded to speak against you.’
‘To save themselves,’ Barrán sneered. ‘I suppose you feel that you have a strong case?’
‘Oh, I know I have a strong case, Barrán,’ replied Fidelma. She gestured at Báine. ‘I am sure that Báine will be persuaded to come forward as a witness to the conspiracy, especially when she understands that you had no intention of fulfilling your promises to Dubh Duin to recognise the old religion. You fully intended to betray him.’
‘Your saying so does not make it so,’ Brehon Barrán replied.
‘Then my saying so does!’ came Báine’s sharp tone. ‘I know the promises you made to us. I was with Dubh Duin when you made them. But it seems that it was all a plot just to prepare your path to power. You will be the first to suffer the wrath of Crom when we arise … Already the warriors of my mother’s people are raiding and destroy your churches, and soon they will sweep into Tara and destroy … My mother’s … ’
She suddenly dissolved into tears. Whatever else she was going to say was lost in her grief-stricken realisation of her mother’s death on Hag’s Mountain.
In the tumult that broke out in the Great Assembly, Irél had motioned to several of his warriors who, according to Fidelma’s prearranged instructions, had moved into various positions around the conspirators.
When order was restored, Fidelma stared across at Brehon Barrán, who now looked less confident.
‘I suggest that this crime is so heinous that it has to be retried before a court. I am sure that the members of this Great Assembly will agree,’ she said.
‘We can accommodate you on that,’ Cenn Faelad replied with satisfaction. ‘Is it the wish of this assembly that Barrán and Báine be tried as soon as arrangements can be made? And, at the same time, the lesser conspirator Cuan should be tried with them?’
The Great Assembly vocally signified its agreement.
It was Gormflaith who now rose and demanded to be heard again.
‘You are all forgetting one thing,’ she said.
A silence descended and Brehon Sedna turned a disapproving look on her.
‘What do we forget, lady?’ he asked coldly.
‘I accept that I have been a dupe, a fool, that Brehon Barrán did, indeed, manoeuvre me into the company of Dubh Duin who purposefully made himself attractive to me. Lonely women can be misled by kind and gentlewords from honey-tongued suitors. It is true that all along I confided in Barrán, who promised to draw up the agreement for my divorce from Sechnussach and now denies it was so. I see now how he was putting the blame on me. But there is something the lady Fidelma said that we have all overlooked.’
When she looked at Fidelma, the latter smiled encouragement and motioned for her to continue.
‘Fidelma said that Brehon Barrán was working with someone else, his lover, someone who wanted to share the power with him and was as ambitious for it as he was. So when Báine charges Barrán, let us remember the full extent of the part she played. She obviously led Barrán on. She was his lover.’
But Fidelma was already answering her. ‘Lady Gormflaith, I would have spared you this with the best will in the world. However, you are right in your reminder to the Great Assembly that there was someone else working with the Chief Brehon. But it was not Báine, a lowly servant in the royal house, who was Barrán’s lover and co-conspirator — someone eager to share power with him as High King.’
‘Then name the woman, if you know it,’ instructed Brehon Sedna.
‘I am afraid that there was one other person who helped bring Dubh Duin into your life, Gormflaith. One other person who gave their authority to ask the guards to pass Dubh Duin into the royal enclosure at night, and finally gave instruction to the guard Erc to allow Dubh Duin free access at night so that he could pass in when the time came for the assassination … ’
Muirgel, with a scream, had leaped up and seemed for a moment to be trying to escape but Irél had seized her.
Gormflaith gazed ashen-faced at her eldest daughter.
‘It’s not true!’ shouted Brehon Barrán, springing up, and found the hand of one of the Fianna on his shoulder restraining him.
‘Of course it’s true,’ jeered Báine from her seat. ‘Muirgel was in this plot from the start. Again, I will bear witness to it.’
‘But in a plot to … to kill her own father!’ Brehon Sedna was horrified.
‘Ambition destroys the feelings of its possessor,’ muttered Abbot Colmán, using an old saying.
Muirgel stood, held by Irél, scowling at them; her blazing eyes seemed to be cursing them silently.
‘She thought to use us all,’ Báine said in disgust. ‘We were together as conspirators, each with our own ambitions. She was too arrogant to see that we were using her and her clownish lover, Barrán. Clownish, aye, for how could a young girl like Muirgel love him, a decrepit old man? She was using him, just as she used everyone else. She was ambitious for power — power was her only god.’
Fidelma let her gaze wander from the snarling young woman to the suddenly deflated old man who had once been Chief Brehon of the five kingdoms, renowned throughout the land. Now he seemed a feeble, emotional wreck of a man. He sat forward, his head in his hands as he realised how he, in turn, had been manipulated.
‘Ambition is a mounting demon who first corrupts and then rots the heart and the mind.’ Fidelma spoke out strongly, addressing all present. ‘It invites the shallow residue of humanity to dance with it and, if the dance be successful, it has but one reward — transient power and fame before sinking into the oblivion of the grave.’
Eadulf regarded her in surprise. She smiled back.
‘They are lines from a pagan poet,’ she explained softly.
Abbot Colmán and Brehon Sedna were now calling for order among the astonished and voluble Great Assembly.
‘The Chief Brehon Barrán is, of course, suspended from his office and his nomination as tánaiste to the High King is withdrawn. He, together with Muirgel, daughter of Sechnussach, and Báine and Cuan, will be held for the conspiracy in the assassination of Sechnussach,’ Brehon Sedna announced solemnly.