‘The sea had no perils for you?’ interrupted Eadulf, slightly enviously.
Esumaro laughed.
‘I am a son of the sea,’ he said confidently. ‘The sea is my friend and I respect its moods. I have often rowed small boats and know how to handle the canoes that you use. I also knew these islands, having sailed them, and I realised that the only chance was to go south to the mainland where the old man had been going. I also felt that I could not leave Sister Easdan behind. She had been instrumental in saving my life and so I suggested to her that we should make the attempt together and then try to raise the alarm so that the local chieftain could rescue the others.’
Conri’s expression was cynical.
‘Slebene would not have been much help to you,’ he muttered.
‘Continue, Esumaro,’ Fidelma said, with a glance of annoyance at Conri.
‘Well, it was towards dusk that Sister Easdan and I managed to sneak away. The guards were lax then, eating their meal. Sure enough there was the canoe still where it had been with the paddles and it was light enough for the two of us to be able to launch it. We started to head south-west towards the mainland but there was a high sea running against us and then Sister Easdan called out that we had a leak. Water was coming through the side of the craft.’
‘We had forgotten in our haste to depart that the rim of the western sky was still light and we could be seen against it,’ continued Sister Easdan. ‘We heard shouting from the shore for the wind carried it to us. We knew then that we had been spotted. God looked down on us, for at least we were beyond arrow reach.’
‘We could not pull back to shore,’ chimed in Esumaro. ‘Anyway, I don’t think we would have reached it alive, after what they did to the old man. Sister Easdan, as we told you before, was busy with the leather apron and thongs in the half-light, but by then I realised that we had no hope of reaching the mainland with the tide running up from the south-east against us.’
Gaeth made one of his infrequent interpolations.
‘That was the same tide which helped us run swiftly to the islands.’
‘I was sailor enough to know that I would have to run with the tide,’ continued Esumaro. ‘But I knew that there was another large island to the north-west of Seanach’s Island and hoped that, with luck, the tide would help me and we could be carried there before the leak was so bad that we sank.’
Gaeth clapped his hand on his thigh in approval.
‘Your captors did not give much for your chances, according to what we overheard. They had seen what direction you were going but thought you’d sink long before you reached the island.’
‘We nearly did,’ Esumaro admitted. ‘But thanks to Sister Easdan, we came within reach of it. It was while I was trying to estimate the best place to land that I saw the cave entrance and took a chance. We were within a hand’s reach when the canoe cracked against the rocks and began to break up. I grabbed Sister Easdan and we jumped for our lives. We fought the tide for a few moments and managed to scramble up the rocks on to the island.’
‘Precious the foot on shore,’ muttered Eadulf reverently, uttering an old landsman’s prayer.
‘We were cold and tired and had no means of making a fire on that bare rock. Indeed, I couldn’t see anything, although I knew there were birds about which I could have caught in the daylight, and made something to eat.’
‘We simply huddled together from the cold,’ Sister Easdan added. ‘There was nothing else to do.’
‘We had dropped off to sleep when I was woken by the sounds of
‘And nearly killed me,’ Eadulf said ruefully.
‘You cannot blame Esumaro for trying to protect himself,’ Sister Easdan admonished. ‘Anyway, that is our story.’
There was a silence until Gaeth rose and put more turf upon the fire. ‘Doubtless when our friends went there this morning and did not find you they would think that you had indeed gone down beneath the waves and drowned,’ he said.
Fidelma agreed.
‘I do not think we need concern ourselves with any immediate pursuit from the people on Seanach’s Island,’ she said thoughtfully.
‘At least we have solved the mystery,’ Conri. observed in satisfaction.
They looked at him curiously.
‘How do you come to that conclusion?’ There was a dangerous softness in Fidelma’s voice.
Conri. looked surprised at the question.
‘Why, is it not clear? Uaman and his followers are to blame for all this. He is back to his old ways of trying to gain riches and build up a power base again.’
‘As simple as that?’ said Fidelma.
‘It is hardly a simple matter,’ protested Conri.
‘In that I can agree with Conri,’ Eadulf observed.
‘You might have to admit that Uaman is still alive,’ Fidelma suggested. ‘Are you certain that you saw him die?’
Eadulf shrugged. ‘I was. But I cannot go against so many people who claim to have seen him.’ His voice was not emphatic.
‘Believe me, this mystery is far from solved,’ she said. ‘We have learned only a few more details to add to our fund of knowledge, that is all. There is much to discover yet.’
‘But we know that the religieuse from Ard Fhearta were abducted
‘And why were we not informed of their expertise at the abbey?’ Fidelma demanded.
‘That is a question I cannot answer,’ replied Conri. ‘Anyway, we know who killed Abbess Faife and abducted them. This man Olcan.’
‘But who is Olcan and whom does he work for?’
‘We must accept that Uaman the Leper is alive. He is this mysterious “master”. Also Slebene is in his pay.’
‘Uaman has miraculously returned from the dead?’ smiled Fidelma. ‘Remember that no one has yet positively identified the man except Ganicca. I have enough trust in Eadulf to accept that when he claims to have seen something, he has seen it. No one has gazed upon the man’s face clearly enough to identify him. They have seen a shadow and that is all.’
She looked from one to another.
‘Certainly, whoever is behind all this, they have found rich seams of the lec-logmar, and have abducted those who know how to work the stone to make it saleable to merchants. We know this man Olcan is ruthless. So is the person he works for — whoever he is. I agree that they probably pay a bribe to Slebene in order that he will not interfere in what they are doing. But there is another question that preoccupies me. Why did Sister Sinnchene want to accompany Abbess Faife and the others when she was not a stone cutter and polisher? And was that why Abbess Faife refused to take her?’
They waited in uncomfortable silence for her to continue.
‘What can we do now, lady?’ muttered Conri.
Fidelma glanced towards the sky. The short winter day was darkening yet again.
‘Little enough today.’ She sighed. ‘We will have to impose on Gaeth and Gaimredan for another night of hospitality. But at first light, we must set out for Ard Fhearta again. I believe that it is there that these strands will intertwine.’
Conri could not control his expression of surprise.
‘Why at Ard Fhearta?’ he demanded.
She shook her head sorrowfully at him.
‘Have you forgotten about the murder of the Venerable Cinaed?’
There was a soft gasp of horror from Sister Easdan who had not, of course, heard the news.
Fidelma turned to her with a quick look of apology.
‘Ah, I had forgotten that you did not know of his death. Did you know him well?’
The girl shook her head sorrowfully.
‘Not well. He was a friend of our mentor, Abbess Faife. Some time ago he spent a little while in our workshop talking about what we did. He was writing some tract about it.’