‘Of course you did,’ Conri assured him nonchalantly. ‘The lady Fidelma told me you were unwell, friend Eadulf. What better than a walk in the cool night air to regain clarity of thought and purge the evil?’
Ceit at his side was nodding agreement as if pleased at his companion’s wit.
Eadulf stood silent, wondering if he could bluff it out.
‘I hope Enda was of help in resolving the problem and that the breaking dawn will bring a better day,’ went on the warlord mildly.
Eadulf frowned; it was as if there was some other meaning in Conri’s words.
‘I certainly hope so,’ he mumbled.
‘Well,’ the warlord said pleasantly, ‘we had best be on our way; we have duties to perform, Ceit. Try not to disturb anyone when you return to your chambers. I am sure the lady Fidelma is anxious for you.’
Eadulf and Enda watched the warriors in bemusement as they turned and strolled away.
Fidelma was not the only one anxiously waiting for them in the guest chamber. Aibell was present, and trembling with anticipation.
‘Gorman is safe with Etromma,’ Eadulf told her straight away. ‘Brother Eladach carried out his tasks exactly as we planned. But when Enda and I returned to the fortress and entered by the side gate, we found Conri and Ceit waiting for us. Their behaviour was very curious.’
‘What did they say?’ Fidelma frowned. She did not seem surprised when he told her.
‘It seems,’ she reflected, ‘that Conri was not misleading me when he told me earlier this evening that the last thing Prince Donennach wanted was to see Gorman executed. In fact, he implied that if we could devise a plan of rescue without implicating Donennach, he would look the other way.’
‘But will they look the other way when Nannid finds Gorman missing at first light and comes looking for him here?’ Enda wanted to know.
‘We’ll deal with that in the morning. Were you able to subdue the men guarding Gorman?’
‘I am afraid we were forced to kill them,’ Enda replied bluntly.
‘Was there no other alternative?’
Enda shook his head. ‘No. It was a case of their lives or ours, lady. Brother Eladach dealt with one. Eadulf thought he had rendered the man unconscious, but he recovered and was about to raise the alarm. I dealt with the other. We left the bodies locked in the hut where they had kept Gorman. With luck they might not be discovered until morning.’
‘But is Gorman safe with Etromma?’ Aibell pressed anxiously.
‘He is as safe there as anywhere,’ Enda said. ‘The plan was followed and, hopefully, it will be thought that Gorman has fled eastwards towards Cashel.’
Fidelma was not completely convinced. ‘Remember that Nannid is not a stupid man,’ she cautioned them. ‘He must know that Gorman would not leave Aibell behind here. Where Aibell is, there too will Gorman be. I fear that Nannid will descend on Donennach’s fortress with such rage that Nebuchadnezzar in his fury will seem like a lamb by comparison.’
Aibell looked bewildered. ‘Neb … who?’
‘Just a story from the old scriptures that Nannid is so fond of,’ Fidelma told the girl. ‘More importantly, tomorrow is going to test my ingenuity and I shall need all your support.’
CHAPTER TWENTY
Even before Fidelma and her companions had completed their morning toilette, they had heard a bell ringing frantically from the abbey in the township. Pandemonium had erupted.
‘You had better remain here in this chamber,’ Fidelma told Aibell. ‘Keep the door locked. That is, until we discover what is going on. You will obviously be the first target for Abbot Nannid if he is as angry as I think he will be.’
Fidelma, Eadulf and Enda made their way down to the great hall. They were surprised at how few people were gathered there. The next thing they noticed was that the food, which the attendants had laid on the table, had been left more or less untouched. A worried-looking Prince Donennach was standing having an anxious exchange with Brehon Faolchair, while Conri stood by with a look of suppressed amusement on his face. Prior Cuan and his steward Brother Tuaman were seated with Brother Mac Raith, who was absently picking at a bowl of fruit. All eyes turned on them at their entrance.
The sound of the abbey bell was still resounding in discordant notes. Before they could speak, Prince Donennach burst out: ‘Have you not heard? Gorman has escaped!’
‘We have just risen,’ Fidelma replied blandly, whilst attempting to look absolutely dumbfounded. ‘Gorman has escaped?’
‘Yes, and he has killed his guards in the process.’
Brehon Faolchair intervened. ‘Where is the girl Aibell?’
‘Aibell is upstairs in the chamber I am now sharing with her and where she has been all night,’ Fidelma replied carefully. ‘The poor girl has passed a terrible night. I must run and tell her the news. Why do you want to know?’
‘I was asked to find her and to constrain her,’ explained the Brehon.
Fidelma looked at him coldly. ‘Who asked you to do such a thing?’
‘Abbot Nannid,’ Faolchair said hesitantly.
‘Surely you do not take orders from Abbot Nannid!’
‘You give me your word that she has been with you in your chamber all night?’
‘I am a dalaigh and sister to the King of Muman. Do you doubt my word?’ Fidelma bridled. ‘I shall defend any threat made against her.’ She turned to Enda and gave him instructions in a firm tone. ‘Take some food for Aibell and yourself, and stand guard at the chamber. No one is to enter without my permission … no one.’
Prince Donennach looked embarrassed as Enda hurried away to carry out her orders. ‘There is no need for that, Fidelma. We accept your word.’
‘I am concerned that Abbot Nannid is allowed to make free with his orders, telling your Brehon what he should do.’
‘I merely wondered where the girl was,’ protested Brehon Faolchair. ‘You must admit that it is reasonable for Abbot Nannid to wish to know her whereabouts in the circumstances. The fact that Gorman has escaped again – and this time killed his guards – puts a serious complexion on this matter.’
Fidelma spoke clearly and coldly. ‘I would remind you, Brehon Faolchair, that under our law, Abbot Nannid has acted illegally. Gorman should have been handed back to your custody yesterday until such time as we made a proper examination of the facts. The abbot refused to release him, even when given a clear order and opportunity. He held Gorman illegally and threatened to execute him illegally.’
‘But Gorman killed his guards!’
‘The deaths of two mercenaries – thieves and doubtless murderers themselves, men from Glaed’s bunch of ravening wolves – does not overly excite me. I would argue that these killings were lawful as a means of self-defence. These men were part of the group that killed a peaceful woodsman, his son and the son’s wife. Do not ask me to have sympathy for them. Had there been an opportunity, I would have had them apprehended for the killings under our law and not Nannid’s law. Anyway, under our law, I would argue that by killing them, Gorman, who was going to be illegally executed, was only acting in self-defence, so no crime has been committed.’
Conri had begun to grin in approval at her response but stopped as Brehon Faolchair glared at him.
‘I am sure that Abbot Nannid will bring accusations of conspiracy in this matter,’ the Brehon said heavily.
‘Let him do so,’ shrugged Fidelma. ‘What does he think? That I and Eadulf, Enda and Aibell rose in the middle of the night, went to his so-called abbey, tapped on the door, were admitted, went and released Gorman, killing the guards by the by, and then came back here and went calmly back to sleep again?’
Eadulf erupted in a bout of coughing.
‘No chance of that,’ Conri piped up. ‘I was with Ceit in the fortress last night and know you were all here during the night.’ The warlord actually allowed one of his eyelids to half-close in an approximation of a wink.