‘Pleased?’
‘Pleased that she left Audofleda’s community, for it means she now has freedom to search for a place where she can fulfil her life. Doubtless, she has left with Brother Sigeric. I was their go-between whenever I could be so.’
‘In what way?’
‘I knew that Valretrade was deeply in love with Sigeric and messages were hard to send between the two communities. Therefore, whenever I was in Autun I was able to pass messages between them. I am happy to hear that they have gone.’
Fidelma shook her head. ‘Sigeric is here and knew nothing of her going. He finally went to see Audofleda, who told him that the girl had gone and gave him no other information. He asked us to intercede on his behalf to discover more. Audofleda told me not a short time since that Valretrade had left because she disagreed with the Rule.’
‘She would not have left without Sigeric knowing,’ asserted Brother Budnouen. ‘You don’t know the depth of feeling between those young folks.’
‘How long are you staying in Autun?’ asked Fidelma, after a thoughtful pause. ‘Do you have any more trade to do?’
‘Well, within a few days I am taking goods to the fortress of Lord Guntram, and-’
‘I meant, do you have more business with the Domus Femini?’
‘I have already done my trade there. The goods were taken, checked and paid for by Sister Radegund. I cannot go again without arousing suspicion. Sister Radegund runs the place like a fortress. No one is allowed in or out without scrutiny-and certainly no male is allowed in.’
They had passed up the broad thoroughfare from the Square of Benignus and drawn level with the building where Sister Radegund had gone in to see the seamstress. Brother Budnouen pointed to it.
‘That is the shop of the mother of one of the members of the Domus Femini. She makes dresses and sells clothes here. I sometimes trade with her. But even she is not allowed into the Domus Femini to see her daughter.’
‘Do you know the name of her daughter?’ asked Fidelma. ‘It’s not the stewardess of the community, is it?’ She glanced at the place where cloth and animal skins hung outside. Inside, she could see the elderly woman now sewing.
‘Sister Radegund?’ Brother Budnouen’s eyebrows went up in surprise. ‘Good Lord, no. What makes you ask? Oh, because you know Sister Radegund is the only one allowed to have dealings with the outside world for purposes of commerce?’
‘So I had heard,’ Fidelma said as they moved on. ‘Is there no one else who has free access to and from the Domus Femini?’
‘No one,’ the Gaul assured her. Then a thought struck him. ‘But I was forgetting-you must surely have free access to the Domus Femini, Sister? Or can it be that you are staying among the other wives and advisers of the delegates to the council in the city? I heard that some of the delegates who did not know the Rule of Leodegar’s abbey had brought their wives or female advisers with them. They had to find accommodation not far from the abbey.’
Fidelma did not respond for a moment, then admitted, ‘No, Eadulf and I are staying together at the abbey.’
She was amused by the Gaul’s look of utter astonishment.
Chapter Ten
On reaching the abbey, they bade farewell to Brother Budnouen as he hurried off on his business, and made their way through the anticum of the abbey to their chamber in the hospitia. As they reached it, a door further along the corridor opened and a grim-faced Abbot Ségdae emerged.
‘Have you heard the news?’ he greeted them without preamble.
‘About Brother Gillucán, Abbot Dabhóc’s steward?’ enquired Fidelma, guessing the subject of his anxiety. ‘Brother Chilperic told us earlier this morning. Has there been a further development?’
Abbot Ségdae motioned to their chamber. They took the hint and led the way inside.
As Eadulf closed the door behind them, the abbot sank into a chair and heaved a deep breath.
‘Abbot Dabhóc murdered and now his steward. I am coming to agree with some of the delegates that this place is cursed.’
Fidelma sat down on the bed while Eadulf went to a jug and poured some water. His mouth was dry after the morning’s excursion.
‘It is not the place that is cursed, Ségdae; people create their own curses,’ replied Fidelma gravely.
‘Brother Gillucán was sitting calmly at our table last night,’ the abbot reflected sadly. ‘Now he is dead, killed by robbers while leaving the city this morning, his body stripped and dumped in the river after his throat was cut. How can such things happen?’
‘I meant to ask Brother Chilperic how Gillucán was recognised as belonging to the abbey when it was his naked body that was discovered in the river?’ asked Eadulf, sipping his water.
‘Apparently by his tonsure. Some boatmen brought the body to the abbey to be identified.’ The abbot looked troubled. ‘As a senior member of our delegation, I asked Brother Gebicca to examine the body so that I could make a proper report to the bishop of Ard Macha.’ He hesitated. ‘When he did so, there was one thing which he found curious.’
Immediately Fidelma’s head rose a little. ‘Go on,’ she said.
‘They cut poor Brother Gillucán’s throat and threw him in the river…but in spite of that, faeces were clinging to parts of his body, under his fingernails and smeared on his flesh. I had to order that his body should be completely washed and ritually cleansed before burial. It was as if the poor boy had crawled through a sewer before his death. It was rather disgusting.’
Fidelma was thoughtful. ‘The river where he was found…do the city’s sewers empty into it?’
‘I suppose so,’ admitted Abbot Ségdae.
‘Were the sewers at the spot where he was found?’
‘Not really. But even with the sewerage in the water, well…that would not account for the smearing on his legs and arms. The current of the river is quite strong as it passes by the city walls and the effluence is carried along rapidly. I would not have thought it would have covered his body in the way it did if he had simply been immersed in it as it flowed down the river. It seemed to me, as I have said, that he had crawled through it or had been flung in it.’
The abbot was clearly distressed at the idea of the mistreatment of the young religieux.
‘It does seem curious,’ Fidelma admitted quietly. ‘And no witnesses have come forward? I mean, no one who saw Brother Gillucán leave the abbey, pass through the city gates or noticed if anyone was following him? I thought guards were at the city gates all the time.’
‘I am told by Brother Chilperic that the guards saw no one. No one at all. Tell me, Fidelma, do you think that there is some connection between the deaths of Dabhóc and Gillucán?’
‘I wish I could give you an answer, Ségdae. On face value, there seems none, and yet I do not entirely believe in coincidences.’
‘So you have come to no conclusions as yet?’
‘Not yet.’
‘So sad, so sad,’ muttered the abbot. ‘Brother Gillucán was leaving for home this morning. He told me that there were some pilgrims going back to the five kingdoms who were staying in the city. He was supposed to be travelling with them.’
‘It would have been better to have joined their party,’ agreed Fidelma, glad that the question was raised, as she could not have mentioned that Gillucán himself had told her as much. ‘What made him change his mind?’
‘I don’t know,’ replied the abbot. ‘He seemed strangely frightened last night. The first I knew that he had left on his own was when Brother Chilperic announced the finding of the body.’
‘Who were the pilgrims?’
‘Three members of the community of Mágh Bhíle in the north. They had been staying as guests of a wealthy lady in this city. Beretrude is her name.’