‘Did you retrieve anything?’ There was a curious eagerness in his tone.
‘We did, mainly items of clothing. They are piled in that corner.’ Gormán nodded in that direction. ‘But first some questions. You have told us your name and that of your dead companion. Where have you come from? Where were you going?’
The young man rubbed his forehead. ‘We — that is, the Venerable Victricius and I — came to this country five days ago. We landed at a place called Láirge’s harbour and arranged for two boatmen to take us upriver. Is this river still called the Siúr? It is? Then we were to land at a place called Cluain Meala where we were told we would find a guide.’
‘A guide? To go where?’
‘To a place called Cashel.’
‘Cashel. .’ Gormán was surprised. He had expected any foreign religious to be travelling to Imleach, the oldest and largest abbey in all Muman.
‘We were to meet a Brother Docgan in Cluain Meala.’
‘Brother Docgan?’ Gormán glanced at Brother Siolán who looked bemused. ‘The name is unfamiliar to us. It sounds Saxon. Indeed, your own name and accent make you a Saxon.’
The young man shook his head and winced from the pain. ‘I am an Angle; but perhaps you would not know the difference,’ he said weakly.
Gormán chuckled. ‘That is where you are wrong. I have a good friend who makes a point of correcting people when he is called a Saxon.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Our King’s sister, the lady Fidelma, is married to an Angle.’
‘Then I must surely meet with him,’ the young man replied gravely. ‘From which kingdom of the Angles does he come?’
‘From the Kingdom of the East Angles, he says,’ replied Gormán.
The young man turned to regard him with an expression of astonishment.
‘But so do I!’ he announced. ‘I am from the Land of the South Folk in the Kingdom of the East Angles.’
‘Tell me,’ Gormán asked excitedly, ‘have you heard of Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham?’
‘Eadulf?’ The name was issued as a strangled gasp by the religieux. There was a silence during which he seemed to be gathering his thoughts before he answered slowly. ‘My name is Egric of Seaxmund’s Ham: I am brother to Eadulf, who was our hereditary gerefa, as was our father before him.’
CHAPTER TWO
‘Brother Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham, in the Land of the South Folk of the Kingdom of the East Angles, is summoned to the presence of Colgú, King of Muman.’
For a moment, Eadulf stared in amusement at the solemn face of the steward of the palace of Cashel, comptroller of the King’s household. Then he assumed an equally solemn expression, for he knew that the rotund Beccan, who had served only months in his office of rechtaire, or steward, was a stickler for protocol. Eadulf had been told by Gormán that the steward’s punctiliousness was affected because he was a comparative stranger to the palace. He came from the southern part of the kingdom, south of the Siúr, and had come to oversee the kitchens. A few months later the previous steward had retired to his family and farm, and Beccan was suddenly elevated to this new position.
‘Eadulf, husband to Fidelma of Cashel, sister of King Colgú, will obey this summons,’ Eadulf answered with equal gravity. Then he could not help relaxing his features in a smile. ‘So what does Colgú want of me? Why summon me, and not Fidelma?’
Beccan’s fleshy features assumed a disapproving look.
‘It is not my place to guess the desires of the King, only to relay his orders.’
Eadulf sighed at the steward’s uncompromising tone. ‘I’ll come immediately.’
Fidelma and Alchú, their four-year-old son, were out riding with Aidan, one of the King’s bodyguards, as escort. Therefore there was no one to whom to explain his absence. Eadulf set off after the steward who led him from the chambers they occupied, across the courtyard to the main building of the palace complex which contained the private chambers of the King.
‘I wonder if this summons has anything to do with the arrival of Abbot Ségdae and his companions last night?’ he mused aloud as they proceeded.
Ségdae, Abbot of Imleach and Chief Bishop of Muman, had arrived at dusk the previous evening with his steward, Brother Madagan, and a foreign religieux. They had immediately retired to the guest quarters. As a regular visitor to Cashel, both as spiritual adviser and member of the King’s council, Ségdae’s arrival did not usually arouse any comment. But it was unusual that the abbot had not joined them for the evening meal.
‘There is always some matter of church policy to be discussed,’ Beccan replied shortly.
‘Is the King’s tánaiste with him?’ Eadulf asked.
‘Finguine, the heir apparent, left early this morning to visit the Prince of the Eóghanacht Glendamnach.’
‘I expect he is late with the tribute again.’ Eadulf spoke lightly.
A stony expression confronted him. ‘I would not know,’ said Beccan, ‘and even if I did, it is not my place to discuss the policies of the King.’
Eadulf suppressed a sigh. There was no humour in the man. He fell silent while the steward moved into the passage to where a member of the King’s bodyguard stood outside the red yew-tree doors which led to the private chambers. Beccan raised his staff of office and rapped it three times against the wooden panels before throwing it open. He stood framed in the door.
‘Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham. .’ he began to announce loudly.
He was interrupted by the tired voice of Colgú from beyond. ‘I know well who it is. You may leave us, Beccan; make sure that we are not disturbed until I send for you. Come in, Eadulf.’
Beccan swallowed uncomfortably. He was always exasperated by the fact that Colgú liked to circumvent the protocols of court. He registered his irritation by assuming an expression of longsuffering resignation and stood aside to allow Eadulf to enter and then closed the doors softly behind him.
‘I swear that Beccan is so pedantic that he even takes to writing the names of guests down so that he can announce them in the right order.’ It was Colgú who made the comment as Eadulf moved forward into the room. ‘I have a suspicion that he finds it hard to remember names unless he does so.’
Eadulf saw Abbot Ségdae seated by the fire opposite Colgú. The King waved Eadulf to a seat with a quick smile of welcome. Eadulf exchanged a greeting with the abbot before sitting. The man looked somewhat distracted. There were furrows on his brow as if he were wrestling with some problem.
‘We need your help,’ Colgú began without preamble.
‘Whatever help I can give is yours to command,’ Eadulf replied, settling down in a chair and looking expectantly from Colgú to Ségdae.
Colgú made a motion with his hand as if inviting the abbot to explain. Abbot Ségdae hesitated a moment and then spoke.
‘We have received word that an embassy of your countrymen will soon arrive here in Cashel.’
‘An embassy of my countrymen?’ Such news was unusual. ‘Who are they, and for what purpose do they come here?’
‘No doubt the same purpose that is behind the many councils that have been held between our religious and those who follow the dictates of Rome,’ Abbot Ségdae said, barely concealing the irritation in his voice. ‘Those who waste time attempting to make us turn from the path of the Faith that we have chosen.’
Eadulf waited for the abbot to continue and, when he did not, he felt obliged to comment. ‘You may have forgotten that I was an adherent to the ways of Rome before. .’ Eadulf paused as he was about to say before he had met Fidelma at the Great Council in Hilda’s Abbey at Streonshalh.
‘That is precisely why we need your advice,’ Colgú interrupted quickly. ‘I am hoping that you may tell us something about these people and their ideas.’