‘And I am not susceptible to flattery, especially from a pretty woman,’ snapped Sigeric. He turned to Eadulf. ‘Well, Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham — are you able to answer my questions?’
Eadulf took the cloth from Fidelma’s hands and straightenedup before the high steward of the King of the East Angles. He dabbed gently at his still bloodied mouth.
‘I can only tell you the truth as I know it, lord Sigeric.’
‘That is all anyone can do,’ agreed Sigeric gravely. He sat back in his chair, his hands before him, fingertips pressing fingertips, and gazed from one to the other. ‘What purpose brought you hither?’
‘To appeal to you,’ replied Eadulf. ‘You are our only hope in our search for the truth in this place.’
‘I have heard strange stories about you from Abbot Cild,’ replied Sigeric. ‘I have heard that you both forced your way into this abbey, and from that moment many evil portents appeared. The abbot says that the Irish woman conjured a spirit to haunt him. That when he charged her with witchcraft you both fled from the abbey, escaping his custody. Now you suddenly appear from I know not where and sneak into my chamber. Your purpose — according to the abbot — is to kill me. You deny it. Very well. What have you to say?’ ‘It is not true,’ replied Eadulf simply.
Sigeric sighed and nodded slowly.
‘Of course it is not true.’ He smiled thinly, sarcastically. ‘No charge is ever true according to the person being charged. However, you must convince me that it is not so.’
‘Let me explain,’ began Fidelma, but Sigeric held up a hand.
‘I am told that in your culture, Sister Fidelma, women have equal rights to be heard with men. That is not so among our people. I will listen only to Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham.’ He turned to Eadulf, who had flushed nervously at the expression on Fidelma’s face.
‘Lord Sigeric,’ he began hesitantly, ‘as I have said, Sister Fidelma is a learned judge in her own land. She has been asked by King Oswy of Northumberland to act in a legal capacity at Whitby and, indeed, by the Holy Father when she was in Rome …’
Sigeric shook his head. ‘I do not doubt your good intentions, Eadulf, but those are foreign places. We are here in the kingdom of the East Angles and should I not follow our laws and customs? Let me remind you that those laws are the laws of the Wuffingas. Come, spare my impatience and let us proceed. Do you deny the charges of Abbot Cild?’
‘We do,’ Eadulf said with emphasis. ‘There was evil in this abbey before we arrived.’
‘Evil? Much power in that word “evil”. Yet it is the individual who interprets what evil is and that interpretation varies from individual to individual,’ Sigeric replied. ‘Perhaps it is better to proceed with the story of how you came to this place, what you found and how matters unfolded.’
‘It began, lord Sigeric, when Sister Fidelma and I were in Canterbury. I was emissary of the Archbishop Theodore and had been on my embassy to King Colgu of Cashel, who is the brother of Sister Fidelma.’
Sigeric nodded slowly.
‘So you move in illustrious circles, Eadulf?’ he said in a dismissive tone. ‘And so?’
‘I was not meaning to impress you, lord Sigeric. It is a fact that I was at Canterbury and while there received a message from my old fried Brother Botulf, who was steward at this abbey.’
The name seemed to have an impact on the old man.
‘Botulf? Botulf of Seaxmund …? Of course you would know him. He was your friend? I knew him also for he tried to protect a coward who was outlawed. Botulf was sent to this abbey as a punishment.’
‘So I have heard. But he was a moral man. When I was at Canterbury, I received a message requesting that I come to this abbey by a certain hour on a certain day as it was important. I did so, and Sister Fidelma accompanied me.’
Slowly, step by step, Eadulf began to trace the events of the last few days.
Sigeric sat quietly. He did not intervene further but sat, head bowed, nodding as if he were asleep.
When Eadulf finished, he glanced quickly at Fidelma, who smiled her approval at his recital. He had not left out any significant point.
Sigeric was drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair.
‘You make claims that appear incredible and yet you present me with no solutions.’
‘If Sister Fidelma were allowed to conduct-’
Sigeric interrupted with a sniff of disdain.
‘I have told you of my decision on the matter of keeping to our customs. I do not like words like “if”, either.’
Eadulf was outraged. ‘Your reputation is great, lord Sigeric, but how can you justify shutting your ears to the truth simply because it comes from the mouth of a woman?’
‘You are impertinent, Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham.’ The high steward glowered. ‘Perhaps you have dwelt too long among foreigners to recall your own cultural values?’
‘The values that concern me are beyond cultures. They are intrinsic to all peoples,’ snapped Eadulf, causing Fidelma to look at him in surprise. She had hardly seen him so angry before.
Sigeric’s bodyguards moved uneasily forward but the old man motioned them back.
‘Your concern to speak up for your companion is laudable, Eadulf …’
‘My concern is to speak up for truth and justice,’ replied Eadulf sharply.
‘Whatever the purpose, there is a way of proceeding. In the first place, I need to put your version of the events to those who are concerned with them. You will be held until such time as I have done so.’
‘Held?’ demanded Eadulf, anger once more flushing his features.
This time Sigeric did not stop the two warriors moving forward and interposing themselves between Fidelma and Eadulf.
‘No harm will come to either of you — neither from Abbot Cild nor anyone else. You have nothing to fear from that quarter until such time as I decide whether you are telling the truth or whether there is some other motive behind your actions.’
He reached forward and picked up a silver handbell from the table and rang it.
Almost at once the one-eyed Brother Willibrod came hurrying in.
‘Does this abbey possess some secure chambers?’ Sigeric demanded.
‘Secure chambers?’ The dominus’s eyes widened a little.
‘That is what I asked,’ Sigeric said patiently. ‘I want this man and woman placed in a chamber under lock and key and held there until I say otherwise. They are to be treated well and not to beharmed. Anyone who transgresses that order will be answerable directly to me. Now, a secure chamber … and one which has no secret tunnels by which they may escape.’
‘There is a chamber close to this one,’ Brother Willibrod reflected. ‘There is one door and a small window in it but the window is barred.’
‘And you are sure that there are no passageways behind tapestries or moving masonry?’ Sigeric demanded sarcastically. ‘After all, you did not seem aware of the tunnel that leads into this room.’
Brother Willibrod spread his hands helplessly.
‘This is an old building, my lord, built on an ancient Welisc fortress …’
‘I do not want a history lesson, just an assurance that there is no exit apart from the one door which my men will guard.’
‘I will swear an oath on it,’ stuttered Brother Willibrod.
‘Good,’ replied the old man. His voice held a malicious quality. ‘No one from this abbey, not even the abbot, will be permitted to see them. Werferth,’ he turned to one of the two warriors, who was obviously the commander of his guards, ‘you have heard my orders? Admit no one to their presence.’
‘It shall be done, lord …’ replied the warrior called Werferth, ‘but what of food and drink?’
Sigeric considered the question with seriousness.
‘I would not deny them that. You will see to that, Willibrod. Meals will be handed to Werferth here who will then see that they are fed. Now, let it be done.’
Eadulf moved to protest.
‘This will not solve the matter, lord Sigeric,’ he stated coldly. He was now in control of his temper. ‘Nor will imprisoning us prevent the effusion of blood that is coming because of this troscud which will, as I have explained, by its nature, plunge the kingdoms into war.’