‘Did Biasta say anything further?’ Fidelma asked. ‘Did he say in what manner we would be dealt with?’
‘Nothing was mentioned about that. However, Biasta was asking how it was that we had found out about the abbey. Anfudán said that he could only guess that we had followed Sillán. So he confirmed that Sillán was the man who was awaiting the arrival of the abductors at the shed in Durlus.’
Fidelma let out a soft breath. ‘And he recognised me. I suspected as much.’ She turned to Enda. ‘Best continue with your story.’
‘The story is simple. I’ll tell you the sense of the words rather than try to recall the actual words themselves. Biasta told Anfudán that he had gone to Fraigh Dubh to deal with Ailgesach. He had left his horse at a spot called the Little Fortress nearby …’
‘There is such a place very near Fraigh Dubh, where Ailgesach’s chapel was,’ intervened Gormán. ‘Just to the east.’
‘Biasta then went on foot in search of Ailgesach.’
‘So that is why we did not see him on the road,’ Eadulf said. ‘He came over the heath.’
‘He told Anfudán the rest of the story as we knew it. How he killed Ailgesach and how he escaped us. He went back to get his own horse, incidentally, and turned my mount loose.’
‘Did he say anything about the corpse we found or the man and woman who had stayed with Ailgesach? Biasta has taken a long time to reach here.’
Enda shrugged. ‘I can only tell you what I overheard. It seems that as soon as Biasta was a distance along the highway from the tavern, he then circled round to the heath. From what was said, I gathered that he then headed east towards Laigin on some errand before coming back here.’
‘Nothing else?’ asked Fidelma in disappointment.
‘Biasta merely said that he had completed his task. He went on to say something about Laigin being nervous in case the plans had gone awry. I could not clearly hear this exchange as I heard someone coming along the passage and hurried back inside the necessarium until they passed. When I came out again, I could tell that Biasta was not happy. Anfudán was assuring him that the prisoner would be dealt with tomorrow. But he was asking why the prisoner had not been dealt with already.’
‘The prisoner? Who else could he have meant but Torna?’ Eadulf interposed.
‘So we are no nearer finding out the “why” than before,’ he sighed.
‘As friend Eadulf says, it sounds confusing,’ Gormán observed.
‘All puzzles are confusing until they are solved,’ Fidelma replied automatically.
‘Usually, there are some strands in a tangled rope that can be tweaked out and followed,’ Eadulf said. ‘In this matter, I agree with Gormán: I cannot find anything to untangle or that will lead us to an understanding. The only solution I can see is forcing Biasta to talk. And will he do so?’
‘Not without some persuasion,’ answered Gorman grimly. ‘I might be able to persuade him, if we can lay hands on him.’
‘At least we are beginning to find out the “how” and “who”,’ Fidelma returned crisply. ‘Did you hear any more, Enda?’
The warrior shook his head. ‘Only that Biasta wanted to go immediately to question the prisoner. Anfudán said he must not do so until Cronán and Sillán are ready. Then, unfortunately, I heard more footsteps approaching and I came here quickly to tell you.’
‘You are sure that you were not seen by anyone?’
‘I am positive that I was not.’
‘This confirms the necessity of what I was about to tell you. We have until before dawn to find Torna. If we do not, then we will have to leave without him.’
‘You trust this young girl, Ségnat?’ asked Gormán.
‘There is no one else to trust. Firstly, let us make an attempt to find out where Torna is being held and see if there is a means to free him. I am now certain he is this Uí Duach warrior called Tormeid. I have arranged with Ségnat to meet her here halfway between midnight and dawn.’
‘Find and free him? In so short a time? Easily said, lady. But where do we start?’ asked Enda.
Fidelma leaned forward confidentially. ‘You recall the chambers that they were going to put you and Gormán in earlier — windowless and with locks on the outside? If they are to hold a prisoner anywhere in this fortress, then that is the place to start looking.’
‘Enda and I will go and look at those chambers,’ offered Gormán.
‘It is best if we all go together so that we can watch out for each other,’ Fidelma demurred. ‘We tread on dangerous ground here. There may be guards and we must be prepared for anything.’
‘This is not a job for the sister of the King,’ Enda protested.
His words provoked a rare mischievous grin from Fidelma. ‘But this is exactly a job for a dálaigh. Anyway, sleep is beyond question, so what could Eadulf and I do here except sit in anxiety awaiting your return. And if you did not return, then what? Better we should all know how we fare.’
Gormán looked as if he were about to argue and then shrugged. He knew when to accept her authority.
Enda left the chamber first in order to assess whether anyone was moving outside. It seemed all was quiet. The courtyard below was filled only with shadows caused by the dancing light of the torches that were hung on the walls. For a moment he thought it was deserted, but then something stirred and he stood back into the shadow. A sentinel strolled casually across the courtyard. Enda finally turned to the open door and motioned them forward, holding a finger to his lips and indicating that they should keep close to the wall. Gormán came next, followed by Fidelma and Eadulf. Keeping within the shadows, they crept to the stairs that led down to the passage below. The sputtering lamps still lit the long passage, and by their light Fidelma was able to see that most of the doors were unbolted.
She whispered: ‘We are looking for a prisoner, so we are looking for a door that is bolted.’
Almost immediately, Gormán pointed to a door set back in the wall and indicated the bolt, which was firmly secure. He tiptoed towards it and listened carefully. Then he turned and shrugged, mouthing, ‘I hear nothing.’
Fidelma frowned slightly. There was no grille or any other aperture in the door and it seemed constructed of extremely strong wood. Bending, she carefully eased the bolt back, then gently pulled the door towards her. It seemed that the hinges were well greased, for thankfully it moved without a sound. She peered cautiously into the darkness beyond. She was aware from the dim lights in the passage that she was facing a curved wall. Then she realised that there was a flight of stone steps winding downwards, as if inside a circular tower. Had she taken a step forward, she would have tumbled down them and broken her neck.
‘Take the nearest lamp,’ she whispered to Eadulf, who was closest to one of the sputtering lights. He carefully lifted it down from its holder.
‘I’ll go first, lady,’ Gormán said, taking the lamp from Eadulf and pushing gently by her on to the stairs.
There was only room to descend in single file. The stone steps were steep and wound down quite a way.
After half-a-dozen steps Fidelma called up to Enda, who was the last to enter the stairwelclass="underline" ‘Draw the door to, so that it does not attract attention.’
At the bottom of the stairwell they found themselves in an area from which passages led in three directions. The passageways were stone-built. While they were not ancient, the fact that this area had been excavated below ground-level and in a boggy area criss-crossed by streams was obvious. Water seeped through the walls and mosses already covered many of them. It was not the cold that sent uncomfortable shivers through them but the dampness. They could feel it permeating their lungs. It was, Eadulf thought, the unhealthiest place that he had ever been in. Already he felt an urge to cough as the malodorous fumes caught at his chest.