‘I was confused,’ repeated Berrach.
‘Why then did you barricade yourself in?’
‘I heard the noise of the community being awakened. There were lights in the tower and then in the dormitories. I was about to come out when I heard one of the sisters, I think it was Lerben, calling — “Sister Síomha has been killed by Berrach!” I knew then that I was doomed. What chance has someone like me to justice? I will be punished for something that I have not done.’
Fidelma regarded her thoughtfully.
‘One more question, Berrach. Did you see anything peculiar about Sister Síomha’s body? Apart from the decapitation, that is?’
Berrach wrenched her thoughts momentarily away from her fears and peered questioningly up at Fidelma.
‘Peculiar?’
‘Perhaps something similar to the way the nameless corpse in the well was left,’ prompted Fidelma.
Sister Berrach thought cautiously for a moment.
‘I do not think so.’
‘I mean, did you notice anything tied to her left arm?’
The girl’s bewilderment seemed genuine enough as she shook her head.
‘Do you know anything about the old pagan customs?’
‘Who does not?’ replied Berrach. ‘In these remote places, away from the great cathedrals and towns, you should know that people still dwell close to nature, keep to the old well-trodden paths. Scratch a Christian here and you will find the blood is pagan.’
Fidelma was about to say something further when she heard sounds which seemed to be growing in volume. It was the noise of chanting voices coming from outside the building. She stared in astonishment as she listened. The voices were chanting a name. ‘Berrach! Berrach! Berrach!’
The sister gave a pitiful moan.
‘You see?’ she whimpered. ‘You see? They have come to punish me?’
‘Sister Fidelma!’
Fidelma recognised the voice of Sister Lerben as it cut through the noise. Slowly the chanting voices fell silent.
Fidelma stood up and went to the door. She glanced back at Sister Berrach and tried to smile encouragement.
‘Trust me,’ she reassured the girl. Then she pushed the table aside and opened the door.
Sister Lerben was standing at the far end of the corridor, some of her fellow novices were crowding behind her with lamps.
‘Are you safe, sister?’ demanded the young religieuse. ‘We were worried when we did not hear from you.’
‘What is the meaning of this unruly shouting? Disperse the sisters to their cells.’
‘The members of this community have come for the murderess. The slaughter of Sister Síomha cannot go unpunished. Bring out Berrach. Her sisters have decided that death shall be her only punishment.’
Chapter Ten
The young members of the community seemed almost possessed as they crowded at the end of the passage crying out Berrach’s name. Their hysteria was almost out of control and Fidelma felt anger as she realised that Draigen had done nothing to calm their fears. Lerben herself seemed to have fomented the illogical frenzy and now stood at the head of what was little more than a mob. There was no sign at all of the abbess.
‘The sisters have decided?’ Fidelma’s voice rose on a dangerously icy note.
Sister Lerben was emphatic. ‘The matter is now straightforward. The abbey has given refuge to a witch all these years, one who has repaid it by murder and pagan idolatry. She will receive just punishment. Your task is over.’
There was a murmur of assent from the religieuses crowding behind her. Fidelma saw that most of them were only frightened and out of their fearful state had come their hysteria. Sister Lerben had directed that overwhelming passion against Berrach. The sisters were barely controlled. They seemed about to surge forward. Fidelma planted herself firmly in the passage and held up her hand.
‘In the name of God, do you realise what you are doing?’ she shouted above their cries. ‘I am an advocate of the courts charged by your king and bishop to investigate this matter. Will you take justice into your own hands and commit a terrible crime?’
‘It is our right,’ retorted Sister Lerben.
‘Tell me how this can be so?’ Fidelma demanded. She reasoned that any dialogue was better than blind violence. ‘What is your right? You are just a novice in this abbey, without station. Where is Abbess Draigen? Perhaps she can explain your right?’
Sister Lerben’s eyes flashed angrily.
‘Abbess Draigen has retired to her chamber to pray. She has appointed me to act as rechtaire until she has recovered from this appalling shock. I am now in charge here. Hand over the murderess to us.’
Fidelma was appalled at the young girl’s arrogance.
‘You are young, Lerben. Too young to take the responsibility of this office. What you are suggesting is contrary to the law of the five kingdoms. Now calm yourself and instruct your sisters to disperse.’
To her surprise, Lerben stood her ground.
‘Didn’t Ultan, Archbishop of Armagh, and Chief Apostle of the Faith in the five kingdoms, decree that our church should follow the laws of Peter’s Church in Rome? Well, we have judged our erring sister by that ecclesiastical law and found her guilty.’
‘By what law?’ Fidelma could hardly believe her ears. Surely someone had prompted this young novice, who now claimed to be steward of the abbey, to go against all the laws of the land. She felt that she was embroiled in an argument with someone who claimed that the colour of a day sky was black and the colour of a night sky was white. Where could she find a point of logical contact?
‘By the law of the Holy Word!’ replied Lerben, unperturbed by Fidelma’s authority. ‘Does it not say in Exodus: “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”?’
‘Has the abbess instructed you in this, Lerben?’ Fidelma challenged.
‘Do you argue with the Holy Word?’ replied the novice stubbornly.
‘Our Lord said, according to Matthew: “Judge not, that yebe not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again”’ Fidelma threw back the quotation at Lerben and then turned to the suddenly subdued religieuses behind her. ‘Sisters, you are being misled. Calm yourselves and return to your dormitories. Berrach is not the guilty one.’
There was some muttering among the sisters. Sister Lerben tried to restore her authority. Her face was red and angry for she had clearly hoped to win the sisters’ unquestioned respect and allegiance by her knowledge.
‘Do you reject the dictums of Ultan?’ she demanded of Fidelma.
‘Certainly, if they disagree with truth and the law of this land.’
‘Draigen is abbess here, and her word is law!’ replied the girl.
‘That is not so,’ returned Fidelma sharply, knowing that she had to defuse the situation quickly. The longer it was left festering the easier it would get out of hand. She realised that her suspicion was right. Draigen must have encouraged Lerben in this attempt to whip up fear against Berrach. The only way she could stop this dangerous situation was to attempt to exert her own authority. She repeated clearly: ‘I am appointed ultimately by your High King. I have come here at the request of your king and bishop; by the authority of the abbot of Ros Ailithir, if you respect no other. If you harm Berrach in any way, you, and all who act with you, will be responsible for kin-slaying.’
There was a murmur of consternation among the sisters. They knew enough law to realise that the crime of kin-slaying was one of the most serious in the criminal code of the five kingdoms. It deprived even the High King of his honour price, it was a lawful cause for the driving out of a king from his rank and office. The crucifixion of Christ was considered by the Irish as the ultimate kin-slaying for the Jews were regarded as the maternal kin of Christ. All the laws andwisdom-texts from time immemorial stressed the horrendous nature of kin-slaying for the act struck at the very heart of the kin-based structure of society.