There was a sound from Brehon Morann.
Behind a hand that covered the lower part of his mouth he appeared to be stifling a laugh.
The Druimcli seemed to make a conscious effort to control his features.
“Fidelma.” Brehon Morann, having controlled his amusement, spoke softly.
“Fidelma, I think on reflection you will find that the Druimcli was speaking figuratively.”
“I think he was also speaking without due regard to the law,” replied Fidelma, unappeased by the explanation.
This time Firbis kept his lips pressed tight.
“Explain yourself,” Morann said quietly. It was a dangerous tone.
“Simply, that the law holds everyone to account. Because someone is a Brehon does not exclude them from criticism any more than it allows a Druimcli to insult a student who has not yet attained to the degree of Dos.”
There was coldness in the room.
Suddenly, Druimcli Firbis seemed to relax and actually smile. It was a thin, wan smile but a smile nevertheless.
“You are right, young woman. It was wrong of me to make such a personal outburst. A Brehon is not above examination and where error has occurred he is not beyond correction and fine. Nor should I have implied that you do not have the right to express your opinion of any error because you have not yet graduated.”
Fidelma bowed her head slightly.
“Indeed, isn’t the reason that we are discussing this matter to see whether the unnamed Brehon in question gave a false judgment or a true judgment?’ she asked.
Brehon Morann smiled softly.
“That is precisely what we are here for. Have you reached any conclusion?”
“My conclusion, so far, is the verdict is still unsafe. What witnesses were called by the king’s dálaigh?”
“The king’s steward, for one,” replied Firbis.
“What was his name and the effect of his testimony?”
“His name?” Firbis hesitated then said. “Feranaim. He deposed that Sochla had been employed as a menial worker in the king’s hall. That he had seen her at work when the household left to attend the game and most importantly he had seen the casket in its usual place.”
“He was the last to leave the hall?”
“That is so,” replied Firbis hastily.
“How did you know?” Fidelma did not reply directly. She continued: “And was he the person who spotted the casket missing on the return from the game?”
The Druimcli shook his head.
“No, in fact it was the King himself who spotted that the casket was not in its usual place. The steward was sent for and. .”
“The steward was sent for?” Fidelma asked quickly. “Where was he when everyone returned from the game?”
“In his quarters. The steward has a house near the king’s hall.”
“But surely, the steward would know that his presence would be needed in the hall with the return of the King and his retinue?”
“He probably did not know they had returned,” Firbis assured her.
She smiled quickly.
“He did not know they had returned? Why not, if he had returned with them?”
Firbis regarded her with a bland expression and did not respond.
“The evidence was that the household went to the game leaving only Sochla in the king’s hall,” Fidelma pointed out.
“That is so. She was left in the king’s hall.”
“But the steward, the man called Feranaim, obviously did not go to the game and was in the vicinity of the royal complex?”
Neither Firbis nor Morann answered.
She stood thinking a moment.
“Did the Brehon pick up on this point?”
Druimcli Firbis shrugged.
“Was there any need to?”
“I would say there was great need.”
“Why?”
“Because it is evidence that challenges the whole case. Not only does it show that Sochla was not the only person in the vicinity of the casket, nor, as we have found, was her lover the only other person there, but now we have the high steward in the vicinity of the hall. What if Sochla was right? What if her lover and she had been otherwise engaged, and the high steward had slipped into the hall and removed the casket, later hiding it under Sochla’s bed for reasons we do not know of?”
“There are a many ‘what ifs’ here, Fidelma. With an ‘if’ you might place all Tara in a bottle.”
“Questions and probabilities are what this case is all about.” Fidelma was not dissuaded. “Were any questions put to this high steward called Feranaim about his background?”
“None directly,” confirmed Firbis.
“What does that mean?”
“That no direct question was put to the steward.” snapped back Firbis.
Fidelma thought for a moment.
“And was Sochla questioned on her relationship with Feranaim?”
“Her relationship?”
“Was she friendly with the steward?”
Firbis shook his head.
Something prompted Fidelma to press him.
“Did she volunteer any statement at all about Feranaim?”
“The Brehon deemed her statement about Feranaim inadmissible.”
“But what was that statement?”
“She claimed that Feranaim had attempted to seduce her and that she had rejected him. She claimed, because of this, that he held a hatred for her.”
Fidelma’s intake of breath was sharp.
“It now seems that the motive and opportunity are not all one-sided matters,” she said coldly. “Others might have motive and opportunity as well. On what ground did the Brehon rule this information inadmissible?”
The Druimcli shifted his position.
“The Brehon cited the law text the Berrad Airechta. I suppose you are acquainted with it?”
“It contains the text of the categories of evidence that are inadmissible,” replied Fidelma with confidence. “If my memory serves me correctly, there are nine major exclusions and four special exclusions. As I recall, evidence may be excluded if it comes from someone known to have been bribed, someone who has a relationship with the person they give evidence against, and someone known to hate the person. .”
Firbis held up his hand.
“You give us little doubt that you know the law in this respect, Fidelma. The Brehon excluded the evidence on the grounds that Sochla knew and hated Feranaim and thus the evidence was invalid. .”
“That was a wrong decision.”
“Why?” snapped Firbis.
“Because it would not apply to Sochla, being the accused. Her evidence in rebutting the accusations against her is not inadmissible. In this respect, I believe the Brehon was unjust. He should have included this evidence.”
Fidelma used the legal term gúach whose connotation meant that the injustice arose not from error but bias.
Firbis sat quietly examining her for a moment or two.
“Then you have decided that there was a false judgment here?”
Fidelma did not reply for the moment, then she said quietly: “An injustice in dismissing evidence does not necessarily imply that the overall judgment of the case was wrong or false within the definition by which a blemish might arise on the character of the Brehon. Were I to press forward, would there be any more revelations to come forth?”
The question was suddenly sharp and directed to the Druimcli.
Brehon Morann coughed, suddenly restive.
“There are several other students to be examined this day, Fidelma. I believe you have taken up enough of our time.”
The Brehon’s face was stern again, his brows drawn together in disapproval.
“Then you wish a judgment from me?” Fidelma said quietly, her head bowed. “Yet I do not feel that I have been given sufficient time nor all the facts in this case.”
Brehon Morann gave a soft sigh, a quiet hiss of breath that seemed to indicate his displeasure.
“Fidelma, today was the appointed day for your final examination in this series. The result of this day will determine whether you achieve the degree of Dos, the minimum graduate degree. Those that pass this degree can continue their studies, and should they pass six to eight more years of study here, then the accolade of ollamh might await them at which they could sit with the High King himself and speak a judgment even before he speaks. But the person who has the quickest hand, let them have the white hound and the deer in the hunt. So let me remind you of certain facts.”