Fidelma smiled grimly.
“At the moment I am more concerned with the boatmen who have disappeared.”
Ross sighed and nodded.
“I know Olcán never treated his men well but I see what you mean. I have heard that several good river men had disappeared of late. I did not know that they worked for Olcán although, come to think of it, I do not recall seeing as many of Olcán’s barges on the river in recent days.”
Fidelma was intrigued.
“Are you saying that you know Olcán’s barges by sight?”
Ross grinned.
“Even barges bear names, lady. And Olcán’s barges have the head of a wolf burnt into the bow to brand the owner’s identity on them. Where did these barges disappear?”
She told him what she knew.
“Between Eochaill and Lios Mór?” he said reflectively. “That’s over thirty kilometers of river, maybe more. That’s a long stretch of river to examine.”
Fidelma was thoughtful.
“There has been something troubling me about it, something Olcán said which struck a thought in my mind and then it passed and now I cannot remember it,” she confessed. Then she clicked her fingers abruptly.
“I know, it was the fact that these boats disappeared at night. That they undertook their journey by night.”
Ross shook his head with a smile.
“Nothing unusual in that. Night is often the safest time to travel and the speediest time for boats like the ethur or cargo-carrying boats, as we call them. Often during the day, on rivers such as these, you get many people out in small boats who really don’t know the ways of the river. Many skippers of ethur try to avoid them because of the accidents that they cause. The answer is that they choose night to travel and so they can move speedily along.”
“I see.” Fidelma was disappointed. However, Ross was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“Did you say that Olcán said the last boat to disappear was two weeks ago and the other was four weeks before that?”
“He did. Is that significant to you?”
Ross pursed his lips.
“Not really. Only that it must have coincided with the new moon on both occasions. Usually skippers avoid that period when traveling at night.”
“I don’t understand. I thought you said they liked traveling at night?”
“But during the three days of the new moon they usually avoid travel for it is the dark time. The day of the new moon, the day before and the day afterwards.”
“I still do not understand.”
“Even boatmen need moonlight to see by and while they like to travel at night, they do not like total darkness. You must know that we call that the period of the Dark Moon for on those three days the moon is so weak it shows little light.”
“Of course. It is said that the moon holds sway over the night and that things happen at the period of the Dark Moon that never happen in the Full Moon. Hidden acts take place at the Dark Moon.”
Ross nodded quickly.
“She is the sailor’s strength, the Queen of the Night. But she is a hard taskmistress, that is why we have so many names for her in our language and none dare pronounce her real name. Once a sailor steps on shipboard he must never refer to the moon by other than an euphemism such as ‘the Queen of the Night’, ‘the brightness’ and. .”
Fidelma had been looking thoughtful and interrupted him.
“Ross, can you find someone to take me upriver? I’d like to examine its course between here and Lios Mór.”
Ross grinned.
“If it’s a trip upriver that you are wanting, lady, then I am your man. I was born on this river. I have a curragh moored a short distance away.”
“But there are only a few hours of daylight left today. The sort of trip I had in mind needs daylight. If your offer still holds at dawn tomorrow, then I accept.”
Ross nodded agreeably.
“Dawn tomorrow it is, lady. I’ll bring the curragh to the quay at Dair Inis.”
“Good.” She rose. “Then I shall take this opportunity to visit some of the wives of the boatmen who disappeared and see in what condition Olcán has left them. The scriptor has made me a list of their names and their families live mostly around Eochaill.”
The first three boatmen who had disappeared had been Erc, Donnucán and Laochra. The second crew were Finchán, Laidcenn and Dathal.
On inquiring for the families of the first two names on the list prepared by the scriptor, Fidelma was informed by neighbors that they had departed from Eochaill. As soon as the news of their husbands’ disappearance had been reported, the womenfolk and their children had left the area, presumably to go to stay with other members of their families.
The third family Fidelma found was still living in Eochaill. A woman with heavy jowls and a baby in her arms stood on the threshold of a poor house, and glowered in suspicion at Fidelma.
“My man was a steersman on Olcán’s barges,” she acknowledged. “Five weeks ago now he was contracted to take a cargo up to Lios Mór and has not returned.”
Fidelma was aware of several children playing around the house.
“You have a large family?”
The woman nodded.
“Times must be hard with the loss of your man. Does Olcán help support the family?”
The woman laughed unpleasantly.
“The wolf? That sly one? He would not give a pingín that he did not have to.”
Fidelma sighed. By right, Olcán had to give support to his workers injured in the course of tasks undertaken in their employment. Obviously, the woman did not know her rights.
“Do your family help, with the feeding of your children?”
Again the woman laughed.
“It is the generosity of Abaoth who feeds my children, Sister. A blessing on his name.”
Fidelma raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“Abaoth?” While it was technically Abaoth’s cargo, the legal responsibility was on the employer, Olcán, to compensate the families of the men who were injured in his employ. Disappearance could well be interpreted by the Brehons as a form of injury.
“He is a generous man,” repeated the woman. “It was his cargo that my man was transporting.”
“Does he help all the families of the boatmen who have disappeared?”
“So I am told. I know he helps me and will do so until the time my man returns.”
“And you have no idea what has happened to your man and his fellow boatmen?”
“None. Now I have things to attend to, Sister.” The woman turned abruptly to her house and closed the door behind her.
Thoughtfully, Fidelma went to find another of the families. According to the scriptor, one of the boatmen had recently been married. His young wife’s name was Serc. The house was a small but better kept house, near the quay. As she came to the door Fidelma heard voices raised, a male voice and a female voice. She could not hear what was said but some altercation was taking place. Fidelma knocked loudly and the voices fell silent. She knocked again. There came the sounds of whispering. Then Fidelma heard the noise of a door opening softly on the far side of the house. Something prompted her to move swiftly to the corner of the building where there was a narrow passage leading to the back of it. She had a brief glimpse of a semi-clad male figure, some of his clothes in hand, moving hurriedly away. A second’s glimpse, and then he had disappeared.
Behind her the front door had opened.
Fidelma turned back to find herself being confronted by a young, attractive but sulky-looking girl with a shawl around her. It was clear that she was naked underneath. Her hair was tousled and her lips were pursed in a surly expression. There was something promiscuous about her even in this state. Her stare was disapproving as she looked at Fidelma.