âI seek to talk to the captain of this vessel in private.'
âI am the captain,' the man replied. âCome aft to my cabin.'
Fidelma glanced at Cass.
âWait for me here, Cass. I shall not be long.'
The warrior looked unhappy in the light of the swinging deck lanterns.
The sailor led the way to the stern of the vessel and conducted her to a cabin below deck. It was small, crowded and smelt strongly of a man living in a confined space, body odours permeated together with the stench of the oil lamps and other smells which she could not place. For a moment or two she regretted not conducting her business on the deck in the fresh air but she did not want to let the eager ears of the sailors and warriors hear what she had to discuss.
âLady,' invited the captain, indicating the only chair in the small crowded cabin while he himself sprawled on the end of a bunk.
Fidelma lowered herself gently into the cramped wooden seat.
âYou have the advantage of me, captain,' Fidelma began.' You know my name, yet I do not know your name.'
The sailor grinned easily.
âMugrón. A fitting name for a sailor.'
Fidelma found herself answering his smile. The name meant âlad of the seals'. Then she brought her thoughts back to the matter in hand.
âWell, Mugr6n, I would firstly like to know the purpose of your presence in the inlet of Ros Ailithir.'
Mugrón waved a hand as if to encompass his surroundings.
âI am here at the request of my king, Fianamail of Laigin.'
âThat does not explain matters. Do you come in peace or war?'
âI came to deliver a message to Brocc, abbot of Ros Ailithir, telling him that my king holds him responsible for the death of his cousin, the Venerable Dacán.'
âYou have delivered the message. What do you seek here now?'
âI am to wait to ensure that, when the time comes, Brocc answers to his responsibility. My king would not like him to vanish from Ros Ailithir until the High King's assembly meets at Tara. My king's Brehon has told us that this is within the law of distraint. As I said, we also have the permission of Salbach to anchor here.'
Fidelma realised, dredging some half-forgotten law from her memory, that under this pretext the ship of Mugr6n was acting legally. In legal terms the ship was anchored outside the abbey in order to force Brocc to concede his responsibility for the death of Dacán, even though his hand did not commit the deed itself, and until proof was offered that he was not responsible the ship could sit there. The law went further and entitled the Abbot Noé, as closest relative to Dacán, to make a ritual fast against Brocc until culpability was admitted.
âYou delivered a message to Brocc when you arrived here. Was that the official
apad
â the notice of this act?'
âIt was,' agreed Mugrón. âIt was done according to the instruction of the Brehon of my king.'
Fidelma compressed her lips angrily.
She should have realised the situation sooner when she saw the bunch of twisted branches of osiers and aspens hanging at the gate of the abbey. This withe, as it was called, was the sign of a distraint against a monastic superior. It was a long time since she had had recourse to the text known as
Di Chetharshlicht Athgabála
setting out the complex rituals and law on distraint. What she did remember was that she was allowed to make three mistakes in the law without fine because it was so complex. She conceded that her first mistake was in her lapse of memory of the law of distraint.
The weather-beaten face of the sailor creased cynically as he saw the expression on her face.
âThe king of Laigin places the law above all things, lady,' he said with gentle emphasis.
âIt is the law that I shall speak to you about, now that I know your purpose here,' Fidelma replied spiritedly.
âWhat would a simple sailor, such as I, know about the law?' countered Mugrón. âI do as I am told.'
âYou have admitted that you are here as an instrument of the law, instructed by the Brehon of your king,' Fidelma responded quickly. âYou know enough law for that.'
Mugrón's eyes widened at the way she refused to be intimidated and then he grinned.
âVery well. Of what would you speak?'
âA sister of the Faith was pulled out of the water near your ship a short while ago. She was dead.'
âOne of my men reported the incident to me,' agreed Mugrón. âIt happened just before nightfall. Two fisherman had snared the body in their nets. They rowed it to the shore.'
âYou appear to keep a careful watch on this ship. Did none of your crew see anything suspicious? No sign of the body being put into the sea from the rocks on that headland?'
âNothing was seen by us. We have little to do with the shore
except, with the approval of Salbach, we trade for fresh meat and vegetables with some of the local people.'
âAnd the sister was never on board this ship?'
Mugrón's face coloured with annoyance.
âSister Eisten was not on board this ship,' he snapped. âWho claims that she was is a liar!'
Fidelma felt a sudden excitement at his response.
âAnd how did you know her name was Eisten? I did not mention it.' There was granite in her voice.
Mugrón blinked.
âYou â¦'
She interrupted him with a gesture.
âDo not play games with me, Mugrón. How did you know her name? It is the truth that I want.'
Mugrón raised his arms in a helpless gesture.
âVery well, the entire truth it shall be. But I have no wish to place my life and ship in danger. Let us keep this matter between us for the time being.'
âThere will be no danger so long as the truth is told,' affirmed Fidelma.
Mugrón rose from his seat, went to the cabin door and called out the name, âMidnat'. He returned to his seat and an elderly, bearded man entered a moment later and raised his knuckles to his forehead. He was grizzled and tanned of face and his hair was a dirty, greying colour.
âTell the sister here your name and the position that you hold on this vessel. Then tell her what happened to you when you went ashore today.'
The elderly man turned to Fidelma and bobbed his head, drawing back his lips from toothless gums.
âI am Midnat, lady. I am the cook for this vessel. I went ashore today to buy fresh vegetables and oats for the crew.'
âAt what time was this?'
âJust as the bell for the midday meal was being struck at the abbey.'
âTell Sister Fidelma what happened,' interrupted Mugrón. âExactly as you told me.'
The old man glanced at him in surprise.
âAbout the ⦠?
âGet on with it, man,' snapped Mugrón. âTell her everything.'
The old man raised a hand and wiped it over his mouth and chin.
âWell, I am returning to my boat. I've bought the vegetables, you see. So, I am going back ⦠well, this sister hails me and asks me whether my captain will be prepared to take two passengers on a voyage.'
âShe said
two
passengers?' queried Fidelma. âWhat exactly did she say?'
âLike that: “Hey, sailor, do you come from that ocean-going ship?” she says. I nods. “How much will your captain charge for the passage for two to Britain or Gaul?” Then I realise that she has mistaken me for someone off the Frankish ship yonder. The big merchant ship. She offers, she says, two
screpall
for the passage.'
Fidelma stared at him in astonishment.
âThe sister offered such valuable silver coins?'
Midnat nodded emphatically.
âI says: “Would that I could take it, sister, but I am just the cook from the Laigin warship there. For passage out of this land you need to contact a sailor from the Frankish merchantman at anchor on the other side of the inlet.” No sooner have I said that, then she steps back with a hand to her mouth and eyes wide as if I am the devil incarnate. And she turns and runs away.'
The man paused and waited, watching Fidelma's face.
âIs that all?' Fidelma was disappointed.
âIt was enough,' confirmed Midnat.
âShe disappeared and you did not see her again?'
âShe runs off along the seashore. I returns to my ship. Then
a short while ago, just as dusk is about to descend there's a commotion. I goes on deck to see what it's about. Not far off there's a couple of local fishermen hauling a body out of the water. It's this same sister that offers me the money for a passage.'
Fidelma glanced up sharply.
âIt was dusk, nearly dark. How could you be sure it was the same sister?'
âThere's enough light,' said the old cook, âand the body of the sister is wearing a curious cross around its neck. Distinctive enough for me to know that I have not seen another except worn by the sister who asks about the passage to Britain or Gaul.'
It was right enough, thought Fidelma. Eisten's Roman cross was fairly distinctive in these parts. But she decided to make certain.
âCurious? In what way?'
âIt's a cross without a circle.'
âAh, you mean a Roman cross?' Fidelma pressed.
âI don't know. If you say it is,' replied the other diffidently. âBut it's large and ornate and with some jewels worth a king's ransom encrusted on it.'
It was not surprising that the old sailor might mistake the semi-precious stones for jewels of great wealth. The identification, though tenuous, was enough to convince her of the accuracy of what the man had said.
âThat will be all, Midnat.' Mugrón dismissed the sailor.
The old cook raised his knuckles to his forehead once more in a farewell salute and left the cabin.
âWell?' asked Mugrón, âdoes this testimony satisfy you?'
âNo, it doesn't,' Fidelma replied calmly. âFor you still have not explained how you knew the actual name of this unfortunate woman.'
Mugrón shrugged dismissively.
âWell, there is no great secret in that. I told you that we had
the permission of Salbach to anchor here and pursue our distraint against Brocc of Ros Ailithir.'
Fidelma nodded.
âWhen we came here just over a week ago, on instruction of our king's Brehon we went straight to Salbach's fortress at Cuan Dóir to ask his permission.'
âAnd so?' prompted Fidelma, not understanding where Mugrón was leading her.
âAt Cuan Dóir I was introduced to this Sister Eisten. When Midnat came to me and described this sister, with her strange crucifix, saying that it was the same sister who was seeking passage, I remembered the crucifix and her name.'
âSo you are sure that Sister Eisten was at Salbach's fortress a week ago?' Fidelma felt confused by the apparent ceaseless twists the path of this investigation kept taking.
âIndeed. Cuan Dóir lies in the next bay, so not far from here. Why do you seem surprised that she would be there?'
Fidelma did not attempt an explanation.
âThere is one thing I would like you to do, Mugrón,' she said to the captain of the Laigin warship. âThat is, I want you to accompany me to the abbey and make sure that the body of Sister Eisten is the same person as the sister you saw at Salbach's fortress. I want to be absolutely sure.'
Mugrón was hesitant.
âWell, I suppose a trip ashore will be better than sitting on this tub buffeted by the seas. Yet I cannot understand what relevance the death of this tragic young woman has to do with the killing of Dacán? Surely that is the more important matter with which you should be concerned?'
He saw the look in Fidelma's eye and raised a hand in placation.
âYes, yes, Sister Fidelma. I'll come with you but you, as
dálaigh,
must ensure that no indignity will be done to me by any followers of the Abbot Brocc.'
âThat I can assure you,' Fidelma confirmed.
âThen it is agreed.'
âThere is another thing,' Fidelma said, reaching forward to stay him as Mugrón prepared to rise to his feet.
âWhich is?'
âYou said that you were introduced to Sister Eisten. Why was that?'
âIt was while we were awaiting the arrival of Salbach in the feasting hall that I saw this young religieuse. I was interested in the cross she wore because it was not like the crucifixes worn by our native religious. I could get a good trade for such a cross in Laigin.'