Brehon Aillín enquired, in a patronising manner.
‘Firstly, the assassin introduced himself as Brother Lennán of Mungairit. Now, I suspect that his name was
not
Brother Lennán. Perhaps he did not even come from Mungairit. Nevertheless, this must be verified or excluded. Secondly, we were able to confirm that he had changed his clothes before arriving at the palace to attempt his assassination. He rode a good horse, but did not appear to be a warrior, and this evidence leads us to the conclusion that he was a scholar of some description. More importantly, his leather saddle-bag was scored with the sword and serpent symbol of the Uí Fidgente.’
They each nodded in silence as if concurring with the points she made.
‘We found the assassin’s horse left in Della’s paddock and his clothes stored nearby in a woodman’s hut. In that same hut we found the girl, Aibell. Now, according to Aibell, she had run away from the mistreatment of Fidaig of Luachra, and eventually found her way to the Suir where she was given a ride to Cashel. She arrived here just before dawn. A shepherd then suggested the hut to her as a place where she could spend a few hours in the dry and get some rest. Both the driver of the wagon who brought her here and the shepherd who suggested the hut give testimony to the truth of this statement.’
Fidelma paused for a moment. ‘On that basis, we can accept the girl’s statement. However, Aibell also says that she is originally from Dún Eochair Mháigh, the chief fortress of the princes of the Uí Fidgente. She says that her father was a simple fisherman on the River An Mháigh, a man called Escmug who, she claims, was a depraved person and sold her as a bondservant to Fidaig of the Luachra even though she had reached the age of maturity.’
Brehon Aillín could not help interrupting with a sniff. ‘That is unlikely. Even among the Uí Fidgente such a transaction is against the law.’
‘Nevertheless, this is what is claimed. Now, given the fact that our assassin has a saddle-bag with the brand of the Prince of the Uí Fidgente and the girl originally comes from the chief fortress of those people, we have another strange coincidence that is worth pondering on. It may well be just another coincidence – but we must gather more facts.’
Finguine sat back with a frown. ‘You have a proposal as to how those facts may be gathered? I presume you mean to question the girl further?’
Brehon Aillín said deprecatingly, ‘If she has lied already, she will lie again.’
‘That is not what I propose,’ Fidelma said hurriedly. ‘I am afraid there is only one way to gather the evidence that might or might not confirm these matters.’
It was Caol, speaking for the first time, who understood her intent.
‘You propose to go to the country of the Uí Fidgente and see if you can obtain this information?’
Brehon Aillín pursed his thin lips in disapproval. ‘The land of the Uí Fidgente is dangerous to one of your blood, especially after your brother defeated the rebellion of Eoganán at Cnoc Áine.’
‘You may recall that Brother Eadulf and I spent some time among the Uí Fidgente when we went to the Abbey of Ard Fhearta,’ Fidelma said.
‘As I recall,’ Brehon Aillín responded in a pedantic tone, ‘you went there at the invitation and under the personal protection of Conrí the son of Conmáel, the warlord of the Uí Fidgente.’
‘That is true,’ Finguine agreed. ‘But since then there has been much disturbance in that country.’
‘Disturbance?’ Fidelma’s tone was dismissive. ‘That was mainly due to the fanaticism of Étain of An Dún and nothing to do with the Uí Fidgente. Even though they are reluctant to accept the rule of Cashel, Prince Donennach has made a peace with us and has kept to it.’
Finguine seemed to be struggling with the proposition. ‘Do you think that such a journey is the only way to resolve this matter?’
‘The corpse will not reveal any more
‘Firstly, the assassin introduced himself as Brother Lennán of Mungairit. Now, I suspect that his name was
not
Brother Lennán. Perhaps he did not even come from Mungairit. Nevertheless, this must be verified or excluded. Secondly, we were able to confirm that he had changed his clothes before arriving at the palace to attempt his assassination. He rode a good horse, but did not appear to be a warrior, and this evidence leads us to the conclusion that he was a scholar of some description. More importantly, his leather saddle-bag was scored with the sword and serpent symbol of the Uí Fidgente.’
They each nodded in silence as if concurring with the points she made.
‘We found the assassin’s horse left in Della’s paddock and his clothes stored nearby in a woodman’s hut. In that same hut we found the girl, Aibell. Now, according to Aibell, she had run away from the mistreatment of Fidaig of Luachra, and eventually found her way to the Suir where she was given a ride to Cashel. She arrived here just before dawn. A shepherd then suggested the hut to her as a place where she could spend a few hours in the dry and get some rest. Both the driver of the wagon who brought her here and the shepherd who suggested the hut give testimony to the truth of this statement.’
Fidelma paused for a moment. ‘On that basis, we can accept the girl’s statement. However, Aibell also says that she is originally from Dún Eochair Mháigh, the chief fortress of the princes of the Uí Fidgente. She says that her father was a simple fisherman on the River An Mháigh, a man called Escmug who, she claims, was a depraved person and sold her as a bondservant to Fidaig of the Luachra even though she had reached the age of maturity.’
Brehon Aillín could not help interrupting with a sniff. ‘That is unlikely. Even among the Uí Fidgente such a transaction is against the law.’
‘Nevertheless, this is what is claimed. Now, given the fact that our assassin has a saddle-bag with the brand of the Prince of the Uí Fidgente and the girl originally comes from the chief fortress of those people, we have another strange coincidence that is worth pondering on. It may well be just another coincidence – but we must gather more facts.’
Finguine sat back with a frown. ‘You have a proposal as to how those facts may be gathered? I presume you mean to question the girl further?’
Brehon Aillín said deprecatingly, ‘If she has lied already, she will lie again.’
‘That is not what I propose,’ Fidelma said hurriedly. ‘I am afraid there is only one way to gather the evidence that might or might not confirm these matters.’
It was Caol, speaking for the first time, who understood her intent.
‘You propose to go to the country of the Uí Fidgente and see if you can obtain this information?’
Brehon Aillín pursed his thin lips in disapproval. ‘The land of the Uí Fidgente is dangerous to one of your blood, especially after your brother defeated the rebellion of Eoganán at Cnoc Áine.’
‘You may recall that Brother Eadulf and I spent some time among the Uí Fidgente when we went to the Abbey of Ard Fhearta,’ Fidelma said.
‘As I recall,’ Brehon Aillín responded in a pedantic tone, ‘you went there at the invitation and under the personal protection of Conrí the son of Conmáel, the warlord of the Uí Fidgente.’
‘That is true,’ Finguine agreed. ‘But since then there has been much disturbance in that country.’
‘Disturbance?’ Fidelma’s tone was dismissive. ‘That was mainly due to the fanaticism of Étain of An Dún and nothing to do with the Uí Fidgente. Even though they are reluctant to accept the rule of Cashel, Prince Donennach has made a peace with us and has kept to it.’
Finguine seemed to be struggling with the proposition. ‘Do you think that such a journey is the only way to resolve this matter?’
‘The corpse will not reveal any more
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