killed Ailgesach, whom he claimed was his cousin,’ added Fidelma. ‘There are many questions that must be answered before we start speculating.’
Eadulf suddenly turned to Fidelma in a burst of excitement. ‘I have just realised! Saer said that he saw a good stallion running wild upon the heath. It could have been the missing horse of the murdered envoy.’
‘It could,’ she said. ‘However, we now have other matters to concern—Wait! Someone is approaching.’
A cart, being pulled by an ass, was creaking round a bend in the road ahead of them. Seated on a pile of sacking and cursing volubly at the animal straining in the shafts was a fat, balding man, whose dress proclaimed him as a merchant. The back of the cart was filled with farm produce and sacks of wheat and corn. He eased on the reins as he approached them.
‘Are you bound for Durlus?’ He greeted them with an apprehensive smile, having noticed Gormán’s weapons. Lone merchants travelling on isolated roads so late in the day sometimes had reason to be ill at ease. ‘You’ll not make it before sunset.’
‘We are aware of the position of the sun,’ replied Gormán dryly. ‘Have you seen any other travellers on this road?’
‘Only a few,’ said the man, realising that the warrior’s party were not dressed as he imagined bandits might be, and thereby relaxing a little. ‘A lady and her companion stopped me earlier and asked where they could find a boatman to transport them to Imleach. Of course, I said the river didn’t go there and it was best to get to An Ghabhailín, the fork of the river, and—’
The fat merchant was garrulous but Fidelma interrupted him. ‘A lady and her companion? From what direction were they travelling?’
‘Coming from the south, as you are.’
Fidelma glanced at Eadulf in surprise. ‘How long ago was this?’
‘Some time after midday,’ the man said with a shrug.
‘After midday? But that is a long time ago,’ Gormán pointed out suspiciously.
‘Indeed, that was before I pulled off the highway to Cill Locha. I had some trading to do there. I have only just rejoined the highway to the south but I am not going to make even Fedach Glas’s tavern before dark. I wanted to be in Cashel before sun-up.’
‘The man and woman,’ Fidelma said musingly. ‘They were looking for a boat to take them to An Ghabhailín … Where would they get that from?’
The man shrugged. ‘Hard to say, and they would have had to abandon their horses. No boats are going to take horses downriver. As a matter of fact, I suggested that they might try Mugrón’s tavern …’
‘That is where I was suggesting we might halt, lady,’ Gormán intervened. ‘It’s a ferry crossing on the Suir. We have to leave this highway and take a small track to the west.’
The merchant nodded. ‘You have the place correct. The lady did not seem happy and I think that she would have preferred to travel on to Durlus. But I’d be surprised if those two were able to pick up a boat today. Even if they abandoned their horses, they will find little traffic on the river. There is some festival or other, I think, which most boatmen are attending. Anyway, I left them to the joys of the day.’
Fidelma was thinking. ‘How long ago was it that you say you directed this woman and man to Mugrón’s tavern?’
‘Oh, it was quite a while ago.’ He suddenly chuckled. ‘As I said, I had to go to Cill Locha. I trade with the farmer there. Funny thing …’ He paused with a smile and shook his head.
‘What is funny?’ demanded Eadulf.
‘Well, I had only just rejoined this highway, a short while ago, when a religieux on horseback came riding up behind me. He asked if I had seen a man and woman on horseback, saying that they were friends and he wanted to catch up with them. He described them and so I told him what I have told you.’
‘A religieux on horseback?’ queried Eadulf, trying to suppress his excitement. He gave the man a brief
Eadulf suddenly turned to Fidelma in a burst of excitement. ‘I have just realised! Saer said that he saw a good stallion running wild upon the heath. It could have been the missing horse of the murdered envoy.’
‘It could,’ she said. ‘However, we now have other matters to concern—Wait! Someone is approaching.’
A cart, being pulled by an ass, was creaking round a bend in the road ahead of them. Seated on a pile of sacking and cursing volubly at the animal straining in the shafts was a fat, balding man, whose dress proclaimed him as a merchant. The back of the cart was filled with farm produce and sacks of wheat and corn. He eased on the reins as he approached them.
‘Are you bound for Durlus?’ He greeted them with an apprehensive smile, having noticed Gormán’s weapons. Lone merchants travelling on isolated roads so late in the day sometimes had reason to be ill at ease. ‘You’ll not make it before sunset.’
‘We are aware of the position of the sun,’ replied Gormán dryly. ‘Have you seen any other travellers on this road?’
‘Only a few,’ said the man, realising that the warrior’s party were not dressed as he imagined bandits might be, and thereby relaxing a little. ‘A lady and her companion stopped me earlier and asked where they could find a boatman to transport them to Imleach. Of course, I said the river didn’t go there and it was best to get to An Ghabhailín, the fork of the river, and—’
The fat merchant was garrulous but Fidelma interrupted him. ‘A lady and her companion? From what direction were they travelling?’
‘Coming from the south, as you are.’
Fidelma glanced at Eadulf in surprise. ‘How long ago was this?’
‘Some time after midday,’ the man said with a shrug.
‘After midday? But that is a long time ago,’ Gormán pointed out suspiciously.
‘Indeed, that was before I pulled off the highway to Cill Locha. I had some trading to do there. I have only just rejoined the highway to the south but I am not going to make even Fedach Glas’s tavern before dark. I wanted to be in Cashel before sun-up.’
‘The man and woman,’ Fidelma said musingly. ‘They were looking for a boat to take them to An Ghabhailín … Where would they get that from?’
The man shrugged. ‘Hard to say, and they would have had to abandon their horses. No boats are going to take horses downriver. As a matter of fact, I suggested that they might try Mugrón’s tavern …’
‘That is where I was suggesting we might halt, lady,’ Gormán intervened. ‘It’s a ferry crossing on the Suir. We have to leave this highway and take a small track to the west.’
The merchant nodded. ‘You have the place correct. The lady did not seem happy and I think that she would have preferred to travel on to Durlus. But I’d be surprised if those two were able to pick up a boat today. Even if they abandoned their horses, they will find little traffic on the river. There is some festival or other, I think, which most boatmen are attending. Anyway, I left them to the joys of the day.’
Fidelma was thinking. ‘How long ago was it that you say you directed this woman and man to Mugrón’s tavern?’
‘Oh, it was quite a while ago.’ He suddenly chuckled. ‘As I said, I had to go to Cill Locha. I trade with the farmer there. Funny thing …’ He paused with a smile and shook his head.
‘What is funny?’ demanded Eadulf.
‘Well, I had only just rejoined this highway, a short while ago, when a religieux on horseback came riding up behind me. He asked if I had seen a man and woman on horseback, saying that they were friends and he wanted to catch up with them. He described them and so I told him what I have told you.’
‘A religieux on horseback?’ queried Eadulf, trying to suppress his excitement. He gave the man a brief
Similar Books
