The Dove of Death

what reason am I supposed to have killed Abbot Maelgar, the girl found with Macliau and heaven knows who else?’

‘Iuna killed Abbot Maelcar,’ went on Fidelma confidently. ‘The Abbot was from Brekilien and had been fostered in an abbey — I believe it is called Pempont. Next to it is the royal court. On a visit recently, he chanced on Iuna in a compromising position with Budic. He came back muttering about loose morality at the court — about a provincial servant fornicating with the King’s offspring. Aourken told me that. Alain has only one offspring. Abbot Maelcar considered Iuna a provincial servant. And Iuna let slip that Abbot Maelcar used to call her that as an insult. She also said he was a man who looked at women through cracks in curtains. She was about to tell me what had happened at Brekilien when she realised that it would incriminate her. Indeed, she realised that Abbot Maelcar could be witness to her relationship with Budic. That was why he was invited here and killed by her. She grew more vicious as the time for the fruition of the conspiracy grew close.’

During this recital, Riwanon had turned to regard Budic with an expression of distaste, but the young man was still sneering at Fidelma.

‘But I am told that Budic himself was nearly slain in an ambush by the followers of this Dove of Death,’ King Alain objected. ‘They attacked Riwanon and killed members of their escort. Budic saved her life.’

‘Explain that, foreigner!’ Budic taunted her.

‘The ambush was faked,’ answered Fidelma flatly.

Riwanon coloured and leaned forward, her cheeks aflame.

‘But I was there,’ she said. ‘Bleidbara and your companion went out after the attackers and found them, rescued my maid while she was being raped, and killed them. How was that a fake?’

‘I’ll tell you what really happened,’ Fidelma said. ‘Budic and yourself rode out with Ceingar, your maid, and two warriors. Budic needed such an event to enhance his position when the time came to present himself as a hero who had escaped death from the evil machinations of Brilhag. Iuna had arranged for one of the raiding parties from the Koulm ar Maro to meet up with Budic and his party. In fact, I suspect the two warriors who accompanied Budic were either part of the conspiracy or mercenaries from the Koulm ar Maro. I found it curious that Budic and Riwanon had decided to go to the oratory that morning when the countryside was in such uproar. When they returned to Brilhag with the story of two warriors and their maid dead or captured and their own miraculous escape, I became very suspicious.

‘What really happened was that the party had met up and then Riwanon and Budic had returned with their stories. Meanwhile, the two warriors and Ceingar had joined the others and even attacked a farmstead, killing a farmer and his family.

‘Bleidbara and Boric, and Boric is a first-class tracker, could find no signs of any attack along the forest track where it was said to have happened. Nor could Boric find tracks of Riwanon and Budic’s horses fleeing back to Brilhag, hotly pursued in the manner that had been claimed. Bleidbara and his men — Eadulf was with them — came across the camp of the raiders and Ceingar, the maid.’

‘They arrived there as Ceingar was being raped,’ Riwanon reminded her.

‘Indeed, they did. Either Ceingar’s lover was among these raiders or else she was a young lady of loose morals. From what Eadulf told me, she was not protesting against the man’s amorous attentions. When she was returned to Brilhag, she was scared. In her hysteria the truth might have come out, but she was sent to her chamber before I could question her.

‘Iuna realised the arrival of King Alain was imminent and nothing must go wrong with the plan. Perhaps even Budic gave the order. Ceingar had to be silenced. Iuna had already killed Maelcar and had no compunction about doing the same to Ceingar. Iuna is a cold-blooded killer.’

‘Then why didn’t she kill me then?’ demanded Trifina. ‘Why did she simply kidnap me after she had killed Ceingar?’

‘You were needed alive for the time being to mislead everyone into believing the Dove of Death was definitely a member of the house of Brilhag. King Alain was due to arrive: the conspiracy was about to come to fruition. Iuna and one of her followers from the Koulm ar Maro took you bound and gagged from your chamber down to a boat in the harbour. You were taken to The Barnacle Goose where you were placed as a prisoner, but were well treated and given free range of the captain’s cabin. They needed to keep you in good health for when Budic made his accusation against the house of Brilhag.’

Bleidbara was clearly chastened and his face reddened as he realised that his suspicions about Trifina had not been justified.

‘Iuna then returned to the fortress, perhaps to establish her own alibi. Budic was about to make his bid for power but Iuna, having set up the circumstances, was no longer needed. She had been useful to him and he had used her ambition to help his own cause. However, he also knew the dangers of that ambition and was determined that Iuna should never be his Queen. Indeed, while he had probably made all sorts of promises to her, such an outcome had never been his intention.

‘His plan for her was quite horrible. On her return, after Trifina was abducted, he went to her room. Whether by guile or by force, he got her to eat mushrooms which contained a Death Cap fungus. Once prepared, it is hard to spot the differences in fungi, so perhaps it was by guile. Budic did not count on the fact that Trifina, aware that the Koulm ar Maro was trying to discredit Brilhag, had an able spy watching. That was Iarnbud.’

‘How much more of this rubbish do I have to listen to?’ Budic demanded, the smile now gone from his features.

‘Iarnbud came ashore at Govihan alive and managed to tell us the story. He took Iuna from her chamber and carried her to his boat. His aim was to find Heraclius, Trifina’s apothecary, as he knew that he might be the only one with the skills to find an antidote for her.’

‘And did he?’ enquired Lord Canao quietly. The great hall of Brilhag had fallen silent since Fidelma had begun her summary.

‘A guard unfortunately saw Iarnbud as he carried Iuna to his boat. When challenged, he did not stop and therefore was shot at. An arrow found its mark but Iarnbud managed to get his boat out of the harbour. Unfortunately he was too weak — maybe he had passed out — and was unable to sail directly to Govihan. It was not until late the next day that he made landfall there, came ashore, told us the tale and then died.’

‘So everything you have to say is pure conjecture,’ observed the bretat Kaourentin, feeling it was about time he tried to take charge of the situation. ‘You have no witnesses.’

‘I am not given to making conjectures without means of supporting them,’ replied Fidelma in a dangerously soft tone.

‘Then where are your witnesses? Where is the evidence to-?’

Budic interrupted the bretat, full of arrogance again.

‘Let her explain why I would poison Iuna if, as you say, she had helped me in this ridiculous plot and was my mistress? Your argument is full of flaws. You are better suited to take your place among the bards and storytellers, Sister Fidelma, than to plead before a court of law.’

‘You wanted to be rid of Iuna so that, after King Alain’s death, you could marry your real mistress, whose union with you would enhance your image when you claimed the kingship.’

‘And do you name her?’ demanded King Alain, in a terrible voice. It was now self-evident to most people where her logic led and whom she would name.

Fidelma raised her eyes to those of Riwanon.

‘You are Budic’s mistress, lady. It was a matter that puzzled me greatly. Why were you so keen to give me, a foreigner with a poor knowledge of your language, the responsibility of investigating the murder of Abbot Maelcar? With the murder committed under the same roof as where you were staying, as Queen, you had to be seen to be doing something. It would have otherwise been suspicious. Obviously, you did not expect me, with the disadvantages I have mentioned, to discover anything at all.’

Riwanon’s jaw was thrust out defiantly but it was Budic who replied with a laugh.

‘So where is your proof? Iarnbud died on the shore of Govihan — should we take the word of a dead man? This Taran of Pou-Kaer, the captain of the Koulm ar Maro, is at the bottom of Morbihan. The few survivors cannot identify the Dove of Death. So who else will support your fantasy?’

Fidelma turned towards him.