Suffer Little Children

assembly meets at Tara.'

'Perhaps, then,' Fidelma tried to stifle a yawn, 'you had best tell me the essential facts so that I may work out some plan by which my investigation may be conducted.'

Abbot Brocc did not notice her fatigue. Instead, he spread his hands in an eloquent gesture of bewilderment.

'There is little I can say, cousin. The facts are these; the Venerable Dacan came to this abbey with permission from King Cathal to study our collection of ancient books. We have a large number of 'rods of the poets,' ancient histories and sagas cut in the Ogham alphabet on wands of hazel and aspen. We pride ourselves on this collection. It is the finest in the five kingdoms. Not even at Tara is there such a collection of genealogical tracts.'

Fidelma accepted Brocc's pride. She had been instructed in a knowledge of the ancient alphabet which legend said had been given to the Irish by their pagan god of literature, Ogma. The alphabet was represented by a varying number of strokes and notches to and crossing a base line and texts were cut on wooden rods called 'rods of the poets.' The old alphabet was now falling rapidly into disuse with the adoption of the Latin alphabet due to the incoming of the Christian faith.

Brocc was continuing:

'We take exceptional pride in our Tech Screptra, our great library, and our scholars have shown that it was our kingdom of Muman which first brought the art of Ogham to the peoples of the five kingdoms. As you may know, this abbey was founded by the Blessed Fachtna Mac Mongaig, a pupil of Ita, nearly a hundred years ago. He established this place not only as a house of worship but a repository of books of knowledge, as a place of learning, a place where people from the four corners of the earth could receive their education. And they came and have been coming here ever since; a never-ending stream of pilgrims in search of knowledge. Our foundation of Ros Ailithir has become renowned throughout the five kingdoms and even beyond them.'

Fidelma could not suppress amusement at the abbot's sudden burst of enthusiasm for his foundation. Even among the religious, who were supposed to be the examples of humility, conceit was often never far from the surface.

'And that is why the abbey is named as the promontory of pilgrims,' Cass said softly, as if he wished to show that he had some knowledge to contribute.

The abbot regarded him with cold appraisal and inclined his head slightly.

'Just so, warrior. Ros Ailithir—the promontory of pilgrims. Not just pilgrims in the Faith but pilgrims of Truth and Learning.'

Fidelma gestured impatiently.

'So the Venerable Dacan, with the permission of King Cathal, came here to study. This much we know.'

'And to do some teaching as a repayment for access to our library,' added Brocc. 'His main interest was in deciphering the texts of the 'rods of the poets.' Most days he worked in our Tech Screptra.'

'How long was he a guest here?'

'About two months.'

'What happened? I mean, what were the details concerning the manner of his death?'

Brocc sat back, placing both hands, palms downward, on his table.

'It happened two weeks ago. It was just before the bell sounded the hour for tierce.' He turned to Cass, to explain pedantically: 'The work of the abbey is done between tierce in the morning and vespers in the evening.'

'Tierce is the third hour of the canonical day,' explained Fidelma when she saw Cass frowning in bewilderment at the abbot's explanation.

'It is the hour when we start our studies and when some of the brothers go into the fields to work, for we have cultivated lands to tend and animals to feed and fish to harvest from the sea.'

'Go on,' instructed Fidelma, becoming irritated at the length of time the account was taking. Her eyelids were feeling scratchy and she longed for a short rest, a brief sleep.

'As I have said, it was just before the bell was due to sound for tierce when Brother Conghus, my aistreoir, that is the doorkeeper of the abbey, who also has the duty to ring the bell, came bursting into my chambers. Naturally, I demanded to know why he could so forget himself…'

'He then told you that Dacan was dead?' interrupted Fidelma, trying her best to stifle her impatience at her cousin's long-winded approach.

Brocc blinked, unused to interference when he was speaking.

'He had been to Dacan's cubiculum in the guests' hostel. It appears that Dacan had not been seen at jenta-culum.' He paused and turned condescendingly to Cass. 'That is the meal by which we break our fast on rising.'

This time Fidelma did not bother to stifle the yawn. The abbot looked slightly hurt and went on hurriedly.

'Brother Conghus went to the hostel and found the body of the Venerable Dacan lying on his cot. He had been bound, hand and foot, and then, so it appeared, stabbed several times. The physician was called and made an examination. The stab wounds were straight into the heart and any one could have been fatal. My fer- tighis, the steward of the abbey, was given the task of making an investigation. He questioned those in the abbey but none had heard or seen anything untoward. No explanation of why or who could have done the deed came to light. Because of the fact that the Venerable Dacan was such a distinguished guest, I immediately sent word to King Cathal at Cashel.'

'Did you also send word to Laigin?'

Brocc shook his head immediately.

'There was a Laigin merchant staying at the abbey at the time. We have a busy sea route along this coast to Laigin. Doubtless this merchant took word of Dacan's death to Fearna and to Dacan's brother, the Abbot Noe.'

Fidelma leaned forward with interest.

'Did this merchant have a name?'

'I think it was Assi'd. My fer-tighis, Brother Rumann, would know.'

'When did this merchant leave for Laigin?'

'I think it was the very day that Dacan's body was discovered. I am not exactly sure when. Brother Rumann would have such details.'

'But Brother Rumann found nothing to explain the death?' interrupted Cass.

As the abbot nodded agreement Fidelma asked: 'When did you first learn that Laigin held you responsible for the death and was demanding reparation from the King of Muman?'

Brocc looked grim.

'When that warship arrived and its captain came ashore to tell me that, as abbot, I was being held responsible. Then I received a messenger from Cashel which further informed me that reparation, in the form of the lands of Osraige, was demanded by the new king of Laigin but that King Cathal was sending for you to investigate the matter.'

Fidelma sat back in her chair, placing her hands together, fingertip to fingertip, seeking refuge for a moment in thought.

'And these are all the facts as you know them, Brocc?'

'As I know them,' affirmed Brocc solemnly.

'Well, the only clear thing is that the Venerable Dacan was murdered,' Cass summed up morosely. 'It is also clear the deed was done in this abbey. Therefore it is also clear that reparation has to be paid.'

Fidelma regarded him with a sardonic expression.

'Indeed, that is our starting point.' She smiled thinly. 'However, who is responsible for paying that reparation? That is what we must now discover.'

She rose abruptly to her feet.

Cass followed her example more reluctantly.