Suffer Little Children

'Cousin, I have a messenger leaving for Cashel this afternoon. I wondered whether you might like to take the opportunity to send messages to your brother?'

Fidelma was just about to make a negative reply when an idea occurred to her.

'Yes. I want my brother to contact the Chief Brehon so that he may order the attendance of the Laigin merchant, Assid of Ui Dego, at the assembly when the matter of the death of Dacan is heard. It is essential that some questions are put to Assid.'

'Assid? The merchant who was staying here on the night Dacan was murdered?' A hope sprang into Brocc's eyes. 'Do you think that Assid… do you think that he may be responsible… ?'

She disappointed him by shaking her head.

'All I require is his presence at the hearing.'

Brocc's look of hope relapsed into a worried frown.

'Ah, I thought at least one mystery might now be solved.'

'One mystery?' Fidelma caught the nuance.

'I am given to understand that you were looking for Sister Grella last night?'

'That is so. What has happened to Sister Grella?' she asked with foreboding.

'I wished that I knew. Sister Grella has not been seen since shortly after vespers yesterday. The library has not been opened this morning and Brother Rumann tells me that there was no sign of her chamber being slept in. He inquired of Brother Conghus who then told him that you were making inquiries about her last night.'

Fidelma sat down in front of the abbot's table before continuing. 'Has she ever disappeared before?'

'Not to my knowledge,' replied the abbot. 'All this is most distressing, cousin. First, we have Dacan's death; then Sister Eisten is found murdered and now Sister Grella is missing. What am I to make of all this?'

Fidelma momentarily felt sorry for her pompous cousin. He looked like a lost, helpless child, needing someone to tell him what to do.

'I only wish that I could help you, Brocc. At this moment, I am equally as bewildered. But there are some things that I wish to ask you and which I want treated in absolute confidence.'

The abbot waited expectantly.

'Do you know much of Brother Midach's background?'

'Brother Midach?' Brocc sounded surprised. 'He is a good physician. He has been at Ros Ailithir for four years. Let's see… he came to us from the abbey at Cealla.'

'And Sister Necht?'

'She came to the abbey about six months ago.'

'Also from Cealla?'

'No. Whatever gave you that idea? I think she came from a village not far from here. Why don't you question her?'

'It was a passing thought.' Fidelma was disappointed. 'I thought that there was some connection between Midach and Necht.'

'Well, he did introduce her to the abbey, that is true. He attended her father in one of the villages and when her father died, leaving her an orphan, Midach proposed her induction as a novice here. I believe that he still acts as her soul-friend.'

Fidelma stifled a sigh of disappointment. She had been wondering whether there was some further link with Osraige and between Midach and Necht. What exactly there might be, she was not sure. Osraige was certainly at the core of the mystery.

The abbot did not press her further.

'What am I to make of it all?' he repeated almost pathetically.

Fidelma had considered what ways forward there were and she now realized that, with Sister Grella missing, there was nothing she could do unless she could find some new path to follow. That meant revealing some of the information that she had gathered as a bait to lure other information.

'Did you know that Sister Grella had once been the wife of the Venerable Dacan?' she asked innocently.

Abbot Brocc's jaw dropped expressively.

'What are you saying? Did she tell you this?'

'I was told by someone who knew her in Laigin. So you did not know?'

'I knew only that she came from Cealla and was qualified to the level of sai. But as for being a former wife of the Venerable Dacan—are you absolutely sure…?'

'I have a witness to answer that. I searched her chamber last night. I have that right,' she added quickly, as she saw annoyance form on Brocc's features. 'Dacan was bound before he was killed. The bindings were, thankfully, preserved by Brother Martan, your apothecary. Last night I found the skirt from which those bindings were torn. The skirt was hidden in a satchel in Sister Grella's chamber.'

Abbot Brocc's response, when he realized the implication of this, was to put both his hands to his head and actually whimpered.

Fidelma studied him with a contemptuous eye.

'The reputation of this abbey is shamed,' he moaned. 'What can I do? You are telling me that Grella is the murderess and the motive is for some sordid matter of passion?'

'You can forget about the shame to the abbey, for the moment, cousin,' Fidelma replied dryly. 'Let us solve the puzzle first.'

'But such news brings a blush to my cheeks,' moaned Brocc.

'Then remember that Diogenes once wrote 'blushing is the color of virtue,' ' Fidelma countered cynically. 'The only shame is to have none.'

Brocc drew himself together as she pricked his conceit.

'I do not care for myself,' he sniffed a little contritely. 'I was only thinking of the reputation of the abbey. So you believe that Grella killed Dacan?'

Fidelma did not bother to comment.

'Did you know, Brocc, that Sister Grella visited the fortress of Salbach at Cuan Doir about a week ago? If so, did she have your permission to leave the abbey and visit Salbach?'

The abbot stared at her blankly.

'No. I gave Sister Grella permission to ride to Rae na Serine a week ago to visit Sister Eisten who worked there. She was to use the visit to collect a book and take some herbs and medicines from Brother Martan to help fight the plague there. Why would she ride in the opposite direction to see Salbach?'

'Perhaps she first visited Sister Eisten and then they went together to Salbach's fortress?'

'But why?'

An idea abruptly occurred to Fidelma. If Eisten had been seeking passage for herself and Sister Grella then perhaps Grella had fled on board the merchant ship? Fidelma rose and went to the window to look down into the inlet.

Still anchored near to Mugron's warship was the Frankish merchantman, with its heavy lines. The abbot had joined her and was gazing down in bewilderment.

'What do you see, cousin?'

'I was fearful that the Frankish merchantman had already weighed anchor.'

Brocc frowned.

'I believe it is due to sail on the mid-morning tide.'

'Then I want you to give authority to Cass to board and search that vessel before it sets sail.'

'Search?'

'Yes. A thorough search now, as we talk,' Fidelma insisted. 'I command it under my authority as a da-laigh.' She unbent a little and added, 'It is possible that Sister Grella might be on board.'

Brocc looked shocked but he did not reply. Instead he rang his bell to summon the scriptor and then issued the necessary orders to find Cass and give him Fidelma's instructions.

'If there is any trouble, tell Cass to inform the Frankish captain that while at anchor in the bay he has to obey