Suffer Little Children

went on Fidelma. 'It is there, since the death of Sister Eisten, that Cetach and Cosrach have been in hiding. Is that not so, Midach?'

Midach's shoulders slumped in resignation.

'It is even as she has said,' he mumbled. 'She seems to know everything.'

A couple of the High King's guards moved at a gesture from Sechnassach and followed Fidelma's instructions. A few moments later the two young black-haired lads were brought blinking from the underground tomb to stare in fear at the mighty assembly.

The Chief Brehon immediately sought to reassure them of their safety.

Forbassach was on his feet.

'I must point out that we, of Laigin, have no wish to harm these boys… if they, indeed, are the sons of Ulan.'

'They are the sons of Ulan,' confirmed Fidelma. 'And if their hair is washed clean of that black dye you will find two thatches of copper-colored hair. Midach dyed their hair as an extra precaution when he took them to Sister Eisten. Isn't that so?'

Midach seemed too dispirited to answer.

Forbassach was on his feet repeating himself.

'We sought the heirs of Illan simply to identify them. To discover their whereabouts. The purpose of this was to offer our support for their claims and restore them to the kingship of Osraige. There is only one power here that would oppose that purpose—Cashel. As we have claimed all along, Cashel's interest would be to destroy them. It was in Cashel's interests to kill Dacan. We repeat our original claim, that Osraige be forfeit for the honor price of Dacan.' He smiled towards the two young boys. 'But as neither boy is anywhere near the age of choice, whereby he might be affirmed as king, then the right of the kingship must devolve in the gift of Fearna.'

At once Colgu, ignoring the protocol of the court, was on his feet in anger.

'Cashel is not at the center of this claimed conspiracy to harm these boys. Salbach admits that he is the culprit. For that Cashel shall punish him. The evil of the chieftain of the Corco Loigde is not to be put on the shoulders of Cashel!'

'Yet Corco Loigde owes allegiance to Cashel,' sneered Forbassach in reply. 'What other shoulders but Cashel can the guilt rest on?'

Barran held up both hands. His face showed dismay and there was irritation in his eyes.

'That you both forget the protocol of this court is a matter of sadness. That you both persist in a squabble before me is a matter of penalty. Colgu, you are fined one sed, the value of one milch cow, for not allowing your dalaigh to present your arguments. Forbassach, you are more guilty of an offence being not only trained in law but the advocate of your king. You shall be fined one cumal, the value of three milch cows. If this occurs again the penalties shall not be so light.'

Barran gave everyone a moment to settle down again and instructed the two young boys be brought before the cos-na-dala.

'Am I to understand that these boys are both under the age of choice?' he asked, turning to Midach.

'They are,' agreed the physician, accepting his role as their foster-father.

'Then we cannot give any weight to their evidence,' sighed the Chief Brehon. 'Nevertheless, we may call upon them but what they say, if contradicted by other evidence, may be discounted. This is the law.'

'I am aware of this, Barran,' agreed Fidelma. 'And, unless Forbassach insists, I have no wish to call them.'

'I would prefer Sister Fidelma to deal with the specific matter of the murder of Dacan,' replied Forbassach.

'Then I shall do so,' replied Fidelma. 'It should be obvious now that Dacan's death was essentially connected with the task that he had come to Ros Ailithir to perform. He was killed because it was thought he presented a threat. But let me point this out, that it is true that Dacan alive was worth more to Salbach than Dacan dead. So who, then, was Dacan a threat to? He was clearly a threat to the children of Ulan, as I have said before.'

Forbassach was on his feet yet again.

'And I have said, Laigin was no threat to these children. It sought to help them.'

'But did the children know that?'

Fidelma's question was sharp and left an uneasy silence.

She turned to Midach. The once-jocular physician looked tired and exhausted before her.

'Dacan had been two months at the abbey researching before you learnt that he was looking for your foster children. When you discovered that you immediately set off to remove them from Sceilig Mhichil. You left here on the very night Dacan was killed, the night he wrote to inform his Brother Noe that he was leaving for Sceilig Mhichil.'

Barran intervened, thinking to preempt Fidelma.

'And did you kill Dacan, Brother Midach?'

'Dacan was alive when I left the abbey,' Midach replied quietly but firmly.

'That is true,' Fidelma affirmed quickly. The Chief Brehon raised his hands in protest.

'How can you know that?'

'Simple enough. We know that Dacan was killed around midnight. Certainly not before. Midach had to be on board his ship just after vespers in order to sail with the evening tide for Sceilig Mhichil. I checked the tides with the local sailors. If he had delayed then he could not have been able to sail until the following morning.'

'Then who did kill Dacan?' Barran was totally perplexed.

'Someone who, like Midach, believed that Dacan meant harm to the children of Ulan.'

There was a silence as everyone realized, after all the proceedings, they were now on the verge of the final revelation.

Fidelma was surprised at the fact that no one had leapt to the same conclusion that she had been drawn to some time before. When no one spoke, when no one moved, Fidelma shook her head.

'Why—who else but the children of Ulan would feel threatened by Dacan?' she asked. 'Who else but the eldest son of Ulan, who was more threatened than his brothers?'

Everyone was looking at the young boy Cetach.

'But you have just stated that these two boys were still on Sceilig Mhichil at this time. They were at least two or three days sailing away from Ros Ailithir,' Barran pointed out.

'I did not say it was either of these two boys,' Fidelma said loudly above the hubbub.

Again the effect of her words was like water on a fire. There was stunned silence.

'But, you said…' began the Chief Brehon wearily.

'I said that the eldest of Illan's sons killed Dacan.'

'Then… ?'

'Ulan had three sons. Isn't that right, Midach? Dacan, in his letter to his brother, wrote that Illan's eldest son had just reached the age of choice. That rules out these two lads, who are a long way from the age of seventeen. That also means that Ulan had a third son.'

'You seem to know everything, Fidelma,' Midach said grimly. 'Yes. My cousin Ulan had three sons. They were all placed in my charge to foster when Ulan was killed. The two youngest had already been sent to Sceilig Mhichil to our cousin, Mel. Indeed, everything happened just as you have explained.'

'So where did you send the eldest son?' demanded Barran.

Midach set his jaw firmly.

'I cannot betray the trust of my family.'

'The eldest son was brought to Ros Ailithir under a false identity,' Fidelma intervened.

She turned and scanned the rows of the religious who had crowded into the abbey church and found the white mask that was the face of Sister Necht.

'Come forward, Sister Necht, or should that be Nechtan?' Fidelma added, making the feminine name into its masculine form.

The ungainly 'sister' rose, the eyes darted from side to side as if seeking a method of escape, and then the shoulders slumped in resignation.

A tall member of the High King's guard moved across and tapped the 'sister' on the shoulder, motioning 'her'