Valley of the Shadow

receive?’

‘It was. Luck was with us because he mentioned Artgal had received the cows and I was able to piece the rest together.’

Fidelma moved in search of a pitcher of mead and beakers for she needed strength after her ordeal.

‘Then we should thank Rudgal. But you used his information well. It was the way that you forced Artgal to confess the bribe without having to present the evidence yourself. That I admire.’

Eadulf laughed skeptically.

‘If it had come down to having to give proof of my allegation then I fear we would have been worsted. Thank God that Artgal thought I knew more than I did.’

Fidelma paused in the act of drinking.

‘You did have the evidence of the bribe, didn’t you?’ she asked hesitantly. ‘I mean, evidence to support your allegation?’

Eadulf forced a smile and admitted the truth.

‘It was a bluff.’

Fidelma stared at him in consternation. Slowly she sank to a chair.

‘Only a bluff? You’d better explain.’

‘Easy enough. Rudgal had heard Artgal boasting of his new possession of two milch cows. Artgal was boastful but he was not that loose tongued. He did mention, however, that he would have a third milch cow in nine days’ time. I saw the connection at once. Rudgal had mentioned this to me not realising its significance.’

Fidelma felt suddenly weak as she considered what might have happened.

‘And that was all you knew when you challenged him before the court?’ she pressed faintly.

Eadulf spread his hands expressively.

‘It seemed a reasonable assumption that Artgal’s new-found wealth was something to do with his testimony against you. I simply took a gamble.’

Fidelma was staring at him in dismay.

‘But no Brehon would have dared to make such a gamble, to claim something before the court without certain knowledge or proof. Have you not heard the saying sapiens nihil affirmat quod non probat? A wise man states as true nothing he cannot prove. What if Artgal had not confessed? What if you had been challenged to prove your accusation?’

Eadulf grimaced ruefully.

‘Then, as I say, it would have gone badly with us. Artgal could have simply called me a liar and walked away. But his guilty conscience made him confess and I was counting on that.’

Fidelma was shaking her head dumbfounded.

‘I have not known the like of this in my years as an advocate,’ she finally said.

‘Then let me give you Latin aphorism for Latin aphorism. Si finis bonus est, totum bonum erit,’ smiled Eadulf complacently.

Fidelma was forced to duplicate his smile as she repeated: ‘If the end is good, everything will be good. I cannot argue that all’s well that ends well but do not repeat this story to anyone else, especially not to Murgal or Laisre. Confession extracted by deception is not a principle of the laws of the five kingdoms.’

Eadulf held up his hand, palm outwards.

‘I swear! The secret will remain between us. But that doesn’t make it the less true. Artgal was, indeed, bribed.’

Fidelma regarded her empty beaker as if searching for the answer in it.

‘This is what I do not understand. He did not have to be bribed. I think he might have genuinely believed what he thought he saw. He would not have changed his testimony anyway. Why would Ibor ofMuirthemne risk all by offering to pay him such an extraordinary sum of money?’

‘We must seek out Ibor of Muirthemne,’ Eadulf announced. ‘He will provide many answers.’

Fidelma glanced at him with resignation.

‘You heard what Laisre said? I am forbidden to inquire further.’

‘When has that stopped you before?’ countered Eadulf in humour.

‘Well, tomorrow we conclude our negotiation here and then we may turn our minds to the matter. Certainly I would agree that there is some mystery here which emanates in part or in whole from Ulaidh, from the north. I cannot yet fathom it. Do you recall my finding the warrior’s torc of northern workmanship near the bodies?’

‘I have not forgotten,’ Eadulf replied. ‘But we do not have to wait until tomorrow. It is only early evening, and there are two milch cows at Artgal’s farmstead. Even dumb animals may talk.’

Fidelma was confused.

‘Animals do not appear out of thin air,’ Eadulf elucidated. ‘They must have come from somewhere. Perhaps they have brands. We might learn where they came from. If so we might be able to track Ibor himself and find out who he represents and what his purpose here has been.’

Fidelma regarded him with satisfied approval.

‘Sometimes one is so concerned with examining the tree that one loses sight of the wood. A splendid idea, Eadulf. More and more you are proving that you are equal to a dálaigh. But we must proceed carefully. Laisre will not approve of our investigation.’

‘Laisre will not know. He and his friends will be starting their feasting soon,’ Eadulf pointed out. ‘Rudgal told me that this evening feast is a regular affair. I think,’ he added with a grim humour, ‘it will be a long time before I will go willingly to such a feast again.’

Fidelma now became aware that it was approaching meal time and they were the only people in the hostel.

‘Where is Cruinn? She should surely be here to prepare our food?’ she asked.

‘I am afraid that Cruinn has been disapproving of us. She seems to have taken a personal dislike to us and withdrawn her services. We have to fend for ourselves. Brother Dianach is nowhere to be seen. I suspect he, too, has not accepted the finding of the court.’

Fidelma was puzzled.

‘I can understand Brother Dianach being upset. But I cannotunderstand such animosity from Cruinn. Even if I had been proved guilty, what was Brother Solin to her?’

‘Her anger comes from your accusation against Orla. Orla is well liked here in Gleann Geis.’

‘Ah well, her absence might be good. It gives us a free hand. We can move without the constraint she would place on us …’

She had not finished the sentence when the door opened and Rudgal came in. He looked rather sheepish.

‘I came to tell you that Cruinn, the hostel keeper, refuses to come here to cook for you. She is rather old- fashioned …’

‘We have just been discussing that,’ Fidelma informed him.

‘But Fidelma was exonerated by Murgal,’ protested Eadulf indignantly. ‘How dare she refuse to fulfil her duties?’

Rudgal shrugged.

‘She is one who takes the view that there is no smoke without fire. She refuses to set foot in this hostel until you have both departed. Even the chiding of Murgal, who admittedly has not been too forceful, has failed to move her. Therefore, I have come here to offer to tend to your needs, though I am no great cook.’

‘I thank you, Rudgal,’ Fidelma smiled appreciatively. ‘We can manage well enough if we have a supply of food and drink. We shall, after all, not be here more than another day. And I am sure Brother Dianach will be able to look after himself. Where is he, by the way?’

‘I have not seen him.’

Fidelma was disappointed. She remembered the whispered conversation between Solin and Dianach before he went to his death in the stable. ‘If all goes well,’ Solin had told the young cleric, ‘Cashel will fall to us before the summer is out.’ To us? Who was the us? It was clear that Dianach was party to whatever mischievous plot was being hatched. She wanted to question the gauche young scribe as soon as possible, especially now that he had not the protection of Solin to fall back on. But, if he couldn’t