dealer in horses?’ demanded Fidelma. ‘That was a poor disguise, easily seen through.’
Ibor grinned lopsidedly.
‘It was the only disguise I could think of at the time which gave me a chance of entering the glen. But as for telling you — I did not know who you were. When Laisre introduced us, I knew you only by reputation. But I was told that you were in the company of a Roman monk.’ He glanced at Eadulf. ‘He might have been one of Mael Dúin’s men or one of Ultan’s followers. I could not trust you. I could not know whether you were part of the plot or not.
‘I suspected, however, that Orla was involved because she was the one who met with Brother Solin and the butchers of Ailech. The more I thought about it, it was obvious that Mael Dúin could not conceive or work this plot on his own or just with Solin’s backing. To work accurately, such a plan would have to have at least one supporter in Gleann Geis.’
Eadulf nodded slowly.
‘What happened when Colla came later to investigate? Did you observe what he did?’ he queried.
‘We hid from Colla and his men. I had sent two of my men to track the warriors of Ailech. They did so as far as the borders of the Uí Fidgente and then returned to report that those scions of evil were well on their way back to their master at Ailech. We watched Colla search the valley for a while. He rode as far as the foothills in which we were hiding. Then he returned to Gleann Geis.’
Fidelma sat back.
‘And it was then that you decided to come into Gleann Geis posing as a horse trader to see what was going on there?’
Ibor made an affirmative gesture.
‘Then it all fell into place, or so I thought. Some great charade had been enacted to prompt a terrible war. Only your refusal to panic and cry “wolf!” at the first opportunity stopped the immediate outbreakof hostilities. The problem was, Brother Solin recognised me as a warrior of Ulaidh in the service of Sechnassuch.’
‘I overheard your conversation at the stable. Why didn’t he betray you?’
‘He might well have had not I called his bluff and said I would also denounce him. It appears that there are many in Gleann Geis who are not in this plot. I was trying to find out who was on which side when Solin was murdered and you were placed on trial.’
‘And you fled!’ sneered Eadulf. ‘Thus bringing suspicion down on yourself.’
‘What else could I do in the circumstances?’ demanded Ibor. ‘Someone had to be free to inform Sechnassuch.’
‘And Brother Solin’s death was not at your hands?’
‘That much is obvious.’
Fidelma was frowning as she thought over the details of Ibor’s story.
‘There are many questions to be resolved,’ she brooded.
‘Such as how Mael Dúin in his northern kingdom at Ailech knew that Laisre was going to send to Cashel for a religious to negotiate on matters of Faith? How could he know that this religious was to arrive on a particular day so that his men knew where and when to place the bodies?’ Eadulf interposed.
‘Mael Dúin must have been closely informed as to what was going on,’ agreed Ibor. ‘Orla showed his men to the place where the bodies were found by you. Was she acting on her own? It seems unlikely. But who was in the plot with her?’
Fidelma nodded.
‘She is certainly part of this conspiracy. But … and this is the question we really need to answer … if Orla was thus an ally of Brother Solin, why did she kill him?’
Ibor started forward in surprise.
‘That had not occurred to me. Are you sure that you saw her at the stable? If so that also implicates Colla as her accomplice?’
Fidelma was quiet for a moment.
‘Yes. But we are still left with a mystery — why, if this matter emanates from such a terrible plot to create civil war here, does one ally turn on another? Why kill Brother Solin and then kill Dianach? It simply does not make sense.’
Ibor spread his arms helplessly.
‘I was hoping that you would be able to unravel this knot.’
‘Even I cannot perform miracles, Ibor,’ replied Fidelma grimly.
‘I have never known of such an instance where all paths lead into nowhere; where there is much suspicion but no tangibleline of facts. I am afraid that the answers still lie in the ráth of Gleann Geis.’
Eadulf shuddered slightly.
‘Better to ride for Cashel and report what we know already to your brother.’
Ibor was immediately in agreement.
Fidelma shook her head firmly.
‘I presume that we are now free to travel where we wish?’ she asked Ibor with a touch of irony.
The lord of Muirthemne was contrite.
‘Of course. My men detained you only because I told them to be suspicious of everyone coming from Gleann Geis. I was going to try to contact you and offer to work with you to solve this matter.’
‘In that case Brother Eadulf will remain with you but I shall return to Laisre’s ráth,’ Fidelma announced. ‘It is only there that the final threads of the mystery will link together. However, if you can spare one of your most trusted men to ride to my brother at Cashel …? We need to inform him of Mael Dúin of Ailech’s plans and Ultan’s involvement.’
‘Your brother will be suspicious of a warrior from Ulaidh arriving with this wild tale,’ protested Ibor.
‘Have no fear. Can one of your men cut me some wands of hazel?’
Ibor frowned in bewilderment but relayed the order to one of his warriors. The man hurried off.
‘What do you mean to do?’ he asked. ‘There might be great danger in Gleann Geis now. If Orla and Colla suspect that you know anything about their plot, about what is really going on, then they will not hesitate to kill you. A person who can willingly accept the murder of thirty-three young hostages merely in order to create disunity and strife will not think twice about further deaths to hide their criminality.’
‘This I know,’ Fidelma accepted. ‘How many men did you say you have with you?’
‘Twenty warriors of the Craobh Rígh, the royal branch of Ulaidh,’ Ibor replied proudly. The Craobh Rígh were the elite bodyguard of the kings of Ulaidh. Then he hesitated. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘I think that I am beginning to see a pattern in this muddy picture,’ she mused. ‘Let me think things through for a moment or so.’
After some moments the warrior returned with a bunch of half-a-dozen pliant hazel rods. Fidelma took them and asked Ibor for his sharp knife. They watched in bemusement as Fidelma deftly began to cut a series of notches along the rods. Then she boundthem together with a thong of leather taken from her
‘All your man has to do is to hand these to my brother at Cashel. They are to be placed into his hand and no other. Is that understood?’
Ibor turned to the warrior who had brought the rods to him.
‘Do you understand what you must do, Mer?’
The warrior nodded and took the bundle of rods.
‘It shall be done as you say, Sister,’ the man said.
Fidelma looked up at him.
‘I have recorded a message to my brother in Ogham, the old script of our tongue. He will understand.’
‘It is vital that this message get through,’ added Ibor quietly. ‘The safety of the five kingdoms is at stake.’
The warrior named Mer raised his hand in a formal salute and hurried away.
‘It will be a few days before my brother receives that message,’ reflected Fidelma.
‘Have you asked him to march here with an army?’ asked Eadulf eagerly.
‘And do the very thing that Mael Dúin and his allies want him to do?’ Fidelma mocked. ‘No. I have merely informed him of the situation and told him to beware of Ailech and Ultan of Armagh.’
