‘If I am found responsible, you know that Cashel will never have peace with the Uí Fidgente,’ sighed the young King. ‘You must help me, Fidelma. How can we refute these allegations?’
‘We can only refute the charges of Gionga by finding evidence that does so,’ Fidelma repeated. ‘We must find proof as to who these assassins really were. Does the archer have the right to wear the Order of the Golden Chain? Why would he have worn it on such a venture? Why, if they tried to escape without being indentified, as Gionga claims, did the archer carefully leave two of his arrows on the roof which could easily be identified as to their origin?’
‘Perhaps he merely left in a hurry?’ ventured Eadulf. ‘Remember, after he fired, he must have seen Gionga riding across the square and it was then he fled from the roof.’
Fidelma looked at him almost pityingly. ‘The man, as you rightly said, was a professional archer. He would not panic in that manner but would keep his weapons by him. I think that he meant us to find those arrows.’ Another thought suddenly struck her. ‘But if he were such a professional archer, why did he not strike his targets?’
She stood up in her agitation, closing her eyes as if to recall the scene.
‘Colgú suddenly halted his horse and bent forward to greet me. Had he not done so he would have been killed. The mystery is why the archer missed with his second shot when Donennach was a sitting target?’
‘I suppose even a well-trained professional may have a bad day,’ offered Eadulf.
Colgú leant forward eagerly to Fidelma.
‘Are you suggesting that the Uí Fidgente had a hand in this matter? That they engineered this to blame Cashel so that there would be a continuance of the war?’
‘Before you blame the Uí Fidgente,’ Eadulf pointed out, ‘don’t forget that it was Gionga who cut down the assassins. He would hardly have done so if they were his own people serving him in some plot.’
‘What I am saying is that there are many things that need to be explored before we come to a decision,’ Fidelma said. ‘We also discovered that this archer’s companion was a former religieux. He had once worn the tonsure of St Peter but had let his hair grow in these last few weeks. Furthermore, his hands showed ink stains which demonstrated that he was a
She took out the ornate silver crucifix and held it out to her brother.
Colgú took it and examined it with a frown.
‘This is a fine piece of work, Fidelma. It is very valuable. I doubt it was made in this kingdom. The designs are wrong.’ He frowned suddenly. ‘Yet I swear that I have seen this before. But where?’
Fidelma was interested. ‘Try to remember, brother. And also answer why would a former brother of the Faith turn assassin and be carrying such a valuable piece?’
Colgú examined his sister’s features thoughtfully.
‘Do you believe that there are hidden depths to this matter?’
‘I do. There is something that is not right,’ she replied. ‘There is no easy solution from the information we have at hand.’
There was a knocking on the door and it opened at Colgú’s invitation.
Donndubháin entered and spoke without waiting to be invited to do so by Colgú. It was his right. He did not look happy.
‘The Prince of the Uí Fidgente is demanding an audience with you. His captain Gionga has persuaded him that Cashel is guilty of some plot to assassinate him.’
Colgú uttered an expressive oath. ‘Can we delay him? We have not yet reached a conclusion on this matter.’
Donndubhain shook his head. ‘The prince is awaiting you in the Great Hall as we speak. I dare not even rebuke him on his manners for he is in a bad mood.’
Protocol laid down that even a Prince should await an invitation before entering the Great Hall of Cashel which was where the King received official visitors and guests. Protocol also demanded that guests wait in the anterooms before being invited to an audience with the King.
The King rose carefully, taking care not to exert pressure on his arm. He could forgive the emotional stress that drove the thoughts of protocol from the mind of his wounded guest.
‘Then we had better go to see what it is that the Prince of the Uí Fidgente demands,’ he said with resignation. ‘Come; you, too, Eadulf. I may have need of your stout Saxon arm.’
When they entered the hall, the Prince of the Uí Fidgente was already seated. There was a sweat on his face and his posture looked restless. Certainly the wound, flesh wound or not, was making him uncomfortable. Behind him stood a grim-faced Gionga. There was no one else in the hall except Capa of the King’s bodyguard standing behind the throne.
Donennach started to rise but Colgú, who was not overly punctilious, waved him back into his seat, while he went to his chair of office and sat down, resting his arm carefully. Fidelma took a chair on the left-hand side while Donndubhain sat to the King’s right. Eadulf took a standing position near to Capa.
‘Well now, Donennach, how may I serve you?’
‘I came here as your guest, Colgú,’ the Prince began. ‘I came here with the desire that we of the Uí Fidgente might form a lasting peace with the Eóghanacht of Cashel.’
He paused. Colgú waited politely. There was nothing to be said for this was a mere statement of fact.
‘The attack on me …’ Donennach hesitated, ‘on both of us,’ he corrected, ‘raises certain questions.’
‘Be assured that they are questions to which we are urgently seeking answers,’ intervened Fidelma softly.
‘I would assume as much,’ snapped Donennach. ‘But Gionga here informs me of things which I find disconcerting. He tells me that the assassins, whom he slew, are men of Cnoc Aine, the land ruled by your cousin, Finguine. Therefore, they are men over whom you have responsibility, Colgú of Cashel. I saw for myself the body of one of these assassins bearing the insignia of your own military elite.’
‘You have doubtless heard the saying, Donennach
Donennach scowled at her. ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ he sneered.
‘No reliance can be placed on appearance. It is easy to pin a badge on a person just as it is easy to put a coat on a person. The coat or the badge does not really tell you who the person is but only who the person wishes us to believe that they are,’ replied Fidelma calmly.
Donennach’s eyes narrowed. ‘Perhaps you will leave it to the King, your brother, to explain the meaning of that defence?’
‘Defence implies an accusation,’ Colgú rebuked mildly. ‘We should not be interested in throwing accusations at one another but in getting to the truth.’
Donennach waved a hand indifferently. ‘So you accept that you have an explanation to make to me?’
‘We accept,’ replied Colgú carefully, ‘that one of the two men killed by Gionga bore the insignia of an order of Cashel. But that does not identify him as being a man in my service. As my sister has told you, it is easy to place something on a man to mislead people.’
Donennach suddenly looked uncomfortable and glanced to Gionga. ‘How do I know that this is not an attempt by Cashel to destroy the Uí Fidgente?’ he demanded.
At that Donndubháin exploded in anger. He sprang from his seat, hand going to the place where his sword sheath would have been. But it was a rule never to go armed into a king’s great hall.
‘This is an affront to Cashel!’ he cried. ‘The Uí Fidgente should be made to swallow his words!’
Gionga had moved forward in front of his Prince, his hand also searching for the non-existent sword.
Colgú held up a hand to stay his
‘Calm yourself, Donndubháin,’ he ordered. ‘Donennach, order your man back. No hurt will come to you while you are in Cashel. I swear this by the Holy Cross.’
Donndubhain sunk back to his chair while Gionga, at a swift gesture from Donennach’s hand, retired to his position behind his Prince.
There was an icy silence
Colgú’s gaze had never left the face of the Prince of the Uí Fidgente. ‘You say that you do not
