Whispers of the Dead

Firbis smiled thinly.

“I hardly think so.”

“Why so?”

“He fled after the girl was accused.”

“Fled?”

“He was from the lands of Calraige.”

Fidelma was frowning now.

“But that is in the land of. .”

Firbis interrupted her with a thin smile.

“Exactly so, in the lands of the Uí Ailello, the deadly foes of the kings of Tethbae.”

“Are you trying to say that she and the lover collaborated in this theft?” mused Fidelma. “If so, then you are proposing a motive which you should have made clear when I questioned you earlier about it.”

There was irritation in her voice.

Firbis blinked at the belligerent tone.

Brehon Morann’s brows drew together.

“May I remind you that you are addressing a Druimcli?” he said icily.

“And I remind you,” added Firbis, sourly,“that it is not my task to feed you all the answers to this conundrum.”

Fidelma turned to Brehon Morann.

“I do not mean to sound disrespectful but this is an example of what I meant when I said that the case could not be judged on the facts initially given by the Druimcli. The introduction of this nameless lover into the story is an integral part of the evidence. . ”

“The Brehon in this case did not think so,” interrupted Firbis, “other than to reflect that it simply supported the guilt of the girl. It was clear to him that they colluded in this theft and that both meant to flee to the sanctuary of the lands of the Uí Ailello where the Chief of the clan would have lavished a reward on them for bringing the skull.”

Fidelma shook her head.

“It is a weak story.”

Firbis looked taken aback and the Brehon Morann leaned forward in his seat. He was smiling gently.

“You seem to take issue with all the facts, Fidelma.”

“Consider these facts,” replied Fidelma with a shrug.

“A servant girl is left alone in the king’s hall. She has a lover who is a member of a clan that comprises the most deadly foes of the King of Tethbae and his people. Left alone in the hall, the girl is working when her lover comes by. They claim to make love for an hour. Then they take the skull in its casket and hide it under the girl’s bed in the servants’ quarters. The lover then departs. The people return, find the skull and casket missing. It is then found under the girl’s bed and the lover has fled back to his people.” She paused. “It is an improbable story. I’d say it is almost nonsense.”

Druimcli Firbis’s lips thinned.

“Are you saying that the Brehon in this case could not differentiate what was nonsense and what was fact?”

“It seems so,” Fidelma responded with seriousness.

Druimcli Firbis was now smiling cynically.

“So, are you saying, finally, that it is a matter of a false judgment?”

“False enough, if the Brehon involved judged this matter merely on this evidence alone.”

“Very well, Fidelma,” Firbis said, sitting back slightly.

“We will continue with the facts. The dálaigh, the advocate of the king, argued that the intention of Sochla and her lover was to flee with the casket immediately. But they dallied and in their dalliance did not realize that time had passed. They heard the people returning and all they could do was hide the casket under the bed and the lover left, waiting in the vicinity to see what happened. When he realized that Sochla was caught, he then fled leaving her to face punishment alone.”

“And what did the girl’s dálaigh, her advocate, say in rebuttal?”

“She did not have an advocate.”

“Who pled for the girl?”

“The Brehon did so.”

Fidelma gazed at Firbis’s bland expression with amazement.

“A Brehon must be unbiased,” she said slowly.

“Just so,” agreed Firbis, “and is therefore allowed to enter a case to plead for the accused. .”

“But only if the accused or witness is incapable of representing or speaking for themselves. You have already told me that Sochla was intelligent, in no way retarded. Why wasn’t she allowed to speak for herself or instruct a dálaigh?”

Brehon Morann stirred.

“Is it your claim that the Brehon acted improperly?”

“It would seem that the rights of the accused were infringed,” replied Fidelma, choosing her words carefully.

Firbis snorted derisively.

“Infringed? No Brehon of Ardagh would. .” He hesitated and then asked: “What of the rights of the King?”

“The law is stronger than a king. It is an old saying,” replied Fidelma calmly.

“The Brehon, from what you have told me, so far seems biased in the extreme.”

Firbis’s mouth tightened a little.

“You are talking of a respected Brehon who holds more qualifications in legal affairs than you will ever attain.”

Fidelma’s irritations boiled over.

“As well as being a Druimcli I presume that you are also a prophet or have the gift of clairvoyance?” Her voice was ice cold.

Firbis’s brows came together.

“Do you mean to insult me?” His tone was equally studied.

“Insult? Not at all. I merely seek information. You have said that I will never attain the qualifications that this unnamed Brehon holds or held. To make such a statement one needs firstly to know exactly what qualifications the unnamed Brehon held and also to know the future as to what qualifications I am likely to attain to. Being interested in my future, I wondered how this could be. With due respect, I merely asked you the basis of your prognostication-whether you were a prophet or held the gift of clairvoyance? What insult is there in that?”

There was a sound from Brehon Morann.

Behind a hand that covered the lower part of his mouth he appeared to be stifling a laugh.

The Druimcli seemed to make a conscious effort to control his features.

“Fidelma.” Brehon Morann, having controlled his amusement, spoke softly.

“Fidelma, I think on reflection you will find that the Druimcli was speaking figuratively.”

“I think he was also speaking without due regard to the law,” replied Fidelma, unappeased by the explanation.

This time Firbis kept his lips pressed tight.

“Explain yourself,” Morann said quietly. It was a dangerous tone.

“Simply, that the law holds everyone to account. Because someone is a Brehon does not exclude them from criticism any more than it allows a Druimcli to insult a student who has not yet attained to the degree of Dos.”

There was coldness in the room.

Suddenly, Druimcli Firbis seemed to relax and actually smile. It was a thin, wan smile but a smile nevertheless.

“You are right, young woman. It was wrong of me to make such a personal outburst. A Brehon is not above