Whispers of the Dead

can help me with a problem that I have.”

“Of course, lady,” agreed Ross at once. “I am always prepared to help if you are in need.”

Seated at a table in the hostel, with a jug of honey-sweetened mead between them, Fidelma asked Ross if he knew of the merchants Abaoth and Olcán.

Ross grimaced immediately at the name of Olcán.

“Olcán? He is a greedy man. I’ve shipped cargoes for him along the coast and he always tries to cheat on his payments. I no longer take his cargoes. Indeed, he has lost trade recently because people do not trust him. He is reduced to a fleet of river barges whereas he had two seagoing ships some years ago. What have you to do with him?”

Fidelma explained, adding: “What of Abaoth?”

“I know nothing bad about him. He had a fleet of three ships trading mainly with the Frankish ports. I know he has had bad luck recently for one of his ships foundered and was destroyed in a storm. I think he trades hides in return for wine. But as for Olcán-compensation for stolen cargo? I wouldn’t lift a finger to get him compensation. In fact, I might pay the thieves to take his cargoes in order to compensate for the times he cheated others.”

Fidelma smiled grimly.

“At the moment I am more concerned with the boatmen who have disappeared.”

Ross sighed and nodded.

“I know Olcán never treated his men well but I see what you mean. I have heard that several good river men had disappeared of late. I did not know that they worked for Olcán although, come to think of it, I do not recall seeing as many of Olcán’s barges on the river in recent days.”

Fidelma was intrigued.

“Are you saying that you know Olcán’s barges by sight?”

Ross grinned.

“Even barges bear names, lady. And Olcán’s barges have the head of a wolf burnt into the bow to brand the owner’s identity on them. Where did these barges disappear?”

She told him what she knew.

“Between Eochaill and Lios Mór?” he said reflectively. “That’s over thirty kilometers of river, maybe more. That’s a long stretch of river to examine.”

Fidelma was thoughtful.

“There has been something troubling me about it, something Olcán said which struck a thought in my mind and then it passed and now I cannot remember it,” she confessed. Then she clicked her fingers abruptly.

“I know, it was the fact that these boats disappeared at night. That they undertook their journey by night.”

Ross shook his head with a smile.

“Nothing unusual in that. Night is often the safest time to travel and the speediest time for boats like the ethur or cargo-carrying boats, as we call them. Often during the day, on rivers such as these, you get many people out in small boats who really don’t know the ways of the river. Many skippers of ethur try to avoid them because of the accidents that they cause. The answer is that they choose night to travel and so they can move speedily along.”

“I see.” Fidelma was disappointed. However, Ross was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Did you say that Olcán said the last boat to disappear was two weeks ago and the other was four weeks before that?”

“He did. Is that significant to you?”

Ross pursed his lips.

“Not really. Only that it must have coincided with the new moon on both occasions. Usually skippers avoid that period when traveling at night.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you said they liked traveling at night?”

“But during the three days of the new moon they usually avoid travel for it is the dark time. The day of the new moon, the day before and the day afterwards.”

“I still do not understand.”

“Even boatmen need moonlight to see by and while they like to travel at night, they do not like total darkness. You must know that we call that the period of the Dark Moon for on those three days the moon is so weak it shows little light.”

“Of course. It is said that the moon holds sway over the night and that things happen at the period of the Dark Moon that never happen in the Full Moon. Hidden acts take place at the Dark Moon.”

Ross nodded quickly.

“She is the sailor’s strength, the Queen of the Night. But she is a hard taskmistress, that is why we have so many names for her in our language and none dare pronounce her real name. Once a sailor steps on shipboard he must never refer to the moon by other than an euphemism such as ‘the Queen of the Night’, ‘the brightness’ and. .”

Fidelma had been looking thoughtful and interrupted him.

“Ross, can you find someone to take me upriver? I’d like to examine its course between here and Lios Mór.”

Ross grinned.

“If it’s a trip upriver that you are wanting, lady, then I am your man. I was born on this river. I have a curragh moored a short distance away.”

“But there are only a few hours of daylight left today. The sort of trip I had in mind needs daylight. If your offer still holds at dawn tomorrow, then I accept.”

Ross nodded agreeably.

“Dawn tomorrow it is, lady. I’ll bring the curragh to the quay at Dair Inis.”

“Good.” She rose. “Then I shall take this opportunity to visit some of the wives of the boatmen who disappeared and see in what condition Olcán has left them. The scriptor has made me a list of their names and their families live mostly around Eochaill.”

The first three boatmen who had disappeared had been Erc, Donnucán and Laochra. The second crew were Finchán, Laidcenn and Dathal.

On inquiring for the families of the first two names on the list prepared by the scriptor, Fidelma was informed by neighbors that they had departed from Eochaill. As soon as the news of their husbands’ disappearance had been reported, the womenfolk and their children had left the area, presumably to go to stay with other members of their families.

The third family Fidelma found was still living in Eochaill. A woman with heavy jowls and a baby in her arms stood on the threshold of a poor house, and glowered in suspicion at Fidelma.

“My man was a steersman on Olcán’s barges,” she acknowledged. “Five weeks ago now he was contracted to take a cargo up to Lios Mór and has not returned.”

Fidelma was aware of several children playing around the house.

“You have a large family?”

The woman nodded.

“Times must be hard with the loss of your man. Does Olcán help support the family?”

The woman laughed unpleasantly.

“The wolf? That sly one? He would not give a pingín that he did not have to.”

Fidelma sighed. By right, Olcán had to give support to his workers injured in the course of tasks undertaken in their employment. Obviously, the woman did not know her rights.

“Do your family help, with the feeding of your children?”

Again the woman laughed.

“It is the generosity of Abaoth who feeds my children, Sister. A blessing on his name.”

Fidelma raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Abaoth?” While it was technically Abaoth’s cargo, the legal responsibility was on the employer,