Instantaneously.’
‘You cannot say what caused the wound other than a blade?’
‘I will say that it was either a sword or a broad dagger. It would be the weapon of a warrior.’
Fidelma raised her eyebrows slightly.
‘Why do you specify a warrior?’
‘Because of the sharpness of the blade and its cleanness. Only a warrior tends to keep his blade sharp and clean. That it was sharp and clean is certain from the nature of the wound it inflicted.’
‘It is a logical conclusion,’ agreed Fidelma.
‘The body had begun to decay but not much because of the cold. It had been lying in snow and ice, I think, and that had slowed the decaying process. So the marks of the wound were clear and the thrust was delivered downwards. Yes, downwards.’
Again, Fidelma was amazed at this senescent physician’s ability to be certain.
‘How do you deduce that?’
‘The nature of the wound, the angle of its entry into the breast. I have been treating battle wounds for many years. I know about sword and dagger wounds. I would say that Abbess Faife must have been kneeling on the ground or her assailant was on horseback and she afoot.’
Fidelma paused for a moment digesting the information.
‘Very well. Did you notice anything else which might give a clue as to the assailant?’
Sister Uallann shook her head.
‘Now let us come to the death of the Venerable Cinaed,’ Fidelma went on. ‘You examined his body and prepared it for burial.’
‘That was only a few days ago,’ said the physician petulantly.
‘But the cause of his death was…?’
Sister Uallann glanced at her in surprise.
‘I would have thought that you would already be aware of that?’
‘I need to hear it officially from the physician who examined him.’
‘He died instantly from a heavy blow on the back of his skull which smashed the bone and shattered it so that fragments pierced the brain.’
‘Just one wound?’
‘One blow. There was no need for more.’
‘After that blow, are you saying that he could not have moved?’ Sister Uallann stared at her as if in pity.
‘If you believe a dead man can move, then he was capable of movement,’ she snapped sarcastically.
‘I am trying to clarify the facts,’ replied Fidelma evenly. ‘The blow was struck from behind with such a force that it shattered his skull, is that right?’
‘I have said so.’
‘But the body was found lying on its back.’
Sister Uallann was not perturbed.
‘Then it is surely logical that, after the blow was struck, the killer turned it over on its back.’
‘Clearly logical,’ Fidelma smiled thinly, ‘but it would be a poor dalaigh who does not consult the physician to seek verification of the medical logic. I presume that you knew the Venerable Cinaed well?’
‘Well enough.’ It was said in a truculent manner.
‘Would you say that you were a close friend of his?’
‘Not close. I respected some of his arguments. He was, after all, a careful scholar. Yet I did not agree with his fundamental attitudes.’
‘About the Faith?’
To her surprise Sister Uallann shook her head.
‘I did not like his essay Scripta quae ad remplicum geredam pertinent — his writings on how the Ui Fidgente should govern their temporal lives. Cinaed had views on everything. Those views angered many people. Eoganan, when he was king of the Ui Fidgente, sent his warriors to seize Cinaed but Abbess Faife, who was in control of the abbey in Abbot Erc’s temporary absence, refused to hand him over.’
Brother Cu Mara intervened.
‘I have heard the story. It happened just before the defeat at Cnoc Aine where Eoganan was killed. Had Eoganan been victorious, I don’t doubt that he would have sent his warriors back to the abbey to seize Cinaed whether the abbess protested or not.’
‘Did Abbot Erc support the abbess in her refusal to hand the Venerable Cinaed over?’ asked Fidelma.
The physician sniffed. ‘By the time he returned, there was no need to make a decision one way or another. Eoganan was defeated at Cnoc Aine. That was where my husband was slain, too,’ Sister Uallann added pointedly. ‘There are many here whose husbands were slaughtered by the Eoghanacht.’
Fidelma turned to Brother Cu Mara and spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone.
‘So, far from the Venerable Cinaed being a scholar beloved by everyone, we now find out that he had many enemies. Not least, the supporters of the late Eoganan!’
‘Ah, poor Eoganan,’ Sister Uallann exclaimed in a whisper.
Fidelma turned quickly back to her.
‘You have made clear your views, Sister. You believe that your people should not have made peace with Cashel?’
To her surprise, the physician shook her head.
‘I am of the Corco Duibhne but my husband was Ui Fidgente.’
‘And you are saying that the Venerable Cinaed made enemies among the Ui Fidgente because of his political writings?’
‘We dwell in the territory of the Ui Fidgente but Cinaed believed, even before the disaster at Cnoc Aine, that we should owe allegiance to the
Fidelma sat for a few moments staring at the grim-faced physician and then she stood up.
‘I am grateful for what you have said, Sister Uallann,’ she said quietly. Outside they found Eadulf, having returned from the tech-nigid, looking for them. Eadulf was about to ask how Fidelma had fared when he caught the warning look on her face. She turned to Brother Cu Mara.
‘All I need ask you is to guide us to your tech-screptra, then we shan’t need your assistance until after the etar-suth.’ She used the term ‘middle fruits’ which was the more popular name in monastic foundations for the etar-shod or ‘middle meal’ of the day.’
‘The library?’ queried the rechtaire with a frown.
‘That is what I said. I need a word with Brother Eolas, your librarian.’ Fidelma added to Eadulf, ‘I think there may be some important information that we could find there.’
CHAPTER FIVE
E ven Eadulf was impressed by the size of the tech-screptra, the great library of Ard Fhearta. He knew of the fame of the Irish ecclesiastical colleges for learning. That meant that each one had need for books for students and therefore they had good general libraries. He had seen that these libraries contained not only works in the native language but books in Latin, Greek and Hebrew. As he followed Fidelma into the room he paused in astonishment at the rows and rows of racks with their pegs from which hung leather book satchels, the tiaga liubhair which not only were employed to carry books from place to place, being slung from the shoulder by one or more straps, but provided an excellent means of keeping the books in good condition in the libraries. Eadulf estimated that there were many hundreds, hanging along the racks.
There were also shelves on which stood many obviously valued volumes in elaborately wrought and beautifully ornamented leather covers, some of which were kept in lebor chomet or book holders made partly or wholly of metals. Eadulf had noticed that special books were kept in very ornate and valuable metal and wood boxes, which were piously called book shrines. He noticed that the tech-screptra had several of these set to one
