‘That man! He has been provoking me ever since we arrived.’ Fidelma agreed.
‘Mugron told me of his perverse humour,’ she said. ‘Maybe you cannot teach an old dog new tricks or an old man the etiquette of a new age.’
‘I think this Slebene is a man of anger and arrogance. There is something about him I distrust,’ Conri said.
‘I agree with Conri,’ Eadulf added.
Fidelma smiled and shook her head.
‘Perhaps you are both taking his sense of humour too seriously. Perhaps he is a straight and honest man.’
‘Is it not said that a straight sapling may have a crooked root?’ pointed out Eadulf.
It was not often that Eadulf made up his mind so quickly to dislike someone.
‘You must have something on your mind, Eadulf,’ Conri observed.
‘I noticed that he was not perturbed by our report of the warship in his waters and the possible fate of the hermits on that island. I will wager that when we ask, we shall discover that no vessel will have been sent by him to inquire as to the safety of the community,’ he said.
They received this in thoughtful silence.
‘There is another thing,’ added Eadulf, ‘and I think you both noticed it.’
‘Which is?’ pressed Fidelma.
‘How he was not really concerned about the murder of Abbess Faife or the disappearance of her companions. He made no search for the missing religieuse. Further, he is prepared to let us ride eastward alone, not even offering warriors to escort us; ride east into an area that he claims is still subject to raids.’
Conri was grim-faced.
‘Once more, I agree with Brother Eadulf. For a chieftain of this land, his behaviour is less than gracious. Courtesy never undermined a chieftain’s power but he has none. I think we should keep a careful watch.’
Fidelma was reflective for a moment.
‘These observations are true,’ she finally said. ‘But having made them, is there something we can deduce from them?’
Eadulf and Conri exchanged a glance.
‘I am not sure that I understand,’ Eadulf ventured.
‘Why would Slebene behave in such a manner?’
‘Because he knows more than we think he does.’
‘Knows more about what?’
‘About whatever it was that happened during the abduction of the women,’ suggested Conri. ‘Perhaps there is more in the murder of my aunt and the disappearance of her companions than we can guess at.’
Fidelma grimaced ruefully.
‘Suspicion is one thing. But we know nothing and so can guess at nothing. The intention of this journey is to find facts so that we may discover the truth. To speculate on the motives of another, even when one is witness to bizarre behaviour, is not profitable, as I am always telling Eadulf.’
‘Well, I am happy that we have put Daingean behind us,’ Conri said firmly. ‘I shall instruct my men to keep a careful watch on our backs.’ He hesitated. ‘I have not thanked you, lady, for what you did at the feasting last night.’
Fidelma smiled.
‘I did nothing but demand the curath-mir by right of lineage.’
‘I realise that Slebene was deliberately challenging me. He wanted to pick a fight with me. I cannot believe that it was simply because he hates all Ui Fidgente. There was some other reason, of that I am sure, but what it was…’ He ended with a shrug.
They fell silent again as they rode on.
The whisper of the sea nearby was practically the only sound that broke the white snowscape through which they journeyed. Now and then came the harsh cry of birds and then the howl of a lonely wolf, causing cold fingers to touch at their backbones. But there was no sign of anyone following from Daingean or, indeed, anyone else on the road.
They journeyed leisurely, stopping at midday to prepare a hot broth, and they eventually halted just before nightfall at a coirceogach, one of the ancient deserted stone cabins that littered the mountainsides in this part of the world. With a fire lit, it was warm in these small dwellings. One of the two warriors took charge of the horses to ensure they were fed and watered, and made as warm and comfortable as possible. Everyone took turns in keeping watch through the night, but nothing untoward happened. There were no surprises and no signs of anyone with aggressive intent.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was nearly noon on the next day when they came within sight of the place that Eadulf had thought he would never see again, nor wished to. It was a spot that he remembered too well. For some time, as they had journeyed along the coastal road heading eastwards, the low-lying island of Uaman had been resolving from a dim outline to become sharp and distinct. So clear was it now that Eadulf could see the blackened walls of what had been the circular fortress where a few months ago he had been imprisoned. It was low tide when they approached the deceptive-looking stretch of sand dunes that linked the island to the mainland. The solid-looking sand did not deceive Eadulf. He knew that not only did it contain dangerous quicksand, but when the tide came in it would often bring a destructive wave two metres high that would catch the unwary and wash them to destruction. He had seen Uaman the Leper die that way, sucked into the quicksand and struggling as the wave engulfed him. Even now Eadulf shivered at the memory.
It was the warrior, Socht, who suddenly called out.
‘Look, lord Conri, down at the shoreline!’
They all followed the line of his extended hand.
There seemed to be a large amount of flotsam and jetsam along the shoreline, and pieces of timber, the unmistakable wreckage of a broken ship.
‘It is as Mugron told us,’ exclaimed Eadulf.
‘This is the wreckage we saw when we came to collect the body of Abbess Faife,’ Conri confirmed.
‘But, lord,’ interrupted Socht, ‘there are still bodies there. No one has been here to give them proper burial.’
It was true. Several decomposing bodies seemed caught up in the wreckage that lined the sandbank near the shore.
‘Should we recover them, lord?’ demanded the warrior.
‘Do not!’ snapped Eadulf harshly as the man began to urge his horse towards the shoreline and the treacherous sands.
They turned to look at him in curiosity.
‘I know this place,’ Eadulf said simply. ‘It is unsafe. There are quicksands there. Apart from that, even in these cold winter months, the rotting corpses will carry disease. Let us keep a reasonable distance.’
They sat on their horses viewing the scene.
‘We agreed before that a ship was driven on to the rocky shore further out on the island,’ Conri observed. ‘Those poor men must be part of the unfortunate crew who were drowned.’
Fidelma was peering round.
‘And where was Abbess Faife’s body found in relationship to this place?’ Conri pointed immediately.
‘See there! A short distance along the road and slightly up the mountainside.’
She could see the dim outline of the stone coirceogach.
‘I wonder whether there was any connection between the two events — the shipwreck and the abduction?’ she mused almost to herself.
‘What connection could there be, lady?’
