Fidelma sat back for a moment with closed eyes.
‘You do not sound as if your proclaimed love allowed you to trust her,’ she commented sceptically.
An expression of anger crossed his face. ‘My proclaimed love, as you call it, allowed me to put my honour at stake in standing by her over the murder of Abbot Ultán. .’
‘Which you believe she committed even though she denies it,’ Fidelma said with emphasis.
‘I was trying to help her.’
‘Just so. And you proposed to go to Blathmac, proclaim that she was a murderess but that you loved her, and ask him to intercede so that. . what? What exactly was Blathmac to do?’
‘Let the truth be known that she had every good reason to kill Ultán. I was prepared to pay the fines and honour-price on her behalf.’
‘What did Marga say to this plan?’
‘When she realised that I was not pleading her innocence but mitigation in the belief that she was guilty, she turned on me angrily. She felt that I ought to be pleading her innocence. She felt I could not love her if I thought her guilty. I explained that she could not hope to get away with such a plea with the overwhelming evidence against her. I was pleading mitigation out of my love for her.’
‘Would your love not accept that she was innocent?’ queried Fidelma dryly.
Fergus Fanat once again raised his head defiantly. ‘My love is tempered with logic.’
‘So what then? Was this when she hit you?’
He shook his head. ‘This conversation had taken place before the evening meal, at the side of the chapel. She went running off to the hostel. I spent some time walking round the walls of the fortress, trying to get things clear in my head. But my mind was made up. With or without her approval, I had to show that she had reason to kill Ultán, before she was found out and condemned. I decided to go ahead with my plan to tell Blathmac.’
‘And then?’
‘Then I went to Blathmac’s chamber intending to discuss the matter with him. I remember that I entered the corridor that led to his guest chamber. It was empty and I started along it.’ He paused, frowning suddenly.
‘A thought has just occurred to you?’
‘I had passed a small alcove in which there was a window. .’
‘I know the one.’
‘I thought that it was empty. But now I recall that after I had passed it, I thought I heard a soft thump. I remember now, I glanced over my shoulder but there was nothing to account for it. Mind you, I could not see back into the alcove. I had almost reached the door when I heard a soft rustle of clothes behind me and before I could turn. . well, I suppose I was hit, for the world seemed to explode into darkness. That was all I recall until I awoke with the old apothecary tending my wounds here.’
Fidelma was silent for a moment. ‘But you told me a moment or so ago that it was Marga who attacked you. Now you are saying that you did not see who it was.’
Fergus Fanat shook his head firmly. ‘I did not need to see her to know that it was her.’
‘I don’t follow.’
‘There was the rustle of clothes, her dress, and, for a moment, I smelt perfume on the air. It was the same fragrance that I have noticed on her before.’
‘What fragrance was this?’
‘It is called
Fidelma gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment. ‘And that is how you knew it was Marga? By this fragrance?’
‘It was. She is so silly to think that attacking me would hide her crime. But what it has done has been to show that she is either out of her mind or was just using me.’
‘Where do you think Marga will go now? To Laigin?’
‘She will know that would be the direction in which any search for her will be made. I suspect that she will go to earth.’
‘Go to earth?’ He had used the phrase in the manner in which a hunter spoke of a fox hiding in a burrow. ‘That is an odd expression.’
‘It was a phrase that she used when we were speaking during the boar hunt. I asked her what she would do if the alarm were raised before she could make her way to Laigin. It was a phrase that came naturally to her. I told you, she was a good horsewoman and hunted as well as any man I know.’
Fidelma was thinking that if she had been forced to go to earth near Cashel, waiting for the right moment to leave for Laigin, where would she have chosen? Uppermost in her mind now was the fact that she had to find Sister Marga before Brother Drón caught up with her.
Eadulf bent close to the recumbent form.
‘Sister Marga, are you all right?’
The girl opened her eyes. She tried to focus but she gave up and closed them again. She took several deep breaths and tried again. This time she succeeded and said softly: ‘I am merely winded, I think.’
Then she recognised Eadulf and her eyes widened in fear. She scrambled to a sitting position.
Eadulf put a restraining hand on her shoulder.
‘Lie still!’ he ordered. ‘You might have broken something.’
She shook her head and replied: ‘Why are you following me?’
Eadulf smiled grimly. ‘It was purely coincidence that we saw you on this road. We were heading for the Glen of Eatharlaí when we saw you. Where were you going?’
She stuck out her lower lip pugnaciously. ‘Away. . away from Cashel. . from everything.’
Eadulf smiled. He had seen no signs of pain from the girl, and now he helped her to her feet. It was true that she appeared none the worse for her fall.
‘I am afraid, Marga, that you will have to come with us for the time being and tomorrow return with us to Cashel.’
‘I will not!’ the girl replied sharply.
Eadulf shrugged. ‘You have no choice.’
‘You are no brehon. You are a foreigner and cannot compel me.’
In this respect, the girl was speaking the truth. Eadulf glanced at Gormán, who had dismounted and was examining the horse she had been riding with a curious look. The warrior responded at once.
‘I am afraid that Brother Eadulf is right, sister,’ he said sharply, ‘for I am of the Nasc Niadh, the bodyguard of the king of Muman, and can compel you to return to Cashel to face questioning.’
‘Questioning about what?’ demanded the girl angrily. ‘I have already been questioned about Abbot Ultán’s death.’
‘About where you stole this horse from to start with.’
The girl flushed indignantly. ‘I did not steal it.’
‘Really? I know the horse well,’ Gormán said sharply. ‘I gave it to someone very dear to me as a present.’
Eadulf glanced at the warrior in surprise but decided to stick to the important matter in hand. ‘And we have to ask you what knowledge you have of the attack on Fergus Fanat,’ he added quietly.
The girl seemed to stagger a pace and went pale. ‘An attack on. . on Fergus?’ she began.
‘He was attacked last night, and he had not recovered consciousness when I left Cashel just after midday. All we know is that soon after that attack you left Cashel. This necessitates many questions.’
Sister Marga stared at him as if not understanding his words. Then, finally, she was able to say in a tremulous voice: ‘Are you accusing me of attacking Fergus?’
‘I am not accusing you of anything, Sister Marga. I am telling you what has happened and why you need to return to Cashel to clarify matters.’
‘If I do, I shall be killed,’ she suddenly sobbed.
‘I presume that you fear Brother Drón?’
She nodded quickly.
‘Then do not, for he has been taken under guard to Cashel this morning to answer questions also.’ He
