Dancing With Demons

problem.’

The abbot nodded and, turning to the bruden doors, he clapped his hands to attract attention.

At once, they were opened and a tall, slim, dark-haired girl came forward to greet them. Her dark eyes seemed to have an angelic quality to them, or so Eadulf thought, and she had a ready smile. ‘Pretty’ was a word that came to his mind. She carried herself with a certain grace.

‘This is Báine,’ Abbot Colmán announced. ‘She will attend to your wants while you are staying in the guesthouse. There is no one else here at the moment and so I have presumed that you will want your escort,’ he nodded at Caol and Gormán, ‘to be on hand. There is room enough for all.’

The girl Báine made a deferential move of her head towards Fidelma. ‘Water is heated, lady, and the dabach is filled ready.’

The dabach was the wooden vat in which one bathed.

‘Good,’ Fidelma said. ‘Then I will seize the opportunity to bathe first.’

Abbot Colmán made his excuses. ‘After you have refreshed yourselves,’ he said, ‘I will come for you and Brother Eadulf to escort you to see Cenn Faelad. He is staying in my house on the other side of the royal enclosure. It was thought better not to move into the royal residence until after things have been settled. The tánaiste has arranged a private meal for you so that we may discuss the matter that brings you hither. Báine will see to it that your warriors are fed.’

He turned with a wave of his hand and moved away towards the central buildings of the royal enclosure.

They followed the young girl into the guests’ hostel. She was thorough and efficient, showing Fidelma and Eadulf to the chamber they would share and then conducting Caol and Gormán to rooms close by. Like most of the buildings, the guests’ hostel was a rectangular structure of wood, mainly oak beams and yew panels, with a thatched roof. It was fairly dark in the interior without seinester or windows to admit light, so the place reeked of the heavy fumes of tallow candles and oil lamps, even though it was still light outside.

It seemed that Fidelma and Eadulf had hardly had time to look roundthe chamber assigned to them and unpack their few belongings from their saddlebags before the girl, Báine, returned.

‘I will take you to your bath, lady,’ she announced. ‘I have laid out all the toiletries you may need; even a comb is provided so you have no need to bring anything else. We have fragrances and items for all your needs.’

Fidelma glanced at Eadulf with an amused expression. ‘Hospitality indeed,’ she murmured, as she left the room to follow the girl.

Hardly any time passed before the girl was back again, knocking gently at the door of the chamber.

‘Excuse me, Brother, but I wonder if you would like a beaker of the juice of crushed apples to slake your thirst while you are waiting for your bath to be prepared?’

‘Indeed, that I would.’ Eadulf smiled gravely.

The girl went to pour the drink and Eadulf followed her into the side room where she was preparing it.

‘Have you served in the guests’ hostel long, Báine?’ he asked.

The girl looked anxious. ‘I hope nothing is amiss, Brother?’

‘No, no.’ He shook his head reassuringly. ‘Nothing at all is wrong. You are very efficient in your work, that is all.’

Báine looked relieved. ‘This is my first time attending to the needs of the guests here. You are my first guests.’

Eadulf raised his eyebrows a little. ‘I would not have realised it. I thought that you had been born to the task.’

The girl handed him the drink and grimaced prettily. ‘I was raised to service — but not in a guests’ hostel. I usually serve in the High King’s household.’

‘Ah?’ Eadulf said, putting a question into the soft breath.

‘I was sent here today by Brother Rogallach especially to look after the lady Fidelma and yourself.’

‘Brother Rogallach?’

‘He is in charge of all those who serve in the High King’s household. He is the bollscari — the High King’s factotum.’

‘And you have served in the royal household long?’

‘Since the age of choice.’

Eadulf knew that girls reached the aimsir togú or age of choice when they came to their fourteenth birthday.

‘That cannot be long ago,’ he mused.

‘Five years ago,’ the girl replied in seriousness, not recognising that Eadulf was paying a clumsy compliment.

‘A lifetime,’ he smiled indulgently.

‘It seems so … now,’ Báine replied with a curious pause.

‘Were you serving in the household when the High King was slain?’

She blinked and nodded dumbly.

‘It must have been a shock for you?’

Báine swallowed and said, ‘A great shock. Sechnussach was a … a kind man to serve. He was gracious and generous to those who attended him.’

‘Then it is a great sadness. You were actually in the house when the assassin broke in?’

‘I was in my bed, asleep.’

‘Quite so. I had heard it was not long before dawn that it occurred. So undoubtedly you were woken by the sounds of that awesome discovery.’

To his surprise the girl shook her head. ‘I was roused from my bed by Brónach who told me what had happened. I slept through the noise of the discovery.’

‘Who is Brónach?’

‘She is the senior female attendant in the High King’s household. There are only three of us in the immediate household. She is older than us and so takes charge of us.’

Eadulf was about to press the girl for further information when Fidelma’s voice hailed her from the bathing room.

With a muttered apology, Báine turned to answer the call. Eadulf remained, thoughtfully sipping at his apple juice. A few moments later the door of the guests’ hostel opened and another girl entered. She was slightly built, wearing dowdy clothes, with unremarkable brown hair and almost plain features. It made her seem younger than she actually was which, in Eadulf’s estimation, was not more than eighteen. Her whole stance seemed that of someone who wished they were anywhere else but here. She regarded Eadulf with one quick frightened glance before dropping her gaze to the floor.

‘Forgive me,’ she muttered, clasping her hands before her, her shoulders slightly bent as if to make herself as small as possible.

‘Absolvo te a peccatis tuis,’ responded Eadulf jocularly. ‘I forgive you all your sins.’

For a moment the girl was startled, raising her gaze to his before quickly looking down again.

‘You are making a joke, Brother,’ she said, then added: ‘I am looking for Báine. I was told to ask if she needed help.’

Eadulf smiled kindly. ‘She is attending in the bathhouse at the moment. And who are you?’

‘I am Cnucha.’

Eadulf reflected for a moment. ‘I thought that meant a small hill? I have heard a legend of how the great warrior Cumal, the father of Fionn of the Fianna, was killed at the Battle of Cnucha.’

The girl, eyes still focused on the floor, added to this: ‘It is also the name of the wife of Geanann, one of the five great kings of the Fir Bolg who first divided this island into the five kingdoms.’

Eadulf felt guilty at his amusement in reaction to the slight note of pride that entered into this drab servant’s voice.