‘Let us speak of personality.’
‘I felt he possessed excellent judgement and he gave good counsel. He was very level-headed and congenial. He also had a good sense of humour. I suspect he was an idealist for he often spoke of how certain members of the New Faith were dragging the five kingdoms into new ways that rejected our culture and the values of our past. With the new fashion of committing all our histories and stories to the Latin form of writing, he would often deplore it when the scribes sought to change our history to blend it with the teachings of the New Faith. I’ve seen him argue that before the Assembly. He had a great deal of pride in his ancestry.’
‘I understand he was an Uí Néill,’ Fidelma said.
‘As was Sechnussach. But Dubh Duin traced his descent back from Niall’s son Cairpre while Sechnussach traced his back to Niall’s son Conall and the line of Sil nÁedo Sláine.’
‘Did Dubh Duin then resent Sechnussach being High King?’ asked Fidelma. ‘I mean, descending from that same family himself, did he think he should be High King?’
Gormflaith smiled sadly. ‘The last High King of Dubh Duin’s direct ancestry was some hundred years or so ago when Tuathal Máelgarb was chosen. I don’t believe Dubh Duin was interested in kingship. Anyway, Sechnussach’s brother had long been chosen as his
‘You say that Dubh Duin was always level-headed. Was he never angry? Did you never see him, with that pride you speak of, angered-even if he curbed it or exercised control?’
‘Never in my presence,’ Gormflaith assured her.
‘He was never impulsive?’
‘Impulsive? I suppose he was, but that was due to his romantic nature. During the time we were falling in love, he would make impulsive gestures, give me gifts that a more circumspect person would not have done … certainly not while my husband was close by.’
‘And you told no one of your affair except Muirgel?’
‘No one except Muirgel and Brehon Barrán,’ she confirmed.
‘So your husband knew nothing of Dubh Duin?’
‘Nothing. He knew nothing. Even when I went to him and demanded a divorce he agreed almost readily and did not even ask me why or, indeed,whether another had caught my attention. He was apparently content with whatever woman he was taking to his bed.’
Fidelma sighed deeply. ‘Very well, lady. I may wish to question you again. What is your plan, now that both your husband and your prospective husband are dead?’
‘Muirgel is of marrying age,’ the woman said. ‘I have a feeling that she is seeing someone with that prospect in mind, but she has not admitted it. So she will probably remain here in Tara. As for my other daughters, I shall take them back to my father’s fortress by Loch Ainninne. There was nothing at Tara for me even when Sechnussach was alive and now … now there is even less and nowhere to go except to my father’s house. That is my plan.’
Fidelma rose to go, then hesitated and asked: ‘One last thing. Do you know Cuan?’
Gormflaith frowned. ‘Cuan?’
‘A member of the Fianna. One of the guards at the royal residence.’
‘Apart from the commander of the Fianna, I am not in the habit of interesting myself in the names of the members of his companies,’ Gormflaith said, but not crossly. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘Did Dubh Duin ever mention the Ui Beccon to you?’
Gormflaith looked uncertain. ‘You ask the most odd questions, Fidelma of Cashel. The Uí Beccon? Why should he mention those people?’
‘You know of them?’
‘I know most of the clans of Midhe as you doubtless know the clans of Muman. They are a small clan and unremarkable.’
‘But you knew that they paid tribute to Dubh Duin’s own clan?’
‘I did not, but I suppose it is logical as they dwell in the same area of the kingdom. Why are you interested?’
‘No matter,’ Fidelma assured her. ‘It was just a thought.’
‘Well.’ Gormflaith rose and took her hand, speaking with a sudden earnestness. ‘I wish you luck in your enquiry, lady. I have not only to mourn Sechnussach for my daughters’ sakes but also to mourn Dubh Duin for my own sake. Whatever you can do in order to bring the truth to light as to who was responsible for their deaths and why, I will support it. Find out though the seas rise to engulf us, or the sky falls to crush us: only the truth is sacred.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Fidelma met Eadulf in the royal enclosure.
‘You look pleased with yourself,’ she greeted him. ‘What have you been up to?’
Eadulf told her about his trip to the market and his meeting with the blacksmith.
‘So it was Cuan who had the key made,’ Fidelma said with satisfaction. ‘We must find him before he gets suspicious. What took you to this market?’
Eadulf explained about Cenn Faelad’s invitation to accompany him, and his meeting with the arrogant merchant, Verbas of Peqini, and his young slave, Assid.
‘Poor lad,’ Fidelma said at once. ‘We hear several tales of pilgrim ships being attacked on their way to visit the Holy Land. People are sometimes taken as slaves by marauders. The boy is obviously one such victim. I approve of Cenn Faelad’s motives.’
‘It is not the motives that concern me but the duplicity,’ Eadulf pointed out. ‘Someone who is that devious needs to be watched carefully and their truths questioned.’
Fidelma smiled and patted his arm.
‘We shall be extra-watchful. But I do hope that the young boy can find his freedom. As a foreign visitor, this Verbas cannot be admonished. Cenn Faelad is right in what he has said. The boy can demand sanctuary once he escapes.’
Eadulf nodded slightly and then asked: ‘And what of your news?’
Fidelma quickly told him the result of her meeting with Gormflaith, announcing her intention of going straightway to verify matters with the Chief Brehon, Barrán.
‘I saw him and Muirgel go to the stables but then he returned to the royal house.’ She glanced awkwardly at Eadulf. ‘It may be better for you not to attend this meeting either. It will be unseemly for me to berate Barrán for withholding pertinent information before a witness — yet berate him I must. He is, after all, the Chief Brehon of the Five Kingdoms and if Gormflaith speaks the truth, he should have known better than to withhold this information from me.’
Eadulf had no objection to being excluded. He had already assumed that it would be a contentious meeting.
‘Perhaps I can make myself useful by going to the hall of the Great Assembly to see if there is anyone there who might have cause to know Dubh Duin. I was interested to hear Cenn Faelad refer to the views he expressed in the assembly. If he regularly attended as a representative of his people, there may be some who knew him well. We need to learn more about him, not merely information from someone who was enamoured by him.’
Fidelma approved his intention.
‘You are right, Eadulf. You will make a
‘Gormflaith is misleading herself to think otherwise, Fidelma.’ Eadulf nodded sadly in agreement. ‘It occurs to me that perhaps that is not the only thing she was misleading herself about.’
‘You suspect that Dubh Duin was merely using her to get to Sechnussach?’
