Dancing With Demons

with a warrior’s knife. You said so.’

‘Indeed, she was — by the knife of Cuan, who confesses the deed and to the wounding of Brother Rogallach. But are you sure that this knife that you now hold is your own knife?’

‘I use it for slaughtering meat for the High King’s table. I have used it for many years. I know its marks on the handle. Oh yes, I know this knife very well.’

‘And when did you find it missing? I think you mentioned that to us.’

‘It was the day after the High King’s assassination, for there was a pig to be slaughtered. When I found it missing, I went to Brother Rogallach and told him. I even wondered whether the assassin had stolen it to usein his murder. Brother Rogallach assured me that it was not the same knife, for that knife had been found. Where was my knife discovered?’

Fidelma now stood up and allowed Eadulf to resume his seat. She looked quickly around the Great Assembly, noting that most of those present were visibly struggling to follow the arguments, before allowing her gaze to rest on Brehon Sedna.

‘Thank you for your indulgence,’ she told them all. ‘We will not be long now. The witnesses can resume their seats.’

Brehon Sedna addressed her. ‘You must tell us where the knife was found, Sister Fidelma. You have implied that it was used to kill the High King before Dubh Duin entered his bedchamber and cut his throat. It is a fascinating argument, but it must be backed by fact.’

‘I am coming to the facts,’ Fidelma replied calmly. ‘The knife was found in a secret passageway which leads from the High King’s chambers to a linen storeroom on the lower floor of the Tech Cormaic. The real killer left it there as they fled from the chamber when Dubh Duin entered. You see, Dubh Duin cut the throat of a man who was already dead.’

Brother Rogallach was expostulating. ‘I know of no such passageway, even though I have served here for many years!’

‘It can easily be shown to you after these proceedings,’ Eadulf promised.

‘We are now drawing to the final conclusion,’ Fidelma said. ‘Let me explain. From the very beginning, one thing became obvious to me. There was another person in the High King’s chambers when Dubh Duin entered to kill him. How do I know this? Because the guards were alerted by a scream from those chambers. They assumed it was Sechnussach’s death scream — but even had the High King not been dead already, how can a man with a severed throat scream? So who was responsible? The answer is: the person who was caught unawares by Dubh Duin. They fled through the secret passage, hiding the knife that they had plunged into the High King’s heart when he slept.’

‘I do not suppose we can identify this mysterious killer?’ Brehon Sedna asked.

Fidelma smiled quietly at his cynicism. ‘Certainly. It was the maid, Cnucha.’

Cnucha, who had been sitting quietly through all the proceedings, made no movement at all, other than to raise her head and smile faintly. Her expression seemed to say ‘prove it’.

The ripple of reaction in the chamber died away after a moment or two.

‘And will you tell us how you came to this conclusion and what motive Cnucha had?’ Brehon Sedna carried on.

‘Following the birth of her last child, Be Bhail, three years ago, the lady Gormflaith noticed an estrangement between herself and her husband. I have already mentioned this. As many of you know, it was soon afterwards that she set up her own household in the royal enclosure. She was sure, as she told her daughter Muirgel, that Sechnussach had taken a mistress or even a secret second wife. Why did Sechnussach reject Gormflaith? Who knows the deeper workings of a man’s mind. All he told her, as she repeated it to me, was that he preferred a girl — a girl was the word — who made no demands but, when called for, came to his bed like a maid. It is an interesting expression and one that revealed much about his mind. Gormflaith was a strong character, an intelligent person, and we can speculate that Sechnussach was not happy in his relationship.’

She looked to where Gormflaith was sitting. She could not see her expression, for the widow of the High King sat with bowed head.

‘If Gormflaith suspected that her husband had taken a mistress, but she didn’t know who it was, then I had to consider the possibilities. In the circumstances there seemed three candidates. It finally became clear in my mind who I was looking for when Brother Rogallach repeated a favourite saying of Sechnussach. Sit non doctissima conjux — may my wife not be very learned. He wanted a mistress who simply obeyed him and who would make no demands. Alas, there are such arrogant men in this world.’

Brehon Sedna was frowning. ‘But what you are now describing, Fidelma, is not the kind of person who would stab her sleeping lover in the heart and kill him.’

‘With respect, Brehon Sedna, I disagree,’ Fidelma said. ‘Cnucha is a plain-looking girl, quiet and overlooked by many. Her fellow maids thought of her as being timid as a mouse. Eadulf overheard her speaking to Brónach about Sechnussach early on, and it was very obvious that she had no high opinion of the High King’s attitudes. That was interesting. How did she know his attitudes?

‘In reality, Cnucha was far from being a quiet mouse. That was shown on two occasions, when she showed a flash of temper towards Brónach and then confessed that she got angry when people thought they could insult her because she seemed so meek and mild. Báine even told Eadulf. that Cnucha had thrown a jug at her once in a fit of temper. So, a passion was simmering there behind that quiet exterior.’

Brehon Sedna was having none of it. ‘These are merely circumstantial arguments, Fidelma. We need proof that places Cnucha in the High King’s bedchamber that night with the knife in her hand and then all these arguments might back your case.’

Fidelma turned to the girl. ‘I have a question to put to Cnucha.’

The girl slowly stood up. The pale eyes that stared at Fidelma were like ice; the face was a mask.

‘Do you recall a conversation with Brónach in the guesthouse in which you were discussing a time, just after Sechnussach’s death, when the lady Muirgel caught you searching his chambers?’

‘I cannot recall all conversations that passed between us.’

‘This one was interesting. Muirgel had struck you. You told Brónach that you had been searching for something that you had lost. Muirgel and Barrán actually thought you were spying on their conspiracy.’

A slight look of uncertainty came into the girl’s eyes. She made no reply.

‘Why were you searching there?’

‘I had lost something, that is all,’ Cnucha said hesitantly. ‘A personal possession. I noticed that I had lost it after I had been cleaning the chamber.’

‘Brónach cleaned the High King’s chambers after his death. I think you had lost this possession beforehand. You told Brónach what it was, didn’t you? It was valuable, wasn’t it?’

The girl mumbled, ‘It was valuable to me.’

‘Because a special person gave it to you? Come, Cnucha. We no longer have time to play games.’

‘It was a bracelet. That’s all.’

‘A bracelet worth a lot of money,’ added Eadulf.

‘It was a bracelet made up of silver Gaulish coins,’ Cnucha replied defensively.

Fidelma reached forward and held up the silver bracelet that she had taken from Cuan.

‘Where would you have dropped it? In the secret passageway, perhaps?’ she asked softly.

The girl’s eyes started as they looked at the bracelet.

‘Of course not! I was careful when-’ She suddenly realised what she was saying and then, without warning, she rushed towards Fidelma withoutstretched hands. ‘It’s mine! Give it to me! Give it to me! It’s the only thing he ever gave me … it’s mine!’

Two members of the Fianna caught her flaying arms before she reached Fidelma and held her tightly.

‘So,’ sighed Brehon Sedna, ‘you seem to have proved your point. You found the bracelet with the knife in this passageway?’

Fidelma surprised him by shaking her head.

‘Cuan will confirm the details. He stands confessed of Mer’s death and the wounding of Brother Rogallach, so has nothing to gain by lying now. When he and Lugna entered Sechnussach’s chamber, he saw the bracelet by the bed. Cnucha had discarded it, probably during that last night of lovemaking, before she killed her lover. While Lugna was distracted, Cuan picked it up, saw it was valuable and stole it. Cnucha had told Eadulf it was a bracelet