The Council of the Cursed

joined to whom, and he might not have put us together.’

Valretrade still didn’t understand.

‘He obviously wanted to ensure that two fit-looking women were not placed together,’ explained Fidelma patiently. ‘I had to distract him by pretending I wanted to be placed with that woman, who stood out as being strong. He was so taken off-guard that he reacted and only saw that you were slimmer than the person I asked to be bound to. He thought he was thwarting my chances.’

Valretrade stared at the iron chain that united them by the wrists.

‘I don’t see how this will improve our prospect of escape.’

‘We are going to be walked through the city to the river. The streets are narrow.’

‘Some of them,’ agreed the girl.

‘Then we must ensure we are placed about the centre of the column. There will be guards at the front and at the back. We need to be the furthest away from them.’

‘Then what?’

‘Do you know any narrow lanes or streets where we have a chance to break away? We need to start running and get enough of a lead over our pursuers to have time to find a hiding place.’

Valretrade was suddenly thoughtful. ‘It will depend which side of the villa they march us out from,’ she said. ‘Both afford some good opportunities, but we need to start soon. In daylight we will not have much of a chance.’

As if on cue, the door opened again and Verbas of Peqini stood on the threshold, legs apart and hands on hips. Fidelma had quickly thrown her hood over her head.

‘Well?’ he called to one of the guards in Latin. ‘Are they all ready?’

‘All ready, lord,’ was the reply.

‘Then take them outside and get them into a line. I want to be out of the city before daybreak.’

The guards herded the women through the door and up the stone steps into the side garden of the villa. Thirty women and seven children, one only a babe in arms, were shackled in twos. But there were other guards waiting for them outside.

‘Children in the front, the rest behind. Hurry now!’

The women began to arrange themselves, and Fidelma and Valretrade hurriedly inserted themselves into the middle of the column that was forming.

A horse had been brought, and Verbas mounted it, staring disdainfully down at his charges.

‘Anyone escaping will face the lash,’ he called harshly. ‘Guard, if anyone does not understand Latin, ensure that their companions tell them the penalty. You will move quickly and in silence. Is this clear?’

‘Clear, my lord,’ called the chief guard.

Without more ado, Verbas waved his hand in a forward gesture and moved slowly through the side gates of the villa.

The women were forced in a shuffling movement over the cobbled street.

‘I am relying on you,’ Fidelma whispered to her companion. ‘Tell me when we approach the next small alley. We must run as we have never run before.’

Valretrade nodded surreptitiously.

They had traversed two streets, working their way from the villa and into a complex of intersections, when she said: ‘Down this street, on the right-hand side is a small alleyway. It is like a maze, criss-crossing and with sometimes barely room for one person.’

Fidelma moved closer to her and gripped her hand. ‘We will move together when I give the word.’ Her voice was firm.

‘Together,’ agreed Valretrade quietly.

The alley loomed up in the semi-gloom too quickly for second thoughts. As they reached it, Fidelma snapped, ‘Now!’ and the two women suddenly leaped for its dark mouth. Holding hands to make the manacle more easily handled, they started running down the cobbled way. Behind them they could hear shouts and screams.

It had been well after midnight when Brother Chilperic had returned from his mission to report that the major domus at Lady Beretrude’s villa had informed him that Sister Fidelma had not been seen. By the sound of it, the man had not even consulted his mistress but had cavalierly dismissed Brother Chilperic at the gates of the villa. This was exactly what Eadulf had feared.

It was Abbot Ségdae who had prevented Eadulf from going directly to the villa himself.

‘It is no good. And if you think that the major domus is lying and, indeed, that Lady Beretrude is involved, then it could be dangerous for you as well as Fidelma.’

‘But what can we do?’ asked Eadulf in anguish.

‘Let us wait until daylight. Things are always so much clearer in the morning hours. You need the rest.’

‘Little rest I’ll be getting,’ muttered Eadulf.

‘Relax and meditate. After the morning prayers we shall tell Bishop Leodegar that we mean to go to the villa and demand to see Beretrude.’

It was after some intense discussion and still with much reluctance that Eadulf agreed to return to the hospitia to rest. It is true that sleep did not come easily to him but, nonetheless, it came eventually and when he awoke it was just past dawn and a distant bell was ringing for the morning prayers.

As Fidelma and Valretrade ran into the darkened alley, the other women, seeing what had happened, began to block off the entrance with their milling bodies while the guards tried to get into the alley to pursue the escapees. Frustrated by the women in their way, the warriors started to lash out. Verbas of Peqini shouted useless instructions but then, two of the guards broke through and started to run after the pair.

Fidelma and Valretrade moved as quickly as they dared in the darkness of the confined space.

‘Do you know where this alley leads?’ gasped Fidelma, as they came to a maze of small passageways.

‘Yes. Not far now. I know where we can hide,’ replied her companion.

Then Valretrade twisted and turned through the dark passageways until Fidelma was hopelessly confused and had to put her faith entirely in the hands of the young woman.

Suddenly she halted, breathing hard, in front of a wooden gate set in the black stone wall.

‘Here we are!’ She reached for the latch and it gave with a groaning sound of wood against wood.

She went through it, dragging Fidelma with her. Then she thrust the gate shut behind them.

Fidelma saw that they were in a small yard; a few chickens clucked irritably but were not particularly disturbed while a tethered goat gazed at them with an expression that seemed to imply it resented their intrusion.

‘There’s a hay pile there,’ gestured Valretrade. ‘Let’s catch our breath.’

They flung themselves down in a dark corner away from the gate.

It was not a moment too soon, as heavy footsteps pounded by. They could hear the stertorous grunt of the guards who had been chasing them, then the sound faded away. The women crouched in the corner listening, but the tethered goat had grown restless and its movements had disturbed the chickens that now decided to protest. Suddenly, a door opened and the figure of a muscular man appeared with a lantern in one hand and a large blacksmith’s hammer in the other.

‘Come out, you thieves!’ he called. ‘Careful, for I am armed.’

The light fell on them in the corner.

‘Come out!’ he called again.

It was Valretrade who moved first. ‘Ageric-it is I!’ she called softly.

The man stepped forward, the lantern raised. ‘By the holy powers! Valretrade?’

The girl moved swiftly and caught him by the arm.

‘Quickly, let us go inside and douse the light. Be as quiet as possible. There are pursuers near by. I have a friend with me.’ Her words came out in a breathless whisper.

The man did not say anything more but turned and went inside the house, with Valretrade and Fidelma following. Once they were inside, he bolted the door.

‘Who is it, Ageric? What is happening?’ A woman entered from the adjoining room and paused when her eyes fell on them.

‘Valretrade!’ She grasped the girl in an embrace. As Valretrade went to respond, the woman saw the