Behold a Pale Horse

informing him sooner.’

‘What did that tell you?’ Aistulf was interested.

‘That it was only Lady Gunora who had been missing. It meant Prince Romuald was safe here. That was confirmed by you, Aistulf.’

‘By me?’ he asked wonderingly.

‘When I overheard you on the mountain, saying, “If the boy is right, Lady Gunora must be dead.” So what did the boy tell you?’

‘What do you think happened?’ countered Radoald.

‘That Lady Gunora and the boy did not leave the abbey unobserved. I believe they were followed. They had one horse. Lady Gunora may have noticed and told the boy to dismount and hide while she tried to draw off the pursuit. She succeeded so far as the boy was concerned. But she was overtaken and slain.’

A silence followed and then Aistulf nodded slowly. ‘You are right, lady, so far as the boy is concerned. Wulfoald found him wandering along the river early that morning. The prince told him that Lady Gunora had turned back towards the abbey, having instructed him to hide. She told him that, if she did not return, to go to the fortress of my son, Radoald, and on no account return to the abbey.’

‘So Lady Gunora tried to draw off the pursuers across Mount Pénas?’ mused Fidelma. ‘Poor lady. She sacrificed herself. But the boy is safe?’

‘Even as you said,’ agreed Suidur.

‘There is one thing that might interest you, lady,’ Aistulf added. ‘The prince, while hiding, caught sight of their pursuer. There was, in fact, only one. My son gave us the same description which Odo gave to Wulfoald and yourself. It was the same as that of the person seen leaving the vicinity of Hawisa’s cabin at the time of the fire.’

‘A man on a pale horse?’

‘And the prince also insists that the rider of the pale horse was a warrior.’

Fidelma was quiet for a while. ‘Now tell me why you wanted me to be here?’

Aistulf said, ‘My friend, Servillius, thought you could be trusted.’ Then he looked around at the others. ‘It will come as no surprise to you that we are supporters of King Grimoald.’ When Fidelma did not respond, he went on: ‘It would seem that you have little interest in the war that is erupting now. It is that war which is our concern — the attempt of Perctarit, with those who remain loyal to him and his Frankish allies, to return to the throne of the Longobards.’

‘As you say, the politics of the matter should be of little concern to me, for this is not my country,’ replied Fidelma.

‘True enough. That being so, why did you leap to defend Magister Ado in Genua when the warriors of King Grimoald tried to capture him?’ Aistulf observed.

‘Merely chance. I saw two men assaulting an elderly cleric in a back street. When we entered this valley, these same men tried to assassinate him from behind the shelter of trees and bushes.’

‘If it had not been for your shout of warning,’ intervened Sister Gisa resentfully, ‘they would not have missed their target and hit Brother Faro.’

‘It is one of the matters I need clarification on. The would-be assassins were dressed as your King’s men and therefore your allies. Can it be that you would applaud the assassination of an elderly cleric of such outstanding scholarship as Magister Ado — simply as part of your cause?’

‘He was considered an agent of Perctarit,’ Sister Gisa declared, thrusting her chin out aggressively. ‘An enemy to King Grimoald. You saved him from being captured by the two men that Grimoald sent to question him.’

Aistulf pulled a face. ‘Unfortunately, they were not the brightest of minds, as you have discovered. Having failed to take him prisoner, they took it on themselves that if they could not capture him, then the next best thing was to kill him.’

‘They wounded Brother Faro instead,’ repeated Sister Gisa.

‘So, after the failed assassination,’ Fidelma said thoughtfully, ‘these two warriors came here to this fortress to report. I saw you, Suidur, with Gisa rebuking them.’

‘How …?’ began Radoald.

‘Courtyards are not the best place to discuss matters even in the dark of the night, especially when there is a moon.’

‘But you do not speak the language of the Longobards,’ Suidir pointed out. ‘How do you know what went on?’

‘Perhaps you will recall rebuking Sister Gisa for her lapse into Latin?’

There was a silence and Suidur finally said, ‘I did so. Grimoald’s men were told that no more attacks should be made on the person of Magister Ado. He should be allowedfreedom to see if he could lead us to the gold,’ continued Aistulf. ‘Give him enough rope to hang himself, as the saying goes.’

‘And if he were not Perctarit’s agent?’ Fidelma sighed. ‘I am surprised, Suidur, that you have not taught your daughter the importance of evidence coram judice.’

Sister Gisa stared in astonishment but the physician actually smiled. ‘You do have a sharp mind, lady,’ he acknowledged.

‘I presumed that she is your daughter from the fact of her knowledge of the healing arts, that she was raised in this valley and it was said her father was a physician.’

‘Servillius himself said just before he left here that we should leave you alone and you would guide us to the conspirators, ’ Radoald commented dryly. ‘Wasn’t that what he said, Father?’

The erstwhile hermit chuckled. ‘Indeed. He said alis volat propris: she flies on her own wings.’ Fidelma knew the phrase well. It indicated that she was independent of spirit and had her own way of doing things.

Radoald leaned towards her. ‘Then let me tell you why we were concerned about Magister Ado. The man has a reputation as a good scholar at Bobium. He is known for his allegiance to the Nicene Creed …’

‘As is the allegiance of Bobium,’ pointed out Fidelma.

‘But Bobium is content under the kingship of Grimoald who, although a follower of Arius, pursues a liberal policy, allowing his people to choose which path to the Christ they want to tread.’

‘I know.’ Fidelma sighed irritably. ‘And Perctarit follows the Nicene Creed. I have heard all this.’

‘So when Magister Ado went on a journey to Tolosa, wesuspected that he was Perctarit’s agent and had gone to raise the shipment of gold to pay Grasulf.’

‘Had you spoken with Magister Ado, you would have found that he went to Tolosa at the insistence of Brother Eolann, who was one of the real conspirators. Appealing to Magister Ado’s scholarship and his knowledge of Tolosa, they enticed him into going to the abbey there to bring back a book for the library. I suspect that Brother Eolann, or someone else, might have made a point of twisting the facts of this trip so that it seemed the magister had instigated it.’

Sister Gisa had paled and was holding a hand to her cheek.

‘Perhaps she was told that Perctarit was in Tolosa?’ went on Fidelma, ignoring her reaction for the moment. ‘It was another false trail to lead people away from the culprits. There were three conspirators at Bobium but Magister Ado was not one of them. While you were looking to Magister Ado at the seaport of Genua, the gold had already arrived in this valley. It was at the abbey before Brother Faro and Sister Gisa set out to meet Magister Ado on his return.’

‘But … how?’ demanded Radoald in astonishment.

‘Let me ask a question before I continue. Why is it important to thwart Grasulf, the Lord of Vars, from raising his warriors to take control of this valley? The gold is meant for him, and I have learned that he is of a mercenary nature and will not fight until he is paid. But why here? I think I know the answer but I ask you to confirm the matter for me.’

Radoald said, ‘The answer is simple. You will have heard already just how strategic are the roads that lead from Genua through these mountains. There is the old Salt Road from Genua to Ticinum Pavia, which passes through the Valley of the Tidone and is dominated by the Lord of Vars. Then thereis the way through this valley leading to Placentia. This route is dominated by this very fortress.’

‘That I have already been told,’ Fidelma acknowledged.