There was a sudden shouting outside and they turned to the door. It burst open and Enda came stumbling in. He had clearly emerged from a struggle and was breathing heavily.
‘I have the culprit,’ he announced in a triumphant gasp. ‘After the guests were brought down, Aidan and I decided to examine the guest chambers that were not being used. We found an extra guest.’
He turned and motioned through the doorway. Three men entered the council chamber.
One of them was Aidan and the other was Luan. Between them, they held a writhing dishevelled figure. It was Deogaire of Sliabh Luachra, Brother Conchobhar’s nephew.
CHAPTER TEN
‘Hold still, Deogaire!’ Fidelma commanded. ‘You are in the presence of your King.’
Something about her cold command caused the man to stop struggling.
‘Then tell these brainless idiots to release me,’ he grunted.
‘These are warriors of the Nasc Niadh, my bodyguard.’ Colgú’s voice was sharp. ‘They will not let you go until you have calmed yourself and ceased fighting with them.’
‘I am not the one who attacked them. I was asleep, when I was leaped upon and dragged from my bed. How else should I respond to physical violence but to protect myself?’
‘No violence will be offered to you if you calm down,’ Fidelma assured him.
‘Do I have Colgú’s word as King?’ Deogaire sneered.
‘You have my word as dálaigh,’ snapped Fidelma.
‘Then I will struggle no longer, providing the King’s yelping dogs obey you.’
Fidelma glanced at Enda and his companion and motioned them to stand aside. They released their hold cautiously and stood back, ready to move forward again if Deogaire did not keep to the agreement. Deogaire drew himself up with a curious dignity and began to rub his wrists where red marks were already showing from his handling. He bowed towards Fidelma with a cynical smile.
‘You will forgive me, lady, for appearing in this state of undress. I was not allowed time enough to clothe myself before I was dragged into your presence.’
‘You say “your bed”,’ Fidelma replied, ignoring his disrespectful tone. ‘Yet there is no record of you having been invited to stay in the King’s guest quarters.’
The man actually smiled. ‘When I say, “my bed” I did not, of course, mean complete ownership of it. I have not slept in a bed that truly belonged to me since I left Sliabh Luachra. But is it the law that I must now prove ownership of the bed in which I sleep?’
‘You take me too literally, Deogaire. To put it more clearly: what are you doing in the guest chambers of the King?’
‘Why, sleeping — until I was rudely awoken.’ The man adhered to his bantering tone.
‘Matters are too serious to play semantics with us, my friend,’ interposed Colgú. ‘You will answer the lady Fidelma’s questions without prevarication. There has been an attempt on my sister’s life and that of her husband. Any further show of levity must point to your guilt, even if we have not proof enough.’
For a second Deogaire’s eyelids fell like a bird of prey, hooding the sharp blue of their intensity. Then he made a motion with his shoulders, a kind of shrug, although those watching were unsure of its meaning. ‘I had a row with my uncle, the pious Brother Conchobhar, who told me never to cast my shadow across his portal again. Therefore I was in search of a comfortable bed.’
‘And somehow you just happened to wander into the King’s apartments, in spite of the guard, find your way into the guest chambers to choose a conveniently empty room and then climb into bed?’ Gormán challenged.
‘Not at all,’ Deogaire replied. ‘I told my story to Beccan earlier this evening. He said that not all the guest chambers were filled this night and that if I told no one, I could have the use of one.’
‘So you blame Beccan, do you?’ Gormán looked to Colgú and said: ‘We are wasting our time, lord. It is clear that he did the deed and was hiding out, thinking we would not search all the rooms.’
Deogaire glanced round. ‘Where was I supposed to have made this attempt on the lady Fidelma’s life?’ he demanded.
‘A marble statue was pushed from the roof as Fidelma and Eadulf passed below. The culprit escaped through the door leading to the guest chambers, throwing the bolt behind him. There was, however, no way of getting from those chambers anywhere else because of the guards. We have accounted for all the known guests. So it seems that Enda was right to constrain anyone who had no authority to be in those chambers,’ Gormán explained.
For the first time Deogaire seemed to appreciate the gravity of his situation.
‘I have told you the truth,’ he insisted, all blustering gone now. ‘Ask Beccan. I met him at the side door of the building that leads to the storerooms. He took me up the stairs and showed me into an empty chamber while everyone was in the feasting hall. He told me that I could rest there, but warned me that there was a guard who would be posted during the hours of darkness. He advised me not to emerge until after daylight, when I could hear movement.’
‘Then it is a pity that Beccan is not here to corroborate your story,’ Eadulf observed dryly.
‘Not here?’ An expression of apprehension crossed Deogaire’s features. ‘Where is he? He said he would not be long.’
‘Tell me, how is it that Brother Conchobhar came to throw his own relative out of his house?’ Fidelma asked without answering him. ‘He is a great respecter of old custom and holds that the laws of hospitality, especially to a blood relative, are not easily dismissed.’
Deogaire had lost more of his confidence by now.
‘You know that he and I do not see eye to eye on matters of religion,’ he muttered. ‘I maintain the old paths while he accepts this new mysticism from the east. It is not to be trusted! The ancients say — knowledge is found in the west, battle to the north, danger to the east and tranquillity to the south. Danger to the east! That danger is coming.’
‘You threatened me once,’ she replied, recalling. ‘You said: “two glances behind would be better than one before”.’
‘A warning to some is seen as a threat by others. I foresee the danger from the east. That is no threat — that is a warning. Be afraid and you will be safe. That was all I said.’
Fidelma grimaced at the old saying. ‘I am aware of what was said. You also mentioned that death could come in many forms — even a winged demon out of the sky.’
Eadulf breathed in sharply. ‘And the statue was. .’ he began.
‘Was it the statue of Aoife?’ Colgú asked in a curiously strangled tone, his features suddenly pale.
When Fidelma silently nodded, there was an obvious unease among those present.
‘Aoife? Who was she?’ asked Eadulf, knowing there was some significance that was lost on him.
‘Aoife was a wicked stepmother, and in punishment for her evil acts against the Children of Lir, the god Bodh Dearg changed her into a demon of the air.’ It was Gormán who explained. ‘The statues on the roof are representations of creatures from our ancient legends.’
Deogaire’s eyes had widened slightly. Then he quickly recovered his poise. His chin thrust out defiantly. ‘And what does that prove? The only thing it shows is that I am truly blessed with the gift of the imbas forosnai, of the prophecy of the poets.’
Fidelma reflected for a moment, then said: ‘Foreknowledge of events is usually explained by involvement. I am no seer, as you claim to be, Deogaire. I have to rely on facts and logic. That is the beginning of my wisdom.’ She looked at him before continuing.
‘Your claim to be in the guests chambers by invitation of Beccan cannot be confirmed until the King’s steward returns. Do not worry, we will not condemn without seeking evidence. That is not our way. While we wait for his return, we will provide you with another bed for the rest of this night.’ She turned to Gormán. ‘Take Deogaire to the Laochtech and secure him there as a prisoner until I order otherwise. It will go badly for you, Deogaire, if you do not leave peacefully with these warriors.’