‘Something strange has happened, Brother Eadulf.’
‘Strange?’
The concern in the voice of the dominus was apparent. Then a sudden thought hit Eadulf.
‘Sister Fidelma … her illness has not worsened?’
To his relief, Brother Willibrod shook his head immediately.
‘No, her illness has not worsened. It is young Brother Redwald who …’
Eadulf was frowning. ‘Who is Brother Redwald?’
‘The young man who attends to the chores of the guests’ hostel.’
‘Yes, I remember the boy. What is the matter with him?’
‘He has had to be locked in his cell and given strong liquor to calm him.’
Eadulf waited a moment and then gave an exasperated sigh.
‘For goodness’ sake! Am I to extract this story sentence by sentence? You are clearly upset at something which concerns Brother Redwald, though how it concerns me I do not know, nor probably care unless you can explain to me why I should.’
‘Be seated a moment, Brother,’ said the dominus, pointing to a nearby stone bench, ‘and I will tell you.’
Compressing his lips to hide his irritation, Eadulf allowed himself to be guided to a bench and be seated. Brother Willibrodsat down beside him. His features were lit by a flickering storm lantern above them. It produced an eerie effect.
‘It happened just after dusk had fallen,’ began the dominus. When Eadulf groaned, Brother Willibrod reached out a hand. ‘Patience, Brother. Redwald is ill and now confined for his own protection. His mind is quite frantic.’
Eadulf controlled himself. The dominus continued.
‘Redwald went into the chamber of Sister Fidelma to see if she needed anything. By the bed of your companion Brother Redwald saw a woman standing. Brother Redwald recognised her.’
Brother Willibrod paused dramatically.
‘And who was the person whom Brother Redwald recognised?’ Eadulf asked wearily.
‘Redwald came to our community when Abbot Cild’s wife, Gélgeis, was still alive. Redwald recognised this woman … it was Gélgeis or the shade of Gélgeis. He went out of his mind with fear because he knew that she was dead. But there she stood, pale but almost as if she were in life. She stretched out a hand to him and he went screaming from the chamber. We have barely made sense from his story …’
Eadulf felt a coldness creeping up his back. He remembered the figure of the woman he had seen the previous night near the chapel and everyone’s reaction to it.
‘This … this apparition was in Fidelma’s room?’
‘It was.’
‘But you said that she was all right?’ Eadulf began to rise hastily.
‘She was in a feverish sleep; we could not rouse her when we went to investigate. There was no sign of the woman.’
Eadulf was keen to be gone. ‘I am sure you are eager to attend to Brother Redwald, but now I am equally anxious to ensure that Sister Fidelma has come to no harm through this incident … whatever the reason for the incident may be.’
‘Wait, Brother,’ cried the dominus, rising to restrain him. ‘Wait, I have not told you all.’
Eadulf whirled round, his eyes narrowed in sudden apprehension.
‘What have you not told me?’
‘Abbot Cild came to investigate. He told me that you had alsoseen what you claimed to be a woman near the chapel and that you had described Gélgeis to him. You told me that you had seen such a woman by the chapel. Now Brother Redwald has seen her. And the abbot is almost beside himself with fear, though I should not tell you that. Cild claimed several times that this wraith had been seen by him. Now it is appearing to others. It is clearly black witchcraft.’
Eadulf snorted sardonically. Inwardly, he felt a fear born of the age-old beliefs of his people.
‘That is Abbot Cild’s problem,’ he said in irritation, turning again.
‘Abbot Cild believes that it is the ghost of his dead wife,’ cried the dominus. ‘Further, he believes that this witchcraft came into the abbey when you and your companion arrived in this kingdom. There can only be one explanation.’
Eadulf had whirled back towards Brother Willibrod, his heart beating fast.
‘One explanation? What do you mean?’
‘The abbot believes that your companion has conjured the spirit of his dead wife by foul rites. We have locked Sister Fidelma in her chamber to await her punishment for witchcraft.’
Chapter Eight
Eadulf halted abruptly outside the door of the guest chambers. Further progress was impeded by a thick-set, muscular brother who stood, arms folded and immovable, in front of it. For a moment it seemed that Eadulf would fling himself physically on the man but Brother Willibrod came up behind him.
‘Let him through,’ the dominus instructed.
The brother stood aside immediately and Eadulf moved into the room at once.
Fidelma lay in the bed, her breath coming in deep rasping tones.
Eadulf halted inside the door for a moment and brought himself under control. He then walked slowly forward. Fidelma appeared to be asleep, but not exactly in a natural sleep. The perspiration stood out on her forehead and she lay in a profusion of sweat. It was clear that her ague had reached a point where she was in a serious fever; a fever which must break that night or become dangerous. Eadulf had seen such fevers before.
He turned as he heard the soft tread behind him.
Brother Willibrod had entered and stood at his side.
‘I told you that your companion was not harmed,’ he said softly. ‘No one has been near here, only Brother Redwald and whatever it was that he saw.’
Eadulf glanced down at the medication that he had left on her side table.
‘And no one has given her anything except what I have prescribed for her?’
‘Brother Redwald only gave her some water this morning and then, at lunchtime, he came in and found her in this sleep. So he left her alone. Brother Higbald looked in on her a short time ago. She has not been neglected.’
‘And when was Brother Redwald supposed to have seen this apparition?’
Brother Willibrod looked uncomfortable.
‘Brother Redwald came here just after dusk to light candles and see if she needed anything else.’
‘And when did the pious brethren try and condemn her for witchcraft?’ Eadulf could not keep the bitterness out of his voice.
Brother Willibrod shuffled his feet awkwardly.
‘No one has tried her … you must see Abbot Cild for it is on his order that she is confined. He asked that you be escorted to his presence as soon as you arrived back.’
Eadulf’s lips thinned in irritation.
‘Abbot Cild can wait. I need to attend to Sister Fidelma first. She is at a crucial stage of this ague she has contracted.’
Brother Willibrod’s one eye widened in dismay.
‘But the Father Abbot will be angry …’
Eadulf wheeled round, thrusting his face directly to an inch before that of the startled dominus. The man flinched before his gaze.
‘I am angry now. Angry that a man who calls himself abbot of a holy community can talk of witchcraft, of ghosts and demons, and …’
Eadulf pretended he was too worked up to continue, but what made him pause was a remembrance of his own emotions a short while before when he had seen the ignis fatuus dancing on the marshes. He turned back to Fidelma to hide his confusion.
There was no doubting that he had also seen a woman, a woman whose description had clearly had an effect on the abbot. What was the mystery here? Did the abbot really think he was being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife? The woman Eadulf had seen had corporeal existence. She was no shade, he was sure.