She could suddenly see how such a simple form of alphabet might be used as a means of communication by manual gestures.
Gadra was watching her changing expression as she realised the simplicity of the form.
‘Do you want to test it for yourself?’ he asked.
Fidelma nodded eagerly.
Gadra turned to Móen and there was a quick exchange.
‘Take his palm. Hold it upright and use the line of the second digit as the base line down to the heel of the hand. Introduce yourself by writing your name in the Ogam characters.’
Fidelma cautiously took the youth’s hand.
Three strokes to the right of the base line for ‘F’; five dots on the base line with the tip of her finger for ‘i’; two strokes to the left of the base line for ‘d’; four dots on the line for ‘e’; two strokes to the left for ‘l’; a diagonal stroke across it for ‘m’ and a single dot for ‘a’. She made the movements fairly slowly and cautiously. Then she paused, awaiting a response.
The young man, an eager smile on his lips, took the left hand, which she offered him, and held it palm up. Then came his finger against the palm. A diagonal for ‘M’; two dots on the line for ‘o’; a slight pause before four dots for ‘e’ and then four strokes to the right for ‘n’. Móen.
It was so simple. And this sentient creature had been treated as if he were no more than an animal. Fidelma felt a thrill of outrage as she realised the enormity of it.
Slowly Fidelma began to spell out on Móen’s palm.
‘I am an advocate of the courts, come to investigate the murder of Eber and Teafa. Do you understand?’
‘Yes. I did not kill them.’
‘I want you to tell me what happened so far as you know.’
At once the youth began to use his fingers rapidly against her palm. So rapidly that she had to interrupt him.
‘You are too fast. I am unused to this means of communication. Speak with Gadra here and he will translate what you have to say more rapidly.’
‘Very well.’
Fidelma sat back and explained to Gadra who immediately took over. The door opened abruptly. Fidelma glanced up as Dubán entered and stood watching the proceedings in amazement. He stirred uneasily as he caught her inquiring gaze.
‘Crítán has protested to me that you …’ he began but Fidelma cut him short.
‘I am well aware of what Crítán might have reported,’ she said.
Dubán grimaced.
‘I am not without an understanding of that young man’s faults. I will see to it that he no longer stands guard over Móen, if that is your wish.’ He glanced towards Gadra and Móen. ‘It is true, then. Can he really communicate?’
‘As you see, Dubán, we can communicate with him and he with us. Would you mind waiting outside? We must accord Móen the same privacy in this interrogation that any one of us is entitled to under the law.’
Though disappointment showed on his face, the commander of the guard jerked his head in agreement and left the room.
Fidelma and Eadulf now turned back to watch with some awe and amazement as Móen’s fingers worked rapidly over Gadra’s palm. The old man would halt the flow now and then and presumably asked a question for the sake of clarification. As he did so, he began to interpret between Fidelma and Móen.
‘Tell us, Móen, did you kill Teafa or Eber?’
‘I did not.’ A pause. ‘I loved Teafa. She raised me as my mother.’
‘Will you tell us what happened that night, the time when you were made prisoner?’
‘I will try.’
‘Take your time and try to put in as much detail as you can remember.’
‘I will try. I sometimes have difficulty in sleeping. It is then I rise and go for a walk.’
‘A walk at night?’
‘Night or day makes no difference to me.’
Fidelma with a start realised that Móen was actually smiling at the joke that he had made.
‘Did you do so that night?’
‘I did.’
‘You do not know at what hour this was?’
‘Alas, I do not. Time is meaningless to me except I know when it is hot and when it is cold, when I scent certain flowers and when I scent others. I can only tell you that it was cold when I went for my walk and there was a scent of dampness but no flowers. I rose and went to the door of our cabin. I am adept at moving about quietly.’
Fidelma realised that this could be a mark against Móen. She decided to ask for amplification.
‘How well could you move around the village by yourself?’
‘Unless someone has left some object discarded on the paths, something which should not be in the way of the passes between the buildings, then I usually have no difficulty. Once or twice I have fallen over a box or something of that sort which has been left lying about. Then I rouse the dogs and people get angry. Usually I manage very well.’
‘Where did you go for your walk?’
‘I cannot tell you. I can show you by repeating it, if you like.’
‘Later. What did you do on your walk?’
‘I did little except I sat by the water where the scents are often so beautiful and caress your mind and body and soul. But there were no scents at that time.’
‘You sat by the water?’
‘Yes.’
‘Flowing water?’
‘Yes. Teafa calls it a river.’
‘Have you done this before?’
‘Many times. It is an enjoyment in life especially when it is warm and there is a scent upon the air. I can sit there and just reflect.’
Fidelma swallowed at the sensitivity of the young man who everyone thought was a mere animal.
‘Then what did you do?’
‘I began to return to the cabin.’
‘To Teafa’s cabin?’
‘That is so. It was when I was at the door that someone reached for my arm. They thrust a piece of wood into my hand. They took my other hand and ran it along the wood. I think they did this to make sure I understood that there was writing on it.’
‘Writing?’
‘The carved symbols in the manner in which we are speaking now.’
‘Do you know who it was?’
‘I do not. Their scent was unknown to me.’
‘What did the symbols say?’
‘It said, “Eber wants you now.” Meaning I was to go to Eber.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I went.’
‘Did you not think of waking Teafa to tell her?’
‘She would not have approved of my going to Eber.’
‘Why was that?’
‘She thought that he was a bad man.’
‘And what did you think?’
‘Eber was always nice to me. Several times he gave me food and tried to communicate with me. I felt his hand on my head and face but he did not have the knowledge. I once asked Teafa to instruct him on the means of communication but she would not.’
‘Did she explain why she would not?’
‘Never. She simply said he was a very bad man.’
‘So when you received the message, you must have thought that he had discovered the means of communication?’
‘I did. If Eber could use the symbols to communicate by the stick, then he had obviously found the means.’
There was no faulting the logic.
‘So what did you do with the stick?’
There was a pause.
‘I dropped it, I think. No, I must have caught it on something for it seemed to be pushed out of my hand. I do not think I bothered to bend down to search for it. I was intent on going to Eber.’
‘So then you found your way to Eber’s apartments?’
‘It was not hard. I can find my way very well.’ He paused.
‘Continue,’ Fidelma pressed.
‘I went to the door. I tapped on it as Teafa has taught me. Then I lifted the latch and went in. No one approached me. I stood for a while, thinking that if Eber was there he would make himself known. When he did not, I moved forward, realising that there must be another chamber. I moved along the boundary of the wall and eventually found the second door and I tapped on this. The door did not open and so I sought out and lifted the latch on it and managed to enter.’