The Council of the Cursed

Chapter Fifteen

The girl reached out a hand and pulled him into the alcove. Her expression was anxious.

‘I saw you go to the abbatissa’s room. Are you the Saxon who is the companion of the Hibernian woman who is investigating the deaths in the abbey?’

‘I am. Who are you?’

‘My name is Inginde.’

‘Ah, of course.’ Eadulf glanced quickly round. ‘Perhaps now is not a good time to speak. Sister Radegund might come after me at any moment to ensure I have left the building.’

‘I just wanted to know if you had any news of Valretrade yet?’

‘We are still looking,’ he told her, ‘but you can be assured that she did not leave this place of her own free will. The note she left was certainly not in her own hand.’

The girl’s eyes widened. ‘How could you know that?’

‘A scribe will tell you that each person has their own style of forming letters. I have ascertained that she did not form the letters in her note.’ He paused as a thought struck him. ‘Is there any place in this building where she could be kept out of the sight of the community here?’

‘You mean as a prisoner?’ breathed Sister Inginde.

‘As a prisoner,’ confirmed Eadulf.

The girl shook her head immediately. ‘There is nowhere that one can hide in this place. I know every corner of it. No, you must accept that poor Valretrade has left this abbey-and who knows where she has been taken.’

‘I understand that other women and their children have also disappeared from this community recently.’

‘It is so,’ Sister Inginde conceded. ‘We were told they no longer wished to live by the Rule of the abbatissa.’

‘Has anyone mentioned the villa of Lady Beretrude in this connection?’

The girl looked shocked. ‘Lady Beretrude? I don’t understand.’

‘Could those who have disappeared from here have been taken there?’

Sister Inginde regarded him curiously for a moment. ‘Do you know that Sister Radegund is related to…’ she began.

There was the noise of a chamber door opening.

‘Don’t worry. We are near a solution, I promise.’ Eadulf felt reckless, trying to reassure this sweet-faced, anxious girl. ‘We think the answer might lie at Beretrude’s villa. I promise all will be revealed soon.’

The girl did not answer but sank back into the shadows as Eadulf turned and hurried off along the corridor.

The voice of Sister Radegund called suspiciously from behind him. ‘You are slow in making your departure.’

‘I think I took a wrong turning.’ Eadulf turned and tried to look apologetic.

‘Then I will show you the way.’ Sister Radegund brushed by him with a purposeful stride. He followed her meekly.

‘I was surprised that you and Abbess Audofleda were not at the reception given by Lady Beretrude yesterday,’ he said, trying to open a conversation.

‘It was only for the delegates to the council and their advisers,’ Sister Radegund snapped.

Eadulf felt he could chance some boldness, remembering what Brother Budnouen had told them.

‘I wondered whether Lady Beretrude had not invited the abbess because she had an objection to her previous life in Divio.’

Sister Radegund stopped and gasped. A red hue had come to her cheeks.

‘My…Lady Beretrude is…’ she began, and suddenly became confused.

‘You were about to say…is your mother? You bear a close resemblance to her.’ Eadulf felt he had nothing to lose by making the guess.

Sister Radegund recovered quickly.

‘Lady Beretrude is my aunt. I am not ashamed of it. And you seem to know a great deal.’

‘I need to know more,’ Eadulf pressed, but she had turned swiftly and did not answer him. They came to the main door and Sister Radegund bent to draw back the bolts. Eadulf opened his mouth to speak again but she simply pointed through the open door.

‘Vade in pace,’ she said in dismissal.

Eadulf had no recourse but to leave.

Fidelma was dozing when Eadulf arrived back at the hospitia of the abbey. Outside the door sat a muscular young religieux from Imleach who had been placed on watch by Abbot Ségdae. Eadulf exchanged a few whispered words with him and decided to let Fidelma continue to sleep. Sleep was always a good healer. He would go instead to the library in search of Brother Sigeric.

Brother Sigeric was not in the scriptorium but he found the steward, Brother Chilperic, seated there looking over some columns of figures on a clay board. The steward glanced up with a rueful smile.

‘The accounting of the abbey,’ he said, laying down his stylus. ‘It is a job I dislike. Running the affairs of the abbey is much like being a trader. The bishop is very particular that we do not enter into debt.’ He paused. ‘Can I help you, Brother?’

Eadulf was about to say, ‘No,’ when a thought occurred to him. ‘Do you know Brother Andica?’

‘Of course,’ came the immediate response. ‘Why do you ask?’

‘I met him a short while ago.’

‘He is one of our stonemasons. An excellent artisan.’

‘Is he from these parts?’

‘A Burgund? Yes, he is. Why?’

‘I would have thought that a stonemason could demand good fees in a city like this and never be out of work. But I suppose he wanted to serve the Faith, a man with religious zeal?’

‘Not really. He is not very devout. He is more concerned with pride in his city and his people. I fear that pride will one day get the better of him.’

Eadulf raised an eyebrow in silent question, and the steward grew confidential.

‘Our bishop, as I have told you before, is a Frank and well connected with the ruling house. Brother Andica sometimes has difficulty in keeping his pride in check. Once or twice the bishop has had to remonstrate with him on his disrespectful tone towards our Frankish rulers.’

‘Is Andica something of a fanatic in these matters?’

Brother Chilperic shook his head.

‘We can all be proud of our peoples, but when serving in the religious we are supposed to serve the wider humanity. Christendom becomes our nation.’

‘And yet overcoming a pride in one’s people can be a hard aspiration as, indeed, Cadfan and Ordgar have already discovered.’

The steward was thoughtful.

‘Now that they have been allowed freedom outside of their chambers, they pace the abbey like restless beasts. I was once in Rome and saw the caged lions-big cats-which had been brought there from some corner of the earth. That is how I see the abbot and bishop. However, they have avoided one another so far. I do hope that you and Sister Fidelma will make a decision as to which one is guilty before there is another killing.’

‘Another killing?’

‘I am sure that if they do meet, one of them will kill the other.’

‘I am afraid it is not so easy as making a choice,’ Eadulf sighed. ‘It is a question of finding the truth.’

‘Are you near that truth?’

‘It takes time.’

‘Ah, tempus omnia revelat,’ intoned Brother Chilperic piously. ‘Time reveals all things. It is a good thought, Brother Eadulf, but sometimes events as well as people cannot wait. I have advised you, Brother. There may come a moment when the bishop will say, “Take the advice that Horace gave in his Epistles”.’

Eadulf searched his memory. ‘I do not think that I am acquainted with that advice.’

Brother Chilperic’s expression was a little malicious. ‘“You have played enough, eaten and drunk enough”,’ he quoted.

‘You are saying that he plans to dismiss us?’

‘Verbum sat sapienti,’ the steward replied almost complacently. A word is enough for a wise man.

‘Does he not care who the guilty person is?’

‘He cares more that this council meets and makes the decisions required by Rome. Only the fact that you are known to the Nuntius Peregrinus keeps the bishop patient…for the present. But he believes that we cannot wait for ever.’

Eadulf was irritated. ‘It will not be for ever. It will be when the truth is known.’ He turned and left the scriptorium abruptly.

Outside he met Brother Sigeric about to enter.

‘Brother Chilperic is working in there,’ Eadulf warned Brother Sigeric when the scribe looked surprised as Eadulf closed the door firmly.

‘Then by all means let us move to a place where we may talk freely,’ Brother Sigeric replied. They entered the main courtyard of the abbey and went to stand by the fountain. ‘I understand that you saw Abbess Audofleda again. Did she show you the letter from Valretrade?’

‘The letters were not formed just as you told us,’ Eadulf said, taking the birch bark from his marsupium and showing it to Brother Sigeric. ‘In fact, the same hand wrote all the notes from those married women who quit the community.’

‘I was right. Valretrade did not write it,’ the young man said after one glance. ‘I will swear to it.’ His face was anguished. ‘What could they have done with her? You are sure that she is not a prisoner of Audofleda?’

‘She is not in the Domus Femini,’ confirmed Eadulf. ‘Nor are the other women and the children who have disappeared.’

‘But you believe all the disappearances are connected?’

I believe so.’ Then a thought occurred to Eadulf. ‘Tell me, do you know Brother Andica?’

‘The stonemason? Why do you ask?’

‘Does he have reason to be in the Domus Femini?’

‘As a master stonemason he has to ensure the good repair of both sections of the abbey.’

‘Of course. I did not think.’ Eadulf felt a little disappointed at the easy explanation.

‘As a matter of fact, before the Rule of segregation was put in place by the bishop, there was a long gallery that linked the two sections of the building. It was Andica’s task to seal it, but to do so he had to work on both sides of the wall that he had built. So that would be the reason why he has free access.’

‘Do you mean that he is still working on this gallery?’

‘I am sure he is.’

‘And one can still pass between the two sections of the abbey? Then there is another way into the Domus Femini, apart from the underground method that you showed us?’

Immediately Brother Sigeric shook his head.

‘I am not sure about that. It is now called the forbidden gallery. We are not allowed into it. It should be sealed.’

‘Describe this gallery to me,’ prompted Eadulf.

‘It was a long passage that was said to be part of the original Roman building that stood on the site of the abbey. There are tall arches and an upper gallery on which some ancient statues stand. At the far end, the arched door leads into the Domus Femini but, as I say, I am sure that Brother Andica is supposed to have blocked it up. No one is allowed there any more, as it provides no useful function.’

Eadulf was contemplative.

Finally Brother Sigeric prompted: ‘What are you going to do about finding Valretrade?’

‘Once Fidelma has recovered…’ Eadulf began vaguely. He laid a hand on Brother Sigeric’s arm. ‘Don’t worry, we will find her,’ he said, trying to sound reassuring. ‘Leave it to us and say nothing further to anyone about this. We will keep you informed.’

Eadulf was still pondering gloomily on the subject the following morning when Fidelma rose, feeling her old self. The leg was tender but the swelling had receded and she was able to move freely. A good sign was that her appetite had returned and she made an excellent attempt at breaking her fast. Brother Gebicca came by soon afterwards, checked the wound and pronounced himself satisfied.

‘The poison is dispersed and there are no signs of any residual matters. The tenderness should be entirely gone by tomorrow.’

After Brother Gebicca had left, Fidelma made Eadulf sit down and go through his encounter with Abbess Audofleda and its consequences again. He had done so the previous evening but her mind had still been hazy. Now she listened for the most part in silence, questioning only to amplify on a point here and there. Eadulf also told her of Brother Andica, of Sister Inginde, of Sister Radegund’s relationship to Beretrude and, finally, of the warning that Brother Chilperic had given that Bishop Leodegar was ready to cancel their investigation.

‘That must not happen,’ Fidelma said forcefully. ‘We know that there is more to this matter than Cadfan and Ordgar. Verbas of Peqini is lurking around the villa of Beretrude. Why? Sister Radegund is related to Beretrude and we now learn that all the married women and their children have left the community. Some have been seen entering Beretrude’s villa. I think something very sinister is happening.’

She was silent in thought a moment before she said: ‘I am intrigued with this gallery that Sigeric mentioned. When Brother Chilperic took us around the abbey to acquaint us with it, he neglected to show us this.’

‘As it is sealed up and no one can pass between the abbey and the women’s community, perhaps it was not considered important enough. I am told it is called the forbidden gallery.’

‘Nevertheless, we must ensure that this is the truth of the matter rather than rely on hearsay. Do you know where it is?’

‘I know roughly from Sigeric’s description.’

‘Then let us make that our first priority of the day.’

One thing that Fidelma knew Eadulf was good at was spatial concepts. He could look at a building and know its geography without having to spend time exploring it. He had correctly guessed where the abbey buildings were joined together, having observed the forbidding outside walls and then translated this into the internal geography. He was able to conduct Fidelma through the large and now empty refectory hall, beyond the kitchens and through the storerooms. Everywhere seemed deserted. He paused, examining some passages, and then moved into a hall that was filled with stone dust and some blocks of limestone and even marble. There were masonry tools piled here and there but the place seemed unoccupied.

‘The gallery must lead from the end of this hall, beyond those doors,’ pointed Eadulf in satisfaction.

The doors were unlocked and, as Eadulf opened them, both Fidelma and he drew a quick breath as they surveyed the long passage that spread before them. It was broad but seemed narrow because of the vaulted roof rising some fifteen metres from the floor level, supported by ten tall pillars on either side, fluted like great Roman columns, pushing upwards. An arch connected each pillar. Behind the arches, some ten metres from the floor, a gallery seemed to run, its floor level with the base of the arch. In the centre of each arch stood a statue of some sort, five of them along each side. They seemed to be of men in the military attire of Ancient Rome. The floor of this passageway was of small coloured pieces of stone, an intricate mosaic as they had seen in Rome. At the far end was a large arch that looked as though doors had once stood beneath it but now it was blocked by stones that had obviously been placed there recently.

‘It looks as if Brother Sigeric was right,’ Eadulf observed, as they walked along the forty metres of the passage. ‘This way has been blocked off.’

They paused before the stone-filled doorway.

‘Leodegar is certainly a fanatic about segregating the sexes,’ mused Fidelma. ‘I wonder why he fears women so much?’

‘Does his attitude mean that he fears women?’ asked Eadulf, puzzled.

‘Trying to deny equality, trying to denigrate women or, indeed, denigrating anyone is a sign that you really fear them,’ she said. ‘This blocking off of parts of this old building to segregate women from men is ridiculous. Anyway, I have seen enough.’

‘What did you hope to find?’

‘It was really a question of making sure, that’s all. But I confess I did have an initial thought that this might still be a means of access between the two communities. But I was also interested because it was the only area that no one showed us or even mentioned until Sigeric.’

They turned and began to walk back along the corridor.

Eadulf suddenly became aware of a slight noise, a scraping sound. He did not know what it was nor why he reacted as he did. He leaped suddenly to one side of the narrow passageway, shouting a warning to Fidelma who was walking in front of him. Her reactions were also quick. Jumping into a space between the pillars to one side, she pressed herself against one of them.

A moment later, something smashed onto the spot where Eadulf had been standing and splintered into a thousand fragments. One of the fragments bounced from the mosaic floor and struck him in the back of the leg. It was painful and caused him to cry out in anguish, stagger a pace and fall. There was dust and debris everywhere, choking his throat and causing him to cough and gasp for clean air. He could not breathe properly and thought he was going to pass out.

It seemed a long while but in reality it was only a matter of seconds before a silence descended and the dust began to settle.

With a sob Fidelma turned and rushed from the pillar, which had sheltered her from the falling stone, and ran into the dust and debris.

‘Eadulf!’ she cried as she searched wildly for him.

A figure stirred among the grey stone dust and retched. She was bending beside him, trying to wipe the dust from his eyes and mouth.

‘Are you all right?’ she gasped.

His lips formed a crooked smile. ‘Not exactly,’ he replied.

She heaved a sigh of relief as he struggled to sit up.

‘Are you hurt?’ she demanded in concern, noticing how he winced suddenly.

‘I think I was hit by something,’ he said. ‘Back of the leg. A rock or something.’

Fidelma turned and saw a large piece of stone that lay near by.

‘It was a miracle that you were not hit by that,’ she said, indicating it.

Eadulf blinked to get the dust from his eyes as he stared at it.

‘It is the head from one of the statues,’ he declared in astonishment.

Fidelma glanced up to the arched alcove that seemed directly above them.

‘It was the entire statue,’ she corrected. ‘And it nearly fell on you. Look, you can see the plinth on which it stood.’

Eadulf shuddered. ‘Dangerous,’ he muttered. ‘Maybe we should get out before something else falls down. Those statues must be several hundred years old.’

Fidelma was examining the back of his leg.

‘You have a nasty gash there. I must get you to Brother Gebicca. Can you stand?’

‘I’ll try. I don’t think anything is broken.’ Using Fidelma’s arm and one hand against the wall, he rose slowly, flinching as the weight was placed on his leg.

At that moment, Brother Benevolentia appeared at the doors through which they had entered. He paused and stared at them in surprise.

‘I heard the crash,’ he began.

‘I need help, Brother,’ Fidelma declared. ‘Come and help support Eadulf.’

But Brother Benevolentia was still staring at Eadulf and did not appear to hear.

‘What happened…?’ His voice trailed off as he saw the remains of the broken statue. His eyes went up to the spot where it had once stood. Then he turned to Eadulf. ‘Have you been injured, Brother?’

‘We must get the wound bathed and dressed,’ Fidelma instructed. ‘I don’t think it is serious.’

‘I will support him, Sister. Leave him to me.’ He took the arm of Eadulf and, supporting him, glanced back at the debris. ‘It looks like one of those ancient statues of the Romans. It has stood there for six centuries at least. It was a lucky thing that its fall missed you, Brother.’

Eadulf’s calf was throbbing.

‘I think that is an understatement,’ he replied. ‘A fraction closer and I do not think I would still be in this world.’

He suddenly noticed that Fidelma was looking intently at the remains.

‘You go on, Brother Benevolentia,’ she said. ‘Take him to Brother Gebicca. I’ll be with you in a moment.’

Brother Benevolentia hesitated. ‘But, Sister…it may be dangerous here. This is an ancient part of the building and these old statues are known to be unsafe.’

‘Eadulf is bleeding and the longer you delay, the worse it gets. I said I would be but a moment!’ she snapped irritably.

Brother Benevolentia was unhappy but Eadulf, realising she wanted time to look at something, began to move forward, forcing his companion to go with him.

Fidelma stood for a moment looking at the pieces that had once constituted the marble statue. Then she peered up at the empty alcove that rose ten metres above them in the great vaulted passageway. There had been five statues along each side, and now one of them was missing.

There was a movement from the mason’s room behind her. She turned to find that another young, dark-headed religieux had arrived; he was looking about him with dismay.

‘What happened, Sister?’ he demanded.

‘One of the statues fell from its plinth up there,’ Fidelma replied.

‘One of the old statues?’ echoed the Brother, sounding shocked.

‘Have they all stood in those positions a long time?’

‘They have been there since the time of the Romans. They have certainly stood in perfect safety for as long as I have been here. It is strange that one of them has fallen now. Perhaps it is an evil omen.’

‘The omen would have been distinctly evil had it fallen on anyone,’ Fidelma replied dryly.

‘Then no one was hurt?’

She did not respond but looked up at the alcoves high above her. ‘Tell me, is there any way one can get up to those alcoves? They seem particularly deep and I see light from behind them as though there is a space there.’

The religieux nodded. ‘Indeed there is, Sister. There is a walkway along each side behind the places where the statues stand which the stonemasons used to use. In fact, they are still used for the upkeep of the roof and other high stonework.’

‘Is it easy to get access to that walkway? How would I get to it from here, say?’

‘You wish to go up there?’ The religieux seemed surprised.

‘I do.’

He looked around as if wondering what to do, and then said: ‘Very well. I can show you.’

Just behind the doors through which they had entered, Fidelma now saw a narrow open doorway that her companion pointed to. There was a small circular flight of stone steps that moved upwards as if ascending some round tower. Fidelma took a step forward and peered up. She could see light at the top of the stairwell so she ascended a step before the cautious voice of the religieux halted her.

‘Do you really mean to go up, Sister?’

‘That is precisely what I do mean,’ she replied firmly.

‘It is dangerous. After all, if that statue has fallen, it shows that the stonework can be insecure.’

‘I’ll chance it.’

‘I should come as well, just in case of danger. Let me lead the way.’

Fidelma shrugged and allowed the young man to ascend the spiral stone stairs before her. He did so nimbly and without hesitation.

It was not long before the stairs emerged onto what appeared to be a wooden-floored gallery. There was an outer wall to one side with windows giving onto the daylight while the other side consisted of the alcoves she had seen from below, containing the large stone statues, each nearly two metres in height. One alcove was empty and it was to this that she went directly.

The gallery continued on to another stairwell and vanished beyond.

‘Where does this gallery eventually lead?’ she asked her companion.

‘Beyond that far wooden door is the Domus Femini, Abbess Audofleda’s section of the abbey. But it is locked.’

Fidelma examined it for a moment. ‘It is not blocked up like the main doors below.’

‘It is simply locked. Only the bishop has the key. And no one comes here usually.’

She turned her attention back to the alcove.

The first thing she realised was that there was no way that the statue could have fallen of its own accord. Her eyes went to the plinth, which was still fairly intact but bore signs of indentations and fresh scratchmarks where a metal lever had been employed with brute strength to create a fulcrum by which the heavy stone statue could be tipped as they were passing.

She bent down to examine the marks more carefully, and a sudden chill went through her. Her suspicion had been correct. Someone had deliberately tried to kill them.

Whether it was some intuition or a reaction born of the years in which she had carried on the profession of a dálaigh, something caused the hairs on the nape of her neck to rise and she lunged swiftly to one side. The instinct had been right.

She saw the young religieux suddenly beside her, tottering for a second; his hands had been held out before him, ready to push her from the alcove into the passage below. His eyes bulged as he waved his hands in a desperate effort to recover his balance, and then with a great scream of fear he toppled and fell crashing down into the debris of the statue below.