‘You did not tell me that the driver was a woman,’ he said.

  Those gathered around let out gasps of astonishment, and Baodain himself moved forward and stared down at the corpse.

  ‘That was because I did not know.’ His surprise was undisguised. ‘She was dressed as a boy and claimed to be such. She was alone with her wagon.’

  ‘And now she is dead,’ Eadulf added in a heavy voice. ‘What did she call herself?’

  ‘The boy – girl – gave no name to me.’

  ‘She was part of your troupe,’ Eadulf pointed out. ‘Are you telling me that you did not even know what name the dead girl went by?’

  ‘He – she – was not part of the troupe,’ protested Baodain. ‘The boy – er, the girl – was a stranger among us. She only joined us at midday today. As for the rest of us, we all know each other, and some of us are related to one another.’

  ‘Where has your band come from?’

  ‘We have been on the road for many weeks now,’ Baodain replied evasively.

  ‘From where?’ Eadulf pressed.

  ‘We were performing at the Fair of Uisneach.’

  Eadulf had heard of Uisneach, which by all accounts was the epicentre of the Five Kingdoms: all borders met at the Aill na Mireann, the Stone of Divisions. The latter was a great standing stone that had been erected there in what was called ‘the time before time’. Technically, it was in Midhe, the Middle Kingdom, and the very place where once the High Kings were inaugurated before they moved their capital to Tara.

  ‘So you came south through Laigin before you joined this highway. Did you join at Durlus or come by way of Cill Cainnech?’

  ‘You appear to know the geography of this land well, Brother Foreigner,’ Baodain commented rather insolently.

  Ignoring him, Eadulf said, ‘I am trying to find out where exactly this girl took up with you.’

  ‘As I said, it was about midday, when we were halting to water our animals at the little patch called the Township of Peat. It is not too far from the road that leads to Durlus Éile. It is—’

  ‘I know where it is,’ Eadulf said grimly. ‘How and why did she join you?’

  Baodain’s mouth twitched in annoyance, but glancing at Aidan, he continued after a pause: ‘We were halted by the stream there and, as I say, were watering the animals, when this wagon…’ he gestured at the strange vehicle ‘… came through the patch of woodland along a minor track.’

  ‘From which direction?’

  ‘From the north.’

  ‘Did that track lead from anywhere in particular?’

  It was Aidan who intervened. ‘Any of those tracks would lead across the great marshlands, friend Eadulf. It’s not good country to drive a wagon through, as most of the tracks are too narrow. However, a track might lead from Durlus Éile.’

  ‘So the wagon came along this track from the northern marshland to where your wagons were.’ Eadulf turned to Baodain for confirmation. ‘What then?’

  ‘As I say, the driver gave the impression that he was a young boy. He gave no name, nor did he say from whence he came, but said that he was making for Cashel and could he follow us, for it was better to travel in company than alone. There was no reason to refuse him. It is our custom, where possible, for wagons to band together along the highways in case of robbers. The boy, as we thought him to be, was not overly talkative and, indeed, after we started our journey, there was no need for any conversation. We proceeded at a steady pace along the roadway to Cashel and all was quiet until, a short while ago, the fire halted us and then you came.’

  Eadulf stared for a moment towards the driver’s seat of the wagon where the fire had taken hold.

  ‘One would presume that she leaped from the wagon when the flames erupted and must have run several paces to get here, to this point, where she fell and died. Does anyone know how the fire started?’

  One of the men stepped forward, a sallow-faced fellow with sandy hair. ‘From what I saw, the girl must have accidentally set fire to something and then got caught by the flames. She then had to jump off the wagon to save herself.’

  ‘And what is your name?’ asked Eadulf.

  ‘I am Ronchú. My wife and I,’ he gave an automatic nod to the attractive young woman who had informed them of the dead driver, ‘we were driving the next wagon along. I am merely guessing how the fire began, but it is the logical explanation.’

  ‘So no one saw how it started?’

  ‘I was driving the leading wagon,’ Baodain said defensively. ‘No one knew anything until those behind alerted us to the fact that this last wagon was on fire. We halted and ran to put out the flames. It was difficult, for water seemed to have little effect. We finally had to beat it out with brooms.’

  ‘When was the body noticed?’ Eadulf asked.

  Once again it fell to Baodain to offer information. ‘I saw the body lying there when I ran back, but thought the boy had merely been overcome by smoke. I shouted for someone to take care of him – but we had only just extinguished the flames when you and the warrior appeared. We did not have time to examine the body.’

  Eadulf glanced around and was met by several nodding heads.

  ‘It is as Baodain says, Brother,’ said one burly-looking woman. ‘Our priority was to put out the fire.’

  Eadulf walked over to the last wagon and stood looking at it. The first things that caught his attention were the streaks of black across parts of the driver’s seat. A half-burned wooden bucket lay on its side by the seat: it had clearly contained the same black matter. It reminded Eadulf of the glue-like material which sailors used between the planks of their boats to caulk them and make them watertight. He knew that it could be quite flammable. He became aware of the man named Ronchú standing gazing at the wagon over his shoulder.

  ‘Looks like the boy was carrying a bucket of that flammable stuff and it caught alight,’ the man observed.

  Meanwhile, Aidan was looking at the sky. ‘It will soon be dark,’ he said ‘and a road across the marshland is not the best place to halt a large wagon train to conduct an enquiry.’ Seeing a frown gathering on Eadulf’s brow, he added: ‘I mean that perhaps we should accompany these wagons to Cashel, where a proper investigation can be conducted.’

  Eadulf could see the logic in the suggestion. Certainly, some identification of the victim had to be attempted, but at the moment, the tragedy seemed like a straightforward accident.

  ‘The basic frame, the axles and wheels are still strong and undamaged,’ Baodain said. ‘We could harness the oxen back to the yoke and drive the wagon into Cashel so that it could be examined it there.’

  ‘Very well,’ replied Eadulf. ‘While you put the beasts back in harness, I shall take a look inside the wagon in case there is a means of identifying who this unfortunate girl is.’

  The four-wheeled wagon was familiar to him. He had travelled in one through Gaul when he was journeying to Rome. Usually there was a central door on either side, with open windows on each side of the door. With this wagon, however, the windows had been filled in with fixed wooden panels. Eadulf went to the door on the right side to take hold of the handle. Then he saw that it had been fastened from the outside with a piece of rope secured with a tight knot. He went to the door on the other side and found it fastened even more securely, as if with a carpenter’s skill. It seemed a curious thing to do to a good wagon.

  He called on Aidan to sever the rope on the accessible door with his sword, then opened the door and hauled himself inside to survey the dark interior. The stench he encountered – a pungent combination of human body odours, stale urine and rotting vegetation – was nauseating. Eadulf stepped back, reaching out a hand to steady himself from falling off the vehicle, and turned away to gulp in fresh air.

  Behind him, Baodain uttered a sardonic chuckle at the sight of his ashen face and expression of distaste. ‘You look pale, Saxon. Aren’t you used to the way travelling folk live?’

  Aidan moved Eadulf aside and stepped up in his place. ‘She must have kept a pig in there,’ he snapped. ‘It smells disgusting. Strange, since she did not look like the sort of woman who would live in filth. But with this mess, it’s no wonder she kept the doors of the wagon securely fastened.’

  Eadulf wore a grim expression. His voice was sombre. ‘I am afraid that is the smell of a decaying human body, my friend. I have encountered the same smell in catacombs and graveyards. Someone fetch me a lamp, please.’

  There was a silence and Aidan stepped down. Someone appeared with an oil lamp which was handed to Eadulf. Holding the light aloft, Eadulf advanced once more into the gloomy, grime-encrusted interior, while Aidan stood guard on the step behind him. The only word to describe the scene inside was chaos. It looked as if a storm had blasted through it, turning everything upside down. There was a mound in the centre covered by a dark blanket. Eadulf bravely plucked the cover away. Beneath it lay a corpse.

  Steeling himself, Eadulf bent down to examine the putrid-smelling body. It was that of a man. Whoever this person had been, he must have died several days ago. The flesh was receding from the bones and the odours of putrescence were almost overpowering. It was that sickly smell that Eadulf had recognised, having encountered it several times before. There was enough of the corpse intact to show that it had been a youthful male, and the bits and pieces of clothing attached to it, revealed that the fellow had been well clad, his leather sandals well made. Eadulf could see that the hairline on the decomposing head was further back than normal, and it occurred to him that it might be the tonsure of the Blessed John; the western churches had adopted this in preference to the corona spinea.

  For a long time he stared at the hairline until Aidan, peering into the wagon behind him, called: ‘What is it, friend Eadulf? What have you found?’

  Eadulf began to back out of the wagon. Aidan reached out and helped him down.

  ‘There is a second death,’ Eadulf replied. ‘A second corpse. There will have to be an investigation when we get to Cashel, but in this case it will not be a matter of death from an accidental fire.’

  ‘Who is it?’ demanded Baodain.

  Eadulf swung his troubled glance from Baodain to Aidan and then back again. ‘This body appears to be that of a religieux.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  ‘It is not fair!’

  Colgú, Lord of Tuadmuma, Aurmuma, Iarmuma, Desmuma, King of Muman, the largest and most south-westerly of the Five Kingdoms of Éireann, was sulking. For a moment he looked like a petulant small boy as he sank back in his chair and gazed moodily at his companion.

  His sister, Fidelma of Cashel, sighed impatiently.

  ‘Who is to judge what is fair and what is not, brother? You have to accept what fate sends.’

  They were seated in the King’s private chamber before a crackling wood fire. The conversation had been about the arrival of Eadulf on the previous evening with the wagons of Baodain’s entertainers and the news of the dead bodies.

  Colgú groaned. ‘Please don’t enlighten me with one of your favourite quotes from Virgil. I know them all by now. Fata obstant – the Fates oppose.’

  The corner of Fidelma’s mouth twitched irritably but she said nothing.

  ‘It will cast a shadow over the Great Fair of Cashel,’ her brother went on in a grumbling tone.

  ‘It will cast an even greater shadow over those who are personally affected by these deaths,’ she admonished him.

  ‘You have missed attending some of the Great Fairs in recent years,’ Colgú pointed out, ignoring her reproach. ‘It is an important event. You should also know that the Cleasamnaig Baodain are very well known. They have performed at many of the fairs here.’

  ‘Even I have heard of them, brother,’ Fidelma assured him with soft irony. ‘I have also heard that they have performed at many of the other great fairs throughout the Five Kingdoms. People speak of their acrobatic feats as being almost miraculous. But no matter their rank and fame, all stand equal before the law when there are suspicious deaths to be investigated.’

  ‘Where is Eadulf now?’ her brother asked.

  ‘He has gone for a morning ride with our son. We take it in turns to do so.’

  Colgú made an impatient motion with his hand. ‘I know, I know. But there are people to be questioned and legal matters to be attended to before we can indulge in our personal life.’

  Fidelma’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘When Eadulf returns, we plan to question Baodain’s group together under my authority as an advocate of the court.’

  Her brother pulled a face.

  ‘Is it wise to delay? From what I hear, it seems a straightforward matter. The girl must have killed the religieux in her wagon and probably wanted to burn the evidence of her crime. She had an accident with the incendiary material and burned herself instead. Then she leaped from the wagon and either died of the shock or injured herself sufficiently to die moments later.’

  ‘Matters that look obvious rarely turn out to be so simple, brother,’ Fidelma replied tartly. ‘Anyway, Aidan has gone to make sure that Baodain’s group are still encamped where they were placed when they arrived last night. He and Eadulf thought it best to leave them in the field on the east of the township rather than allow them to travel on to the site of the fairground at Rath na Drinne. Eadulf insisted on listing all the wagons and their occupants in the order they were in on the highway, and Aidan has placed guards at their encampment overnight.’

  ‘So why the delay? That is, apart from the necessity of taking your son riding.’

  Fidelma ignored his sarcasm. ‘I decided to wait until this morning before beginning to question them. The delay was deliberate. Guilty people often get lulled into a false sense of security if left alone for a while.’

  Colgú stared at her in astonishment. ‘Guilty people? Apart from the unfortunate girl, what makes you think that any other member of the group has any involvement in this matter?’

  ‘I think something very strange happened. Until we have the facts, it is best to form no conclusion.’

  Colgú looked unhappy. ‘Dar Luga has told me there is much gossip and apprehension in the township. It is ill-luck to have entertainers turn up with corpses.’ Dar Luga was the plump, middle-aged airnbetach, or housekeeper, of the palace. ‘The sooner the matter is dealt with, the better for everyone. If only my new Chief Brehon were here.’

  Fidelma’s eyes glinted ominously; a curious green fire seemed to flicker for a moment. ‘Are you saying that you don’t trust me to handle this matter? Are you questioning my qualification and method?’

  Colgú was immediately contrite. ‘No, of course I didn’t mean that – you know I didn’t. But it seems an extraordinary affair. A strange wagon joins a band of travelling entertainers. It is driven by a girl dressed as a boy. The wagon suddenly bursts into flames. It seems the girl had tried to set it alight, then lost control and had to leap from the wagon to escape. She ran a few paces along the track, then collapsed and died. In the wagon was the body of a man, apparently a religieux. The company that the girl had joined put out the flames. So, what conclusion is there other than that the girl murdered her companion and then set light to her wagon to hide that fact, by accident, killing herself in the process?’

  ‘If it were her intention to destroy the wagon and the body in it, why did she not do so before joining Baodain’s group? Why wait until there were plenty of witnesses on the main highway? Why did she ask to accompany them here … to Cashel? What was her purpose in coming here?’

  Colgú shrugged. ‘I don’t know. What do you think is the explanation?’

  Fidelma exhaled and stretched a little in her chair, telling her brother, ‘That is precisely what I must find out. At the moment, we are simply not in possession of all the facts, therefore cannot arrive at an answer.’

  ‘But Eadulf spoke to those nearest the burned wagon and they said…’

  Fidelma shook her head. ‘They told him what they knew, but that doesn’t mean to say that they all spoke the truth.’

  Colgú sank further back in his seat and resumed his glum look. ‘We only have a week before the Great Fair opens. We should have some resolution before then. Don’t forget that the princes and their ladies from all the sub-kingdoms and regions of Muman will be attending. All the leading dignitaries of the kingdom and some from beyond our borders will be in Cashel. I just feel that Chief Brehon Fíthel should be here to assuage their fears.’

  Fidelma managed to control the irritation she felt at this new evidence of her brother’s lack of confidence in her.

  ‘Where is Brehon Fíthel?’ she asked coldly. ‘If you are so concerned about having him present, why not send a messenger telling him to return here at once.’

  Colgú seemed too preoccupied to notice her icy tone. Instead he replied: ‘He won’t be back for a while. He’s gone to mediate in a problem that has arisen with our cousin Olchobur of Raithlinn and his neighbours of the Uí Echach.’

  ‘But it is custom and law for the Chief Brehon to attend the Great Fair because that is the time the Dál – the court – sits and dispenses justice for any who wish to appeal to the Chief Brehon and the King,’ Fidelma said.

  ‘He will return with time enough to fulfil those duties,’ Colgú assured her. ‘There are some days left yet but this matter must be cleared up.’

  Fidelma sniffed meaningfully as she rose and made for the door. ‘As it seems that you only have me to rely on, I had better make a start on finding a solution. I presume that I am given your authority to conduct whatever enquiries that I deem fit?’

  Colgú glanced up distractedly. ‘What? Oh, of course. You are a dálaigh. You don’t need my approval to proceed in a matter of law.’ He paused for a moment, then said, ‘Perhaps it was a mistake that you left the religious and assumed the cares of your office. Life might have been a little less complicated.’

  ‘You know well enough, brother, that life for me was more complicated when I was a religieuse!’ she replied vehemently.

  ‘But everyone still knows you as Sister Fidelma, and still calls you as such.’