The Haunted Abbot (35 page)

Fidelma looked at him in amusement.

‘You are fiercely defendant of your people, Eadulf.’ She smiled.

‘I fear that you do them an injustice.’

‘I have to comment as I find.’

‘Comment on the likes of Cild and Aldhere? They are not typical of my people.’

‘They are not the shapers of my thoughts here. I observe your customs and your laws. Withal your people seem brash and inexperienced in civilised ways of living. Perhaps the disposition to leadership you mention ought to be balanced by the desire among individuals to grow more.’

Eadulf flushed in annoyance.

‘I do not find this worthy of you, Fidelma,’ he said sulkily. ‘There is war, murder, hate and jealousy in your own land, yet you do not condemn it as barbaric.’

‘Because we have evolved a law system, a social system, in which such things are not the normal way of life. I fear that in your land, Eadulf, even the law seems entrenched in the brutality of life.’

Eadulf did not respond. It was clear that he was deeply annoyed. Fidelma suppressed a sigh of irritation as she saw the anger which she had provoked in Eadulf. But she knew that his temper, though quick and fretful, was all flame, burning with a sudden brightness, and dying out just as quickly, capricious and soon pacified. Eadulf was not one to bear resentment for long.

They had ridden in silence for a while when her estimation of his character was proved.

It was growing dark, even though the hour was not far advanced, for the day always darkened early in winter. So far as Eadulf could estimate they were approaching the area known as Hob’s Mire and he was feeling some trepidation. He attuned his eyes to watching for the wisp of blue flame. While the logical part of his mind knew the explanation behind firedrake, the
ignis fatuus
, he also recalled the legends of the ‘corpse fire’ as his people called it.

‘Beyond those trees ahead,’ he warned softly, ‘is the abbey. We must go carefully from here.’

She nodded. ‘I think that the best way in will be to enter as we came out.’

‘I wish we had some daylight to see by,’ he muttered. ‘It will be difficult finding the entrance passage without a light.’

He paused, concentrating his gaze into the gloom ahead and then suddenly he reached forward and touched her arm. She turned to question him but saw that he had placed a finger against his lips. She waited and then he indicated ahead.

‘I think I saw movement there,’ he whispered. ‘There are some horsemen by the trees.’

‘Horsemen?’ she replied softly. ‘Can you see what manner of men they are?’

‘Not from here.’

‘A strange place for a gathering.’ Suddenly she was dismounting. ‘Let’s leave our ponies here, behind those trees, well out of sight of the track. Then we can move up towards them in order to find out more.’

‘Is that wise?’ Eadulf questioned. ‘There are several men who may be armed.’

Fidelma grinned in the gloom. ‘I deem it wise and, as Phaedrus says, “wisdom is ever stronger than mere force”. Come.’

Eadulf climbed down reluctantly, led the ponies to the shelter of the trees and secured the reins to some strong bushes. He rejoined her and together they crept cautiously forward along the track.

‘We should move more into the wood,’ he suggested nervously after they had progressed several yards. ‘Even though it is dusk, the snow gives us no cover.’

She nodded quickly, appreciating the logic, and moved off the track to the right where the trees rose on the incline of a small knoll that would bring them in a position overlooking the gathering. They found shelter behind some rocks no more than five paces away from the group, from where it was easy to make out the half-dozen riders muffled against the coldness of the weather.

The first voice they heard made Eadulf shiver. He knew the voice even though Fidelma did not recognise it.

‘Well, Brother Willibrod? How much longer?’

It was Abbot Cild himself.

Fidelma certainly recognised the voice which answered him.

‘They should not be long now,’ came the voice of the one-eyed
dominus
of the abbey.

Eadulf leaned forward and placed his lips against Fidelma’s ear.

‘Cild was the first speaker,’ he whispered, so that she would understand who it was whom Brother Willibrod was addressing.

‘If Brother Higbald is not here within a few minutes, then I am returning to the abbey. It is cold and it is dark and we have an important guest to attend to.’

‘Do not concern yourself. The lord Sigeric will be resting from his journey for a while longer.’

‘He is the King’s envoy. We must see that he is treated with all courtesy.’

‘It will be done,’ came the assurance of the
dominus
.

‘Are you sure that this is the right spot?’

‘Brother Higbald was most specific. He sent one of the brethren to—’

‘I know, I know,’ interrupted Abbot Cild irritably. ‘Though why he could not tell me this important news on returning to the abbey, I don’t know. Are you sure that he said it was to do with Gadra and his claims?’

‘You know all that his messenger told me.’

‘I do not understand it. Who gave Brother Higbald permission to leave the abbey and go traversing the countryside?’

‘All should be explained when he arrives. I am sure it will,’ Brother Willibrod assured him.

There came a startled exclamation from one of the figures below.

‘Christ and His Apostles protect us!’ was the hoarse shout. ‘Look!’

One of the riders had raised an arm to point across the marshes on the far side of the track.

Fidelma and Eadulf raised their heads to see what was causing the alarm. Out on the marshes they could see a flickering blue light. Eadulf shivered slightly.

‘Corpse fire,’ he whispered to Fidelma.

‘
Ignis fatuus
,’ she responded in the same tone. ‘A natural phenomenon. Why does it cause such distress among them?’

Abbot Cild’s sharp cry drowned her out.

‘God protect me!’

He had turned and was urging his horse back along the track towards the abbey. Brother Willibrod and his companions were hard on his heels.

It was then that Eadulf placed a hand on Fidelma’s arm and pointed in the direction of the flickering blue flame. A shape seemed to be actually glowing there. Fidelma’s eyes narrowed as she sought to make it out. It was a figure. A figure on horseback. She exhaled sharply. It was the figure of a woman.

Eadulf, at her side, groaned softly.

‘It is the woman I saw in the abbey on that first night.’ His voice was edged in horror. ‘It is the ghost of Gelgéis!’

Eadulf was frozen for the moment by the sheer horror of what he thought he was seeing. Then he was aware that Fidelma was on her feet and moving rapidly down the knoll to the now deserted track before them. For a second he was undecided what to do, then he gave a cry of alarm and started chasing her.

‘What are you doing?’ he gasped as he attempted to reach her and halt her rapid advance.

‘I’m going to get closer to whatever that is,’ replied Fidelma as she darted across the track and went plunging into the darkness beyond, heading towards the distant flickering blue light.

‘Stop! For heaven’s sake, stop! This is Hob’s Mire,’ cried Eadulf in desperation.

She did not heed his warning cry and, oblivious of the dangers, she plunged on with Eadulf in hot pursuit. They heard the startled whinny of a horse and then the curiously glowing figure seemed to disappear abruptly. Fidelma did not pause but continued to press forward. Behind her, Eadulf, trying to keep up, slipped and found himself sinking into the mud which lay just below the surface snow.

‘Help me!’ he cried in panic as he felt himself slipping.

Fidelma hesitated, glanced behind, saw him struggling in the gloom and grabbed at his arm. He had only sunk up to the calves and it was easy to pull him back onto the path. He accomplished the feat more by his own strength than Fidelma’s; but she gave him the impetus to do so, steadying his panic. However, the incident made Fidelma realise that she had let her determination to close on the ghost-like figure overturn her sense of danger. She silently cursed herself for a fool.

‘Are you all right, Eadulf?’ she asked with concern as he sat on the firm strip of pathway breathing heavily from his exertion.

‘I think I might be,’ he confessed uncertainly.

‘I am sorry. I behaved foolishly. There is nothing for it but to make our way back to the track. It is no use trying to pursue whoever it was tonight.’

Eadulf gazed up in the darkness but she could not see his bewildered expression.

‘
Whoever
?’ he demanded. ‘Don’t you mean
whatever
it was?’

‘I mean whoever. If only there was some means of lighting a path to that spot. I wonder if we could find our way to the
ignis fatuus
in daylight. I’d like to examine the ground.’

Eadulf rose and shook his head slowly.

‘Right now, I would settle on finding my way back out of this mire safely rather than go forward in search of a will o’ the wisp.’ He looked around, shivering.

Dusk had given way to darkness and the countryside seemed to coalesce into an unfriendly backdrop of threatening shadows. There were few points of reference to guide them back. The path on which they had entered the mire had not been a straight one.

Eadulf led the way, treading slowly and cautiously from one position to another, testing the firmness of the ground before each guarded step. It was some time before they came back to the main track. They were just about to collapse and rest on the firm ground when the sound of horses came to their ears.

‘It may be Cild returning,’ whispered Eadulf. ‘Quick! Let’s get back in the trees, behind the rocks.’

Fidelma obeyed, but she realised that the horses were coming in the opposite direction from the abbey.

They plunged breathlessly up the knoll through the trees and flung themselves behind the cover of the rocks. They had barely reached them when a half-dozen horsemen came to a noisy halt below. One of them held aloft a brand torch but it did not throw out sufficient light to illuminate their faces.

‘Not here!’ cried a female voice. ‘Are you sure this is the place you told them to be?’

‘Of course,’ came Brother Higbald’s voice out of the gloom. ‘Are you sure that you delivered the message correctly, Arwald?’

A male voice rose indignantly. ‘Word for word as you gave it to me, my lord Higbald. I gave it word for word to Brother Willibrod.’

Lord Higbald! Eadulf’s eyebrows rose in the darkness.

‘He did not suspect?’ came Higbald’s voice again. But the female voice interrupted with a licentious chuckle.

‘That old idiot? He would not be suspicious about anything. He thinks only of one thing.’

‘Nevertheless, was he suspicious when you gave him the message, Arwald?’ insisted Higbald.

‘Not at all,’ came the response.

‘Then God rot them! They may have gone back to the abbey instead of waiting for us.’

‘More than likely, Higbald.’ It was the female speaker again, a firm assured voice.

‘Then God rot them!’ Higbald repeated.

The woman chuckled again. ‘That’s no way for a pious brother to behave, Higbald. Try to maintain your holy orders a little longer. Anyway, there is no cause to fret. I think we have done enough to set the wheels in motion.’

‘But if I return to the abbey now, Lioba, then I will have to make some excuse about Gadra.’

‘Easy enough,’ declared Lioba. ‘Anyway, perhaps tonight might have oversalted the dish.’

‘Very well,’ came Higbald’s voice again. ‘I will return to the abbey and make my excuses. We’ll see if this old man, Sigeric, is as astute as he is reputed to be. We will meet tomorrow evening in the chapel.’

‘Is that wise?’

‘No one is suspicious. Let us give the pot one more stir and then I am sure King Ealdwulf will be forced to march against Aldhere.’

The band of horsemen moved on, sliding rapidly into a canter and disappearing down the track towards the abbey.

Eadulf rose to his feet and helped Fidelma up.

‘What do you make of that? This grows more mysterious by the hour.’

‘On the contrary, Eadulf, I am beginning to see some light for the first time. We have another call to make before going back to the abbey. How far is Mul’s farmhouse from here?’

‘Mul’s farmhouse?’ Eadulf was surprised. ‘Why … ?’ He paused. Although he could not see Fidelma’s face in the darkness he realised that it would be registering irritation at his half-finished question. ‘It is under an hour’s ride. Less, if those clouds pull away from the moon and we are able to see the path more clearly. I know the way to Frig’s Tun well from here.’

‘That is good,’ said Fidelma. ‘Do you think Mul would know the paths through Hob’s Mire well enough to guide us in daylight?’

‘I don’t know. I suppose that he would know ways through the mire. Why do you want him to guide you?’

‘I have already told you. I want to examine the area where we saw the
ignis fatuus
. I am beginning to piece things together and if I am right about that particular piece … well, I think that I will have the whole picture of what is happening in this place.’

‘Truly?’ Eadulf was astounded.

‘Truly,’ Fidelma responded firmly. ‘But first we will have to persuade Mul to give us hospitality for one more night.’

‘Mul can probably be persuaded to do anything for a coin,’ replied Eadulf cynically. ‘So you do not plan to go on to the abbey and speak with Sigeric?’

‘Not yet. I think what has happened here in the last hour or so has given a new dimension to this problem and I need that final piece of information before I can present a believable case to Sigeric.’