Suffer Little Children by Peter Tremayne

Author:Peter Tremayne [Tremayne, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Tags: Mystery, _NB_fixed, _rt_yes, Fiction, Medieval Ireland, Clerical Sleuth, Historical, Church History, libgen
ISBN: 9780755382156
Publisher: Signet
Published: 1995-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

After Mugrón had duly identified the body of Sister Eisten as being that of the same religieuse whom he had seen at Salbach’s fortress, he had returned to his ship. Fidelma and Cass then made their way to the abbey kitchens in search of a meal for, having missed the evening meal, they were both ravenous. It took some insistence on Fidelma’s part, and an emphasis of her position and relationship with the abbot, to persuade the surly sister in charge to provide them with a pitcher of ale, some barley bread and cold cuts from a larac or leg of beef. A bowl of apples was also provided and they ate voraciously and in silence at a small table in the corner of the now deserted refectory.

Fidelma had not really expected that Mugrón would fail to recognise the body of Sister Eisten but she wanted to be sure beyond any doubt that Eisten had been at Salbach’s fortress. She was now faced with one more frustrating mystery, yet one which seemed to hold a slender link to the murder of Dacan. What caused her excitement was Mugrón’s identification of Dacán’s former wife. Why had Grella failed to mentioned that essential fact to Fidelma? The apparent answer was that Grella had been attempting to hide some guilt. Had her relationship provided grounds for Dacán’s murder?

But there was something else that worried Fidelma. What had Grella and Eisten been doing at Salbach’s fortress together? And why had Eisten attempted to book two passages on a ship leaving for Gaul? With whom had she been planning to travel? Was it Grella? And who had tortured and killed Eisten?

Fidelma ruminated on the questions while acknowledging that it was little use asking questions when there was no hope of providing answers.

She glanced across the table to Cass and felt a sense of frustration that she could not even begin to discuss her anxieties with him. She found herself still longing for the presence of Brother Eadulf, wishing that she could thrust and parry with the quick sword of his alert mind; dissecting, analysing and, perhaps, gradually arriving at a truth. Then she immediately began to feel guilty again.

She suddenly realised that Cass was regarding her with a quizzical smile.

‘What next, sister?’ he asked, putting down his empty mug of ale and sitting back, obviously satisfied with his meal.

‘Next?’

‘Your mind has been working like the water-clock in the bell tower. I could almost hear the mechanism of your mind as it worked.’

Fidelma grimaced awkwardly.

‘There is one obvious person to see next – Sister Grella. We have to find out why she lied, or, rather, why she did not tell me the whole truth.’

She rose to her feet, followed by Cass.

‘I shall come with you,’ he said. ‘From what you told me there is more than a possibility that she could be the murderess. If so, you should not take chances.’

This time Fidelma made no objection.

They made their way through the gloomy abbey buildings to the dark, deserted library.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.