The Monk Who Vanished by Peter Tremayne Page B

little impatiently. ‘We know the nature of the crime, Fidelma, but why do you say that the situation is not good? The criminals are dead - slain by Gionga of the Uí Fidgente. It is a matter of identifying them and seeing if there are others involved in this crime.’
    Fidelma sighed deeply and gave a shake of her head. ‘As you know, one of the slain men was wearing the emblem of the Order of the Golden Chain, the emblem of the nobiliary order of the Kings of Cashel.’
    Colgú raised a hand impatiently. ‘True, but has he been identified? I knew him not nor, I understand, does Donndubháin. I also asked Capa, the captain of the guard, to go to view the body at Conchobar’s apothecary. He reports that he, also, did not know this man. It surely follows that he is not one of our select band of warriors.’
    ‘It is true that no one appears to recognise him,’ sighed Fidelma. ‘However, the arrows that he was using bear the distinct markings of the Eóghanacht of Cnoc Aine.’
    Colgú’s features had grown long. ‘Are you saying that the assassins were men serving our cousin Finguine, the Prince of Cnoc Aine?’ ‘I am saying that one carried arrows made by a fletcher of Cnoc Aine for the flights bear the marks of that area. Eadulf and I examined the body carefully. There is nothing else which identifies him other than the emblem of the Golden Chain and his arrows. A dálaigh could argue that was circumstantial evidence enough to lay claim to his origin. Gionga is already claiming some conspiracy by Cashel to lure the Prince of the Uí Fidgente here and slay him.’
    ‘That is nonsense!’ Colgú said angrily. ‘He cannot be serious. I was struck by the arrows of the same assassins.’

    ‘This is true enough,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘But Gionga turns it to his advantage by arguing that you were not seriously hurt …’
    ‘Seriously enough,’ intervened Eadulf. ‘And more seriously than the Prince of the Uí Fidgente.’
    ‘But not so seriously that it prevents Gionga from whispering that the arrow that hit my brother was a decoy; a decoy to make it look as if it were an attack on both men whereas the real victim was intended to be Donennach. He says that had he not been quick in his actions, the assassins would have shot again and disappeared and we would never have known that they were men of Cashel.’
    ‘I have never heard such a fantasy in all my life,’ muttered Colgú, leaning back in his chair, for he had unconsciously bent forward due to the tension of his anger and his wound began to throb again. The anger on his face suddenly dissolved into a gloom. ‘What do you think, Fidelma? You have had experience in such matters. How can we prevent ‘Gionga’s false accusations?’
    ‘If Gionga can substantiate his charge that these assassins are in the pay of Cashel then you, my brother, are responsible in law and you must pay the compensation. You would lose the kingdom. I am afraid that the onus is on us to disprove Gionga’s claim as he has the evidence of the emblem and the provenance of the arrows. We must provide counter-evidence to negate the claim.’
    There was a long silence.
    ‘If I am found responsible, you know that Cashel will never have peace with the Uí Fidgente,’ sighed the young King. ‘You must help me, Fidelma. How can we refute these allegations?’
    ‘We can only refute the charges of Gionga by finding evidence that does so,’ Fidelma repeated. ‘We must find proof as to who these assassins really were. Does the archer have the right to wear the Order of the Golden Chain? Why would he have worn it on such a venture? Why, if they tried to escape without being indentified, as Gionga claims, did the archer carefully leave two of his arrows on the roof which could easily be identified as to their origin?’
    ‘Perhaps he merely left in a hurry?’ ventured Eadulf. ‘Remember, after he fired, he must have seen Gionga riding across the square and it was then he fled from the