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Agilbert who turned to those who had still kept their places.
    ‘It is even as Brother Agatho has said. The sun is blotted from the sky. It is a harbinger of evil on these proceedings.’

Chapter Five
    Sister Fidelma turned with a look of incredulity to Brother Taran.
    ‘Are these Saxons so superstitious? Do they know nothing of astronomy?’
    ‘Very little,’ Taran replied smugly. ‘Our people have given them some knowledge but they are slow to learn.’
    ‘But someone should inform them that this is no supernatural phenomenon.’
    ‘They would not thank you for it.’ Sister Gwid sniffed disapprovingly from her other side.
    ‘But many of our brethren here are well versed in the science of astronomy and know of eclipses and other phenomena of the sky,’ Fidelma pointed out.
    Brother Taran motioned her to silence, for Wilfrid, the pugnacious-sounding chief spokesman of the pro-Roman faction, was on his feet.
    ‘Surely, this blotting out of the sun is, indeed, an ill omen, my brethren. But what does it convey? It conveys this simple message – unless the churchmen and women of this country turn from the misconceptions of Columba to the one true universal church of Rome, then Christianity will be blotted from the land as God has blotted the sun from the sky. It is a portent, indeed.’
    There was uproar as the pro-Roman faction applauded their agreement while the representatives of the church of Columba
shouted their defiance at what they considered an outrageous statement.
    A man in his thirties with the tonsure of Columba leapt to his feet, his face working in anger.
    ‘How does Wilfrid of Ripon know this thing? Has God spoken to him directly to explain this phenomenon in our skies? Surely, it can equally be argued that the portent means that Rome should come into line with Columba? Unless those who support Rome’s revisions of the true faith turn back to Columba then, indeed, will Christianity be blotted from the land.’
    Howls of outrage echoed along the benches of the pro-Roman faction.
    ‘That was Cuthbert of Melrose,’ Taran said with a grin. He was clearly enjoying the argument. ‘It was Wilfrid who, at Alhfrith’s behest, threw him out of Ripon because he followed the custom of Columba.’
    Oswy, the king, rose now. The uproar died away almost immediately.
    ‘This argument will achieve us nothing. These proceedings will be suspended until—’
    An inarticulate cry prevented him completing the sentence.
    ‘The sun appears again!’ exclaimed a voice from one of the observers at the window.
    There was another general movement to the windows as several craned their heads towards the blue afternoon sky.
    ‘Indeed, it does. The black shape is moving away,’ called another. ‘See, here is the sun’s light.’
    The greyness of the twilight was suddenly gone and the light flooded back through the windows of the sacrarium.
    Sister Fidelma found herself shaking her head, astounded by the proceedings. She had been educated in a culture whose
science had long gazed at the stars and noted their motions.
    ‘It is hard to believe that these people can be in such ignorance of the movements in the heavens. In our monastic and bardic schools any qualified instructor is able to tell the courses of the sun and moon. Why, every intelligent person should know the day of the solar month, the age of the moon, the time of the flow of the tide, the day of the week – and the times of eclipses are no secret.’
    Brother Taran grinned derisively.
    ‘You forget that your countrymen and the Britons are renowned through many lands for their knowledge of astronomy. But these Saxons are still barbarians.’
    ‘But surely they have read the treatise of the great Dallán Forgaill, who explained how often the moon stands before the sun, thus blotting out its light from the skies?’
    Taran shrugged.
    ‘Only a few of these Saxons are able to read and write. And they were not even capable of those accomplishments until the