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Authors: Peter Tremayne
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Liamuin,’ she instructed.
Aibell was trembling uncontrollably so Della went to get a beaker of
corma
and motioned her to sit down again. She cast a reproving look at Fidelma before turning back to the girl. It was some time before Aibell was calm.
‘There, my dear, take your own time and answer lady Fidelma’s question,’ Della said comfortingly. ‘No harm is going to come to you.’
‘Tell us what you know of Liamuin,’ Fidelma said again.
‘If you know the name of Liamuin, then you will know that she was my mother,’ Aibell replied tightly.
Fidelma and Eadulf exchanged a surprised glance. Fidelma lowered herself onto a chair opposite the girl.
‘Liamuin was the wife of Escmug, your father?’
The girl sniffed sourly. ‘What do you know of my mother?’ she grunted.
‘Nothing unless you tell us,’ Fidelma replied. ‘Does she still live?’
For a moment Aibell hesitated before saying: ‘I do not know.’
‘That needs an explanation,’ Fidelma commented, surprised by the girl’s answer.
Aibell gave a sharp laugh. ‘You mean, how do I not know whether she is alive or dead? The answer is simple. It was just after I reached the age of choice. I had been working in the fields and came home to find that my mother had vanished. Later, when my father returned from his fishing, she still had not returned. She never returned.’
‘And from that day to this, you do not know what happened to her?’
‘I think she could no longer stand the beatings my father gave her when he was drunk. I think she ran away.’
‘And left you behind?’ Fidelma’s tone was slightly incredulous. ‘She left you behind without protection and knowing the man he was?’
Aibell shrugged but made no reply.
‘You say this was just after you reached the age of choice?’
‘I remember the very day, for it was on the next day that we heard the news of the great defeat of Prince Eoganán at Cnoc Áine.’
‘The victory of King Colgú over the Uí Fidgente uprising,’ muttered Gormán in correction.
‘Was any search made for your mother? What about her relatives?’ asked Fidelma hurriedly, before the girl could respond to Gormán.
‘My father was angry that she was gone. He went to
bó-aire
, the local magistrate, but nothing was done. I think my mother had a brother but no one was allowed to speak about him because my father hated him. I do not even know his name. There was also another relative who owned a mill some distance from us. One day, my father came home and told me to get my things together. He said that we were going to see my mother.’
‘So what happened? You told us that you had not seen her again after she left.’
‘My father lied. We travelled south for a while, towards the mountains of Sliabh Luachra. Then we met a band of people and my father handed me over to them. They gave him money … he sold me!’
The girl’s voice had faltered.
‘And you were forced to go with these people?’ Fidelma asked in a gentle tone.
‘They were Luachra. I remained a bondservant with them until a week or so ago, when I was able to seize the opportunity to escape.’
‘Where were you heading?’
‘Anywhere to the east, as far away as I could get. I now suspect that my father killed my mother on the day she disappeared and that his anger was merely a sham.’
‘What makes you say that?’ asked Eadulf.
‘When I was packing my things, I went to get something I had left in one of the outhouses and found some bloodstained clothes. The significance of them did not strike me until the long years when I brooded over my mother’s disappearance.’
‘What motive would your father have to kill his own wife?’ Eadulf asked.
‘Motive enough. I have told you that my father was
colach
,’ she spat the word. Eadulf had to search his acquired vocabulary before realising it meant an act of sexual corruption; a term for abuse. ‘My mother had realised what he was doing to me. She tried to protect me when she
Aibell was trembling uncontrollably so Della went to get a beaker of
corma
and motioned her to sit down again. She cast a reproving look at Fidelma before turning back to the girl. It was some time before Aibell was calm.
‘There, my dear, take your own time and answer lady Fidelma’s question,’ Della said comfortingly. ‘No harm is going to come to you.’
‘Tell us what you know of Liamuin,’ Fidelma said again.
‘If you know the name of Liamuin, then you will know that she was my mother,’ Aibell replied tightly.
Fidelma and Eadulf exchanged a surprised glance. Fidelma lowered herself onto a chair opposite the girl.
‘Liamuin was the wife of Escmug, your father?’
The girl sniffed sourly. ‘What do you know of my mother?’ she grunted.
‘Nothing unless you tell us,’ Fidelma replied. ‘Does she still live?’
For a moment Aibell hesitated before saying: ‘I do not know.’
‘That needs an explanation,’ Fidelma commented, surprised by the girl’s answer.
Aibell gave a sharp laugh. ‘You mean, how do I not know whether she is alive or dead? The answer is simple. It was just after I reached the age of choice. I had been working in the fields and came home to find that my mother had vanished. Later, when my father returned from his fishing, she still had not returned. She never returned.’
‘And from that day to this, you do not know what happened to her?’
‘I think she could no longer stand the beatings my father gave her when he was drunk. I think she ran away.’
‘And left you behind?’ Fidelma’s tone was slightly incredulous. ‘She left you behind without protection and knowing the man he was?’
Aibell shrugged but made no reply.
‘You say this was just after you reached the age of choice?’
‘I remember the very day, for it was on the next day that we heard the news of the great defeat of Prince Eoganán at Cnoc Áine.’
‘The victory of King Colgú over the Uí Fidgente uprising,’ muttered Gormán in correction.
‘Was any search made for your mother? What about her relatives?’ asked Fidelma hurriedly, before the girl could respond to Gormán.
‘My father was angry that she was gone. He went to
bó-aire
, the local magistrate, but nothing was done. I think my mother had a brother but no one was allowed to speak about him because my father hated him. I do not even know his name. There was also another relative who owned a mill some distance from us. One day, my father came home and told me to get my things together. He said that we were going to see my mother.’
‘So what happened? You told us that you had not seen her again after she left.’
‘My father lied. We travelled south for a while, towards the mountains of Sliabh Luachra. Then we met a band of people and my father handed me over to them. They gave him money … he sold me!’
The girl’s voice had faltered.
‘And you were forced to go with these people?’ Fidelma asked in a gentle tone.
‘They were Luachra. I remained a bondservant with them until a week or so ago, when I was able to seize the opportunity to escape.’
‘Where were you heading?’
‘Anywhere to the east, as far away as I could get. I now suspect that my father killed my mother on the day she disappeared and that his anger was merely a sham.’
‘What makes you say that?’ asked Eadulf.
‘When I was packing my things, I went to get something I had left in one of the outhouses and found some bloodstained clothes. The significance of them did not strike me until the long years when I brooded over my mother’s disappearance.’
‘What motive would your father have to kill his own wife?’ Eadulf asked.
‘Motive enough. I have told you that my father was
colach
,’ she spat the word. Eadulf had to search his acquired vocabulary before realising it meant an act of sexual corruption; a term for abuse. ‘My mother had realised what he was doing to me. She tried to protect me when she
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