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inform Abbot Maelcar of your presence.’ He hesitated a moment and then explained awkwardly: ‘As I have said, this abbey follows the celibacy rule and is for males only. It is not a mixed house.’
    ‘Do not worry,’ Fidelma replied, and Eadulf discerned her slightly mocking tone. ‘We will await your Abbot here so as not to outrage the abbey’s sense of propriety.’
    There was a rough carved wooden bench nearby and Fidelma promptly seated herself on it. Brother Metellus hesitated a moment more before making his way to the single-storey building and disappearing inside. Eadulf gave a little sigh before going to sit by her.
    ‘This is certainly no port where ships from any of the Five Kingdoms will put in,’ he observed.
    ‘Our intention is to be directed to such a port,’ Fidelma replied. ‘But first, I want to ask some questions of the Abbot.’
    ‘You hope that he might have information about the ship that attacked us?’
    ‘He may know something. I would like to get some information as to the identity of that murderous captain and his vessel before we return home.’
    ‘Returning home is our main aim. Don’t forget that we are destitute,’ Eadulf reminded her.
    ‘We will hope that the charity of these brethren will help us. Also, I still have one emerald ear-clip left. Perhaps we can barter the stone for food or other things.’
    Eadulf was sceptical. ‘I doubt that will take us far,’ he said. ‘I think it would be better to seek out this Lord Canao. He might be able to guide us to King Alain, who would surely help us as Bressal negotiated the treaty with him?’
    ‘Perhaps,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘But it is a long way back to Naoned, and that is where Bressal said he had last seen the King. Even so, I want to find out more about these pirates before we set out for Naoned again.’
    Eadulf saw the set of Fidelma’s jaw and realised it was not worth arguing. Once she had made up her mind, the only way to change it was persuasion by example.
    ‘So far as I can see, we will have to go where the tide takes us at the moment until we can find a benefactor,’ he said dourly.
    Fidelma glanced towards the building into which Brother Metellus had disappeared. Her impatience was obvious to Eadulf and he was about to urge calm when a ‘miaow’ at his feet caused him to look down. A large black cat had appeared, its nose in the air sniffing gently. It moved immediately towards Fidelma and rubbed itself against her legs. She stared down at it and then a frown formed on her features. She bent down and ran a hand across the sleek black fur at the back of its neck. The animal gave another ‘miaow’, then turned and stalked off without haste among the bushes of the herb garden.
    Fidelma turned to Eadulf with a curious expression. ‘Did you see that?’
    ‘The abbey seems to have a pet,’ he replied with a smile.
    ‘You didn’t recognise it?’ she pressed.
    ‘Why should I?’ Eadulf did not understand.
    Fidelma ran a tongue nervously over her lips and glancedquickly round, lowering her voice in an almost conspiratorial whisper.
    ‘Because that animal was Luchtigern. That was the ship’s cat, the cat from the Barnacle Goose .’

Chapter Four
    Eadulf regarded her in astonishment for a moment, not sure whether she was joking or not.
    ‘You must be wrong,’ he said eventually. ‘One black cat looks exactly like another.’
    Fidelma shook her head determinedly. ‘That is not so. Cats have individual looks and personalities just as we have. That was Luchtigern – I know it. But how came the cat here?’
    ‘Are you saying that the cat escaped overboard and swam here?’ Eadulf tried to joke.
    ‘I am not stupid, Eadulf,’ Fidelma said irritably. ‘I tell you that it was Luchtigern. On the back of his head is a lump of pitch that is entangled with his hair. I felt it just now. I saw it on the ship and Wenbrit told me just before we were attacked that he was going to cut it off.’
    Eadulf was silent for