Atonement of Blood by Peter Tremayne Read Free Book Online

a shocked tone. ‘When an attorney of the courts of the Brehons asks, it is your duty to give your name.’
    The girl raised her hands to her hips and stared truculently at him.
    ‘My name is mine to keep.’
    ‘Watch your manners, girl!’ Gormán replied, anger in his voice. ‘You are speaking to the King’s sister.’
    There was a slight narrowing of the girl’s eyes, which was the only reaction to this information. She remained as belligerent as before.
    ‘And that makes a difference as to whether I care to give my name or not?’ she sneered.
    ‘Not that I am a King’s sister,’ replied Fidelma. Her voice was dangerously cold and even. ‘But that I am a member of the courts of the Brehons and that I am qualified to the level of … ah, but I doubt whether that would mean much to you. Sufficient to say that my office gives me the right to question you and places you under the obligation of answering.’
    ‘You use long words,’ sniffed the girl.
    ‘It means that you are required to answer,’ snapped Gormán, clearly outraged by the girl’s behaviour. ‘And you should do so with deference.’
    ‘Words I have no use for,’ the girl went on.
    ‘Do you have a use for the word “punishment”?’ asked Gormán, taking a menacing step forward.
    The girl wheeled around towards him, almost in a crouch. In her hand there had appeared a small glinting dagger.
    ‘Try to attack me, bully, and you are a dead man!’
    Gormán took a step back, surprise clearly showing on his features.
    Eadulf, who had been standing in silence during this time, leaped forward, grasped the girl’s wrist and twisted it slightly, so that the knife dropped from her hand onto the forest floor, then kicked it out of her reach. She spun round, her eyes flashing and her teeth bared. For a moment or so it seemed she was about to launch herself on Eadulf, her hands clenching and unclenching like claws.
    ‘The hellcat!’ breathed Gormán, recovering his poise. He made to move towards the girl but Fidelma held up her hand to stay him.
    ‘Why are you so frightened, girl?’ she asked gently.
    The young woman relaxed and straightened herself, but her jaw remained thrust forward combatively.
    ‘Who says that I am frightened?’ she demanded.
    ‘You do,’ replied Fidelma. ‘Otherwise you would not be behaving in this manner.’
    ‘Clever, aren’t you?’ was the insolent response.
    ‘It does not require cleverness. However, I cannot sympathise with you about the troubles that afflict you unless you tell me what they are and allow me to do so.’
    The girl still stood silently defiant. Fidelma sighed. Authority was of little use unless it was freely recognised.
    ‘Gormán,’ she said to the young warrior. ‘Search the hut.’ Then: ‘Eadulf, pick up this woman’s knife and return it to her.’
    Eadulf made to protest then went to find the knife he had removed from the girl’s grasp. He handed it to her hilt first, but warily. She snatched it from him without thanks and replaced it in the worn leather sheath that hung from the rope belt at her waist. She remained regarding Fidelma with suspicion.
    There was a cry of triumph from within the hut. A moment later, Gormán emerged with a saddle-bag in one hand and a saddle and bridle in the other. He was grinning.
    ‘A bag of clothes.’ He held it up. ‘It seems we were right. This is the place where the assassin changed.’
    Eadulf, watching the girl, saw an expression of bewilderment spread across her face.
    ‘Let’s examine the clothing. It might tell us something,’ Fidelma instructed. Then she paused and looked at the girl. ‘Did you know these things were in there?’
    Once more the pugnacious look returned.
    ‘Why should I?’ she countered.
    ‘You were asked
if
you knew that they were there,’ Gormán demanded. ‘Not
why
you should know.’
    The girl blinked at the intensity of his tone and replied sullenly, ‘No, I did not know they were there.’
    ‘How long have