The deacon, assisting in the offering, rang a small bell and the officiating priest raised the chalice of wine and intoned: “The blood of Christ!” before moving forward to join the deacon, who had now taken up a silver plate on which the consecrated Host lay.
The small congregation moved forward to take their places in line before the priest. It was the handsome young religieux who took the first position, receiving the Host, placing it in his mouth and moving forward to receive the wine from the chalice held in the hands of the priest. As he turned away, his young female companion moved forward, being the next in line, to receive the sacrament.
Even as the religieux turned back to the congregation, his face suddenly distorted, he began to choke, his mouth gaping open, his tongue thrusting obscenely forward. A hand raised to his throat as the color of his agonized features went from red to blue. The eyes were wide and staring. Sounds came from him that reminded Fidelma of the squealing of a pig about to be slaughtered.
Before the horrified gaze of the rest of the congregation, the young man fell to the floor, his body writhing and threshing for several moments. Then it was suddenly still and quiet.
There was no sound for a moment or two. Everyone stood immobile with shock.
A moment later, the shriek of the young woman rent the air. She threw herself forward onto the body. She was on her knees crying and screaming in a strange language made incomprehensible by her distress.
As no one seemed capable of moving, Sister Fidelma came quickly forward.
“Do not touch the wine nor the bread,” she instructed the priest, who was still holding the chalice in his hands. “This man has been poisoned.”
She felt, rather than saw, the heads of the people turn to stare at her. She glanced round, observing expressions ranging from bewilderment to surprise.
“Who are you to give orders, Sister?” snapped a rough voice. It was the arrogant young custos pushing forward.
Fidelma raised her glinting green eyes to meet his dark suspicious ones.
“I hold no authority here, if that is what you mean. I am a stranger in this city. But in my own country I am a dálaigh, an advocate of the law courts, and know the effects of virulent poison when I see it.”
“As you say, you hold no authority here,” snapped the custos, clearly a young man who felt the honor of his rank and nationality. “And I-”
“The Sister is right, nevertheless, custos.”
The voice that interrupted was quiet, modulated but authoritative. It was the short, stocky man who spoke.
The young guard looked disconcerted at this opposition.
“I do hold authority here,” continued the short man, turning to Fidelma. “I am the Abbot Miseno and this ecclesia is part of my jurisdiction.”
Without waiting for the guard’s response, Abbot Miseno glanced at the officiating priest and deacon. “Do as the Sister says, Father Cornelius. Put down the wine and bread and ensure no one else touches it.”
Automatically, the priest obeyed, accompanied by the deacon, who placed his tray of bread carefully on the altar.
Abbot Miseno glanced down to the sobbing girl.
“Who was this man, daughter?” he demanded gently, bending down to place a hand on her shoulder.
The girl raised tear-stained eyes to him.
“Is he …?”
Miseno bent further to place his fingers against the pulse in the man’s neck. The action was really unnecessary. One look at the twisted, frozen features would have been enough to confirm that the young religieux was beyond all human aid. Nevertheless, the action was probably designed as a reassurance for the girl. The Abbot shook his head.
“He is dead, daughter,” he confirmed. “Who was he?”
The girl began sobbing uncontrollably again and could not answer.
“His name was Docco. He was from Pouancé in Gaul.”
It was the young Gaulish seaman, who had been standing with the religieux and the girl, who answered him.
“And you are?” asked Abbot Miseno.
“My name is Enodoc. I was a friend of Docco’s and also from Gaul. The girl is Egeria, Docco’s sister.”
The Abbot Miseno stood for a moment, his head bowed in thought. Then he glanced up and surveyed Sister Fidelma with some speculation in his eyes.
“Would you come with me a moment, Sister?”
He turned and led the way into a corner of the church, out of earshot of the others. Fidelma followed him in curiosity.
In the corner the Abbot turned, keeping his voice low.
“I studied at Bobbio, which was founded fifty years ago by Col-umban and his Irish clerics. I learnt much about your country there. I have heard about the function of your law system and how a dálaigh works. Are you truly such a one?”
“I am a qualified advocate of the law courts of my country,” replied Fidelma simply, without any false pride, wondering what the Abbot was driving at.
“And your Latin is fluent,” observed Miseno absently.
Fidelma waited patiently.
“It is clear that this monk, Docco, was poisoned,” went on Mis-eno after a moment’s pause. “Was this an accident or was there some deliberate plot to kill him? I think it behoves us to find out as soon as possible. If this story went abroad I shudder to think what interpretation would be given to it. Why, it might even stop people coming forward to receive the blessed sacrament. I would be grateful, Sister, if you would use your knowledge to discover the truth of this matter before we have to report this to higher authorities.”
“That will not please the young custos” Fidelma pointed out, with a slight gesture toward the impatient young guard. “He clearly thinks that he is better suited for this task.”
“He has no authority here. I have. What do you say?”
“I will make inquiries, Abbot, but I cannot guarantee any result,” Fidelma replied.
The Abbot looked woeful for a moment and spread his hands in a helpless gesture.
“The culprit must be one of this company. You are trained in such detection. If you could do your best…?”
“Very well. But I am also one of this company. How can you be sure that I am not responsible?”
Abbot Miseno looked startled for a moment. Then he smiled broadly.
“You entered the ecclesia toward the end of the service and stood at the back. How could you have placed the poison in the bread or wine while it was on the altar before the eyes of us all?”
“True enough. But what of the others? Were they all here throughout the service?”
“Oh yes. I think so.”
“Including yourself?”
The rotund Abbot smiled wryly.
“You may also count me among your suspects until you have gained knowledge to the contrary.”
Fidelma inclined her head.
“Firstly, then, I need to check how this poison was administered.”
“I will inform the impatient young custos that he must be respectful to you and obey your judgments.”
They returned to the group standing awkwardly around the body of the dead Gaul, whose head was still being cradled in the arms of his sobbing sister.
The Abbot cleared his throat.
“I have asked the Sister to conduct an inquiry into the cause of this death,” he began without preamble. “She is eminently qualified to do so. I trust you will all,” he paused slightly, and let his eyes dwell on the arrogant young custos, “cooperate with her in this matter for it has my blessing and ecclesiastical authority.”
There was a silence. Some glances of bemusement were cast toward her.
Fidelma stepped forward.
“I would like you all to return to the positions you were occupying before this happened.” She smiled gently down at the girl. “You do not have to, if you wish, but there is nothing that you can do for your brother except truthfully answer the questions that I shall ask you.”
The Gaul, Enodoc, bent forward to raise the young girl to her feet, c
oaxing her away from the body of her brother, then gently guided her back to her place. There was a reluctant shuffling as the rest of the congregation complied.
Fidelma moved forward to the altar. She bent to the silver plate with its pieces of bread, the Host, and taking a piece sniffed at it suspiciously. She cautiously examined the rest of the bread. There was nothing apparently amiss with it. She turned to the chalice still full of the Eucharist wine and sniffed. She could not quite place the odor. However, it was bitter and even its smell caught at the back of her throat, making her gasp and cough sharply.
“It is as I thought,” she announced, “the wine has been poisoned. I do not know what poison it is but the fumes are self-evident. It is highly dangerous and you have all seen its instant effect so I should not have to warn you further.”
She turned and sought out the young guard.
“Bring two stools and place them…” she turned and sought out an isolated corner of the ecclesia, “place them over there. Then go and stand by the door and prevent anyone entering or leaving until I call for you.”
The young warrior looked outraged and glanced toward the Abbot. Abbot Miseno merely gestured with a quick motion of his hand for the young man to comply.
“I will speak with you first, deacon,” Fidelma said, turning toward the spot where the guard had placed the chairs.
Once seated Fidelma examined the deacon. He was not more than twenty years old. A youth with dark hair and a rather ugly face, the eyes seeming too close together and the brows heavy. His heavy jowl was blue with badly shaved stubble.
“What is your name?”
“I am Tullius.”
“How long have you served here?”
“Six months.”
“As deacon, it would be your job to prepare the wine and bread for the blessing. Is this so?”
“Yes.”
“And did you do so today?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about the wine.”
The deacon seemed disconcerted.
“In what way?”
“Tell me about the wine in the chalice. Where did it come from, how was it poured and was it left unguarded at any time?”
“The wine is bought locally. We keep several amphorae below the ecclesia, in the vaults, where it is stored. This morning I went down into the vaults and filled a jug. Then, when I observed the numbers attending the service, I poured the wine into the chalice for the blessing. This is the usual custom. The same procedure is made for the bread. Once the wine and bread are blessed and the transubstantiation occurs then no piece of the Host nor of the blood of Christ must be discarded. It must all be consumed.”
Among the Irish churches, the taking of the bread and wine was regarded merely as a symbolic gesture in remembrance of the Christ. Rome, however, had started to maintain that the blessing actually changed the substances into the literal flesh and blood of Christ. Fidelma’s skeptical smile was not derogatory to the new doctrine but a reflection as to how the poisoned wine could possibly be regarded as the physical blood of the Savior. And who, she wondered, would now volunteer to consume it?
“So, Tullius, you poured the wine from the jug into the chalice once you had ascertained how many people were attending the service?”
“That is so.”
“Where is this jug?”
“In the sacristy.”
“Take me there and show me.”
The young deacon rose and led the way to a door behind the altar. This was an apartment of the ecclesia where the sacred utensils and vestments of the priest were kept.
Fidelma peered around the small room. It was no larger than six feet wide and twelve feet in length. A second doorway, leading to a flight of stone steps descending into the gloom of the vaults, stood almost behind the door which gave ingress into the ecclesia itself. At the far end of the sacristy stood a third door, with a small diamond-shaped window in its center, which, she could see, led to the outside of the building. Clothes were hung on pegs and there were icons and some books on shelves. There was also a bench with some loaves of bread and a wine jug on it. Fidelma bent over the jug and sniffed. There was no bitter odor. Cautiously, she reached down into the jug with her forefinger and dipped it in the wine. Withdrawing it, she sniffed again and then placed it between her lips. There was no bitter taste. Clearly, then, the wine had been poisoned only after it had been poured into the chalice.
“Tell me, Tullius, the chalice, which was used today, is it the same chalice that is used at every service?”
The deacon nodded.
“And the chalice was standing here, in the sacristy, when you brought up the jug of wine from the vaults?”
“Yes. I had purchased the bread on my way to the ecclesia, as I usually do. I came in here and placed the loaves ready to cut into small pieces. Then I went down to the vault and poured the jug of wine and brought it up here. I placed it by the chalice. Then Abbot Miseno entered and, as I recall, passed directly through the sacristy to join the congregation. When I judged it was a small attendance, I poured the wine accordingly.”
Fidelma frowned thoughtfully.
“So Abbot Miseno had already passed into the ecclesia before you poured the wine into the chalice?”
“He had.”
“And are you saying that at no time did you leave this sacristy after you had brought up the jug of wine and poured it into the chalice?”
“I judged the attendance while standing at the door. While I was doing this Father Cornelius came in. In fact, he did so not long after the Abbot.”
“Father Cornelius being the priest who officiated?”
“Yes. He changed his vestments for the service while I poured the wine into the chalice. I then returned to check if anyone else had joined the congregation.”
“Then, at that point, your back was toward the chalice? It was not in your field of vision the whole time?”
“But there was no one in the sacristy with me except…”
“Except Father Cornelius?”
The deacon’s mouth had snapped shut and he nodded glumly.
“Let me get this picture clear. Father Cornelius changed his vestments as you were standing at the door examining those entering the ecclesia?”
“Yes. I remember warning him that Abbot Miseno had already entered.”
“Warning him?” Fidelma was quick to spot the word.
“The Abbot is in charge of this ecclesia as well as several others in the vicinity. However, he and Father Cornelius were… how can I say it? … Their views did not coincide. Abbot Miseno has been trying to remove Father Cornelius from this church. That is no secret.”
“Do you know why?”
“It is not for me to say. You may address that question to Abbot Miseno and Father Cornelius.”
“Very well. What then?”
“Father Cornelius was annoyed. In fact, I think he was in an evil temper when he arrived. Anyway, he pushed by me and went straight to Abbot Miseno. I saw them speaking together. I would say that the conversation was not friendly. The appointed hour for the service came and I rang the bell as usual. Father Cornelius then went to the altar to start the service.”
Fidelma leant forward.
“Let me clarify this point: you say that you poured the wine into the chalice while Father Cornelius was changing his vestments; that you then went to stand by the door, turning your back on the chalice?”
“Yes. I think so.”
“Think? You are not sure?”
“Well…” the deacon shrugged, “I would not take oath on it. Perhaps I poured it just after he left the sacristy.”
“Not before he left?”
“I cannot be sure now. This matter has been a shock and I am a little confused as to the order of events.”
“Can you be sure whether there was anything else in the chalice when you poured the wine?”
“The chalice was clean.” The deacon’s voice was decisive on this point.
“There was
no coating on the chalice, no clear liquid which you might have missed at the bottom?” pressed Fidelma.
“Absolutely not. The chalice was clean and dry.”
“How can you be so sure when you admit to confusion over events?”
“The ritual, which all deacons in this office fulfill, is that before the wine is poured, a small piece of white linen is taken and the inside of the chalice is polished. Only then is the wine poured.”
Fidelma felt frustrated.
The wine had been poisoned. It had been poisoned while it was in the chalice and not before. Yet the only time that the chalice was out of sight for a moment, according to the deacon, was when Father Cornelius had entered the sacristy. That had been the only opportunity to introduce poison into the chalice. But the deacon was not sure whether the priest had left before or after he poured the wine.
“What happened then?” she prompted Tullius, the deacon.
“The service was ready to start. I took the tray of bread and carried it to the altar. Then I returned for the chalice …”
Fidelma’s eyes sparkled with renewed interest.
“So the chalice stood here on its own while you carried the bread to the altar?”
The deacon was defensive.
“It was here only for a few seconds and I had left the door open between the sacristy and altar.”
“Nevertheless, it stood unobserved for a short while. During that period anyone might have entered the outer door and poisoned the wine, leaving before you noticed them.”
Hemlock at Vespers sf-9 Page 29