The Subtle Serpent Read Online Free PDF Page A

by those who filled the hold. But there seems a great deal of it about this place.’
    She rose to her feet and moved across the bare storage area to a hatchway on the far side towards the bows. Suddenly she paused and turned back to Ross.
    ‘There is no way anyone would hide under this deck, is there?’ she asked, pointing to the flooring.
    Ross grimaced wryly in the gloom.

    ‘Not unless they were a sea rat, sister. There is only the bilge under here.’
    ‘Nonetheless, I think it would be well if every place aboard this vessel were searched.’
    ‘I’ll see to it directly,’ agreed Ross, accepting her effortless authority without complaint.
    ‘Give me the lamp and I’ll continue on.’ Fidelma took the lamp from his hand and moved through the hatch into the for’ard area of the ship while Ross, glancing about nervously, for he had all the superstition of a seaman, began calling for one of his crewmen.
    Fidelma, holding the lamp before her, found a small flight of steps which passed a cable tier where the anchor of the large vessel was stored. At the top of the stairs were two more cabins, both were empty. They were also tidy. It was then that Fidelma realised what was lacking. Everything was tidy; too tidy for there were no signs of any personal possessions such as must have belonged to the captain, his crew or any person who might have taken passage on the ship. There were no clothes, no shaving tackle, nothing save a pristine ship.
    She turned, moved up a short companionway to the deck to seek out Ross. As her hand ran along the polished rail she felt a change in texture against her palm. Before she could investigate she heard someone moving across the deck and calling her name. She continued up into daylight.
    Ross was standing near the companionway entrance with a glum face. He saw her at the top of the companionway and came forward.
    ‘Nothing in the bilge, sister, except rats and filth as one would expect. No bodies, that’s for sure,’ he reported grimly. ‘Alive or dead.’
    Fidelma was staring down at her palm. It was discoloured with a faint brown texture. She realised what it was immediately. She showed her palm to Ross.
    ‘Dried blood. Split not all that long ago. That’s the second
patch of blood on this vessel. Come with me.’ Fidelma retraced her steps down towards the cabins with Ross close behind. ‘Perhaps we should be looking for a body in the cabins below?’
    She paused on the stairway and held up her lamp. Blood had certainly been smeared along the rail and there was more dried blood on the steps and some which had splashed against the side walls. It was older than the blood on the linen cloth and on the handrail of the ship.
    ‘There is no sign of blood on the deck,’ observed Ross. ‘Whoever was hurt must have been hurt on these stairs and moved downwards.’
    Fidelma pursed her lips thoughtfully.
    ‘Or else was hurt below and came up here to be met by someone who bound the wound or otherwise prevented the blood from falling to the deck. Still, let us see where the trail leads.’
    At the foot of the companionway, Fidelma bent down to examine the decking by the light of the lantern. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she smothered an exclamation.
    ‘There are more signs of dried blood down here.’
    ‘I do not like this, sister,’ muttered Ross, anxiously casting a glance around. ‘Perhaps something evil haunts this vessel?’
    Fidelma straightened up.
    ‘The only evil here, if evil it be, is human evil,’ she chided him.
    ‘A human agency could not spirit away an entire crew and a ship’s cargo,’ protested Ross.
    Fidelma smiled thinly.
    ‘Indeed, they could. And they did not do a perfect job of it for they have left bloodstains which tell us that it was, indeed, a human agency at work. Spirits, evil or otherwise, do not have to shed blood when they wish to destroy humankind.’
    She turned, still holding her lantern up, to examine the two cabins adjoining the foot of the