Free Behold a Pale Horse by Peter Tremayne Page A

silent, guiding their pack mules. They passed along the river banks, by the swirling waters, under the shade of the tall trees that lined the track. Once or twice they saw men fishing, who raised a hand in greeting as they passed by.
    ‘The local folk have the right to fish the river,’ explained Magister Ado. ‘There are many good fish to be caught here, especially loach.’
    Apart from the few fishermen, they encountered no one else on the track as it followed the bends and flow of the river.
    ‘You can now see the top of Mont Pénas behind those trees there!’ Magister Ado exclaimed, pointing. ‘It is the tallest mountain in these parts and Bobium is situated on its lower reaches.’
    All the mountains seemed to be far taller than those Fidelma had observed before. As they swung around a bend of the river, and emerged through the trees to a section of open stony land, she could see a large watery confluence which seemed to create a broad headland on the far bank. There were many little rivers apparently rising from the mountains which flowed into the main course of the Trebbia. One such large stream joined the Trebbia from the north-east, and on the resulting right-angled headland rose many small buildings, while further up the hillside was a large complex of structures with a tower, contained within high walls.
    ‘Bobium!’ The word came from Magister Ado almost as a sigh. He turned to Fidelma and smiled. ‘That is Bobium. This is where your countryman, Colmbanus, came with his disciples to settle.’
    Fidelma gazed in appreciation at the surrounding countryside; at the rivers, the tall mountains, the lush green forests. She could see why Columbanus had been enamoured with the spot. There was something reminiscent about the land of Éireann … something, but it was not quite the same.
    ‘How do we get to the far bank?’ she asked. The waters of the Trebbia that separated them from the abbey were now broad and quite turbulent, rushing over the stony riverbed. Magister Ado merely smiled and pointed ahead of them. She followed his outstretched hand and could make out, not far ahead, a long stone bridge connecting one bank to the other. It was the most curious construction that she had ever seen, since it was built in a series of arches, but the method of construction had resulted in a series of humpbacks.
    ‘Is it safe?’ she found herself wondering aloud.
    Magister Ado chuckled. ‘It is called the Devil’s Bridge,’ he replied. ‘There is a story that Columbanus was trying to construct a stone bridge when the Devil appeared to him. He offered to build the bridge in a single night, but on one condition: that the first living soul to cross the bridge was to be his. Columbanus agreed. The bridge was built by morning, but because of the indiscipline of the imps and goblins that the Devil employed, each section came out in that series of humps you see and not one long level stretch.’
    ‘And did the Devil claim his soul?’ Fidelma asked sceptically.
    ‘It is said that Columbanus persuaded a little dog to run across the bridge and thus the Devil had to be satisfied with it rather than take a Christian soul which he had desired.’
    Fidelma thought for a moment. ‘The story is hard to believe. In the first place, how could such a saintly man as Colm Bán make a pact with the Devil to achieve such a mundane task as building a bridge? In the second place, he would not mistreat a poor, innocent animal so callously. And finally, in the third place, why would the Devil take the soul of a dog when the Faith teaches us that only man is possessed of a soul but animals are not?’
    Magister Ado was smiling broadly. ‘You are truly of a sceptical and practical mind, Fidelma. I perceive that this must not only be because of your land of origin, but also your training in law? Well, perhaps you will be pleased to know that our scholars tell us that the bridge was first built by the Roman legions when they were conquering