The Enemy Within

Chapter 9

Gadd was spitting mad! He was furious with Finn. How dare that nincompoop become so familiar with the Chief? To think he could sit besotted, next to the Chief and take meals with her each day. Gadd knew exactly who was going to marry his stubborn, wilful, spoilt niece and Finn was not going to be the one. He had already picked out a certain General, who was going to be instrumental in advancing Gadd's ambitions to become the next Chief of Dalmahoy.

Gadd sat in his personal loft, nursing his whisky. It tasted even more delicious now that his plans were finally coming to light. His spy Alfie Fingal was presenting Gadd, with some rather incriminating evidence against the current Chief of Dalmahoy.

'I tell you Sir,' Alfie implored. 'I saw them with my own two eyes.'

Gadd scratched his beard. 'No. It's impossible. The wench would never dare befriend DeMartino.'

'Sir, when the Chief went riding on the beach. DeMartino was there. He approached her. They talked. They walked. Together. She did not stop him approaching her. And then they seemed to disagree about something. He walked away. She sped off. We had to ride like hell just to keep up with her.'

'Maybe it was nothing,' Gadd shrugged.

Let me tell you what I saw yesterday,' Alfie grinned, showing his crooked teeth. 'They met at a spot, just inside the DeMartino border. They looked real close and intimate.'

Gadd stared at Alfie fixedly. Could it be true? Could his idiot niece be cavorting with the enemy? Why, that was just the weapon needed to dethrone her!

'What were they doing?' Gadd questioned.

'I was being careful and did not go too close. But they were not talking like strangers or enemies, Sir. I tell you something is going on with those two.'

Gadd did not respond. His mind was running like a steam train.
How to catch her in the act? No wonder she was not interested in any of the Dalmahoy men. She had her sights set on the DeMartino Chief! Well if truth be told, DeMartino was built rather like a giant. Enlarged frame, tall, muscular shoulders and limbs, rugged features.

Gadd could accept her attraction to DeMartino. He wickedly plotted her demise. He would not question Grisell. He would not tell her bed-ridden father. No. He would bide his time and his ultimate plan would fall into place and he, as the last standing Blane, would become Chief by default. He enthusiastically anticipated his new role as Chief. First order of business would be to adopt a stricter approach over the clan. His soldiers and warriors, he was content with. The rest of his tribesmen, he planned to make them slave for their meals and increase the hours of tilling the land. They were lazy and did not work hard enough, unlike him. He would make them slave harder. They needed to become more subservient. He would ration their meals. They were greedy and ate too much. Second order would be to dissolve the Council. They would not be needed. He would be the authority. His word would be final. Anybody who disagreed would have their heads chopped off.

'Do not reveal to anybody what you have discovered,' Gadd ordered.

'Shouldn't we report her to Council, Sir?'

'Not yet. Let us gather more ammunition against her,' Gadd sharpened his sword distractedly.

'Okay Sir. Permission to leave?'

Gadd nodded. He could not contain his excitement. Nobody must suspect his ambitious plan.

Grisell walked aimlessly along the border wall that Finn had been repairing. For the life of her, she could not understand how Finn could have lost his balance and fallen. He was athletic and sure-footed. How could someone as sprightly as Finn end up dead? He was young, extremely meticulous and never reckless. Grisell wanted to scream.