‘There are various penalties Prince Oran could impose,’ said Master Cael. ‘A fine, payable by the perpetrator to the blood kin of the victim. The level of fine to be determined in part by the severity of the offence and in part by the capacity of the offender’s family to pay. A period of exile. A period of incarceration.’

‘Too good for him,’ said Grim. ‘A fellow who’d do that to a girl – he doesn’t deserve to live.’

The prince spoke with a certain sympathy. ‘I understand your anger, Grim. In some places, such a matter might be left to the kin of the two families to settle between them, whether by payment of a fine such as those I mentioned, or by some kind of physical punishment. Or, indeed, where the offender cannot or will not pay, by summary execution. I don’t refer to an execution carried out by the local authority, you understand, but something . . . unofficial.’ His eyes were on Grim.

‘But you can’t do that,’ I said, ‘because Ness has no family. Nobody to make sure the man who wronged her cannot go out and do the same to another young woman, and another after her.’ Mathuin all over again.

‘I’m not in favour of the community taking the law into its own hands,’ said the prince. ‘In the long run, that does not serve justice well. It can give rise to feuds that last for generations; festering resentment that lies on a place like a sickness. But yes, there is a certain difficulty here, and it is the lack of family support for Ness who, I understand, had only her father.’

‘You sure you don’t want it dealt with quietly, my lord?’ Grim’s voice was dark. ‘Blackthorn and me and young Emer, we came here for Ness, to speak up for her, since there was nobody else. What kinsfolk would do for her, we’ll do. Just say the word.’

The prince gave a crooked smile. ‘Let Branoc out, and you’ll make sure that before he gets further than Dreamer’s Wood he’ll be dead and buried? I think not. That would rest ill on my conscience, and perhaps on yours, in time. We must make a wiser choice.’

The two of us sat there staring at him, not saying a word. What was he getting at? How could there be a wiser choice than making sure that vile creature never set his hands on another innocent young girl again?

Master Tassach spoke up. ‘In the matter of the fire, it is for you to recommend the penalty, since that offence was against the two of you. If you stand in place of Ness’s kinsfolk, then you also have a part to play in deciding the punishment for Branoc’s crimes against her.’

‘Execution,’ said Grim. ‘Official execution.’