Shadowmagic - Sons of Macha (27 page)

We stole the cop car. After assaulting a garda and an FBI agent, what's another felony among friends? A dozen of the Druids were waiting for us at the Fairy Fingers.

‘We want to come with you,' Cullum said speaking for the group.

‘I've spoken to Essa about that and she doesn't have the power to do it. I'll speak to my mother and Fand, the Queen of the Fili, and let you know if it is possible when I come back.'

Cullum obviously didn't like that answer but he accepted it. The crowd began to murmur and then step backwards as a humming amber circle appeared in the air in front of Essa.

‘Are you really coming back?' Maeve asked.

‘I promised your father I would.'

‘All is ready,' Essa announced.

‘Good,' Maeve said. ‘I'll buy you dinner.'

‘By then you'll be able to afford it.'

There were six bags of broken marble. We took two bags each. Before I went through Maeve kissed me hard on the lips and then we walked into the portal.

We arrived back in the Hall of Spells. Essa walked up to me and dropped one of the bags full of rocks directly on my foot. ‘Who was she?'

While hopping on one foot, I tried to mumble out a reply but she stormed off saying, ‘I'm too old for this.' Then she shouted, ‘Where is the dragon?'

A guard strode up to me and bowed. Now, as I have said many times, I don't like the bowing and Your Highnessing but right then I welcomed it.

‘Oh boy,' I said to him, ‘I could just kill a cup of tea.'

‘Your father has instructed me to bring you to the Oak Room as soon as you arrive.'

‘Tell you what, get me a cup of tea first and you will have the gratitude of the Prince of Oak.'

‘Your father ordered me to bring you – right away.'

I guess the gratitude of a king out-trumps a prince.

Dad opened his arms to greet me. I ducked underneath and dove for the bowl of fruit on the table.

‘Hungry?'

I swallowed down a mouthful of apple before I spoke. ‘Being broke in the Real World is a drag.'

‘Oh yes, son – that it is. Why do you think I taught languages to students who didn't care? In the Real World, if you don't work you don't eat. Are you OK? Did you get the marble?'

My answers were unintelligible with my mouth full. Dad, instead of trying to fight me, walked to the door and ordered me a meal.

‘Now could we talk a bit before dinner arrives?'

I slowed down on the fruit and said, ‘Yeah, sorry. I'm fine and yes we have six big bags of broken marble.'

‘Good. The first thing we have to do is make sure it works. You'll need to find a volunteer willing to insta-age who won't turn to dust.'

‘Forget Essa, people in the Real World thought she was my grandmother.'

‘I imagine she didn't like that.'

‘It doesn't take much imagination.'

‘I'm putting you in charge of charting and laying the marble,' Dad said.

‘Charting?'

‘Of course.' Dad walked over to a table that had a map of the castle and its grounds. There were grids on all of the approaching slopes. ‘Record and number every piece of marble and log its placement.'

‘Why? Why don't we just sprinkle the stuff around? It'll take ten minutes.'

‘Conor, these aren't just rocks, they're land mines. When this war is over we have to find every one and lock them away. In three hundred years, when you are Lord of Duir, you don't want to step on one of these things while you're walking the dog.'

‘When I'm Lord of Duir I'm gonna get somebody else to walk my dog.'

Dad gave me his ‘this is serious time, not joke time' look.

‘OK, OK, I see your point. I'll start in the morning, unless it is morning. What time is it anyway?'

My dinner arrived and Dad sat with me while I filled him in on my adventures in Ireland.

‘It's a lovely place, isn't it?' he said.

‘Yeah, I wish I could have relaxed more,' I said. ‘As usual I was too busy trying to stay out of jail. You know what else? I missed trees.'

‘The older guys in The Land talk about going to Ireland in their youth and it being nothing but trees.'

‘What happened to them all?'

‘Modern man and their houses and their war ships. What is one tree when you have so many? When everyone thinks like that – well, then in time the land becomes as bald as an old admiral's head.' Dad thought for a while. Finally he said, ‘It is the fate of Tir na Nog if Maeve is allowed to succeed.'

I finished my meal and could hardly keep my eyes open.

‘Three more things, son.'

I did my best impression of a bored adolescent.

‘There's a council meeting an hour after dawn tomorrow – be there.'

‘OK,' I said with a moan.

‘Secondly, you must take your Choosing.'

‘Fine.'

‘Seriously, there is a war coming. If something happens to me …'

‘I said fine. Dad, I hate it when you talk like this.'

‘I don't care what you hate. I'm a king and you are a prince. If I die without you holding a Duir Rune then Cialtie has a “legitimate” claim to the Oak Throne.'

‘OK, after I get a couple of hours' sleep, I'll go to your crack-of-dawn meeting, then I'll mine the castle – and
then
I'll take my Choosing.'

‘It's not that easy – you must prepare.'

‘All right, all right,' I said stumbling to my feet. ‘I'll do anything you want. Just let me go to bed.'

Dad smiled and kissed me on the forehead. ‘Goodnight, my son.'

As I got to the door I made the mistake of saying, ‘You said “three things”?'

‘Yeah.' Dad sighed. ‘You gotta tell your mermaid girlfriend that she can't just barge into my office any time she wants.'

‘Firstly, she's not my girlfriend.'

Dad gave me a ‘you're kidding me right?' look.

‘OK, well she's … OK, I don't know what she is. But what do you mean “barge” into your office?'

‘Every day, sometimes twice a day, she barges in and asks if there is any news about you. It's exasperating.'

I started laughing. ‘Didn't you point out that you are, like – the king?'

‘I did – several times. She doesn't take a hint. Even when the hint is “Don't come in here again.” She says, “Even a king must be worried about his son.”'

‘Don't you have guards?'

‘Yes! She gets past them too. She's amazing and annoying. Maybe I should stick her on my brother. She'd probably drive him so crazy he'd hang himself. Please tell her to stop.'

‘I'll try.'

‘There is no try, only do or not do,' Dad said joining his laughter with mine. ‘Do … please.'

I was so tired I don't even remember walking back to my room. I think I actually started dreaming as I walked. When I first came to The Land, my dreams were so clear. I had never dreamt in the Real World, so when I awoke I actually had premonitions of what was to come but now as I got used to dreaming my dreams were getting like everyone else's. Just the crazy jumbled up fast-forward video of recent events. I dreamt of Ireland and The Grove of Druid. I dreamt of stealing hats from rich Americans, of dining with Maeve and tasering FBI men, but my favourite image was the one right before I woke up. Graysea talking so much that Cialtie was holding his head and screaming.

Graysea was waiting outside my door when I got up. She did the usual smother-with-kisses greeting and then came with me to breakfast. I filled her in on all of my exploits in the Real World. I left out any mention of Maeve; I still didn't have enough strength for that.

I excused myself but Graysea continued to follow me.

‘I'm going to a high council meeting, Graysea, I don't think you can come.'

‘Don't be silly. Your father loves me.'

‘Well … be that as it may. This is a war council and I don't think you should be there.'

‘If this is about a war then I'm more needed than ever.'

I reminded myself to apologise for laughing at Dad. This mermaid was not for turning.

I was late as usual. Dahy was talking about wall fortifications. I had obviously missed something as everybody gave me that look again. Everyone was there. Mom, Dad, Dahy, Nieve, Brendan, Gerard, Araf, Tuan, Fand, and even Lorcan the Leprechaun had been dragged out of his mine and made to don a general's cap again.

Essa was back to her beautiful young-looking self. I mouthed, ‘You look great', but she only dagger-stared at Graysea. Dad took one look at Graysea and then at me. I shrugged, which said,
I couldn't stop her
. He nodded, which said,
I told you so
.

The big shock was the thin guy sitting next to Dad. His hair and face looked newly cut and shaved and he wore clothes a bit too big for him. He caught me looking at him and wiggled a few fingers at me for a wave.

‘Hermy?' I said. ‘I mean Eth?'

Dahy, who hates being interrupted, said, ‘If you had been here at the beginning of this meeting, Prince Conor, then you would have been party to introductions.'

Dad came to my rescue. ‘I had the prince up late last night; his tardiness is partly my fault. Yes, Conor, while you were away Tuan graciously offered me a lift to Thunder Bay. I reunited with my old friend Eth and he agreed to return with me.'

Eth looked as though he was going to speak. We waited and when he didn't Dahy continued with his assessment of arrow resupply on the parapets. Dahy was mid-sentence when Eth finally spoke. ‘This is an exciting time for me.'

Eth sounded anything but excited. He spoke without emotion – or much volume. I'm pretty sure most people in the room didn't even hear what he said.

‘It is good to be among people again. Overwhelming … but good … I think.'

Everyone leaned in and strained to hear what the hermit had to say.

‘For the first time since the Race of the Twins of Macha, I have no idea what is in store for all of us.'

We all waited, not knowing if this was just another pregnant pause or if he was done.