Sons of Macha. John Lenahan
would be there to meet us as they had done the last time. Since they didn’t, we decided to camp the night there and meet the Oracle guy in the morning. We didn’t risk a fire but Nieve got some water hot using gold wire she incanted over and then dropped into the kettle. Dad hadn’t spoken all day and looked kinda off. I made him a cup of tea and then pointed to the stone wall next to him. ‘Excuse me sir, is this seat taken?’ I asked.
He was lost in thought but then finally said, ‘No,’ without even noticing any irony in the question.
‘You OK, Dad?’
He noticed me then and said, ‘Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.’
‘You know I’m old enough that you don’t have to play Strong Dad for me. You’re obviously distracted. What’s on your mind?’
‘It’s nothing. I’m just mulling over tomorrow.’
‘Or maybe you’re nervous about meeting a mother that you hardly even remember?’
Dad looked shocked – then smiled. ‘How did you get so smart?’
‘I actually have experience in meeting a mother for the first time in adulthood, remember?’
‘Yeah, I guess you do. Any advice?’
‘Yes, I do,’ I said, sipping my tea. ‘Get some rest, ’cause it’s nothing you can prepare for.’
The next morning as we walked to the front porch of the Yew House, Dahy threw something off the side of the mountain. There was no one outside the house so we opened the door and let ourselves in. We obviously caught everyone napping. A Brownie saw us in the hallway and yelped like a puppy that had accidentally been trodden on. He scurried away and it wasn’t long before there was a wall of armed Brownies between us and the end of the hallway.
I recognised the tall Brownie in front as the one that, months earlier, I had pinned to a wall by the neck. I knew that these guys weren’t as tough as they looked.
‘You are not welcome here,’ tall guy said.
‘We are not looking for a welcome. We are looking for Macha,’ Dahy said.
They all flinched in surprise at the mention of her name. If I had any doubts that my grandmother was there they left me then.
Tall guy repeated himself. ‘You are not welcome here.’ This time he emphasised his words by levelling a crossbow at us. Or I should say started to level a crossbow at us, because he never got it even close to level. As soon as the weapon started to rise, Mom and Nieve performed some kind of magic. There was a flash of light and the Brownies went down like bowling pins.
‘Strike,’ I said, and Dad gave me a smile.
We walked the length of that dark stone cold corridor until we reached the yew door with the Eioho Rune carved into the finish.
‘Ready?’ Dahy asked and in response we fanned out into our rehearsed positions.
The room beyond was exactly as it had been the last time I was there. Light shining from round discs set into the ceiling refused to bounce off the pitch-black floors. On a dais in the centre of the room, bathed in shadows, sat the Oracle on his Yew Throne. You couldn’t see his face, only the outline of his hair and robe as both fluttered in the wind that whistled through the room.
We stepped through the doorway, spread out and awaited Dahy’s command.
I stood at the back and tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. I wasn’t interested in having my conversation with him pick up where it had last left off.
‘Where is Macha?’ Dahy demanded.
Oracle guy leaned in, letting the light hit his face for the first time. It was as effective as any lighting trick done in a Hollywood horror movie and I’m sure he did it for its impact. The next time I had to scare the crap out of someone I decided I would hire this guy to do my special effects.
‘The last time I spoke to a Lord of Duir, he had manners,’ he said, looking at Dahy, but then he turned to my father and said, ‘and the last time I spoke to a Lord of Duir, he spoke for himself.’
‘I have had reports of the reception you offered my son at his last visit,’ Dad said, ‘the time for manners was then.’
The Oracle cast an eye in my direction. I wish you’d leave me out of this, Dad, I thought to myself.
‘As for my general’s question,’ Dad continued, ‘I shall repeat it. Where is my mother?’
The Oracle started to smile and then sat back into the shadows and laughed. One of those bad-guy laughs that irritates everyone except the laugher. We waited.
‘I never thought I would see the day when the Lord of Duir would climb up my mountain only to say, ‘I want my mommy.’ He laughed again. I’m glad it was dark in there ’cause I smiled too.
‘Conor, welcome back,’ he said, wiping the smile from my face, ‘I see you have brought your Imp with you. But where are the archer and the Druid? Oh dear, did I kill them?’
‘No,’ I said trying hard not to let my voice wobble. ‘Not that you didn’t try.’
‘Impudent as ever,’ he said in a tone that almost had some warmth in it. ‘Someday that will get you killed.’
‘I would advise you not to threaten my son.’ Dad obviously had heard something different in his tone than I had.
‘Or what? Your Shadowwitch will cover me with sap?’ Oracle looked to Mom and Nieve. ‘Which one of you is the Daughter of Hazel that practises the forbidden lore?’
Mom stepped forward but didn’t say a word.
‘So who are you?’ the Oracle asked pointing to Nieve.
‘I am Nieve of Duir and I too want my mommy.’
That should have been funny, but the way my aunt said it made it sound menacing. Saying that, Oracle guy laughed – apparently he doesn’t menace easily.
‘Well, now that we are all introduced,’ the Oracle said rising, ‘it is time for you to go. Apologise to my Brownies on your way out.’
Dahy is not the kind of guy who lets emotions get in the way of his tactics but on this day, the arrogance of the Oracle and the anticipation of seeing Macha again got the best of him and he jumped the gun. He raised his banta and stepped towards the dais. All I remember of the next ten seconds was: G-forces, wind and pain. By the time I came back to my senses I saw that I, like everyone in my party, was pinned to the wall by a force of wind that made our faces scrunch up like astronauts during take-off. When I finally could force my head to move, I saw I was three feet off the ground.
Oracle guy was standing in front of his dais with his arms outstretched as dust and leaves swirled around him under the light from the ceiling discs. If before I thought that this plan was maybe a mistake, now, seeing Oracle guy looking so all-powerful, I wondered if this was actually a fatal mistake.
‘What arrogance,’ he said; his voice, carried on the wind, was so loud it made my head vibrate against the stone. ‘To imagine that sticks and swords – and even Shadowmagic are enough to defeat ME!’
I tried to speak and then yell but the wind seemed to push my words back in to my head. I wasn’t party to the entire