Chapter 15 Absence Makes The Heart...

 

Section 3 NA h-OIBRE.
Chapter 15 Absence Makes The Heart…

In which Cúan lights the Bone fire to summon the Host of the Sidhe and the Gaebolg saves his life.


Now that they had arrived inside the M50 Cúan and Lee were less conspicuous on the sulky. Cúan noticed many travellers and piebalds on the fringes of the city. Lee seemed to wave or call to groups of travellers all along their route. He kept up the banter “them’s the Finglas crowd, great craic for the horse fair in Smithfield.” At another time he saw another sulky at a filling station near Glasnevin Cemetery and it was “that lad does be in getting the cigarettes for the week after getting the dole, we call him Ash Wednesday.” Another time Cúan recognised they were travelling down the beautiful tree lined Griffith Avenue and Lee came out with “mind your wallet here.”

“Why?” asked Cúan “,criminal gangs?” “Worse..” Lee shot back “Politicians!”


Soon they were cantering up the Howth Road with buses and cars strung out behind them. “We better rest up at St. Anne’s Park in Raheny. There’s a duck pond there.” commented the witty Lee. “ Do you like the parks and the ponds then Lee?” asked Cúan curiously. “Ah yeah, sure what’s not to love about free grass and water for Dove. And my granddad used to bring me here.” “That’s nice” said Cúan innocently for the view?” “Not really “ was Lee’s answer “More for a campfire at night…and of course the duck.” Cúan stared at him for a long time and then asked quietly “ Lee where do you live now?” Lee reached behind his ear for the neverfailing fag end and lighting it with a small cigarette lighter took a puff and said “ dunno really, depends on where we are now. “


As they cantered down a road with trees on either side of them suddenly Cúan smelled the salt air taste of the sea. A vista opened out in front of them of a causeway leading across mud flats filled with waders and gulls and water birds of all description. In the distance Cúan could make out sandunes and a links golf course.


Soon Lee had them through the gates and up onto one of the nearby holes. He crept up to the pin and replaced the flag with the one he had taken from Staffan. He brought away the other flag which he ditched over the high wall on the way out again.


Cúan began to realise that Lee was never likely to be getting a membership of these golf clubs so he had no problem in being as annoying as he could to their members.

Cúan thought about his father’s golf bag at home and remembered caddying for Dermot around the Club back in Kildare. He and Lee led very different lives and it made Cúan feel sad.


Suddenly they were galloping along the Beach on the water’s edge. Howth head rose majestically out of the water before them and ships and sailboats floated on the horizon going in and out of Dublin bay. The two tall red and white towers stood on the skyline like some King and Queen from of old.


Cúan suddenly felt very tired and tumbled from the sulky into the surf. Out of the water rose an enormous brown bull three times the size of a normal bull. It padded over and gazed down on him. He felt its hot breath over him,saw the light shining on the bloody points of its horns and heard the deep breathing out of its lungs. He was terrified and all around him there was a pitch blackness of a moonlit night. Then the bull’s enormous black eye searched deep within him and it placed its left front hoof forward and lowered its head. For a moment he thought it was about to charge but instead it just bowed and as its head came up its enormous red tongue licked up his face and then it just turned and returned beneath the waves.


When he woke up it was daylight again and Lee was pouring water into him.






Manus pulled his Mitsubishi Pajero over at the checkpoint at Sutton Cross. The two Kellys were staring out the side windows, Malachi and Lochlann, left and right in the back seat and whispering among themselves, “Look a huge ship...no look a fast house flying along iron rails…. there, a big tower house with a fire coming out of it …but no a warrior in a helmet on a tiny chariot with no horse...look a tree with three fires one green one orange one red , yeah wow!”


A harassed guard approached him. “Can I see your driving license please?” Manus grinned and handed over his license. The tired looking guard glanced at it and went to return it then stopped himself. He stared at it again then looked at Manus, then he looked into the back seat. “Ah would you mind pulling over onto the kerb please sir?”


Manus pulled the car over and said to the two boys “Not a word now boys. Let me do the talking.” In his rear view mirror he saw the guard going over to the other one who was his sergeant. The two spoke for a moment then he saw the sergeant getting onto his radio to the dispatch centre. Suddenly all the other cars started to move freely through the checkpoint as the gardai lost interest in them. ‘Aha I thought so’ was Manus’s thought. ‘Well let’s see if we can be a bigger distraction.’ The Gardai didn’t really make an effective checkpoint. There was no barrier, no concrete slalom, no armed sniper team awaiting down the road. He was actually trained for this in the army and he thought ‘Let’s teach them how it’s done. They haven’t even had me turn off the engine. Big Mistake.’


He watched the Sergeant strolling pompously up on the pavement on the driver’s side. He must have been twenty metres away from the garda vehicle when Manus gunned his engine and moved forward about ten metres. The sergeant stopped, went to run back to his Garda vehicle which was pointed the wrong way anyhow. Manus stopped. The sergeant, looking very red, started toward him much more briskly. Manus revved again and jolted another ten metres. Now the sergeant was very angry and pulled handcuffs from his pocket. He came up to the window and barked “please turn off the engine and get out of the vehicle, sir.”


Manus looked at him all innocence and pressed a button which swiftly buzzed the electric window up. “No!” said Manus and revved again and took off onto the road. He knew just a little up ahead was a tunnel under the bridge to a little known road where he had an old comrade in arms living with a house that backed onto the beach.


Behind him the sergeant was running and shouting at the junior guard. They were turning into a yellow and white speck in the rear view mirror as he roared along the road without a care in the world. No doubt other garda cars were deserting checkpoints and converging on his position from all over the headland. It looked like the Cailleach’s plan was working and he still had a few tricks of his own thanks to Oglaigh na hEireann. “Now lads, “ he called over his shoulder making a tight left under the bridge “who wants to learn about camouflage?”






“Where did the checkpoint go all of a sudden?” asked Cúan. “Maybe your Bull scared them off.” Lee joked. Cúan knew now that he should not have told Lee about his vision of the Bull. It must have been heat stroke or dehydration causing him to hallucinate. “Ah here, Lee give over the slaggin’ . Where are we going anyway?” “Up there” said Lee pointing to the summit. “Always light a bonfire on the highest point so it can be seen far away.” Here he gave Dove a slight slap of the reins. Dove snorted in derision cocked one ear backwards and quickened his pace steering to the right across the busy junction and off up the hill.


They passed a school and then a church. After about five minutes Lee pulled the sulky over to the side of the road where there was a beautiful cemetery overlooking the sea.” I’ve just got to stop for a minute.“


He tied Dove to the gate and in he walked among the headstones. Cúan followed at a small distance. Lee went over to a corner of the graveyard where one headstone stood out from the others. It read Pakie Ward , Beloved Father and Grandfather 1935-2019. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.


“The Cailleach did that for me”, sniffed Lee. Then he pulled a small baby bottle of Paddy out of one of his pockets, unscrewed it and poured the contents over the turf.

“An té nach bhfuil láidir…” he said with a catch in his throat. He rubbed one grubby sleeve fiercely against his right eye. “I still miss him. Sad-Lee.” Cúan put an arm over Lee’s thin shoulder. “ Was Paddy his favourite whiskey? “ he asked. “No,” said Lee looking shocked “ that’s just to keep the fairies off him!, Oh no! Look!”


Back at the gate a garda car had pulled up next to Dove. It still had sand pouring out of the doors and the irate sergeant climbed out. A small hand grabbed Cúan and yanked him down below the level of the headstones. “ Let me handle this,” hissed Lee. “There is a gap in the wall over there where you can skidaddle. Get you up to the top of that hill and whatever you do, light that bonfire! ”


Once Cúan had slipped over the wall Lee stood up and strode over towards the gate proclaiming in a loud voice. “Here Guard I want to report a theft. Someone’s stolen your sense of humour!”





Dermot was talking on the phone in the hall. Gráinne looked sternly at the Cailleach. “You said that you knew where Maeve took Aoibheann, how do you know that if you are not working with Maeve?”

“The Cailleach reached out and her bony fingers caressed the daffodils on the window sill. “Bealtaine is a very magical time when the ways between the worlds grow thin and transparent. When the ways between the worlds grow thin blood calls out to blood. The girl you know as Maeve Naughten is a blood descendent of Queen Maedhbh .Maedhbh found her and used her blood to possess her totally. Maeve Naughten is still inside, in a body ruled by Queen Maedhbh of Cruachan, the witch queen of Connaught from a time long ago. Maedhbh cast a curse on the line of Cúchulainn. It concerns Manus, Dermot, Aoibheann and most of all Cúan. You are not affected by the curse.”

“What is the effect of the curse on the Cullens?” wondered Gráinne. “That is no easy thing to explain,” said the Cailleach shaking her head. “ In one sense there are moments in the life of a person when they make a choice between good and evil and those moments decide their future. In the world of magic such a choice is a doorway that can be opened again and someone must go through the choice again maybe changing their choices and outcomes. Queen Maedhbh was finally confronted after the destruction of the Táin by the Three Lordly Sidhe and banished from an Tír faoin Grian which you call the world. Eriú had suffered too much suffering,death and bloodshed. We sent her to another realm. Somehow one of her crows or snakes brought back Maeve’s blood and with it she was able to weave a spell of black magic that has brought her back into our world.” Here the Cailleach stopped and took a draw on her pipe, exhaled and ruminated.

“What does she want ?” asked Gráinne. “She wants her own way. She wants to see her enemies suffer. She wants power. She wants revenge. She wants everything except the one thing she needs. She is consumed by hate and that burns a deep black hole in her mind that admits no light. She betrays all who love her. In her mind Cúchulainn is responsible for her failure. She wants to wipe out his line from the earth. Your husband’s family are the last. When Cúan found the old hurley on the bog last Saturday she saw him and through Maeve Naughten has found her way back into our world. She has used dark magic which we have forbidden and now she must be stopped.”

Gráinne stood up and walked about clenching and unclenching her fists. “She stood right here in my face and lied to me. She was seeking my husband’s and my children’s lives. She brought poison into my kitchen. She still has Aoibheann and no-one knows where she is or if she is alive or dead.”


“Well now that is not really true. Aoibheann Cullen is alive and I know where she is.” The Cailleach nodded westwards “She is over there.” Gráinne came over and stood before her pleading, “How can you know these things?” “We must tell Dermot and the Gardai straight away! We have to get her back.”

“Oh do we now Gráinne? Do you mind who brought Maeve Naughten to your door and under your roof to abuse your hospitality?” Asked the Cailleach sharply.

“Inspector Carl Callen,” replied Gráinne doubtfully. “The one and the same,” cackled the Cailleach, “and no more than Carl she has turned other senior Gardaí to do her bidding. ‘Tis a mercy Dermot is suspended so we can protect him. She will get reports from the two men outside so we have a little time. We need to leave tonight and quietly it must be. We have but an hour before dark when her men come for you. They will find you here, gone.” The Cailleach reached around her neck and removed a leather thong. She unknotted it and slipped what seemed like a straw ring off her finger. “Now call Dermot and tell him to get a map of Ireland. We have some divining to do for the body and soul of Aoibheann.”


Dermot brought out a big map of Ireland and the Cailleach threaded the thong through the straw ring. Then she pulled loose one of the bits of straw pointing downwards. Then she swung the ring in a clockwise circle over the map. As the movement slowed the ring began to pull to the eastern coast , north from Wexford and Wicklow. The ring began to strain toward the dublin bay then North to Howth head and finally the loose straw touched down on Ireland’s Eye. “Good,” said the Cailleach “Away from prying eyes it will be easier to rescue her. All the better to keep the people safe. An uninhabited island surrounded by the sea and overlaid with spells and evil enchantments. I can barely wait.” With that the Cailleach began to chuckle.


Dermot looked at the Cailleach. “How do you know that your ring is telling us anything about where Aoibheann is or if she is alive?” The Cailleach said “ I saw you at Nora Joyce’s funeral. You never shed a tear. Well I was the last person left standing at her grave. I was the last person to speak to your daughter before she was taken and let me tell you she was a lot softer and kinder to me than you are now. I will not let Maedhbh harm one hair of Aoibheann’s head . Hear this, I gave Aoibheann a ring made from the selfsame straws that made this one. As long as Aoibheann draws breath or has her heart beating , I feel its throb on my finger through my sister ring. You might say I have my finger on her pulse. Maedhbh has magic to hide her presence from my sight but I feared she might try to get at Cúan through one of you. I guessed right that she would go for the child, believing her the weak one. I gave Aoibheann the ring just in time . ‘Tis as sad as ‘tis true that I know the way she thinks and now I say to you Dermot it is time to stir yourself to action.”

“What do you want me to do?” said Dermot quietly. “You have been looking everywhere for one child while the other is in grave danger.” chided the Cailleach. “What about Cúan and the loss of his grandmother ? Did you ever ask him how he felt losing her so young? When you moved to Clontarf did you spent more time with him to make up for the loss of friends? How many matches have you missed? When did you last ask him about how he is feeling? Can you remember when he last cried?” He will find Aoibheann before we do and then he will have the fight of his life against her. Let us out now in the name of all that’s Holy and get ourselves to Howth harbour and Dermot bring a gun.”

Dermot slapped his head “The DART, of course ,there’s one at the local station every quarter hour. Let’s go.” For once the Cailleach looked uncomfortable. “I’ve never travelled on a train;nasty,smelly,noisy things.” I will meet you at the southern pier.”





Cúan reached the top of the Hill of Howth. All around him he could see the dusk falling on Dublin bay. Across the waters the shoreline of the sea to the hills was lighting up with different coloured lights all amber orange sodium, glistening bright yellow opals, diamond bright white pearls adorning the neck of Anna Livia Plurabelle.

To the North was the receding coastline to Louth and Murtheimne. The sun was already very low down on the horizon and Cúan feared that he was too late.


“ Can we do it Gaebolg, ”he asked. Suddenly the Gaebolg’s eye opened up and turned an angry red colour. In his hand it grew hot and transformed into the warrior spear. He grasped it with both hands to direct it but it fought free and pointed north and downward. Then Cúan saw an amazing thing to his north, bushes were parting by themselves. The Gaebolg threw him to his left and as it did a red ray caught him on the arm burning through his hoodie and setting fire to the cloth. He began beating it out and then he heard a strange voice growl. “Whelp, pup, dog of Ulster, feel the pain of a Fomorian foe.” Cúan tried to make out where the evil voice was coming from but it echoed around him. Then he remembered ‘the Tarnhelm’ super speed and invisibility. “Show yourself,coward. Fight fair and not like a spy in the dark. Who are you?”

Another beam of angry light came from his unguarded side burning his left knee and he fell heavily on his side with his left leg on fire. Suddenly the Gaebolg was flattened to the ground as an invisible foot trod heavily on his hand crushing his fingers. An invisible hand seized him by the throat as Scátha had done and lifted him bodily into the air. “Now warrior of the light, it is time to face your death. Prepare to meet the Evil Eye of Balor of the Mighty Blows. Before him Chief Superintendent Breslin appeared in full blue uniform but without his cap. Instead he bore the Tarnhelm. The only odd thing was that his right eyelid was closed but through the eyelid a red light pulsed in preparation for his destruction. He closed his eyes,brought both his knees up so they braced of the Superintendent’s own kneecaps and flung himself in the famous salmon leap upwards and backwards in a reverse somersault. His kicking feet together caught Breslin under the chin and flung him backwards in the opposite direction. As Cúan scabbled in the dusk for the Gaebolg Breslin turned his Evil Eye toward him. A fiery red beam shot out toward him but Cúan had grabbed the Gaebolg and shielded himself behind its emerald stone. As the light refracted through the stone it was turned aside and ignited the bonfire next to Cúan. Straight away other bonfires lit up along the coasts to the north near Dundalk and Sliabh Donard in the Mournes and south to Bray head and Lugnaquilla in the Wicklow Hills. Others sprang up in the directions of Royal Tara and Boyne Valley and beyond.

It was like watching a line of dominoes falling and the expression on Chief Superintendent Breslin’s face looked like thunder. “You had one job to do,” Cúan said, and you failed. I couldn’t light the magic bonfire because I had lost the Sun but you have lit it for me and now the Host of the Sidhe is up and your fomorian warriors will be driven back to the sea.” Balor smiled evilly “I had two jobs. Now you die.” With that he just disappeared.

As Balor again twinkled out of view a shrub that was behind him jumped up and grabbed the invisible man in strong arms, one of which bore the characteristic crossed guns of the infantryman. “Quick Cúan, throw the spear,” came his grandfather’s voice anxiously “ I can’t hold him for long.” Cúan whipped up the Gaebolg and flung it at his Grandfather. The Gaebolg sailed ,as if in slow motion towards his Grandfather’s head. The Evil Eye opened up and a beam shot out but the tip of the spear split the beam harmlessly and stabbed deep into its source. Breslin gave a horrible shriek and appeared beneath the Tarnhelm,struck dead by the blow. As he hit the ground the Tarnhelm rolled idly off of his head and a purple smoke poured out of his mouth and nostrils. “I’ve got the magic helmet” said a thick bush with Lochlann’s voice. “That was amaazing! You were super Cúan and Mr.Cullen you were sooo brave to just stand there while he threw the Gaebolg.” Said a smaller shrub rising up from behind Cúan using Malachi’s voice

Manus looked at his Grandson “I knew the Gaebolg would never harm a Cullen. Cúan you did the right thing. He would have killed you. He would have killed us all and burned our lands as well.” Cúan shook his head. “Balor I don’t mind killing but the Chief Superintendent didn’t deserve to die.” His grandfather put his arm over his shoulder. “He may not have deserved to die Cúan but he signed up to it. He was a Garda and he took an oath to protect the peace. He offered his life to save others when he put on that uniform and that’s what got him killed. Maedhbh is responsible and she still has Aoibheann. You have killed a man now and I know it is hard to live with that.”

“Two men” said the bush called Lochlann. “ But the first was an accident” blurted the shrub called Malachi. “He was just surprised by a fomorian warrior and had to save our lives.” Manus watched Cúan picking up the Gaebolg and cleaning the blood off it . It transformed back into the hurl. “Well, well Cúan, you are not the boy I thought you were. You are growing into a man right before my eyes. What will we do now?” The Gaebolg swung around and pointed to Ireland’s Eye. A dark sea mist boiled up and covered the island from view. “I must find Scátha and the Claiomh Solais. You and the princes must find and rescue Aoibheann. It all ends tonight out there on Maedhbh’s enchanted island. We’re going to need a boat.”

“Oh I think I know where we can get some help with that.” said Manus grimly.